I still have some holidays hangover though so I'm posting some of the images from the family's Christmas and New Year celebrations. For when remembering gets difficult. I'm right handy at forgetting stuff, even ones I just did or had a few minutes ago. (Sheesh!)
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| My personal Christmas tree ornament. L for my first name. ;) |
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| The reason for the season--Christ the King of kings! |
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| Christmas welcome mat out front. |
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| Christmas booties which Hubby C insisted on hanging on the porch rails. |
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| Hubby C cooking the arroz caldo, the best partner to the chill, for the Christmas noche buena--the traditional midnight dinner for every Filipino table. It's rice gruel with chicken meat and broth, ginger, garlic and saffron. Hits the chilled spot every single time! (Also one of my comfort foods.) |
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| The arroz caldo. I think I had 4 servings of it! |
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| Tokwa't baboy (fried tofu and boiled pork in a sweet-and-sour, soy-sauce-and-vinegar mix). The ubiquitous partner of the Pinoy arroz caldo. |
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| Two kids who don't know the word "Wait.", gaily wrapped Christmas gifts, and you have Mommy trying her darnedest to keep them from opening their presents before the noche buena. |
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| The opening of the Christmas presents. It isn't any wonder that the kids got all the presents, and the adults were relegated to just watching. Nephew VM here totally enjoyed this gift. |
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| But of course, his favorite, dream-come-true Christmas present is this number puzzle that his Dada A (an uncle) gave him. A week after receiving his gift, he's still nuts over it. Definitely his favest toy ever! |
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| Christmas bokeh! |
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| Pork barbecue for the media noche--this time, the New Year's midnight dinner that's another Pinoy tradition. |
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| Sister-in-law C's yummy, sumptuous, creamy, and absolutely sinful lasagna...but who cares? This is one mighty delicious dish that I'll never say no to, ever! Had 3 servings of it, heh. |
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| Our concession to a healthy media noche, the garden fresh salad I prepped to wash off the excesses of the other dinner fare. You'll rarely find this on any noche buena or media noche table back home! |
The holidays weren't as chaotic as the ones I'm used to back home. For one, there's none of the deafening, colorful, and crazy fireworks display that always accompanies Christmas and New Year's eves. Back in Manila, at the strike of 12--and even hours before that--the streets turn into a bedlam of exploding (and dangerous) firecrackers, suffocating smoke, and noisy revelers. You walk the streets at your own risk.
My first Christmas and New Year's celebrations here were, well, quite ho-hum having been used to the loud holiday parties back home. Oh well, one of these days, I'll be visiting and I'll be enjoying the exuberance once again. One of these days...
And for 2013, here's my prayer for you:
May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
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