I grew up in a not-wealthy family. My father was a fisherman, farmer, and sometimes a laborer. My mother was a housewife as well and sometimes she offered her service in washing clothes from other people. My father was not lazy and my mother was too, it's just that we're a big family. Imagine, 12 children to feed every day, and for 3 times. That's what made life harder those days.
So aside from land on the mountainside, we also had food from the sea. My father was a fisherman so we, his children as well, knew how to do fishing like using a fishing net, hook fishing, and many more. However, not every day was a lucky day that we barely caught fish to earn money. So in exchange, we sold the fish even just for a smaller amount just to make sure we could buy rice which is a primary food. Just worry about the viand food or the appetizer to make the boiled rice tastier.
It pains me to remember the past to tell you the truth because of how life was hardest those days. Though it contains a lot of beautiful memories despite the hard life or life in poverty.<
The sea in our place gets dry, like really dry that allows a child to walk to it. Just imagine the living stones under the sea are visible when this season happens. Although it's not always and not at the same time but when the dry season happened in the morning or afternoon; we were thankful for it. Simple because we didn't need to worry about having food the hard way. A lot of sea minerals that we could have when the sea gets dry.
I'm sure you're all familiar with what sea urchins are. Actually, a lot of them are edibles. I will name those sea urchins and in the bisaya word. “Bangas, Suwaki, Dapaw-dapaw, Tujom/Tuyom, and Paja-paja. If you've been following me for quite a while, I showed you those types of sea urchins with images.
Of course, not just sea urchins can be found when the sea gets dry. There will be fish too, seashells, and many more which are edible and good appetizers to pair with boiled rice.
Obviously, when the sea gets dry many people can be found at sea. Some are walking and some are already eating but those who are walking are for sure searching for the kind of food they'd love to eat.
Like me, during our younger years, we already learned which sea minerals were edible. Our parents used to take us to the sea when it got dry because it's there we would eat. Not just 1 or two of us, but all of us to make sure everyone could eat because at home there was no food left.
It's just too sad to see those giant stones blocking the sea. Maybe it will be hard to find sea urchins or sea minerals because of those. It's an obstruction for sea creatures to get to the shoreside because of those concrete stones at the farther part of the sea.
Thank you for reading
Shoot with my old camera with an edit
Nikon d90
All content is my own unless otherwise noted
If images are being recycled, I just found it fit in my article.
Paul was born in Macrohon, Southern Leyte but currently living in Cahayag, San Francisco Southern Leyte. He graduated the course of a BS Mar-E or Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering in 2019. Although writing is his passion so instead of sailing he decided on writing.
He writes occasionally about random stuff he would see in the outside world. He loves to express what he feels through writing because he's not good at speaking personally.
He also writes fictional stories and emotions because he thinks life matters. He is hoping that his words could reach someone who might be feeling down.
Join me and support me through my adventures not just to the world but also to the human minds not to hate being alive.
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