B2A1 - The World of Myths

Chapter 33 : Alan, Balbal, Bungisngis, Busaw, Amalanhig IV

Chapter 33 : Alan, Balbal, Bungisngis, Busaw, Amalanhig IV

-Darxi-

            The villagers decided to celebrate a feast as a tribute to us for saving their village from those monsters that keeps on bothering their village and threatening their lives. We quickly proceeded and joined the party, there were so many foods and drinks that we can consume here.

            The villagers are so happy and full of energy as they danced with the music. The music played was so beautiful, though I’m not a music person, it soothes my ears, I haven’t heard much of this before, and it’s like my ears kept asking for more. If you are a Filipino and haven’t heard one traditional music, then I suggest you have to. You’ll not regret it.

             We also participated with playing some games, and we surely enjoyed it so much. Living in our generation where our own culture is slowly dying, obviously we haven’t tried doing this, and we don’t know how much we’ve missed as a child until this day. And oh my gosh, I can say we missed so many things!

             We played some sorts of games, and I’m going to tell you some like tumbang preso, luksong-baka, luksong-tinik, piko, and taguan, which I know of since I heard it and watched on television yet haven’t done it ever since I’ve heard of it. I didn’t know that these games are so much fun than burying yourself with gadgets the whole day.

            We also enjoy unique games that I haven’t heard of before like araw-lilim, bati-cobra, buwan-buwan, langit-lupa, sambunot, and sipa, which also had easy mechanics and so enjoyable to play. Good thing we didn’t hesitate to join them. We’re inside the game where we witness all about our own country, so why not try all.

            But aside from the game, there is one thing that keeps the feast alive and attractive, of course it’s the food. This will never be forgotten whatever celebration we celebrate, and it’s so amazing that I saw foods that I have tasted before, it’s just that these foods here taste more traditional than what I usually eat. Oh my gosh, of all things, I love eating.

            They have this soup here which seemed to be Kare-kare, from how it looked like and how it tastes. It really is Kare-kare, it just tasted a little different from what I eat in modern times. But still, both are delicious. They also have sinigang, I mean who would forget that? Who would not recognize this food?

            Sinigang is one of the most famous Filipino food that everyone should try, Sinigang is a Filipino soup or stew characterized by its sour and savory taste. It is most often associated with tamarind, although it can use other sour fruits and leaves as the souring agent. I couldn’t get my tongue out of it.

            If only my stomach doesn’t have limitations, I’d eat all of what’s placed on the table, except the utensils though ahahaha. There is also rice to partner the sinigang and the kare-kare. It’s so different from how we celebrate ahahaha unlike them, we have spaghetti, cakes, roasted chicken, and other foreign-influenced dishes.

            “Are you sure this is a cake?” Vic asked as he took a slice from what Avery is saying a cake. It doesn’t look like the usual cake we eat in modern times, but that doesn’t mean it’s not.

            “Yea, it’s called cassava cake, that’s made of cassava… you know cassava?” Avery answered him as he started eating the cake “Cassava cake is a traditional Filipino moist cake made from grated cassava, coconut milk, and condensed milk with a custard layer on top” he continued

            “This looks delicious though. But I don’t know that we’d be able to eat this… in the game” Vic spoke as he took a slice and started eating it

            “yea, this game really tells us how much we missed as a Filipino ahahaha” Scarlett cut herself in. I saw a purple-colored dessert next to the cassava cake. And I know what that is, it’s called ube halaya, or ube jam. I tasted that before and it tasted so delicious

            “What’s this?” Raizen said eating something as he had his sour face while eating it “It’s so sour, but it tastes good… isn’t this fish?” he spoke while chewing it “The sourness and the spiciness blended well too…” he continued

            “I know that… it’s called It is more accurately a cooking process that relies on vinegar and acidic fruit juices like calamansi to denature the ingredients, rather than a dish, as it can also be used to prepare meat and vegetables” Lucy answered his question

            “It taste amazing… I like spicy foods” Raizen said as he continued eating

            “I knew that because my grandfather eats that as finger food partnered to his alcohol…” Lucy added informing us

            “Oh really? Then where’s the wine then?” Raizen said laughingly

            “Over there… let’s go get it” Vic said pointing at a table where bamboos are placed as bottles containing drinks

            “Oh my gosh… you guys drink?” Scarlett asked them unbelievingly

            “Of course not… I was just joking” Raizen denied

            “You better be, or I’ll tell mom…” his brother, Reiven, said and looked at him narrowing his eyes

            “No… I’m just fifteen, I’m still a minor” Raizen said shaking his head off

            “I already tried it once…” Vic said “But just a taste of it though… promise” he quickly defended himself as soon as everyone looked at him

            “Gosh, you really are so…” Avery said commenting on him “I don’t believe you only tried it once ahahaha” he added.

