Fiesta, the time for heaps and heaps of delicious foods and overflowing drinks and liquors. Everybody during this time just want to be full, drunk, and be merry. It has been a long tradition for Filipinos to celebrate the feast of either their patron saints or the foundation of their hometowns or baranggays, and no matter how bad the economy crisis is, Filipinos still find ways just to have a decent or even flamboyant celebration of their fiestas and that includes borrowing money from others. As what the old folks here often say, "One day of enjoyment, one year of torment." This saying often makes me laugh but I find it true. I know a lot of families here in our place having a hard time finding solutions to pay their debts after fiestas. That's how life balances everything here in the Philippines.
Fiestas are also moments where in cholesterol and alcohol levels soar up to the maximum but most of the time, a hypertensive like me couldn't really help but to munch on those enticing greasy and carbohydrate-rich food. Yeah, I know it's bad for me but should I just look at them drooling and torturing myself? As my former teacher in anatomy and physiology subject in college once said: "It doesn't matter if you die early as long as you die happy, smiling in your coffin." Well, maybe she's right but the last part, I have a doubt about it because until now, I have never seen a smiling corpse.
I know that we Filipinos need some time even just once a year to be jovial just to forget for a short moment all the problems our unfortunate third world country is facing, but sometimes I wonder if fiestas could really be a good instrument for this purpose or just another problem-producing event both for our pocket and for our health? Just asking.
Anyway, happy annual fiesta to my beloved hometown Maasin! And advance happy new year too! Let us look forward for a brighter life next year. God bless us all.
Fiestas are also moments where in cholesterol and alcohol levels soar up to the maximum but most of the time, a hypertensive like me couldn't really help but to munch on those enticing greasy and carbohydrate-rich food. Yeah, I know it's bad for me but should I just look at them drooling and torturing myself? As my former teacher in anatomy and physiology subject in college once said: "It doesn't matter if you die early as long as you die happy, smiling in your coffin." Well, maybe she's right but the last part, I have a doubt about it because until now, I have never seen a smiling corpse.
I know that we Filipinos need some time even just once a year to be jovial just to forget for a short moment all the problems our unfortunate third world country is facing, but sometimes I wonder if fiestas could really be a good instrument for this purpose or just another problem-producing event both for our pocket and for our health? Just asking.
Anyway, happy annual fiesta to my beloved hometown Maasin! And advance happy new year too! Let us look forward for a brighter life next year. God bless us all.
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