What
a year!
by Tita Kooks
What a year it has been! �Disyembre na naman pala.� I was so busy with my school that I just found myself still not in the Christmas mood. For starters, haven�t done any Christmas shopping yet! Glad my other half had organised a fresh Christmas tree this year that now fills our home with the pine scent day in and day out. Am back to school after a lousy two-week break but yes, we have a Christmas break coming and looking forward to that.
Busy as ever, I have school, work and the routinary home chores and extra curricular activities to attend to as usual. But this year it�s quite special because am directing the first ever concert of Fr Ruben Elago�s Anniversary concert presentation at the Beaumont Centre in Freemans Bay. �Handog Pasasalamat� is Fr Ruben�s thanksgiving offering to the Filipino community. I promise you Fr Ruben will delight you with his reflections and inspirations and I promise him, he will be discovered by recording companies around New Zealand and may be the next Ben Lummis a.k.a. NZ Idol. This concert also features Fr Nilo who is also an amazing singer. Don�t tell him that I told you he is the �Karaoke King� in the Philippines.
That�s just a teaser of what�s in store for concert attendees. Be there and be a part of the experience. Well, enough of that just make sure you secure your tickets now for the �Handog Pasasalamat� concert. I swear �hindi kayo mabibigo�; it�ll be an awesome night.
December is here again and it�s just a few days more to Christmas. I believe in the spir- it of giving and sharing. So here I am to give and share with you some thoughts I thought is worth sharing.
Last Sunday the community gathered at Ellerslie where we held the Immaculate Conception Fiesta celebrations. The Filipino community gathered once again after heavy downpours and rains at the Immaculate Conception Church to celebrate with the Parishioners of Ellerslie this �Pista Imakulada� centennial celebration.
That Sunday, I saw a lot of familiar faces and even long-time-no-see-friends. I also happen to meet close friends and other friends that I�ve just learnt recently are an item now. I thought that was great news and a shocker! But, am glad to know my friends are �in love� these days. It�s the best time to be in love, really! Christmas is definitely best celebrated with your loved ones, families and friends. Christmas brings us all closer together!
While it�s a very busy time for shop owners and shoppers, there�s really more to expensive gifts wrapped in glittering Christmas wrappers. Christmas is meant for us to remember that Jesus was born for all mankind, that his birth made a difference in our lives. He is our Saviour, our redeemer and our King!
If there�s one thing I�d like to give everyone this Christmas, it is understanding, love and a promise that I�d still look in the goodness of the heart of man rather than the tag price of my Christmas present.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year!