New Year 2004
(New Year’s Eve Protagonist Daily Grinders): Beth, CeeJayCee, Emiliza, Kirsty, Reverie, Wendy
I miss being very enchanted by fireworks when I was a little kid. New Year’s when I was a kid was great. Relatives would come over and we had a full armory of firecrackers that lasted us an hour. Media Noche was great, and we spent time during the day preparing them together. Traditionally, almost all households in the Philippines keep an arsenal of pyrotechnics for New Year’s. For the last hour of every year, not a tenth of a second is spared from loud cracks and booms from every household’s fireworks. Entire towns and cities turn into warzones.
Even though it still happens now, I just don’t seem as fascinated anymore. I can recall, my street playmates and I would boast the fireworks our households have. My parents don’t buy a lot of fireworks anymore, and basically I’ve gone tired of expecting loud firecrackers to chase the bad spirits away. I’ve grown tired of believing in all those supernatural traditional beliefs that persist to be followed by a multitude of Filipinos every year. And now, we just buy food outside, chicken from KFC and some other dishes from my godparents. So yeah, New Year’s isn’t as fascinating as it was. But it still is fun.
Woke up early, about 5AM, then watched early local variety shows while eating breakfast. As usual, programs were filled with guest psychics and feng shui experts who made all sorts of predictions. It never fails. Each and every year, they seem to say the same vague things and yet they still command a great following among television viewers. Although, yes I agree, the year of the monkey will have lots of monkey business-es. Expecially in the upcoming national elections.
Almost my entire day was spent on making notes for reading assignments and stocking and re-stocking my Neopets shop (expensive shop upgrades have cost me a budget deficit, haha).
Tonight, we went to mass with my godparents in Claret, near their house.
Cool. This citrus fruit has my name on it.
After that, we went home, and lit a few firecrackers. Two of our sparkling fountains exploded. We were too close when it happened. No injuries, but it was scary! (See video here — it’s only 64kb - 8 sec.). Then we had our simple media noche.
Oh well, that’s me. Happy New Year everyone!
hiyee po! di nyo ako kilala. napadaan lang. nice syt, by the way. peace out!
Aha. Regular na visitor na ulit ako, after a few months of being blog dead. Anyway, Happy New year Vic, hope this year will be a good one. And good luck to your entrance exam results! Malapit na!
I found your site while i was searching stuffs about Karen Davilla. isn’t she grand? anyway, I like the way you write and the way you think. your thoughts and writing.
so, an atenista huh? so what are you planning to take for collegE? few more months. Grab and hug your highschool while you’re in it. God i miss highschool.
oh, im a pure blooded lasallista way since gradeschool, aint i but a loyalist? i know.. probably you’d be more of an atenean after you graduate high school.
so tell me.
wasap?
Let’s see.
Superstition # 1. Drive away the bad luck from the previous year and greet the good spirits of the new with firecrackers (I still love firecrackers–when I do not have to buy them)
Superstition # 2. Jump at midnight to add to your height.
Superstition # 3. Eat lots of round fruits (for money).
Superstition # 4. Wear polka dots (for money).
Superstition # 5. Lay out a feast for media moche (for prosperity).
Superstition # 6. Hang a branch of grapes at the main door (for long life; and don’t remove it until the following year kahit maging prunes na).
My in-laws did all of that. Good thing we have our own house now. For three glorious new year’s eve, we just watched the fireworks (we always have 2 trumpillos for the kids and a couple of sparklers), there is some food for the hungry ones (no one is forced to eat), no jumping, no round fruits na di naman mauubos, no grapes na inaamag sa door…
We’re happier now and more prosperous than when we were forced to all that. So I guess superstition lang nga he he he
hi happy new year!!! i guess this site is by someone from the philippines… i was just browsin… im from pennsylvania usa but i lived in the phils when i was little… i do miss the holidays there!