Events in a Gold-miner’s Shanty

“Phantasmagoric” means something that is marked by strange, dreamlike, or fantastic imagery, or that has a surreal or bizarre quality.

The “Canterbury Tales” is an inspiration; that definitely got my imagination going! What I love about them is how the pilgrims’ journey becomes so much more than just a trip from point A to point B. It’s like they’ve created their own little world on the road, where they can share stories and keep each other entertained. I find it really cool, and I thought it would be nice to create my own little world, too.

As much as I am intrigued with figures of speech and literary devices, I think the closest to my literary interest is surrealism. Well, I guess the reason I like to write about this style is because I’m really interested in exploring my own thoughts, feelings, and experiences, whether they’re things that have actually happened to me or things I’ve observed or dreamed about. By reflecting on the things that cross my path, I hope to turn them into something meaningful and thought-provoking for others to enjoy. Thus, “My Phantasmagoric Visions” has come about.

You might remember I shared a bit about my hometown in this one piece called “Selling Tickets to Freedom.” And that’s where all these tales originated from. Our local dialect is kankanaey, and some references would collectively call us “The Kankanaey Tribe/ People.” On the other hand, I know there are some serious environmental and political implications when it comes to gold mining. But that’s not really the kind of story I’m interested in telling. I’m more into focusing on the lives of gold miners and their families, the everyday events that go on in their humble homes. I think there’s a lot of drama and emotion there, and it’s a perspective that deserves to be explored. As someone coming from a small-scale-gold-mining village, it is my goal that adding fictional elements to my personal experiences will create a sense of literary arts.

Furthermore, while my great grandfather’s legacy as the village shaman was well-known, his life and works remained a mystery to me, having never had the opportunity to meet him or examine any of the objects held in his memory. However, my curiosity about his legacy was piqued when, in my grandmother’s sweet potato garden, we discovered a cache of pots and utensils that she believed were hidden by my great grandfather. With only my father’s tales to guide me, I set out to uncover the spiritual practices and rituals that defined his role as the village shaman. I mentioned this in one of my post, “Discovering my Great grandfather: A Village Shaman’s Tale”. This is where I got shamanistic references.

My fascination with the surreal has woven its way into my life. This is an attempt to painting my experiences with a tapestry of the fantastical and mysterious. In this world, the distinction between reality and illusion cannot be measured accurately. So, instead of arguing whether a certain event is true or not, I’d rather reinvent it into a piece of literary arts. The tales that follow are grounded in my personal experiences, but the threads of fiction interwoven throughout serve to enhance the richness and depth of the narrative. The first three epochs are available for everyone to view. However, the rest of the seven epochs are being polished for a better reading experience.