The Christmas lights came quite late this season. Last year, the gate was already glittering by first week of November giving everyone an early Christmas vibe. For some reason, the decor committee were delayed this year.

Anyway, better late than never. Still they did a fantastic job having the entire stretch of the highway lighted with multi-color lanterns that gave a fantasy-like look from a distance. I caught some photos of it after I visited Red from the vet’s hospital, beside a new clinic, which people say is managed by anaustin allergist. If you are from this area, you’d agree with me that everything in this corner has turned magical at night, and will remain that way for the next 30 days.

Photo from inquirer.net

It may appear mind-boggling about us wanting to get on the holiday cheer this early and quick, but we know the reason behind this. Unconsciously, we crave for the special feeling brought about by the festivity – all the giving, loving, feasts and yeah, spending. Above all, the message of the holidays brings us hope.

It has been a tough year for almost everyone.

True.

Few companies had their Christmas parties. Either they gave their budget to Ondoy flood victims, lost much of it from recession, or they simply went out closing their businesses.

You can never really tell when or where bad luck will strike. Life is never predictable. You can’t see a reflection of it on shiny glass tiles nor peek through Madam Auring’s crystal ball.

Things just happen. Good or bad.

Joyeux Noël.

Books on sale

While waiting for the 8pm AS1 concert at the adjacent event venue, we decided to drop by the Manila International Book Fair at SMX. I was torn between inspirational books, Maxwell’s series on leadership, Christian theology, Jane Austen titles and Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte. But since I have no time to gush over English romance and doctrinal studies on religion require so much brain energy, I opted for a book on marriage. To prepare for it just in case. I can sense it coming my way real soon. By the way, I got the book called “Pillow Talk” for only P75. Not bad for a future investment.

Manila International Book Fair ends tonight. Entrance fee is P20 for adults, plus you’ll get a raffle ticket to win books or something more juicy if you’re that lucky.

The last Christmas tree standing

It’s not yet too late to set your personal goals for 2009. The cold January weather makes the surroundings conducive for goal-setting, like Christmas has never left at all. (Wait until the April sun burns a hole on your roof.) I also suggest reading Max Lucado’s “Cure for the Common Life” should you be interested in unearthing those gifts God gave you. Believe me, every living person is gifted with something and we all have specific roles to play. I will share what I have discovered in the next few days.

I have put one of my notebooks, and the pens Arni gave me last month, to good use. Two days ago, I decided to come up with my own list that would either accuse me of procrastinating or cramming at the end of the year. Here they are:

Visit two places I have never been to. Potential candidates are Naga City (Mayan and I have been discussing this for a decade) and Batanes (hopefully).

Get another investment. While the chips are down and everyone around is having a sale.

Create my own web template. I have announced it to the world after my “graduation” from Dreamweaver class. So I really should start doing something before I say this again in 2010.

Do a wardrobe inventory. There isn’t much in my closet I tell you. I’ve been wearing the same set of clothes for the past two years or so. My newest shoes is turning 1 in two months. The oldest, a Naturalizer, has just celebrated its 4th birthday. Maybe I really should consider updating my style.

Buy a pair of running shoes. For early morning walking exercises. Instead of enrolling in a gym or buying a best weight loss pill, walking is the most economical way to get rid of those flabs.

Learn oil painting. I have not graduated from watercolors for the past 10 years. It’s time to do an upgrade.

Join a small group. It’s high time to go back and think of ways to serve. By the way, I attend church services at CCF.

Give. Give. Give. God’s blessings are in fact too much for just one person to handle.

Laptop. I’ve missed out on this one last year. Actually, I wonder where all that money went.

Start dating. Seriously.

Now I’ve got a long list to go back to from time to time. What are yours?

Dining inside a fast food joint at midnight is fun. Queer, no?

