Hunting for Christmas
By Rolo B. Cena
Arabian Diaries

Juxtaposed with the emotions experienced by most overseas workers, mine is by no means different form the rest. If they feel happy, I do; if they feel lonely, I do, too. No one is above this because emotion is being human and as usual as drinking a cup of tea every morning.

Unplanned and without employing the analysis I do most of the time in my work, I hurried down the street and started walking to the favorite bookstore just three blocks away from the company accommodation. I visited once again the stationer I would frequent and browsed almost all the books. Although the shelf was full of books by most of my favorite writers, none was there, and I thought, my indeterminate trip became useless and the undefined search empty.

The bookstore is just across the famous Corniche Boulevard where almost all of the richest men of the Kingdom live in the nearby Village, and of course, the famous Corniche Park where most, not to mention the Arab nationals, overseas workers including Filipinos thrive during weekends, holidays, and at night.

Usual to my routine since I discovered the area, I paced a brisk walk along the beautifully decorated kilometer pavement five times to eliminate excess fats and unwanted toxic wastes, and then rested for a moment.

I was facing the legendary and historic Arabian Sea with the full moon (I happened to appreciate its fullness only this time) beaming at my face when a familiar greeting from an equally familiar language chimed my ears.

“Merry Christmas, kabayan!”

The line pierced my heart for two reasons: Since I arrived here, I already lost track of time, holidays, and occasions; and I almost am missing the Season of Advent. Second, seeing the couple and their four kids reminds me of my family back home.

They introduced themselves; we conversed. We discussed work, reasons for leaving home, other common denominators and familial matters. The family invited me to join them in the coming Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Still, I was only hearing the lines but not truly listening and worse, not truthfully really reading between them.

I realized that soonest thereafter.

The sounds of the firecrackers and fireworks started to light up the moon-lit sky and these disturbed our casual yet evocative talk. It was an amazing and magical display of pyrotechnically created bliss that has taken me to a carpet-ride back home. I quipped: this is just the same as celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Eve in the Philippines sans family and traditional preparation of favorite foods and gift giving.

During this time, the Arabs are celebrating the end of the Eid Al-Adha (others have it Al-Udha). To us Christians, this is similar to the Christmas Season that ends in the New Year’s Eve. It is a week- long celebration and holiday with the first day as Christmas and the last day as New Year’s Eve. In contrast, Eid Al-Fitr that commences the Holy Month of Ramadan resembles Catholic’s celebration of the Holy Week which was in September to the first week of October.

Having regained my composure, I suddenly sensed a renewed feeling; it was then I knew I was hunting for Christmas. Seeing the fireworks displayed in variant of styles, forms, and colors awakened my senses and in fact, allowed me to associate meanings to them. I then graciously accepted the invitation.

Personally, Christmas is being with family. The delivery and reception of Jesus to the accord of Joseph and Mary justifies this. Which is why, the feast of the Holy Family falls in the month of December.

For the first time after four decades, the habit of celebrating Christmas with my family becomes impossible. Not even James Bond can control the happening of this or give superb resolve. But being separated by miles of beautifully crafted lands, deserts and seas from my humble abode simply defines the detachment of the physical presence; the moral foundation, the values, and the wisdom are always left unscathed.

While all of us overseas workers hunt for real-life Christmas, the celebration from both sides of the world will always continue with or without members of the family. Along with the spirit and the wisdom from The One, no matter how painful celebrating Christmas would be by ourselves, by myself, the Season of Advent will always witness the true accord between husbands and wives and family. Much more, this Season will always remain true to its meaning in the lives of the Filipino families regardless of status in life.

Over time, the temporary estrangement would bring about wisdom to all parties involved and would always fine-tune familial activities. Members of the family would always re-align relational conflicts and emotional differences to the same plane of thought to achieve the highest level of understanding, especially in looking at the scenario that the head of the family is separated for a moment.

Christmas is for all of us; no one is discriminated. And while we are bounded in all directions, the celebration would always be meaningful if love, trust, and wisdom are used as ingredients in cooking a fabulous menu called life.

Merry Christmas!

Published, Dumaguete Star Informer, 21 December 2008