#pinoy classic

[pinoymyx]

Umaaraw Umuulan - Rivermaya (2001)

Throwback Thursday hit

Exclusive lyrics edit by singwiththelyrics x pinoymyx x myxbacktrax

[philippineclassicalarts]

Tala goddess, 2021, oil on canvas, by Nat Lamina.

[anyonghalimaw]

↖️ puno ng cheese stick

[myxbacktrax]

Kaleidoscope World - Francis M (1995)

Exclusive lyrics edit by singwiththelyrics x myxbacktrax x pinoymyx

"Kaleidoscope World" is a 1995 song performed by the Filipino rapper Francis Magalona. It was first included in his 1995 studio album FreeMan. The song is also included in a later album, Best of FrancisM.

The song went on to win the 1996 Awit Award for Best Produced Record of the Year, and the 1996 NU 107 Rock Award for Song of the Year. Its music video was directed by the celebrated director/cinematographer Raymond Red, and showed Magalona, his band Hardware Syndrome, his backup singers the Evil Stepsisters, and the respective children of Magalona and Red at that time.

[angkoleds]

Ang Krus at ang Perlas

Sa magulong kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, may iilang pangyayari na kumakatawan sa mga napakabigat na alaala ng hindi pantay na paghati ng kapangyarihan sa pagitan ng sagradong at sekular na sektor. Isa sa mga ganitong pangyayari ang pagpatay kay Gobernador-Heneral Bustamante ng mga tagasunod ng Arsobispo, isang makasaysayang pangyayari na nagbibigay liwanag sa nananatiling impluwensiya ng simbahan sa Pilipinas. Hanggang ngayon, makikita pa rin ang hindi makarapatang panghihimasok ng simbahan sa gobyerno sa iba’t ibang mga kontemporaryong isyu, lalo na sa mga desisyon ng pamahalaan kaugnay sa aborsyon, SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression), at iba pang mga batas.

Bilang konteksto para sa pagpatay kay Gobernador-Heneral Bustamante, nagmula ang lahat sa pag-aaksaya ng pondo mula sa royal treasury ng mga fraile at opisyal ng simbahan. Umabot hanggang sa pangangalaga sa mga kriminal sa loob ng santuwaryo ng simbahan ang pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan, gumawa ito ng alitan sa pagitan ng katarungan ng sibil at ng kapangyarihan ng simbahan. Lalo pang nagbigay init sa apoy ng pag-aalsa ang pagtatangkang panagutin ang simbahan sa pamamagitan ng pagkakapiit ni Gobernador-Heneral Bustamante sa arsobispo at sa mga kriminal na kaniyang kasama. Nauwi ito sa kaniyang pagpatay sa kamay ng makapangyarihang samahan ng mga galit fraile, mangangalakal, opisyal ng simbahan, at mamamayang nais pakawalan ang kanilang arsobispo.

Pagkatapos ko tingnan ang pintura, ang kaayusan nito ang una kong napansin. Maraming tao na nakakalat sa buong lugar, at ipinapakita nito ang kaguluhang kalagayan ng palasyo. Sa gitna nitong lahat, ang mga opisyal ng simbahan at ang Gobernador-Heneral ang mga pangunahing paksa ng pintura. Maaaring magmukhang magulo sa simula, ngunit sa pagtuon sa gitna, makikita mo ang Gobernador-Heneral na walang awang sinaksak ng maraming beses ng matalim na sandata ng kasamahan ng mamamayan at opisyal ng simbahan. Perpektong sumasalamin ang sandaling ito sa pagbagsak ng pinakamakapangyarihang posisyon sa bansa sa kamay ng mga tagasunod ng simbahan at mga karaniwang mamamayan. Sa kabuuan, sa tingin kong isa itong napakagulo, at kontrobersyal na pintura, na nakilala bilang isang obra-maestra ni Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo.

Malakas na naririnig sa kasalukuyan ang mga sigaw ng nakaraan. Kumikilos sa simbahan na nagpapatuloy na nagtataglay ng impluwensya sa mga desisyon ng pamahalaan sa Pilipinas. Nagpapakita ng patuloy na laban sa pagitan ng doktrina ng relihiyon at ng pagsusulong ng mas mabuklurang, progresibong lipunan ang posisyon ng simbahan sa mga mahahalagang isyu tulad ng aborsyon at batas ng SOGIE.

