Mys’ Thoughts and Obsessions: Undas Tradition

Host: The show that will make you or break you. The show that we all love and enjoy. This is:

Hello again everyone! We are now on our second episode of Blogging Today and I heard our show is doing real good on the ratings.

As promised, we have another guest blogger for our week’s theme, UNDAS TRADITIONS. Today, we have a taped interview from Pangasinan! I thought we were to travel to visit and have a chit chat with our guest, but it seems that Peping made it impossible for us to do. Pehpot says she was glad that our guest blogger was safe amidst the heavy flood on the north.

So let’s all welcome Mys of Thoughts and Obsessions.

Mys: Hello guys!

Host: According to Pehpot, one of the reason why she chose you to be our guest is your geographical location. I heard that UNDAS in the provinces are more celebrated, than in the Metro.

Mys: Maybe, but I am not quite sure. I was raised by a single mom so my UNDAS experiences were limited to my mom’s relatives. I practically went to the cemetery with just my mom all the time. Things changed when I grew older and had my nieces and a nephew.

Host: How did it change your UNDAS traditions?

Mys: We now gathered together and went to visit really early in the morning. We bring candles and flowers for our dearly departed. I basically have no memories of these relatives; they all died before I was even born. When we visit, my mom and aunt would tell us stories about them, about being raised by their parents, their struggles, and their lives.

Host: That is one thing that I like about our UNDAS, we got to meet our relatives and got some new stories from them about our departed ones. So how was your UNDAS day strarts I believe that a lot of people goes early on the cemetery and spend the whole day there, is it the same with your family?

Mys: The day usually starts with a frantic breakfast and my mom going out to buy fresh flowers. My job is to fix it in cans or big plastic bottles. We bring newspaper, drinks (diet ones because we’re diabetic), matches and candles.

Our city has very few rich and famous people. One of the tombs that I like looking at is one that was a former Speaker of the House in Congress a very long time ago. A school was named after him and his tomb is very unassuming. His name was Speaker Eugenio Perez.

Host: Not quite familiar with him.. anyways, I am quite curious if you know some crazy UNDAS traditions or if your family practice one.. care to share it with us?

Mys: A long time ago, when I still had time to watch television shows there was a feature on all saints and all souls day. I think what shocked me the most was not the houses of squatters living in the cemeteries but having super wide lots and building houses in the cemeteries complete with pools. I am not one to complain for any comfort while remembering your departed ones but to an extent of a pool? That just blew me away.

Host: whew! That is something extravagant to my taste too. Although we have no right to interfere on their tombs, but you’re right, swimming with the dead ones.. kinda crazy to me.

You really do have e very rich UNDAS tradition, how do you plan to impart this traditions with your kids?

Mys: This year, I think my kids are still too little to appreciate the meaning of Undas. I do plan however to make it a tradition to visit every year and bring the dead some fresh flowers. That we pray for their souls and everyone else we know that have left our midst.
I also plan to impart to them the lessons I’ve learned from the lives led by our relatives who aren’t with us anymore.

Host: That is very admirable Mys.. I hope you enjoyed being a guest here in Blogging Today. In behalf of pehpot, thanks a lot and more power to you.

Learn more about Mys in her other blogs: Blog contest online, Just keep trying

I hope you all had fun with us specially this week, our pilot week. See you again next week here in Blogging Today.