When the Green Fields Turn Gold

Definition of terms

Tapey- fermented glutinous rice. It will take 3 days before its perfectly fermented for consumption. It is also served during special occasions.

Gimmat-it's what men use to carry rice crops and others like corn, sweet potatoes etc.

Lakem- used in cutting or harvesting palay

Jawis or jinawis- the act of roasting meat; roasted meat

Laot- a type of bamboo cleaned by men in a way that it can be use to tie the rice stalks together

Guvey- a jar specially made specifically for salted meat

Taksug- a wide basket used by women to carry the foods0

Hagey- unriped or young rice grains left by the harvesters. Roasted and pounded. It is what is pinipig by the lowlands

It was early in the morning, the little girl was long awake in their sleeping mat which she shared with her two siblings. She was anticipating when her mother would eventually get up from their bed and out of their bedroom, but it seemed like forever. She heard the roosters crowed simultaneously then her mother switched on the lights and got out of their room to the kitchen. She slowly crept out of their room and followed her mother.

"Why are you up so early in the morning, Z," her mother asked as she turned around to look who was behind her.

Z can smell the tempting smell of that rice wine her mother had made three days ago. "I want to have a taste of that tapey, mother." Z answered with a wink, smiling and a pleading smile on her cheeky face. It was her favorite everytime the harvest season arrives. She would count the days after her mother had made it until it will ferment three days after. Her mother put it in a pot above the fireplace in the soot covered dirty kitchen. Z couldn't wait for three days and she would try to reach for it but couldn't. Now, the day has come to finally be the first to have a taste of that ever-coveted rice wine of hers.

"No tapey yet because it's too early in the morning. It might upset your stomach," her mother replied while she was busily making fire at the fireplace.

"You better go back to sleep because it's still too early in the morning. Look outside, it's still dark," her mother tried to talk her out. However this girl was determined to have a taste of that rice wine so she took a footstool and sat beside her mother. She sang her kindergarten songs her teacher taught. Then she stood and did her best to dance while singing. But her mother was not to be taken by her act. Nevertheless, she expressed her appraisal to her li'l tricky girl.

The fire finally lit up so her mother got up and took the big pot where she could cook rice. "Why do you cook in a big pot mother? Can we eat all of that? It could go to waste if we can't," Z cried.

"No it won't. Because your father asked a family to help us with harvesting the ripened rice crops," the mother patiently explained while she put some rice on the pot.

"Yeeheey," the child exclaimed excitedly. "I will come with you."

Her mother then went out to wash the rice because the faucet for water was outside their house.

Her father eventually got up and saw the girl at the kitchen who immediately said she will go with them at the fields. "No," her father answered. "It was a very long walk. I couldn't carry you on my back anymore because you got bigger and I will be carrying my gimmat filled with rice after."

"I can walk, I won't ask you to carry me."

"If you promise to walk all the way up to the mountains to and fro then you may come," assured her father.

Her excitement of going to the fields for harvest made her forget her cravings for the ricewine.

Her father took the salted meat from the guvey and place it on a pot they will be using to cook it in the fields. Her mother was also busy preparing the foods. Z had a li'l baby brother whom her mother would be tending to so she can't come. Thus, the foods would be carried by the women whom they asked us to help. She had an older sister and an older brother but they can't carry the foods alone.

Early as 6 o'clock, they left the house with the others whom they called. The women came to carry the foods with their taksug. It was a long walk because they need to walk the road to the mountains that's why they had to leave early. Z and her little brother who was only 5 happily trudged and ran with the other kids at the road. They went up the steep climb to the mountains with full energy, the climb was a tiring one but for kids it was just part of their play.

Seems this was a good year. The luscious smell of the golden fields, beaming heavily with rice crops was a satisfying sight to behold. After the strenuous labor of the small time farmers during the farming season, they deserve to have a gratifying harvest afterwards.

They walked and walked up and down the mountains until they reached their destination.