Aborsyon:

Isang halimbawa ng pagsalansang ng simbahan sa kasaysayan laban sa interbensiyon ng pamahalaan ang kasalukuyang pagsalungat sa mga patakaran hinggil sa aborsyon gaya ng nasaksihan natin sa paglabag sa katarungang sibil noong panahon ni Gobernador-Heneral Bustamante. Nagpapakita ang impluwensiya ng simbahan bilang isang malaking bahagi sa pagpigil sa pag-usbong ng mga karapatan sa reproduksiyon, na patuloy na nagmula sa prinsipyong relihiyoso (Chen, 2022).

Batas ng SOGIE:

Tulad ng mga alitan sa nakalipas na pagitan ng sagradong at sekular na kapangyarihan, naramdaman rin ang impluwensiya ng simbahan sa pagsalansang laban sa pagsasabatas ng mga nararapat na batas ng SOGIE. Patuloy na nakakaranas ng hindi pagkakasundo ang mga usaping may kinalaman sa oryentasyong sexual, pagkakakilanlan sa kasarian, at ekspresyon, kung saan nagpapakita ng impluwensya ang simbahan dito sa pagpigil sa pamahalaan mula sa pagtahak ng makatarungan at progresibong mga hakbang tungo sa pantay-pantay na karapatan para sa lahat ng mamamayan (De Guzman, 2023).

Naglilingkod na isang makahulugang talinghaga sa kasaysayan ang pagpatay kay Gobernador Bustamante, na naglilinaw sa patuloy na impluwensiya ng mga paniniwala ng simbahan sa gobyernong Pilipinas. Sa pagtukoy sa mga pagkakatulad sa kasalukuyang isyu tulad ng aborsyon at batas ng SOGIE, lumilitaw na patuloy na naglalakbay sa ating kasalukuyan ang mga epekto ng mga pangyayaring nagdaan. Nagbibigay inspirasyon sa atin ang mga pangyayaring ito na magkaroon ng masusing pagninilay-nilay sa magulong ugnayan ng simbahan at estado, sa layuning itaguyod ang isang lipunan na mas makatarungan sa panghinaharap. Sa pagtataglay ng bansa sa mga komplikadong dinamika na ito, sana magiging gabay natin ngayon ang mga aral mula sa kasaysayan sa pag-aayos ng magulong ugnayan ng simbahan at estado sa paghahangad ng isang mas makatarungan at inklusibong hinaharap.

Mga Sanggunian:

Chen, H. (2022, July 19). Abortion’s illegal in the Catholic majority Philippines, so more than a million women a year turn to other options. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/18/asia/philippines-abortion-ban-debate-women-rights-roe-wade-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

De Guzman, C. (2023, June 30). Southeast Asia’s most Gay-Friendly country still has no law against LGBT discrimination. TIME. https://time.com/6290762/philippines-pride-lgbt-discrimination-sogie-equality-bill/

[hyperjeremy]

[the-barrel-man]

All the videos are played live on Twitch and by me! ErkTheJerk for keeping vintage gaming alive! Classic not Retro!

[absolutebl]

10 Best BL Shows with the Hottest Sexitimes

Because this is English and word order matters, this title means the show itself has to be good AS WELL AS the scenes high heat, as opposed to the best sex scenes in BL. The two are not necessarily the same list. Anyway I tried to pick both high heat and a fun show. This was hard (pun intended).

FYI expect triggers with your high heat.

(Oh right. For me to get a 3/3 heat rating the BL has simulated sex in it or very close to it. And usually one or more other sexual acts like bjs, a-ply, etc...)

So, I went to the spreadsheet, and sorted it by high heat and then ranking, and here is what I got. I think #1 will surprise you. What will not surprise you is it's mostly Thai and Taiwanese.

10. TharnType (and follow ups)

Thai 2019 Viki

Should it still rank, all these years later? I am sorry to say, yes it should. University setting, great acting and complex characters, interesting friendship groups, enemies to lovers, seriously angsty coming out, high production values, AMAZING chemistry, multiple BL side couples with all the issues, damaging queer rep, strong seme/uke and husband/wife language, classic tropes and lots of them bad.

But it's famous for a reason.

This was KinnPorsche before KinnPorsche.

