New Year's Recap, December 31

I'll do the recap of New Year on a day-by-day basis, as I'm pressed for time. Let's start with Saturday.

.:Today's LSS:.

No explanation needed.

Gin Pomelo
by Radioactive Sago Project

Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo

Chorus:
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
(Louder) Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo!!!

Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo

(Repeat Chorus)

Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo
Gin Pomelo, Gin Pomelo

(Repeat Chorus until fade.)

.:The New Year Recap, December 31, Saturday:.

So I was supposed to spend my New Year's at Clair's place because my family was going to Boracay, and I wouldn't be able to stay with them there since I have work starting Tuesday.

That being said, I took my dear time going to Clair's. In fact, I was about to go to her house at around six or so in the evening, particularly because I had a lot on my mind at the time. Lots of things have been going on, and I really didn't know how to piece them all together too well. I was a bit tired, but after a short go online, I then went out of Starmall and was about to go to the MRT, when...

... I got an SMS from Sacha, asking me to help do a good deed by going to their place and helping out with "Norma's Soup Kitchen".

I had no idea what that was about, but I went ahead and regretfully informed Clair I won't be able to see Panda and her (In that order. :P Just kidding.), and she understood, telling me that it's my best friend who's calling and I'm not really on my way ON MY WAY just yet. I'm not even on the MRT yet. Heh. So yeah, though I had a minor concern as to why I didn't want to go to Sacha's place, Sacha told me that concern wasn't going to be the case on that night.

So I got there, and I discovered that I was really going to help out do a good deed. You see, the night before, there was actually a fire that broke out near the Chua residence, and a combination of stuff like the wind changing direction, the decision of the Chuas not to go out of town, and even a Jun-Jun Binay who wanted to learn Digital Photography barely saved the house from getting burned. Nobody was harmed except for an aircon fan that got melted due to the heat and a glass window in Sacha's room that Tito John shattered to get into the house as none of them had a key to the house since people assumed someone would always be inside the house.

The story to that alone was actually hilarious. Tito John carefully cleaned away the glass shards with his swiss knife after shattering the window because he had no intentions of getting himself cut over them upon making his entrance. Took him a good half hour or so to get in, as he took his time and even rearranged the photos on Sacha's dresser to get in without knocking any of them down or stepping on them. Only then did he open the door.

So yeah, we gave out food, and it was Arroz Caldo. Now, normally, people don't like Arroz Caldo because it's so "common", but Ate Norma, the cook, just made the dish so well, people who tried it out came back for not seconds, but thirds. While this was going on, plans were made to take some food as well to the Barangay Basketball Court, where most of the affected families were staying for the moment. Tito John oddly suggested giving out cash prizes to the kids there, but of course, everyone else objected. We got there, distributed oranges, apples, and even ice cream, and it was fairly interesting. People who were trying to pull one over us because we only gave food to kids stood out a bit. Some of them said they were getting it for their "son", then came back and said they were getting one for their "brother", and expected someone like me to miss such a discrepancy. Heh. If they were getting for their kids, shouldn't their kids just have showed up?

We had interesting stories to watch, as a practical microcosom of life opened up to us. They seemed appreciative that the people helping them didn't seem to be politicians at all, as we never bothered to announce who we were. There were puppies in one corner of the court as well, and they were awfully cute. Lots of things were going on, and it was a moment to just shut up and take it all in.

After that, we went back to the house, and Kathy was there with her surfer friends. That was a bit of a surprise, but no matter. Sacha was helping me out by talking about the WWE coming to the Philippines in the Araneta Colliseum, as I really want to watch them in the worst way possible. Hopefully, I can still scrounge up some tickets. But yeah, we had dinner, and then went online for the most part. While Tita Harvey was sharing her thoughts about the fire, her phone rang, and she answered it with...

Tita Harvey: Yes, beloved spouse?

Sach and I looked at each other and smiled. Tita Harvey then commented that despite the seemingly romantic title, Tito John was actually anything but romantic, as she mentioned that the idea of a "romantic Chinese" film like "Love On The Rocks" was quite the oxymoron. That really made me laugh my head off. But more on the whole "Chinese men are not romantic" story later... the story for that picks up on January 1 itself.

We spent the New Year countdown at the rooftop, watching the fireworks, although we weren't too impressed, since we came from watching the Pyrolympics, which blows anything we saw out of the water quite handily. Nonetheless, it was all good, and we had a great New Year celebration.

It was a first for me to be celebrating it without my family, but friends like Sacha are practically family to me already.

And I definitely owe Kathy, Tita Harvey, and Tito John just as much thanks for being such gracious hosts to me for the New Year festivities. I definitely appreciate it. :)