No activity or gathering can match the joy that family bonding brings. And what best way to devour the happiness than thru a BOODLE FIGHT!
The word "boodle" have many operational definitions and can be used in different contexts but in relation to food it simply means: a HEAP or a PILE of food of different variety, that is there for the TAKING, to GATHER or to PLUNDER. To fight for the boodle, however, does not literally mean to engage in combat with an opponent also vying for the food but to eat as fast and as much as you can to get your fill. There is no written account as to who was the first to coin the name for this popular gathering, but one thing for sure, it is a military tradition that spilled over every Filipino table in all walks of life and has embedded itself in our culture and evolved to become the present-day symbol of the "Bayanihan" spirit.
The Boodle Fight is a style of eating that grew out in the military where long tables are
prepared and food are on top of banana leaves. Viands and rice altogether are laid there, ready
to eat using your bare hands, while jugs of water are prepared on the side to
wash hands before and after the "eating combat". With the signal to start the
boodle fight, everyone aims for his/her position. And as the signal is given, everyone eats as fast as they can to get their fill.
Let me share with you our story which started in a quaint, peaceful town of Naic, lying along the foot of Mt.Palay-Palay in the historical province of Cavite. Our family visited Kuya Rey's family who just recently arrived from New Zealand on a 3-week furlough in the Philippines. Today marks the "despedida" or the "bon voyage" party which we will be celebrating country style.
Me and Malen had always been yearning for a peaceful, relaxing weekend in the countryside ever since we both were afflicted with the same life-changing illness. So everytime a long weekend vacation comes, we never hesitate to grab that opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life and head out of town at first light. Although it was not a long weekend vacation that day but the chance to spend the weekend in the country is something we don't want to pass.
The trip to the coastal town of Naic is just a brief drive from the inland town of Imus but the place is a little far off from the beach and a little closer to the upland town of Indang. When we finally arrived, Kuya Rey's wife Edna and their son RC met us up front and welcomed us.
As soon as we arrived, we immediately started preparing the ingredients for cooking. As for me, well, I just went around taking pictures of everybody and I hope I wasn't a nuisance to anyone.
This is Kuya Rey posing with Malou, the twin sister of my wife. Kuya Rey is the brother of my mother-in-law so that basically makes all of them my in-laws. They are all good to me and very supportive of our marriage that they made me feel a part of the family ever since I first met them.
Every now and then when mom needs a helping hand in stirring the food in the gigantic "talyasi" frying pan, I instantly jump in, grab the "sandok" ladle and stir the ingredients to my heart's delight. Of course, I also never miss the photo opportunity to capture the moment lest I won't be able to share the experience with you.
The nicest thing about big family gatherings is that everything you cook is big, like this humungus fresh fishes that Ate Edna and I proudly show off to our anxious and hungry boodle fighters. We will be firing up the charcoal grill pretty soon and barbecue this icthyocytes until they're steaming hot inside. I can just imagine tearing a chunk of it's smoking hot flesh and dipping it in soy sauce sprinkled with calamansi extract and a little bit of chili and onions! Superbly delicious indeed!
Another good thing about celebrations in the country is the fact that food is cooked in the traditional way using firewood. Food cooked this way tastes more delicious because of the smoky aroma that blends with the flavor of the food and charcoal slow-cooks the food where the result is a tender juicy flavor that really spikes up your appetite. So when there's a need for firewood, it's me who grabs the axe, chops the wood and make sure that the fire is continuously alive.
Amidst the busy people chopping, slicing, stir frying and all that cooking activity, I have a lot of chores on my shoulder, but the role I like best is the taste tester. So everytime they need a second opinion on whether the flavor is already good or still needs more adjustment, they call me, the "quality assurance guy". So when I raise my hand to give the sign of approval, the food is ready to go!
Sometimes it wouldn't hurt to play and hang around the trees in the cooking area from time to time. This helps entertain the people by showing how happy I am in their company and how delighted I am to be in this simple but carefree place. Not bad for an old chap like me who's about to be a half a century old.
This is my father-in-law,"Kuya Boy" as friends fondly call him. He is a professional carpenter and really very skillful in his trade. In our visit to Naic, Dad helped Kuya Rey with the repairs in his house since it's been several years when they left for New Zealand and the house is beginning to deteriorate because of wood pests. Today it has been given a new lease in life thanks to my dad-in-law.
