Wilfredo R. Bongcaron

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PHILIPPINES SAIJIKI

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Wilfredo R. Bongcaron

Willie Bongcaron, Manila
Willie Bongky - facebook

Bos Tsip
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AoSuzume

Wilfredo is an operations personnel working with the Philippines transport system.
He is married with three kids.

Many words he uses are explained in more detail in the Philippines Saijiki.


Daily Life in the Philippines

shared here:
Kigo Hotline



Fish Market

Tea Time


.................................................. Scroll down for

Laundry Day
Donsol Beach
Dynamite Fishing


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March 31, 2008

I grow
heaven
in my garden.

I transplant black pines,
magnolias and fir trees
in building my nest.

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April 6, 2008

Yellow fledlings
with their protective mother
paddle playfully.

The rising heat
swiftly envelopes
the bermuda grass.

Sighs of the lagoon
I ponder silently
under a grass hut.

Hungry tilapia
gamely bites the bait
of the fishing rod.

The bamboo foliage
to fishing father and son
serves as cool cover.

I make funny face
with my hazy reflection
on the green lagoon.

Slimy earthworms
feast hungrily
on rotten peelings.

Bed of water cress
floats lazily on the side
of the lake.

A milkfish jiggles,
trying to escape
the fisher's net.

Before the sun sets -
billows of clouds linger
in the humid sky.

Before the sun sets -
long-tailed bird pounces on fly
for its supper.

A brief drizzle
greets afternoon bystanders
with its musings.

Tireless children
still playing in the street
at dusk.

Summer break -
a boy sitting all alone
at the school gate.


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April 8

CRACKED COCONUTS
Summer scene:
a pile of cracked coconuts
beside the tree.



GOLDEN SHOWER
Narra blooms -
golden yellow showers
on a hot summer.

. Narra or Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus) .

EUPHORBIA
A column
of blooming euphorbias
under a clear sky.

SYNERGY
Sampaguita blends
with papaya scent
attracts the bees!

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April 12

Laundry Day

There are laundry days here in Manila, specially for those who work to death and has no time to wash clothes but during Saturdays or Sundays of every week. When summer days are really hot, it is nice to hang clothes to dry under the sun because these dry fast. And the clothes smell really nice.
kigo for summer


The windy morning
strains the clothesline heavy
with wagging bed sheets.

I use
clothespins for laundry
on windy summer.

Drying of laundry -
interrupted by sudden
afternoon drizzle.

Summer days -
drying heavy clothes
fills the clothespress.

An old woman
carrying laundry basket
towards the clothesline.

I keep a clothes tree
beside the front door
for my hat and coat.


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April 13

TOSSED SALAD
I handpick lettuce,
cucumber and tomato
for tossed salad.


BITTER LEMON
A day for picking
in the sandy fields,
bitter lemons.


WATERMELONS
Waking up early
for plump watermelons,
happy days ahead!


COW FODDER
Cornstalks and hay,
fodder for cows
during summer.


FOR SALE
Bunch of turnips
by the dusty road,
for sale.


SWEET HARVEST
Sugarcane
from the grindstone -
a sweet harvest.


PEANUTS
Pulling up the plant
in the loamy soil
for crunchy peanuts.


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April 19, 2008

Hard-tail mackerels
swim deep into the sea,
the net is empty.

Red groupers
taste differently
on bamboo skewers.

I chase
the red snapper away,
silly me!



Whale sharks
ah! the gentle giants
of Donsol beach.

Donsol Beach PHOTOS !

Whale Shark PHOTOS !




Sparrows
perched on dead branches -
the sky lay still.


Cockatiel's feather
flies over the lake -
an open bird cage.

Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), also known as the Quarrion and the Weero

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May 4, 2008


by the blue sea
the staccato sound -
dynamite fishing

The depths of destruction
Dynamite fishing ravages Philippines' precious coral reefs

Dynamite Fishing, Blast Fishing More Reference



by the serene lake
fish nets attached
to bamboo stilts

by the serene lake:
growing black tilapia
for sunday market

by the serene lake
a row of bancas
suffused in light


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May 9, 2008

a bunch of nude tykes
prepares for the dive -
river full of grime

chef's delight:
manta in coconut milk
melts the heart

bird nest:
fledglings and feathers
smell fish

spider
sews web -
breakfast


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May 13, 2008

fiesta day –
the display of street bands
coaxing for street dance

heavy rains
fill every roof gutter –
the end of summer

raindrops create
pitter-patter on the roof
disrupt my noon nap

the lash of typhoon
drowns every street corner –
wails of an orphan

the screeching sound
on the catenaries –
train overshoots

ticket sellers
ask for loose coins –
red faces, the queues

fenced nest –
the coos of feeding doves
please snatching beaks

escargots
breeding freely in the pond
best with San Mig beer


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Paco station is a station on the Southrail line of the Philippine National Railways. It serves Paco in Manila, Metro Manila. This is also the last station beside Quirino Avenue before turning left beside Pres. Sergio Osmeña Highway (formerly South Superhighway).

