A Christmas away from Home...

I was in deep slumber when I heard a shrill sound (No, it wasn't the jingle of the bells on Christmas Day but my hand phone ringing). My best friend called me up to remind me of tonight's itinerary. It's Christmas Eve.

I hurriedly went out to do my last minute shopping. We are celebrating tonight at another friend's house along with other fellow Filipinos who wants to enjoy Christmas in the atmosphere that we are used to, inside a Home. It has been a first to most of us gathered there to spend Christmas away from our family. There was a mixture of sadness, melancholy, anticipation and excitement.

"on the street at the strike of midnight"

By 11pm we went to attend mass at the nearby church which ended us on the street by the stroke of midnight. We haven't even realized it was already Christmas until we glanced at our watch. The street was pretty quiet. There were no lights that illuminate from inside of houses.
Where are the people? I guess, they were either asleep or outside partying.

I got an SMS greeting from my Singaporean friend so I asked her how she is spending her Christmas Eve. To my surprise, she replied, "We don't celebrate Christmas." That made me clearly realize that I'm not in the Philippines. And as I watch my friends talking on the phone with misty eyes, I can't help but wish I was back home. I miss the hustle of cooking the Christmas feast, the excitement of everyone in opening their gifts, the blinking of Christmas lights everywhere, the constant playing of Christmas songs, and most of all the loud and beautiful display of fireworks that encompasses the night sky.

our humble feast...

We still celebrated Christmas with the traditional exchanging of gifts and a feast on the dinner table(albeit minus the lechon!) I guess, we have to make do with what we can and what we have but still there is no place like a Christmas at Home...

Postscript:

Merry Christmas Everyone!