Obligatory Christmas post

Let me start off by saying how much I love Christmas. Not loved, not like, but love. Christmas is my favorite holiday, and as cheeseball as this is going to sound, it is the most wonderful time of the year.

 NO THAT IS NOT ME RIGHT NOW. That was me in my awkward phase.
Also, that is my younger-by-three-years cousin, Dylan.

Just to get the negative energy out of the way, I am going to voice out my opinion on the whole Samahan ng Malalamig ang Pasko brouhaha. I love that Nestea commercial (the guy was really cute), but since then, everyone has been all, "SMP ako kasi single ako, boo-hoo." Jesus, you people are so fucking stupid. It's Christmas Day, for god's sake, not Valentine's Day! This is a celebration of cheer and generosity, not another reason to bemoan not having a boyfriend. You have 364 days in a year to whine about that, but do not ruin Christmas or else BITCH I WILL CUT YOU.

Ahem. Calming down...

So, back to the good vibes! Since my title has obligatory in it, I am writing down an obligatory wishlist.

1. Books. Recently, I have rekindled my love affair with books. This year, I have spent more than six thousand pesos on them. I used to frequent Powerbooks TriNoma, but ever since Andy took me to Fully Booked in SM North Edsa (where he bought me Charles Bukowski's Hot Water Music as a Christmas gift, thankyou thankyou thankyou), I have found a new place in which to indulge my booklust!
2. Shorts. And not those knee-length ones, mind you; I like really short shorts.
3. Samsung Wave or Galaxy. Obligatory far-fetched item on wishlist.
4. A vacation to Boracay or Palawan. Or anywhere that is not in Marikina or San Mateo.
5. A new pair of oversized black sunglasses. I saw one I liked in a department store for only P270.
6. Chocolates.
7. A very hot, very naked Daniel Radcliffe to jump out of a huge shiny ribboned box and perform a sexy dance for me.

Aaaaah.

Christmas, like I said, is the season of cheer and generosity. I also believe that it is the season of togetherness, a time for people to put aside their differences even for just one night. Coming from a cynic like myself, this belief is important to me.
Above all, Christmas is a time for family. The holidays at the Kaimo household can be stressful, chaotic, and expensive—imagine having to feed, and give gifts to, a brood of thirteen!—but it is also incredible. The food is always scrumptious, thanks to my Lola's excellent cooking; her Christmas specialty of homemade corned beef, in particular, is the most delicious thing to ever have entered my mouth, including past lovers' tongues. Not to mention the huge pile of gifts you get at the end of the night!

The Kaimo family. Not everyone is in this photograph, though.

I love the holidays because the entire experience in our household is inimitable and cannot be had during other times of the year. Time spent with the family is worth the time, money, and effort spent for the preparations. Walking down the street I grew up in, I inhale the crisp December air, look at the beautiful lights of every house, and I feel like a kid again, waiting for the clock to strike twelve, handing out the gifts as I do every year since I was old enough to read the tags on the presents.

I will never, ever lose faith in the Christmas season, and the happiness it unfailingly brings to me and the people I love.