Last Saturday was the schedule of Elvie’s ultra-sound.
IT'S A GIRL!
The little creature swimming inside my wife’s womb and occasionally doing a jig is of the female species. For several months now we’ve been speculating as to what the gender of our baby would be. And we weren’t alone in that speculation. Officemates, friends, and acquaintances have been making their own predictions on the gender of our first-born.
Generally however, people were telling my wife that what she is bearing is a girl.
And how did they come to that conclusion? The list of “reasons” why people believe it’s a girl reads like a page from an albularyo’s (quack doctor) Necronomicon:
• No radical change in my wife’s appearance. If it were a boy, “experts” say, there would’ve been obvious changes – a bloated face along with a bulbous nose, puffy cheeks and eyes.
• Based on conversations I heard on this subject matter – if a pregnant woman becomes pangit (ugly) it’s a boy. If not, it’s a girl.
• My wife continues to “beautify” – put on make-up, makes sure her clothes are perfect and pristine and uhmm … in order. That according to manangs and manongs are a clear indicator that Elvie is carrying a girl. Otherwise, she would’ve been burara or untidy.
• The shape of the womb is spherical or roundish – this tells us that what’s inside is female. If it were a male species inside, the womb would’ve been pointed or patusok. Makes you think that if it’s a boy inside, the shape had to be phallic or something to indicate maleness.
So, read ‘em and weep. What do you think? Are the reasons I’ve enumerated above enough proof that local beliefs and quackiness are a good basis to determine real-world stuff? You take your guess and we’ll take our chances. As long as they’re not harmful or threatening, they’re ok. They bring color to the dullness of everyday life if it’s any consolation.
And besides, it was by the magic hands of a hilot (masseuse etched in mysticism) that Elvie became pregnant in the first place. So, no harm in that, right?
Peace y’all!
