Christmas with the Enemies

By Rolo B. Cena
Arabian Diaries
Dumaguete Star Informer
20 December 2009


As the boulders of snows continue to thaw in the arctic region as the consequential effect of global warming, the Christmas fever continues to rise in the Filipino community here in the GCC, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It has become the staple during meal time, siesta and day-off.

Along the paved streets of desert stones, almost all kinds of colored lights and decors are visibly adorned at building walls, halls and doors. Nope, they are not celebrating Christmas. These lights are visible all through out the year as their usual ornaments; these remind me of the sweet scent of Christmas in the Philippine air. Of course to us Christians, we associate them quickly with the yuletide season.

Once again, I will be celebrating my Christmas away from home and family and in this Kingdom whose constituents do not believe in the supremacy of Jesus Christ Simbang Gabi, puto bumbong, bibingka, sapin-sapin, leche flan, fruit cake, lechon, tinola o abodong manok, etc – name them – I had them before and I missed them. Kris Kringle, ex-change gifts, manita-manito – whew!

Last Christmas I gave my heart out to a sorrowful sojourn along the famed Corniche Boulevard. This time, I wish I would not repeat the history though I see the probability of doing it once more, by circumstance. Despite the number of friends I have here, celebrating Christmas with people you are comfortable with is next to impossible. Yeah, there are a lot of friends; but true friends are hard to find – in this part of the globe.

For me celebrating Christmas for the sake of celebrating it does not make sense. We should give meaning to what we do; giving meaning is at the same time finding meaning to what we do. It is in the meaning that we realize the depth of our involvement in the activity and not the mere presence of the physical body or the material things in the celebration.

Usually, Christmas parties here are celebrated behind closed doors especially when it is done with practices suggestive of Christianity. During these occasions, Filipinos normally do what parties in the Philippines look like: sumptuous meal, dancing, singing, and liquor. Sadiqi, home-made liquor crudely processed and popularized by radical Filipinos in the GCC are abundantly circulating during the season. One thing to note is: make sure police do not catch you; else, celebrating Christmas in the prison cell is as easy as taking a sip of sadiqi in the evening.

Parties like mere dining with friends with gift giving are done in restaurants. Most often, these restaurants are manned with majority Filipino service crews. One advantage in holding parties in restaurants like this is the different kind of service these Filipinos accord to guests plus the common understanding that there is no need to explain to the management the what’s and why’s of the occasion.

In companies where majority of workers are Filipinos, the management allow them to hold parties in their accommodation with scant budget per head. Most often, these companies are either group of companies or multi-national companies in nature. However, rules are always recited: avoid committing crimes against the Kingdom.

And what are these? Liquor, illicit sex, pornography, gambling, and eating prohibited stuffs like pork. Simply, parties here are mere celebration sans all these.

Another way to celebrate Christmas is to hold sports tournament. Indoor sports like bowling, badminton, table tennis, billiards, and dart are played from September through December. As a matter of holding the players and the audience, championships are concluded in December to coincide with the traditional Christmas party.

If one were to describe the feeling of celebrating Christmas away from home, it can be aptly described in one word: nostalgic.

Essentially, celebrating Christmas in the GCC is simply killing the loneliness one can feel during the season of advent where families and loved ones are out of sight or out of touch. By statistics, the melancholy feeling of most overseas Filipino workers I have spoken to about the subject is as evident and obvious as the freezing winter breeze in the kingdom.

Yes, celebrating Christmas anywhere in the globe is one thing; celebrating Christmas anywhere in the globe with your loved ones is another thing. The former is an activity, the latter is a commitment.

How I wish I were home to join you all this Christmas!