Virtual Ethnography 101: Holy Week Reflections

This summer I asked my college students in Anthropology 1, aside from learning anthropological concepts and theories inside the classroom - to explore places, experience cultural happenings, and then apply their learning through writing ethnographic accounts using the method of participation-observation.

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.


By Dyan Barrion

We are not really able to feel the Lenten season in this year of 2011. I spent the whole Holy Week with my family and other relatives. In that week, we were in my grandmother’s ancestral house in Talisay, Batangas. This is what we usually do during the Holy Week. We will go to the province for a vacation and to meet up with our relatives. But for this year we spent our Lenten season differently. My grandmother passed away on Monday morning and we spent the whole week in the province in lamentation.

Even though there is Holy Week every year, I am not used to the customs that go hand in hand with this season. On Pal Sunday, my father knocked loudly on my door and on my older brother’s door. He wanted us to get up so that we can all go to church. As usual, my brother and I did not want to go. I always tend to sleep so late resulting to me waking up during the afternoon on the next day. My father started to get angry so we had no choice but to follow him.

We are all ready to attend mass at St. Francis Church in Ortigas when we received a call that my grandmother was in critical condition. We decided to check on her first in the hospital. Things were not getting any better. My father told me that I should just go to the church with my older brother so that we could attend mass and have our palaspas (palm) blessed.

I attended the ten o’clock mass with my older brother, for some reason, there is always a very good feeling right after the mass. But after the mass on Palm Sunday, I was happier for some reason. When I started waving our palaspas alongside with the other people inside the church, there was such a fulfillment. It was as if Brother Jesus was really there and we were in Jerusalem welcoming him warmly into the city.

On Good Friday, I slept in so much since I was one of the people assigned to watch over my sleeping grandmother for the night. It was past twelve noon when I was abruptly awakened by my mother. I was not really reluctant to wake up since I was just able to sleep around 7 a.m. that morning. But my mother showed no sign that she will just let me continue sleeping at that time.

“Ma, umaga na po nung natulog ako,” (Mom, it was already morning when I slept), that’s what I told my mother. “Gusto ko pang matulog, please” (Please, I want to sleep further).

“Maliligo ka ba?” (Are you going to take a bath?), my mother asked me. I was puzzled for a moment why she would need to know if I was going to take a bath on that day. It’s not like I’m not taking a bath everyday.

“Syempre naman po,” (of course), I said before getting under the blanket again.

“Aba. Eh kung maliligo ka pala ay maligo ka na ngayon. Hindi lang tayo ang maliligo. Marami pa ang gigabit ng banyo kaya maligo ka nabago mag-alas-tres ng hapon,” (Goodness. If you want to take a bath do it now. It not only you who will do that because others will also use the shower room. Take a bath before three o’clock in the afternoon), she told me.

“Pero gusto ko pa pong matulog. Masamang maligo kapag puyat,” (But I want to sleep more. It’s not advisable to take a bath when you have less sleep), I reasoned out to her.

“Kung gayon eh wag ka na lang maligo,” (if that’s the case then don’t take a bath), she said. I frowned when my sleepiness started to go away at that moment.

“Bakit naman hindi? Pwede pa naman akong maligo mamayang hapon. Kapag pagabi na lang para malamig ang tubig,” (Why isn’t not allowed? I can still take bath late in the afternoon, at dusk so that the water is colder).

“Hindi na pwedeng maligo pagkatapos ng alas-tres ng hapon dahil patay ang Diyos,” (It’s not allowed to take a bath after three o’clock in the afternoon because Christ already died), she told me as she started to sort some of our clothing.

“Bakit naman po?” (Why?) I could not help it but to ask her what is the connection of Brother Jesus being dead from three o’clock onwards to me taking a bath a 3 p.m. in the afternoon.

“Hay naku. Basta maligo ka na lang. Kapag naligo ka pagkatapos ng alas-tres eh ang dugo na ni Hesus ang ipampapaligo mo.” (Goodness. I command you take a bath now. If you do that after three in the afternoon, it’s the blood of Christ that would shower you). My mother told me before leaving me in the room even though I was curious to find out the truth in the superstitious belief. So, I just decided to follow her commands and then take a bath.

