When Electricity is Off, We Are Out: Unexpected Family Bonding
30 July 2025
Unexpected power interruption? That's not new in our place. Although we saw the notice, we didn't expect it to be that long. However, that unexpected long power interruption led to unexpected family bonding.
It was Sunday, a perfect day to unwind, watch movies, or simply scroll on our phones. But then the power went off, and the weather was extremely hot. What do you expect us to do?
Then my mother suddenly said, "Let's have a boodle fight." If you are a Filipino reading this blog, you certainly know it. If not, you'd better search for it. It's not a fight. It's more like a communal feast!
Well, in a Boodle fight, food is served on a long table lined with banana leaves, and everyone eats together using their bare hands. Yep! Bare hands.
But did our boodle fight go well?
Just read along...
By the way, this was the place where we had our unexpected outdoor lunch. It has quite a view, right? Better in high tide.
We always yearn for a boodle fight every time we have a family gathering. But it doesn't happen for some reason. So we were surprised and excited when my mom said that.
My brother and I immediately went to the market to buy something to cook, while Mom started marinating pork and chicken for barbecue.
Since everyone was excited, everyone lent a helping hand. As I told you, it was unexpected.
Some grilled the pork and chicken, I prepared some side dishes and cut fruits, Mom cooked some bread, and others helped set up the table. We choose to eat in our front yard under the cotton fruit tree with good shade and breeze.
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Everyone was complaining about having no fan and extreme hot weather, so the outside was really a great spot.
Outdoor Lunch and Family Bonding
When everything was set, we were about to lay the rice and other food on the table when my mom suddenly said, "Let's just put it that way because putting the food on the banana leaves would be a mess". We were like, "What?... It's supposed to be a boodle fight!"
So, yes! The planned boodle fight became just a normal outdoor lunch. No food on the banana leaves (the banana leaves were still there, though), just eating with plates and spoons. But some of us still choose to eat with our hands, especially since grilled food just tastes better that way.
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We wish our little niece were with us, but she's with her father's family every weekend.
Then later, I thought of making something refreshing. Since I brewed a big batch of black Assam tea that day for our little snack house, I saved some. I added green apple syrup, watermelon, and cucumber. And just like that, we had a refreshing fruit tea!
It tasted so good that I’m planning to add it to our snack house menu.
It's pretty good to see everyone in one place, helping each other, sharing food together, and having a quality time. I bet I have to thank the power interruption.
Insert these cutie ducklings. Mommy duck just hatched eggs that day. They're part of the day, too!
It isn't over yet!
Bonfire After Dinner
After dinner, we still had no power. It was too hot and dark inside, so I suggested we light a bonfire outside.
The good news is, our niece Breiana was finally home. Even though she wasn’t feeling well, she loved the bonfire idea and even asked to roast marshmallows like we were camping. That little girl really knew a lot!
She called them baby marshmallows. We actually didn't have big mallows, so I used the tiny ones, lol. That suits her.
We got chips and drinks and continued our bonding under the stars.
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We waited for the power to come back, but the promised 11 PM schedule didn’t happen. We all fell asleep waiting. My mom later told us the power came back at 3 AM!
It was quite a long day of waiting for the power to be restored. But that power interruption ended up as a memorable family bonding.
Indeed, "We have to savor every minute with our loved ones, whether it's calm or chaotic, sunshine or storm, with or without electricity, planned and unplanned events, because love makes every moment worth remembering."
No power? At least, we had a great quality time as a family. I want to have more bonding over table like this!
Happy Wednesday!
Thanks for your time.
Jane is a Filipina wanderer in a foreign land who finds comfort in nature and freedom in writing. She loves watching raw picturesque landscapes, listening to the symphony of nature, breathing in drops of sunshine, walking through scenic trails and cityscapes, tasting new culinary flavors, capturing pretty little things, venturing into hidden gems, and dancing with the flow of life.
Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can. Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures.
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We appreciate your work and your publication has been hand selected by the geography curation team on behalf of the Amazing Nature AN Community. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for choosing my post ☺️
This was fun to read, Jane. You all look so beautiful, and I love the activities with different meals and drinks. I love watermelon and cucumber. Lovely photos, too. Your mother sure brought up a great idea, so as not to feel too bored about the unexpected power interruption.
True.. that was unexpected, both the interruption and fun.. we truly enjoyed that day.
Thanks for stopping by !LADY
It’s my pleasure, Jane 🤗
It's nice to be off the screen and have fun and laughter over food :) Sayang yung boodle fight, pero okay pa rin, hehe. At naextend pa ang fun sa gabi, yay saya saya!
Ipush tlga namin yang boodle fight next time! Never pa namin ginawa . Kahit sa beach lang . Hehe
!LADY
Power outages is very frustrating talaga, but you turned it into something truly special spending quality time. In our case if there's no electricity we also look for some activities to do with my family and neighbors.
Frustrating tlga especially if mainit ang panahon.. but it turned out so well hehe
!LADY
Hi jane!!! It's a really nice way to spend a family time when a power outage, we often start to play indoor games but sometimes yeah we also start to cook something together in the kitchen to spend a quality during the power outage 😀
Cheers !LADY
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Hope to do this more often with them hehe.
!LADY
Ahh this was such a sweet read! It’s funny how something as annoying as a power cut can turn memories. Plenty times I've experienced similar too! Sometimes unplanned days turn out to be the best ones.
Exactly. It was truly fun!
Such a fun read and greta way to not let the power disruption get everyone down
Thanks for joining the Wednesday walk
Have a great day
Thank you. Some bad days turn good, too hehe
Good. Power cut has become a reason for family bonding....nice to see your gathering and food is so appealing. Great 👍
I bet it was a blessing in disguise hehe
Exactly...
My power supply in Canada has been very reliable so I seldom have these surprise cooking opportunities as a tradition. Why not, it's a great ideal to break away from routine and have an impromptu backyard BBQ?
A power outage can be a blessing in disguise.
!LADY
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So, power supply issue turned into a great moments at the end. Judging by pictures I can say that those moments were very good and enjoyable. I also love to enjoy such kind of moments with my family members.
By the way, foods also looks good.
!PIZZA
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I guess a good thing it happened when the snack house wasn't open.
I think you should arrange a boodle fight in future, just do it is my motto this year. So yeah I am sure if you suggest it, people would help again. It looked fluffing masarap Jane!
For sure they will. It's really great to do it at the beach hehe
Sounds a good place for it
very united family, essential in life
Its great to move on and figure out other things to do when the power goes out. You all did well not letting the situation drag you down. Food and family two great things, hehe.
Yep.. and food taste better when shared with the family hehe
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Hi @jane1289
This such an interesting piece from top to bottom. I had to stay glue to the end carefully reading in-between the lines. Isn't it amazing how something as inconvenient as a power outages can turn into a day filled with laughter and so much to eat in the company of loved ones. The outdoor lunch looks so mouth-watering. I'm pretty sure yall had a blast.
I just followed you.