I was thrilled to see my three pots of turmeric sprouting new leaves. The leaves are oblong compared to the narrow green leaves of ginger. I read somewhere that turmeric produces lovely flowers too. I can’t wait to see them bloom. Seeing earthworms in the garden reminds me of those days with mom.
During the last days of summer and the onset of the rainy season, I would sometimes go with mom to go fishing in the river. Yes, we use the old-fashioned hook, line and fishing rod made of thin bamboo pole and earthworm as baits. Back then, when the ground is soft because of the rain, it is easier to dig large and fat earthworms near our vegetable plot. We would place them on a fine plastic net or a tin can with holes and a small amount of soil on top of the can so they could breathe and would not die. We would bring boiled banana, sweet potato or rice cakes for snacks and a bottle of water.
Ah, we would normally catch biya, those small fresh-water fish and grill them in charcoal. Sauce from fresh green tamarind is the best partner for this and freshly cooked rice of course. There were times when crabs would cling to the line. Fishing with mom was such a wonderful memory that I would always cherish. Those were the days, I think I was in grade school back then.
I remember those head gears which the old folks used to protect themselves from the rain. Believe me, they were even better than your sturdy umbrella. The takoko which is made of dried palm leaves and woven into a wide umbrella-like thing was so popular then. It is not complete without the kalapiaw, a native raincoat made of the same material, with a cord tied at the neck. I tried them before but they were always too large for my small frame but believe me, they were the best things to wear when the rain was hard. They were so cozy and warm.
I catch myself smiling while editing this post. Maybe that’s what lovely memories do to you, they become more keenly felt and remembered as you grow older.
I had a similar experience fishing with dad in another blog post which you can find here.
Great memories indeed, Arlene. I like the sound of the waterproof hat and cape too. That would serve me well when out walking with Ollie!
Best wishes, Pete.
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They never make it anymore I guess. It was too long ago. I could not even find anything written about it.Up in Batanes though, they have a similar headgear called a vakul, an abaca fiber-made headgear for sunlight and rain protection. The beauty of Batanes is still a dream for me to visit, the best place in the Philippines.
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Lovely post and lovely memories! I have wonderful memories of fishing with my grandmother.
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Thank you so much! I am pretty sure it gives you joy remembering them.
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We called the head covering sakaling in Batangas.
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So you are familiar with it too, that’s really nice to know.
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Oo, but I think it is not used anymore except by the old old folks. Salakot was very helpful for farmers and such because the salakot left both their hands free for work while still protected from the elements. These days, payong na. I do not think there was a version of the kalapiao in our place though.
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I do remember the salakot, they were made from different materials. I found this site where there were pictures of those traditional head gear and raincapes. http://www.ichcap.org/kor/ek/sub3/pdf_file/domain5/095_Salakot_and_Other_Headgear.pdf
The first pic is what we call the takoko in our dialect while the black and white one features the kalapiaw.
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