The holiday fever is over the moment leftovers of New Year’s eve disappear from the fridge and “bah humbug” literally takes the form of your supervisor or those annoying collection agents from hell. (Now what did I just tell you about those uncontrollable appetites credit cards would love to baby sit?) The dreaded race to survival officially starts TODAY. Uh-huh.

Don’t worry, the magic still does work come Valentine’s Day. Splurge and repent by Holy Week. Anyway, given that scary scenario, I thought about a handful of antidotes to ease up the post-Christmas pain and sadness hovering above you like rain clouds.

1. Pray. Set your goals for the year, everyday ask God for guidance in prayer and do something about it.

2. Buy a book. Because I also belong to the Weekday Fright Club, I bought Max Lucado’s Cure for the Common Life. Excellent read for those faint in heart.

Tuna on wheat bread plus freebies

3. Schedule your own Sabbath. Decide a place and a day when you can laze around and do nothing but refresh your heart, soul and mind. I find lurking inside Starbucks with a good book between 10am and 11am on a Sunday therapeutic. I get freebies too (he he). Also try McDonald’s at midnight. It’s fun.

4. Movies. Can’t go to Australia? Escape through here.

5. Make new friends. Not that the old ones have died. Some simply decide to spend the rest of their lives with their better halves. Others were hostaged by mommyhood or have gone abroad. You need to expand that little horizon of yours.

6. Work. Hard. There are electric bills to pay, school fees to settle and auto insurance quotes to consider. Convenience comes with a price tag.

Broken sleigh

The family decided to visit Tagaytay on Christmas Day. The climate up in the highlands is colder at this time of the year and going around various eating places at night appeals to me more than anything else. A side trip to Rowena’s pies and tarts was already in the itinerary.

Rowena's bakeshop and cafe

We left home at 3pm. While at C5, we noticed something was wrong with the tires at the rear. We dropped by South Avenue in Makati for a tire check and found that two tires need to be vulcanized. After an hour, we’re back on the road on top shape.

Incredibly delicious Blueberry tarts. Keeps toothache away.

It took us one hour and a half to reach Tagaytay despite the road construction at the whole stretch of the SLEX. I could just imagine the unbearable traffic jam it caused during the mad rush out of Manila one week before Christmas. We took the Santa Rose Exit.

Traffic on our way to Josephine's

Cloudy skies and a drizzle greeted us when we stopped by Rowena’s. At the Tagaytay rotunda, traffic was slowly building up. A heavy downpour followed. Tagaytay was swimming on Christmas Day.

People at the wait list

We drove to Josephine’s for a nice dinner. When we arrived, parking was difficult and the restaurant was swarming with people. We were number 13 at the wait list and it would take an hour more to get us seated. We decided to find a place to eat and saw Max’s.

Inside Josephine's restaurant where we stood and watched people enjoy dinner while waiting for our number to be called.

We went all the way to Tagaytay to have dinner at Max’s when we could have it just a few blocks away from our place in Cainta. Talk about irony, no? When we left the place, the wind was howling and the electricity went out. Ha ha.

That's mom checking out the menu at Max's.

Inside the car, we jacked one of our ipods to the speaker and sang Christmas songs to storm Scrooge.

Favorite Christmas…
01. Non-Jesus-related song? Last Christmas
02. Jesus-related song? Hark the Herald Angel Sing
03. Santa-related song? Up on the Housetop by Jackson 5
04. Fictional character? Aslan
05. Dinner’s main course? Roasted chicken
06. Dinner’s dessert? Fruit salad
07. Scent (pine, gingerbread, candles…)? lavender
08. Animated movie? Polar Express
09. Non-animated movie? The Holiday
10. Personal memory? Christmas carols on the streets
11. Story/Fairy Tale? The story of the first Christmas

