This is 'laziness'

Years and years ago (gosh, could it really be like 20-30 years back?) whenever we spent time at Grandmother's (rest in peace, 'ina'), we could expect to be asked to bed latest by 9pm and be woken up before sun-up. No one in the household was spared. As soon as the rooster crowed it was time to get up and do the house-chores, depending on your age. Those between 6-9 years old could expect to wash the dishes after breakfast in the creek near grandmother's house because there's no tap water then. Those above 9 years were considered old enough to do more complicated chores like cooking for the whole extended family and babysitting the younger ones (siblings, cousins, whoever in the house), and washing clothes in the creek, while the adult family members go farming.

It was very cold in the morning then but that was no excuse not to get up. Grandmother wouldn't tolerate 'laziness'- the 'lazy' ones would face rude awakening. Grandmother was known to strip blankets of sleeping grandchildren if they were too difficult to be asked to wake up...Those were the days. No, grandmother wasn't a bad person. She just ruled the family the way she knew- discipline, discipline, discipline.



No one does that anymore nowadays. I'm sure many Dusuns still wake up very early but members of my family pretty much can sleep and wake up any time they want. (Of course, the younger members of the family love doing this especially on weekends and during the holidays- computer games/work the whole night long, then up only at noon the next day). I mean who wouldn't, given the chance huh? Grandmother would have called that 'laziness'.