9. Addicted: Heroin

China 2016 Viki

When Chinese BL was good it was very dirty good and when it was bad it was censored. This is the model for that statement: rich kid falls madly for the genius poor kid in his class, starts an aggressive pursuit, includes kidnapping for love, obsession, stepbrother trope, plus some cheating. I love this BL because of what I could have been.

Just stop watching it after The Sex Scene. Okay?

8. Love Stage!!

Thai 2022 YouTube

This BL surprised me with its charm. The acting was good, the leads were appealing, support cast on point, and the production values high. It followed the original manga story arc relatively closely: boy falls in love with girl as a child, grows up to discover girl is actually a very pretty boy.

Although there are some quintessentially Thai changes that mellowed, softened, and extended the romance arc and heat levels.

7. HIStory 4: Close to You

Taiwan 2021 Viki

Nancy Chen directs, the side dish plot is basically a pastiche of problematic BL tropes inherited from the above. Great chemistry, high heat, stepbrothers, dubcon, obsession, stalker etc…

They sexy tho.

6. My Day

Pinoy 2020 YouTube

The set up on this one is enemies (also boss/employee) and they don’t like each other to start. But that gets resolved pretty quickly. And then they are some of the cutest, hottest, and best boyfriends ever.

This is an under-appreciated BL, IMHO.

5. Cutie Pie

Thai 2022 YouTube

Very high production (and heat) and a lot of visual references to live action yaoi gave this show a whiff of Japan but ultimately it stayed firmly in Thailand’s BL camp veering from absurd to appealing to annoying and then back to absurd again. If you can roll with the arranged marriage conceit and very lifestyle D/s relationships, the chemistry is spot on even if the plot is naff and driven by miscommunication.

Watch this one for the pretty, give it a pass on depth. (It has depth, it just depth of tongue kisses.)

Also the follow up: Naughty Babe

4. Bed Friend

Thai 2023 YouTube but for high heat you'll net to watch on iQIYI

Office frienamies transition a flaming hot one night stand into a f-buddy relationship that is built on a puppy/cat dynamic (and kinks into it at one point). Our puppy is loyal, smitten, and protective with endlessly longing eyes, while our cat is snarky, prickly, and deeply damaged (ALL THE TRIGGERS).

NetJames give lovely high-heat with excellent chemistry and tuned-in performances of surprising depth, unfortunately the story ultimately failed them. Had the show had the strength of its convictions and kept to a tighter, darker, harsher 8 eps it would have been the first high heat to earn a 10/10 from me, but once they fussed with it, it dropped to a solid 8/10. Could have been great but was overworked.

Still if high heat is your thing, this one will not let you down.

3. HIStory 3: Trapped

Taiwan 2019 Viki

Basically the definition of enemies to lovers from Lin Pei Yu. This is a cop + the mafia man he is chasing but WAIT, they fall in love. Added bonus side couple: assassin and nerd cop ALSO falling in love. It’s great. All the leads are stellar. Its high heat, fun action, and a bit of a mystery drama but pretty about all of it.

My only warning is that the main couple doesn’t entirely end up together, it’s implied, but… amorphous ending.

2. Why R U?

Thai 2020 Viki

No one knows what’s going on, not even the characters, but absolutely no one cares 'cause it's so thirsty. The plot seems to be "great chemistry and make sure Zee's shirts are NEVER BUTTONED PROPERLY." We, the collective, have a pro Hawaiian shirt anti-button stance, so rah rah rah! (Still the most confusing thing about this show is: why they didn't just title it YRU?)

The FighterTuror sex scenes still stand as some of the best ever fielded in a Thai BL. I will not be entertaining opposition on this matter.

1. Be Loved In House: I Do

Taiwan 2021 Viki

A cute classy office set BL with a few plot raised eyebrows, but no other concerns. ALL THE TROPES plus a general sweet softness that’s pretty rare from Taiwan, who usually prefer to go hard, but all their signature domesticity.

There is one high heat sex scene and it's great. But it's the whole package of classic sappy Taiwanese BL that puts this at the very top for me.

Generally just v high heat?

Hottest sex scenes in BL is frankly gonna be largely a matter of your personal taste.

