Christmas: A Bookmarked Day

"Christmas, Christmas time is near, time for toys and time for cheer..."

The lyrics from the song of Alvin & the Chipmunks keeps on playing inside my head as I am typing this blog entry about my Christmas 2010 experience maybe because just a while ago I heard a radio station playing this song and I guess the melody was stuck in my head.

Every year, Christmas has been a very much awaited holiday for our family despite the fact that we will never be complete during this season since my eldest brother and sister has already joined our Lord and my father being the breadwinner of our family works abroad to earn money for our daily expenses. There are years when my father had a chance to join us in celebrating Christmas but sadly this year was not one of it. He had to leave during the first week of November and so during the 25th of December he was not there. Anyhow our family namely me, my two other brothers and my mother still had a fun experience commemorating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.



"It's just another Christmas, it will be all the same just like the previous ones..." and that was me predicting what Christmas 2010 would be for me but I guess I spoke too soon. This year was different, this year was special, this year was memorable. Why did I say that? Well, actually I don't know where to start what I know is that I had the strength to wake up at 3:00 in the morning to attend the 4am dawn mass and surprisingly I completed it...for the first time. I had to drink coffee to make me awake every morning and I guess that did the magic. Even though some of the homily of the priests in SNDC parish are quite "boring" and very long I just kept in mind what my mother keeps on telling to me; " If you finish the 9 days of Simbang Gabi you can ask for a wish and that might just come true ". During the span of this 9 days dawn masses I had seen some of my colleagues and teachers who also attended the mass, and that made me feel that Christmas really touches everyone. 9:00 in the evening of the 24th of December we where at the church to attend the Christmas Eve Mass and I was surprised to see the devotees where all jam packed inside the church. Some who arrived late stayed outside because all the seats where already occupied. Still, the mass turn out to be a success with Fr. Danny Dagsaan, OSA as the mass celebrator together with the other priest. Also I had a chance to see Mayor Len-Len Alonte since she was chosen to bring the image of the holy infant Jesus to the altar. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! text messages started to flood to my cellphone, greetings kept coming from different persons in the internet and the phone never stopped ringing as our relatives kept on calling us giving us their message for this Yuletide season. I was even asked to deliver food to our neighbors as our gift to them, and I looked like a Santa! Hahahaha. Noche Buena Time is Eat-all-you-can time! My stomach was bursting out after eating fried chicken, chocolate mousse cake, desserts and many more desserts! Well I guess I could consider that as my favorite meal of the year. I mean who would not? It is the time when you eat and eat and eat while bonding with your family. What more could you ask for?



December 25, 2010. " I can't wait! " again that's me expressing my emotion of excitement for this day, and this time I was right. For the past 14 years of my existence, 13 years of it our Christmas was spent inside our house while we accommodate our relatives who come to visit. Very tiring and very boring tradition if you asked me so this year we tried to shake things up. Instead of locking ourselves inside the house we decided to spent the rest of the day strolling around the mall, and what mall if you ask? Mall of Asia of course. It may sound to be just a common hangout place for family but for me it is not just a mall but a binder, a binder that keeps a family intact together. We head out to MOA at around 9:30am so that we will not be caught up by the heavy traffic and luckily we did not. Upon arriving we checked on the movie schedule and decided to watch a film. Since its the Metro Manila Film Festival all the featured movies are all proudly Pinoy, certified made in the Philippines. Among all the entries we have chosen to watch 'Ang Tanging Ina Mo Rin (Last na 'to)' and we made the right decision. No scene was dull and all lines we're a guaranteed laughter. Lunch time was again a new experience, instead of taking fancy restaurants we had chosen to try eating by the seaside where foods that you will eat will all be bought by yourself and then cooked by your chosen food chain. We had a few more stroll around the mall and then decided to go home since its getting quite a little late for us.

Christmas really is the season to be jolly. How I wish Christmas could last forever or Christmas would be spent everyday. Wouldn't it be nice and and exciting? But I guess it's just another wishful thinking. Well, I am already contented of what Christmas has brought to me even just for a day and now as I write this blog entry thoughts of what Christmas 2011 will be all about are flashing inside my head! Well then till next time my dear blog. Merry Christmas to you and to those who read it. :)

NEW YEAR HERE WE COME!!!!