"Maligayang Pasko" is Filipino tagalog for "Merry Christmas!"
This year was certainly a different kind of Christmas! I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to experience Christmas in the Philippines in so many different ways...
I think that my favorite Christmas event this year was going to the Ati Village. We visit this village each week to provide food, vitamins, and Bible stories.
The children at this village do not have very much at all. During the week before Christmas, I attended a Christmas celebration there. My friends and I were able to watch and participate in games as well as pass out gifts that included small toys, shirts, and flip-flops. These were the ONLY GIFTS that most of these children received for Christmas! They were so happy and thankful to receive small toys like yo-yos and bubbles!
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| Musical Chairs |
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| The tomato game |
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| Passing out the Christmas gifts!! |
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| Niko snuck away from the group to open his gift |
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| He didn't keep it a secret for long! :-) |
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| Playing with her new car |
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| Heshen showing off her new tank top |
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| Bubbles!!! |
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| This kiddo was already doing tricks with his new yo-yo! |
Our school, Agape Boracay Academy, also had a Christmas program. Each of the grade levels performed a song. My class performed "Joy to the World." The teachers also sang a song. This was a surprise to me! It turned out to be really fun, though. I was one of the emcees at the event. That means I introduced each class as they came on stage. Afterwards, we had games in our classroom including "Draw the Star on the Christmas Tree" and "Throw the Ring on the Coke Bottle." The parents brought in food and joined the fun which turned our small classroom into a very busy potluck party.
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| The teaching staff's performance |
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| "I would like to introduce..." |
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| One of the first grade classes singing |
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| Playing games in our classroom |
I also had the opportunity to go to the public school's Christmas program. In the weeks before the program, the sixth grade students collect money for the school. The girl and boy that raise the most money win the prize of being crowned Master Christmas and Little Miss Christmas. There is a boy in sixth grade that I've gotten to know well during my time here. His name is John Paul (his nickname is Yun-Yun). He was crowned "Master Christmas" in the ceremony at his school's Christmas program. My friend Russ and I were asked to pin the sash on him at the ceremony. The students from each grade level also performed dances at the program.
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| Master and Little Miss Christmas. Take a look at their unique costumes. |
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| Russ and I pinning the sash on Yun-Yun |
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Students from the public school performing a dance.
All of the students in yellow and white are in one class at the public school! |
On Christmas Eve, there was not any natural snow here, of course. However, our Canadian friends here came prepared with "Snow in a Can." We made our fake snow, opened presents, ate pizza and watched "It's a Wonderful Life."
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| Outside our apartment...certainly not a white Christmas |
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| Our "snow" in the Philippines |
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| Opening presents |
On Christmas Day, Dan and I Skyped with our families. We also went to the beach and went out for dinner with our friends. Now I can officially say that I have gone swimming at the beach on Christmas Day! :-)
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| Skyping with my mom and brother |
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| Sandcastle outside of the restaurant where we ate our Christmas dinner |
Last, but certainly not least, Dan and I spent three weeks around Christmas together. I'm happy to announce to anyone who has not yet heard that Dan is no longer my boyfriend...he is my fiance!
It looks like my name won't be Miss Eb forever. ;-)
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| We're Engaged! |
