Stagnation

my blog sense is withering. There are things happening but why oh why can't I feel like blogging about them!

Maleldo

I woke up around 9AM on Good Friday and I was expecting it to be a boring day. There was nothing to do: no patients, all the malls were closed, no movies were showing, city life had come to a standstill as it always has during the Lenten Season. I was planning to start the many step-process of a general cleaning of my room since I couldn't think of any excuse not to. I checked my cellphone read a message from a friend I hadn’t seem in about 10years inviting me to join them on a road trip to Cutud, Pampanga to watch the province’s tradition of Maleldo  during which ‘sinners’ voluntarily had themselves crucified as penitence for their sins. It would be my first time to see this tradition so despite it being a spur-of-the-moment thing, I agreed to go.

In an hour, I was heading to our meeting place. Usually during Good Friday, Metro Manila is almost deserted, the streets are empty and most of the businesses closed. Somehow it wasn’t as empty this time. The economic recession may have caused more people to remain in the city rather than heading to the provinces and vacations spots.

After about an hour’s drive we arrived in Cutud and left the car in a parking area. Then we walked, and walked, and walked. It felt like more than a kilometer of walking through a street filled with people and vehicles going to and from the crucifixion site. It was hot, very, very hot.

When we finally got to ‘Calvary’ it turned out to be what seemed like a large open field with a small hill where the crosses were standing. The immediate area around the hill was enclosed by a fence where only the media and VIPs could enter, making it difficult to get a good picture. Did I mention it was very, very hot?

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Maundy Thursday

Here I go again having another go at making a diary of my so-called life. This is the umpteenth time I've tried. I think the furthest I've gone was 1 month of regular entries and then I couldn’t bring myself to write regularly. This time I've found another diary program - CallitADay. Hopefully, this time will be a success or it could be just April Fool's all over again.

Today is Maundy Thursday, the start of the long Lenten Season weekend. As it has been every year, Metro Manila is once again a ghost town and will be until tomorrow. Many are making their way to the provinces, vacations spots, anywhere outside the city. All the malls are closed and only a few restaurants are open. There is literally nothing to do.

Last year, I was at the beach but this year it seems that I'm stuck at home with nothing to do. which might explain why I'm making this post even though I have nothing to post about.