Sunday with the Aetas...

The last two Sundays were great ones. These days afforded me experiences that I'd like to forever keep in a section called "fondest memories" in my brain. I imagine my brain to be composed of different sections and I assign names to these sections. I don't know, but doing this, rather than imagining left and right hemisphere and all those things, makes me feel more human and, well, more in control. Hehehe:)

Okay, so first stop is Sunday of last week, i.e. September 5. Kuya Frankie texted me Saturday night to invite me to go with the Osaka Association Youth Development Exchange Program participants and some other SSEAYP alumni for a trip to Pampanga. Since it was to be my first time to visit the place, I was naturally very excited. The next morning, I was up by 6 o'clock to prepare for the trip. I slept for only two hours that night. So, anyway, I went to the meeting place and met the participants and saw good friends from the SSEAYP alumni. We left for Pampanga at about 9:00.

It was about 11:00 when we got to Clark. We were told that we were to go up the mountains for our interaction with the locals, particularly the Aetas. After a very brief orientation and an ice cream treat, we got on the four-wheel drives and proceeded to our "climb". On our way, we had such a great time. We, at the back of one of the 4x4s, felt like beauty queens or traditional politicians as we waved at every house and person we passed by. The bumpy and "sunny" ride was made okay by all the joke exchanges and laughing.

It was lunch time when we got to our destination, the Aeta Maganchi community of San Martin. San Martin is a very small and a very poor community. They have this little community elementary school and that's all. People lived in very small bahay-kubos close to one another. Lots of people in the community didn't speak any Tagalog or English, just Kapampangan and their own Maganchi language. They are very, very friendly people. Everyone in the community, old and young, was there to warmly welcome us. It was just so nice. There we were meeting these people for the first time yet we were hugging people all around us. Hugging really does wonders. It puts a smile on everyone's face. :)

We went straight to an open hall (sort of an unfinished building). Being still full from eating breakfast in our minibus on the way to Pampanga and the free Milko ice cream, we decided to have a little program right away. The community children prepared lots of numbers. They sang and danced. Our Japanese friends also prepared a song number (SMAP's Sekai Ni Hitotsu Dake No Hana) and a little game for the kids that we all enjoyed. The program, short as it was, was great. It was also amazing to see all those kids. There were LOTS of kids. The reason is that the people of this community marry very young. We even saw this woman who looked not more than 16 already breastfeeding a baby. There were much, much more kids than adults.

After that, we had lunch. We ate on banana leaves spread over three long tables. They prepared or cooked food without pots and pans. They used bamboos instead. They put these bamboos on the table. As we took our seats, the people in charge shook the bamboos vigoruosly and out came rice, chicken, and other food. We shared everything. My friend, A-nang, and I had to be very careful, though, because being Muslims, we couldn't eat pork or anything that touches pork meat. But, all in all, it was a very good and interesting lunch.

After some more interaction, we went back to our "wheels" and went to see some projects of the Clark Development Center. It's really nice how some people spend their whole lives helping less fortunate ones. You'd think that seeing how simple and poor those Aetas lived and their situation would actually depress people. But, for me, it was different. Sure, it's depressing to see poverty and all, but seeing all those happy smiles, I just couldn't help but feel a pang of envy and guilt. They may be very poor, but they were very happy. They looked contented with how things went. I, like most people I know, complain so much about how life is treating me (us) yet I know that I (we) live a relatively good life. Those Aetas have so much more reason to be depressed, but they're not. They enjoy and love the simplicity of their lives. I, on the other hand, can't seem to get enough. There would always be something more that I'd want.

On our way to that place, we were complaining about how the heat of the sun would ruin our complexions. Such a stupid concern, I know! On our way back, I was happy that the sun was there and I welcomed its kisses with excitement and an unwavering thankfulness and gratitude for its being there and for all the things that I actually have and do enjoy! :)