But if the ones mentioned above don't work try:

KinnPorsche

Love in the Air

Big Dragon

HIStory 3; MODC (the BL that shall not be named)

Be Mine Super Star

Manner of Death (and anything else with MaxTul)

Oh My Sunshine Night (sides)

Secret Crush on You

Wedding Plan

Most dark JBL has very good high heat, but... ya know.

For @samara44 by request.

Dated Nov 2023, not responsible for amazing high head that came after.

(source)

[kairiscorner]

HIIIII I LOVE YOUR WORK SM THEY MAKE ME CLAW AT THE WALLSSS (they make my pinoy heart SING so tysm for writing these 💥💥💥)

ANYWAYS Can i request a Hobie Brown x Filipino!Reader, where she brings him to like a family gathering (Maybe like a Manny Pacquiao party) And he’s like having the time of his life- like he has a plate full of food, jamming out to karaoke with his guitar, and like he’s playing with the Readers little cousin and he’s like spinning them around on his arms they’re calling him “Kuya Hobie”?

TYSM 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽

HELLO PO, omg i'm so happy to hear that <:DD aLSO THIS IDEA IS SO CUTE WAIT...... ik i said i'd be on a break but this request was too cute NOT to do >:))

(reblogs are greatly appreciated, it helps get my content out there! if you guys like what you see, please reblog it too <:D)

kuya hobie brown

your family absolutely loves hobie, he's practically a part of the family now. they love how carefree and loving he is, and the adults love how well he respects your elders--doing the "mano po" whenever you introduce him to someone older, but always remaining friendly with whoever he's talking to. towards your cousins, he's their role model; he doesn't blindly obey what he's told, and will make his own way if he has to. in short, hobie gets along with all of your family, and you couldn't be any happier that he does.

"i cannot emphasize how chaotic your family is," hobie tells you as he wraps your hands in his own. he turns to you, grinning widely, and with his other hand, he brings it up to caress your cheek. "this might sound really crazy, but i feel at home here." he said as he leans in close to press a kiss on your forehead. you giggled at his show of affection, and you could've sworn a couple of your titas saw you two, pointed, smiled and started giggling and whispering to each other. one had their phone out, ready to take a picture of the next sweet moment you two would share, but you took hobie by the hand and got out of the adult's area and to the kids' area, where no one would bother you two.

"pasensya na, ha, my family is chaotic, though... a little nosy." you admitted with a bashful and awkward giggle. hobie grinned, he held you close as you two walked over to the living room, where your younger cousins were playing video games and with toys, and as always, screaming.

"i've dealt with nosies a lot of the time, i do like your family, still. and you already know i love you a whole bunch." he beamed as he kissed your cheek, which caused you to break out into a wide smile. your younger cousins witness hobie kiss you, and immediately, every single one of them squealed and screamed. they teased you two in the classic, elementary style tease, "they're sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" they'd exclaim, and you'd threaten to change the wifi password on them if they kept doing that. hobie was still very happy to hang out with you and your younger cousins, they were a delight to him.

he already had experience babysitting mayday, so he knew all the right and effective tactics to use to entertain these kids. you watched as he went over to a couple of your younger cousins who were playing with action figures and dolls, and he asked them if they've ever seen an action figure of the coolest spider man in existence. they claim they have, but hobie told them that's impossible, because, "i am the only one in the whole multiverse who has him." he said with a smirk as he showed the kids his handmade figurine of himself, which you looked at in awe.

the kids flocked together to see the figurine of him, and when they told him they've never seen this spider man before, he chuckles, and tells them, "oh, you haven't?" you have to hit him lightly on the arm to get him to stop while he's ahead. "delulu kasi yang kuya hobie ninyo, akala niya siya si gagamboy." you joked, to which he responds by playing with his figurine and telling you he'll save you from the killjoy monster that's about to eat you up!

the kids really loved hobie, they insisted on doing karaoke, and though hobie wasn't very excellent at the singing, you took over that department for him, with him playing the guitar. the kids loved your performance together, and he even taught them how to play basic chords. as the day was ending and a lot of your younger cousins had to go, one of them in particular ran up to hobie as their parents were reminding them it was time to go.

