Lights

CULTURAL NOTES

Richard Kinnud

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Many pictures popular on social media feeds are all about or have the subject on lights.  Social media users had their respective poses with the Christmas light assemblages.  Well-known malls and even small shops have their decorative lights.  Local government units and other public institutions also have their so-called Christmas Villages in plazas or parks which are full of lights.
    Here in La Trinidad, there are now three spots where people go for the Christmas lights – the Provincial Capitol grounds, the municipal plaza, and in the Benguet State University parks.
    These reminded me of a conversation with a colleague when people were gathering already at the grounds while we were about to leave office and the Christmas lights were switched on as it was about to get dark.
    “Nu ngata sabali nga bulan ti pangikabilanda kadagita nga sil-silaw, adu pay ngata umay?” I asked, half-seriously. (What if it were on other months that those lights were put up, would people still come?)
    “Siyempre awan, ta tadta lang met nga Christmas ti naibagayanna dayta!” my colleague answered. (Of course, none will come. For those are only in tone with Christmas?)
    “So mamati ka nga the Reason of the Season ti gapu nu apay nga agpapicture ti tao nga background da ti Christmas lights?” (So would you believe that the Reason of the Season is the motive why people would have their photo taken with the lights?)
 
“Anya aya ti Reason of the Season? Ado-ado met ti gapu nu apay naragsak tayu ti Christmas eh.” (What’s the Reason of the Season? There are a lot of reasons why we are happy at Christmas time.)
    The conversation was short as we already have to part. I would have asked further what these that he referred as “lots of reason.”   Are decorative lights representative of happy reasons?
    The lights also reminded me of those labels on foods and drinks. It attracts people. The soda drink, for example, had been advertised as something that adds life, soon was criticized for its sugar and other ingredient that slowly kills its consumers. But by adding the word “light”, it made the product look less bad from the reason why it was criticized.
    The word “light” has become like a lit little candle that brightens an area that is dark. And that must be the logic why even hard alcoholic drinks had their “light” versions.
     Sometime past, someone brought for group consumption a “whiskey light.” It was some unknown brand, but since it was what’s on the table, glasses were filled. At my first sip, I knew it won’t go in smoothly unlike the more famous brands.
    Later, I asked a friend if he had the same experience of that drink. He said yes but had that hunch that it might be because we took some beer, also the light version, prior to the whisky. Maybe, I said, but still had some doubts if that was the reason. As I walked home, my thought was if it is bad whisky, it would really be bad, even if it is labeled “light”.
    So is there such thing as a bad light?  Those of us who have been born and raised in villages prior to introduction of electricity there would relate much to the improvised wick lamp that is usually fuelled by kerosene. 
    We call that “kingki” in our place.  And it is a very helpful one to those who have to do their school works at night.  But on the other hand, there is that risk of having your hair burned while moving closer to the light.  Plus the chance that the black sooth will color ones nose.  That would not make the light bad, but there are some undesirable effects.
    The thought of the wick lamp might bring memories of the folktale from elementary school days about the mother and child moth.  The mother advised the child not to go too near the fire of the lamp.  The child though for some reason disobeyed the mother.  The result was the wings were burned and the child moth fell to the ground.
To those who cannot relate to the wick lamp, think of the candle.  It could have the same effect if used to do homework at night.  Or the mother and child moth tale could also happen around the candle. But perhaps, when talking of candles what could one remember is the line of the song “It is better to light just one little candle than to stumble in the dark.”
    Also, the black soot argument and the moth tale wouldn’t happen to present electric lights.  That now brings me back to the Christmas lights! I wish the picture taking with the lights would translate to reflections on what they represent.  I hope is not about the charm of going near the light.  Otherwise, while people may not be physically burned going near them, something may have been uselessly charred.  Who knows it could be one like the wings of the child moth in the folk tale.