I must have heard jingling bells as it seems Santa came early this year.

My friend Anthony who’s come all the way from Manila played Kris Kringle again this year when he came to visit. Not just one toy or two, amazingly he brought an entire care package of goodies from the Far East. Complete with t-shirts from a local design store that I liked, to boxes upon boxes of creamy milk pastillas and hopia, to insect netting to go on top of our bed (not one but two!). The icing on the cake though was an honest to goodness parol or Christmas star that was practically straight from my childhood. Never in my dreams did I think such a thing would find its way here. I’m tempted to already hang it somewhere even this early but I think my partner would have a spasm. Though I’m sure he’d be happy that at least it wasn’t twinkling.