            I can’t speak right now, my mouth is full, everything tasted so good. I wanna eat them all. I’m not gluttonous, they really taste so delicious, and I can’t resist not eating them.

            “Whatever, we can have a taste of those… after all, there’s no law that prevents minors to drink in this time yet…” Vic said as he looked at those bottles. He really is a drinker ahahaha and he didn’t just drink alcohol once, I don’t believe him either “I heard there were tapuy, tuba, basi, and lambanog in there. I haven’t heard of them before, I’ll just try them”

            “Who cares… go and make yourself happy, we won’t help you if you get drunk” Elliot said as he walked around the table to get some food “Guys, don’t help him ahahaha”

            “There are non-alcoholic drinks over there, why don’t you try those?” Enzo suggested pointing to the table next to it. “I heard it’s kapeng barako and salabat. There’s also calamansi and buko juice, I already drank there” he added trying to convince Vic to try those instead of the alcoholic ones

            “Ugh!” Vic grunted and turned towards the table the Enzo pointed ahahaha. I mean, he could just go and drink to satisfy himself without listening to our opinions and having our approval. He must be ashamed of himself that he drinks though he’s underage.

            “Why is there pansit, lumpia, siopao, and siomai here? Aren’t these modern recipes? Like… they were influenced by the Chinese…” Enzo asked looking at the other dishes placed on the table

            “I have read about this… during 3400 b.c., The earliest evidence of rice in the Philippines was found in the Cagayan Valley. Rice was brought to the Philippines during an Indo-Malaysia, Chinese, and Vietnamese wave of migration” Avery said as he looked above trying to remember it

            “2nd century AD, the Chinese were the first to trade with the Philippines, which they called Mal at the time. China introduced the Philippines to soy sauce, fish sauce, and the method of stir frying. This led to the birth of many Filipino-Chinese dishes such as pansit, lumpia, siopao, and siomai” he added

            “Oh, so these recipes came in Philippines first before the Spanish?” Enzo asked as he knew. I didn’t know that ahahahaha it’s like we’re having a cultural tour around here and Avery is our tour guide telling us things he knows. That’s why having a smart person when you go to another place is a must.

            “1100 AD, the Philippines began trading with India, Thailand, and Japan. This led to the creation of many new Filipino dishes with spices and flavors from around the world. That’s why Filipino cuisine is so diverse because it’s heavily influenced by other countries even at this time” he said

            “Then the Spanish came, they started introducing us their cuisine too. Look, we’re using banana leaves, bamboos, and clay pots and plates right now, the Spanish would change this soon” he said pointing at what where using right now

            I turned around and saw some native fruits, root crops, nuts and vegetables to be eaten. I learned in history class that traditional Filipinos eat this as snacks. There were also fruits placed in baskets like the usual ones we grow in our country like mangoes, bananas, pineapples, papaya, langka, watermelon, avocado, and durian.

            As we kept eating the surrounding started to get dark which means we’ve been partying the whole day. I noticed someone fixing the fruits and vegetables placed on the table. I don’t know but my eyes automatically laid upon him and stared at him. I looked at the others who are also looking at him.

            After with what he did with the fruits, he took one and gave it to a child. The child happily took it and ate it. He then, talked with the child then they left. It looked so suspicious, but that probably was a father and son thing. Yet my nosy self started following them.

            “What’s happening?” Scarlett asked as we all walked towards it, even Vic who’s still holding a bamboo glass of a drink.

            “I don’t know but something is wrong with that man” Elliot said firmly as if he knows what’s going on. The man led the child towards the forest without noticing us. We just hid behind trees so that he won’t see us. As soon as they went further inside the forest, the man suddenly changed into something without the child knowing it.

            “Oh my gosh, it’s a busaw!” Avery whispered in shock and terror for the child

            “What’s a busaw?” I asked him “Is it dangerous?” I continued as I looked at him yet he quickly casted a spell on the monster as it tried to bite the child while he’s not looking. The child heard it and screamed as he saw it.

            “Of course! It disguises itself to look like human, it also behaves like humans as it raises farm animals and plant root crops, but don’t get fooled, their favorite food is human” he explained. Vic hopped towards it slashing his glowing sword upon it.

            “It’s a corpse thief…” he added as we all ran towards it to defeat it. as we started fighting this monster off, I noticed someone approaching. It resembles a human body but it’s so stiff.

            “What’s that?” I asked pointing it

            “Amalanhig…” Avery said “It’s like a vampire… that’s dangerous too” he added so I attacked it with my deadly string tying it so that it couldn’t move. It’s just so easy to do it since its body is stiff ahahahaha I started shooting it with my psy-gun while Reiven helped as he also shot it with a gun.

            “Help!” we heard the child shouted for help… we saw him being dragged by another monster with its tongue sticking out

            “Balbal!” Avery said “Get the child” he said as Elliot, Enzo, and Raizen ran towards it to help the child and to defeat it. gosh, too much action in this village. It really is filled with monsters.