We're now halfway into the cooking and visitors are now arriving one by one. Time to break open the coconuts and prepare the refreshments. Nothing beats a cool, refreshing drink from freshly- picked coconuts right from the tree! I thought of doing the coconut chopping at first but then I decided to give Kuya Polo, Ate Edna's brother the honor of doing the nut breaking! Uuhummm!
Kuya Rey really prepared a big bang for their departure. He even ordered a barrel of "sorbetes" ice cream to go with it. I better try it out first before the kids get a hand of this. he he he!
Finally, my wife had finished her chores and we can relax for a while as the food nears its final stages of cooking. There are times in your life that you have to stop at some point and just enjoy the simple pleasures in life. We are so embedded in the daily grind of life trying to get ahead of everyone else that at the end you'll look back and regret not having done these simple things.
I live by a philosophy that it's better to be remembered how you lived your life happy before you die than how you died trying to be remembered as rich but never enjoyed life in the process. We are not perfect people and God did not create us to live forever. So make your life worthwhile for you and your fellowmen. At the end, we will all be equal in death. No one carries his wealth to the grave nor to the next life.
Life is really simple and carefree in the countryside. Even the dogs have the luxury of enjoying the simple pleasure of sleeping under a tree with the root as its pillow.
Before the big boodle fight, I still took time to take some countryside pictures while my wife helped in the preparation of the table. Mother cow doesn't seem to be comfortable with me around her calf so after the photo she began to confront me. What a bummer!
After the ruminant ejected me out of the field I went to the shack to try out the weedwacker to see if it can cut this tree. It seems that it will take more than this mechanical gizmo to put this fellow down!
There are also lots of fruit-bearing trees around. But it seems that they are all out of season. Too bad I won't be able to bring home this "suha". Might as well leave it up this tree so it could still be enjoyed by others when the right time comes.
The dogs here are quite friendly as well. They really show off their talent impressively well.
Farmers here still follow traditional practices of planting rice. Hmmm. This seems like an age-old custom where they set aside their best grains and hang them in the field as a good luck charm or offering for another year of plenty in the next planting season. Hmm. Interesting indeed!
Ok folks, this is it! The main event. Mercy is for the weak! The victor gets the spoils. Winner take all! ha ha ha! Enough of the rhetorics! Bon apetit!
The best thing about visiting your relatives in the countryside is that you get to take home a bunch of vegetables with you. Looks like I'm gonna be choking myself with cucumber this week! ha ha ha ha ha!
Several years back, when we last visited Naic in 2007, you can gaze your eyes in all directions and all you will see is an endless landscape of ricefields and trees. Today, a resettlement housing for informal settlers is being built nearby which has destroyed the beautiful scenery forever. Along with it comes the social degenerators that will soon engulf this peaceful town.
I sure wish that Naic will remain as simple as this nipa hut of the Bencito family so that future generations of this clan will still be able to enjoy the beauty of this peaceful town. Soon thereafter, it would either be replaced by concrete structures or shanties of the future. Tsk tsk tsk, The present generation cannot pay for the price of progress, but the future generation will surely pay for our failure.
Me and Malen had always been yearning for a peaceful, relaxing weekend in the countryside ever since we both were afflicted with the same life-changing illness. So everytime a long weekend vacation comes, we never hesitate to grab that opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life and head out of town at first light. Although it was not a long weekend vacation that day but the chance to spend the weekend in the country is something we don't want to pass.
The trip to the coastal town of Naic is just a brief drive from the inland town of Imus but the place is a little far off from the beach and a little closer to the upland town of Indang. When we finally arrived, Kuya Rey's wife Edna and their son RC met us up front and welcomed us.
As soon as we arrived, we immediately started preparing the ingredients for cooking. As for me, well, I just went around taking pictures of everybody and I hope I wasn't a nuisance to anyone.
This is Kuya Rey posing with Malou, the twin sister of my wife. Kuya Rey is the brother of my mother-in-law so that basically makes all of them my in-laws. They are all good to me and very supportive of our marriage that they made me feel a part of the family ever since I first met them.
Every now and then when mom needs a helping hand in stirring the food in the gigantic "talyasi" frying pan, I instantly jump in, grab the "sandok" ladle and stir the ingredients to my heart's delight. Of course, I also never miss the photo opportunity to capture the moment lest I won't be able to share the experience with you.
