stay awake

this is the first time in the last few years that i've been this excited about christmas. maybe it's the ipod i'm supposed to be getting (which i haven't yet... grrr :D). but other than that, i really don't know what's different about this year. i just feel different for some reason.

i've taken the next few days off, which are the last few days of the year here in my part of the world. the 30th and 31st are official holidays, and since the 29th falls on a saturday, this means there are three days left for the year. yay. it just so happens that i have 3 days' leave left for this year.

i've not been expecting too much for this christmas, hence i wasn't disappointed with it like i felt the last few years. my goddaughters liked the presents i gave them, thankfully. and the family gatherings were all happy. i even got to take some naps, which i chose over internet time because sleep was a rare luxury in the last few days. i also got to watch mythbusters with my cousins, and we were laughing at the holiday-themed shenanigans of jamie, adam, tori, grant andkari. and then, to really make my day, i finally got to read my christmas present from alohachary1851. all those days i chatted with her while i'm at work lead to that very cute charlie/tonks story, an outtake on her mating of the wersh alternate universe. thanks for a lovely gift, chary!

my biggest achievement for this christmas, though, is completing the nine novena dawn masses, called simbang gabi, for the first time in my life. i have to thank my parents for that, too, for waking me up at an ungodly hour to make the 4 am mass. i didn't care that i seriously lacked sleep over the week this went on, and that i wasn't being my best self in the mornings. i finally finished it, and before i turn 30.

oh, and i think chocolate is the sole reason for holiday weight gain. especially if chocolate fountains are involved.

merry christmas to all!

listening to: punk goes 90's; radiohead, in rainbows; dashboard confessional, the shade of poison trees; foo fighters, echoes, silence, patience, & grace

love, love is all around

in honor of my blog's second anniversary, here is a (still partial) list of my favorite christmas songs. hope you guys would get to listen to them sometime.

last christmas (wham!/jimmy eat world) -- i've loved this song since i was a kid. i have this distinct memory of driving down south superhighway (now pres. osmena ave.) and singing along to this song from the backseat. jimmy eat world's cover is more upbeat, but the fact remains: christmas = angst.

the christmas song (al jarreau) -- i think the most popular version of this song is the one by nat king cole, which is great, but al jarreau's is the one i fell in love with. i dunno why. it probably has something to do with the t.h. factor... not that nat king cole is that, but i feel that every other version is trying hard to channel him. with al jarreau, i feel it's all his own.

christmas is all around (billy mack) -- godawful song. i know. nuff said.

what child is this -- senti is as senti goes, this song isn't as popular as silent night or o holy night, which suits me just fine.

all i want for christmas (olivia olson) -- again, hangover from love, actually.

the christmas song (dave matthews) -- the first time i heard this song, i was so bowled over. i don't _hate_ dmb anymore. not much, anyway. ;) love the riff.

ano'ng gagawin mo ngayong pasko (ryan cayabyab) -- i recommend the san miguel master chorale version. the blending gives maximum goosebumps.

merry christmas everyone!

wish lists

christmas is my favorite time of the year for a number of reasons. sure, it's also the worst time ever to be hit by depression, but lots of other stuff made sure that i won't be stuck in that rut. one of them is the time-honored tradition of exchanging gifts.

there are many ways that this tradition can go wrong. one is if you don't have anyone to exchange gifts with, which almost happened to me this year if i hadn't been part of the hr christmas party. another is getting the worst gift ever. thank heaven somebody invented the wish list.

ah, wish lists. i actually started last month, when i posted my desired christmas gifts (however improbable to get) on the klite message boards. last week, out of sheer boredom, i actually constructed a list with three classifications: short-term achievable (like if i had an extra few thousand), intangible (more of services), and long-term achievable (aka next-to-impossible). as always, they were all about me -- selfish and materialistic are not overstatements.

of course, for exchange gift purposes i had to trim it to something more manageable and easier to find (for my gift mommy/daddy) and up to 500 pesos. so i had to think fast and come up with the things i liked but did not want to buy myself. i even asked my guy friends what cds they recommended, out of desperation. i finally ended up with this:

1. a pair of piglet (of winnie the pooh) bedroom slippers
2. a dvd of the incredibles
3. the starbucks christmas bear (the girl, of course -- it has its own doll)
4. memories of love -- the live cd for the concert of kevyn lettau, lou pardini and joe pizzulo held this year
5. bubble bath (even if i don't have a tub)

so, what's on your christmas wish list? and please, not world peace.