The Old Christmas

Should I be worried? The holidays this year aren't as festive, the season's not as merry. Have I "outgrown" Christmas? (Actually, this feeling's been lingering for years.)

I'm nostalgic about the past Christmases, way back before. The smell of steaming embutido would wake me up in the morning, cooking for the whole day. We'd have loads of chicken pastel (mommy cooks this only once a year) and homemade fruit salad. The house would be so busy with cooking, gift-wrapping, gift-giving, and other traditions.

Seems like the traditions are fading. Christmas has been reduced to, well, noche buena and a Christmas mass. Am I out-of-line here? Am I starting to become superficial? Well that's my Christmas, at least it was.

Here's to hoping I can find the real meaning of this special holiday in the next years.

More Unhealthiness

So sums every trip I make back home. Not that I'm complaining, it's a nice change. But too much of it is making me crazy. Makes me super unproductive and overly lethargic.

Not healthy indeed, especially for the holidays.

Symphony of Lights

To commemorate the "face-lift" of the Ayala Triangle park and to welcome the Christmas holidays, Ayala put up a light and music show inside the Ayala Triangle Gardens. This "symphony of lights" is similar to the one in Hong Kong, complete with Christmas tracks and a light show unique to the Philippines. Light designer Voltaire de Jesus and sound designer Jethro Joaquin came together to put on a wonderful show that makes every onlooker feel like a child again.

Ayala Triangle Gardens Music and Light Show from gelopots on Vimeo.
In time for the holidays, Ayala transformed the forest terrain of Ayala Triangle into a landscaped and walkable park. For this Christmas season, it boasts of a music and light show every weeknight from 6 to 7:30 pm.Unique metal sculptures scattered around the garden also add to the unique attraction that the park brings.

Aside from the light show, there are also scrap art and brass and iron sculptures around the park that serve as another attraction to the park-goers. The scrap art exhibit is by Ral Arrogante, in collaboration with Art Galleries Philippines; while the metal sculptures are by Castrillo-Hill.

Other attractions/perks of going to the ATG, as they call it, are Globe Tattoo's FREE WI-FI (it was pretty fast) and food concessionaires (Caramia-Amici's branded gelato and Big Chill).

Here are some shots from my Nokia N95:

Christmas is in the air! Part 2

More snapshots of Christmas trees, holiday decorations and whatnots =) Enjoy!

Carat's very own Santa Claus wishes you a Merry Christmas

Our area's humble Chrismas tree

Mark and Cham strike a pose with the Liberty Center Christmas tree

SM Mall of Asia

Lights and music show at the Ayala Triangle Gardens

Global Celebration

Spontaneously had dinner in SM Mall of Asia a few nights back. As rumored, the steel globe was supposedly transformed into one big LED display, but it was actually just individual LED lights, and of course, by day it's still a steel globe.

SM MOA Globe Lights from gelopots on Vimeo.
The huge steel globe in front of SM Mall of Asia transforms into a huge Christmas ball at night. This huge, round spectacle is a delight for both mall-goers and passers by.

The walkway was also adorned with a spectacle of Christmas lights, providing for a very festive SM Mall of Asia. =)

Christmas Bargain

You know you're in the Philippines when even Christmas ornaments have OVERRUNS. LOL.

taken during the Noel Christmas Bazaar in World Trade Center, Pasay

Christmas is in the air!

What's your Christmas sign? I get my first feel of Christmas when I see the red cups from Starbucks, those red paper cups that call out to you every time you buy your favorite cup of Christmas coffee =)

Since this is my first Christmas with Blogger, Just to pay tribute to this festive holiday, I've collected a few snapshots of this year's Christmas designs around the metro.

lantern vendors along Wilson St. in San Juan

Promenade, Greenhills

Greenbelt 3

Bonifacio High Street

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

*pictures were taken using Nokia N95

All Saint's Day

All Saint’s Day or Undas in Filipino, is one of the holidays where missing it is “frowned upon” by our entire clan. I don’t really know the normal tradition on how this holiday is celebrated since ever since, my memory of undas is a combination of a little fiesta and a reunion. And this year was no exception.

Lunch would be extended until 2 pm because of the many choices from KFC chicken to fried hito (catfish). Merienda would be a choice of cheese pimiento or chicken sandwich, all home-made. Yum! I think I gained another 2 or 3 pounds just from this weekend.

What I find funny about our tradition is, we stay until nighttime, just before dinner time, which is exactly the time when the dads and uncles are about to finish their scotch or whisky. =P While others pride themselves in going to the cemetery just to grieve for their loved ones and are not even allowed to laugh out loud (yes, I know some families), we, on the other hand, celebrate togetherness and the short time we have to catch up on the lives of our other relatives.

Alas, I left my socializing skills in the house this year. I was a lonely boy, playing with his sister’s Nintendo DS. =) There’s always next year.

taken from the Jongo mausoleum

taken from the Padilla mausoleum. my mom and grandparents

my sister and a distant cousin

my mom

my cousin eating ruffles with KFC gravy as merienda =P

the Padilla ladies

"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace.

Amen."