Lang-ay A Little (Okay, A Lot) Late

A girl wearing an abaca fiber shirt waits nervously for

her group's turn to compete in the street dancing contest.

It appears she's not the only one.

Other girls talk while they wait.

An Igorot Princess

(or Obing nga Babae nga Napintas, if my Ilocano is correct)

Street Dancing

Boys in g-strings watching the cultural presentations.

(Don't worry, these tattoos are just ink and will wash off. In the past, the thorns would be used to prick patterns in the skin and ash would be rubbed into the holes. Much more painful.)

The Same Boys After They Saw My Camera

I love Lang-ay! I always enjoy learning about different cultures and Lang-ay and Am-among Festivals with the street dancing and cultural presentations are the perfect opportunities. Unfortunately, we were too late to get a good place to watch the most of the street dancing presentation. Thus, I took many pictures of the spectators. This was good because they were focused on something else and after two and half years of living here I try really hard not to appear like a tourist.

However, having white skin makes that difficult. We were approached by many journalists and we heard that Mom was on TV Patrol. I don't mind so much because it's fun to answer questions.

Sorry, we did not have many street dancing pictures. You can see a video from a previous Lang-ay at my parents' blog or you could comment and ask for more pictures.

Love,

Adriana