People and Places Miriam 2 He is a really incredible man

Written by Mark White on February 22, 2007 - 0 Comments Download audio file (miria2.m !"

at leonie#$ Mark% &k, so, a minute a'o you were talkin' about your un(le and you said that he was one of the ioneers in Da)ao. Miriam% *es. +e is a really in(redible man. +e is kind of a farmer, hiloso her. Mark% -h-huh. Miriam% +e (ould ha)e owned )ast tra(ts of land, when he first went to Da)ao, be(ause the nati)es . Mark% /ut where did he. Where did he 'o there from0 Miriam% From Cebu. From Carmen, Cebu. +e was 1ust like an ad)enturer. +e was a teena'er bored with life. +e didn2t ha)e . you know.. o ortunities to 'o to (olle'e in Cebu be(ause his father died ri'ht after the war. Mark% 3o this was 1ust after the war0 Miriam% 4i'ht after the war, yeah. 3o he went to Da)ao and he was one of those eo le who 'ot in first. 5 mean outside of Da)ao. Most of the eo le who were there were the nati)es, ri'ht0 Mark% Who were the nati)es0 Miriam% 6here were the /o'obos. 6here were different tribes, the /o'obos, you know, a few Muslims. 6hey were really i'norant. 6hey did not know the )alue of land, so they would 1ust e$(han'e one he(tare of land, for e$am le, for two (ans of sardines. Mark% 4eally0 Miriam% 6hey had so mu(h land and they were not titled. *ou know be(ause the 'o)ernment did not really e$tend their (ontrol yet, to that territory. 5 'uess ri'ht after the war thin's were retty (onfused. Mark% 4i'ht. Miriam% 6he 7a anese owned lantations, there but, you know, after they were defeated in the war 5 'uess a lot of the lands were u for 'rabs. 5 do not know what ha ened

e$a(tly but my un(le said . eo le said . he (ould ha)e owned . Mark% +owe)er mu(h he wanted. Miriam% *eah, howe)er mu(h he wanted . 3o other eo le who went there with him did. 5n fa(t a lot of the bi' names in Da)ao now, my un(le knows )ery well did, but my un(le (hose 1ust to own a few he(tares of land. Mark% 8nd ha)e a 9uiet life. Miriam% +a)e a 9uiet life as a farmer and so he 'a)e two he(tares to my mother and father when we mo)ed to Da)ao. 6wo or three he(tares, 5 am not sure. Mark% -h-huh. Miriam% Full of lants. Durian trees. Coffee and (a(ao, and well bananas, banana trees, you know, lots of different kinds of lants. Mark% 8nd he was a farmer, hiloso her. What do you mean by that0 Miriam% *eah be(ause he . he tills the land but he doesn2t . he is not so des erate to make money off the land.+e finds time to read, for e$am le, and talk to and dis(uss ideas with eo le. :eo le a(tually (ome to him . to his house and talk to him. Mark% What kind of ideas0 Miriam% 7ust about the world. 8bout eo le. 8bout how we should li)e. *ou know. ;)ery time he 'oes home he tells me how roud he is that he ne)er left Da)ao. 8 lot of his friends left and are bored with their li)es. 6hey are stu(k in the suburbs. 8n easy life . and then they 'et si(k and (ome home to the :hili ines. Mark% Wow. Miriam% Whereas he really )alues his life of, you know, bein' a farmer . like workin' three hours in the mornin' . and (omin' ba(k to ha)e lun(h with the family and not to work in the afternoon. *ou know, whate)er, be(ause he does not really ha)e an em loyer. Mark% +e is an older man, now0 Miriam% +e is in his se)enties. Mark% 4i'ht. +e is still healthy0 Miriam% &h no< +e is in his ei'hties. My mother is ei'hty-three. +e must be ei'hty. Mark% Wow< Miriam% +e smoked a a(k a (i'arettes a day throu'hout his life until he was se)entyfi)e and the do(tor told him finally to sto otherwise he would die. +e started (ou'hin'. *eah, he is still ali)e. +e is a )ery thin, wiry man, with )ery alert eyes. *ou (annot intimidate my un(le. +e really has his own world and he is )ery roud of it, you know. Mark% Wow< Miriam% *eah so he has been a )ery inde endent man. 5n fa(t a lot of eo le who knew him in Da)ao when it first started out there really res e(t him. 6hey always (ome and . Mark% What is his name0 Miriam% 3antos Ferer. Mark% *ou (all him -n(le 3antos0 Miriam% *es. Mark% Wow< +e sounds like a 'reat 'uy. Miriam% +e really is a 'reat 'uy. 5 really admire him. +e has nine (hildren and he worked so hard to send them all to uni)ersity. +e is not enti(ed by, you know, the 'litters of (ity life and material thin's. 4eally, 'enerally he is a hiloso her. Mark% Wow<

Miriam% /ut my brother says he is kind of an old-fashioned 'uy and the world doesn2t work that way anymore. /e(ause, you know.you still see him outside his house tendin' to his. (offee. +e has a drier. +e dries the (offee. Mark% +e dries his own (offee0 Miriam% +e 'rows his own (offee. *eah, he is a 'reat 'uy. 5 really like him. +e was se)enteen when he went to Da)ao. Mark% 3e)enteen0 Miriam% 3e)enteen. *eah. 8nd met his wife there and they, yeah, ha)e nine (hildren. &ne already died. Mark% 6he same as your mother0 Miriam% My mother went after he was already there for 9uite a number of years. My mother . Mark% 3he has nine (hildren as well0 Miriam% *eah. Mark% /oth the brother and sister ha)e nine (hildren0 Miriam% *eah, but fi)e from the different man. Mark% *eah yeah. Miriam% 8nd four with my father. We ne)er really li)ed to'ether, the fi)e (hildren and the four (hildren to'ether. 6he fi)e (hildren li)ed with the 'randmother in Cebu. My 'randmother 'ot )ery old so they li)ed with different aunts. *ou know. =ike two li)ed with one aunt and another one li)ed with another aunt Mark% 4i'ht. 4i'ht. Miriam% 8nd one li)ed with another aunt. Mark% *ou ha)e really bi' families in the :hili ines. Miriam% >ery bi' family. /ut e)en now, we are )ery (lose. *eah, we are )ery (lose. 5 am )ery (lose to my half-sisters. 8nytime there is an o((asion like the birthday of my mother they always (ome . Mark% 4i'ht. Miriam% . to my mother2s house to (elebrate and arty. *ou know. From all o)er the la(e they (ome. From Cebu. ?ow there is one who li)es, the eldest one, in Da)ao, so she is (lose by. 8nd three li)e in Cebu so e)ery time there is a bi' (elebration they (ome for a bi' (elebration two or three times a year, so, yeah, :hili ine families are retty bi' and retty (lose, 5 su ose.