Ever since arriving in Nasugbu ( in the Batangas region ), every merienda I had thus far consisted of at least sweet black coffee and suman ( sticky rice cooked in coconut milk wrapped in banana leaf ).
Luckily the coffee hadn't affected my sleeping patterns. With caffeine, the truth in IRRI's slogan became clearer. "Rice is life." Rice is served in every meal; it's even in snacks and desserts. Life can be like suman; it isn't always sweet, and sometimes it can be sticky.
I was invited to attend the slaughter of a pig. I ate balot so what's the big deal about watching the killing of a pig? A totally different thing! I'll spare you the gory details readers; all I can say is that PETA will have a field day ( keep in mind: a different way of life, a different perspective ). I drank coffee and ate suman before the beginning of the end began.
My cousin's cousin asked about life in the the United States. I avoided diplomacy, romanticism, and nostalgia, and in my limited Tagalog, I gave him a simplified version of the saying: "Happiness is the consequence of personal effort [ mixed with the company of family and friends]."
I thanked the pig for his life ( after all I still like bacon ). The pig's life was ended and was used to celebrate the birth date of a relative. We wished him health and more birthdays to come. In taking life to give life, the circle of life keeps going on-and-on.
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