I will admit now, that had it not been for my Mum posting on her Facebook an early birthday wish, I probably would not have realised that it was their birthday. I knew it was, but somehow it still managed to slip from my mind. Maybe it was because of everything that's been going on, with all the preparations for Christmas Eve, which just even makes if worse because it shows that I am in very poor form! For me, my grandparents trump Jesus during the holidays. Or rather, they should. But instead this happens. Idiot.
Anyhow, I woke up from a dream about an hour ago, in which my Tatay made a guest appearance. It was a really bizarre dream. Though in saying that my dreams are hardly ever normal. If anything they are always very weird and kind of twisted (I've had two dreams with Nazis in them! I don't think they can get any sicker than that!)
My dream was odd because Tatay was wearing an oxygen mask. Not at all how I'd want him in my dreams! It's so macabre! I didn't know he was in the house, so when I went up to my room, I was surprised to see him lying in a bedroom with oxygen tank and all. I went in to pull up his blanket, and I said sorry for not saying hi because I had no idea he was there. For some reason he asks me, 'Pwede bang gumawa ka ng sandwich?' ('Can you make me a sandwich?'). I ask him what kind he wanted and he said he wanted it with 'Hug'. The weird part was that, in the dream there was a jar of mayonnaise that was labelled 'HUG'. I know right? it was completely random!
I told my sister and my cousins about it, since I was awake and all and my sister reminded me that actually, Tatay never liked mayonnaise. We've never seen him eat mayonnaise, now that I think about it. Hmmm....
Maybe it was just my subconscious reminding me that today was a celebration. And yesterday too for that matter. What makes today much more special however, is that today is my grandpa's first birthday after he passed back in July. I don't think it's right to say that it's going to be a sad Christmas, because it won't be. I think it's just going to be different because they are both now with us anymore. Before we left for England, we would have all 22 cousins and 9 children at my grandparents' house every Christmas for a massive party. It's more like a giant sleepover if you ask me. I remember once, when we were all complete (1997?), there was even a little nativity pageant show that the grandkids put on. It was perfectly cheesy, and I'm not very religious at all! But it felt right. It was nice. We never had that again after that (blame adolescence!), but we always celebrated it together, be it on the Eve or on Christmas Day. Also, not one holiday or occasion was complete without my Nanay's famous leche flan! (Crème Caramel for you brits). My mom can replicate it, and she even taught me the recipe. We talked about not making it this year because I've already made a whole of baked desserts for Friday, but thinking about it, I think I might make a couple even if its just for us. After all, I don't want to break tradition. Nanay might come after me in my dream next! It's my tribute to her as a matriarch. The flan always did bring everyone together, so it is just fitting.
For Tatay, however, I never really know what to do to. I now know he doesn't like mayonnaise, which is good because if I start eating mayonnaise now to pay tribute to him, I don't think my arteries would be able to take it. He was a smoker...so maybe I'll have a Zippo engraved. I don't smoke, so I won't use it for that, but he always did like his Zippo lighters. I'll have to wait till I get my loan though, because I am currently broke, but once I do, I will get that. I'll even blog about it. You can quote me on that!
But for now, I think I might just make a chocolate cake. They always did like chocolate cakes, particularly ones from Goldilocks. It's like the only decent patisserie in the Philippines..unless of course there are better ones now, but for what I can remember, they make the best chocolate roly poly. Ever. I don't think I can replicate that, but maybe I'll make them my own take on it. It should be fun!
Happy Birthday Nanay and Tatay!
BTW, Nanay means Mother and Tatay means Father in Tagalog. Just so you know!
xoxo
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