Christmas

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My Ateneo Christmas

How was your Christmas? I hope it was filled with lots of good food and great presents! (And not so many nosy relatives.) I enjoyed a nice, low-key Christmas with my family at my sister’s house in Laguna, with our usual holiday traditions: carving up the Majestic ham with the wrong knife, fruits and queso de bola at the Noche Buena table, and guessing what each present is before opening it (something my mom is really good at).

Aside from these holiday rituals, there’s one Christmas tradition I truly treasure… but it’s not one that I share with my family. And that’s celebrating Christmas at my university, the Ateneo de Manila.

For me, Christmas isn’t complete until I do what I’ve been doing for nearly 10 years, which is sing at the last Simbang Gabi mass before Christmas, on the evening of December 23rd. As part of the Ateneo Chamber Singers (which always sings at the same mass every year), I did this all the way until I moved to Singapore. Even when I wasn’t in the choir anymore, I’d still fly home, make the trip to the university, and sing at mass with my friends.

My Ateneo Christmas always makes me feel that I’ve come home. In fact, my Ateneo Christmas has a home: the university church, the Church of the Gesu. I think it’s one of the most beautiful Catholic churches in Manila, but I may be biased.

It’s illuminated by garlands upon garlands of Christmas lights, strung from the massive trees lining Bellarmine Field in front of the church.

It’s warmed (and fed!) by freshly cooked bibingka—rice cakes with hot butter, salted egg and grated coconut, for my non-Pinoy friends—and light, crisp churros con chocolate.

It’s made beautiful by the gentle faces of the Nativity by the altar, and by the decorations hanging from the highest point of the Gesu’s peaked ceiling. They’re different every year, but they’re almost always in the school colors of blue and white.

And my Ateneo Christmas is filled with music—with songs that I’ve known by heart for years, sung by the beautiful voices of people I love and miss. Their voices really are beautiful, and this time I’m not biased!

It always makes me a bit sad to just be a member of the audience—instead of singing with them for the mini-concert before the mass—and realize that there are songs I don’t know anymore. But I’m just too happy to be surrounded by this music, to really dwell on what I’m missing. And when I do get to add my voice to theirs for the mass, it’s the happiest feeling. It’s Christmas, and I’m home!

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Posted on December 26, 2012
Category: Manila Girl at Heart · Labels: choir girl, Christmas, Manila

Merry Christmas!

I found this funny little snapshot in my mom’s stash of old photos. This holiday greeting goes out from the little girl in me, to the child in each and every one of you.

Wishing you joy, laughter, peace, and all good things. Have a very merry Christmas!

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Posted on December 24, 2012
Category: Uncategorized · Labels: Christmas

Handmade Christmas cards inspired by Amsterdam

One thing I’m determined to do every year is produce my own handmade Christmas cards (see last year’s watercolor cards here). This year, I wanted to do something that clearly said Christmas in Amsterdam. When Marlon showed me this photo he’d taken with his iPhone en route to Centraal Station one December morning, I knew I had found the perfect inspiration.

So one morning, with Christmas carols playing on my laptop, I sat down to drew Amsterdam’s distinctive old houses with a metal nib and black India ink.

[Read more...]

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Posted on December 12, 2012
Category: Creative Projects · Labels: Amsterdam, Christmas

Monschau Christmas market

For Christmas markets near Amsterdam, there are a few usual suspects: Cologne, Aachen, Osnabruck and Muenster, all within 2-3 hours from here by train or car. There’s also Valkenburg in the south of the Netherlands, as well as Maastricht in Belgium.

So I had never heard of Monschau until our German Airbnb host mentioned it. Going with a local’s advice is always a smart thing to do when traveling, so after our visit to the Aachen market, we thought… why not?

It turned out to be a great spur-of-the-moment decision! The 45-minute drive from Aachen was like driving through a winter wonderland (check out Monday’s post for lovely snow photos). And Monschau itself, a small town nestled deep in the North Eifel hills, is absolutely charming.

