Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Local Humor

The thing that I love most about my family is our collective sense of humor. We're typically Pinoy that way, I suppose. When things get a little too painful, we don't want to talk about it. We prefer to laugh.

An example of how it goes with us happened a few months ago, when my diabetic mom had a health crisis. They discovered elevated protein levels in her urine, which usually means that the patient's kidneys are failing. The news immediately brought family members living near rushing to her house. My sweet nephew Sam arrived, saw his dear Mama in the garden, ran to embrace her, and soon after began to cry.

My mom tried to make light of it. "Why are you crying, Sam? I don't have a contract to send you to university, only your sister, so if I go it won't make a difference in your life. You shouldn't cry."

That joke admittedly was a little lame. Stepping in to save the moment was my second-eldest sister Bel, who really has the wickedest sense of humor I have ever had the pleasure of encountering.

"Okay, okay," she gathered the children around my mom. Then she delivered her punchline. "Let's all give Mama a hug while she's still a little bit warm."

In Tagalog, it's a thousand times funnier: "Halika, mga bata, yakapin natin si Mama," she said. "Yakapin natin habang mainit-init pa!"

Up to now, when I remember the story it gets me giggling. I'm looking forward to seeing them all very soon.

P.S. No worrries, the protein level descended and the Mama is okay.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

BWAHAHAHA!!! What a hilarious hirit! That's typically Pinoy, indeed. We all love to laugh -- and laugh loudly!

I wonder, though, if that isn't a universal thing. I know they say some country's people are more serious by nature, others even dour...but it might just be because we don't know them well. Do you find that the French (or at least, the French from where you live) are the same, or no?

haze said...

It's so true that we usually laugh on with problems, indeed our nature ! But it doesn't signify that we aren't worried. If we keep thinking of them for a few seconds in our head it seems to be okay! But if we think of them and hold long it brings us headache ! And if we think over and over again it starts to be cancerous! I guess, we could easily handle stress by making fun of them.

Then laugh on them and avoid getting wrinkles ! Sabi nga if you face your problem there is always a solution but if your problem is your face...hhmmm hehe you know the continuation ;) !

The Disparate Housewife said...

Ahahaha! My mom's side is the same way, and because they're all so sickly, there's a lot of death jokes. Kahit na sa funeraria na, tawa pa rin ng tawa. It's a little disturbing, but very funny : )

Apol said...

KATRINA, the French have a lot of qualities I admire, but the ability to laugh easily is not one of them. I hang out with Europeans of many different nationalities and I am always considered one of the lightest, funniest people present. At this point I am convinced it's a cultural thing, really.

So true, HAZE! Happy holidays nga pala sa iyo :)

IANNE, I am starting to seriously suspect that our mothers are related.

Mariel said...

OH MY GOSH Apol! Sobrang natawa ako sa "Let's all give Mama a hug while she's still a little bit warm." It's so funny in a very morbid way (that only Pinoys can pull off I reckon!).

It's like that joke when someone's makeup is superthick and cakey:

"Parang natutulog/nakapikit lang siya."

Anonymous said...

Hi, Apol, it's Tess. I still visit your blog, once in a while. I have deleted mine for some reasons.
You should hear the Irish' sense of humour. Theirs' is a lot like ours too! And also very superstitious.
Anyways, have fun on your holidays and give your Mama a tight hug!

Pam said...

Ahahahahaha!!! That is so funny! Oh I do hope your mom will be okay all the time. I remember when we invited her to a company lunch event. She was eating cheesecake and saying that she wasn't feeling well and she shouldn't be eating the cheesecake. "Eh Mrs. L, bakit pa po kayo kain nang kain?" Your mom replies, "Eh mabuti nang nalalasahan ko siya ngayon. Pag patay na ko, patay na rin panlasa ko." Hahahahaha!!!!