My First Christmas In The Philippines
I thought I’d make some random notes about what is going on with myself and those close to me for my first Christmas in the Philippines. I have spent many Christmas’ alone. Sometimes not even 
a phone call. It doesn’t take a lot for my Christmas to be good. I wish I had my computer here so I had all my Christmas music. Perhaps by next year we’ll have that and a karaoke machine as well. Not being alone is all i really need to have a fantastic Christmas. I estimate spending about 10 Christmas alone, including the two most recent ones.
I will probably post additional articles on my first Christmas here as the day continues. I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas, but I sure would enjoy a cooler Christmas, just a little cooler? :)
Soon after awaking, Jessie and I headed out for some last minute errands. Mostly things for a simple Christmas meal. Jessie put all the Christmas presents out except the two bikes for the boys, Jason and Jermain.
Jessie thinks the tree is loaded with gifts. She was so happy with what she saw after she put out the packages. I thought it was pretty modest myself. As long as she and the boys are happy, that’s all that matters to me.
When the boys came home from the yaya’s family home, Jermain went up to the Christmas tree, picked up a package and prepared to use it like a bat on the tree. LOL I yelled and Beth (the yaya) came running. I mean he really rared back and was about to smack that tree right out of the room! I yelled his name loud enough that he stopped in mid swing. I was surprised he did. I just knew he was going to do it!
When the yaya went back home, Jermain really wanted to go with her. There is a sari sari store (Philippine version of a convenience store) near them that loves to spoil him and spoil him totally. They say he owns the store. He was a bit fussy, so Jessie gave him a package to open. He managed to get one end open and could see a truck and he went vroooom vroooom but he could figure out how to get it out of there.
After about five minutes, I finally took it from him and showed him how to rip into it. That was the end, he knows exactly what to do now to get into Christmas packages. :) He is pretty happy with the toy fire truck and has been playing with it for about an hour, maybe longer. He is also guarding it, pushing us away if we try to “borrow” it. I have video. I’ve taken a lot of video over the last two days and plan to get a lot more before Christmas is over.
It will be some time though before I am able to put them online, but I will one of these days. I have taken still pictures as well, not enough but the video camera is better suited for Christmas scenes.
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Hi Rusty!
I am glad that you have found some happiness in your life. Merry Christmas to you and your new family.
Thank you, Merry Christmas. I take it one day at a time now. :)
I was planning on going to Mass tonight, it would have been my first but I think I’m not going to be up to it. It would be pretty late for the 2 year old. I think Jessie has fallen to sleep down stairs too. Trying to get the little to sleep. LOL
Hopefully, I’ll have another year and I’ll get to experience it next year.
Merry Christmas Rusty! Good for you that spend christmas with your loved ones there in the Philippines. Stay happy & healthy & more blessings to come….! God bless!:)
Hi Nel and Merry Christmas. I hope you have some loved ones there in the USA. :) I hope you’re not too home sick for the Philippines.
its ok Rusty… Even if I’m alone this christmas, I’m always thankful to our Almighty God for giving me a healthy body & to all good things happened in my life especially to my career..!:)
[img]http://images.zwani.com/graphics/christmas/images/2christmas-filled-memories.gif[/img]
,,,,…I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas, but I sure would enjoy a cooler Christmas, just a little cooler?….,,,,
Well,… well, I wish we could exchange the countries…
The entire country, from coast to coast, is white !!!
I am talking about Canada,… of course !!! Sigh …
Really sorry your alone in this world Nel. I do understand how turning to God is how we can ease our wordly pain, even make it go away. When you get right down to it, God is the only place to turn for any of us. Every one and everything else is temporary, enjoy those while we have those. One day at a time. I do wish you could come home for Christmas.
LOL Robert, I didn’t say that much cooler. :) I spent a Christmas in Ontario and was shocked that it didn’t show. Just my luck. Can’t remember the name of it now. Town a bit south of Barrie. Was there for about a week.
A White Christmas would be cool, only if it would just go away any time I needed too go out. LOL Could you imagine the chaos in the Philippines if it snowed? There is very little danger of that. My GF gets cold when its 25C degrees.
I keep it at 25 to 28C in our room and at 26C she puts on her scarf. :) One thing Canada usually has no shortage of, that’s snow!
PS, I got my Christmas wish, it rained twice and the temperatures went way down. Jessie and I walked down to the part last night. She was cold. LOL
Hello again Rusty
I was reading the other web-site about ex-pats living in Philippines and guess what aroused my curiousity : a dated article about foreigners wanting, or rather, dreaming about relocating to Philippines, but actually seldom doing it… http://www.liveinthephilippines.com/content/2008/12/honestly-do-you-really-want-to-live-here/
Would be interesting if you could write your own thoughts about it.
The subject is perhaps not directly related to Christmas but at this time of the year it just might be.
Merry Chrismas to both of you and the children.
Hey Robert,
I read that too and commented on it I think. Was a good article. I will try to remember to write something on it. It will probably be on my website at http://www.heyjoe.ph and I’ll post a comment or post here pointing to it. I’m slow in my writing. Takes me hours to write 1000 words. But I need to limit my articles to 500 words. Going to work on that too.
Robert, I added a post on my other site regarding this. You can check it out here! http://heyjoe.ph/how-i-ended-up-in-the-philippines/