Simbang Gabi, a unique Philippine Christmas Tradition.

Today, December 16 marks the start of Simbang Gabi or Mass at Dawn. This is the longest and arguably most popular Philippine tradition and held nationwide and in other places worldwide wherein a good number of Filipinos are living or working. This unique Philippine tradition traces its roots in Mexico in 1587 when the Pope granted the petition of Fray Diego de Soria to hold Christmas mass outdoors because the Church could not accommodate the huge number of people attending the evening mass. What makes Simbang Gabi a very significant tradition for Catholics is that it not only builds stronger bonds between family members because in most cases every member of the family go to mass altogether to experience the Dawn mass. Moreover, the faithful feels the presence of the Lord even stronger because it is our preparation for Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas carols are sang before, during and after the mass to celebrate this season. Everyone is in a jolly mood even though they have to wake up early so as not to be late for the mass. Many people believe that if you are able to complete the 9 days of Simbang Gabi, your wish no matter how difficult- will come true.

After mass, most of the church goer will partake various local delicacies like Puto Bumbong, Bibingka, Salabat and many others. This is a most enjoyable activity because these foods are usually served or sold during the Christmas season and very rare to be found during a normal day.

It is so fortunate for me to be able to experience Simbang Gabi even when I’m overseas. Filipinos in Bangkok are not as many as other countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi or even the US but luckily the tradition of Simbang Gabi remains. What made me even luckier is that the Holy Redeemer Church which is one of the biggest Catholic Church in Bangkok (and there are not too many Catholic Churches here being a predominantly Buddhist nation) is very accessible from my place (around 5 mins. drive in the early morning). Thus, it will not be difficult for me to celebrate this tradition.

I attended the mass today with few of my friends and approximately over 90% of the church goers are Filipinos. Surprisingly, there are some westerners and I saw an Indian Family attending the mass too. After the celebration, the popular Christmas Carol “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit” (Christmas has arrived) was sung. In addition, free breakfast is served at the back of the Church sponsored by various Philippine Groups or Organizations in Thailand which is really an enjoyable sight as you get to mingle with your fellow Filipinos while enjoying a sumptuous food and a cup of hot coffee.

Indeed it is such a good feeling to at least have a share of sacrifice during this time of the year by making an effort to wake up very early to attend the mass. Moreover, it is a time to remember and Celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the reason why we are called Christians.

The start of Simbang Gabi signals a bigger celebration as part of the annual Christmas festivities.

Bangkok is an Expat’s Paradise…

Compared to many world capitals, Bangkok is one of the cheapest in terms of cost of living. When I say cheap, it doesn’t mean the quality is compromised because most of the time, I find the quality of food and products in Bangkok (or Thailand) to be acceptable. In fact, I consider Bangkok to be an Expat’s paradise. Of course, being an expat entails a lot of responsibilities or expectations. Otherwise, why will your company hire you if you cannot deliver. So this makes stress and time for relaxation and all those related activities a must in an Expat’s schedule.

In Bangkok, you can enjoy branded (or copy) designer labels at highly discounted price. Malls are literally on sale year-round. You just have to be patient and have a keen eye in finding the best bargain or sale price all over town. Copy goods are also A quality that’s why a lot of foreign tourists troop to Bangkok to buy these goods.

Last Saturday, my friends and I trooped to the annual ICC Fair. This fair has been attracting hundreds if not thousands of Thais for quite sometime because in here, you can buy hugely discounted designer brands like Lacoste, Nike, Adidas, Guy Laroche among others. Of course the most visited area is the Lacoste sale wherein discounts of up to 70% can be availed. Since this is my fave brand, I wasted no time to go to the venue and I was able to buy a pair of shoes, a bag and 2 caps. Unfortunately, the shirts left when we arrived are all L or XL American Sizes so I wasn’t able to buy 1 for me. Only thing when going thru this kind of fair compared to the usual Mall sale is that it is doubly hard for me cos not only should I brave the battalions of shoppers to get to the counter and ask for my size but also I had to attempt speaking in Thai so the sellers can understand me..It was a bit frustrating that after finally reaching the counter after “wrestling” it out with fellow shoppers is that the size I want is already “No Have” or they cannot understand what I’m trying to say…Damn, I really have to improve my Thai language skills. Please allow me to brag about my shoe in this blog..hehehe.