Their father made fire before everyone proceeded to cut those stalks of rice. The stalks of rice were even taller than Z and her li'l brother, C. They need to extend their arms upward to reach the stalk where it should be cut. They still don't know how to use the lakem yet that they had to pull the stalk with their own hand.

Their father was busy cooking the salted meat in a pot he hanged on a slightly inclined branch he cut along the way. He punched it to the mud in a way the pot could be hanged securely. Some of the meat he cut it into bite size and pierced it with sticks and roasted it to the open fire. Hmmm, the smell of it filled the air. It made Z's tummy grumble. Oh! She's hungry.

At last, the jinawis or roasted pork was done. It was black in color. Then her father called out the men to eat. She also went but she was wondering why not everyone sits and eat? Why the men only while the women continue with the labor? It's not her business as long as her grumbling tummy will be filled. She ate heartily even with the meat black with soot. It tasted delicious, anyway.

When the pork being cooked on the hanging pot was done, their father called again to eat. This time everyone came to sit around. Everyone enjoyed the simple meal, boodle fight.

As the sun smiled strongly, their father asked Z and C to get the kettle where he previously prepared the tapey a while aback. Everyone was thirsty, perhaps so Z holds the kettle while C holds the cup as they passed it along from one person to the other. After everyone was able to drink, they went back to the side where they took it. Because it was what Z had been looking forward to, she hastily took a bowl and a spoon and scooped out the tapey inside. She shared it with her little brother who was only staring at her. She kept giggling because at last she was able to have it to her heart's content.

When any of the harvesters was thirsty, they would bring the kettle of tapey to them. It does quench the thirst while under the strong heat of the sun.

By nearly noon, everyone was gathering the rice tied with laot and bringing it together to the side where the men could fix it in their gimmat. Z and C helped their older siblings gather the hagey. It was also one which excites children during the harvest. Because they will make it into pinipig once they are home.

The men carry their gimmat on their shoulders up and down the mountains bearing the heat of the midday sun. They bring the rice to the host's rice granary where it will be dried the following day.

After everyone got home, we went to call our companions in the harvest to come and eat at our house.. And in the evening Z's older siblings sent cooked rice and viand for them.

In the afternoon, Z and her siblings prepare the hagey to be roasted on a big basin over the fire. After roasting they will let it cool and pound it in the mortar using a pestle. They call it hagey while lowlanders call it pinipig.

Z got the chance to asked their grandfather why does men eat first with the roasted meat. Her grandfather told them a story of long ago to answer her curiosity.

"Long ago, during their time, vetad or tribal wars were prevalent. Neighboring villages especially those at central town raised war against them by destroying their irrigation. They had to be alert at all times. On harvest season, the men eat first (because we usually don't eat breakfast before leaving) so that if ever there was any vuho or enemy spotted sneaking they will be able to chase after them. They need it for strength," Z's grandfather told.

(Another childhood story)

Harvesting season is a very enjoyable moment for kids and adults alike. Unlike the lowlands, they only had one crop in a year. That is to let the rice paddies rest. That's why people in the mountains usually practice crop rotation. After rice crops were gathered, people toil their fields in plots to grow sweet potatoes, legumes and string beans, and other vegetables. After these were gathered, the planting season for rice crops begins.

________________________

As the days go by, warring tribes were having peacepacks that some of the practices were gradually changing. Now we all gather up and eat together, enjoy the jinawis or roasted meat when the viand was cooked. The tapey was never phased out up to these times. However, there were times that soft drinks were brought in replacement of the tapey.

Up to these days, acts of bayanihan were still a part of our culture. And one of it was the harvesting of palays.

The other day, I was a li'l busy preparing foods because my husband called out my parents, siblings and some men to help us with the harvest. That's why I reminisced those days when I was very young. I was just disappointed because I asked my husband to take some photos but he did not. So I just borrowed some on facebook.

All photos credits to rightful owner in facebook

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