Sunday, August 19, 2007 Estremera: Let's celebrate By Stella Estremera Spider’s Web
WAITING for my flight to Manila, the sun was up, amid some clouds as if taunting those unfortunate to be leaving the city to meet Egay, the typhoon in Metro Manila. The weather was perfect. The noonday sun was up, but the clouds tempered this down.
Fear was gripping me, not knowing what's in store in Manila after watching the late night news Wednesday and morning news on Thursday to keep track of Egay. Not contented, I even logged on to the Pagasa website to see where the typhoon was headed.
It was an uneventful flight though. A little turbulence, but not as terrible as I expected; well, Egay was still out there, threatening but not yet at its worst.
At the Manila airport, the baggage carousel has started to turn, bringing in what has become the trademark of Davao arrivals? The smell of durian mixed with the slight citrus scent of pomelo and the tang of black ants. Yup, black ants; several of them creeping out of boxes containing lanzones.
Round and round the carousel too are crates with the dark violet mangosteen peeking out from between slats. Davao was at its proudest, announcing the arrival of its residents and visitors all loaded with boxes and crates of fruits.
Very few passengers left without a box, a huge number having more. PAL must be grinning. I wonder how much PAL earns from excess baggage during harvest season. I was among those without a box. I wasn't meeting a relative or friend in this short trip. But that didn't mean I did not have any.
Inside my suitcase is a kilo or so of mangosteen that I decided to bring with me as baon, leftover of the night before. Mangosteen was selling for P25 to P30 per kilo from where I come from, who could resist such? I couldn't and thus have been eating it for dinner for the past days, except last Wednesday when I had durian for dinner. It's the season to eat fruits; a once a year feast that no Dabawenyo could ever resist.
It's like a countdown, with the Dabawenyos peering out of their vehicles whenever they pass through Magsaysay Park, taking stock of the amount of durian being unloaded at the fruit stands there. Once the fruits come by the truckloads, the Dabawenyos start to gather, eating fruits for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Inside the airport taxi, Jon, his wife Dadai, Carol and I were giggling. Jon's load of durian fruits have started to emit its odor inside the air-conditioned taxi. Poor driver. How can he explain to the next rider? Especially if that rider is not a durian-lover.
Alone in my hotel room, I watched the midnight news once more, keeping track of Egay still. It's expected to bring in heavy rainfall in Metro Manila the following day, Friday, until Saturday, the report said. It has gathered strength and was going at 225kph. I could only pray that it will not hit land as the weather forecasters said.
I do not look forward to experiencing a typhoon and I need to be back in Davao by Saturday. After all, if you’re a true-blue Dabawenyo (whether adopted or lumad), you are not inclined to stay one day longer than needed in Manila.
Every Filipino may be proud of his hometown, but no one can ever hold a candle to a Dabawenyo when he talks of his hometown? But can anyone blame us? You only need to see the over a hundred boxes of fruits (and pitch in a couple of whole lechon wrapped in carton) going round and round the baggage carousel in the Manila airport.
Anyone willing to be charged for excess baggage or to lug a whole lechon should very well know that whatever it may cost him (both money-wise and convenience), he's still getting it at a bargain. Where else in the Philippines can anyone afford to be that generous? Only in Davao, and that is all because every Dabawenyo knows he has plenty to share. This in itself is a great reason to celebrate. Happy Kadayawan sa Dabaw!