Another factor why I consider Bangkok to be a paradise for an Expat like me is because you can enjoy a wide variety of food at a cheap price. Take for instance a set of meal in popular Japanese Restaurant like Fuji or Zen. A normal bento set range approx. 150-250 per set which includes Soup and Salad. During lunch, the set includes hot coffee or tea even! In Manila, if you eat in similar restaurant, you probably would pay min. 250 Pesos to almost 400 Pesos per set. That is precisely the reason why I can only often eat in Komorosoba (SM Megamall) or Tokyo Tokyo and rarely in Saisaki. LOL.

I also find Apartment or Condo rental cheaper if compared to Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and other cities. A normal studio type apartment would cost between 5,000-8,000 baht and would slightly go higher if the condo has swimming pool or other facilities. Of course it depends on the location. A typical apartment in Sukhumvit or Silom area would be much more expensive but still cheaper if compared to other cities I previously mentioned. I heard that if you rent apartment near the outskirts of Bangkok, studio units would even be less than 3,000 baht. Only thing is that you have to travel farther going to and from the office. It can even be less if you share the room with another person. All Filipinos that I know who are working in Bangkok are either staying alone or sharing with 1 or 2 (maybe max. 3 persons) per unit. This is definitely better than fellow Filipinos working in Singapore or Middle East wherein they have to share the flat with up to 10 persons.

Domestic travel is also not a pain in one’s budget. Few months ago, me and a few of my colleagues went to Cha-Am and Hua Hin which is a popular weekend destination for Bangkokians due to its proximity to the city (approx. 2 hours from Bangkok). We actually maximized that 2 Days/1 Night trip. We left Bangkok very early in the morning, went to a local market to buy food and dessert, eat Buffet lunch then head to the Resort. At night, we went to Hua Hin market for some more shopping and eating. The following day, after checking out of the hotel, we had a very big Buffet Seafood lunch then do some more shopping of sweets and some souvenir along the way. In total since we shared cost, I only spend not more than 2,000 Baht including all the food, sweets, transportation and hotel accommodation. This is similar to other cities the reason why many backpackers from Europe or US just fly to Thailand without any pre-arranged tours or accommodation and they just stay in guest houses, ride local transport and eat local food in the roadside.

There are definitely more factors why Bangkok is an Expat’s paradise over the examples I’ve written above. This could be the reason why the number of Expatriates in Thailand is increasing year by year. Of course the number is not as high as that of Singapore or Dubai wherein a big chunk of their workforce are foreigners. However, I’ll not be surprised if soon more and more Expatriates will consider working here…

My Lopburi Monkey Festival, Thailand experience

 

Last Sunday, November 29, me and a bunch of friends went to Lopburi, a province in Central Thailand located 150 km. Northeast of Bangkok to experience the annual Monkey Festival, a unique event especially created for the Macaque monkeys held every November. It is believed by local folks that if they feed the monkeys, it will give them good luck throughout the year. Apparently, for one of my friends, her luck is not present that day because just minutes since we arrived in the area, she sprained her ankle in an uneven road pavement so throughout the festival and in other places that we visited, she was in pain and can barely walk.

 

The festivity of the Monkey Festival is concentrated in an old Khmer temple, Prang Sam Yot. In here, hundreds of monkeys young and old alike wander around the area which is surrounded by a steel fence. Locals say the fence is actually like a border delineating the territory between the “good monkeys” and the “bad monkeys”. They say those outsiders (bad monkeys) try to steal food from inside the temple grounds but many of the so-called monkey guards from the inside try to protect their territory from the “invaders”. While we happily take pictures with the now hyper-active monkeys because they eat a lot of sweets and colas, we heard two monkey’s squeal. When we look further, we found out that these 2 monkeys are actually in a fighting mode. The guard monkey tries to prevent the invader from getting any food inside or even step within their territory. At the end he was successful.

