A Businesswoman, a Banker, a College Professor & an IT Manager

This is what happens when a businesswoman, a banker, an IT Manager and a college professor who’s a candidate for PhD do a Christmas dance number.

They call their group, The Wrong Direction (gleaned & predicated from the British group One Direction). And every year, when they are about to end their wacky performance they would shout and ask us, the spectators, “Mabuhay Manila, do you want more!?”.  And every year all of us, their dazed & confused audience, in unison would scream the biggest “NOooo!!”.

Gabby, the IT Manager! He was judged the best performer this year.  Haha!

Holding a talent contest and performing in front of my family during Christmas Eve has been a tradition.   They won the Grand Prize this year amounting to 60 USD.  So, can you just imagine how bad the other groups (my other family members) performed? 

They claim that they won because they were so in unison and perfectly danced like the Korean pop group BTS.  Why did they win?  It was because I was the judge.  Haha!  These businesswoman, banker, college professor and IT manager are my crazy niece & nephews by the way.  One good thing though, they are not working for one company.  After their crazy performance, I had a headache.

Touched by Disney UK!

Disney UK got a cool and heartwarming Christmas advert!  I am particularly touched and moved by this video ad simply because it features bits of the Filipino qualities and culture. 

Mano:  the gentle placing of the back of the hands of your elders to your forehead is a unique Filipino gesture to show sign of respect to elders

Parol & Parol-Making:  a lantern which is made of bamboo sticks and colored paper is a major Christmas symbol of every household in the Philippines.  And it is a common practice that grade school students would create one as a school project during Christmas season so as to have it hanged in their respective houses.  I made a horrible-looking one myself during my young school days!

Simbang Gabi: a Filipino-Catholic tradition of attending midnight Mass at a nearby Catholic church for 9 consecutive nights prior to Christmas Eve.  And since I am wicked, this is one Filipino tradition that I never get to complete!

Recycling of an old cookie tin can:  Lola-s (translation: grandmothers) around the nation would never throw away metal cookie cans.  These would instead be re-used either as a jewelry box, a sewing kit container, an old photos or greeting cards chest or other similar charms, trinkets and mementos that a usual Filipino lola wants to keep.

Thanks Disney UK!  You moved me.

2019 Christmas Greeting!

May you have an absolutely beautiful Christmas and amazingly prosperous New Year!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas 2018

May the angels protect you and sadness forget you. Merry Christmas everyone!Maligayang Pasko!

First Filipino Christmas of Arziolo

It’s September and Finding Tom basically said everything I want to say about Christmas here in the Philippines.  Watch this…. 

To add to what Tom Finding said in his video, I would like to say that Christmas in the Philippines is also for the children.  Though it is also for the children, I however, could no longer recall when was the last time I bought a Christmas present intended for a child. 

In fact, my youngest twin nephews are in their freshman year in college while my youngest niece is in her senior high.  Though it has always been a blast, there has been no baby around Nengkoy’s house for the past eons of years during Christmas.

But Christmas this year would be a little more special because of this kid…

cuteness overload of Arziolo

Looking forward to seeing the first Christmas celebration of my first grandnephew, Arziolo.

Mas mukhang  eksayted ako kesa sa batang yan!

The Gift of Laughter Every Christmas at Nengkoy’s

One of the greatest gifts that a person can receive this Christmas (and for every Christmas for that matter) is the gift of laughter.  And each year, this is one precious gift that I receive from my family.

Every year at Christmas Eve since their childhood days, my nieces and nephews would group up and do a presentation at Nengkoy’s house.  Each group would got to compete for a prize money.  I am always one of the judges along with Nengkoy and my elder sister.  And since my nieces and nephews got their funny bones from their grandmother Nengkoy, all their presentations always turns out to be something so hilarious!

These year though majority of my nephews and nieces are now professionals and some has even gone married, each one of them still never failed to give the family some very good laugh.  All these glee and hilarity really adds up to the joyful and happy spirit of Christmas every single year at Nengkoy’s house.

happy!

they’re all grown up!

Merry Christmas!

Sakit sa panga!

Christmas 2016 at Nengkoy’s

Pure fun and hilarious riot.  That is how I would describe my annual Christmas Eve moment year after year.  Every time my family gathers during this beautiful time and especially when all my nieces and nephews would show up at Nengkoy’s house on Christmas Eve, sheer joy and laughter would ensue.

 

team langit #livelovesparkle

2016 Christmas at Nengkoy’s was metric tons of happiness.  Everyone lived, loved and sparkled that night!

Sakit sa panga! Grabe!

Live, Love & Sparkle This Christmas

I was a bit nervous that Christmas might be cancelled.  Reason?  I thought Santa would die of laughter because someone told him that I was no longer naughty and gone nice this year!

christmas tree like tree in queenstown new zealand

the manger in bethlehem where baby jesus was born

merry christmas!
(inside a chapel in bethlehem during my recent israel visit)

I hope that your Christmas will be full of fun and laughter and may you live, love and sparkle in the coming New Year!

Mabuhay, Umibig, Kuminang! Meri Krismas…

Nengkoy’s Snail Mails

I have one seem-to-be-odd and old-fashioned question.

I won’t be asking you what your wishes this Christmas are.  Neither would I ask where are you gonna spend it.  I won’t inquire whom your gonna spend it with or what look are you gonna don with on that joyous day.  My question would be: Do you remember when was the last time you sent a Christmas card to a friend or a relative through the classic postal mail?

With the advent of the internet, convenience of the social media and the availability of modern day apps, I’m pretty sure you cannot remember.  Or maybe, if you’re really young and part of the millennial generation, I guess you haven’t even sent yet a letter through snail mail.

I have sent a couple of merry Christmas greetings already via social media for the past few days, but Nengkoy still settles for the classic and traditional mode.  Just 2 weeks ago, she showed me a bunch of envelopes filled with Christmas cards to be sent to relatives in USA and Canada via old-style and old-fashioned postal mail.  And while taking photos of these classic form of greetings, out of nowhere, I suddenly wanted to receive a Christmas card sent via snail mail.  It would be one earnest feeling, I guess.

nengkoy’s snail mails

3 generations: neil, nengkoy and my nephew gabby, a millennial who I guess has not yet sent a letter via classic postal mode

Though I no longer remember, I have sent letters and greeting cards via postal mail in the past.  And I know how much time and effort that is poured in handwriting as well as the time and effort of going to the nearest postal station.

Handwritten letters and classic greetings cards for me is a beautiful thing.  Merry greetings received through this mode, I guess, is warmer, sincerer and more heartfelt.    It is one art, culture and tradition that is unfortunately on its verge of extinction.

But going back to my question if you happen to remember when the last time you sent a snail mail was. Nengkoy for sure can easily answer such an odd and old-fashioned question.

Klasik ng lola mo!

Christmas 2015 at Nengkoy’s Place

Spending Christmas Eve at Nengkoy’s place has always been festive, cheery and hilarious. My general feeling every Christmas Eve at Nengkoy’s is like that of sailing into the supermoon with my family or it’s the feeling of being the biggest doll among all dolls in the babushka doll.   Everyone’s positive energy resonates which gives light to what a happy Christmas should be.

Celebrating the holidays has made my family even closer together.  And I will never exchange for anything the time I would get to spend Christmas Eve at Nengkoy’s place.

Hilaryus!