SPIDER FIGHTING, ANYONE?

by Arsenio Macanas

The Spider Fight(pa-angat ti lawlawa) was one of the kids' past time before in Cabingcolan. It became so popular then that it became a gambling sport for adults just like cock fighting (Bulang). We were then a group of cabingcolan kids whose hang out was in the Bangcag ( Ilocano term for farm ) trying to find a great warrior- spider. This refer to a certain specie which is a real killer.. This Great Spider Hunt happens every summer when the rice fields are dry and parts of it were planted with monggo beans. These plants are the spiders' favorite home. A fellow name David Biagtan is unbeatable in finding these spiders! I was always beside him when he is on the hunt just to learn his secrets… But if he noticed I am following him he would stop and get mad at me. It is so surprising how in just one whole day he can fill up 2 empty match boxes with spiders… The empty boxes are divided into 5 or 7 small rooms : one room for one spider. If you put 2 spiders in one room one will surely be eaten!

To find spiders, we had to comb the monggo fields and the trees during the middle of the day. We aim our eyes from branch to another against the sun to catch the glare came from the spider-web (The whole web will be hard to see during day time)Night time is the best time to find spiders. Especially with flash lights. But parents will get veeeery mad if you tell them you are going to the fields at night just to find spiders. What if you step on a snake which is also out looking for snacks?

So we went out during the day to find them. Can you imagine how kids look like and smell after a day under the sun? I am sure you will say "yew!" ( my daughter favorite expression). Anyway, after we went around the fields finding spiders, we would race to the small river (banawang) and dive in. The rivers during those days were still clean and unpolluted. Nice to do swim in. But the worst scenario to think at the end of such day is :I have to prepare my butt when I get home because my parents don’t like me to play with spiders and to go to the banawang. I can’t lie because my red eyes would tell them..(Busteeed!). I’d been like that before but I don’t care! I was a happy kid that’s all that mattered then.

I want my spider to be a warrior one… I learned this technique from David. It’s a long process but I enjoyed it… So, all of thosenew spiders I found, I made them fight each other until a single survivor remained. That was my champion Spider! Before I confront my spider to a fight, I starve it for 3 to 5 days . Now and then I let it fight so it can practice..It will win but no bets involved. I never brought my spider to the betting arena because I don’t want to gamble. My spider was then the talk of the town… many adults guy wanted to buy it… At first, I didn’t want to sell it, but the offers were very tempting. They offered me 10 Pesos. Wow, that’s a lot of money during those days.. Eventually, I sold it. After that I was not able to find anymore another great spider fighter … until my addiction for spiders went away.

The funny thing is, during the summer in my backyard here in California, there’s a lot of spiders hanging around and I don’t want to touch them even though those spiders looked the same like the ones we had back home in the Philippines. I think I have developed"arachnophobia"… Really I’m now scared of spiders. Probably I read too much about black widows, tarantulas and other venomous spiders here.

How about you, are you scared of them too?--#