 

 

Along the street and some short distance from the temple you can see monkeys in the electric post climbing, crossing the road through the electric or telephone lines, or trying to grab food or drinks from unwary tourist or pedestrian. We wonder how often the telephone or electric companies replace their lines because of this.

 

 

 

Since we arrived in the area around 10 am and after watching the monkeys eat the food being served and taking a lot of pictures, we decided to head for lunch. We went to Big-C Supercentre and eat a tasty and spicy chicken meal in KFC. After lunch, we wonder where our next stop is. Since the sun is shining intensely, we almost hesitate to go somewhere riding at the back of the pick-up but at the end, we decided to move. We went to another old temple ruins but decided not to enter because there is an entrance fee of Baht 150 per person. However, the scenery is almost the same as outside so we just spend sometime outside the temple grounds and drink a refreshing iced coffee while taking random pictures.

 

After that, we headed to a Sunflower farm in Saraburi Province which is almost an hour ride on the way back to Bangkok. The sunflowers are so beautiful in full bloom. Since we arrived in the area almost at dusk so many of the flowers seem bowing down as expected. Still, we managed to take excellent pictures and bought pure Honey for only Baht 100 for a tall long neck bottle.

 

 

 

Next, we decided to go to Pasak Jolasit Dam also in Lopburi Province. This dam is smaller than the previous one that we visited in Nakhon Nayok Province but is also an ideal place for relaxation and recreation. We see many families do picnic or engage in many recreational activities along the dam. The dam is teeming with live fish. Moreover, the landscape is very nice for picture-taking because of the good cloud formation and very calm looking backdrop.

 

 

After the visit to the dam, we decided to call it a day and head back to Bangkok since we have work the following day. Along the road within the Bangkapi area of Bangkok, we saw the local Thai Buffet style BBQ restaurant called Mukata. Price per person is only Bath 109 excluding drinks which is actually value for money if you love eating. There is a wide selection of raw food you can cook in a charcoal heated Barbecue dish. You can pick Barbecue pork or chicken, prawns, squid, chicken or fish balls, fresh vegetable and noodles and a variety of finger foods, appetizer and desserts. It was such a big big dinner that we finished after 2 hours of non-stop eating.
Finally, I arrived in my room around 11:30. It was a very tiring day but definitely worth it. At first, I am quite hesitant since it is a Sunday and next day we have to work. Moreover, I’m not a big fan of monkeys because I know that at times they get so unruly and try to grab anything that caught their fancy. However, I decided to go cos it’s a new experience for me. Luckily, I joined and definitely not regret doing so. It was such a fun travelling with lots of friends and we are in fact discussing when and where will our next trip be.

Separated at birth?

Having been staying in Thailand for 1 year and 6 months, I have observed that there are many similarities between Filipinos and Thai probably because both countries are in South East Asian region be it in terms of culture and traditions, way of life and physical features…as for the physical aspects maybe its because there are also many Chinese or Caucasian looking people in both countries due to interracial marriages or migration.

Below are some of the popular celebrities in Philippines and Thailand which has a lot of similar physical features..you be the judge who is better looking…

First picture  is popular singer-actress-model KC Concepcion while the next picture  is model, actress Sonia Couling. Interestingly, both are former MTV VJ’s.

Picture on the left is hugely popular Pinoy actor, Piolo Pascual who has been a household name for many years. On the right is Laotian-Australian but Bangkok born actor, Ananda Everingham who became immensely popular with the hit horror movie “Shutter”.

Maybe not too many people will agree with me about these 3rd match-up. First picture is actor-model John Estrada and second picture is model and former MTV VJ Utt (sorry forgot his last name). I see very striking resemblance between the two especially during Estrada’s younger days.

