May Nostalgia (Part 1)

Back when I was a kid back in Naga City, the month of May marked the second half of summer vacation. Suddenly there was the realization that my playmates and I should be making the most of our freedom before school resumes. It's no wonder then that we would have most of the traditional activities scheduled in this month. Most places in the country would celebrate their feast day during this month. As for me, I recall three things that I associate with this month and inspire me to indulge in nostalgia.

Agua de Mayo

As a grown-up, I have come to hate the rain due to the inconvenience it deals me while commuting to and from work (maybe I should just blame the corporate world for insisting that we wear fancy and impractical clothing). Then there would be the dark and gloomy atmosphere that dampens the spirits (though it could be good for writing). However, back then, when we really didn't have any work to do, and the summer heat punished us every languid afternoon, we would welcome precipitation and allowed ourselves to be bathed as we played in wild abandon.

Of course, there is some occasional rainfall during April, but the month of May has the heavier and more frequent downpours. In fact, the first heavy and prolonged rainfall of this month is called the Agua de Mayo, and bathing in it carries a certain good providence, particularly in terms of health. We do know, of course, that we might instead weaken our immune system and catch a cold, skin infection or electrocution if we do not take precautions like soaping, rinsing and drying immediately upon signs of either the rain abating, the wind strengthening or lightning flashing. But where's the fun in that?

As for this year, the rainy season has come real early with tropical storms already forming. It would be good to recall that May 2006 also got its share of tropical storms, and we all know that that year's typhoons were strong. Consequently this year's rainy season might end up with its own share of destructive typhoons.

May Beetle / Salagubang / Amamanggi

Basic information can be found in Wikipedia. I'm not sure of the particular species prevalent in this country though. The adult May Beetle actually goes out of its underground cocoon as early as March and stays aboveground to feed and mate as late as July. It is also known as "Salagubang" in Tagalog and "Amamanggi" in Bicol. (The latter due to the fact that the bug is more active in the evening--banggi or banggui in Bicol--and one could see them flying, eating and mating as soon as the sun has set.)

The May Beetle has been a childhood curiousity for us, just as dragonflies and grasshoppers are. What makes it acquire more novelty is its seasonal appearance. Other characteristics that make it appealing to us are its being more docile and less flighty than the other insects; thus, the May Beetle can be kept as pets by simply supplying it with leaves (particularly mango leaves), until it decides to fly away (especially when evening comes) or when the mess made by their droppings becomes unbearable.

The usual way to get the beetles is to shake them off the trees as they sleep during the day. In our neighborhood, they favor staying in mango, tiyesa and chico trees, although they can feed on any tree actually. Some trees are too sturdy for kids to shake, so an adult is asked to give them a more vigorous shakedown. The bugs fall off and assume their defensive or sleeping posture, which is to keep their legs and antennae glued to their bodies, stay perfectly still and rely on their relatively hard exoskeleton for protection. However, we can coax them out of that posture by simply blowing on them (we make them return to sleeping mode by enclosing them within our cupped hands while we clap). Later on, as I get to be more knowledgeable of the beetles, I can even spot them high up the trees. A big clue is the presence of freshly-eaten leaves. Having them on sight leads to a more targeted capture. Another way to catch them is to pester them as they fly around by evening. Then again, my obsession in collecting a virtual swarm of the beetles quickly waned after that summer when I crammed them all in a Star Margarine container. As I mentioned above, it was an unsightly and smelly mess.

Aside from merely collecting these bugs, kids also use them for amusement. The most common is to tie them on a thread and make them fly around like mini, self-propelled kites. Tying the beetle up requires skill and patience, all the while repeatedly making use of the wake-up and sleep routines described above (which aren't foolproof, by the way). Meanwhile, as the bug version of wrestling, other kids stick two bugs back to back with a bubble gum and see which is the stronger one who regains its upright position, in the process lifting the weaker one back side up with legs flailing around helplessly. To complete the gladiatorial exploits of these beetles, they are also made to race in various ways. The straightforward one, walking towards a finish line, is fraught by the risk of some of the bugs flying away. The less flight-prone races involve them digging either into or out of a pile of dirt. The digging races simulate what the bugs do naturally: they dig out to mate and later dig in to lay their eggs.

The beetles do have a practical use aside from being playthings: being food. I hear that they are fried to edible perfection in some places, though I have yet to encounter such dish and try it myself. On the other hand, I did feed the bugs to our poultry and pet birds for their special dose of protein.

Indeed it was quite a hard life for the May Beetle back when we were the rulers of the playground. Nowadays, most of the beetles have gone elsewhere since most of the ground has been covered in cement and the fallen trees have not been replaced in our childhood neighborhood.

(Part 2)