"oh," hobie would say in surprise as the kid ran up to him and hugged him, "mamimiss ko po kayo, kuya hobie." they'd say as hobie would hug them back. "aww, i'll miss you two, little fella." he replied. "can we do it again, po?" they'd ask hobie, and before you could ask what 'it' was, hobie agreed. "alright, here we go!" he'd exclaim as the kid placed their feet on his, with hobie holding the kid's arms tightly, spinning them around and around with his heels as they giggled.

you wasted no time and grabbed your phone to film this beautiful moment, your younger cousin kept giggling and calling hobie their 'kuya', to which hobie's smile grew wider and wider. you smiled just as wide to yourself as you stopped filming and encouraged your younger cousin to go home after the probably thirtieth goodbye.

"they really do love you, hobes." you said as you took his arm in your own. "and i really love them, too. they're so sweet, and you... really have a soft spot for them too, don't you?" he asked you with a teasing smile. "well... i'm their older cousin, of course i do. kahit na lalamunin na ako ng KJ monster... you save them and me from it, aking gagamboy." you teased him as he kissed your nose, wishing he could be with you and your family, seeing your younger cousins' happy smiles every day.

a/n: AKING MINAMAHAL NA KUYA HOBIE 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶 I HOPE THIS WAS GOOD, i wanted to write more about it kaso i wanted to emphasize how sweet hobie would be with the kids, LIKEEEE, HE IS THE BEST KUYA EVER

[pinoymyx]

Ang Huling El Bimbo - Eraserheads (1995)

To celebrate the 125th Philippine Independence Day, we're giving you some of the classic Pinoy music videos from the golden era of Original Pilipino Music (OPM).

Ang Huling El Bimbo is a song recorded by the Filipino rock band Eraserheads from their third studio album Cutterpillow, released in 1995. It narrates a first-person perspective of a young boy in love with a beautiful woman older than him, who then meets a tragic end.

The track follows the common musical composition that is evident with most of the80’s and 90’s OPM music. It starts slowly and progresses into a crescendo as the final chorus kicks in.

Ang Huling El Bimbo is undoubtedly one of the most popular OPM songs and has created an undeniable impact in Philippine pop culture, as it is covered by many amateur and professional artists alike.

Full story here.

Exclusive lyrics edit by singwiththelyrics

[philippineclassicalarts]

Hanan goddess, 2021, oil on canvas, by Nat Lamina.

[wsknbfanaccnt]

GOM and their favorite Filipino food/snacks, words and culture/tradition please 🙏 (I feel like murasakibara will definitely like Filipino snacks especially beng beng)

been kinda lazy writing oneshots so imma do this first as headcanons

this is gonna be fun~

Favorite Filipino Foods and Traditions

ok for snacks, he likes mild tastes like tofu

so maybe he'd like pastillas, otap, stuff like that

and omfg maybe like bibingka?? i feel like he'd like that

OH AND SUMAN OMFG HE'D GO CRAZY FOR THAT

for cultures, hes absolutely (pun intended) in love with the traditional clothing

you can occasionally find him casually wearing a barong and he FUCKING ROCKS THAT SHIT

omfg someone draw akashi in a barong pls

he'd love learning about Filipino history, always visiting areas like Intramuros, Rizal Park, Fort Santiago

he also adores the hospitality and how family oriented our culture is, and would love to participate

when he eventually learns tagalog he would read fucking El Filibusterismo and Noli me Tangere for fun

watches a lot of PBA

i think he'd like candies like Milkita and Haw Haw

mmm maybe polvoron too

AND BUKO PANDAN

yes he loves buko pandan

Kuroko would be so happy when he does mano to elders

first of all it would make him feel noticed

2nd he just finds it so endearing and tries to do it to as many people as possible bcause respect

AND WHENEVER HE GOES THERE HE CANT HELP BUT JOIN THE RANDOM BASKETBALL GAMES IN THE STREET

yk how there's courts everywhere?

yeah he loves joining

and hes actually kinda tall or average height so he's happy playing with people his height LMFAO

makes him feel very included

ykw they all just watch PBA every now and then

tbh im not completely sure what his taste in food is

but one thing i know for sure is that he's fond of turon and puto

(the food ok this is tagalog)

and i can also see him snacking on dried mangoes lol

ooh im sure he'd also love the superstitions that we filipinos have omg

he ALWAYS says tabi tabi po when entering a forest like a good filo boy

and he'd go along with the lucky numbers and dates too

he wont open umbrellas indoors LMFAO omg

and this always works for him for some reason

i think he would like attending filipino festivals

also wearing a matching barong with akashi

he LOOVES fortune telling

and im sure that uh

idk how to say this in english but nakulam sya at least once

or ok so "he was hexed at least once"

