The Septos in Cambodia

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I have an unwavering faith in the institution and sacrament of marriage mainly because of the example of my parents who are celebrating their 46th wedding anniversary today. After 46 years, they have remained strong, sweet, loving (they still lock their bedroom door; yuck!), fun, understanding, and compassionate to each other. Even if they’re in their seventies, they know how to enjoy life as if they were carefree youngsters. Near the end of 2005 and the beginning part of 2006, they toured Indochina and visited us in Cambodia. With them during their tour was another septuagenarian couple, my Uncle Peping and Auntie Bella, who celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last May 19. Isn’t it amazing? Septuagenarians traipsing around Indochina like young honeymooners? For the 46th anniversary of Mom and Dad and for the golden wedding anniversary of Uncle and Auntie, I am posting here my letter to my family after their visit a little after New Year. BTW, I called them septos (short for septuagenarians). When Honey is with them, they’re “Dinno and the Septos.” Sounds like a rock band, huh?

From: Toe
To: romyandnenitatogetherforever@____.com
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 3:57 PM
Subject: the septos in cambodia

Dear everyone,

Okay, okay… I will discontinue working for this afternoon and succumb to Sis Ichay’s pleas for kuwentos about the septos.

They left on December 28 for Vietnam but when Mom called to greet us Merry Christmas on the 24th, Dad was already packed… excited masyado.

They stayed 2 nights in Ho Chi Minh City. They complained about the motorcycles swarming the streets because they couldn’t cross. In the airport on the way to Phnom Penh, the immigration officers stopped Uncle Peping and asked him to open his check-in bag after going through the x-ray. They appeared to be looking for something… ayun pala, Uncle packed hard boiled eggs which he got from his buffet breakfast. He was so mad…kinuha daw yung itlog niya at wala na daw siyang itlog!

December 30… after more than 3 1/2 years in Cambodia, Mom and Dad finally came over. Dinno and I were scared to death… can you imagine senoritos and senoras living in our tiny maidless apartment situated in a least developed country??? What will we feed them? Dinno and I survive on canned goods and hotdogs and the free food we get from social functions. Where will they sleep? We only have 1 extra bed. We comforted ourselves with Dad’s claims that he and Uncle Peping were used to roughing it out in the savage wilderness of Tawi-Tawi and Sulu.

Anyway, Dad and Mom slept on the airbed in the living room, Auntie Bella slept on the bed in the small bedroom, and Uncle Peping slept on the futon in the small bedroom.

In the first morning, Honey and I wanted to cook them a proper breakfast of fried rice and tocino. However, you know old people… they wake up so early… so when we woke up, all of them were already helping themselves to cereals and fruits!. Panic kami ni Honey. Honey started cooking but the septos said they only wanted a light breakfast. However, even before Honey finished cooking the rice, Uncle Peping and Daddy were already looking over his shoulder giving suggestions and instructions on how to do it right. When Honey asked them if they knew how to cook… hindi naman daw! They couldn’t wait for Honey to put the rice in a serving plate and helped themselves to big servings right from Honey’s wok. So much for their light breakfast… in addition to their fruit and cereals… they finished all the rice, eggs, and the tocino!

That was December 31… we were about to drive to Siem Reap (314 km. away from Phnom Penh) to see the temples of Angkor. I warned the lolos already to… as Mariel would say… pee now or forever hold your pee. There was only one bathroom break and you couldn’t do it on the roadside because there might be landmines. So did they listen to me? Of course… not! After about an hour of driving, Dad and Uncle started looking for trees where
they can do it. When we finally found a safe-looking tree, do you guys think they went behind it to hide? No, they actually did it in front of the tree so that we could all see them! We almost died laughing in the car they’re so funny making wiwi together.

