Christmas 2018 in the Philippine’s - December

🎄🎅🎈🎉🎄🎅🎈🎉🎄🎅🎈🎉🎄🎅🎈🎉🎄🎅🎈🎉

As we drift towards the end of another year, it’s invariable a time of reflection, an opportunity to think about the loved one’s that are no longer with us, a chance to realise our achievements and perhaps our failings, a time of loneliness and sadness, a period of love, joy, togetherness and celebration.

This year unlike most other years it’ll be spent with Mary and Aliyah in the Philippines. A chance, perhaps to saviour what Christmas is truly all about in one of the most predominately Catholic countries in the world. But more importantly, it’s a Christmas of togetherness, with my family. 

As I sit here writing this blog, I’m listening to the children outside our apartment, less fortunate than us, making a meagre attempt to sing Christmas carols for money. I think it’s the seventh collection thus far. They range in age from 5 years upwards in groups of two or more. I’m sure more will follow. It would be nice if they would apply themselves, however, and learn the words or how to play the two large accompanying tin cans strapped together covered with cloth or plastic, presumably to create a sense of rhythm and togetherness, but I guess it’s a perfect example of how different things are here. The culmination of their performance the words “Miyon Pasco”, Merry Christmas. It increases in volume if they fail to provoke a response, invariable with an aggressive overtone, until they gain a positive reaction or realise they’re out of luck and move on. Poverty is ever present here, some self-inflicted by parents squandering what they had through drink and drugs with the children the causalities, some through ignorance, a lack of education or just a reluctance to work. Mary bless her heart, distributes a few coins here and there, a nominal sum, as I wrestle with my cynical western ways. Ba humbug!!

There’s normally an associated cacophony of noise, most nights, with the many whining or barking dogs, some strays, with most guardians of the owner’s property announcing a stranger periodically as they stray to close to its curtilage or as a untethered dog passes by. Invariably we’re blasted by loud music from the nearby school or schools, and I mean blasted, as they rehearse for an impending alumni celebration or street march, with drums, percussion instruments and majorettes, but not tonight. Occasionally we’re privileged to share in the wails of a different sort, as people try to emulate their singing peers in the two nearby party venues, but again not tonight! Tonight is a comparatively peaceful and joyous evening.

We hadn’t realised when we moved here, we live in what might be deemed as the hub of Gingoog City. The two largest schools, one public one private, are both ½ a kilometre away; the principle Cathedral with the gardens and crumbling concrete statues, testament to one saviour or another, is a ¾ kilometre walk. The deteriorating promenade and pier, now deemed as ‘unsafe’, which springs to life at dusk most nights, with the eateries in there make-shift shacks dispensing local and western food, shakes, ice cream, pizza and the like, is a kilometre distance. Six eateries, two good restaurants, a baker, five basic grocery shops, two hairdressers, two Tupperware shops, and two Internet café’s surround us. Very few, however, resemble our concept of ‘a shop’, they’re not obvious and have clearly evolved over the years in a very haphazard manner to what they are today.

There is an ‘old fashion principle’ here, reminiscent of my father’s generation, ‘something always has a use’, no matter what it may be, and the Philippines are an excellent exponent of that very concept. The elaborate Christmas decorations that adorn the small community parks, school grounds or common gathering points are a good example of that very ideal. Every city, town, village or community is divided into Barangay’s. 

A barangay or baranggay (abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), formerly referred to as barrio, is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. As of June 2015, there were 42,029 barangays throughout the Philippines. 

Every year each Barangay adorn the principle street or an open area, or both, with their idea of what Christmas is all about. Decorations hang from the street lamps, with electricians splicing into the plethora of overhead mains cables. Some are very simple, some elaborate, all, however, made from recycled plastic, cast away water bottles, accumulated Tanduay bottles, bamboo, donated wood, lights and people’s time. The theme or concept representing the Christmas idea are almost as diverse as the materials and ingenuity applied.

Tanduay is a locally produce rum made from sugar cane, manufactured and distributed all over the Philippines. It sells for 100 pesos, about £1.50, in a traditional sized 750ml bottle. 

