Kalag-kalag 2008 Sidelights

Here are some rather amusing and bizarre scenes from the cemetery in Carcar. Filipinos have their peculiar ways of celebrating Kalag-kalag.

Condominium type of dwellings for the dead. Reaching up to five layers these are common in cemeteries where vacant spaces are hard to find. Getting coffins inside the penthouse units is a spectacle one should see.

When you don't have the means to buy a lapida (stone tablet), just carve out the name of the dead on the still wet cement. Just don't push so hard, the seal might open. The young girls in the photo are removing the weeds before lighting the candle.

Fresh flowers have doubled in cost. To save on money, make flowers of your own. Colored papers are so cheap. Fashion it out to the desired blooms. Tie it with copper wires and put it on an empty sardine can. Fill with pebbles to stabilize. Your worry now is the rain to ruin your obra maestra.

Lastly, before you head home don't forget to get yourself smoked. A pile of dried leaves or weeds will do. Add some bits of candle for a desirable aroma. Palina is a pagan ritual practiced in faraway towns and provinces. The smoke is said to ward off bad spirits that might decide to go home with you. Just in case you forget this ritual rubbing your body with fresh lemonsito leaves will do.