okay so i think he would LOOOVE yema and taho and halo halo

he tried balut once but he threw up LMFAO

and kise loves ensaymada WITH CHEESE OKAY WITH CHEESE thats important

loves tinikling and loves participating in it

he loves watching it and he learned it at one point

i think he'd be the type to go all out for christmas (yes, all 5 months of it) and new years

he has like 3 parols that he puts up every year and HE DEFINITELY LOVES CAROLING

hes a pretty boy so he'd always get like 50 to 100 pesos

AND ITS CANON THAT KISE LOVES KARAOKE

sometimes when he comes across some people doing karaoke he'll just join in and everyone loves him

eventually he learns some classic filo karaoke songs that range from Dancing Queen to Bituing Walang Ningning

THIS MAN LOVESSS THE STREETFOOD

bbq, kwek kwek, balut, fish balls, isaw, banana q, chicharon bulaklak, you name it

omfg he can eat those every day

and he doesnt care abt some of the dishes that might seem "weird" he fucking lvoes it all

OMFG SOMEONE TAKE HIM TO A SAMGYUPSAL

doesnt mind eating at a karinderya

i think he'd be the type to explore the hell out of MOA, riding all the amusement parks and eating snacks near the Manila bay

he also loves watching the Pyro Olympics

ofc, as a basketball lover, always joins in the random games everywhere

and i think he'd really appreciate the fact that like

it doesnt matter where or what materials youre using for your hoop, doesnt matter whos playing or anything at all

if you play bball then you play bball

he gets mistaken for being pinoy lol

now this man just loves all the filipino snacks

Piatos, Pillows, Clover, Roller Coaster

and sweets like Yema, taho (he likes it cold tho), cassava cake, stuff like that

he also likes kalamay, biko, palitaw

OH AND HE LOVES UBE OH MY GOD

ube ice cream, ube crinkles, ube everything

he also loves that its the color of his hair lol

he likes joining aomine when looking for streetfood too

i think he likes banana q and fish balls the most when it comes to street food

HIS FAV PALAMIG IS SAGO GULAMAN

the filipinos are terrified of him at first (everyone there is like 5'5 below lol) but they'll soon realize that hes a gentle giant and will love him tbh.

the kids love him, will drag him around and show him off to people

"tingnan mo, ang tangkad!" (look, so tall!)

"grabe, parang aabot sya ng langit!" (its crazy, its like hes gonna reach the sky!)

[buymehirono]

𝑊𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐶𝘩𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑚𝑒

Christmas in the Philippines is unlike anywhere else. As soon as September hits, you start hearing Jose Mari Chan’s Christmas tunes echoing through malls and streets, and that unmistakable holiday vibe begins to fill the air. For me, growing up here, Christmas isn’t just a day—it’s a season that stretches for months, and it’s deeply rooted in family, tradition, and community.

One thing I always look forward to is our yearly road trip back to my mom’s homeland, where we spend the holidays with extended family. It’s something I cherish deeply, because it’s not just about the destination, but the journey itself. We pack the car with gifts, treats, and—of course—our pets. Yes, the entire gang! My dog cries his little heart out for the first few hours of the trip, then it’s my cats, who never get quiet, that make the trip extra fun (and sometimes a little chaotic). We brought along six cats that time, and while they’re not the biggest fans of car rides, we make it work. They curl up in their carriers, and I like to think they enjoy the change of scenery—well, at least once we’re out of the city traffic.

Arriving at my mother’s childhood home always feels like a warm embrace. There’s something magical about being back in the place where my mother and uncles grew up, surrounded by the familiar smells and sounds of the province. But what really makes it feel like Christmas is being with the relatives I feel closest to. These are the cousins I grew up with and the uncles who make everyone laugh. Being with them feels like home, and there’s this unspoken understanding that no matter how much time has passed, we pick up right where we left off.

This year, we had a little adventure involving one of my cats. One evening, we noticed that one of the cats had gone missing. Panic set in as we searched the house and the yard, calling her name. Everyone got involved, including my uncle, who has a soft spot for the cats but is always a little wary of them. Just when we spotted the cat hiding under the house, my uncle reached out to grab him, and in his panic, he bit him on the hand. I felt terrible. We immediately cleaned the wound, but he still had to get a rabies vaccine as a precaution. Thankfully, he took it in stride, joking that it wouldn’t be Christmas without some unexpected excitement.