Beautifully preserved half-timbered houses (like those in Limburg aan der Lahn) line the banks of the Rur river, which runs through the town.

Monschau’s Christmas market is distributed throughout the winding streets of the Old Town, with a small indoor market for those who want to get in out of the cold. Most of the town’s shops and cafes stay open through the weekend (rare for Europe!), so there’s more than just a few market stalls to explore.

The whole town seems to have been taken over by Christmas, creating a wonderfully festive atmosphere that can make anyone feel cozy even in the cold. (A little bit of fur and snuggling helps, too.)

There are plenty of fun finds and delicious treats to be had.

But for me, the Monschau Christmas market is not as much about eating, shopping or drinking. Where the magic lies is strolling through this incredibly picturesque town, occasionally looking up at snow-laden rooftops, white-tipped trees, even a castle on a hill, and allowing yourself to be delighted by all the charming details along the way.

I’d say the only drawback is that you need a car to get here, but it’s well worth it for a fairytale Christmas unlike anything the bigger, more train-friendly cities (such as Cologne or Aachen) can offer. I think this is my favorite Weihnachtsmarkt experience so far: intimate, picturesque and right out of a Christmas storybook. I’m already looking forward to next year.

A small travel tip: Leave your car parked by the Gymnasium, or high school; then take the Park & Ride bus service to the market in the Old Town down in the valley. Remember to drive slowly as you approach Monschau, so you can spot the Park & Ride signs!

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Posted on December 7, 2012
Category: Wanderlust · Labels: Christmas, Europe, Germany, market, Monschau, travel

Minimalist Nativity

One of the Christmas traditions that Marlon and I both grew up with was the belen, or Nativity scene. It was easy for us to agree on having a belen in our home during the holidays—what wasn’t easy was finding one that we both liked. Most of the Nativity sets we saw (mostly in the Philippines and Germany) were either too old-fashioned or elaborate for our tastes.

Well, after nearly five years, the search is over! We finally found our family belen last weekend at the Aachen Christmas market.

I was browsing with my friend Leslie in a store called Käthe Wohlfahrt, which sells traditional German Christmas ornaments. As soon as I saw this hand-carved wooden belen, I fell in love. Clean, simple, no fuss—just the way I wanted it. I brought Marlon back with me to see it, and he was equally charmed.

The small size is perfect for apartment dwellers like us. Though the figures are tiny (no taller than my pinkie), they’re all mounted on one piece of wood, making them less likely to be misplaced. They have a young, Playmobil kind of feel that I like… suited to the kids that (I think) Marlon and I still are in many ways. Plus, it fits this year’s minimalist theme at home, too.

Part of what made our belen search difficult was my tendency to be particular about faces and expressions. These ones, I like. They’re fairly neutral without being dead, and cute without being cheesy.

This scene doesn’t include the Three Wise Men, but that isn’t a huge deal. The shepherds and angels were the first on the scene anyway. Besides, I couldn’t resist these tiny adorable sheep!

Our little family is still figuring out and making up its Christmas traditions, but I’m happy that this year, another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place with a quiet click.

Did you grow up with a Nativity scene at home, or do you have one now? I’d love to hear about it!

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Posted on December 6, 2012
Category: Shopping & Finds · Labels: Aachen, Christmas, Germany, home, market, shopping

Aachen Christmas market

Visiting Christmas markets in Germany is becoming an annual holiday tradition—and one that I really love! After visiting Cologne last year (a major city with eight Christmas markets), I was in the mood for something more low key. So last weekend, Marlon and I rented a car with our friends Leslie and Tobias, and made the three-hour drive to Aachen, a German town right next to both the Netherlands and Belgium.

Aachen’s Weihnachtsmarkt, or Christmas market, is spread out over two of the most central places in town: the Markt and the Katschhof, a square between the cathedral and the town hall.

