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This girl of barely ten travels 6 kilometers on a steep mountain trail by foot carrying an alat, a native basket, inside which is a part of her family's produce and sells them in a weekly "tabo"(open market) in a town somewhere in Samar.
The girl, after much prodding, agreed to have her picture taken
(Watch out for a more lengthy post on this unique basket in my other blog, adventures of waray in the city)
4 comments:
Hi W.I.C.
By the now you should know how much I enjoy your blogs,not hooked yet but threatening to!
First Makandog, now an object I'am very fond of, the "Alat"
In Suluan, Alat is a symbol of productivity, Any household that believes in hardwork owns at least an Alat {notice how I capitalize it, that's the kind of respect I have for it".
My father was a coconut farmer, and needless to say the Alats in my house then ranged from
XL--XSM Petite, me as the proud owner of the xsm petite,
which usually contained of few guavas, magamwa {wild berries,purple colored} and other silly things from the forest.
Unlike the girl in your picture, I didn't need prodding to use my Alat
and show the people, for me it was a statement, imagine my own personal Alat! I was a part of the force mind you!!
My mother's famous punch line, " A family that uses Alat together eats together"
I read bet. the lines
Thanks for the return visits. You're right, from the information I gathered in Samar, most families have alats made fore each member of the family sized accordingly, so there was, as you mentioned, s, xs, medium and large sizes. Carrying of the alat and the gathering was, is, a family affair and its not unusual to see whole families with baskets at their backs plying the lengths of Samar to sell their producde. Its actually hard work becuase my husband mentioned that they get their produce from the mountains and travail a steep hundred step trail with the "burdens" on their backs. I know I have been remiss in keeping my promise of featuring the alat. Time, time, time. If I will have more of it, I'll make good on that promise.
Anyway, your comments have helped a lot, it's a source of letting me know what keeps my readers here, of what they would like featured. Thanks and hope to keep seeing you here.
Hi W.I.C.
Is your hubby from Suluan? Do you mind if I ask who he is?
I remember you mentioned your mother-in law as Suluanon! Is it
againts your "blog principle" to reveal your identity, hahaha, i perfectly understand. But Yes! an Alat, full of coconuts or other produce,on your back is not a picnic! espcially
from the steep{SP} hill of maayo!
By the way your hubby knows that alat it passed down from generation to the next!,
Yes, he also mentioned that the alat is treated like a family heirloom. As to revealing my identity, yes, I do have a policy of not naming names that would eventually lead to who I really I am. Its not because I want to have a carte blanche power to just write anything here wothout accountability owing to my anonymity, but rather its because I want to enjoy blogging without a self consciousness from people I know who might chance upon my blog. Despite being unknown I take care that I do not offend anybody cause I do believe in karma.
Whew, thats quite a mouthful (hehehe) Hope you continue being here although I would just be Waray in the City, faceless (hehehe)without a real name.
God bless.
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