Just Passing Thru

Grave Caretakers: Why It Makes Sense to Hire Them

7:57 PM

Several days before All Souls' Day, my father would pack us all in our family van to visit our departed loved ones at the cemetery. This was an annual obligation to fulfill. I remember as a child seeing my father talk to an old woman, giving her instructions for the flowers and candles we brought to be placed on our relatives' grave site on the actual date for All Souls' Day.

Our family's early visit to the cemetery was intentional to avoid the expected crowd drawn by this yearly tradition. Being the grave caretaker for our family, this woman was expected to keep the area clean and provide protection from possible vandals or thieves. This was possible because grave caretakers usually live around the area.

As time passed, this woman was replaced by a younger relative. Soon after, I took over my father's corresponding responsibility when he became terminally ill. The arrangement between us continued in this manner. From then up to now, I have learned to appreciate the sense of hiring a reliable grave caretaker.

Year-Round Care for the Grave Site

It is impossible for many of us to visit the final resting place of our dearly departed as often as we would like to. Having a grave caretaker provides regularity in cleaning the site and not only during All Souls' Day. Of course, it would be best to hire someone you can trust to do his/her duty without you discovering for yourself about actual negligence when you decide to make a surprise visit.

Special Care Under Extraordinary Times

This pandemic gives us a glimpse on what could happen if physical conditions prevent us from traveling. Grave sites are often neglected all year round. More so, if the annual visit still cannot be made. Hiring a grave caretaker can address the need to put the area in order while prayers for the dead can still be done wherever we are.

Updated Information for Unexpected Change in Cemetery Policies

It is a no-brainer that cemetery management should contact lot owners of any major change in policies. Making contact however, is an all-together different reality especially in the Philippine setting where turnover to the next generation is almost always informal and cemetery management is rarely informed. The grave caretaker can help provide needed information.

My Say

There was a time my own family and I braved the sea of humanity trekking to cemeteries on All Souls' Day. I wanted them to understand that our ancestors deserve to get at least this annual visit from us. That said, I'm sure they'll understand the limitations we have now and know that they will always be in our hearts.

dengue prevention

Drive Mosquitoes Away in Style

7:15 AM

AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT

Ambos Mundos Restaurant Blog: Preserving Culture While Preserving Traditional Food

11:13 PM

The connection between culture and food has long been established. In fact, talking about a country's culture without mentioning the food is impossible. Food has helped shaped many cultural identities around the world.

It is inevitable to conclude then that in the efforts of preserving culture, we will find ourselves preserving traditional food as well. I found this out for myself during a very simple interaction I had with my young daughter. It was just supposed to be a simple demonstration of how to cook champorado but it turned out to be a travel through time to my childhood memories.

The stories on how the simple champorado evoked memories that remain in my heart flowed effortlessly. It helped that my daughter was asking questions like who cooked the champorado when I was young, did my parents prepare it the same way I was presenting it to her, was the same ingredients used, and so on. I distinctly remember the smell of cooking cocoa tablea, the manner of announcement that the champorado was ready, and how my siblings and I would rush to the table and had our fill of it. It was almost like a ritual made more special if my grandmother was in the mood for telling stories.

Ways of Preserving Traditional Food

To make the analogy simpler, I will attempt to answer this in the context of a very simple traditional Filipino food - the champorado.

Make it relatable to the younger generation

Champorado traces its history in Philippine cuisine during the country's Spanish colonization. The cocoa tablea may be alien to many young people but they can certainly relate to chocolate. While champorado is traditionally enjoyed warm with dried fish, it can be served chilled with choco shavings and choco bits.

Provide variations of the original

Traditional champorado comes in choco brown color, just as most of us know chocolate. White chocolate was a later development which soon found its way to many food applications. White choco champorado is a perfect example.

Combine with other local staple crops

Ube is an indigenous staple crop of the Philippines. Its possibilities as a flavoring for many food items have been explored extensively and with great success. Candy, ice cream, cake, bread, and now with porridge, have all been received positively by Filipino consumers.

My Say

We, at Ambos Mundos Restaurant believe that passing on traditions to the next generation is essential to preserving our culture. That said, if we can help do this through food, we will gladly do so.

Downy Kontra Kulob

5 Top Laundry Tips During the Rainy Season

9:20 AM

Doing the laundry during the rainy season can be the bane of many homemakers. It is not uncommon to end up rewashing many clothes after being in the clothesline for several days due to non-stop rain. This of course wastes so much precious time as such time can be used for other household tasks that are equally important.

Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash

Here are my 5 Top Laundry Tips During the Rainy Season:

1. Prioritize Laundry Items to Wash

Since it would take a longer time for newly laundered clothes to dry during the rainy season, this means limited hanging space for the next laundry batches. Prioritize which clothes to wash first according to the need for them. It would be helpful for family members to consider using particular clothes such as denim pants more than once before throwing into the laundry basket so as not to create an unnecessarily big pile.

2. Invest in a reliable dryer

During the rainy season when outdoor drying of clothes is a guaranteed game of hit and miss, owning a reliable dryer is a definite time saver. Having to dry clothes indoor is extremely difficult if they are dripping wet. Make sure to adjust the heat level on the fabric.

3. Use a fabric conditioner

Drying clothes indoors may result to musty smelling clothes. Using the right fabric conditioner can resolve this concern. Downy Kontra Kulob is my preferred product for this purpose.

4. Set up a Portable Clothes Dryer

Newly laundered clothes should have a place for hanging even if already passed through through the dryer. They still benefit from some time hanging on a clothes dryer with sufficient space in between. This is best done in an airconditioned room or at least a room with a fan or slightly opened windows, if possible.

5. Iron almost-dry clothes

To give way to other clothes that need drying, ironing almost dry clothes preferably under a towel expedites the process. Once done, they can be folded and set aside. Besides, ironing slightly damp clothes makes it easier to remove creases.

My Say

The rainy season is a welcome respite especially after a very long summer. It can be very frustrating though for some domestic activities like doing the laundry. That said, nothing is impossible with the right preparation and products.