The nicest thing about big family gatherings is that everything you cook is big, like this humungus fresh fishes that Ate Edna and I proudly show off to our anxious and hungry boodle fighters. We will be firing up the charcoal grill pretty soon and barbecue this icthyocytes until they're steaming hot inside. I can just imagine tearing a chunk of it's smoking hot flesh and dipping it in soy sauce sprinkled with calamansi extract and a little bit of chili and onions! Superbly delicious indeed!
Another good thing about celebrations in the country is the fact that food is cooked in the traditional way using firewood. Food cooked this way tastes more delicious because of the smoky aroma that blends with the flavor of the food and charcoal slow-cooks the food where the result is a tender juicy flavor that really spikes up your appetite. So when there's a need for firewood, it's me who grabs the axe, chops the wood and make sure that the fire is continuously alive.
Amidst the busy people chopping, slicing, stir frying and all that cooking activity, I have a lot of chores on my shoulder, but the role I like best is the taste tester. So everytime they need a second opinion on whether the flavor is already good or still needs more adjustment, they call me, the "quality assurance guy". So when I raise my hand to give the sign of approval, the food is ready to go!
Sometimes it wouldn't hurt to play and hang around the trees in the cooking area from time to time. This helps entertain the people by showing how happy I am in their company and how delighted I am to be in this simple but carefree place. Not bad for an old chap like me who's about to be a half a century old.
This is my father-in-law,"Kuya Boy" as friends fondly call him. He is a professional carpenter and really very skillful in his trade. In our visit to Naic, Dad helped Kuya Rey with the repairs in his house since it's been several years when they left for New Zealand and the house is beginning to deteriorate because of wood pests. Today it has been given a new lease in life thanks to my dad-in-law.
We're now halfway into the cooking and visitors are now arriving one by one. Time to break open the coconuts and prepare the refreshments. Nothing beats a cool, refreshing drink from freshly- picked coconuts right from the tree! I thought of doing the coconut chopping at first but then I decided to give Kuya Polo, Ate Edna's brother the honor of doing the nut breaking! Uuhummm!
Kuya Rey really prepared a big bang for their departure. He even ordered a barrel of "sorbetes" ice cream to go with it. I better try it out first before the kids get a hand of this. he he he!
I live by a philosophy that it's better to be remembered how you lived your life happy before you die than how you died trying to be remembered as rich but never enjoyed life in the process. We are not perfect people and God did not create us to live forever. So make your life worthwhile for you and your fellowmen. At the end, we will all be equal in death. No one carries his wealth to the grave nor to the next life.
Life is really simple and carefree in the countryside. Even the dogs have the luxury of enjoying the simple pleasure of sleeping under a tree with the root as its pillow.
Before the big boodle fight, I still took time to take some countryside pictures while my wife helped in the preparation of the table. Mother cow doesn't seem to be comfortable with me around her calf so after the photo she began to confront me. What a bummer!
After the ruminant ejected me out of the field I went to the shack to try out the weedwacker to see if it can cut this tree. It seems that it will take more than this mechanical gizmo to put this fellow down!
There are also lots of fruit-bearing trees around. But it seems that they are all out of season. Too bad I won't be able to bring home this "suha". Might as well leave it up this tree so it could still be enjoyed by others when the right time comes.
The dogs here are quite friendly as well. They really show off their talent impressively well.
Farmers here still follow traditional practices of planting rice. Hmmm. This seems like an age-old custom where they set aside their best grains and hang them in the field as a good luck charm or offering for another year of plenty in the next planting season. Hmm. Interesting indeed!
Ok folks, this is it! The main event. Mercy is for the weak! The victor gets the spoils. Winner take all! ha ha ha! Enough of the rhetorics! Bon apetit!
The best thing about visiting your relatives in the countryside is that you get to take home a bunch of vegetables with you. Looks like I'm gonna be choking myself with cucumber this week! ha ha ha ha ha!
Several years back, when we last visited Naic in 2007, you can gaze your eyes in all directions and all you will see is an endless landscape of ricefields and trees. Today, a resettlement housing for informal settlers is being built nearby which has destroyed the beautiful scenery forever. Along with it comes the social degenerators that will soon engulf this peaceful town.
I sure wish that Naic will remain as simple as this nipa hut of the Bencito family so that future generations of this clan will still be able to enjoy the beauty of this peaceful town. Soon thereafter, it would either be replaced by concrete structures or shanties of the future. Tsk tsk tsk, The present generation cannot pay for the price of progress, but the future generation will surely pay for our failure.
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