30 July 2025
Unexpected power interruption? That's not new in our place. Although we saw the notice, we didn't expect it to be that long. However, that unexpected long power interruption led to unexpected family bonding.
It was Sunday, a perfect day to unwind, watch movies, or simply scroll on our phones. But then the power went off, and the weather was extremely hot. What do you expect us to do?
Then my mother suddenly said, "Let's have a boodle fight." If you are a Filipino reading this blog, you certainly know it. If not, you'd better search for it. It's not a fight. It's more like a communal feast!
Well, in a Boodle fight, food is served on a long table lined with banana leaves, and everyone eats together using their bare hands. Yep! Bare hands.
But did our boodle fight go well?
Just read along...
By the way, this was the place where we had our unexpected outdoor lunch. It has quite a view, right? Better in high tide.
We always yearn for a boodle fight every time we have a family gathering. But it doesn't happen for some reason. So we were surprised and excited when my mom said that.
My brother and I immediately went to the market to buy something to cook, while Mom started marinating pork and chicken for barbecue.
Since everyone was excited, everyone lent a helping hand. As I told you, it was unexpected.
Some grilled the pork and chicken, I prepared some side dishes and cut fruits, Mom cooked some bread, and others helped set up the table. We choose to eat in our front yard under the cotton fruit tree with good shade and breeze.
 |  |  |
|---|
Everyone was complaining about having no fan and extreme hot weather, so the outside was really a great spot.
Outdoor Lunch and Family Bonding
When everything was set, we were about to lay the rice and other food on the table when my mom suddenly said, "Let's just put it that way because putting the food on the banana leaves would be a mess". We were like, "What?... It's supposed to be a boodle fight!"
So, yes! The planned boodle fight became just a normal outdoor lunch. No food on the banana leaves (the banana leaves were still there, though), just eating with plates and spoons. But some of us still choose to eat with our hands, especially since grilled food just tastes better that way.
 |  |
|---|
We wish our little niece were with us, but she's with her father's family every weekend.
Then later, I thought of making something refreshing. Since I brewed a big batch of black Assam tea that day for our little snack house, I saved some. I added green apple syrup, watermelon, and cucumber. And just like that, we had a refreshing fruit tea!
It tasted so good that I’m planning to add it to our snack house menu.
It's pretty good to see everyone in one place, helping each other, sharing food together, and having a quality time. I bet I have to thank the power interruption.
Insert these cutie ducklings. Mommy duck just hatched eggs that day. They're part of the day, too!
It isn't over yet!
Bonfire After Dinner
After dinner, we still had no power. It was too hot and dark inside, so I suggested we light a bonfire outside.
The good news is, our niece Breiana was finally home. Even though she wasn’t feeling well, she loved the bonfire idea and even asked to roast marshmallows like we were camping. That little girl really knew a lot!
She called them baby marshmallows. We actually didn't have big mallows, so I used the tiny ones, lol. That suits her.
We got chips and drinks and continued our bonding under the stars.
 |  |
|---|
We waited for the power to come back, but the promised 11 PM schedule didn’t happen. We all fell asleep waiting. My mom later told us the power came back at 3 AM!
It was quite a long day of waiting for the power to be restored. But that power interruption ended up as a memorable family bonding.
Indeed, "We have to savor every minute with our loved ones, whether it's calm or chaotic, sunshine or storm, with or without electricity, planned and unplanned events, because love makes every moment worth remembering."
No power? At least, we had a great quality time as a family. I want to have more bonding over table like this!
Happy Wednesday!
Thanks for your time.
Jane is a Filipina wanderer in a foreign land who finds comfort in nature and freedom in writing. She loves watching raw picturesque landscapes, listening to the symphony of nature, breathing in drops of sunshine, walking through scenic trails and cityscapes, tasting new culinary flavors, capturing pretty little things, venturing into hidden gems, and dancing with the flow of life.
Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can.
Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures.
©All Rights Reserved 2025
(Unless Otherwise Stated)