My Brother's Keeper

IT’S NOT A STAR that had been shining brightly but the countless rocket-propelled grenades and mortars that had been blazing up in the sky that made the 12 days of Christmas celebration very remarkable this time. What had been offered were not gold, frankincense and myrrh but (a clear indication of) greed, hatred, and wrath, instead!

Who would have thought that Gaza, a place which is 72.42 kilometres southwest of Bethlehem, will be filled with cries of “Ceasefire!” nowadays; a word that is almost synonymous from what had been sung during that cold, starry night when the child Jesus was born! “Peace on earth...!” the angels that had come down from heaven said; and the same words are still being desperately uttered by the whole world 2,008 years later.

As of this writing, 512 Palestinians and 5 Israelis have died, plus the other 40 Israelis have been wounded since the start of the attack last December 27, 2008. But this count seems to be negligible or even nothing for each of the opposing groups to stop the battle—which is believed to have started since the time of Ishmael and Isaac in the Old Testament. I have the impression that the present day descendants of Ishmael and Isaac are completely ignoring or simply have forgotten the Biblical fact that they share the same ancestor with the birthday boy Jesus, which is Abraham. They also have different religious and/or political conviction thus, creating another great complication... I would still say, however, that this is a rivalry between the two families of the same ancestry.

Nobody can tell whether the current number of casualties in the Gaza Strip violence could or couldn't outnumber the count of those boys (2 years old and below) who were slaughtered under the orders of King Herod by the time he realized that the wise men had tricked him. Yet I can tell that the majority, if not all of the victims of both hostilities were undeniably innocent.

Honestly, I can neither formulate the best truce nor come up with an ultimate solution that would be very effective to end this ancient feud between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

I admit that the current situation in the south-eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea is a wake-up call for me, my younger brother and our youngest sister (this is another story, so just read between or even beyond the line). Definitely, the three of us cannot tell if father Abraham is also our great grand ancestor but, certainly, we can say that Adam is our great, great, great... grandfather. This genealogy is very simple yet it speaks of a very meaningful ‘message’ not only for me and my siblings but for the whole world, as well; a very beautiful ‘message’ of the lyrics of that song sang by the angels more than two millennia ago. To love one another, including my enemies, is easier said than done but this time I am again reminded that I am truly my brother’s or my sister’s keeper.

Noche Buena sa Australia

Akala ko'y magiging malungkot na ang pagdiriwang ko ng Pasko rito sa manukan. Tulog ako simula alas siyete ng umaga hanggang alas tres ng hapon kahapon (24 Dec. 2008) dahil pumasok pa ako sa trabaho noong nakaraang gabi, at 6:15 ng umaga na ako nakatapos.

Dalawang mga manok ang aking kinatay, mga alas quatro ng hapon, para sa Noche Buena. Dala-dala ang mga dressed chickens, iniwan ko muna ang Aking Tahanan at pumunta sa kabilang farm (3kms. away). Nandoon sa manukang 'yon si Gem- isang kaibigang Filipinong farm manager, nasa parehong company kami.

Mga alas sais ng gabi nang dumating ang aming kaibigang si John at ang kanyang asawang si Melissa galing Dublin, S.A., at si Kuya Bruce na mula sa kalapit na bayan ng Wild Horse Plains para samahan kami ni Gem habang kami'y nagbabantay ng mga manok- na hindi naman pwedeng basta nalang iwan lalo na ngayong malalaki na ang mga ito.

May dala silang mga pinamalengke nila galing sa Woolworths na sabay-sabay naman naming inihanda at iniluto.



Si John at ako habang nagi-grill ng hita ng lamb! Si John ang pinakamasarap magluto sa aming lahat, at kung naaalala niyo siya ang ikinuwento ko noon sa aking post ditong Baybayin at Bigkasin.

Ang hita ng lamb.

Crackling roasted pork at prawns...

Ang aming hapag sa Noche Buena...

...at ang alak.

Brandy basket with custard, thick cream, whipped cream and fresh fruits for dessert!

Sama-sama sa Noche Buena dito sa Australia.
(Lissa, John, Gem, Bruce, RJ)

Kahit papaano naging masaya naman ang aming pagdiriwang ng kapanganakan ni Kristo! Maligayang Pasko sa lahat!


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Ang dalawang litsong manok ay naiwan pa sa oven nu'ng kami'y kumain, nauna kasing isinalang ang roasted pork. Sa Christmas lunch nalang namin kakainin ang litsong manok.

[Pananghalian sa araw ng Pasko ang nakagawiang salu-salo ng mga taga-Australia, hindi tulad nating sa hating-gabi ito ginaganap. Kung ang mga litson, hamon at queso de bola ay hindi nawawala sa hapag-kainan ng mga Pilipino tuwing Pasko, ang whole roasted turkey naman ang palaging inihahanda ng mga Australians sa kanilang Christmas lunch.]

My Christmas 2,008

I know I need to end all My iLLusions! I have to accept the fact that Santa Claus does not exist in my world anymore, and finally have to admit that no Santa could ever grant even just one of my wishes this Christmas!

As expected, my Christmas would be literally cold and dull this year. Aside from celebrating alone inside My Caravan, and possibly doing the night chicken harvest, the average temperature forecast for Adelaide on the 25^th is only 22’C—much better than the usual Australian summer temperature in the previous years (it’s warmer, whew!).

A little bit dull because during this holiday season, I am held in captivity (as usual) with my chickens in this isolated poultry farm—93 kilometres away from the colourful Christmas decorations, deprived of the shining Christmas lanterns and of those shimmering Christmas lights in the capital city of S.A.!

For the past 5 days, the breeze has been carrying these fine fibres of dried wheat and barley straws from the adjacent auburn field towards my place! These nasty stuff outside complicates with the dusty, smelly and feathery environment inside the chook shed that are constantly threatening my respiratory health should I fail to wear the necessary protective mask all the time.

My daily south-eastern view from this Aussie caravan has always been the same (except the varying colour of the landscapes) since I arrive in Port Wakefield last January. The flock of sheep and the herd of cattle grazing on the dead, brown grasses across the boundless and dry South Australian horizon are the only colours that my eyes could ever enjoy during this time of Advent.

The other night I was awakened by the lingering and later, interrupted plaintive bleat of a lamb that had been probably left or lost from the flock somewhere in the middle of the nearby field. I got out of the caravan and attempted to locate the origin of the disturbing noise but I failed because the night was dark. The moon was missing and those countless flickering stars up above the black sky were the only source of faint light on this sunless side of the earth that time.

Cold, dark and starry night...Wheat and barley straws... Cattle, sheep, chicken and the dusty, smelly shed—this is My Christmas this 2008! Should there be a cry of a newborn child, I would think that this is exactly the First Christmas 2,008 years ago!

Dumb and Deaf

I have a lot of stories to tell...
but I am not feeling well!
I wish I could hear the ringing bell
as we celebrate the birth of Noel!