Starry Night Surprise or Holiday Surprise

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Me and my Host Mom - Inang God the night sky was beautiful tonight. I think there are more stars in this sky than there are in Havasu if that is even possible. Not really but it seems so. Really there are minimal lights in the streets and even at points there should be there are none. Walking between the Somascan property and Mary’s place is a death trap. Pot holes are everywhere and you cannot even walk in a thin straight line. I wanted to stop in the middle of the road and just look up for a while but I was late coming home and needed to catch a bus if there was even one. Well I don’t want to get into how I got home because I’m home safe and writing this. I have experienced my first Christmas and New Years away from home and I survived. They were both great cultural opportunities and I’m so glad I got to participate in them; next year I hope to get new opportunity. My host family does not celebrate Christmas because of their faith - Iglesia Ni Christo so I was on my own to find my activity. A fellow PCV and I were spending Christmas together and we were invited to spend it with another PCV at her work site. Christmas here actually starts on Christmas Eve between 10pm and Midnight and it is called "Noche Buena." Families will get together the night before and welcome the birth of Christ. Food will be made and shared and spaghetti is definitely included in the menu. This is the start of gift giving, all could be given or some could be opened the next morning. On Christmas day neighbors will come to each others homes looking for a Christmas gift which would be a monetary gift. A coworker indicated that 20 pesos for children and 100 pesos for an adult was the standard. The family gets together which includes extended family and food is prepared and consumed. Food as you may have caught on is a huge part of the culture and any holiday, event or visitor will call for special dishes and consuming something. New Years eve was similar in preparation actually the day was restful and around 6pm the family began again preparing this time for the midnight feast welcoming in the New Year. My host cousin’s family prepared beef and broccoli, carbonara pasta, chicken wings, deep fried pork, sweet spaghetti (the classic), and a variety of deserts. Ate Nitz prepared kebabs, hotdogs on a stick, squid, chicken adobo, and deserts. By 10:30pm I was so tired and took a quick 1 hour nap. Just before midnight I was told to turn on all the lights in my house and to open my door even though I was not in my house (this is the first time I was allowed and advised to) this shows God the way to my house so he will bless it for the New Year. The family says a prayer for the New Year and by this time the whole neighborhood is alight with fireworks. Everyone has them and lights them in the yard or along the highway. Some fly into the botanical nursery across the highway and I’m concerned they will set the whole place on fire but it is not to be thank God. We then start at Inang’s house with the feast. Of course I’m told I have not eaten enough (especially since I refused rice) but I needed to save room for the other homes. We visited 3 other family members before heading home and by the time I climbed into bed it was 4am. Crazy!!! New Years day was a blur, I felt hung over but I didn’t even have a sip of any alcohol!!! I have come to the realization that if I lay my head down after 2:30am (with or without alcohol) I will be utterly useless the next day. I was discussing with a counterpart her Christmas and New Years and it was also very family orientated. I’m much more used to spending Christmas with my family but also visiting friends and New Years celebrating it with family and friends.