My New Year countdown started as early as September 2007, when Joan and I booked our round-trip tickets for Roxas City on December 23 and return flight to Manila via Kalibo on January 2.
Two reasons for this earlier-than-usual travel preparations: 1) we would be spending the holidays in two provinces, and 2) the New Year celebration would be somewhat special because of this.
But like most carefully planned activities, something went wrong with this one.
On December 10, I committed (or rather, condemned) myself and over ten of my officemates to a stressful holiday season by saying "yes" to a project that has to be completed before the year ends.
And so my flight got moved to December 28 and we worked for the most part of Christmas season, pausing only for the office party and Christmas day itself.
Ah the wonders of work. It leaves you with no time to feel sad or sorry about yourself. It simply speeds up time and before you know it, Christmas has passed.
Thanks to my officemates, the project was finished by the time I checked-in Cebu Pacific Airlines' 11 am flight for Roxas City.Relief...
Spending time with Joan's family always reminds me of how different our two homes are. One is a haven of peace, quietly buzzing with clockwork precision, while the other a hub of lively chaos. Theirs is a place where spaces are defined and governed with rules, while ours seem to have opened its doors to the rest of the community, with my sanctuary reduced to a single room. Each home exudes a totally different energy and inspiration.
We went home to Batan, Aklan in December 29 -- in time to be in the middle of the frenzy of preparation for Father's Day 2008.
This is it... one year of preparation for a 3-day celebration. My uncle, the 2007 Father of the Year, was a picture of excitement and exhaustion. This is his dream. Behind the fatigue, it was clear that he and his family were having the time of their lives.It was refreshing to see Father's Day in Batan as something more than just music, food, and fanfare. There were outreach activities for the children and poor folks of Batan, and there were even talks about forming a foundation to grant scholarships to poor but deserving students. I am very thankful for all the efforts to put more relevance to this festivity, and I pray all their plans push through.
The Father's Day celebration culminated on the night of New Year's eve. My uncle and his family did a wonderful work of bringing back the traditional feel of the event.
It was the biggest family gathering I've ever attended. I have never seen so many of my relatives gathered in one place. It was a happy, eerie feeling to again be around with people who have been part of my childhood.
Joan's presence completed the magic of it all. When the church bells struck twelve, we were dancing and hugging everyone under the fireworks, while my celebrity cousin Jeff Bolivar of Soapdish serenaded the townfolks.
It was the first time Joan hugged that many people on New Year.
Happy new year! (And happy Year of the Rat!)
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