Simbang Gabi in Abu Dhabi

The nine (9) days before Christmas has officially started last Thursday, 15 December 2011.

Traditionally, simbang gabi is celebrated during the early morning nine (9) days before christmas eve. The mass starts around 4 or 4:30 in the morning. But since we are here in Abu Dhabi, Simbang Gabi is celebrated on the evenings. The mass starts at 8:00 pm but if you want to grab a good seat you have to be at the church at 7:00 pm. The open ground of the church is full packed and stampede is likely to happen if anything bad happens. The cold weather is perfect with the venue.

More vendors are selling food goodies outside and a lot of kids ran and shout while the mass is going on. But this is what a Filipino community is all about.

I miss simbang Gabi in the Philippines, but I won't trade this opportunity of attending my first Simbang Gabi here either. My first Abu Dhabi simbang gabi is also my first simbang gabi with my husband and first away from my family. A mix of happiness and sadness, I guess we have just have to add another chapter on our life journey - this is how we grow.

Undas Abroad

Among the festive public holidays in the Philippines, I always look forward for undas. Undas in vernacular simply refers to the two public holidays of November - All Saints Day and All Souls Day. People all over the country flock the cemetery to visit departed love ones and spend the entire day and sometimes overnight with the rest of the family.

I never get the chance to do the overnight thing. Strict parental rules. But that's ok. I remember way back during undas at the cemetery the festive air usually start the day before. October 31 is the day when you set up the tents, mark your property line (that is if you don't have your own mausoleum) then the electrical lines, the furniture and other portable appliances that you could squeeze into your tent. Also, the day before the big undas day is the time when wives and girls of different ages will prepare picnic food to take. Whether it would be for a meal or just for pica-pica. Kakanin or the native deliassies are a big hit during this time.

The sort of 'party' start at dusk. When the sun sets and all prayers have been said and candles lit, people with good vantage locations will take their position and start people watching. Or sometimes, will go roam around the area and visit friends and acquantances grave. Booths are set up on some free areas of the cemetery where food are sold even toys are also a big hit specially the ones with the lights.

I miss this. I miss the noise and and I miss the food. But let us not forget the reason for this day. This is the day we particularly celebrate for out departed love ones. Though we visit them and include them in our payers any day and any time of the year, this is their special day.

A thousand miles away from all of this, my husband and I attended the mass and lit candles for our loved ones in celeration of this special day. Minus the usual raucous activity of the cemetery, the church was also packed with church goers, canlde lighters and even kakanins are sold outside.

I guess undas can be anywhere you want it to be. For our dear departed, they will always be in our prayers.

Exploring Bugis

Being alone in a buzzing country also have its benefits like exploring places on your own, and that in itself is already an adventure.

I rented a room in Tampines.  A modest flat with three rooms in it.  A Malaysian family owns the unit and lets the two rooms.  I rented the other one with a close window.  This is because it is directly facing the buildings walkway.  It's a privacy thing.  Anyway, Tampines is a hour train ride to the central business district.  This station is a residential area so most of the buildings here are apartments and condominiums.  Bugis is almost 30-45 minutes train ride from Tampines.  Both stations are along the same green line so no need to change trains to go there.

Hi! I have moved my blog here.  See you there!