Lucky 2009
One of the local TV stations here used Lucky 9 of 2009! as the title of their short program that covered the events all over the Philippines as Filipinos bid farewell to 2008 and welcomed 2009 with a bang, and I mean BANG because here you can light firecrackers pretty much anywhere. I really do hope 2009 will be a lucky year for everyone despite the looming financial meltdown and OPEC’s decision to limit the release of oil supplies. The festivities to greet the new year varied from town to town but some of the ones that caught my interest were the Pahalog (?) festival at Santolan Pasig where they roasted 40 suckling pigs (Lechon baboy) to be eaten by the whole town at the eve of new year, and the one in Tondo, Manila where the Machos (big men) and the Tomadors (hard drinkers) of the town graced the town with a dance number while wearing their housewives “daster” ( a vestida worn by women when at home). It was nice to see Filipinos greeting 2009 with a smile on their faces, resilient and brave, willing to face whatever life may throw at them.
Inside the Suarnaba household what do we have? the Annual Family reunion! I can hear Tetel lambasting the videoke machine now so I better take a shower before the rest of the Suarnaba clan arrives. Oops, before I go, Happy New Year everyone! tata!
