Sunday in Tarlac

By: DSV

One weekend in Manila recently, I looked out of the window and discovered that Sunday had disappeared. Nobody had swiped it exactly, but something had gone out of this noble day. Suddenly I realized what it was: Sunday had turned into Monday.

Out on the street, people no longer were strolling about. They had direction, a midweek glint in their eyes that meant business. They were walking briskly in and out of stores instead of browsing quietly past the windows. The scene was as busy as your average workday Monday, throwing the whole week like crazy. Now Sunday is just another day and it appears to have lost its real purpose here in Manila.

Am I glad to be back in Tarlac where Sunday has character like the old days in Manila. It is prim, but underneath it has a certain toughness, some confidence and a sense of security. It is the most sturdy of days, one can count on. There is structure to it: you get up late, have a four-hour brunch, read the paper until naptime, have dinner and finish the paper or watch TV. Perhaps you go to church, play a round of golf or call home. You do not go to the market or you do not go to the office for a few hours. One of the things you definitely do not do is to go downtown and buy things on sale.

Sunday is the only day you can legitimately be lazy, since nobody else is getting a whole lot accomplished either. But just try lying a round the house on Sunday now- knowing that half of the world is out there doing things. Even people who claim to be relaxing are jogging and exercising like mad.