During the late afternoon of Good Friday, my older brother told me that he will be going to the bayan. I insisted on coming with him since it was quite boring just to stay in the house for several days. We really had nothing to do if there are no people visiting my deceased grandmother. My older brother was assigned to buy some liquor for our male relatives. I decided to come with him. Excitedly got in our car and waited patiently for my brother to get in the driver’s seat. He was really taking a long while so I got out of the car to look for him. At the moment he saw me, he started scolding me, asking me where in the hell did I go.

"Tara na,” (Let’s go now). He said as we walked to the gate.

“Hindi ba natin gagamitin yun sasakyan? Full tank pa naman ha. Ayaw kong mag-tricycle,” (Aren’t we going to use the car? It’s full tank. I don’t want to ride a tricycle). I whined.

“Hindi natin magagamit ang sasakyan at hindi rin tayo magtra-tricycle,” (We’re not going to use the car nor ride a ride a tricycle,” he told me.

“Ha?! Bakit naman? Huwag mong sabihin na maglalakad tayo?! Ang layo-layu ng bayan!” (What?! Why not? Don’t tell to me we’ll walk?! The town proper is too far!) I said as I tugged on his shirt.

“May prosisyon daw. Sayang lang ang gasolina dahil tiyak trapik pero sabi nila walang trapik dahil walang sasakyan. Sinarado yata ang daan,” (There is a procession. We might just waste gasoline due to traffic although there are only few vehicles plying the street. But I guess they closed the road). He informed me. I pouted but still decided to tag along with him.

I knew we were nowhere halfway towards our destination when we caught with the procession. There were a lot of figures of saints and a number of images of the Virgin Mary. I know there are a number of names given to the Mama Mary but up to now I am still not sure how many names Mother Mary has. I was enchanted by the beautiful Mary’s. They were dressed up in such elegant gowns. We did not really intend to go along with the procession. My older brother wanted to go ahead of it but we find it hard to go passed through the crowd. We had no choice but to march with the very slow procession.

It amazed me how much people can be so devoted. They spend time and effort to go to these processions and offer long prayers to God, Mother Mary, Brother Jesus, and the saints. I am amazed by how much Filipinos keep on showing their faith to God.

On Black Saturday, I was helping out in the kitchen. We were preparing palitaw (rice cake) for the guests when one of my youngest cousins came to bother me. She asked me to play with her. I played with her since her older sister left for a while. However, always full of energy, my younger sister started to sing loudly and dance around. But her mother cam around to scold her.

“Huwag kang maingay dahil patay ang Diyos. Mabuti pa at matulog na lang kayo ng Ate Dyan mo,” (don’t be noisy because Christ is dead. It’s better if you sleep together with sister cousin Dyan). I had no choice but to accompany my younger cousin to bed. I concluded that we should not do any kind of merry-making until Easter Sunday. There was no television in that old ancestral house because it has been so long since it was abandoned. With my younger cousin passed asleep, I proceeded to entertain myself by playing games on my PSP.

The next day, my mother woke me up at six in the morning. She told me that we are going to the church to attend mass. I did not complain this time around. We all went to the church and hear mass.

The church was so packed. It was hot inside but pilgrims kept on coming the whole morning. Even if it seemed to be such a struggle inside the church, after the mass ended, I felt a great fulfillment. At lunchtime, we had another mass to attend to in honor of my deceased grandmother. But the day went by smoothly.

I failed to watch people having their penitensya (penitence) this year. My older brother usually takes me with him to see men hitting their own backs until they bleed. The first time I saw a man crucified, I failed to see him nailed on the cross. I cannot help but to wonder why they should subject themselves in such painful acts in order to honor the death and resurrection of our brother Jesus Christ. But in the end, I cannot also help it but to admire these men to endure pain and sacrifice. Although I think that they were able to help a lot in preserving the tradition of some Filipinos during the Lenten season.

For me the Lenten season is one of the precious times we can spend time with our loved ones. The Holy Week gives each family members and relatives to gather together and strengthen the bonds they have each other. This is a season that does not only honor the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but also to keep families together.