Dagyang ta! (February 5,2008)

Dagyang ta!
By: Maria Reylan M. Garcia

The streets of downtown Iloilo couldn’t have been more festive. Drums roared in thumping rhythms while chants echoed in jovial tempos; no one could help but just tap to the beat. Costumes of street dancers flowed with colors while their dancing feet marched with grace; every eye was captivated in a fiesta of cheer. Food along the sidewalks led to a yummy bag of peanuts or a mouth watering stick of grilled native chicken. Avenues were closed, intersections were railed and one-ways were implemented, temporarily forgetting a week of busy traffic and hectic work for two days of fun and festivity. In my case, a brain draining week of midterms just ended, and there’s no better way to shove off the remaining jibes due to a 150 item anatomy exam than two words, “dagyang ta.”

My green tennis shoes brought me and some of my classmates to every nook and corner, and for each stop were a simple flicker of thought that would last until the next time Dagoy visits Iloilo again. 10 pesos worth of Bubbles filled the humid air; we were like pre-schoolers who found delight in blowing and popping floating soap balloons. Everyone needs some time out and be like little kids running around in circles, momentarily forgetting the pressures of bills to pay, scholarships to maintain, business proposals to push through. Take a deep breath, sigh a little, problems never cease, a truckload of new ones will come barging at your door next week.

They decided for face painting, I never really like to have one, but still went along. I was amused at how some blobs of poster paint and some twists and flicks of the paintbrush became the next fashion accessory at that very moment. The whole celebration for the holy child seems so grandeur and festive but notice how simple are the parts that make it whole. Music, dance steps, food, bubbles and poster paint; we see, hear, smell, taste and touch them every day but common as they are, when viewed as full brings to life the best Tourism Event in the country. You’ll never really appreciate a face painting until it’s all drawn up and done.

Whenever there is fiesta, there shall be food. Whenever there is food, there I shall be. We trailed towards a food chain that some of us didn’t even know existed. Taking a break from fast foods wouldn’t hurt; a broiled seasoned tangige and an exceptionally tasty tinolang manok would get your taste buds going. With food, the best experience is to continue on exploring for new tastes, new styles of cooking, new flavors until the time comes you’ll finally get your tongue on the yummiest dish. Life seems to go that way, you must continue to explore for new adventures, new people, and new problems until the time comes you’ll finally get your feet on the ground you choose to go steady on.

Before the day ended, we joined the thousands of people vying for a perfect spot overlooking the old domestic airport for the much awaited fireworks display. My eyes were glued, they were like stars dancing on a stage of a flawless black sky; they were like paint blobs sketched on a canvass of a clear night. The field echoed in howls of amusement and awe. I thought of the application those fireworks had in real life, at first I concluded it was: Good things never last. As you see it exploding in the night sky, the glittering glow lures you to reach for it and be captivated with its glimmer but in the end you’ll realize it eventually fades in the night sky, leaving gray smog. But, the thing about fireworks is even though it only lives for a few seconds, you’ll remember its fountain of ember and glow for quite a long time. My adventure for that day was like the splendor display of fireworks, although it just lasted for some fourteen hours, a life time of realizations and memories will be kept sealed in my treasure chest of experiences.

There were random ideas, varying thoughts, and surprisingly long term insights on simple experiences of bubbles, face paintings, lunch and even fireworks. But, the whole day was more than complete. Not just because of street dancing, celebrities on caravans or midnight sales in department stores but because somewhere among those thumping drums is a true and genuine smile on each of our faces.

So, next year?
Same Time?
Same Place?

Iloilo, dagyang ta!