missing home

I can feel the cold breeze of December in this side of the desert already and it makes me miss Holidays in the Philippines again. This will be the 2nd year that I'll be celebrating the Yuletide away from my family. I'll be missing again all the Simbang gabi's and the midnight mass.I miss seeing a Christmas tree  2nd year in a row. Usually when "ber" months starts I was the one in charge of decorating the house and I super looked forward in doing this. I'm not that good at decorating but I like playing with stuffs. Each year I make it a point to create a theme for christmas decors. The last christmas I was at home, my theme was blue and silver christmas tree. Huge silver and blue balls where hanged together with old trinketssave from the pasts years. I miss my giant christmas sock too, a gift from my tita mhel way back when I was 8 years old which I still keep and hung every christmas. 

 I'll be missing the scent of the lechon (roasted/ suckling pig) everyday in our house. It's like fiesta everyday at home because of the parading lechon of all sizes. I miss all the dinuguan and igado which I indulgently devour each day, ( not minding all the cholesterols). I miss helping mama and papa prepare stuffs for our  daily lechon feast.  Those where the days when no matter how sleepy we are, we will wake up so early and help in the roastings and count our share of wage which actually we didn't dare ask mama to give us. It's just our way of joking around and telling our workers that as we work, we too share in their daily wage. Merely writing this part makes my mouth so watery and suddenly craves for a crispy lechon skin at the moment.

this is how a day for us in december is

Another thing I super miss doing during the holidays is the exchange of gifts and the gift giving we traditionally do at home. Actually the act of opening of gifts happen not during christmas day at home. We open and give our gifts every new year. I don't recall why, but it has been a yearly act for us to open after the break of new year. No matter how  inexpensive it is, the enjoyment of opening it simultaneously is the happy part of this activity. For this year I am assigning my sister dianne to take charge in picking a common gift that we can all give to our parents. If only I can send them right now, I'll be sending them this SONY BRAVIA  3D LED tv I am currently eyeing. Bullseye to the price tag though.

 But undeniably what I miss most about this time is my family, my comfort and my wings. For without them I cannot survive the cruelties of desert living. I miss teasing mama's workaholic holiday stress. I miss hugging papa every now and then especially when we debate on some issues. I miss my sisters, my constant debate mates, my gala companions and my "chikamates". There is so many good things I love about my family. I am proud of what i became  because of them.