patintero

One of the things I need to start thinking about for a client are games Filipino kids play. Nothing digital, nothing "modern" but more like tumbang preso, piko, pitik bulag, and of course, patintero.

Patintero is best played under moonlight, with lines drawn with water on an empty street. Two teams take turns trying to pass all of the opposing team's players and get back "home" without being tagged. It is an wonderfully expandable game, with relatives of various ages usually coerced to play along during reunions and family get togethers.

My favorite position is "Patotot". The Patotot alone guards the Y axis while others guard the X axis) and can suddenly appear along the entire line, unpredictable and terrifying. My long reach helps me tag careless players as well as those with a poor spatial sense.

I miss these games. I used to play with my cousins when we were younger, along with the neighborhood kids.