So there…not sure if there are many more Pinoy-Thai celebrity look alikes out there cos I don’t know too many celebrities in Thailand.

I eat by hands!

While browsing local news, I came across an article about a Fil Canadian boy named Luc Cagadoc in GMA website who according to report felt discriminated when the principal of the school was quoted as saying “you are here in Canada…you should eat the way Canadians eat”…at first I was confused thinking how does a typical Canadian eat their food??..since throughout the article it was said that the boy actually used spoon and fork eating his lunch so I thought, what’s wrong? I think it is quite acceptable. Then I realized, oh ok…because now the trend is to use Fork and knife when eating which many people consider the more proper way of eating food..even many Asians now do the same whenever they are not using chopsticks to eat.

To counter the issue, the principal claimed that the boy was disciplined for being disruptive and not for using spoon and fork at the same time per se. Of course everyone can state their claim but at the end, the court will be responsible to prove these claims.

Now my question is…what is really the proper way of eating food?

I googled and found out some interesting articles about Table manners in various parts of the world:

Wikipedia

Silver International

In summary, many countries observe different table manners. In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh even in Philippines, eating by hand is a common practice and a good way to savor the taste of the food and not rude at all.  Some countries burp or slurp the soup as loudly as possible to let the host (or chef) know that they are enjoying/enjoyed the food served.

Eating with Spoon and Fork at the same time is not as rude or annoying as let say talking when your mouth is full or filling your plate with too many foods but at the end cannot even finish half of the food.

It may be true the said incident was really taken out of proportion but I believe as an individual we have the right to enjoy the food or any blessing that is given to us. Respecting cultures and tradition is very important as well. On the contrary, if we live in a foreign country or consider a foreign country as our second home, we must also exert efforts to adjust to their customs and traditions so our old ways will not be considered taboo especially if locals of that country is not accustomed to our style. As the cliche goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do..However, this doesn’t mean we forget our roots cos we should not, no matter what.

As for me, I am not ashamed to say I eat by hands whenever at home enjoying Mom’s home cooked food with the family. I use chopsticks when eating Chinese or Japanese food or some Thai food for that matter. I eat with spoon and fork if there is no available knife and lastly I can eat with fork and knife during social functions or if no spoon is available in the table.

The key is balance. We adjust our way of life a little and do our old ways a little. Then we can enjoy both worlds.

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CNN Hero of the Year: Efren Penaflorida

As I was about to call it a day, I saw a video link from a Facebook Page I joined called “Definitely Filipino” about the CNN Hero of the Year. It say’s: Acceptance speech of OUR 2009 CNN HERO and the thumbnail picture of Efren Penaflorida was attached to it.

Prior to being feted as such, Efren is relatively unknown. At such a young age of 28, he has accomplished something that not many people his age or even older had accomplished or will ever accomplish in their entire life..that is, changing the lives of others–for the better.

He created the group called “Dynamic Teen Company” which aims to teach basic reading and writing to children living on the streets in the hope that it will be a diversion to hooking up into gang activities like vandalizing, bullying others or even raping young girls.

Their classroom is a ubiquitous push cart wherein volunteers teach children with age ranging from 2-14 years old. Since 1997, approximately 10,000 members had taught over 1,500 “children of the slums”. To sustain this activity, they make and sell crafts or collecting items to recycle.

Moreover, those children that they taught upon getting the inspiration to learn more and strive to have a better life has also become volunteers for future students.

CNN selected 10 nominees for this year’s Hero of the Year which is now on it’s 3rd year. These Heroes as what the tagline says “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact” was selected by a distinguished panel comprising of leaders and humanitarians such as Gen. Colin Powell, Whoopi Goldberg, Sir Elton John, Phil Jackson, Shakira among others.

The Gala Tribute attended by an audience of 3,000 was held in Kodak Theatre, Hollywood last Saturday, November 21 and will have its premiere on Thanksgiving, November 26.

