Birthday Co-celebration of Ayen and Nom

I was very fortunate to be back in the country when Ayen and Nom celebrated their birthday (June 6, 2008). Jovie and Ryla were also present coming from Nueva Viscaya with a cousin who brought Raq's gift for tatay and nanay. It was not what I was expecting though. I was hoping for a cozy and intimate family gathering but it turned out to be a barangay (village) celebration. Not only our relatives came but also neighbors who in away our extended relatives.

Cousins and relatives were mobilized.

Scenes of the preparation of the food








The menfolks until late night had drinking with a videoke blaring ( the company that put together songs and videos is a Korean company - hello noraebangs {Korean singing bars}).

A pig was butchered. The meat was cooked in different ways igado, an Ilocano dish that is always present in any padaya/ram-rambak (celebrations)

A goat came in next for the kinilaw ( raw goat's meat seasoned with vinegar and spices), caldereta and the famous Ilocano cuisine papaitan (meat and innards cooked with bile or those liquified- digested almost to become excrement of the goat that makes the dish exotic and ma-pait/bitter).

The women folks came to prepare the veggies, clean the rice, prepare the utensils and later on wash the dishes.

An so we ate, had fun and parlor games.

I've heard again after so loooong time (felt so sentimental hearing the song I would hear when celebrating bdays in Ilocos as a kid) "pada-padakam a kumablaaw" (all gathered here to great you happy birthday). One of the highlights of the singing is the crowning and giving of flowers to the celebrators.

Click to listen to the song

(below are some of the lyrics of the song with my own translation)

padapadakam nga asiraragsat
all of us are so glad

a kumablaaw, mangipaduyakyak
to greet and wish you

ta nagtengan ti aldaw a panakayanak
for this is the day of your birth

panagtao a napnuwan gasat
your being full of fortune

balangat a naurnos
adorn is a wreath

dagiti sabsabong
of flowers

nga umay mi kenka
that we will come

isaad dita ulom
to crown you

The affair was ended with Ayen giving gifts to her well-wishers.

Oh the adults continued their videoke singing while I played with the rest of my 'kins - pamangkins (nieces and nephews) under the burning afternoon sun.

Enjoy the scenes:







Link to the album: http://picasaweb.google.com/peterahon/BdayOfAyenNom



Note; Photos are reduced in size/quality for faster uploading.

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