Vanishing Game

It makes a little sense that the last of our colonizers taught us to call the months of March until May as summer, though our tropical climate makes us dream of a winter, those months are the uber summer time of the year as it is the hottest.

Summer, like Christmas, is one the most looked forward to and welcomed annual season for Catholic Philippines, being the Semana Santa or the Holy Week, falls on this time- a significant catalyst of the Pinoy's Catholic psyche. Secondly, it's Tuli season(see previous blog-Foreskin Massacre), where boys become men and men become skinless chorizo. Lastly, its the Kite flying season!


Tabanog is the vernacular word for kite which is a universal activity or a hobby played by adults and children alike. Under the blistering heat of sun god Ra's breath, children decorates the cerulean backdrop of the sky with multicolored kites in variant designs and sizes while the TV antennas and the electric wires are the repository of kites lost in flight. The gracefulness of a kite in flight is a splendid spectacle to marvel at. Our generic kite is made of an old newspaper, framed by the ever pliable tukog (palm leaf stick) and pasted with kan-on (cooked rice). Rich friends strut their colorful kites made from papel de japon with pride to our envy. Dogfights always bring a thrill to the spectators but mostly to the kite flyer who dexterously maneuver cutting someone else's kite, small kids love to run and chase the cut kite to where it lands-finders keeper, some ended up on a top of a tree,TV antenna or electrical wires with a face of dismay. The winning kite flyer always come home wearing a badge of  pride and honor while we come home reeked with the smell of dried sweat and an odor not even a mother could love.

art by Nick-Ian

Where are the kites, where are the kids?. The vast sky lost its summer splendor sans the colorful and graceful embellishment of the kites. Children become preoccupied with online games big time and are lost in the real essence of play through kite flying and other traditional games. We envisioned to bring balance between the virtual and the realistic world by initiating to bring back the tradition through a kite flying festival.

Have you flown a kite lately? come and join us or be a sponsor!