Apart from the prestigious recognition, Efren received USD 100,000 to continue his advocacy. More than 2.75 million votes were received online in CNN.com in a span of 7 weeks. Proof of the impact CNN Heroes of the year has brought us in 3 years time.

Presenters include Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson, Greg Kinnear, George Lopez and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Here is Efren’s acceptance speech. While delivering it, he was visibly shaken and emotional maybe upon realizing he won such a great recognition and soon will be watched by millions of people worldwide.

“Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry,” Peñaflorida said upon accepting the honor. “Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.”

“So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers … you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be.”

His speech is short but so meaningful and inspirational. May this recognition give him and his team more energy and passion to continue helping needy children have the education they deserve. It is such a pride and honor to the Filipino people to be given such award. Hope this would also open the eyes of many of us to help someone in need whenever we can. All the small efforts we exerted can be a life-changing experience for others.

For the full story of the CNN Hero of the Year gala night, please click the link below.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/11/16/cnnheroes.tribute.show/index.html

 

Update: According to ABS-CBN news report, Efren said 90% of the prize money will go to his organization and the remaining 10% to the Church and none for him..really a selfless act. May your tribe increase.

Mabuhay ka Efren! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang lahing  Pilipino!

Manny Pacquaio ruled em’ all…

 

Today, November 15, 2009- Manny Pacquiao made history by capturing his 7th world title belt in 7 different weight division in a very exciting if not nerve-wracking 12 round match vs. Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico in MGM Grand Arean, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacquaio’s sheer speed and determination is his best defense against Cotto whom Manny acknowledged to be a tough boxer. Referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight 55 seconds of the 12th round which many observers think should have been stopped earlier.

Cotto admitted that he fought hard but Manny is one of the best of all time.

In the Philippines, everyone is in euphoria upon learning of Manny’s victory. Many Filipinos in every corners of the world called their family back home to bring the good news, me included. It was really not a surprise but such a disappointment to hear and to learn that in most part of the world they know the result of the fight already because of live telecasts in their country or through the internet but many Filipinos who only rely on local TV, they heard about it or are able to watch the fight the last because of the very very late telecast of GMA-7 due to tons of commercial gaps. Talk about commercialism to the max!

Because of the win, everyone expects Pacquiao to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.  Of course, it is inevitable as their match-up is long overdue. Even Manny’s trainer-coach, Freddie Roach said,  since the whole world wants to see Manny fight Mayweather..so Mayweather it is..

The fight will add minimum USD 13 million (approx. PHP 607 million) to Pacquiao’s purse while Cotto reportedly gets USD 7 million (approx. PHP 326 million).  More importantly, I hope the win will bring Manny a bit more respect from the boxing world cos even how hard he tries to prove he is a great athlete, still many boxers are trying to belittle him or still considers all his victory caused by sheer luck.

Once again, Manny was able to literally stop the Philippines for a day where many people decided to stay at home and glue themselves in front of the Television. For sure crime rate will almost be zero as what past Pacquiao fights proved to be– “an instant crime buster” that is.

I’m sure Mommy Dionesia prayed hard and called all the Saints for help before and during the fight as well as danced joyfully upon seeing her son dominate his Puerto Rican opponent..

Indeed Manny ruled em’ all.

I Dreamed a Dream- Les Miserables

The other day I was watching the charity concert of Kamala Sukosol, the owner of several hotels in Thailand and a popular performer as well. Her daughter Marisa sang a nice rendition of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables and I remembered that this song actually made Susan Boyle become a reality show phenomenon.

Now, I am sharing various versions of I Dreamed a Dream all sang by good performers including one of the Philippines’ greatest pride, Lea Salonga which I was so fortunate to be able to watch a live performance in Bangkok recently.

Of course, these singers have different styles so take your pick which one is the best and enjoy the videos!

