Soul Highway

The boxes have been opened!

Christmas pics are now available for viewing! Click here - Christmas with the Harrises

Christmas Day for us started at an ungodly hour - 6 a.m. - when Re'Sean barged into our bedroom and announced that Santa managed to tiptoe into our apartment, put gifts under the tree and munch on a couple of cookies before leaving. Apparently, you could avert a catastrophic disaster but, with kids, you can never delay the opening of gifts on Christmas morning.

I wish I was quick enough to record Re'Sean's screams when he got a Wii from Santa and an Optimus Prime Transformers from Nana. "Santa" was good to me too! He practically crossed out almost everything on my list, plus some unexpected goodies. The husband received some wonderful treats as well. Overall, everyone had huge smiles pasted on their faces, were sporting new stuff, and felt it was worth being dragged out of bed to gather around the tree.

Our family has been truly blessed and we would like to thank everyone who has made our year so meaningful. Enjoy viewing the pics and spread the good cheer around!

Friendship, fun, food - how to party like a Filipino

By now everyone should be experiencing some form of Christmas shopping and party hangover. The pots and pans have been put away, the gifts unwrapped and the Christmas tree looking forlorn in the corner. Now is the time to burn off all the high cholesterol but sinfully delectable food we were gorging on like we were on death row.

Talking of food, Filipinos take it to the extreme when they party, and that's exactly what we did on the 23rd of December. The husband said we practically brought one dish - family-size - for every person who showed up at the party. Incidentally, there were more than 20 people that night and so the table was literally overflowing with food. Next time, the key word would be downsizing.

One of the things I'm thankful for is that I'm surrounded with good friends. Now whether it has something to do with my being a Leo or Filipino, or both, I simply need to get connected with other people. I feed on good conversations, excitement, laughter and that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with having a good circle of friends I could put on speed dial. I swear there are nights when the husband prays I would just shut up and go to sleep.

Out here, when you're a newly-arrived immigrant trying to blend in, having a social network can save you from falling into depression and isolation. Our husbands are simply amazed at how nine women, complete strangers back in the Philippines except for two, found each other here and quickly formed a bond. Either out of necessity or due to a meeting of commonalities, I think it is safe to say that we have helped each other, mentally and emotionally, adjust to life in the US. On the plus side, we have spared our husbands from the full-on insanity that comes with marrying a Filipina.

So in the effort of bringing the Filipino spirit of Christmas to the US, we tore up Evelyn and Steve's hardwood floors last Sunday with all the dancing and jumping that our husbands, for good reason, chose not to take part in. We feasted, exchanged gifts, played games, screamed our tonsils out, danced and took tons of photos as the men watched on the sidelines. Actually, a football game was going on so they didn't really miss out on anything.

The smiles on our faces all night long were tell-tale signs that we had a blast. Some of the girls pulled out a few surprises and let their hair down. Who knew that Badet could "party like a rock star" even with Xuno attached to her hip? Rock on, girls! I can't wait for the next time we're bringing the house down!