Christmas Wraps

Christmas ended yesterday as marked by the Epiphany otherwise known as the Feast of the Three Kings.

As my mom is letting our Christmas tree take its usual corner, I shall wrap up my Christmas shindigs together with my yuletide epiphanies that go along with them.

My Christmas partying started early with our company’s Denim Christmas Party which borders on an 80s theme. Having to rush from my alternate life (sounds superhero-ish) that requires me to be a walking, taklking respectable person, I could hardly slip into the party mood even with my denim attire on.

For a while, I honestly felt out of place. I guess I was less prepared for a party than I thought. I mean, how can I be happy and feel festive when I am mourning? How can I feel part of this denim-wearing group when many from “my group” have left to sign up to other offices? And how can I shove poise off and dance when a few minutes ago, I was being a fine, young woman in the company of nine-year-olds?

And then, it dawned unto me that thing they say about having a time for everything. Our company’s denim night was a time to party. My time to weep, to feel alone and to be proper can be postponed to another date.

I gave in. Not the entire me though. I just couldn’t be whole that night, not with the void lurking in my system. But I tried to be present at that party, thoughts and all.
* * *

Second party I crashed is the one held at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), hosted by Project: Brave Kids. It was a party which wasn’t about me or for me. It had a better audience.

Among all the parties I became part of this year, the party at PCMC proved to be the one most wrapped with the Christmas spirit. I am just so glad to have been a part of it, even just at the sidelines.

* * *
My third party for 2007 is a third party, if you know what I mean. Although I was looking forward to it, I had to psych myself to actually dress up and be in that party. For the first time in my life, I’ve become part of a faculty Christmas party, not just for any school, but for my Alma Matter. It goes without saying that the attendees were partly composed of my former teachers and some school pincipals and a directress.

Imagine telling your seatmate who, the same as you, is enjoying the served lechon, a cone of Tiendesitas sorbetes and a cup of taho, “student nyo po ako noon.” It really is embarrassing for me, especially since I wasn’t the most active girl in class. In fact, I wasn’t active at all. I did pass my classes with relatively OK grades but I was limited to “relatively OK” because I seldom raised my hands and demand that I be heard. I didn’t want to add to the group of overly enthusiastic students who fought for my teacher’s attention. (Talaga lang!)


But it was fun, partying with your teachers. It helps that they find your face familiar. It’s even better when they seem to have an idea who you were 10, 15 years ago. Now I know teachers and nuns do have fun. They exchange gifts during Christmas like normal people do. They even have troubles following the mechanics of a new and improved way of exchanging gifts.


In the night of my teacherly Christmas party, I discovered that I haven’t totally outgrown my campus ghosts as I felt it necessary to suppress my pee than to take a quick stop at any of the many comfort rooms in my old school. I may find myself standing in front of a class now instead of “sitting with the class,” but that doesn’t mean I will risk seeing that old-fashioned, floating nun I heard about when I was seven—the spooky nun peeking from the washroom’s cubicle door while I am trapped inside with a cemented toilet as my only defense tool. No way!
* * *

My final Christmas party for 2007 went wild, Wild West! Being that the department where I belong in the company I previously talked about is known for being creative, we celebrated with a theme: Cowboy!

It is fun to play dress up even once a year. And the Marketing and Product Management Group makes that possible. Now that resolves my deprived costume-wearing childhood.

Although it does not look like it much, we all cried, “Yeehaw!” in this party. After all we all work together five days a week. We spend more time together than we spend time with our respective families. I guess I am one of the lucky souls to have fun people at my workplace. I am undoubtedly thankful for that.


My Christmas drama anthology has long been over. And now even the parties are.

That's a wrap for Christmas 2007!