Filipinos will be celebrating Holy Week this week and today (April 1) will mark the start of this venerated tradition by the classic Palm Sunday Mass.
We can't help it. It's actually deeply ingrained in our psyche. For the average joes out there, Holy Week will also mean that its the time when people get to go on a well deserved vacation. Most of the people I know would be going to Boracay this weekend (and not "Bora" as those conyo chumps) while some would be flying off to the Philippine's summer capital which is Baguio.
For us hapless chaps that would be staying here in Manila here are some of the great suggestions that you can try out while wasting time. These are great alternatives if you're getting bored out of your wits with Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.
1. Simsimi
If you're antisocial, we advice you not to be one but if it can't be helped, you can go and simply spend hours at a time getting tons of laughs while chatting with Simsimi. This little guy is an artificial intelligence chat program which was created in 2002. It later sparked controversy in Thailand and is now making waves here in the Philippines.
2. Visita Iglesia
Source: http://toesandheels.blogspot.com
Pinoys are known for their deep religious faith and as such, it has also been a tradition for us to go on "Bisita Iglesia" during either Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. In a week where its all about reflection and solemnity over the "supposed" death of our Lord, the Bisita Iglesia is the only "pasyal" that Pinoy kids and teenagers get.
If you find yourself in a resort such as Boracay or Palawan or Puerto Galera, you can still go and do the whole Visita/ Bisita Iglesia. You can even pretend that you're Dora the Explorer and go on an "adventure" that will ultimately complete the station of the cross for you. So who ever told you, you can't mix business with pleasure?
3. Unleash the Photographer in You
Since you've practically got four days of potential boredom ahead of you for Holy Week 2012 you might want to dust off your old DSLR (or field test your new DSLR) and start taking photos. If you're a cosplay photographer, you can also organize a photowalk with cosplayers you might know and go around Manila.
Since people can now shoot freely in Luneta again, you might want to do that as well.
What's truly amazing about Semana Santa here in the Philippines is the fact that there's an abundance of subjects you can focus on. Don't just dwell on the usual like scenic or panoramic shots of the church you've visited. There's a thousand words that an image can tell you and this Holy Week will prove that.
If there's a Senakulo in your area, you might want to check that out. If you've actually got the stamina, you can stay in your neighborhood "pabasa"and just shoot at whatever catches your attention.
4. Learn Something New
This Semana Santa I plan on studying how to cook. For the life of me, I could never get adobo right so with the time I have, I can definitely go and practice cooking. In your case, it doesn't have to be cooking. You can go and download E-books related to your interest and read. With the time that you have, you'll still be able to have a go at it.
If you want to learn how to ride a bike (shame on you if you still don't know how to ride one), you can definitely do so since most of the roads won't have the same volume of traffic compared to the volume on a normal weekday.
You can also signup for swimming lessons since this is the opportune time for swimming. See, there's a million things you can do with free time you have. You can even learn these things while spending time with your loved ones.
5. Finish What you Started
If you have a thesis nestled in your study table or if you have a game you have to finish, Holy Week 2012 will definitely be a good time to do so. I actually plan on sitting down and finishing this game provided I don't get sufficient orders for my content writer side jobs.
There's an infinite possibilities that await you if you just go and look at the different things you can do for the Holy Week. Just remember to keep safe and most importantly ENJOY.
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