Bananas

While it’s summer time in Metro Manila, the weather here in the farmstead where my caring wife Ann and I have retired, is opposite! From January of this year up to this date, we’ve seen continuous sunlight for only one week. Thereafter, rain falls daily and at times, accompanied by gusty wind. Nevertheless, we’re used to it and we’re enjoying every bit of the cool breeze while doing something worthwhile indoors.

Due to the constant rain shower, most of the banana trees we’ve planted are now blooming with fruits. Do you know that there are varieties of bananas? When we started planting banana trees in the farm, we decided to plant first Ann’s most favorite variety – Turdan. Then, we planted her next favorite Lacatan and Saba, followed by Bungulan and Rayes, respectively.

Here are some facts about bananas. They grow fruits in hanging cluster and usually yellow when ripe. The bananas grow in clusters called hands. Each hand has from 10 to 20 bananas. The length of Turdan is 4 to 5 inches, while the length of Bungulan is 6 to 7 inches. Of all the variety, Saba is more popular because of more medicinal value.

Ready to plant banana shoots are available in our farm.

My Mom, Super!

The continuous and heavy shower of rain which started at 2:00 a.m. yesterday made me sleepless. At 5:15 a.m. I stood up from my bed and walk towards the family room. From the south-side window, I saw several chicks hiding under the feathers of their mothers. While some ducks, turkeys and roosters huddle in a cage.

Feeling cold, I went downstairs towards the kitchen for a cup of hot herbal tea. While drinking, a quick reflection of the wet chicks and the mother hens blurred my vision. Momentarily, some vivid recollections when I was a boy hang up in my mind.

I’m the second to the eldest amongst 6 children; four boys and two girls.

At age 6, I was in the kindergarten as “saling pusa” with my eldest brother. I remember Mom dressing me up, bring us to the nursery school, wait till the class is over and returned us home.

During my high school, Mom would advice me to stay away from groups with bad influence. She’s very happy whenever I received commendable awards in academic, physical education and sports.

At an early age, Mom taught us to save centavos using small decorative bamboo rod. Yearly, my Dad will prepare and decorate these bamboo rods in January and by the 2nd week of December, we will open and count how much savings we have. It was fun and excitement especially when our parents will tell us what we can buy from the savings, for Christmas and New Year!

I was 9 when Mom taught me how to prepare and cook rice, onion soup, ensaladang kamatis, fried milk fish and calamansi juice. That was the beginning to other recipes my Mom love to cook for the family.

When my younger sister and Dad passed away in separate occasions, Mom was very much affected but she showed to us her strength to move on. She taught us not to stop setting up new goals nor abandon a dream because she gave us life to live in a beautiful world full of hope from God.

Throughout my employment years, locally and abroad, Mom constantly communicates with me through snail mail, email, and telephone calls. Her influence to me in public relations, business writing, communications and management helped me a lot in my personal, family and business tasks.

My Mom’s beautiful gifts to me are plentiful. I can only sum up these in one phrase to date: “She’s my super Mom, always with an open arm whenever I have troubles of all kinds - for pacification, cheer and love”.

Stimulated to start the morning farm drills, I felt blissfully good that God gave me a great and healthy Mother. Coming May 12, 2010, she will be 88 years old. “Mom, I wish you happier and healthier birthdays to come. I love you.”