Sleigh bells ring are you listening?...oh how fast time flies! Christmas is now just around the corner.Has it been eight months? Tomorrow, we have been staying in Sydney for eight months already! In less than 3 months, the year will be over!
A few months ago, September to be exact, I was quite emotional knowing that Chrismas has officially begun in Manila. Filipinos love Christmas, they start celebrating it early and end it late than the rest of the world. It's a happy season and it's a joyful season. I was missing it but I was quite excited as well to see how my new home will welcome the season. Days passed and my being emotional passed as well. I just went with the flow. One ordinary day after the other. Finally, last week, when I went to the shops I saw a big christmas tree on the lobby! Garlands and ornaments were hanging as well. To top of it all, Santas very big chair is all set up for the kids who would want to have their picture taken with him. As I went from one shop to another, you can see Christmas-y things displayed all over. Gifts, decors wrappers and even costumes! I was very tempted to buy one for Liam. Well, I might soon. Christmas songs are now played trying to brain wash shoppers that it's time to spend for the Christmas gifts. Christmas has finally arrived in Sydney! But something is still missing.
I won't get emotional here because I think I'm over that stage now. Something is still missing because you can feel that not everyone is excited for the season, not like my kababayans back in Manila. You're lucky if you can see a house lit with Christmas lights at night. You're lucky if you can see any Christmas lantern along the busy streets of Sydney.
It just crosses my mind and I know that this time of the year, the busy streets of the whole Philippines are beautifully decorated with Christmas lanterns,homes have put up their own Christmas trees, facades lit every night with colorful Christmas lights, the malls are filled with shoppers, sales are everywhere-- Divi stalls, 168 mall also in Divi, Greenhills, or all tiangges and malls -- are now very busy almost 24/7, people are getting ready for the Simbang gabi, TV shows are flooded with beautifully created Christmas commercials (especially the ones that promote Filipino values), puto bumbong and bibingka stalls are everywhere. People are starting to collect their Starbucks stickers. People are becoming more generous. Christmas list is becoming longer. You have now your monito-monita, you start thinking of the things you'd write on your wish list.Kids are now preparing for their Christmas carolling each night. Used cans as drums and the ever famous song "tenk you tenk you ang babarat ninyo!" Choral competitions on TV, Christmas lantern parade in UP, Maskipaps in UP, weddings and Christmas parties and reunions almost everwhere! Kain dito kain doon! Inom dito, inom doon! Whew! What a list!
Pasko na sa Manila! So can you tell me now, who wouldn't want to celebrate Christmas in Manila? =D