This or That
12. Candy cane or peppermint patties? Candy cane
13. Sugar or gingerbread cookies? Gingerbread
14. Tinsel or beaded strands? Tinsel
15. Multi-colored or same-colored lights? Multi-colored
16. Flashing or still lights? Flashing
17. Wreaths or mistletoe/holly? Wreaths
18. Rudolph or Frosty? Rudolph
19. Sledding or snowball fights? Sledding
20. Snow or ice/icicles? Snow
21. Snow hat or earmuffs? Earmuffs
22. Getting or giving? Giving
23. Snow days or plow trucks? I wish we have snow
24. Stockings or presents? Presents
25. Cookies & milk or letter to Santa? Cookies and milk
26. Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Christmas eve
27. Log Burning Channel or real thing? I’ve seen log burning channel, too artificial. I go for the real thing.
28. Cards or emails? Cards.
29. Shoveling or cleaning off the car? I haven’t experienced both.
30. The Inn’s manger or the animals? Animals.
31. Mary & Joseph or The Wise Men? Mary and Joseph.
32. Hot cocoa or eggnog? Hot cocoa.
33. Jack Frost or Little Drummer Boy? Little Drummer boy.

Yay or.. Ugh
34. Holiday shopping? yay.
35. Icy roads? ugh.
36. Limited driving visibility? ugh.
37. Christmas carolers. yay.
38. Mall Santas? yay.
39. Salvation Army Santas? yay.
40. Blizzards? ugh.
41. 24/7 Holiday radio? yay.
42. Freezing cold? ugh.
43. Setting up the tree? yay.
44. Wrapping presents? yay.
45. Visiting/seeing family? nyay. (hehe)
46. Ad-Lib on “Rudolph…” Huh?
47. Free mint red/white candy? yay.
48. Belief in Santa Claus? Just fine.
49. Chocolate countdown calendar? Would love to see one.
50. Peeking at your gifts (or by accident)? ugh.
51. Making out with Santa under the mistletoe? ugh.
52. Decorated houses? yay.
53. Extreme decorated houses? yay.
54. White Christmas morning? yay.
55. Searching for ornaments in the attic? ugh.
56. Santa knowing when you’re sleeping and awake? Doesn’t matter.

Name That Tune
57. “Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling.” Sleigh ride
58. “Good tidings for Christmas and a happy New Year.” We wish you a merry Christmas
59. “The lights are turned way down low…” Is that Stylistics? Lol.
60. “In the meadow we can build a snowman.” Ha! I don’t know.
61. “Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!” Jingle Bells
62. “Remember, Christ, our Savior was born on Christmas Day.” God rest ye, merry gentlemen
63. “Not only green when summer’s here, but also when ’tis cold and drear.” London
64. “And Heaven, and Heaven and nature sing.” Joy to the world!
65. “Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la.” Deck the halls
66. “Down through the chimney with lots of toys…” Up on the housetop
First Thought That Comes To Mind When You Hear…
67. Snowflake! I missed it!
68. Pinecones! Ellingham Road
69. Elves! Orlando Bloom? Haha
70. Sleigh! Father Christmas
71. Presents! Ribbons and boxes
72. Cookies! Cookie Monster
73. Misletoe! Kiss
74. Rudolph! Red nose.
75. Blizzard! Dairy Queen
76. School’s Canceled! Movie time!!!
77. Ice Skating! Cutting Edge
78. Santa’s Lap! Huge haha
79. Black Friday! Superstition
80. God’s Son! Jesus
81. Melting Snow! Global warming
82. Lumps of Coal! Inihaw na bangus
83. Nutcracker! Macaulay Culkin
84. Ho Ho Ho! Santa
85. North Pole! Northern Lights

What’s a Winter Activity YOU Do…
86. …In the snow by yourself? Unfortunately, I’ve never seen snow.
87. …Inside by yourself? Read and write
88. …In a public place (with/alone)? Watch people.
89. …With friends/family in the snow at home? Probably stay indoors
90. …With friends/family inside at home? Watch HBO

Grade/Rate Holiday Movies A – F
91. A Christmas Story. They say it flopped
92. How The Grinch Stole Christmas? B
93. The Santa Clause? B.
94. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer? Didn’t see this one.
95. Frosty The Snowman? Neither.
96. Home Alone. A
97. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Uh.
98. Elf. C
99. Miracle on 34th Street. Hmm.
100. A Charlie Brown Christmas. Nada.

