Upcoming Phils trip update

[Dis]

awww great pics. kind of makes me wish I could be there.

[Lancer]

Whoops. --Not quite what I'd envisioned, but it's okay.

Yikes! That's what Sho suggested too and I said no, Zkrib wants decorative.

See, I better let him read the instructions and help him with translation. My memory aint what it once was and it was never worth a damn. Anyway, this is a lesson, I will have sho up to read instructions.

[Lancer]

awww great pics. kind of makes me wish I could be there.

Well, I have invited you like a bazillion times...

[Dis]

definately couldn't go this year (job and all). maybe next.

[Lancer]

Cool. We'll be here for a while, God willing.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Uno, all I know is that we were sitting outside the other night and amomng the noisy creatures of the night there was one that says "wokwok" which Dolores informed me is a witch.

That would be an Aswang.

"Witch"....kinda fits. Especially as taken from medieval Christian influences. Succubus is probably a better fit, though.

And make sure you say excuse me to the Duwende. (goblins/dwarves)

My trouble is thus:

Mangkukulam are practitioners of a religion that is most closely resembling the more widely known Santeria.

I'm reasily able to find information on this, and have even met one locally, and witnessed a bulo bulo cleaning. I've been invited to prepare some potions as well, in April.

Same is true with moth mythos of the area.

Now, the PROBLEM is with the Mambabarang.

It seems that they are either entirely legend (which is fine), entirely secretive, or far to frightening to speak of. Many oddball websites have had the information deleted off, and thus I am left with very general information that they summon insects to enter into the body of their enemies (or whoever they have been paid to infect). Some claim these insects are really evil spirits, some they are actual insects. Some that they have healing powers as well, others that they are only to be feared.

I'm leaning towards them being a construct of abularyo (faith healers) to give a reason for ailments. But, I would very much like to be proven wrong if there is anyone that knows of an actual Mambabarang, or any first-hand accounts of dealings with one, or even of barang being cured.

[Lancer]

Huh, I know nothing of such stuff nor am I going to go asking around and get eaten by insects.

Really Uno, this is well within my sphere of complete disinterest, sorry.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Oh, come on, you know you want to take a little sidetrip over to Siquijor. Very pretty.

[Lancer]

Yes of course I do desperately but funds are short and I'm so tall.

[UnOrthOdOx]

My wife now has a mysterious headache the doctors can't figure out. Must be the work of a Mambabarang!

(seriously, she was in the hospital due to it over the weekend. They gots her hopped up on drugs now, and I'm not allowed to have any )

[Lancer]

Pray about it.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Yeah...I'm as confident that'll cure it as I am it's caused by a witch telling insects to eat her brain.