This charming town is known for hard, flat cookies called Aachener printen, which are everywhere this time of year. Giant printen men (not to be confused with gingerbread men!) are the mascots of this particular market.

While Aachen is smaller than Cologne, the market was crazy packed. Our friends had a one year-old in a stroller and had a pretty difficult time of it (because of both the crowd and cobblestones), so this might be a better choice for families with older children. I would love to come back here with Little Mango when she’s no longer so little, if only to see her on this awesome carousel that has vintage bikes and sports cars, helicopters, a Vespa, police car, even a fire truck with a ladder!

With no decorations at home and Holland preoccupied with Sinterklaas, strolling around Aachen’s Christmas market was just the thing I needed to get me into holiday mode. Especially when it snowed!

Plus, I got to do all three of my top must-dos for any German Christmas market. Read on to find out what they are.

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Posted on December 4, 2012
Category: Food & Drink, Wanderlust · Labels: Aachen, Christmas, Europe, food, Germany, market, travel

Minimalist Christmas

I have a confession: our Christmas decorations almost didn’t make it out of their boxes this year. Shameful for a Filipino, I know! Marlon and I are spending Christmas back home as we always do, so we won’t be here to enjoy the lights and decorations. Plus, we’re supposed to be packing up for our big move, which takes place as soon as we get back. So it seemed impractical to decorate the house.

In the end I couldn’t stand it. I needed to have something—anything!—to make the house feel a little more festive. We agreed on the bare minimum to make packing up easier. So out came our glass jar of pre-loved Christmas ornaments, which I first wrote about on MangoJuiced last year…

… and a string of rice LED lights, which I left massed haphazardly around the glass lamp on our steel cabinet. I kind of like the bareness of it.

The paper star lanterns, our parol substitute, went up in the windows…

and more rice lights were stuffed down our big vintage glass jar on the floor. I am not sure if this jar is going to make it to the new house, so I might as well enjoy it while I can.

And that’s about it. No Christmas tree, no wreaths, no centerpieces. It’s not much, but our minimalist Christmas decor should be enough to sustain me until Christmas in Manila… which is always maximalist anyway, so it balances out. I vow to make up for this next year!

Is it Christmas in your household yet? When do you put up your Christmas decorations?

3 Comments
Posted on November 28, 2012
Category: House & Spouse · Labels: Christmas, home

His & hers

You know you’re getting old when you start giving and getting appliances for Christmas.

This is a little late, but we only opened Christmas gifts when we got back to Amsterdam early this month. So… yes! Marlon’s Christmas gift to me was a sewing machine. And yes, I sew! Or at least I’ve started learning to.

I signed up for a weekly sewing class in September last year, and I really enjoy it. I’m a complete beginner—I’ve never made anything on a sewing machine in my life—but I’ve managed to produce one dress and a heap of cushion covers. My teacher is this beautiful Portuguese power granny who is the sweetest lady ever, and has made learning so much fun. I’m looking forward to expanding my sewing skills this year, and this gift is perfect for that!

For my gift to Marlon, I decided to surprise him with something he’s been lusting after for quite a while now—a Nespresso machine. We had one in our temporary apartment when we first moved here (a full year ago, how time flies!) and we both enjoyed using it, especially Marlon.

Too bad it was a complete FAIL in the surprise department. The day we left for Manila, I made this big production of making Marlon stay in another room while I wrapped the Nespresso machine. Then I hid it behind the armchair in the living room. But I was so harassed that day, I actually left the empty paper bag with the giant Nespresso logo on it right in the middle of the living room… and forgot all about it!

Nice guy that he is, Marlon didn’t let on that he knew what my gift was until Christmas. Boy, did I feel like a huge dolt. But he loves it and uses it every day. If he’s happy, then I’m happy too!

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Posted on January 18, 2012
Category: House & Spouse · Labels: Christmas, Marlon, sewing

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the warm, humid frenzy of Manila!

