Christmas Party 2008.

We just had our Christmas Party. Yeah, on the 29th of December. I know, it's late. But it's still a party. Whatever you call it, a Christmas or a New Year Party. It was fun, as always, because it's a family Christmas Party. There are like 6 families who went, all are family friends or barkada, cousins, whatever. At last, we're all complete now. Last year, my brothers, cousin and uncle(and my dad, too) weren't here because they were at Davao and had some gig for almost one month so they didn't spend Christmas with us. We knew it was going to be a lonely one because there were only 3 of us-- me, my mom and my tita. Because of that, we thought of organizing a Christmas party for everyone who was left over here at Manila. That was way back when things weren't too complicated yet.. and chaotic. Thank God that everything is almost going nice now.

So, last year, the whole band and my dad weren't here, and of course, we miss them because the group isn't complete without them. So for us to have some fun and not have a blue Christmas, we had our Christmas party. It was uber fun that we did it again. Tonight. Just tonight. It had the same people from last year. Our family friend, Kuya Ces and Ate Gem with their kids(there are 4 of them, I think. Two with the almost the same age as mine and two little kids. The little kids were uber cute! Very Chinese! Hehehe). My cousin's family, Kuya Sonny and Ate Lhyn with their only child for now, Ska, who is 7 years old. My cousin's neighbor who also became a family friend, Kuya Otoy and Ate Sheila with their kids(who are sooo kulit!). My uncle Arthur and Auntie Sherriz who doesn't have a child yet because they just got married last year, I think? Yeah, right! My brother Kuya Ian and his wife, Ate Liza who just got married last September and of course, us, our family. Our family was all wearing red. My Kuya Raymond is wearing white though because his girlfriend, Ate Therese, is also wearing white. Some wore yellow, green, and brown. The red team was winning though. Hehe.








Last year's Christmas Party at Philam Homes. Same people, only bigger because my brother's and the others are now here.

Last year, we spent the Christmas Party at our house at Philam but since we already left there, we spent it at our house in Commonwealth. I was shocked because there were lights(just a spotlight) and sound system! LOL. We even said, "Hindi kaya mabulabog mga kapit-bahay natin neto? Hahaha!" The staff and crew of Sound Chaser¹ were also there, btw.

It was really fun because we were complete and all of us participated in the parlor games. Yeah, we had that! Haha. There were like almost 6 or 5 games. Our all-time favorite game, Pinoy Henyo! There was also yung game na palalamugin yung talong(for all singles! Too bad I didn't win, I was 2nd though. Haha). Then an imbento game called "Isubo mo, Darling". LOL! It was for couples. They were both blindfolded and they're gonna make subo(haha, anong english ng subo? lol) the banana to each other. It was SOO FUNNY!!! :)) Then, the stop dance game for kids and their fathers. And the last game was the relay game! It was really fun because most people got to participate. Damn, we lost! BOO-HOO!!! We were ahead of the other team first! But because of me, YEAH RIGHT!! LOL. I was to blow the flour in the paper plate and under it, there's a word that we're gonna say then after, grab a flag inside the basin full of water which says WINNER. YUN YON! Dun ako natagalan! Langya. The paper was really sticky! I had a hard time taking the plastic off too! So there, we lost. BOO-HOO! But it was fun. I think it was my first time blowing the flour. I was coughing and the flour was all over me! My face, my hands, my shirt and my pants! Damnit. LOL. But it was really fun.

After the games, we had our exchange gifts. I got a bag! Yay! Lol, I got like 3 or 4 bags as a gift this Christmas. It's okay, at least, I have bags man!! I can't get enough of it. Especially school bags. Lol. I hoped that my mom, dad or my Kuya Carlos(2nd bro) picked my name but they didn't. Well, why? Because their gifts are the mugs from Starbucks! I wanted one! I picked my uncle's name, Uncle Arthur, so he got a Starbucks mug, too. Lol. Dapat kasi 300php up and we can't think of anything else to give. Because we didn't know who we will exchange gifts to until the time for our exchange gifts so we had to buy a unisex gift.

They're still downstairs. The adults are playing cards and drinking, hmm, wine or Matador? Lol. I don't know. Usually I join them, but they didn't invite me over so I didn't go. The kids are still here, too. They're playing, I guess. Their voices, both the adults and kids, can be heard from over here and I'm at the 3rd floor. That's how noisy they are. I can't find anything to do so I ate again, read the book my Kuya Carlos gave me as a gift(For One More Day by Mitch Albom), and now I'm typing this blog post. I don't know what made me type this long post to think that I am lazy to blog these days. So I think it has been a long time since I made a real update.

Anyway, these kind of events and parties make me want to have a DSLR so much. I want to be the one capturing the moments. I also want our video cam be fixed because I, too, want to be the one recording the moments that can never happen again the same way. I'm having fun doing it. But anyway, it will happen. I know, it will. :D

And oh yeah, sometimes I think my family doesn't really know me well. I mean, they may see the me I am showing them, but they don't see the me when I am with my friends. Well, we all act differently when we're with family and with friends. But still, it's the same us. Isn't it? I just think I can't really show to my family what I am showing to my friends because it's inappropriate. Anyway, they still think of me as the shy and quiet person. Well yeah, I am shy but I have changed a lot in terms of self-esteem and confidence but they don't see it. I am quiet, but I am also really really talkative. So I have to exert more effort now for them to see how much I have changed, for the better? I don't know. I just don't know. I guess they have just so much expectation of me that I can't meet their standards. I know they have high expectations of me, I really know it. I can tell. Sometimes it's making me feel frustrated and feel that I am not enough, that what I am doing isn't enough. I know I shouldn't feel that way and I shouldn't think that way because they're family and they accept me for whatever and whoever I am. But yeah, what can I do? It's how I feel, and sometimes think. It makes me want to be alone at times because I don't want to hear my brothers talking to me, my mom and my dad talking and talking about stuffs that I should do and whoever I am not. You know? Agh. This post just turned into a rant. This is supposed to be about the Christmas Party, supposed to be a happy post.

And this has turned to be a really long one. Thanks for reading, anyway. I'm going to return to reading For One More Day. And I hope, I will finish whatever I need to finish this vacation. I have much to do yet I am not doing it and I haven't finished doing it. I have the tendency to start off a thing and not finish it because I get lazy. Just like what I am doing for my year-ender for this blog. I want to finish it but I am lazy to. Grr.

Anyway, bye. :)

¹ Sound Chaser is a lights and sound system rental, sales and installations for concerts, events, and the like owned by my family.