Philippines Vacation and Long Term Stay

Our Lady: Mary as we represent her  Today is my birthday! 8 December is actually a big feast ... The Immaculate Conception .  Our Lady was truthfully proclaimed to be free of any stain of sin from birth.   This is hard to understand if you are not a Catholic Christian, but I am writing this to my fellow Catholics, as this day is a great feast!  The Blessed Mother who was the mother of God the Son is blessed - free of  any stain  of sin.  Unfortunately we are all born with "original sin" which can only be  cleansed by Baptism.  The Blessed Mother is redeemed by God himself in a most perfect way, since birth. If you like to watch the movie of St. Bernadette: The time when the "Immaculate Conception" was about to be proclaimed as the Truth of the Catholic Faith, Our Lady, herself proclaimed to St. Bernadette of Soubirous. If you come and visit the Philippines... I will explain a bit more.  Hope those who eventually land in the 7,107 islands will find a temporary homey

by: JC Bulan History of Simbang Gabi Simbang gabi is probably one of the happiest and most anticipated occasions for Filipinos, next to Christmas and their birthdays.  This is the time when they anticipate Jesus’ birthday with the joy of the whole family.  Simbang gabi usually starts on December 16 and ends on December 24, the final mass before Christmas day. The nine-day Simbang Gabi, also called “Misa de Gallo” (Rooster’s Mass), is a devotion for Filipino Catholics.  The mass starts as early as 4:00 am or as late as 8:00pm.  The evening mass schedule is authorized by the Archbishop of the diocese as a ‘pastoral necessity’, to accommodate the schedule of the working people who wish to fulfill this devotion. The dawn masses root back to the Spanish colonial period when the friars allotted a time for farmers to receive the Eucharist before their work in the fields.  The nine-day mass series is in keeping with the farmers’ harvest time.  Church bells ringing at 3:00 am served as the peop

by: JC Bulan Potlucks are central to Filipino Christmas parties.  This is the time when families showcase their specialties.  This event is also a good way to express the Christmas spirit. When people talk about Christmas spirit, the words joy, charity, generosity, kindness, and forgiveness come into mind.  For this article, we will only focus on two: joy and charity.  Let’s start with the virtue of joy. During Christmas, people want everybody to be happy.  Thus for a potluck, the food must be delicious.  These should be served with smiles on their faces.  Each family must take great care in preparing the food.  This includes the quality of the ingredients, taste, and the final presentation.  The decoration on the table must also be important.  It should give a greater shine to the hard work put in by those who cooked the various dishes.  It would be lovely to play Christmas songs or other lively songs in the background.  The value of charity also comes into play during the Christmas p

by: JC Bulan The host sets the tone for a Christmas party in Novaliches, Quezon City.  He needs to be well-prepared for this joyous occasion.  These are the most important things to consider when planning the program: the number and personalities of the attendees, special presentations, games, and the exchange gift portion. It would be nice to have 2 or 3 persons to host the party.  Their lively exchange can pump up the crowd.  If there will be two hosts, one should be male and one female.  If three people will host, there should be 2 males and 1 female or vice-versa. The hosts need to have an ammunition of jokes, segues, and anecdotes.  These will keep the party going in case of unforeseen events.  Keeping the audience engaged is a critical factor in hosting parties. The program always starts with a prayer and an inspiring message from the eldest in the clan.  Happy people would be more cooperative so better feed them first.  Presentations and games may begin soon after. Every year,

by: JC Bulan Filipinos make a lot of fuss over the preparations for a family member’s first homecoming.  For several days, they think about everything that he had missed while he was overseas.  Let’s see how families celebrate Christmas with their ‘balikbayan’ relatives. After working and living overseas for a long time, all the balikbayans want is to rest and catch up with their families and friends.  For convenience, the top choice is to have pot luck family reunions at home.  Their relatives show their warm welcome by bringing the balikbayan’s favorite foods. Having families coming home from abroad is an excellent bait to gather the whole clan for Christmas.  The relatives rush to see the gifts that the balikbayan brought (pasalubong), as well as how much he has changed since he left.  Pride beams from the parents’ eyes as they brag about their children’s accomplishments in a foreign land. Family bonds prove to be stronger than ever as they go beyond house parties.  Some continue tr

by: JC Bulan A Christmas party is never complete without games!  What games do you play during Christmas?  See if the awesome games below are in your count: Longest Tune For kids, the ‘longest Merry Christmas’ game is common for Christmas programs.  Each child will be asked to sing “Merry Christmas”.  The one who can hold the tune at “ma-“ the longest without losing breath, wins the game. Paper Dance ‘Paper dance is everyone’s old-time favorite game.  This classic game only requires newspapers and background music.  The number of players is unlimited, as long as each has his own pair. At the start of the game, all newspapers are opened wide.  Each time the music is stopped, the pairs need to step onto the newspaper, no part of the feet touching the ground.  The game continues until the last pair remains. Act and React One easy game to play is called “Act and React”.  A spin-off from charades, each player will be asked to show his reaction to a certain event which the opposing team will