I was born in a farmland where the roasters are my alarm clocks at dawn. A normal day would start with feeding and talking with chickens, pigs and carabaos with the tune of chirping birds on the background. Nights were serenaded with crickets, bats and owls. Having to live in the middle of the rice paddy fields, rainy days were always celebrated with the band of happy toads. Early school was a 2-km walk each day while high school is a hello to adulthood, so much memory in the marsh and fish ponds and a 4-year stay with my paternal grandma. Early in life, weekends were busy days in vege gardens and on rare occasions me and my mother would marvel at the movies shown in the city or me and my father spent vacations with my uncle where we collect shells, orchins and sea cucumbers. Later it progressed to strolling along beaches and trip to the mountains with friends. Some of my early in life fine moments were listening bedtime and fantacy stories with my maternal grandma, waking up with mother's hugs and kisses, chasing birds with my favorite dogs, riding carabao and catching fish with my father, a dip at the beach and a game of scrabble with my favorite aunt and just some games with the boys. Holidays were and are still celebrated with food, music and moderate drinking sessions.
That was when I was in my early school days. Come college days, I had to leave home for the University in a Muslim dominated city of the Northern part of Mindanao. I studied and now work with men
After college, I took up another college course and transferred residence in the historic islands of Central Visayas which became my home for the past 22 years with my family.