Start. Share. Save.

I'm finishing this post, because like what happens all the time when the year is about to end, everything else becomes hectic. So this will be the time to look back on 2011 and do a little review.

Here are some important lessons the year brought for me.

Start

It's best to start the day right. I used to get up late during my college days and show up late for classes because they all started in the afternoon. It meant that I had leisure time to cook for myself and sit back in shorts at home and read. But lately, I had to practice time management and this taught me to wake up early. This is especially true for travels when I am usually booked on a morning flight (6:30 AM) and most call times for assembly and road trips are around the same time.

I used to be nocturnal, believing that all my creative juices came with the dark. However, lately I spend all my sleeping hours at night, usually retreating to bed at 8PM and getting up the following day. I found out that I can do more and finish tasks earlier if I get a good head start. A good cup of coffee and a hearty, simple breakfast makes it more inspiring for me too.

Share

I have learned to share this year. I shared my skills and time to some kids and gave them tips about writing, became a speaker to some engagements. I have actively shared my thoughts and opinions and also other resources that I fully have access to. I'm proud to say I did my part in sharing what I could.

Save

This is the most important lesson yet for me. There are many things I want, and a secret ambition I yet have to fulfill, the only means I can attain is by saving. So I'm starting and continuing this year. I do hope I am able to accomplish soon.

Full speed to 2012 and thank you to those who have been part of my 2011.

Misa de Gallo

This is Tetuan Parish, the nearest church from our house, but this photo was taken during the fiesta in our village. (Will be uploading what it looks like in Christmas soon!)

Only nine days before Christmas morning, Filipinos get up earlier to complete one of the long-standing traditions of the season, the Simbang Gabi. Beginning on December 16 and ending on December 24 with the Misa de Gallo, the Simbang Gabi or translated in Evening Mass is attended at 4 or 5 in the morning. The Simbang Gabi is a devotion to the Blessed Mother. In some churches on Christmas Eve, the panuluyan is re-enacted showing Mary and Joseph looking for a birthplace for the child Jesus.

The panulayan is a re-enactment of Christmas Eve, when Joseph and Mary were searching for a place for the night.

According to age-old beliefs, if a person has an important wish he wants to be granted, he has to complete the nine mornings of Simbang Gabi. Many stories can be heard regarding the personal wishes and fulfilments of those who have attended and completed the nine mornings.

The Simbang Gabi was adapted from Mexico and other Spanish colonies. It was first held in the evening, and the clergy noticed that most of the churchgoers no longer have energy from attending to the fields all day, the archipelago being an agricultural country by region, have decided to move the masses during early morning just before sunrise to make it more convenient. Filipinos normally begin their work early in the morning to beat the harsh temperatures of the weather.

The Simbang Gabi is a tradition which strengthens the bonds between family members, where prayers and Christmas wishes are prayed over during observation of the mass. After the mass has been offered, a common sight is the vendors selling native delicacies to bring home and enjoy such as the putong bumbong, suman and puto to be savoured with hot chocolate. And each morning, as Christmas Day gets closer, so does the ties between family and friends become.

Yummy Puto Bumbong (photo from dubaichronicles.com)

This is hot chocolate, Pinoy Style 

Simbang Gabi is not only practiced year after year to continue tradition. It is observed as a Catholic community to intensify our faith through spiritual preparation of Christmas. Its significance is whether or not the novena is completed, but the personal disposition in order to receive the Lord’s blessings. 

Cum. Meh. Etc.

It comes as a personal curiosity and I have decided to read up on the following words which we might have heard or read, but do not necessarily know the definitions or origins. This is a simple etymological overview though. 

Etymology is the study of the history of words,their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time. It is a major branch in linguistics.(m-w.com) Read more here.

Cum

Cum, as in, cum laude. Cum means "along with being". It is regularly used to form usually hyphenated phrases. The term was first known to be used in circa 1869, with Latin as its language of origin, akin to Latin of com-. 

Meh

I have encountered this word only yesterday. Online coach and entrepreneur Marie Forleo explained in her  How to Deal with Overwhelm video that meh means anything "that basically kind of sucks", like anything you're not passionate about, feel guilty about or pressured to do. 

Urban Dictionary defines meh as an interjection when there are no right terms to describe your state, often used to express boredom. It is also used when you aren't ok but are not too bad either. The use of this word arises when the person who says meh does not want to talk about how he is feeling because of not being in the mood. 

Scenario 1

person A: "hey dude! you ok?" 

person B: (feelin a bit pi**ed off but not at his/her worst and aint in the mood for going into detail!) "Meh!"
person A: "Oh its like that is it?"
*person-B doesnt even have to explain him/herself, person-A has established hehe!

Scenario 2

Person 1 - 'hey, how was your day'
Person 2 - 'Meh!'

Etc is a Latin expression that means "and other things" or "and so forth" which reminds me of the King and I's Etc, etc. It is expanded as et cetera, et meaning "and" and cetera means "the rest". 

If there are some more words you want me to hunt and research for, kindly drop them at the comment box below and I will get back at you! 

Where do you want to party? Play the #RIOMintsLab games and you might just end up in Republiq.

Where do you want to party? Play the #RIOMintsLab games and you might just end up in Republiq.

My Zamboangueño Christmas

The lights and lanterns are up, and the pueblo has started to resemble a little Christmas postcard without the snow. Downtown people have started swarming to City Hall to take pictures with families and friends. The fountain in Plaza Pershing is most colorful at night and some visitors have taken out their cameras to capture the moments before the crowd doubles, with Christmas Day nearing and the air becoming a little colder. 

This is City Hall in lights, tourists and other visitors take their photos with the facade when the decors and lights are in full swing. 

More details and angles below

Plaza Pershing has just recently completed its fountains and has become quite an attraction among the locals.

Street lanterns like these can be seen all over town.

The gazebo is also showered with lights and decors.

The street lamps in every corner are followed by street lanterns.

Balloon vendors also crowd the plaza at night for those who want to bring home a balloon as a souvenir.