That evening was New Year’s Eve. We splurged on $30 each dinner for all at the swimming pool in the hotel. At first, they were excited but I told them not to get their hopes too high up because Cambodians, being buddhists, have no concept of Christmas and New Year! Sure enough… the buffet started at 7 and we were all bored by 8:30 when we finished eating. The cultural show with the dancing apsaras (young girls in Cambodian costume) were a drag. But Dad and Uncle had fun taking pictures with the apsaras. They insisted na solo lang sila sa picture with the apsaras and would order Mom and Auntie Bella to go away… especially Dad. He wanted to make pasikat the pictures to the Runnex (Dad’s running group).

January 1, New Year’s Day, we went around the temples. We went to see the Bayon, (giant heads on top of a temple mountain)

Ta Prohm (setting of Lara Croft Tomb Raiders, the jungle have taken over the temples and giant banyan trees intertwined with the temple stones.),

and of course Angkor Wat.

It was a difficult day with plenty of walking and climbing old ruins and rocks under the hot sun. But the septos never complained… they were probably stronger than we were. Can’t believe that Mom is 71, Dad, 72, Auntie, 75, and Uncle, 77. Uncle Peping, assisted by our driver Tea, climbed all the way up to the top spires of the Angkor Wat. It’s very scary but he did it.

We drove back to Phnom Penh on January 3. The next day, I took them to the Philippine Embassy to show off our office. Then, I brought them to the Royal Palace and showed them where King Sihamoni was coronated and all.

On January 4, we went to the residence of the US ambassador and brought a padala to the Madame. For lunch, we ate at Pyongyang, a North Korean restaurant. The waitresses were all tall, pretty, with malaporselanang kutis. So as usual, Dad and Uncle had their pictures taken with the girls.

I think that we went to the Russian Market that afternoon to buy you guys pasalubongs. Then, I think that night, Uncle told me stories about Lolo Roman and Lola Antonina and their families. We’re planning to gather all the Mabanta-Francisco memorabilia and probably make a book about it. I also wanted to interview Dad but he was too lazy. I’ll just ask him questions via e-mail. More on this later.

Yesterday, we went to the Genocide Museum which used to be a school turned into a prison where the Khmer Rouge tortured their political prisoners before sending them off to be executed in the killing fields. Then this morning, we brought them to the airport. I think Mom was teary-eyed when she kissed me goodbye. Dinno had an airport pass so he was able to bring them all the way to the boarding gate.

It was really fun fun fun having them… making siksik in the house, cooking meals, driving them around in our car. I can’t believe how strong they are. After making pasyal all day under the heat, Dad and Uncle would even still have the energy to go jogging in the Northbridge grounds (where we live). Then, they would drink the bottle of Johnny Walker Gold Label Dinno gave them with chicharon as pulutan. They are all so makulit! They would always complain how there was always so much food on the table, that they were full and not hungry, and they getting fat and all… but of course, laging ubos!

About the housework naman, Dad was always bragging about how he knew how to do laundry, cook, clean the house, etc.. But when they had to throw the garbage, it took both him and Uncle Peping to bring out a single bag of garbage! Actually, Uncle brought out the garbage while Dad opened the door for him. They all tried to help in the house. Mom cooked her delicious salmon head in achuete and tuna fish sandwiches for their baon in the plane. But she and Auntie Bella turned my cute kitchen upside down and I couldn’t find anything when they left. All the plates and kitchen utensils were in the wrong places. It was fun watching them… Auntie Bella would make walis, Dad would actually brew his own coffee, Uncle Peping would change our water bottle, Mom would wash the dishes… it was great ordering them and telling them what to do for a change.

Anyway, Honey and I had a blast! They’re all now in Bangkok. I gave them CDs of the pictures taken from my camera. Coyang, maybe you could put it in the oFoto or something for everyone to see.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

So that’s the story of the septos in Cambodia!

Happy 46th Wedding Anniversary Mom and Dad!
Happy Golden Wedding Anniversary Uncle Peping and Auntie Bella!

Technorati tags: Septuagenarians
Cambodia
Siem Reap
Bayon
Ta Prohm
Angkor Wat
Phnom Penh