I flew home with Marlon via KLM last Saturday. Since then, we’ve been spending time with family and friends whom I’ve missed, thus the inactivity on this blog. Next week, we’re off to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary in Boracay (yay, warm waters and white sand!) so there will be more radio silence through New Year’s.

In the meantime, let me leave you with some photos that should get you in a lovely Christmasy mood (if you aren’t already feeling it!). I’ve always wanted to visit the famous German Christmas markets, so Marlon and I took the train to Koln (a.k.a. Cologne) a few weeks ago for a weekend trip.

I’ve been to Koln with the Glee Club. That was 10 years ago, and I never thought I would come back. Being there with Marlon, and looking up to see the massive Dom (Cathedral) all lit up, gave me goosebumps. I simply couldn’t believe I was there again. It was another one of those “funny how life works out” moments.

Being at a Weinachtmarkt, or German Christmas market, was like being in a Christmas Disneyland. I’d been warned by German friends that Koln was rather commercial as Christmas markets go, but that didn’t faze me.

With much to gawk at, laugh at, buy, eat, drink and enjoy, how could I not love every single shimmering, sparkling moment of it?

After the Christmas market at the Dom, which is the biggest one in the city, we walked to the one in the Alter Stadt, or Old Town. This one was smaller, more intimate and felt more quaint.

It was also mobbed by 10pm!

This year, the Alter Stadt market was all done up in an adorable gnome theme that I loved!

On our last day, before catching the train back to Amsterdam, we dropped by the Markt der Engel, or Angel’s Market, at Neumarkt.

Three out of eight Christmas markets is not too bad, right? It was a wonderful weekend that really put us in the holiday mood. I would love to visit other markets, in other towns, next year. I’m sure each one has its own charm… and its own selection of tasty treats and pretty baubles.

Wherever and however you’re spending the holidays, I wish you lots of laughter, music, good food and great company. I wish you joy and belonging amongst the people you love most and who know you best. Because that’s what Christmas is to me.

Merry Christmas from me and Marlon!

3 Comments
Posted on December 24, 2011
Category: Wanderlust · Labels: Christmas, Germany, Koln, market, travel

Going green

I’m such a Christmas junkie that I put our home through not one, but two phases of Christmas decorating. I started out with dried and plastic decorations, some of which were brought over with us from Singapore. With a little creativity and red polka-dot ribbon, dried and plastic was fine.

But the moment December hit, every flower shop on the corner sprouted greens. Christmas greens. Reds and greens, actually, and more. From pine to mistletoe to holly to blackberries, all those things I’ve only read about in books plus more that I couldn’t even name.

Suddenly, all this abundance of freshness changed my feelings towards plastic. So I redecorated.

Before and after #1: the wreath on my front door. I started with a rustic-looking bare twig wreath, dressed up with plastic holly and some ribbon. In December, I tied boughs of fresh pine around the form. It looks a little like a shaggy green monster, but I like it. (I have to… I made it!)

Before and after #2: my dining table centerpiece. My Pinay friend Jec gave me a great idea: to fill a rustic-looking tray with candles and pinecones. Two weeks later, I replaced some of the pinecones and with fresh pine and berries. When I cut the pine into smaller pieces, the sap from the branches left an absolutely divine scent on my hands that is nothing—nothing!—like those pine air fresheners we see dangling from the rearview mirror of taxis in Manila.

We hung a real pine wreath in our living room, where it probably sends smug, mocking vibes over to our fake pine Christmas tree. Over the kitchen door went a bunch of various greens and berries that were pre… um, pre-bunched? So all I had to do was tie a nice bow over it and hang it on an S-hook. One last stray bough of pine also got the bow treatment before going up over the door to the balcony.

And in front of the window, spare pinecones and a large spray of red berries. I wish I knew what these are called, because I just love them. On gloomy days (and there are many), that pop of bright red against the gray outdoors makes me feel a little bit better.

Don’t you just love the freshness? I just might never go back to plastic again!