Marcus Can Blog

Christmas season is probably the only season in the whole year where one’s true test of character is tested. During this time, our appreciation of it and how we prepare and celebrate it shows how how we really understand and how willing we are to share the true essence brought about by this festive holiday. So 10 days before Christmas, I was thankful and happy that we experienced several aspects of it most especially its spiritual part. 

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Family portrait. Last year, my wife and I decided it’s best if we shoot our own. This year we opted to have it taken in the studio after realizing that we are running out of time before those Christmas cards for abroad gets super delayed.

"Is this a toy, Dad?" (Yes, a costly toy)

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Meeting a long lost friend. While my kid and I were about to claim our pictures from the photo store, I saw a very familiar face. She’s a long lost family friend who for some unfortunate turn of events we got disconnected from her. After years which seemed like an eternity, which I learned was just barely 3 years, I’m very glad that we finally met and had quite a long fulfilling chat no matter how sad the topic was. After we parted ways, hopefully not long enough this time, it struck me that after all the advent masses and recollection where I tried to imbibe myself to the values of forgiving and sharing, it was during yesterday’s encounter that I unconsciously applied those; and yes, it does feel good doing so. That’s Christmas without a hefty price tag – simple in form, overly gratifying in effect.

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Food. It cannot be denied that this season is very well related to the palate. The holiday feeling isn’t complete without the thought of food and that the word diet is the most unpopular. And so yesterday, my calorie counter I’m sure lost track again and had gone bonkers. Lunch was pizza, dinner was a lot of chicken and a couple of beers.

No, the chicken isn’t a teaser for our Bacolod vacation, but rather was part of the process my wife and her two other ex-colleagues are doing in preparation for a small business that we all hope will rival the now famous Chooks to Go. Well, not yet, but that’s the goal…or dream. Whatever. Anyway, the first time I tasted their chicken, without bias, I’d say it is a promising venture. Next time though, I promise I’ll just have a teeny-weeny bit of the taste test. Promise. So, with all fingers crossed, we all hope that the yuletide season will prove to be a good way to start this business.

It's been a while since our little kitchen got pretty occupied.

Watch out for these chickens...and letters.

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Still about food, my wife and I agreed that the Christmas package we got from our cooperative will be shared to two of our neighbors. One goes to our enduring baby sitter who at a very short notice willingly looks after our active baby. The other one will be given to our neighbor who recently lost their home during a fire. Yes, I’d say the noche buena package was tempting, but sharing it to those who need and deserve it most is what Christmas is all about. Bye cheese, bye macaroni…

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Lastly, however we avoid it, as we all feel the Christmas rush, it will bring out one way or another, the grinches in all of us. Yesterday, mine manifested itself. We were in a photo studio and excitedly waiting for our turn to have our pictures taken when the photographer showed us the background options and none of those presented were “christmassy” despite making it clear what we want. I tried negotiating if we can have a white background instead and that if he can edit it thru the computer to add the background we’re looking for. He agreed. Then he didn’t. Moments after I listened to and tolerated lame excuses, the bad grinch smiled and laughed. We were out of that store in no time with our payment refunded. My bad. He’s “badder”. Okay, that’s my Grinch speaking.

Mood: 2/10 Honks! (a couple more classes this week and we’ll be on our way to Bacolod)

The entry of our kid into our lives however, changed me a bit. So last year was supposed to be the first time we had one, but the work schedule back then didn’t permit me to do so – to build one out of my collected used badminton shuttlecocks, that is. But this year, I have no more reasons not to do it. And so, it has begun…

Smashed shuttlecocks recycled as a Christmas tree. I Started stacking it last Thursday, and now it is almost done.

I think I've already convinced her that shuttlecocks can become one good Christmas tree. She's doing the Belen characters, also coming out of these badminton victims.

 

In the next few days, this art creation, if I may call it, will be painted – which luckily, majority of the green paint was recovered on the floor, after Marcus broke the container and spilled almost half of it probably thinking that it’s how things should get done.

 

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Looks good, tastes good.

Wifey, as always, prepared a very healthy green salad for our snack this afternoon. Now, this is what I call green, good and real…not like the fake plastic Christmas tree. I can say, she’s loving the tree I made. I haven’t check though if there were worms hidden under those lovely and delicious veggies.

 

By the way, those are leftover Jollibee chickens. She's a creative cook just as I'm a creative Christmas tree designer...hahahaha.

 

 

 

Mood: 2/10 Honks! (lots of things get me excited nowadays.)

Make every day of the year Christmas. Christmas is in our hearts. These are just a couple of famous lines I’d always remember about Christmas. Even then, bringing back the same feeling of how it was celebrated during my childhood years seems to be getting more impossible with each passing year. It must have something to do with age or whatever excuses. But nowadays, I yearn for innocence and simple joys that this season brings.

Back when I was a kid, I remember my excitement the moment I’d hear Christmas carols being played over the radio – usually when the “ber” months begin. There’s always anticipation that “Joy to the world” or “Ang pasko ay sumapit” will once again be heard right after the last week of August. This is just how it was then. This is just how we Filipinos have been known as having the longest Christmas season. Most tourists and other people from other countries are fascinated by the fact that even on September Christmas decors are starting to be seen already in some homes here in the Philippines.

I actually didn’t care for years already. Besides, I’ve come to accept that times have indeed changed. Since I reached my adolescence and the more after I started working I’ve surrendered to the unavoidable – that sometimes Christmas will be spent at work. I’ve likewise accepted of course that Santa never did exist; that some ninongs and ninangs do intentionally hide from their godchildren; that as we grow old, the chances of getting toys as gifts are fading; and that Christmas after all is just for kids. A few more years and maybe I’d soon find myself as one green creature – the Grinch.

So why am I starting to fret about wanting to feel Christmassy once again? That’s because I want our baby boy to experience it just like we did when we were kids. It’s funny but looking at his wide innocent eyes peering out of the window and being awed by the twinkling of the multi-colored lights makes me mushy and brings me back in time about three decades ago. It looks like those clear baby eyes are silently questioning why is everyone is in a hurry, why are there fake pine trees everywhere and all of which are clad in various decorations, why is there a group of kids outside singing jolly carols and why is there Christmas in the first place.

Our son's first gift exchange.

Today, on our way to Batangas, instead of playing his usual Barney CDs I tried scanning the radio stations in search for Christmas songs. To my dismay, none of my preset stations played any of the tunes. All I got were every genre but no Christmas carols. And to think that it’s December 25^th worsen my disappointment. The spirit of the season isn’t on air already – not until the radio’s auto-tune stopped at 100.3 FM (RJ FM). They’re playing 48 hours of Christmas music and that one cheered me up in an instant. And although I can’t confirm that our baby boy did appreciate it as well, I’m just so glad that at least one station still dedicated 2 days of nothing but Christmas music. I know the memories of hearing these will embed in the mind of our baby for his first Christmas ever.

Now I still wonder, is it still Christmas? Or did Christmas fade after some of us completed the 9-day misa de gallo; after all the noche Buena have been eaten; and after all the gifts have been opened? Hopefully, it’s still Christmas…

Effect of Christmas music - sleepy backseat passengers.

Mood: 3/10 Honks!