The Cook

While in Dumaguete and Sibulan, I wanted to document my stay,but, the difficulties involved in getting to a PC made it impossible to get it all down in the blog during the three weeks I was there. Now that I'm home, I'll continue to write about my observations of Negros Oriental.
This is a photo of the cook from my birthday party, along with his daughter and his helper. It was taken just after they'd finished their work and were headed home. The cook is the one wearing the cap.

I was told that only relatives would be attending the party and I wasn't sure about how much to spend on drinks. We bought 3 cases of bottled soft drinks, 1 case of San Miguel beer and a few bottles of Tanduay Rhum. If I'd known there would have been so many people at the party I would have ordered more beer. I'm not the beer drinker I once was, but, I do like to have a few on special occasions. We ran out. I've been to Philippines several times but this was the first time I was ever tempted to try the Tanduay. The taste wasn't so bad if you watered it down a bit and added calamansi to it. When we ran out of the Tanduay, my brother-in-law and one of his friends bought more. No need to tell you that I had quite the hangover the day after my birthday party.
I did manage to feel well enough later in the day to go with my wife to Sibulan for a mini-festival- of sorts that goes on at the church on the thirteenth of each month in honor of the town's patron saint - Saint Anthony of Padua.

All along the road leading up to the town there where people selling candles which were to be lit at the church. My wife wanted to wait until we arrived at the church before getting the candles so we could buy them from the nuns there. There is an area outside the church building....though still on church grounds.....where there is located a concrete trough where the candles are set. The heat given off by all the candles burning was quite remarkable. Multiply the town's Catholic population by 10 candles each and you can get some idea. After the candles were lit, we went inside the church for prayers. Afterwards, we met family members gathered in the town park.
I mention this all because, not only does the cook from the party work in the cafeteria at Silliman University, but, he was also the driver of the tricycle that took us to the church that evening. You do what you need to do to earn a living.