A Christmas Special Christmas carols

You know it's the Christmas season when you start to see kids swarming around your car and singing carols every time you wait for the light to turn green.

To some people, these are a nuisance and pose a grave threat to the safety and lives of the children. Others think that these are just lovely sights and help to spread the spirit of the season. As for me, I'm neither nor against it. I just believe in the power of a good performance.

I remember an incident a few years ago: I was parked outside a bank waiting for someone. A couple of kids saw me and decided to put on a hell of a show. To call it just caroling would not do it justice. They really gave it their all. There were two kids doing back-up vocals of "oohs" and "aahs" with matching handclaps and synchronized hip-swaying. Another kid was shaking a maracas made out of bottle caps and the singer put on the funkiest rendition of "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit" while snapping his fingers to the beat. It didn't matter if they sang out of tune (if there was any tune at all). What they lacked in musicality, they made up for with attitude and showmanship. It was the easiest twenty pesos they ever made. The money went from my pocket to their hands with a speed as quick as a magician doing a trick.

Another equally unforgettable experience with a Christmas caroler was when I was stopping for a red light. The weather was quite cool and since there was no sun around, I cracked open my windows to let fresh air in. I looked away from the window to change the station on the radio and when I looked up, I was face to face with a bearded, toothless man. I don't mean to malign anybody on account of his or her looks but the situation was just so swift and scary I did not have time to think. I just went: "AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!" I did not know if he got spooked by my reaction or if he thought I was joining him on the song, but he also went:

AAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!" We ended up doing a howling duet of screams. I swear cats and dogs heard us and joined in.

And, somewhere on the background, I thought I heard a girl scream. It was only when things quietened down when I realized that the girl screaming was me.

And since we're on the topic of Christmas carols, I thought I'd close all this with an excerpt from a song thought up by me and my 8 year old cousin, Kate: "Jingle bell. Jingle bell. Kat-kat sa parel. Oh what pan restauran in a one horse open sleigh. HEY!"

Always remember: "If it's got song and dance a-plenty then it's definitely worth a twenty." And, please, don't hit the fan when you're face to face with a toothless, bearded man. Keep on singing and have a Merry Chirstmas!