Christmas thoughts in July

I wrote this December 25, 2017 but didn't post it then. I just found it again and finished it :)

It’s Christmas Day and I’m in Myanmar. I’m writing this as I sit on a boat in Inle Lake. Over the last few days I’ve felt the urge to write. It kept coming at the wrong time - walking around the streets of Yangon, climbing temples in Bagan and even while watching the sunset in Kalaw - I suppose I should be paying attention to my surroundings instead of typing on my phone but when you’re a writer such as me, though, there’s only writing when inspiration strikes or it’s gone and perhaps never to be found again. Besides, the rumble of the motor and water splashing all around helps me focus on the task at hand.

I started typing thinking that this was going to be about traveling in Myanmar but I think I’ll write about Christmas instead. Over the past 10 years of living abroad, I’ve spent about half of that away from the Philippines. It’s been quite interesting wondering what I’ll be doing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and knowing that whatever it was going to be it was as going to be different from what I grew up with. A week ago, a friend from work was asking how Christmassy everyone was feeling and I have to admit that I didn’t quite know how to answer.

Growing up in the Philippines, you couldn’t ignore Christmas. Filipinos start decorating as early as September. Holiday music starts playing on radio and television. Malls abound with reminders of how many days there are left before Christmas and shopping tips and discounts are rampant. As a child, you know there’s a long holiday up ahead with lots of family time with food and presents. Firecrackers and fireworks line the streets waiting to be bought. There’s a palpable scent of excitement in the air and while people would say that Christmas in Southeast Asia isn’t quite Christmas without snow or being properly cold, people on this side of the world know that the coolest part of the year comes with the festive season. When I think of December as a child, I remember the anticipation for all Christmas-related festivities. Christmas parties and plays in school, exchanging gifts and making Christmas ornaments. At the latest, my mom would have our Christmas tree out in October. Boxes would come out, then angels and Santas would be hanging everywhere around the house. We were never quite a good Catholic household that consistently went to mass but I distinctly remember going to Christmas mass with my sister and knowing that roasted chestnuts and bibingka, a special type of rice cake, were sold right outside church. Food would be waiting at home and sometimes we’d have the option of eating before midnight. We always had to go to bed for Santa’s visit though.

For the past twelve years, I've only spent a handful of them in the Philippines. Each year different but always with special people. Sometimes simple, sometimes a bit more grand. I miss spending Christmas with family. But this? Being on this boat with two of my favorite in the world and a spectacular view of the changing the colors of the sky, I feel lucky and happy with this equally special but different Christmas.