Finally the time had come. Wednesday was the big day for Emmy Lou's birthday party.

We got up fairly early and headed out to "the farm", which is what I am now told they call the squatter area behind the DARBCI Homes. This is where the pigs were to be prepared for the lechon that night.

In the picture above, the guy toward the left is chopping wood to use in heating the water vat where the pigs will be dipped after they are killed. This will make it easier to shave all of the coarse hair from the carcasses before they are prepared to go over the fire.

Here, Frederick is stoking the fire under the half-barrel that holds the water. Two of our pigs are staked by the large water barrels (which these folks use for their personal water supply), and the other is over by the corner of the little hut at the back behind Frederick.

And then it was time to take down the first pig. It was done very quickly and the pig was on the table in no time.

They have to put a post in the pig's mouth in order to control it's head when they are ready to stick it. And then, in a matter of minutes, the whole thing is over.

So far I have been able to enjoy everything I have been given to eat in the Philippines. But the one thing that I simply do not like is dinuguan, which is also called "blood stew" in some of the online recipes.

When the pig is slaughtered, it's blood is usually captured and used, along with various pieces and parts of the pig, to cook the stew. I tried it once, but I don't believe I'll be looking for any more of it any time soon thanks, hehehe.

Incidentally, we did not serve dinuguan at the birthday party!