Ep20: The Christmas Entry

I haven't gotten the time lately, due to the many family events that transpired during the course of the week, to write. Evidently, now I do.

It was my second Christmas here, and right off the bat I can safely say that the holiday here is completely different to that of my homeland. Except for being both commercially oriented, Christmas here in Canada is basically boring compared to its said counterpart.

Christmas in the Philippines is literally "brighter" than here in Canada - every single house is lit with hundreds and hundreds of Christmas lights.

Furthermore, the crowds are more rambunctious over there than here. This shows the tremendous passion the people have for Christmas over there compared to the people here.

And of course, the spirit. Christmas is more than just a holiday in the Philippines, it's a tradition. A strong family-oriented tradition. A time when families reunite under one roof and celebrate. A time when people transcend the notion of gift-giving, and embody the very spirit of love and care.

Thanks to my family, I still had an amazing Christmas this year.

The snow was alright too.

Happy Holidays!

Ep 19: The Birthday Entry

Just a couple of days ago I had my birthday and turned 23. Yes, I am that old. I am 23 and I SHOULD not even have the time to write this. I SHOULD be too busy pursuing my career now. I SHOULD be busy analyzing data, traveling the world, reading this unearthly humongous textbook, or sleeping because I'm too tired. But no.

On a lighter note, I would like to thank every single one of you who greeted me. And if you haven't it's never too late - there's a shout-box below, or just click on my facebook profile page link below to greet me there! I'm talking to you, yes you!

It's an amazing feeling to find out how many people actually care about me considering that I have been staying home for almost half a year already - you'd think that they'd completely forgotten about you - it's nice to be proven wrong sometimes. That goes the same for the people a thousand miles away - you'd think that distance has taken its toll, but again I was proven wrong.

I would like to especially thank my girlfriend for her planned surprise for me during my birthday. I have never been surprised on my birthday so this is indeed a huge thing for me. For that, I thank her genuinely.

Happy Birthday to me.