“‘Padre Cura! Padre Cura!’ [Padre Salvi] the Spaniards cried to him; but he did not mind them. He ran in the direction of the Capitan Tiago’s house. There he breathed a sigh of relief. He saw through the transparent gallery an adorable silhouette full of grace and the lovely contours of Maria Clara and that of her aunt bearing glasses

and cups.” (366)

two hairy calves protruding from a habit, the feet encased in sandals:

“However, Padre Damaso is not mysterious like those monks; he is jolly and if the sound of his voice is brusque like that of a man who has never bitten his tongue and who believes everything he utters is sacrosanct and cannot be improved upon, his gay and frank laughter erases this disagreeble impression, even to the extent that

one feels bound to forgive him his sockless feet and a pair of hairy legs which would fetch the fortune of a Mendiata in the Quiapo fair.” (7)

a constabulary helmet:

“The Alferez [Dona Consolacion’s husband] picked up his helmet, straightened himslef a bit and marched off with loud giant strides. After a few minutes he returned, not making the least sound. He had removed his boots. The servants, accustomed to these spectacles [violent arguments between the Alferez and Dona Consolacion], were

usually bored, but the removal of the boots called their attention. They winked at each other.” (355)

a whip [1]:

“[Dona Consolacion] took a few turns in the room twisting the whip in her calloused hands and, stopping all of a sudden in front of Sisa, told her in Spanish, ‘Dance!’

“…[Dona Consolacion] raised the whip — that terrible whip familiar to thieves and soldiers, made in Ulango and perfected by the Alferez with twisted wires… And she started to whip lightly the naked feet of the mad woman, whose face contracted with pain,obliging her to defend herself with her hands.” (352)

a whip [2]:

Elias — “[S]ince he was poor and could not pay for able lawyers, he was condemned to be scourged in public and taken through the streets of Manila. Not long long ago this was in use, this infamous punishment the people call “caballo y vaca,” a thousand times worse than death itself. My grandfather, abandoned by all except his young

wife, was tied to a horse, followed by a cruel multitude, and flogged on every street corner, before other men, his brothers, and in the neighborhood if the numerous temples of a God of peace.” (441-2)

a length of chain:

“Then you see the streets being tamped down by a chain gang of prisoners with shaved heads, clad in short-sleeved shirts and drawers reaching to the knees, with numbers and letters in blue; chains around their legs, half-wrapped in dirty rags to reduce the abrasion, or perhaps the coldness of the iron; joined in pairs, sunburnt, prostrate from heat and fatigue, given lashes, and beaten with a club by another prisoner who perhaps found comfort in ill-treating others.” (65)

thorny bamboo branches:

“Bamboo clumps of luxuriant foliage grew alongside the highway. In other times she would stop in their shade. Here she [Sisa] and her lover would rest; with a tender exchange of words he would relieve her of her basket of fruits and vegetables — ay! that was like dream. The lover became husband; the husband was made into a barangay head and then misfortune started knocking at her door. “As the sun’s heat was becoming intense, the soldiers asked her if she wanted rest.

“‘No, thank you!’ she replied with a shudder.

“When they approached the town she was seized with terror; she looked in anguish around her; vast ricefields, a small irrigation canal, thin trees — there was not a precipice or a boulder in sight against which she could smash herself.” (166-7)

flowers and a graveyard cross:

“Ibarra descended, followed by an old man-servant. He dismissed the carriage with the gesture and headed towards the cemetery, silent and grave.

While genetics plays a role, there are other factors, including: hormonal imbalances, an underactive thyroid gland, nutrient deficiencies and insufficient scalp circulation.