The main garden area by the principle Cathedral, not far from us, is sectioned off and each competing community create extraordinary themed displays, often building large structures to accommodate their idea. All displays are judged. There are three categories, those in the garden area, the Barangay displays and individual householders. I’m not sure if there is a monetary reward though, possibly just recognition.

The lead up to Christmas has been a busy period, both in business for Mary, preparing for one event or another. The schools Christmas party on the 14th December, with the parents supplying food, gifts and confectionary, the school mothers party held on the 15th at one of the mothers homes, a christening for sister Bing's daughter on the 16th along with maintaining an interest in the house development.

🎄🎅🎉🎈 School Christmas Party 🎈🎉🎄🎅

  

🎄🎅 Mother's & Children Christmas Party 🎄🎅

🎄🎅 Christening of baby Sky 🎄🎅

Just before Christmas it’s our daughters 6th birthday on the 20th, so we’re preparing a modest function, Aliyah’s request, at the nearby Casa Cabana, the theme ‘Barbie’. Aliyah is still painfully shy in front of complete strangers, and it impedes her ability to relax and enjoy herself, so rather than highlight her anxiety we’ve opted to pander to her suggestion, invite guest that she prefers and see what happens. Mary will adorn the 1st floor venue, something she’s attending to as I compose this part of the blog, and food will be provided, they’ll also be games and prizes to amuse the kids. We’ve organised a themed ‘Barbie’ cake and 40 or so obligatory cup cakes, loot bags or ‘give a ways’, along with Lechon, a full sized cooked and boned out pig. 

21st December. Well Aliyah’s birthday party was a roaring success, surrounded by people she knows and trusts, we saw a far more animated young lady this time, happy to participate in games, dancing and mixing with her friends. A mutual friend of ours Maria acted as MC and controlled and motivated the children, with Mary aptly assisting and distributing prizes, whilst I circulated and acted as photography. The food was excellent, the cake superb and Mary's themed decorations were a massive hit, especially the mock packaging cases for 'Barbie' aka Aliyah and 'Ken', that acted as a photo booth. Photo’s attached.

🎉🎈🎉🎈Aliyah's 6th Birthday Party 🎉🎈🎉🎈

Weather wise, we’ve hit a period of unsettled weather, which is impeding the development of our house. I’m not entirely sure that we will able to lay the beams and flooring this side of Christmas, as scheduled.

On the 22nd December, we’re travelling to Cagayan De Oro, with a stay over at the Mulberry Park Suite for four nights. It’ll enable us to make some Internet calls to people in the U.K., as the connection here is very poor. We also want to do a last minute Christmas shop for the three of us, and the choice of shops is so much better in CDO. In addition there’s far more to do during the day and night, and I’m planning a special diner for the three of us on Christmas Day.

The journey to CDO is in three parts a tricycle, bit like a motorcycle and sidecar except a tricycle carries up to 7 passengers and the driver, to the bus station. A yellow A/C ‘Bachelor’ bus the 92 kilometres to CDO city, Bachelor is the trading name. We’re be dropped off close to Limketkai Mall then its just a taxi ride to the hotel. The journey will probably take about 3 to 4 hours, as it’s a ‘stop and go bus’ picking up and dropping off passengers anywhere en-route.

🎉🎄🎅 Cagayan De Oro, Out & About 🎄🎅🎉

 

We arrived at the Mallberry Business Park Suites Hotel at 1.30pm, on a somewhat crowded bus, towards the last leg of the journey. The hotel is well located next door to Limketkai Mall, and close to the new SM and Ayala shopping malls, so couldn't be better. The hotel is okay, if not a little tired. The Internet unfortunately is very poor so if we are unable to organise calls to the UK, I apologise.

🎄🎅🎉🎄🎅 Christmas Day 2018 🎄🎅🎈🎅🎄

Mary, Aliyah and I wish everyone that we know and love a very special Christmas and all the luck, joy, security and happiness in the proceeding New Year xxxxxxxxxx. Lots of love Katherine, hope to all be together very soon xxxxxxx 💕💕💕

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

🎄🎅🎈🎉🎄🎅🎈🎉🎄🎅🎈🎉🎄🎅🎈🎉🎄🎅🎈🎉