Asia, Day 7 | Philippines, Day 7
Aug. 31st, 2023 04:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sen_no_ongakuOur last day in the Philippines is devoted to family. It begins with a Veloso reunion, held in the house my father grew up in with his two brothers. It's a large, two-story building; the ground floor likely housed staff (maids, cooks, drivers), but now contains a printing company that's part of my uncle's business conglomerate, and the second floor is where my dad's family lived, and is now a waystation for random people my uncle wants to provide temporary lodgings for.
Exterior pic: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y6evQDwQPu8fp5Mi6. For some reason there's a gigantic propeller in the front area.
I've heard that at some point it was a film studio, particularly known for the fact that its pool had a setup that allowed for underwater cameras. Sadly, no one seems to know what movies were actually shot there, or even know if any footage exists; and the pool itself has since been covered over.
(I've also heard ghost stories about it: the spirit of a boy who drowned in the pool is said to haunt the property; various relatives have talked about supernatural encounters they've had there; employees have quit the printing company because they get too freaked out by strange goings-on.)
The main floor consists of a huge central room with bedrooms hanging off of it, with a kitchen, bathrooms, and a dining area off to the back. We get a tour from my dad with tales from his childhood, goggle at photographs of family (American Velosos included!) spanning decades, and marvel at odd tchotchkes and memorabilia we find in random places (like the fancy printed menus taken from a cruise ship, or a Tarot-like deck for what we think is an Italian card game).
As we take pictures of various subsets of the entire clan, caterers arrive to set up our lunchtime feast. The main attraction is two whole roasted piglets, one of which has been stuffed with truffled rice. It's quite delicious, and I gorge myself not really knowing the next time I'll be able to have Filipino comfort food.
Next up is the keystone of this trip, my mom's inurnment. Rites are given by a Catholic priest, and thankfully I'm not asked to do a whole lot (my oldest sister, brother, and oldest niece get unexpectedly conscripted to deliver various readings) except fling holy water onto my mom's urn.
(The holy water itself is kept in a nondescript plastic bottle, which is a surprising choice. I imagine it being kept in a supply closet, next to other bottles labeled "Bleach" and "Peroxide".)
It's been two years and three memorial services since my Mom died, so while it's sad to see her plaque in the columbarium (I had to look that word up, it's a good one), it's far from overwhelming. We're amused and exasperated that they got her birthdate wrong -- another example of how half-assed the Philippines often seems.
The inurnment is followed by a huge buffet dinner (again, delicious) at the Manila Golf & Country Club for not only the Velosos, but also the Julianos and Africas (both sides of my mom's family), I'm guessing with about 100-120 people? A slideshow of photos of my mom plays, along with some of her favorite music, and I do get a little misty-eyed as I reminisce with close family.
My sister-in-law's original plan was to pass a mic around for everyone to introduce themselves and maybe share a memory of my mom, but there are just too many folks who want to say too many things -- so as time runs out, it comes down to my dad, and me and my siblings. I talk a little bit about her love of art and music, and how it probably led her to let me bum around as an aspiring musician for so many years.
It's a long affair, but an enjoyable one, and we eventually return to our hotel to get ready for the next stage of our trip.
Exterior pic: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y6evQDwQPu8fp5Mi6. For some reason there's a gigantic propeller in the front area.
I've heard that at some point it was a film studio, particularly known for the fact that its pool had a setup that allowed for underwater cameras. Sadly, no one seems to know what movies were actually shot there, or even know if any footage exists; and the pool itself has since been covered over.
(I've also heard ghost stories about it: the spirit of a boy who drowned in the pool is said to haunt the property; various relatives have talked about supernatural encounters they've had there; employees have quit the printing company because they get too freaked out by strange goings-on.)
The main floor consists of a huge central room with bedrooms hanging off of it, with a kitchen, bathrooms, and a dining area off to the back. We get a tour from my dad with tales from his childhood, goggle at photographs of family (American Velosos included!) spanning decades, and marvel at odd tchotchkes and memorabilia we find in random places (like the fancy printed menus taken from a cruise ship, or a Tarot-like deck for what we think is an Italian card game).
As we take pictures of various subsets of the entire clan, caterers arrive to set up our lunchtime feast. The main attraction is two whole roasted piglets, one of which has been stuffed with truffled rice. It's quite delicious, and I gorge myself not really knowing the next time I'll be able to have Filipino comfort food.
Next up is the keystone of this trip, my mom's inurnment. Rites are given by a Catholic priest, and thankfully I'm not asked to do a whole lot (my oldest sister, brother, and oldest niece get unexpectedly conscripted to deliver various readings) except fling holy water onto my mom's urn.
(The holy water itself is kept in a nondescript plastic bottle, which is a surprising choice. I imagine it being kept in a supply closet, next to other bottles labeled "Bleach" and "Peroxide".)
It's been two years and three memorial services since my Mom died, so while it's sad to see her plaque in the columbarium (I had to look that word up, it's a good one), it's far from overwhelming. We're amused and exasperated that they got her birthdate wrong -- another example of how half-assed the Philippines often seems.
The inurnment is followed by a huge buffet dinner (again, delicious) at the Manila Golf & Country Club for not only the Velosos, but also the Julianos and Africas (both sides of my mom's family), I'm guessing with about 100-120 people? A slideshow of photos of my mom plays, along with some of her favorite music, and I do get a little misty-eyed as I reminisce with close family.
My sister-in-law's original plan was to pass a mic around for everyone to introduce themselves and maybe share a memory of my mom, but there are just too many folks who want to say too many things -- so as time runs out, it comes down to my dad, and me and my siblings. I talk a little bit about her love of art and music, and how it probably led her to let me bum around as an aspiring musician for so many years.
It's a long affair, but an enjoyable one, and we eventually return to our hotel to get ready for the next stage of our trip.
