Wednesday, December 15

Christmas Migration: The Filipino Phenomenon

the travelling of long distances in search of a new habitat. The trigger for the migration may be local climate, local availability of food, or the season of the year. To be counted as a true migration, and not just a local dispersal or irruption, the movement of the animals should be an annual or seasonal occurrence, such as birds migrating south for the winter, or a major habitat change as part of their life cycle, such as young Atlantic salmon leaving the river of their birth when they have reached a few inches in size.

Seasonal non-agricultural migration

Some researchers suggest that snowbirds — Canadian and U.S. citizens who move to warmer climates during the winter — exhibit patterns of seasonal migration. Although these people are not moving for agricultural reasons, they do move with the seasons. For example, many residents of Ontario, Canada move to Florida, USA during the winter. The practice actually dates back to colonial times, when Bostonians of means would often go (by sea) to Charleston or Savannah for winter. Later, the wealthy in the growing country maintained several seasonal residences and shifted residence with the seasons to avail themselves of the best time to be at each location, naming the time to "be" there, "the season". In British India, Ceylon and Malaya the cooler hill stations became the place of residence for Europeans during the hot summers, and Simla became the summer capital of the British Raj.

Wikipedia

Someone should add: In Southeast Asia, an annual wave of Filipinos go home for the Christmas season. Filipinos working in different countries start migrating to their homeland early December, some even as early as late November, to celebrate Christmas with their families.

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What is it about December? I think we've been bewitched by our homeland, or perhaps our blood has seeped so much into our soil, that Filipinos can feel the literal pull of the Philippines when Christmas lights start appearing in houses and Christmas carols start playing on the radio. Some internal mechanism starts whispering: go home, go home, go home.

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And the whole universe connives to strengthen the pull: you walk in a grocery store and hear strangers discussing in Tagalog and for a moment you're transported to SM Hypermart; your taste buds start longing for flavors it cannot describe and you start envisioning your mother's dining table laden with ordinary home-cooked food; your son's favorite cartoon character has a meet & greet in a mall near your home in the Philippines; friends start to disappear one by one as they, like the migratory birds, fly home.

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I'm biding my time. Learning patience as I get ready for my turn. Reveling in this time of anticipation.

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I'm going home. After two years of withstanding the pull of my homeland when the Decembers descended on the world, I am finally going to immerse myself again in the beauty of the Filipino Christmas. I can hardly wait!

Sunday, December 12

Silver & Gemstones

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I opened my little treasure chest today and dove in! Been a while since I've made my little trinkets just for the sheer fun of it. And, boy, did I love it!

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I love the colors. I love mixing them up. I love making something from what seemed to be nothing much. I love feeling the stones and the silver in my hand, it feels so earthy, so basic. I love their different textures. I love the way they become something. It's like Lego but prettier!

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I absolutely enjoy immersing myself in it. Everything around me disappears as I make my own time out cloud. Nothing else seems to matter except the wire that I need to twist this way and that way so I can put this stone just so. I like the moment when you flatten the last bit of wire and then take a look at what you made - then realise it's better than you thought it would be. I love the way Life gives me little surprises like that.

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I made a few trinkets today - I love the word 'trinket,' can't you tell? Will make a few more before we fly off. These coming days will be quite exciting, very colorful and absolutely busy! Holidays are here and you know what that means: no rest & relaxation until holidays end!

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PS
I got these strings & beads for my little one as he seemed to want to dive into the treasure chest with me.

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I think these huge beads are a whole lot safer and the exercise is real good for hand-eye coordination. Later on, we can use these same beads to create and follow patterns. I highly recommend this toy. It's worth the space in your child's toybox. :)

Friday, December 10

It's Beginning to Look a LOT Like Christmas!

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I have quite a long list of excuses as to why I haven't updated this sweet blog: exams came and went: I had tons of marking to do; progress reports had to be made: I wrote a lot of remarks and keyed in a lot of grades; I spent lots of time outside with my boys;

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the little one learned to swim;

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I updated the school blog and did photoshoots for the students, teachers and what-nots at work. I should have documented it all - but should haves don't seem to count now. I'm here in the now and Now says I should write this about it. It's Christmas and all our days are merry and bright.

In the midst of all the busy-ness, we made time for the season. We went to the lighting ceremony of the tallest Christmas tree in our part of the world! Thirty-eight meters tall! One Million Led Lights! And to sweeten the deal, Magical Fireworks went on display. Boy, these people celebrate in a big way!

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In our little bit of the world, we've put up our tree...

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I think it's only when we become parents do we realise just how good traditions are for the family. I now truly understand why my mom made me go to all those family parties and why she'd want us to be home when we put up the tree - even through my rebellious ty-age years. (I only started skipping down that particular dark alley when I was 21 or so.)

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We've gone to check the Christmas Lego structures in our favorite mall.

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We might have some problems with skirts when he figures those out...

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School's closed for Christmas as well. And we had a great time welcoming Santa Claus when the kids were around.

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We also celebrated when they were all gone.

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Jingle the bells, make it look a lot like Christmas, prepare for kisses under the mistletoe!

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And Now. Again. The Here and Now. We're doing a countdown for when we go home to where they make puto bumbong in the corner and bibingka by the plaza. I can't wait to fly the friendly skies so my son can finally set foot for the first time on one of his home lands. There's food for the soul waiting for me and I can hardly wait to have my fill!

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Wednesday, November 3

Water Babies, City Boys, and a Visit to the Zoo

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"In fact, the fairies had turned him into a water-baby.
A water-baby? You never heard of a water-baby. Perhaps not. That is the very reason why this story was written.
(...)
"But there are no such things as water-babies."
How do you know that? Have you been there to see? And if you had been there to see, and had seen none, that would not prove that there were none. If Mr. Garth does not find a fox in Eversley Wood—as folks sometimes fear he never will—that does not prove that there are no such things as foxes. And as is Eversley Wood to all the woods in England, so are the waters we know to all the waters in the world. And no one has a right to say that no water-babies exist, till they have seen no water-babies existing; which is quite a different thing, mind, from not seeing water-babies; and a thing which nobody ever did, or perhaps ever will do."
— Charles Kingsley (Water Babies)

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My very own water baby. Born in the islands and happiest in the water. His smiles are so much bigger when he plays in the water than when he plays inland. Could it be because he knows where he was born? Or that because his first breaths were filled with the smell and texture of the seas and oceans? Does he feel that on some level, the water is part of his home and birthplace?

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My very own water baby. His soul seems to sing when immersed in the blue silk of the elements.

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My island baby is also my city boy. He walks the malls like it was his own private backyard. He knows no fear and runs through the wide halls like it was one open field.

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And then he stops at his own idea of a haven. We stop and watch him - our little boy and his little park.

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Our little city boy and his tea.

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Our litte boy falls asleep.

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Sunday brings him further inland as we visit the zoo!

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Now we know, Elijah, you don't really like giraffes...

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not impressed with the elephants...

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not as enamored with the monkeys...

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real serious when you drive...

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and, no matter where, you always find new friends to meet.

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My little charmer, always ready to take the world on. You make Mommy and Daddy proud.

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