Santa Claus: gotta go pips!

The two-day rest is over. But there’s still another round of it this weekend.

Neways, I was so glad the kids’ party last Christmas eve was successful. There were over 50 in attendance but those who did not make were still given their gifts, which consisted of some toys and some candies, chocolates, mallows, wafers, corn chips, etc.

Before I had my childhood friends who helped me with it. Actually, it used to be a group project but since most of them are already working abroad (and could no longer be contacted for some reasons) the task was left to me. I think it is more of a commitment to these kids, who for the last years have multiplied exponentially, are expecting from me every Christmas. Hmp! Mura ta’g datu ani da, may nalang nay mga fwens nga buotan. Tenks to Sir Rolex (the most friendly editor on earth), Wennagirl, Jasmin, Cristina, Sona, Jonald, Ate Brenda, Atty. Mitchelle, Gary Lao, Joy B. and some friends back home. I love you all!

One of the games, I asked those 2 year olds who would be celebrating His birthday when 12 mn struck. One baby boy, Third, said “Ako!” (it was not his birthday, obviously!) Then, another kid, Hyacinth, said “Kuya!” I thought she was gonna add “Jesus” but she said “Van-van.” Of course, her older bro is Carl Van. Hmp! No one won but I had to give them chocolates and lollipops because they would not go back to their seats.

And then it was the singing contest. A five-year-old girl sang the Panday theme song and everyone was singing along. I first heard that song from the indigent kids, whom we treated to an early Christmas party last December 10. I had to ask someone what that song was.

It’s really amazing how these young people could memorize Tagalog songs (Pinoy Ako tops the list). I wish these soap operas would also use English songs so their knowledge of this foreign language would improve, even a bit.

When I asked the same group of kids, the 2-year-olds if they could render me a Christmas song. And this Hyancinth started singing “oh..ah..woah.” and ventured unto the lyrics, although haltingly, of the Panday song. He-he-he to you li’l kid!

Whew! We wrapped it up at past 7pm so we could all attend the 9pm mass.

+++

The whole Christmas day was raining. I was inside the house the entire day eating whatever’s on the fridge. It was cold that I had fallen asleep twice, one at noon and another on late afternoon. I was supposed to go to Poblacion, my native land and where those kids are living, to see people coming by carrying loads of gifts.

But I had no choice as I could not walk in the streets carrying umbrella just to see those people! So Christmas was spent listening to my new CD (thanks to Phoebe) of which cuts include “God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You,” “This I Promise You” (English and Spanish versions), and a hundred more songs from way back when.

As of this time, I’m still not over with Kelly Clarkson’s Because of You that I have this habit of replaying it thrice in a row. Sagdi lang matagbaw ra pud ko, pohon.

That was not such a bad Christmas. But of couse, there's no such thing as a bad Christmas. I remember Fr. Tajanlangit, our parish priest, in his homily, who said we should not compare this year’s Christmas to last year’s or next as it is the “now” that is important and that is what we have, thus, we are stuck to it, I mean we should celebrate it in whatever way we can.

And now it has become a past, too. New Year na pud!

(Lesson learned: beer makes a good remedy for headaches.)