©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Paco Station
the choo-choo's of the train
on the other track



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Related words

***** PHILIPPINES SAIJIKI

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Boomerang

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AUSTRALIAN SAIJIKI

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Boomerang

***** Location: Australia
***** Season: Non-seasonal Topic
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

Boomerang is an Australian word which has moved into International English. It was borrowed from Dharuk, the Aboriginal language spoken in the Sydney region.

While the spelling boomerang is now standard, in the early period the word was given a variety of spellings:
bomerang, bommerang, bomring, boomereng, boomering, bumerang.

The Australian Aboriginal boomerang is a crescent-shaped wooden implement used as a missile or club, in hunting or warfare, and for recreational purposes. The best-known type of boomerang, used primarily for recreation, can be made to circle in flight and return to the thrower. Although boomerang-like objects were known in other parts of the world, the earliest examples and the greatest diversity of design is found in Australia.

A specimen of a preserved boomerang has been found at Wyrie Swamp in South Australia and is dated at 10,000 years old. Boomerangs were not known throughout the entirety of Australia, being absent from the west of South Australia, the north Kimberley region of Western Australia, north-east Arnhem Land, and Tasmania. In some regions boomerangs are decorated with designs that are either painted or cut into the wood.
©　Australian National University

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What is a Boomerang?
by Tony Butz

A hunting or throwing stick is not the same as a (returning) boomerang!

An investigation of the word boomerang in Aboriginal and English languages

Myths and Misconceptions
There are several myths and misconceptions about the origin of the word boomerang that need dispelling before we investigate its use in the English language and in the modem world.

First,
there is no such thing as “the Aboriginal language”; there were in fact between 500 and 600 different Aboriginal languages at the time of European settlement in 1788, each with its own terms for tools and weapons.

Second,
the returning boomerang was unknown to Aboriginal peoples in most of the Northern Territory, all of Tasmania, half of South Australia and the northern parts of Queensland and Western Australia. Roughly 60% of Aboriginal peoples used both returning boomerangs and non-returning hunting sticks, and therefore had words for them; a further 10% had only non-returning hunting sticks, and the remaining 30% used neither.

Third,
Aboriginal peoples had no writing so could not record their words before the arrival of Europeans, who soon discovered that the returning boomerang was called a ‘birgan’ by Aborigines around Moreton Bay, and a ‘barragadan’ by those in north-western New South Wales.

Read a fascinating discussion HERE
© Boomerang Association of Australia


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Boomerang History

The real question is where do they come from?
Most people would say Australia, and they would be correct, for the most part. We need to establish the difference between a returning boomerang and a non-returning boomerang. Many people, even today, get the two confused. Non- returning boomerangs were used for hunting.

Hunting boomerangs, called Kylies, are about three feet long and have a chord width of three to four inches across, being about one half inch thick and similar in shape to a banana. When thrown they fly straight and do not return to the thrower. A throw stick can fly great distances. One hundred to one hundred fifty yard flights are not uncommon. Throwsticks have been found in many countries such as Egypt, Africa, Poland, Holland, United States and of course Australia, just to name a few.

How did the kylie come into existence?
The best thinking is that prior to throwing sticks people used clubs to settle their differences. They'd use them like a battle-axe and even throw them at their opponent when they ran away. Perhaps it was discovered that a curved club flew further when thrown than a straight one did. They then realized that a thin club flew further than a thick one. At this point the basic concept of a throwing stick was established and used. In Australia it became engrained into the culture and was handed down from generation to generation.

How old are Kylies?
The oldest known kylie found carbon dated back 20,000 years old and was made from Mammoth tusk! By the way it was found in Poland. Hopi Indians in the Southwest United States used kylies, though they called them rabbit sticks.

So where did boomerangs come into the picture?
Truthfully no one can answer the question with surety. Based upon what has been found, it is common belief returning boomerangs originated in Australia. That really doesn't surprise you does it? How do we know that? Primarily from the abundance of boomerangs found there and the lack of returning boomerangs anywhere else in the world. Oh sure there are a few examples found in other regions that many return, but that is still questionable.

Read more HERE
©　Steve's Boomerangs, California






More BOOMERANG Reference

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Japanese astronaut to throw boomerang in space
Astronaut Takao Doi

Tokyo (AFP) Jan 23, 2008
A Japanese astronaut plans to throw a boomerang inside a space station to test how it can fly in zero gravity, an official said Wednesday.
Astronaut Takao Doi, 53, is set to travel on a US shuttle in March to the International Space Station, where he will be in charge of construction of a Japanese scientific testing room.

It is believed gravity is needed for a boomerang to fly back to the throwing spot, but no one has tried in zero gravity.

