When Christmas is not in Town

I thought I was strong. I thought I was tough man.

I had experienced being away from my Mom since I was only a six years old kid. Besides, I was the youngest among my four other siblings. I was sent off because of better education! I lived and studied there for three whole years. I was not able to go visit my home because It was a mountain province city namely Falam, Chin State, Burma. In a remote mountain 80 miles of distance would take a full day of travel. Beside it was too expensive.

And again for the second time when I became a teen ager, I had to stay away from my home for the sake of my education. Ever Since the 1996 Christmas, I had only had one or two chances to go home and spend Christmas holidays with my family. Or some would say that It was so due to my own choice. Well, I would love to accept such comment then. But now not.

After I graduated from high school, I continued to study my college in Mandalay City which is about 200 miles a way from my family. During those years, I still opted not to go home on Christmas vacation. Instead I would send some christmas greetings letters to them indicating that how much I would love to go home and spend christmas season together. Most of all, I love friends and I have some solid as well as faithful friend who would never hurt me but help me to enjoy every christmas season. We would attend church service at the Christmas eve and enjoy any item of game that the church would prepare.

When it is getting close to midnight, it is a time for our group to roam around the entire Mandalay City by Motor-bikes. We all love motor-biking. Those days were cool and really full of fun.

On the other hand, if we would like to spend our christmas more solemn way, we would stick to the church activities. We, without any hesitation, would volunteer to take care of cooking foods, preparing for christmas party, leading games and stuffs, and so on. We celebrate overnight. We cook rice-soup with chicken meat which very common midnight meal for any Burmese community around the world.

Therefore, for our group including myself, choose it... whether in the church or outside, we will always have sufficient fun in spending our christmas holidays. It was truly holidays for us as seen in the way we act.

But things are different now in Philippines. First, I don't have those old friends, I should say "co- crazy". I don't know how to mean christmas. And again some would ask " now only that you miss christmas with your friends.?". They are right. And their question is accurate. Though i got some online friends who would greet me with a chirstmas greetings since the first day of September. And Philippines is the most advanced country in celebrating Christmas season. I guess! But those greetings do not really truly mean to me. They say, Philipinos are outstanding in their hospitality. They are indeed. But Friendship is still different from being hospitable.Second, saddened and left lonely by not having those crazy friends with me,, I try to find fun and enjoyment in the church. But I am left half-amazed. " No church service on Christmas day". I inquired with some people and they would answer me that christmas is a time for family reunion. So there is no church service on that day. And now I find myself out of place." Where would I belong in this season?" has become the most critical question to ask in my life.

So now I begin to realize that money is not the most matter in christmas celebration. If it were the matter, I could spend much amount of money here in Philippines than back in Burma. There can a real fun without spending money but just to have fun with old friends and your old stuffs. This saying has become real in me;

Old books are to read

Old wines are to drink

Old friends are to love

I love you and miss you all my old friends. You all are such a blessings to my life.

You know, It was awkward " greetings" at first being a christian when I received a christmas greetings e-mail from my Buddhist friend in Burma about five years ago. She wrote with a concept of Buddhist Festival where most of their religious festivals are mobile according the words from the "Natt" spirits. Her e-mails reads:

hi fri ( short form of "friend") Merry X' Mas

I heard that this year christmas is in your town. ( which is mandalay)

It was kinda awkward but now It is the wisest greetings for me. Christmas is not in my Town (Manila, Philippines) but in the Town ( Mandalay, Burma .. where my old friends are)