Couch Potato Corner: Potato Roots Run Deep

Holy Week has become "the week" when the family sets on the yearly journey to visit Mom and the clan in Labason, Zamboanga del Norte.

To get there we either take the plane or Superferry to Dipolog plus about a 2 hour drive to Labason.

Being there is actually a welcome respite for me as there are no landlines and hence, no internet (i.e. an excuse not to work). Unfortunately cellsites were installed a few years back so my mobile phone now works there. But staying true to my Couch Potato self, cable was introduced a few years back -- the only saving grace!

Usually what has been the tradition is that we spend the week there eating, going to the beach (which basically surrounds the entire town), eating, mingling with the relatives, eating, some more mingling, eating, and just basically lying around all day trying to digest the loads of food in our stomachs.

After meals, we would usually converge at the patio and all the Aunts and Uncs (which we lovingly call the 2G's or Second Generation either play mahjong or ask us 3G's what we have been doing with our lives). It was always about hanging around the 2G's. I would often notice that the 3G's would scatter in different directions of the house, depending on age group, marital status and topic of discussion.

This year was a bit different. Aside from the usual practice, the 3G's planned an unprecedented 3G night at Green Grove, our Aunt's new resort in Liloy (the next town). For the first time, the 3G's would have the time to get together sans the parents (2Gs) and the kids (4Gs). It was our night off from the oldies and younglings, and the wonderful thing was, we had the 2G's blessing (with some intrigue included).

It was a great fete to get all the 3rd Generation Galicia's all in one place (minus a few who could not join us due to uncontrollable circumstances) without the inhibitions normally brought about by being in the same room/vicinity with the 2G's. Without revealing too much in this blog, it was a night of solidifying bonds and family ties and just having good laughs over a few drinks and lots of foo d by the seashore. It was very nice to hang around the generation that shares basically similar problems and struggles.

What was even more exciting was what happened in the days that followed. The 2G's, being so intrigued by this sudden move, tried to discretely ask us separately what transpired, and they would be disappointed by simple answers of "we had lots of fun!". Hah! Keeping them in the dark alone, is lots of fun! Not to say that we did not have an agenda, we did! It's just something that we feel is more important to keep within the group/generation. Something to call our own. I don't know if it will eventually leak out, I mean its not as if its such giant life and death secret. I think its just a nice feeling to keep them guessing for now...and hopefully allow them to begin to take us seriously.

It was agreed by most of the 3G's that the 3G night was too short -- and I concur. We also agreed to make this a tradition...a 3G tradition, everytime the Manilenos visit. And I miss my 3G cousins (or 'Cas' as I call them) already.