Two Weeks without technology

Is not as horrible as you may imagine.

Now when I say technology, I mean the stuff bloggers and young adults are made of: PCs, Laptops, iPod, Camera, VideoCam, INTERNET, TV, Vehicle, Microwave and Cellphone.

Well, I did have my cellphone, but it barely made a peep so it was virtually invisible. This would explain my short hiatus once AGAIN.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I spent my whole sembreak at my aunt’s house in Marikina. They are affluent, and probably owned anything their hearts ever desired. They owned a veritable mansion. I expected extravagance, luxury and some well deserved relaxation.

“Gino, we’ll be spending a week at our farm in Ilocos.” – these are the words that shattered my prospects into tiny pieces, like the grains of sand, soil and rice that I will be getting acquainted with, very soon.

There was that dread of the unexpected. Not knowing what I will encounter at a “farm” where my stereotypical mindset imagined a small kubo hut, with no beds, and no proper lavatory. And a huge field with the overwhelming stench of cow manure and the usual abundance of mud, livestock and greenery. However, there also was that security of the identified. Meaning, I knew my aunt wouldn’t consent to me experiencing a horrible time during my vacation, and knowing her standards, she won’t let herself experience that too.

o I accepted my fate and embraced all the experience had to offer. When we got there, I was surprised. It was nothing like what I imagined (of course it wasn’t! come on!), it was surprisingly a beautiful sight to behold. It was just an inch short of the huge haciendas portrayed in television. The place was simple, the only advancement visible was the vehicles and machines used in the farm. The house we inhabited was big and was one of those antique Spanish colonial houses.

“Technology is but a brushstroke

in this rural backdrop.”

This rustic locale had a substitute for everything. A few days in the whole experience, you get to revert to a more simple life where no one will scoff at you for not putting on a thousand peso shirt or applying your make up before going out. You are appreciated for just being there and sharing the whole experience with them. Everyone got along, even the owners and the employees.

It was a great. It has been a while since I did so much with such little effort. It was wonderful. It was refreshing. It was just what the doctor ordered....

To be continued...

P.S. Ayo... I'm tired of using technology...