Going Back to the Basics
by Annie B. Steele
October 12, 2007
I vividly remember those annual trips to my grandparent’s house in the sleepy town of Tabogon, Cebu, 93 km northeast of Cebu city. It was always a limited two day stay so I considered it a vacation to commune with nature. In those times, there was no electricity, no cemented roads, and no iced drinks to quench the thirst. It took a day’s drive from the city to the town proper and going through the winding road along the mountains of Borbon was a stretch. When we reach Ilihan, it was our gauge that we’re nearing our destination. As the car pulls in the driveway amidst the welcoming embrace of relatives, the sun has started to set. Dinner waits after we bathe from a drum of rain water. The night envelopes with a deafening silence as I say my evening prayers when everyone hit their beds after a day’s toil in the fields. As I sit and relax gazing at the sight of fireflies dancing through the silver light of the moon in tempo with the sound of crickets, I realize I am in a time warp.
The morning awakes me with the buzz from the clinking of silverware set on the table. The 6am breakfast overwhelms me with memories of big family gatherings, updates on agriculture, harvest, and plans for the day. Nothing can beat the cup of “sikwate” served with puto, budbud, bibingka and slices of mangoes. Yes, a sip of sikwate made from pure “tablea” reminds me of the simple life and basic amenities that come with fresh air, spring water, and organics. Isn’t this priceless? Today, we pay a premium to go back to basics when it was once abundant and free. So I savor childhood with a cup of “sikwate”, a metaphor of the simpler things in life. As we go through the journey, we sit back with a tremendous sense of comfort knowing that if we don’t sit back, we’re just in transit and if we perch, we’ re perched to leave.
Sit, relax, and enjoy what life’s got to offer. Like a cup of “sikwate”, it’s dark, raw, pure, and sweetened to taste. That’s how the journey is. Like falling leaves, it’s family re-tracing its roots and going back to the basics. This section will feature what life’s got to offer OVER A CUP OF “SIKWATE”. Look forward to more articles. It’s the “sikwate” talk.
Sikwate Talk - “Over a cup of sikwate”
Sit, relax, and enjoy what life’s got to offer. Like a cup of “sikwate”, it’s dark, raw, pure, and sweetened to taste. That’s how the journey is. Like falling leaves, it’s family re-tracing its roots and going back to the basics. This section will feature what life’s got to offer OVER A CUP OF “SIKWATE”. Look forward to more articles. It’s the “sikwate” talk.
