The Best Christmas

This is probably the best Christmas ever.

I’m not that big on Christmas. I don’t really feel the Christmas ~spirit~ maybe because I don’t really know the meaning of Christmas. All I know is that Christmas is the time that we celebrate Jesus’s love and grace, and I do that by celebrating it with the people I love the most. It’s the time to give gifts and not to expect any in return. But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be nice to receive gifts! It’s really, really nice, actually.

We don’t really have a Christmas tradition. When I was a kid, I’d spend the whole day outside the house and going to different houses (even to strangers’ houses!) just to ask for aginaldo. “Mamasko po!” my cousins and I used to say together. We’d go to two barangays becuase even as kids, we love the smell of money. We may not have a Christmas tradition but I really cannot imagine spending Christmas without my family.

Last Christmas, we decided to go to Tagaytay and to spend the whole day eating and walking and just doing things together. We wanted to avoid the tons of Christmas carolers that start appearing at 8Am. As my mother put it, we spend more money when we stay at home during Christmas. It’s all about spending the day with your loved ones and you can’t really do that if visitors arrive all day loooong. So in turn, I didn’t really get to spend much time with my parents.

This is why it’s the best Christmas ever. Not only do I get to spend the day with my parents and sibling, but I also got to spend it with my cousins and grandparents! Last year, we watched an MMFF film, and I must say that I really prefer spending the day with everybody rather than watching a movie.

Miki was definitely the star of the day. Heh. Since it was really (REALLY REALLY) cold in Tagaytay, our cardigans weren’t enough protection from the cold. Miki would repeatedly say it’s cold, and one time, she even shouted “ANG LAMIIIIIIIG!” Heh. It was so funny. She’s also kind of bratty. The crowd was so thick that we had difficulty walking. Miki, being impatient, shouted, “TABI!” Ha. Like a boss.

The main reason why we chose Tagaytay is because of the zipline! I’ve tried the Megazip in Singapore and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever tried. That’s why I couldn’t wait to try it again. At first, only Ate, Ate Osai and I wanted to try the zipline. Our other cousins didn’t want to!! BUT WHY??? Then when the three of us were already in line, Kynan shouted for Ate Osai that he wanted to try the zipline, too. We’re so proud of him! Our brave little baby. Hee. Eventually, Tita Pepis, Bryan and the twins Arlene and Kathleen tried the zipline, too.

It was the first time I rode the zipline alone! Ah, it was pretty nerve-wracking but it truly is the best, okay. Worth every cent! I would love to go back and try it again. Since it was extremely windy, I got a little scared but it only added to the fulfillment of  finishing the ride. Wah. I cannot wait to go to Tagaytay and do it again! We all availed the back and forth tickets to fully capture the experience. Also, it was way cheaper than just trying it once and it comes with a souvenir photo. Heh.

Last Christmas would have been perfect if only I saw Alex. I know it’s not possible to spend every occasion together. Maybe someday. But he called me twice, and for now, that’s enough for me. Christmas was still pretty amazing, and I love my crazy family.

I would love to spend every Christmas like this, please.