A simplified Christmas

If Christmas 2018 tells me anything, it is the possibility that Filipinos have started to simplify “Christmas” in more ways than one. For starters, most people I know did not make a beeline for the malls when they got their 13th month or their paycheck. Some people actually talked about investing the money on things like life insurance or a small business. There were also much less Christmas parties than before and for once I did not encounter incidents or stories about people getting dead drunk or totally drunk. When we did our last minute shopping for gifts, the malls were not filled to the brim like past Christmases. In fact, the Friday Carmagedon that authorities warned us about did not happen except for those trying to get parking inside the malls. Most people seemed to have stayed home or opted to walk like we did from Barrio Kapitolyo to Megamall and back. People have also placed price limits on gift giving which is very considerate and challenging for gift givers who were forced to really find ideal gifts or assemble a package of goodies. 

Over all it seemed as if the celebration this year was subdued, family oriented and reflective of people being more intentional about their gift giving rather than being showy or buying and giving for “yabang factor”. Most people I know also limited their gift giving to close friends or family members. I for one really appreciated this because I have openly expressed my disapproval of the cultural practice of gift giving in Philippine business and extended social circle that has made gift giving an actual burden rather than a welcomed blessing. For once most of the gifts that came through the door were the usual corporate stuff and the ones I liked the most were the foodstuff that I get to have and am allowed to have only during Christmas!!!

Unlike past years when people posted a lot about their “party”, event, shopping sprees or travels as individuals, this year seemed to place the family at the center of things. Predominant was the “greeting cards” on Facebook where people posted family pictures which certainly did a lot of good for preserving the environment and reducing our paper waste. Personally this made our Christmas tree less cluttered but it convinced me to forget the idea of sending out personal notes on special cards after the holidays. Just trying to find good quality stationery nowadays has turned out to be a challenge and then there is the added work of actually gathering people’s mailing address and sending out the note via the post office. Just going to the post office is already a challenge in terms of traffic and finding parking space.

Many families still drove out or flew out of Metro Manila or the Philippines but I noticed that they were folks who really worked hard most of the year and Christmas was the one time everybody could actually get together for a week. Many friends who have children who are in junior or senior high school all face the challenge of finding free time with their children because the students are all deep into school work and the numerous class suspensions during the rainy season just about made vacations impossible. Travel was certainly one of the highlighted activities during Christmas and I was a bit envious viewing posts of complete families by the beach, some hotel, throwing snowballs, or simply gathering in front of some tourist spot. What I remembered was that many of my friends who flew out had been saving for their trips since January, making their flight and AirBNB bookings sometime October and making sure everyone in the family was in on the plan. I guess that’s one way of accomplishing Bucket Lists each year. What I envied was they were complete, together, building memories and not just out shopping.

*      *      *   

Speaking of “Bucket Lists,” I was under the impression that I have traveled to most parts of the Philippines with very few exceptions mainly caused by peace and order issues or accessibility. Given the fact that I go out of town to at least 30 destinations or provinces as resource speaker for BMeg Feeds every year, my wife often asks, “Where in the Philippines won’t you be this year?”

Lo and behold, my neighbor Jun Ventura who is the publisher/ president of Eastgate Publishing sent me an early Christmas gift in the form of a new coffee table book entitled “Bucket List – Philippines.” Our readers might remember that I previously did a “review” of their first book that featured the Best Places in the Philippines which I said was refreshing and practical because it gives real information and real tips on getting to and staying in the Best Places in the Philippines. Well the Bucket List follows the same tradition of editorial excellence by featuring the new and some only recently “discovered” destinations in the Philippines. What got my attention was the realization that yes I have been to most provinces in the Philippines but I rarely went to experience the special activities that “Bucket List” features on its pages.

I still have to go to Apo reef, Bamboo Bike around Intramuros, go white water rafting in Cagayan De Oro, trek and ATV drive around Mayon Volcano, Check out San Vicente, Palawan, take the Georeserve tour in Baras, Rizal. You guys know where to look for me in 2019. If you’re into Traveling, check out the book “Bucket List – Philippines.” It’s a great belated Christmas present as well!

*      *      *

E-mail: [email protected]