Christmastime 40 years ago means.... Walking sleepily to the V. Luna Hospital (now AFPMC) Chapel at a chilly dawn from the 16th to 24th of December for the traditional simbang gabi or misa de gallo. Shopping for holiday apparels at Marpas Children Wear Store in E. Rodriguez near Welcome Rotonda and to the Marikina Shoe Expo in Cubao for shoes to match the new clothes. Begging mom to buy that cowboy outfit youve been wishing for the whole year. The one displayed on the Marpas window.... and getting your wish granted! Thanks momma dear! Going to COD Cubao (now SaveMore) at early night to watch its annual Christmas display of moving mannequins retelling Christmas tales. Back then, everything seemed larger than life! (The COD (Christmas On Display) has been moved to Greenhills but for me its never the same anymore. It lost its magic somehow.) Eating Aling Nenas superyummy superbibingka besides COD Store right after the moving mannequins show. Visiting our ninongs and ninangs in Sta Mesa, in Roxas District, in Gagalangin, Tondo & in the Malaya neighborhood for our aguinaldos. Putting up a Christmas tree out of dried santol tree covered with cotton to give the illusion of snow and decorated with balls and blinking lights! Even then we dreamt of a White Christmas. Riding the caterpillar, astrojet, ferris wheel, octopus, bump cars and the roller coaster of course in Fiesta Carnival, Cubao (now Shopwise). Hanging socks with Christmas list on the window hoping Santa will pass by in the evening so that youll wake up Christmas morn with the socks or stockings filled with goodies for youve been awfully good & nice never naughty the whole year through! Hohoho! Forty years after, the memories of Christmases long ago came flashbacking to me as I roam the Cubao of my childhood. :-) #ChristmasThrowback
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 14:04:56 +0000