CHRISTmas

Nothing beats Christmas in the Philippines. Whereas people are busy worrying about gifts here, we don't worry about that back home. Well at least for me, I don't. Our family don't. Back then, we don't have extra money to buy gifts so that wasn't really part of our celebration. Christmas to us was about making the house clean always, heavy with christmas decorations, the parol, the christmas tree, the food, and going to church. Yes, no gifts and no santa. It's all about the preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ. Well, that's what christmas is about!! It's really frustrating here that all people think of are gifts and santa. Really, santa is bullshit. Sorry kids but he is. It's sad to see people calling santa gift giving as a tradition. According to the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language:

Tradition n. (tr-dshn)

• The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation.
• A set of such customs and usages viewed as a coherent body of precedents influencing the present.

So what tradition? Canadian perhaps. But we're not Canadians, for Christ's sake! You might have a Canadian passport but are you really Canadian? Just because your 'eh' sounds Canadian enough doesn't make you one. Having that passport doesn't make you one. That is why I am having a hard time passing my papers for Canadian Citizenship. I find it hard to think of carrying a Canadian passport with this brown skin, asian look, and deep loyalty to being a Filipino. I may hate the way things are going on in the Philippines but I don't ever want anybody to think that I'm not a Filipino. I work here, I live here, but I'm not Canadian. Perhaps one day I'll carry the Canadian passport but it will only be for travelling purposes.

I wish Filipinos would not succumb to Canadian commercialism of celebrating Christmas. My, they don't even mention what Christmas really is for!?! All they have in minds are gifts, gifts, and more gifts. How I wish Filipinos would celebrate Christmas here the way they're supposed to be, the way our tradition is really done -- going to church, helping those in need, doing good, noche buena, and family. I don't know why we can't. Let's beat the cold and celebrate it our way, not their way.

Merry Christmas!!!