"Mr. Doi said he will personally carry a paper boomerang for the upcoming mission and we presume he will try it when he has spare time," said an official of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Doi reportedly decided on boomerang tests after he received a request from Yasuhiro Togai, a world boomerang champion from the western Japanese metropolis of Osaka.
Doi later underwent training from the world champion on how to throw it, media reports said.
©　www.space-travel.com


Doi shows boomerangs return in zero gravity
(Mar. 22, 2008)

Japanese astronaut Takao Doi, on board the International Space Station, has proved that a boomerang returns to the person throwing it even in the zero-gravity conditions of space.
The results differed to predictions made by Togai, who expected a boomerang thrown in zero gravity to fly in a spiral path, rising above the head of the person who threw it.
©　www.yomiuri.co.jp



PHOTO : Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
　© www.digitaljournal.com


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Things found on the way


The Boomerang Poetry Page
This page is dedicated to poetry about boomerangs.
http://www.bvdrangs.com/poetry.html

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The Boomerang Art Project
Oct. 14, 2000

Australian Aborigines used the boomerang as an effective hunting tool. Flying in a huge sweeping arc, it would mercilessly kill or maim anything that crossed its path. The Boomerang Art Project, a collaborative effort between 24 young Kyoto and Bremen artists, seeks to emulate the power of that flight through the creative process. This time, however, the only cutting edge to be found will be the artwork of the participants, who are gathered to live and work together in Kyoto Oct. 5-29, and who will repeat the experience in Bremen next March.
©　japantimes.co.jp


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HAIKU

dodging
a march wind
boomerang

-- Doris Kasson (Belleair Bluffs, FL, USA)
Mainichi Annual Selection 2006



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Toss a boomerang of anger,
and anger is what will come back to you from others.
Toss a boomerang of love,
and love will be returned.

anonymous


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Related words

***** AUSTRALIAN SAIJIKI

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Bomerang

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Thanks to Lorin Ford, Australia, for her great help with this entry!

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Blackboy (Xanthorrhoeaceae plants)

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AUSTRALIA SAIJIKI

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Blackboy seeds (Xanthorrhoeaceae plants)

***** Location: Australia
***** Season: Summer (hot season)
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Xanthorrhoea is a genus of flowering plants native to Australia and a member of family Xanthorrhoeaceae. The Xanthorrhoeaceae are monocots, part of order Asparagales. There are 28 species and five subspecies of Xanthorrhoea. All are perennials and have a secondary thickening meristem in the stem. Many, but not all, species develop an above ground stem. This is rough-surfaced, built from accumulated leaf-bases around the secondarily thickened trunk. The trunk is sometimes unbranched, some species will branch if the growing point is damaged and others naturally grow numerous branches.

Flowers are borne on a long spike above a bare section called a scape, the total length can be up to four metres long in some species. Flowering occurs in a distinct flowering period, which varies for each species. Flowering can be stimulated by bushfire, in which case it occurs in the next flowering period after the fire.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !




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HAIKU

Note: "blackboy" may be considered politically incorrect as the article in the Wikipedia site states, but, it is a regionally common term and not considered derogatory.

blackboys
struggle in the scrub --
hard ground

"chibi" (pen-name for Dennis M. Holmes)
(HAIKU collaboration between Carol C Wahlheim, an Australian HAIKU no deshi, and myself).

blackboy or grasstree -- (seeds during summer or the hot season)


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Related words

***** Australian Saijiki

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Amihan wind

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PHILIPPINES SAIJIKI

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Amihan wind

***** Location: Philippines
***** Season: Cold Season
***** Category: Heaven

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Explanation

In the Philippines , after the Christmas holiday season, we Filipinos feel a cooler temperature than in the previous months. This usually occurs in the first quarter of the year. We understand that the ice in Siberia is beginning to melt and so the wind that reaches the Philippines becomes cooler. This wind is generally known as amihan or northwest moonsoon.

Amihan has another meaning. In the Philippine mythology, Amihan is also a legendary bird who frees the first humans, Malakas and Maganda, from a bamboo plant.
Malakas means strong, while maganda is beautiful.


Amihan sings
for Malakas and Maganda--
Philippine new moon


Melchor F. Cichon
Aklan, Philippines

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Philippines

The local climate is hot, humid, and tropical. The average yearly temperature is around 26.5°C. There are three recognized seasons:
Tag-init or Tag-araw (the hot season or summer from March to May),
Tag-ulan (the rainy season from June to November), and
Taglamig (the cold season from December to February).

The southwest monsoon (May-October) is known as the "Habagat" and the dry winds of the northeast monsoon (November-April) as the "Amihan".
©　www.canadiancontent.net

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The Amihan and Habagat seasons
at Boracay Beach

In the Tagalog language, Amihan means a cool northeast wind and Habagat means west or southwest wind; south-west monsoon. Amihan and Habagat seasons are generally associated respectively with the La Niña and El Niño global weather patterns. The Amihan season is characterised by hot temperatures, little or no rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the east. The Habagat season is characterised by cold and hot humid weather, frequent heavy rainfall and typhoons, and a prevailing wind from the west.

Boracay Beach indicators of the switch between the Amihan and Habagat seasonal patterns is the switch in wind direction. In most years this transition is abrupt and occurs overnight. In some years there is a period of perhaps a week or two where the wind will switch between Amihan and Habagat patterns several times before settling into the pattern for the new season. As a general rule of thumb, Boracay will be in the Amihan weather pattern from sometime in September or October to sometime in May or June and in the Habagat weather pattern for the remainder of the year. These dates can vary in individual years, though.
©　www.boracaylive.com

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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU



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Related words

***** Philippines Saijiki


***** Monsoon


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