Band @ SM CIty Northwing
Playing hits from the 1960′s to the present, mall goers sing and dances with the music. It’s fun to be at SM City Cebu.
Christmas Scenes 1
December 22, 2008 — stilldrops
Locally made decors
Kids, firecrackers and matches ... simply do not match ...
“Misa de Gallo” … First day today
December 16, 2008 — stilldropsThe morning breeze embracing; pet dogs intermittently barking; church bells clanging; handful by handful feet are trekking in murmurings and gigglings …. yes, it’s the first day of the much awaited “Misa de Gallo“.
Three in the morning and people, usually carrying monoblock stool chairs, are slowly streaming to the nearest Church … while tricycles and ”trisikads” or “pedicabs” (bicycles fitted with a sidecar for carriage) are busily plowing the streets as jeepney drivers are still drowsing off after the usual late night trips and bonding-in-a-bottle. Many, particularly the teens and teenagers, in pairs and in group choose to go on foot with much gusto obviously enjoying the moment of a girl friend or a company.
By the corner are people with makeshift carts and stalls cooking “puto” (rice bun), “puto-bumbong“, “sapin-sapin” (local rice pudding) and other native delicacies …. yes, coffee flows …. just across, food stalls and eateries are preparing their freshly simmering Cebu’s “fish tinola“ (fish soup) … in Cebu, people love their “fish tinola” even at breakfast served with rice.
By four in the morning, passing by a Church not far from the main road to the Cebu International Airport, I saw churchgoers literally covering three of the four lanes of the road fronting the church. Not far, while the Church’s ground is already full, along the street are 30-40 cars parked on both shoulders …. (at school’s Christmas break ….. for sure, it’ll be a pouring!) … good there are policemen and “barangay tanods” to control and keep order
There is even a checkpoint placed a few meters on the main road going to the city’s main Church. The men in uniform are doing their job pretty well, with led flashlights methodically inspecting the jeepneys and passengers. Quite expectedly, swindlers and street hustlers are in an influx … it’s the season. (They will unrelently try to grab a share on people’s money; bonuses; 13th,14th,15th,16th … month pay; or just stoneheartedly, on a man’s blood-earned pay. Blast … eerrrr …. bless them …)
First day …. eight days to go for the “misa de gallo”!
Certainly there is a lot more in just telling and hearing about it. Pinoy’s “Misa de Gallo” and the entire Christmas cebration or, I’d say the Pinoy Christmas Season … starting way back the “…ber” months … is full of the pinoy thing! We just love to celebrate life no matter what … you just got to be there ….. Go where the big churches are …. be early if you must park … but walking is a big part of the whole idea! So, see you in the “Misa de Gallo” and don’t forget to taste the fun … grab a “kakanin” (local rice delicacy) and sip that brewed native coffee or “sikulate-e or sikulate-a” (time to relax from the short and tall coffee and immerse into the real pinoy ones …. again, it’s part of the whole idea) … for now …. i’ll take a “siesta” ….
Note: “Misa de Gallo” is also popularly termed as “Simbang Gabi” (Midnight Mass)… but why call it “gabi” (night) when it’s usually celebrated at 4AM? …. hmmm ….
