Skip to main content

Posts

Celebrating Thanksgiving in the Philippines

Boodle fight Far away from California and longing to celebrate Thanksgiving, I decided to invite a few close friends and family to my Thanksgiving luncheon. I had never had a boodle fight meal and had wanted to experience it so I decided to have a boodle fight on the beach at Bitoy's. It was so nice of them to accommodate my group with less than 24 hours’ notice before the event. And the result was everything I could have hoped for. I had reserved for 10 people and this is how much food we got.  It sure was a table of plenty. We had oysters, shrimp, milkfish, chicken, eggplant, okra, fried banana, green mango, tomatoes, shrimp paste and rice. I had also brought with me the alimasag (baby crab) we bought at the beach in Ivisan the day before. Guests brought several kinds of dessert including guinataan* , brazo de Mercedes and various kinds of Philippine kakanin (delicacies) . Needless to say, we lingered over lunch and slowly savored what was on the table before us.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Pan-ay

Santa Monica Church Christmas arrives early in the Philippines. When the months end in ber , Christmas songs are heard at malls and over the radio. In October, the TV stations start the countdown to Christmas and stores start displaying Christmas trees. And in November, the Christmas decorations are installed in town plazas such as this one in Pan-ay, Capiz.  Santa Monica Church is a National Historical Landmark. Light tunnel When the temperatures dip a couple degrees, Christmas has truly arrived. Pan-ay, a 20-minute ride by car or public transportation from Roxas, is ready to usher in one of the biggest celebrations in the country.  O tannenbaum There is a famous Pilipino Christmas carol that you'll hear a lot, Ang Pasko ay sumapit . It goes, Ang pasko ay sumapit Tayo ay mangagsi-awit Ng magagandang himig Dahil sa Diyos ay pag-ibig Christmas is here Let us sing Beautiful melodies Because Christ is love. Jingle Bell Rock This be