So this is Christmas

MANILA, Philippines - What makes Christmas so appealing to me is the fact that everybody’s happy, the weather is cooperative, the rainy season gets a tape duct for once and, well, I get presents (the December-January combo presents, mind you). But what I really like is the vibe, what it does to people and what people do with it.

This year, though, I’ve decided to take myself along a rather different route. I rented a house somewhere cold, I’m bringing my guitar and staying there for as long as I don’t have gigs in Manila. Who knows, maybe I’ll come up with a song or two for the upcoming third release like I did with Tadhana. Another idea that tickles me as well is the sudden pursuit of ticket-purchasing on Dec. 24 to go to Indonesia and watch a couple of music festivals — but all that depends on our local shows before New Year’s Eve.

I think the best part, though, is the anticipation. I could be anywhere this Christmas. I could be doing anything. I could be somewhere I’ve never been, I could be home. It’s like toying with your senses — sometimes you want to exhaust an idea by reliving the thought as you switch locations, or listen to your current favorite song as you move from point A to point B and you find yourself on the same plane: strong feelings hardly ever change. And that, to me, is the magic of memory.