ten things i learned from my carroza challenge...

10. always bring an emergency tool kit with the essentials at all times...
-you don't know when you'll be needing screwdrivers, pliers, and electric tapes etcetera

9. test the generator and have it maintained at least 3 days before
-this is to save one the panic of having to deal with generator malfunction merely hours before the procession as what happened to me on holy thursday!!! my gulay, walang ilaw!!!

8. don't trust the local bading mananahi when it comes to proper silhouette
-nagpahabol ka na nga ng damit para sa jueves santo, binigyan mo na nga ng eksaktong gayahan, mali pa!!! grrrrrrrrr....

7. for the illumination of the rebulto, minimum spotlight yield should be 120 watts per spotlight bulb

6. i would like to acknowledge the inventors of the staple gun for their conrtibution to "making things easier" for the panic-stricken

5. be fashionably late for the line-up
-have a feel of when most of the rebultos and their carrozas have already lined up by the church courtyard, then make your entrance...trust me, you're going to enjoy it.

4. mag-ingat: naglipana ang mga bading at ang kanilang mga mapang-husgang mga titig
-just like your local beauty pageants, the semana santa processions is no stranger to the members of the federation who can be indiscreet about the way the whisper their comments or contort their faces as they view your santa...just say to yourself: "kahit kailan hindi ka magiging kasing-ganda ng santa ko!!!"

3. nothing beats fresh flowers
-we haven't even gone past the holy door of the church at the end of the good friday processions, when the people started going after the flowers...it seemed absurd at the time, but a bit touching later...

2. when all else fails, be sure to have swarovski crystal components on hand

1. i would like to acknowledge the ensaimada of red ribbon which i placed at the foot of the santa, that by some degree of superstition on my part, absorbed all the things that could possibly go wrong during the procession...