The house is not even halfway finished. I am excited as to how it would appear. In the meantime, we have to content ourselves with an even smaller apartment while the renovation is ongoing.
Last weekend, the school's annual Father and Son camping took place at Light Bridge Hotel and Resort at Taal, Batangas. As usual, it was fun. The camps of each patrol are well-kept and well-maintained. I had to, together with two more teachers, judge the best patrol camp and they were pretty impressive. We had to look at three items, viz., tentage, gadgets and orderliness. The food was sufficient and tasty. The games were funny and very creative. For example, they played a volleyball game with a twist. We covered the net and neither team could see the other.
The "sessions" with the dads were wonderful. I also had to be a judge during the campfire, which to me was the highlight of the activity. The patrols had to compose their own song, yell and cheer. The fathers are really getting into it. They even brought instruments, computer and a mixed-media projector. The campfire is getting better and better.
The Father and Son has been the brainchild of my "ninong" (godfather), Moie Lozada, who stood as principal sponsor when the wife and I got married. There is no other man who can lead this activity like he does. The problem is he has retired. It's a good thing that he can still join us and take charge of the activities.
I used to bring my sons on these camping trips but now that they are all grown-up, they don't seem to be interested anymore. Nevertheless, we sure had a lot of fun. I had fun. Even wrote a poem about it in 2004, I think, when we camped at Mt. Makiling:
Rites of Passage
I have camped on
these grounds when
I was young,
braved the thick forest
to test if I
could be a man.
Leaves relentlessly fall
raining down on my tent
weave a golden mat on the dirt
just like it did before.
Insects stubbornly
invade the silence
unfazed by the dark night
or the snores from
other fathers
tending their sons.
Inside my tent
two growing boys
saturated with play
innocently asleep
carelessly sprawled
on the sleeping bag.
How I envy the trees
defying the wind outside
with each offspring
a success,
they stand
sturdy and proud.
I come back
to camp on these grounds
once more
to test if I
can be a father
to these youthful boys.
rolly
7 comments:
Hi Tito Rolly,
Visiting your blog is always interesting. I just learn today that you write a good poem. You are really amazing.
DepEd Teacher
DepEd Teacher I am still learning on my own with the help of some poetry groups, of course.
I remember the camping trips I took back in my Scouting days and the bivouacs back in my CAT and ROTC days. I enjoyed them a lot. I think it's an experience that every individual ought to experience.
I love the storytelling and joking around the campfire or before we all called it a night.
Glad to know that it's still a fun activity for you after all these years. If I were in your shoes, I'll still take part in such an activity. :)
di lang pang pinta,elib ako tito rolly!
I like camping too. It's like experiencing how people lived in the old days not to mention "nature trip" back to the fold of Gaia!
Panaderos Like you, I also enjoyed the time I was camping when I was still a boy scout. I have gone to places I never thought I would have gone to otherwise. One of my most memorable camps was in Baguio when I was just 10 or 11 years old. That gave me freedom as I had to be very far from my family.
Ever The problem is hindi ako pang sports pa! huhuhu
blogusvox Exactly. It was also in camping that I learned to cook, mind you.
Hi sir. Last time we were at Makiling was in 2000, if I remember it correctly. It's been so long!
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