after-party binalot


As the year 2016 came to a close, I found myself again in a church gathering of friends and family commemorating the life of a loved one. And like during my last trip out, I didn't know the person personally. For this more recent reunion, I was just brought along by Tita Babie and Tito Donnie. The congregation celebrated Mass and then had a lunch reception.

As the party was winding down, Tita Babie urged me to go to the buffet table and pack food to bring home. I didn't feel right about this because (i) I didn't know the deceased personally; (ii) I was basically a gatecrasher; (iii) I wasn't a fan of bringing home food from someone else's feast (I'm just used to being around friends in the Philippines who also don't wrap food to take home... because by the time we leave, there's no more food or there are still others expected to arrive at the feast).

Note to self: This 'binalot' culture is something I'll have to start getting used to if I were to spend more time with Filipinos while overseas. That's because when I travel, I'm typically on my own.

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