Perya memories

(excerpted from my journal entry dated November 17, 2011, a Thursday)

Malapit na piyesta dito samin. Nagsasabit na sila ng banderitas sa kalsada. I would have liked it if we have buntings dito sa tapat namin, pero isip ko mabuti na rin na wala na kasi dagdag basura lang pagkatapos ng piyesta. Pero nakakatuwa pakinggan yung tunog ng mga banderitas kapag hinahangin. Nakaka-senti.

Nang bata pa kami, may peryang pumupunta dito samin. Sa may basketball court sila. Halos gabi-gabi ako sumasakay sa ferris wheel. I remember it was mainly to prove that I was not afraid of heights, that I could conquer my fear of heights. Just now, I'm starting to think, did I really enjoy those rides? Hmm...

Naalala ko din noon may mga palabas din sa perya showcasing magicians, oddities, a macabre play on demonic possession (wherein the devil possesses a young girl and the great "Madam Deo" exorcises the girl, and the devil comes out of the girl through the girl's mouth in the form of a live frog. Anggaling ng story, tapos may sound effect pa ng demonic voice and laughter, tapos may special effect pa na lumulutang sa ere yung possessed girl as she lay down—or was it the entire bed that floated? Anyway, the effect was so vivid to me), what else?

Ah....may floorshow din pala. Hehe. May dancer na naka-two-piece bikini na sumayaw onstage, tapos nearing the end of the dance, bigla niyang hinubad yung bra niya (pero syempre hawak niya or rather tinatakpan nya ng kamay yung mga nipples niya). Syempre nagkagulo na sa ligalig ang mga tao. Tapos, biglang nagpagulong-gulong (or naglupasay? ano bang tamang term sa pagsasayaw while lying down?) na sa stage yung babae while dancing topless. E medyo mataas yung stage, kaya ayun, everyone was standing up on the benches trying to catch a glimpse of her elusive nipples. Ahehe.

I also remember na may mga time na yung perya may oddity ng isang babaeng ipinaglihi daw sa palaka. Meron syang malaking billboard showing her green frog-like body with a female human head, and her eyes were looking out straight at you. Nightly, we could hear the host interviewing the frog lady on loudspeakers, enticing people to watch the frog lady demonstrate her abilities, e.g. writing with her frog-like hands, etc.


I didn't get to see the show at all. In truth, I didn't go to the perya at all that year kahit na ilang linggo pa yung perya na yun samin. Why? Because for one reason or other, I was frightened by her billboard. From afar, I could see her eyes staring at me, and I remember I get weak-kneed, you know? Like Superman presented with kryptonite, ahehe.

May Ate kami (kapitbahay namin) na naging boyfriend niya yung ferris wheel operator, so there was a chance na malibre kami ng sakay. Noong sasakay na kami (our last chance to ride free kasi mismong araw ng piyesta yun and aalis na yung perya kinabukasan), napapayag nila akong sumama sa kanila. Pero nang malapit na kami sa perya kung saan tanaw ko na yung billboard ni frog lady, ayun, na-agitate na ako, until finally I turned back for home.

Just a few years ago, I was at Star City (or was it Boom na Boom Carnival?) and I saw that they had the same show. The billboard was still the same, depicting the same thing, although I thought the billboard was much smaller now. Being older, I didn't have qualms about looking at it, the thing I dreaded years and years ago. I stared directly into the frog lady's eyes, and they weren't as frightening as when I was young. Nga lang, naramdaman ko, parang sumakit ang ulo ko. Ewan ko ba. Chapter muna!