A Meaningful Christmas 2012 (Part 2)

DAY 2

                I was too lazy to get up from Jane’s bed. If only I didn’t have another party to attend for, I would lie there for three more hours. But I have and it’s 8:00am already! I have to be home at 9:00 to prepare myself for the next two activities of the Voice Publication: COMMUNITY EXTENSION and CHRISTMAS PARTY.

                When I finished taking a bath, I felt that abnormal feeling within me. I thought I’m going to get a fever and colds. I took medicines to somehow ease the not so comfortable feeling. While on my way, I received messages from some members explaining why they can’t attend the activities. Honestly, I got disappointed…frustrated. I want everyone’s participation and attendance so our relationship as a team would be stronger. But instead of dwelling so much on the exasperating feeling, I ignored all their texts and didn’t reply. I just thought that it’s not my loss anyway. Hehe

                At the Voice Office – we only had two hours to wrap the gifts and buy foods for the kids. I was glad that at least, 50% of the group was present. And to my surprise, I saw Ramayanah showing April and Jonnafe her sexy dance! Rama’s one of the Maria Clara of the group and I can’t believe what she just did! Oh well, she’s maybe just happy that the world didn’t end.

                Clarice (Waka as what we call each other) got back from the mall with the BEAN BOOZLE! It’s a box of bean-shaped chewable thingies that is composed variety of flavors! The weird thing is, the flavors are WEIRD. Each color is equivalent to two flavors. If you’re lucky, you can taste the delicious and lesser evil flavors such as chocolates, caramel corn, coconut (ooh… I forgot the others). But if luck doesn’t love you, then you might just be eating the yuckiest flavors you could ever taste in your whole life. Baby wipes, centipede, canned dog food, molded cheese and BOOGER (for heaven’s sake) are just some of the flavors offered! But I tell you, they are edible. It’s just that, they’re flavors were inspired by those GROSS elements. But I know right, it’s still eeew!!! Bean Boozle is actually used as an icebreaker by some. But for our party, it’s going to be the punishment of the losing team.

                Before we leave the office, Waka asked the late comers to pick one from the box. She didn’t happen to be contented. So she asked the whole to pick one. We were 10 in the room. But only Rama - the sexy dancer – picked the BOOGER flavor! You should have seen her face! She almost vomited! Poor Rama! Hehe…

At 11:45 – we head on to St. Gemma’s Orphanage. It’s located along the National highway. When we arrived, the one of the facilitators was arranging the sound system while the other one called the kids. The number of kids was fewer than we expected. They were only 14. To tell you frankly, we have not prepared for the program. But fortunately, the program went well. We started with the introduction of the staff then of the children. We asked them about their talents and let them show it. They were all game! Some danced. Some sung. The funny thing is, they keep on dancing and singing the same song. I was happy, though, that the rest of the staff danced and sang with the kids. It’s like we had a little party there. I love that the kids cooperated.

At 2:00PM – we ended the program and we proceed to the next activity…the CHRISTMAS PARTY!!! We went to Piyesta Resto and KTV Bar. We reserved the good for 10 room. The moment we settled inside the room, the others immediately scanned the song list and entered the keys. We ordered garlic chicken and a tower of cocktail.

A week ago, I have posted the groupings for the parlor games: GREEN (Ate Birdie as the team leader), RED (my team) and BLUE (Abby was supposed to lead but since she’s not around, Claire took over). The first game that we were going to compete against each other was the KARAOKE CHALLENGE! I was the one who chose the first song for the first batch of singers. ALL BY MYSELF by Celine Dion, it is. Ramayanah (GREEN), Jonnafe (RED) and Kristine (BLUE) sang their throats out. But it’s Rama who got the highest score of 80%. The winning team won’t do anything and will have the chance to get P700 cash prize based on the average score. The second placer will have to try their luck on picking up the bean boozles, while the loser of all losers will drink beaten raw eggs. Disgusting! So since the RED Team only got 76%, I have no choice but to drink the egg yolk. I just ignored the smell, ‘coz I have to!

On the second round, the leaders were chosen to sing. So it’s mine’s, Ate Birdie’s and Claire’s battle. The song was chose by Ate Birdie – I HAVE NOTHING by Whitney Houston. Two songs before we our clash, I felt my heart beating faster. I didn’t take the challenge so seriously but the fact that I HAVE A GROUP RELYING ON ME SO WE COULD NOT DRINK ANOTHER SET OF BEATEN RAW EGGS AGAIN, made me nervous. Ate Birdie was the first one to sing. Oh man! She was good at high notes! And she knows the song! They all cheered when she got a high score. When it was my turn, I was secretly shaking. Haha! I sang the song even if I don’t know it pretty well. I was worried about my timing. Boy that song would take out your soul from your body. I didn’t get some of the high notes, so I just shouted with all my energy. To mine and to my group’s surprise, my score was a little higher than Ate Birdie’s! We got so much hope then until Claire started to sing. She said she doesn’t know the song but when she started, she got all the notes correctly, and her timing was perfect! Her score was 86%, which means, my team played only the second best.

                The last and final round was for Caryl (GREEN), Shandy (RED) and Chieldon (BLUE). The song we chose for them was ALONE by Heart. Ate Birdie and I weren’t that harsh, eh? ALONE was one of my frustration but Chieldon hit the notes while sitting comfortably on the couch. Caryl didn’t know the song well so she missed the timing. Shandy, on the other hand, stood up and faced the KTV machine. Like me, she has a low pitch. But to disbelief, she scored 87%! The highest score among all of us! That meant, we don’t have to take any of the punishments!!! Plus, we won the P700 cash prize! Yahooooo!!!!!

                After the KTV challenge, we finally exchanged our gifts. I gave mine to Shandy. I hope she didn’t mind the unfortunate wrapper – which I put a lot of effort on - of her gift. My secret Santa was Ate Birdie! I love the pens that she gave me. In fact, I already used them to practice my abstract-like art.

                At 6:30PM – we rode all the way to Tokyok’s Superlanes for our next parlor game. Ate Birdie and Orly can’t come with us anymore.  So since only 12 of us are present, we decided to cut the three into two groups for the bowling challenge. It was fun! Especially if you’re there watching some of the girls dropping the balls like they’re playing basketball. Haha! My last play was almost six years ago and I was not exempted from the hitless rounds where my balls slid all the way to the canals. However, as the game became exciting, I learned to study the techniques so that I can keep up with the score. Fortunately, I got the highest score in our group which gave us a chance to get the cash prize. But Kristine, who substituted for Monich to be my opponent, played better on the final game. She hit a strike, ergo, I fall short of the points. I’m sorry team! :D

                The bowling challenge was for the other team’s benefit. They got the P700.00! We actually had another game to be played for but due to the veeeeeerrrryyyy looooooong day that we had, we can’t manage to have the Pinoy Henyo anymore. So I told everyone to just use the money for our dinner. Our last stop was at Jollibee, which just happens to be in front of the bowling lanes. As soon as I stepped in to the room, I felt my shoulders and back amazingly hurting, notwithstanding the grasping of air that I was experiencing due to my runny nose. I also got a fever.

                So that's how I spend my Christmas with the people dear to me. It was definitely exhausting and all my energies were offered, but then again, I don't regret any of it. This might be the last Christmas that I will spend in college so I thought of making the most out of it. Thanks to my TIME MANAGEMENT abilities. ;)