The ____ Present You’ve Received?
101. Most expensive? Marithe Francois Girbaud bag.
102. Ugliest? Calendar.
103. Worthless? Hmm.
104. Most-wanted (personally)? A good planner.
105. Most-wanted/popular (media frenzy)? David Cook CD, Anoretix
106. Unwanted? All wanted.
107. Never-used? The necklace and earrings set I bought last year in London.
109. Biggest (size)? Bayo sleeveless sweater
110. Most meaningful? A book given to me before by someone special

Christmas At My House…(one or the other)
111. Tree is fake/real? No tree
112. Tree is under/above 4′? No tree
113. Open presents Christmas Eve/Day? Regardless
114. House/entire yard is decorated? Just blinking lights outside
115. Amount of presents under the tree? They’re gone now.
116. Snowman is a male/female? Bi
117. Go for Santa/Jesus? Christmas is never about Santa.
118. Homemade/delivered/takeout Christmas dinner? If mom’s not cooking, I go for take away.
119. Bedtime is before/after midnight? After midnight, or never at all.
120. Wake-up is before/after 7am? After.
121. Go/don’t go to church on Christmas? We don’t have church service on Christmas Day.
122. Pray & sing Happy Birthday/do nothing before bed? Read and pray.
123. Do shopping before/after Thanksgiving? After
124. Low-key/over the top decorations (inside and out)? Very few low-key

Have You Ever?
125. Built a snowman? No
126. Heard Santa’s sleigh? In the movies, yes
127. Seen Santa & Rudolph in the sky? In my dreams
128. Sat on Santa’s lap? Can’t remember
129. Shoveled the driveway/sidewalk? No
130. Made snow angels? No
131. Built a fort/igloo? No
132. Wrote a Christmas list? All the time
133. Wrote a letter to Santa? No
134. Left cookies/milk for Santa & reindeer? Yes, when I was a kid
135. Caught a snowflake on your tongue? No
136. Went caroling? Yes
137. Got hurt during the winter season? Luckily I did not.
138. Gone ice skating/sledding? Neither
139. Kissed under a mistletoe? That I have to find out soon
140. Experienced/saw a miracle happen? We are all God’s miracles
141. Get everything you wanted for Christmas? Not exactly
142. Cooked/baked? All fine with me

Complete The Line
143. “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, lean your ___ this way.” Hmm…
144. “And children listen to hear ___ bells in the snow.” sleigh
145. “And on every street ___ you’ll hear silver bells.” Corner
146. “O night divine, O night when Christ was ___.” Born
147. “All I want for Christmas is my ___ front teeth.” two
148. “It’s beginning to ___ a lot like Christmas.” look
149. “Round yon virgin ___ and child.” mother
150. “Sing praises to our Heavenly ____.” Father

Christmas 101
151. Color of Rudolph’s nose? Red.
152. Jesus’ Virgin Mother? Mary.
153. What made Frosty come to life? I don’t know
154. Two main colors of Christmas? red and green
155. Does Mrs. Claus have a first name? Maybe
156. Where does Santa live? North Pole
157. True love gave what on the second day of Christmas? two turtle doves
158. What kind of nuts are roasting on an open fire? chestnuts

Make Up Your Own Christmas Tale
159. Once upon a time, there was a: girl 160. Who couldn’t stop: working
161. After a while, she fell asleep next to a: taxi driver
162. When she woke, there was: a commotion (they got hit by a truck)
163. Thanks to them, Christmas break: and everyone is in a good mood.

