And today, just when I was finding it extra difficult to convince myself it's going to be a good day despite of a morning commute mishap, we received our first visitor of the day:
A Sarimanok. Not so bad, eh? Maranao Sarimanok
The sarimanok is often said to be the giant rooster which the Prophet Muhammad encountered in heaven but it actually relates to earlier, pre-Islamic beliefs. The Maranao people once believed that the sarimanok was a spirit medium which could communicate messages to its twin in the spirit world. Today, the bird has come to be celebrated as a symbol of the Maranao people and is often seen displayed at public events.
Source: Land of the Morning: The Philippines and Its People. 2009. Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, p. 51. A visitor whom I can ask kindly to send my love to my two grandmothers who are in the spirit world. Not a bad day at all.