Manny Pacquiao in Time Magazine

Manny Pacquiao is hugging the headlines ones again..this time in the cover of the prestigious Time Magazine Asia Edition in a full article entitled, “The Meaning of Manny Pacquiao”. As an athlete, Manny has really gone a long way. From the very skinny lad doing rounds in local boxing in his hometown and many other places thereafter claiming title after title and raking money beyond what his coffers can handle. Indeed, Manny is an icon in the boxing world and is up to even more with his attempt to claim a 7th world title in the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas this November 14 (November 15th in Manila) against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.

Of course his road to success is not easy..he has gone through a lot. Physically for that matter. He has fought many weight classes and has to endure big punches from equally capable opponents. At the end, he is victorious and has been the pride of the Filipino people ever since. He tried his luck in politics as well but to no avail. For many of his fans, he is better of as a boxer than as a politics. For sure he wants to help many but helping them can be in another form and not necessarily having to test his feet in the dirty waters of politics.  Being an inspiration to many by excelling into spots and avoiding drugs or other vices is good enough contribution.

He is the 2nd Filipino to be in the cover of Time Magazine, the first being the late President Corazon Aquino then feted as “Woman of the Year”. Time said he is a demigod in the Philippines with his myth of origin similar to a Greek or Roman hero. This may be true. Only he can literally stop not only the traffic in the Philippines but the crimes as well during his fights. It is always reported that whenever Manny fights in the ring, the crime rate is almost zero in most parts of the Philippines.  He may be the Achilles of modern times. Only thing is that we hope his opponents will not discover his Achilles’ heels.

Manny truly deserve this accolade and we pray for his success in his forthcoming fight as well as the hope that success will not change his humble ways. For us, that’s the true meaning of Manny.

Update: I have been visiting several bookstores and news stands here in Bangkok trying to get a copy of the Time Magazine Asia Edition with Manny on the cover. However, I can only see the one with Hillary Clinton on it although the full article of Manny is still inside the pages of the mag..Could have added it to my personal magazine collection. Not that I am disappointed to see Hillary on the cover cos she is such a powerful and respected figure but I was expecting to at least see  a copy of the mag with Manny on the cover..of course as a Filipino it is my pride to see him on the cover of the prestigious mag..

Help needed!

These past few months, I had the chance privilege to listen to some problems of my friends. This chance privilege is important for me because not only are these people my friends but the fact that they entrusted me a piece of their story is a great pride so to speak.

The problems I had been listening too are mostly relationship problems..problem with marriage, bf or gf, ex(es), parents or even close friends. I’ve seen some of them cried their hearts out…some desperately need some bashing and a frank opinion so they can gain realization while some just need some ears to listen to them.

Truly, it’s a difficult task to be a listener because at certain point you are stressed yourself and tends to become shock absorber of their emotions. What’s harder is that after listening, they need a sensible advice.  Well to begin with, I cannot say I have smooth relationship. It’s even double hard for me because how can they expect me to give a sound advice about marital problems if I myself has not been into that situation before since I am single and never been married.

What about those who have problems with their parents or siblings? I have very loving and wonderful parents that I find it difficult at times to be in my friend’s shoes.

Well sadly, there are also some who judged my capacity (or worth) as a friend. They’ve known me not too long and not too well anyway so it’s hardly my cause of concern.

To sum it up, I guess the key to giving out good advice is not mainly because of the “been there, done that” situation but also because if you generally have a good life, you can share your happiness and satisfaction to a friend in need so they can have the positive outlook in life as well. Moreover, if you have an open mind and sensitive to the feelings of others plus still know the boundary of what’s good and what’s not, then being a counsellor is not a bad idea at all!

What’s more satisfying is that after very long discussions and your friend had come to a realization, then you achieved your goal and you will be greatly appreciated.

As for me, I really have few close friends whom I can trust and can say they are real friends and are willing to help me whenever I need it. I am not in a rush to add as much names into that list and I know I don’t need to call an emergency number cos I can count on them.