neXtDRAFT 66. Remembering.

Published: Mon, 11/04/19

Welcome new subscribers. If this is your first neXtDRAFT you'll find poems, stories and pics about my life as an adopted mum (and freelance writer) living between Australia and the Philippines. Each edition I share a few tips for creating a writing business and working as a professional writer serving clients from all over the world.

Here in the Philippines I support about 20 kids from a rural municipality with food, books, uniforms and love -- it's my way of encouraging them to go to school and maybe one day out of poverty. You'll read their stories here too.

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Melinda J. Irvine

https://melirvine.com.au/

Welcome back to neXtDRAFT 66.

Remembering.

This past week was the last of Jerry's school holidays, so we took the time to visit Estanica (and the cemetery there) for All Saints Day. As I've mentioned in earlier editions of neXtDRAFT, All Saints Day (aka Day of the Dead) happens on November 1 each year and is a time to remember deceased family and friends.

Here in the Philippines it is a national holiday and in the hours leading to November 1, the buses, jeeps and vans will fill with passengers making their way home to visit the cemetery and honour their dead.

Jerry in front of the crowd making their way into the cemetery on All Saints Day.

When we arrived in Estancia on the morning of October 31, the cemetery was already a hub of market stalls and foot traffic -- all the entrance were roped off and regulated by local police and armed officials. Vehicles were banned, and even tricycles dropping passengers in the front were marked with chalk if they looked like they might stay more than even a few seconds.

Jerry and I waited until the next day to visit, bringing our own flowers and candles. We didn't need to though, there were little makeshift stalls everywhere selling assorted candles, flowers, matches, lighters, rosaries, BBQ snacks, fruit shakes, softdrink, water, chips, candy ... anything you can imagine.

You can get an idea from the photo [above] just how many people were there.

Jerry’s brother Ryan had already been at the cemetery many hours before we got there — cleaning the gave of his mother and keeping the candles alight. Jerry placed fresh red flowers in a white basket next to the burning candles and tucked a little note (he had written earlier) at the back under the greenery.

Jerry's brother Ryan takes us to visit the house where he is living now -- with the family of his wife -- along a path through the sugarcane at the back of the cemetery.

In the cemetery we saw so many people we knew. Jerry's sister-in-law, cousins, uncles, loads of distant relatives, and a lot of our friends. We visited 6 graves in all -- including Rosemarie, her elder brother, and another young cousin of Jerry who was electrocuted during work placement back in 2017.

The longer I stay, the more graves to visit.

We lit candles at each of them and took the time -- especially for the grave of Rosemarie -- to tidy around remove discarded trash. Her mother had given me candles the day before, as well as permission to lay flowers -- in the Philippines you must wait at least 40 days before visiting the grave of an immediate family member. So Nida will wait another 3 weeks before visiting her daughter.

This housing community was built to house the victims of Typhoon Yolanda as well as relocate squatters out of waterfront real estate.

With the All Saints Day weekend finished (and Jerry back in class) I now write neXtDRAFT from Iloilo City at my writing desk. I'm busy gleaning testimonials from writing clients and continuing to expand the reach of my website.

I have so many projects planned for the kids over the weeks leading into Christmas, and will also be involved in a music program coming to Estancia next February. I hope to share more about all of this in neXtDRAFT 67, as well as on the blog.

Till then.

Mel (and Jerry) xx

Sincerely,

Melinda J. Irvine

[email protected]

On November 1, the normally drab market is crowded with colour. I bought a basket of red flowers for Jerry to place at the grave of his mother. He wrote her a letter and put in the back of the basket.

Boy and brother
visit the cemetery
burn candles and remember
their Mamma.

I’m a professional writer making my way in the world of business. Each week I share a few writingbiz and freelancing tips -- as well as the odd Content Hack. At the moment I'm busy building an online learning centre and digital download service, and thrilled to tell you that once it rolls out, my sponsored kids will be able to access all the educational content for free.

Quick Tips For Better Business Blogging

Business blogging is done for one reason, and one reason only. To get people on our websites.

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Back Issues of neXtDRAFT

https://melirvine.com.au/nextdraft-back-issues

From the vault: November 2017

9 year old Jerry could never look ghoulish, he was just too damned cute. Back in November 2017 we'd just had a wonderful few days in the halloween themed Iloilo City; trick or treating and playing Wizards. He said he was 'too big Tita Mel' for it this year.