Bang, bang! Gunshots were fired into the open sky, or so I thought. I wondered if that shot was meant for anyone in particular or was it just because Ramadhan was fast approaching. Nevertheless, I continued on eating at the rooftop of my Lola's house. Here in Marawi, you learn to live life with striking beliefs and you adapt to their culture. A gunshot could mean many things; it could either be that there is a rido (family feud) or a festive celebration of some kind. When I first encountered such peculiar tradition, I panicked, shouted, cried and hid behind closed doors and cemented walls. I was afraid of flying bullets. But to my dismay, everyone around me just rejoiced and laughed. Ramadhan was a few hours away, and many show their extreme excitement through the triggering of such firearms. I learned to live with it eventually, until now that is. Weird yet strikingly true.
As a student of Mindanao State University (MSU), I have intellectually accepted their way of life and way of thinking. Being raised in different parts of the Arabian world, I was not used to witnessing such scenarios. I am proudly a Maranao myself, but these beliefs I was never aware of until now. One time, a man was killed two houses from ours. He laid there like an abandoned dead cat. Only after a few hours did people gathered around him, created a commotion and then left. Even the police did not come to investigate. They were afraid of interfering for fear of being involved themselves in the rido that caused the man's death. Believe it or not, just admiring a lady for having a sexy body would summon their guns to fire at you. Here, their pride comes first, and not some legal laws or officials could instruct them which is right and wrong.
But do not get me wrong. Despite this, the other good traits and traditions of Maranaos I am certainly proud of. We are unique in our own way. This only means we have laid a strong foundation for our future generation...