Voyadores Parade 09

VIVA LA VIRGEN!!!

Some weeks after a school year opens, up until Peñafrancia Fiesta Week, schools, colleges and universities in the entire Bicol Region busy themselves with the preparations for the Annual Peñafrancia Festivities.

One of the much-awaited activities is the Voyadores Parade.

Loosely translated, voya means to transport something to another place. A voyador, therefore, is someone who transports something to another place. Makes sense?

During the Peñafrancia Fiesta, the voyadores are men who are responsible for bringing the image of the Lady of Peñafrancia (otherwise known to Bicolanos and other devotees as Ina or 'mother' in Bicol), on foot, from the Basilica Minore to the Metropolitan Naga Cathedral. Men from various socio-civic, religious and government organizations take turns in carrying the image until it reaches the Cathedral. This event is known as the Traslacion, which marks the novenarium in honor of Ina.

*Click here for more pictures of the Traslacion*

Quite recently, the Voyadores parade has been included in the long list of parades and activities during the fiesta.

Representatives from schools, colleges and universities re-enact the traditional Traslacion and incorporate songs and dances. The result is a wild display of color and festive music fill the air as well.

Truly, Bicolanos do everything to make their fiesta as fun and lively as possible...all in honor of the woman they love the most---the Ina of all Bicolanos, Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia.

More Murakami, Please!

Last night, I reached and read the last page of Haruki Murakami's collection of short stories, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman. I started reading the first of the 24 stories some months ago...For some reason, whenever I tried to finish the book, I dozed off after a few pages...some people suggested (explicitly) that this could be a sign of aging. If so, then how come I stay wide awake and finish all the other books and reading materials that I've read recently? =p

No matter, I finished reading Murakami's book and that's what matters the most.

Reading Murakami's short stories leaves you with a certain je ne sais pas quois. You read a story. You finish it. Then you ask yourself, "What the ef just happened?"

Some of his stories are easy to categorize...they're either sad, depressing or poignant. Some left me speechless and stumped and...argh! I can't even describe it!

I finished the darn book. I enjoyed it immensely. I look forward to reading more of his works.

'S all! =)

The Sum of All Fears

What scares you?

Bugs, snakes, vermin, relationships, committment, death...we are afraid of a lot of things. Sometimes these fears are a result of various past experiences. Some, though, are totally unfounded and sometimes, downright preposterous. Some fears are manageable while some, unfortunately, manage to take control over your life.

Life is too short to be spent being afraid. There's a choice, really. You can spend your life being afraid or you can start taking control over your fears. You can either try to run away and escape from what you fear the most or you can face it, embrace it and conquer it.

September

I can't believe it's already September. Once again, time flew by with nary a glance at my direction...

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

I was smoking and getting my usual early morning dose of caffeine when I noticed a couple of big, black butterflies fleeting in the backyard.

As they went about with their business, I contemplated on the fact that I've been seeing a lot of black butterflies in our backyard recently. They could be the same pair that I see everytime. Is it just coincidence then, that a lot of people I know have been dying in the past of weeks?

I've always wondered why black butterflies have been associated with death. I believe that they're too beautiful to be associated with something that evokes pain and sadness. Is it because the lifespan of most butterflies are too short? Most of them live for just a few days, the lucky ones get to roam various gardens for a maximum of 1 year.

Watching them from my perch, I wondered what I would do, how I would live my life if I were to be given just a few days to live. I was stumped. Thinking about that almost gave me a headache. Afterall, looking back at how I've been living my life, after all these years, I still have very little, or nothing even, to show for it. If I quietly leave, I'm afraid that nobody will even notice.

Here today, gone tomorrow.