How Does He Do It?
162. Get down the chimney? He slimmed down
163. Deliver presents all over the world? That’s FedEx
164. Get so fat and still act so jolly? He’s been eating much
165. Recruit reindeer for sleigh-pulling lessons? Posted an ad.
166. Provide compensation for elves making toys? Good revenue stream from making toys
167. Stay unseen from the rest of the world? Invisibility cloak

Would It Still Be Christmas Without…
168. Candy canes? yes
169. Snow? yes
170. Stores opening at 5am? yes
171. Winter vacation? yes
172. Visiting family & friends? yes
173. Fake Santas? yes
174. Christmas trees? yes
175. New holiday movies? yes
176. Getting holiday greeting cards/email? yes
177. Holiday tunes? yes

Share Your Stories in 1 Sentence
178. The best Christmas you’ve had. There are lots, each Christmas is different from the other.
179. The most upsetting Christmas you’ve had? Last year. I was out of job.
180. One hilarious Christmas blooper? None so far.

True Or False
181. You prefer to stay inside where it’s warm? true
182. You’ve given something (or $) to charity? true
183. You spent more than what people spent on you? true
184. You like to take your time opening presents? true
185. The thing you want most this year costs $100+? Laptop!!!
186. You expect to get more than 10 presents this year? Not really.
187. You’re a Scrooge/Grinch? false
188. Christmas = snow? false.
189. You know the lyrics to more than 25 Christmas songs? Not exactly

Grab Bag
190. Three best things about Christmas? Long vacation. Malls. Food.
191. Worst Christmas song? I have to hear one yet.
192. If you were a Christmas character, who would you be? I’ve always wanted to be Tinkerbell.
193. What type of decoration should stop being made? Sub-standard Christmas lights from China.
194. Tastiest holiday treat? Pizza…ha ha.
195. Favorite pop culture/stereotypical Christmas icon (noun)? Santa Claus
196. Know how to make cookies/brownies/cake from scratch? No.
197. Ever cut your mouth on a candy cane/candy? No. Just paper cuts.
198. What other culture would you like to experience Christmas with? Have it in the UK.
199. What kind of pattern/pictures do you like on your wrapping paper? Simple designs, more trees.
200. Will you make a Christmas picture for your blog/website/profile? I’m hoping for a Christmas template.

Star-studded

While Makati’s busy highways are lit up with garlic and onion lanterns, Mandaluyong’s light posts with Tigger and Pooh and Manila basks in their version of Las Vegas (lights and all), Pasig City’s Ortigas opted to dress up the business district the traditional way.

Lighting up the dark cold night

This Christmas tree is smacked right at the heart of Ortigas Center where traffic proved to be unbearable on days like these. The tree stands proud with a twin just right across the street, both along ADB Avenue corner Julia Vargas. It’s nice to have something to feast your eyes on at night while taking long walks from office to an overcrowded Megamall. It refreshes those already troubled minds.

There is something about the trees that reminds us of the peace and quiet in the middle of strife and anxiety. Christmas celebrates the simplicity but extraordinary way of showing love to the undeserving. It boggles the mind but nevertheless that remains a reality we all should learn to embrace.

Designer trees

I have been a resident of Greenbelt 5 long enough (if one week of lurking counts) not to notice this one particular exhibit at the center of the mall. Designer Christmas trees are currently on display for more than a week now. People have turned it into some wonderland theme park where they take pictures of themselves posing with the trees. These photos don’t look like they were taken anywhere in ‘Pinas.

Dolled up

The trees were still lovely no matter how their designers have gone way bit too far in terms of overloading them with various trimmings from dolls to ribbons and wreaths. But I won’t spend a dime on these lavish trees even if I have a $1000 to spend. The designs are too heavy my eyeballs would pop out of their sockets. It’s the minimalist in me talking. I don’t know with you.

Winter feel

It’s ten more days to go before Christmas and I haven’t done any serious gift shopping yet. The malls are too crowded these days that I avoid them as much as I can. If you want to lose those unwanted pounds without diet pills, try mall fitness walking. You won’t be disappointed.