Sunday, June 8, 2014

Anawangin's Downfall

On the boat ride from Pundaquit to Anawangin Cove, Sky told her cousin, Ashley, about the pine trees that grew on sand, and that they were Mt. Pinatubo’s sons and daughters.   At seven years old, Ashley’s brows furrowed on the similes.  


The agoho "sons and daughters of Pinatubo." Anawangin, 2010

“Di ba, mommy?”  Sky needed story reinforcement so I pitched the local tale about how the cove used to seem like any other cove, with beige sand matting the length of the long shoreline and turning slightly gray on the left cleft where fresh water met saline.  

 In 1991, when ashfall from Mt. Pinatubo carpeted San Antonio, Zambales, there also came a seeding of sorts.  “Anak ng Pinatubo,” was how the old caretaker explained the mysterious birthing of the agoho trees, so uncharacteristic of Philippine beaches with most having coconuts and talisay as resident terrestrials. 

It is partly this realignment of Anawangin’s geomancy – fire conceived the agoho, earth midwifed newborn islets and dunes, water gurgled in the center and flowed freely to the sea, mountain protected her back -- that validated it: secluded Anawangin is soul terrain. 

Anawangin river, meandering and meditative.  2010

Twice here already, Sky regaled family with philosophical mastery that niners throw out so casually, “the beach and river, they’re kind of never the same.” 

But the never-the-same, this time around, had no philosophy, and created bad feng shui. 

Monday, May 11, 2009

the gift of double rainbows

Sky turned four years old in mid-April, right smack in the heart of summer, the best time, skydad and i thought, to stoke the campfires and begin camping 101.

And what gifts Taal Lake and Grandfather Sky gave to little girl Sky. The wrapping came undone with the first kiss of rain that got her jumping at puddles and laughing for glorious play that only the combination of water and kids can muster.

And then a moment of deep quiet for the surprise. Sky gasps. Before her are not just one but two beautiful rainbow arches. "Dalawa?!" Skydad and I wouldn't be able to top this gift of double rainbows. We look at each other and know without speaking that we must be doing something right.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

why is jesus dead, mommy?

They were in their thirteenth church
and Sky, my four-year old little girl,
is bewildered and she shows it.




Sky: Bakit naka-cover si Jesus, papa?

Papa (my dad): Kasi namatay siya.

Sky: Wawa naman Jesus. Bakit kasi siya namatay?

Papa: Kasi maraming kasalanan ang mga tao.

Sky: Wala akong ginawa ah. Wala akong kasalanan!