Bahay-bahayan

 Life is a paradox. People who are grown-ups wants to fly back few years earlier. While children on the other hand, wants to double up the time for them to escape schooling. Grown-ups have experience so much hardships, pain, anger and other so they want to go back to the time of their lives where they are worriless. But in the case of the children who have less experience, do not  have the idea how playful life is when they are old enough.

Bahay bahayan. Absolutely one of the most enjoyable game when I was a kid. This is played by minimum of 4 kids who will act as family members: mother, father, and their children. If ever players exceeds to 4 members, they can now have two families and other community teachers, policeman, and others. It is as if kids built their own simple community on their own way based from their innocent minds.

When I see kids, nowadays, who are playing this game, it is like my childhood memories abruptly sinks into me. It is like I am watching the child version of me who seems to tease me the way he moves, the way he acts in a particular scene of their game.

Peering through the past, I can remember when I play the role of husband I do act like a grown man. A man who teases his wife. A husband who tickles his wife. Oopppsss, HOW GROSS!!! It is as if they know everything about the life of a full grown man.

Flashing back towards the past is a sort of refreshment for me. It brings me so much memory and happy thoughts. Reminiscing those days feels like I have had so much years of stay in my childhood. Happy moments which make my eyes teary with smile across my face.

Luksong Baka

Can you still remember when did you played this game? The last time you jumped over another person. How's the experience? Luksong baka is another game which is played most of the kids from my childhood times. But little by little, as time passes by, kids are not playing this game. Maybe due to the big impact of modern technology.

Luksong baka is played usually of kids from 5-10 members. The game starts with "maiba taya" to identify who will be the "baka" (the person who will be jumped on). All of the players will then be jumping over the baka. Their objective is to surpass each level of the game without touching any part of their body (except their hands) to the body parts of the baka.

As the level of the game goes higher, difficulty level also gets tougher and tougher. But for the players, it is getting even more exciting. There are seven levels in this game.

1. Pandesal - the first level where the baka kneels on the ground
2. Spaghetti - the baka will bow with the tips of his/her hand placed on the ground
3. Royal - it's like spaghetti but the difference is that the tip of the hands are placed at the feet of the baka (ankle level).
4. Patapik sa pwet - this is like the previous level but the thing is that the players should tap the butt of the baka before jumping over.
5. Pasayad - this is also like the Royal level but the player have to land their butt partly at the back of the baka.
6. Horse-kick - like the pasayad this level also have its twist. The players should kick the butt of the baka while they are on air.
7. Star - this is the final level in which the first one to jump will be the first star and so on, so forth. The hands of the baka this time is placed on his/her knees. After the jump of each of them, they will sit beside the baka which will add more excitement to the game.

If all of the current players successfully surpass all the levels, the game will then be resumed at the first level. But if not, the game will be started at the first level and whoever did not surpass will be the one to be jumping over by the new set of players including the previous baka.

Tumbang-preso

One of the Filipino traditional games which is usually played by around 5 to 10 persons. It's name, tumbang-preso, was often misinterpreted by some people who heard it for the first time. It is because they knew that "preso"  means a prisoner and the former, "tumbang" (root word 'tumba'), means to knock down. People who hear it for the first time will probably think it is a physical game between two people aiming to knock down each other.

To play the game, you have to have a can and slipper(individual). Rocks can also be used but nowadays, people prefer using slippers in hitting the can. The game starts with "maiba taya" to choose who will be the one guarding the can. This is done with one hand of each player placed on top of one another (all facing down) and simultaneously held high and then back down facing up or down. Whoever's hand position is different from the rest of the players will be the one to guard the can. Others will be the one hitting it.

Kids,nowadays, who are active still plays this game. Even adults play it too, reminiscing their memeories of their childhood. I have played this game hundreds of times since I was a kid. Sometimes at the middle of the game there are some players bullying the guard of the can who almost, in the entire game, he/she is the one guarding it. They are teasing that person and at the end of the game they'll be singing: "buro, kamatis sawsaw patis". But at the end of the day, after that bullying moments, kids still wants to befriend with each other. That is one of  the good things about being a child. Forgiving is easy.

Harang-taga

Perhaps one of the most common games here in the Philippines, harang-taga or popularly known as patintero. It is also referred to as "tubigan" for the reason that the land area where this game is held is often poured off of water to draw line demarcations.

There are two groups in this game, the groups which will be the runners(bangon) and the other is the taggers(taya). For runners, their objective is to surpass all line demarcations from the starting area up to the end and then back to the starting area without having tapped or touched by the taggers in order to get one home run or score. For the taggers, they should prevent their opponent in getting back at the starting area and tap any of its members so that they can have their turn to be the runners. the game proper starts after the leader of the two opposing groups did a match in "Jack-en-Poy". Who wins will be the runners and the other will be the taggers.

I can still remember when I was a kid, we often play this game at night especially hen the moon shines brightly. We held the game at the middle of a dusty parcel of land beside anybody's home. Running as fast as each of us could, shouting to irritate the taggers and making some tactics to get a home run. Simple tip to win the game: be good in mocking up your opponents to surpass all of them.