Oh, to be a kid again

Taken November 22. Tri-X film and Olympus XA2. Click to see full-size.

We didnt have a fountain, but when I was growing up, we used ditches in MWSS digs after the rain (or after a pipe bursts) and 'swam' in our skivvies by the side of the road with the jeepneys plying 10th avenue in Caloocan whizzing right by us. And there was the vacant lot that turned into a mudhole after it rained and we would wallow there like carabaos with our toy battleships made of pieces of 2 x 4 about a foot long and we'd nail smaller blocks of wood to it with nails sticking out (head side out of course) to simulate gun turrets and we'd ram them against each other. There would be hunting for toads and general horsing around and my mother would be furious when I went home with my clothes all muddied and that means a walloping with a wooden hanger or a rubber slipper (Spartans, the tough rubber ones), or a belt. But you bet I'd be back in that mudhole after it rained.


Mall of Asia, November 30

And marching bands. How come I never see any of those anymore? When a parade was passing by 10th avenue, we'd drop whatever game we were playing and go and watch until the whole parade has passed by and then we'd go back to the game. Parades were fun, and marching bands were always the highlight; the ones with brass instruments playing Souza, and majorettes, and colorful uniforms. No ati-atihan percussion ek for us, no sir. We had real bands.