Comeback Entry: Popcorn, Puto and Camera Whoring: Is This How We View Holy Week?

Note: I haven't gone to this a lot for quite a long time. I wish to be here more often. So as a comeback entry, I chose this one.This was supposed to be posted last Sunday. So bear with it. LOL. have fun.

For the first time in my 19 years I attended the so-called "Tabo" or "Angel angel" this year. I woke up at 2 in the morning to be able to join the said event. According to them, it was to witness the resurrection of the Lord. But as far as my observation is concerned I think the sole reason for being there is diminishing.

So I woke up at 2 in the morning, fixed myself, had a sip of coffee (literally) and went to the Provincial Capitol Grounds where the Easter Mass will be held. (Oh, special thanks to Tito Wildon for the ride!) When I looked at the make-shift altar, I noticed little kids in white and they have wings and, guess what? They got pompoms! I told my sister and Tito Wildon's daughters, "Cheerleaders na diay ang mga angels karon? (Translation: Angels are Cheerleaders now huh?)". They laughed at my joke. But seriously, do they need to have those metallic pompoms? They were already cute with those homemade wings and white clothes. I tried not to be narrow-minded and rationalized the presence of the pompoms. I thought that they were just props to make their (lip)singing and dancing lively and make a woosh-woosh sound with it.

After a few waits, the mass has started. The kids stood up waving their metallic pompoms to the tune of the entrance hymn. The choir was singing bisaya songs, so practically I only know a few words since it’s in the more formal variety of the language. So I was trying to concentrate on the words coming out from the speakers since we are too far from the altar though I only understood a few of it since the words were deep enough for me not to understand. In the middle of the first part, I noticed a flash coming from the back of the car. I turned my back and a roar of laughter came from this family parking behind Tito Wildon's car. They were acting as if they were on a picnic, flashing and laughing away as if nobody is affected. I was irritated. I said to Nikka (Tito Wildon's second daughter), "Naa na sila diri para mag-picnic dili para magsimba. (Translation: They're here to picnic not to hear mass.)". Nikka was irritated too, so she said, "Tan-awa gani Ate Jha (apparently my house nickname is Jha-Jha) muundang man nuh sila. (Translation: Stare at them Ate Jha, they will stop.)" She went at the back of the car. I have no idea what she did and she went back. She gave no reaction. The family at the back is still laughing, even worst a kid shouted! I could not do anything. I wasn't even able to concentrate on the mass. So I just kept quiet and hugged myself. We just let them be. Flashing and laughing here and there. My sister, Via, said that an old woman nearby tried to warn them but they seem not to notice. We just moved on and concentrated on the mass.

While we were trying to concentrate, a puto vendor passed by and the aroma of freshly popped popcorn filled the air. I smirked at the puto vendor. Why was he doing that in the middle of the mass? I mean, I know he's making a living but in the middle of the mass? And the aroma of the freshly popped popcorn showered with cheese flavoring was filling the air. I felt my stomach grumble. I was hungry. Shoots!, I shook my self. I'm in the mass. I should be concentrating not thinking about that popcorn that was oh so crunchy and hot. Er! I hate it. Why are they tempting us in the middle of the mass? In my frustration, I imitated an OPM song, "Oh, Tukso layuan mo ako! (Translation: Oh, Temptation go away from me!)" I know they were making a living but I think they were selling at the wrong place and at the wrong time.

I was kind of irritated by the scene. I mean, we were there in the grounds to witness one of the most important events of the Catholic church, and here comes these vendors and some pretending to be mass-goers distracting the concentration of the people around them. We were not there to picnic, people! We were there to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. We can eat your popcorn and your puto after the mass. And we can take pictures and laugh our lungs out after not during the mass. Popcorn, Puto and Camera Whoring: Is this how we view Holy Week these days? [J]