Keen to discuss all things music, aviation, food and drink.
Retired professional pianist. Living in the Philippines with Grace, our daughter who will be turning three in August, and our two-month-old son, Marcus:)
After four years of living in the Philippines, I tend to live like a hermit as much as possible from 1st September until the end of the year.
Ah yes, Christmas in the Philippines.
Now, don't get me wrong, I do love Christmas. Being British, Christmas is a very different thing here. The biggest difference one notices is that there's no snow, ice, and I therefore don't have to spend several months freezing my arse off. My first ever Christmas Day away from the UK was in 1994 and I spent it on a beach in Phuket eating Chicken fried rice, sweating, rather than freezing my derier off. From then on in, I was hooked on hot Christmases.
I digress.
So, here we are, in the throws of what are commonly known as the ‘Ber Months' here in the Philippines. September, October, November and December.
Right now, there are people hanging up their Christmas decorations. There are shopping malls with gigantic Christmas trees on display. Supermarkets are playing Christmas music. Some staff member of a book shop somewhere is dressed as an elf, is standing outside said bookshop - ringing a handheld brass bell in the rhythm of Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the fucking way - while advertising pre-christmas discounts, and yes, you can even buy Christmas hams, cakes and other jolly seasonal products right now.
One thing I will say about Christmas here is that everyone is highly organised when it comes to gift buying, unlike myself. It's generally all done and completed a couple of days before the big day.
And that's great for me, because as one of those guys who decides to go out and do his Christmas gift shopping at about 3pm on Christmas Eve, I find myself in deserted malls and can get it all done in 30 minutes flat!! That, however may change this year due to it being out daughter's first Christmas. She will be precisely four months old on the big day.
I'm considering buying her a radio controlled aeroplane, and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue, but I haven't mustered up the courage to tell her mother yet.
Then, of course, the 1st January arrives and we're bombarded with Valentine's Day gifts. Get that done, it's Easter time. Mother's Day, Father's Day. I seriously think we should take all of those things, pick a random date and call that date ‘Buy Everything for Every Special Occasion Day'.
So, that may give you some insight as to why your Filipino friends are telling you it's Christmas, because for Filipinos, Christmas starts on the 1st September.
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