~ lazy susan ~

Do you have a lazy susan on your dining table, especially if it is round? I am doing a rough estimate but I think that two out of ten Filipino families have lazy susans or have had one among their families. Growing up, we always had one regardless how many times we transferred houses. I had a very vivid memory of seeing the food going around which makes eating easier and more fun since there is no need to reach far enough or ask somebody to pass you the rice or soup. In just one easy spin, tada!, food is right in front of you! I even remember that we sometimes turn it into a plaything, much to the infuriation of our mom. We take it off from the table, set it on the floor and make ourselves dizzy by sitting on it and have it spin around.

Right now, I can only see those round thingamajigs when meals are taken in authentic Chinese restaurants.

I guess that’s how things change. Not seeing those lazy susans made me realize that I no longer spend much time eating with family members. It used to be five in a table, which became 4, then three, then two…then, eventually, one.

There has been a transition from having a big, wooden round to a small, rectangular table. But since 2001, I mostly take my meals on my work desk, my bed, in the cafeteria or in a restaurant, depending on the time, day and event. Since I live by myself here in Manila, I go home to a dining table, which is filled with books, papers and magazines instead of food and plates. I guess this is the trade off. There are situations that you cannot question but just try to live by, one day at a time.

I miss sharing stories with my family over a steaming hot sinigang, laughing our hearts out over tapsilog or going about our days over chicken adobo or bistek.

I am thankful that I have my dad and his relatives here who I get to see when there’s a birthday to celebrate. I am grateful to my grad school girlfriends with whom, once in a while, I get to de-stress with over dinner or coffee. I appreciate friends with whom I plan out events over drive-thru nuggets and fries, delivered pizza or tgifriday’s food.

But still, it is different.

Which I guess makes me look forward to having my brother, sister or mom here, even for a short period of time. When they're here, it means having the glass table outside my room as a receptacle of stories, togetherness and just being with family.