Septem"BER"...start of Christmas

Ahh it's September already, the first of the "ber" months, signalling the start of the Christmas season--Pinoy style. I think it was meant to be "brrr" as in cold. But since I am in the southern hemisphere where our Christmas is the height of summer, I will stick to "ber". Pinoys are known to have the longest Xmas season (September to January till Three Kings). Any excuse to celebrate. Where have all the months gone? When I was just getting used to writing 2010 it's nearly time to change it to 2011! Time flies when you're having fun. Err, that too. More like my age catching up on me so the days begin to merge into one big blur. I found this in my archives. I wrote it in 2007 in Multiply (the precursor of FB, now inactive). Feeling nostalgic, it is as relevant today as it was back then. My updates in italics.


My First Aussie Christmas

Not my first Christmas away from home but my first without my baby.  Never mind I'll see him soon enough. Though Stan and his family are very warm and inclusive I can't help but feel homesick and find myself pining for my Pinoy Xmas. I still do, four years on.  

just like back home the youngest get to play Santa

So what is an Aussie-style xmas? Much the same as a Pinoy xmas except no midnight mass and the big day is xmas day itself with as many family members as can make it together for lunch or dinner (or is it dinner and tea?). Then kris kringle after (exchange gifts). Yes, my new family is very family-oriented so I am quite relieved. It's summer time, quite warm verging on scorching. Takes a while to reconcile a lifetime of experiencing xmas in cool weather with a hot and sweaty one. 

leche flan was a hit beside the pavlova

I was asked to bring a traditional Filipino dessert so I brought a leche flan. Despite the fact that I didn't flip it upside down nor did I make the caramelized sugar topping, it was a big hit. My mother would have been proud of me. Besides, my Aussie family wouldn't know the diff. It went head-to-head with the traditional Aussie faves the pavlova and the trifle--all made with tons of cream (wreaked havoc to my lactose-intolerant tummy).  

typical drive-in liquor outlet

All day eating, drinking, merry-making, drinking, laughing, drinking.....did I say drinking? More drinking. Much like Pinoy xmas with less copious drinking. The bottle shops have their best sales (yes, drive-in liquor stores imagine that!)
What do I miss aside from the obvious? The lights glittering in every home, the xmas jingles incessantly playing in the malls and radio(yes, believe it or not, that too) the caroling from house to house and the skillful dodging, the cool, crisp December air.......the general smell and feel of xmas in pinas. I miss Dad's garden lights artfully decked to lend focus to the magnificent parol (Christmas star) in the middle. I miss decorating our 10-ft tall xmas tree, wondering whether the vintage birds will hold up, remnants of Mommy's prized collection.  I miss turning the xmas lights on as soon as it gets dark, quietly basking in the twilight glow.  I miss seeing the gifts multiplying daily under the tree wondering which ones are mine.

xmas 95

I miss putting the goodies in my nephews and nieces xmas stockings, hoping to fill them up on a shoestring budget. I miss the misa de gallo, the puto bumbong, bibingka and all other traditional xmas treats. Most of all, I  miss taking everyone's photos while they open their presents after the chaotic exchange. We have that too here in Au, just a much smaller crowd. A flurry of colorful wrappers madly being ripped and torn then the ooohs and aaahs and thank yous.  Some genuinely pleased, some hiding unsuccessfully their disappointment.....ahh kids at heart, aren't we all?  Peace time among the siblings.  Nice. The days in between Christmas and New Year was quite special for my family. We'd trek up to Baguio and spend a few days at Teachers Camp (Mommy was a teacher which gave us access to it) to enjoy the cool weather. We'd  gather dry twigs and fallen cones from the pine trees and toss them into the fireplace---about the only time we'd experience one---and toast marshmallows. We loved it and our kids did too. Simple fun. Simple bliss.

ubiquitous sight starting September

traditional belen

I miss the ubiquitous parol, the Christmas star. I still have not gotten my parol but I will. I much prefer the traditional ones made of papel de hapon or the plain five-pointed star made of capiz shells. Simply elegant. And what about the manger scene. It's rare in this part of the world it seems. Every Christmas I manage to cajole Stan into checking out the Christmas lights competition in town and every Christmas I am disappointed that not one house has a manger scene. I shouldn't be surprised really. I've been working with communities over the last three years and observe that religion, or believing in a Higher Being, is not prevalent among the younger generation (including mine). Good and bad. Good, in that they're quite accepting and tolerant of others beliefs. Bad, in that in times of desperation, they have no one greater than themselves to turn to. This has led to many doing very desperate and drastic deeds. The correlation is arguable but certainly religion as a coping mechanism is very much alive and kicking back home. And certainly people are much more content and thankful despite the wide disparity in economic standard of living. But that's for another blog. Anyway, about the belen (manger scene) I've decided that this Christmas I will have one in my yard as a testament to my faith. So shoot me.


Focusing on what I have, not what I don't, is my mantra these days. Kinda goes hand-in-hand with my long-standing email tagline "Got a lemon? Make lemonades. But don't forget the sugar." Truly, a thankful heart is a happy heart. Pass the sugar please.........