In the days leading up to Christmas, the house buzzes with activity. The kitchen becomes the heart of the home, with pots clanging and the scent of lechon, hamon, and other festive dishes filling the air. And of course, there’s the unmistakable hum of the karaoke machine in the background, waiting for someone to take the mic. Karaoke is an essential part of any Pinoy celebration, and Christmas is no exception. Whether it’s the classic Christmas songs or 90s hits, there’s always someone belting out a tune, from uncles with surprising vocal talent to cousins who sing for the fun of it. It’s the kind of organized chaos that makes the season feel so alive.

But beyond the cooking, decorating, and karaoke sessions, one of the things I’ve come to treasure most is reconnecting with people I haven’t seen in years. I got to reconnect with a childhood friend I hadn’t spoken to in ages during my grandmother’s birthday gathering. We hadn’t seen each other in years, but she was invited by my grandmother, and when I spotted her among the guests, it was as if no time had passed. We spent the evening catching up, and laughing about how things have changed (and how some things haven’t). By the end of the night, she decided to sleep over at our place. It was like we were kids again, staying up late, chatting about how we had so much similar interests even after all these years, and sharing stories. Reconnecting with her at such a special family event reminded me how meaningful the bonds we create in childhood can be, and it made this Christmas feel even more memorable.

When we’re not busy preparing food or wrapping gifts, I love spending quiet moments with my pets. My dog is spoiled with attention from everyone, and my cats, after some initial hesitance, eventually settle in comfortably, exploring corners of the house as if they’ve been there forever. One of my favorite things is watching my cats lounging by the window, basking in the afternoon sun, while Christmas music plays softly in the background. Even the pets seem to feel at home, surrounded by family.

For me, Christmas is more than just a time of year—it’s an experience filled with love, laughter, and personal traditions. It’s the car ride with my pets, the joy of reconnecting with relatives I’m close to, surprise encounters with old friends, and the shared meals that make the season truly special. And no matter how many times we celebrate, it’s these moments of togetherness that make me feel at home, year after year.

[oh-great-authoress]

Nadia Sings no. 4

Link to last week’s song

Today we have a modern musical theater classic: “On My Own” from the musical Les Miserables (music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo)

Life is apparently tiring when you’re catching up on two week’s worth of housework from when your parents were in the hospital, but I managed to figure out this week’s Nadia Sings.

(My dad thanks you all for your thoughts and prayers, he’s now been home for a week after receiving his lifesaving laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. He’s feeling almost completely normal, and is doing light work around the house.)

This song is one of my favorites, especially having grown up idolizing my fellow Filipino, Lea Salonga.

#pinoy pride

🇵🇭

I dare say I like it even more than “I Dreamed a Dream”.

And for those who know, before you say, “Wait a minute, it sounds weird,” I am not singing it in original key, because (and not to sound like such a soprano, I’m just really being honest here) the original key is too low for me.

Like, you-cannot-hear-the-low-notes low.

I tell you, it was such a strange experience hearing the introduction that high.

Once again, using my trusty recording studio (*cough*mydiningroom*cough*), and my favorite recording app, BandLab (not an advertisement, you guys know the drill 🤣), I put this together, and, as usual, while I put a little reverb effect on the backing track I used, as well as on my vocal track, this is otherwise as unadulterated a track as the one I posted last week, just my voice, with no pitch correction, recorded into my iPhone.

I hope you enjoy!!

(Headphones recommended to hear the reverb)

Tagging the same people I tagged last week, as well as those who enjoyed last week’s offering:

@welsharcher

@valmare

@batmantaking-hobbits2gallifrey

@justhereforfandomandfriends

@musewrangler

@oh-nostalgiia

@sakar-rad

@radical-sky

@randomfoggytiger

@agentfaust

@two-microscopes

@canmking

If you would like to be taken off the taglist, just send me a message, no hard feelings, and if you’d like to be added to the taglist, just interact with/reblog this post or send me an ask!

[purpleplusher]

All my first bl dramas from different countries (listing them because they're all classics)

A tale of thousand stars (Thai)

The untamed (China)

Old fashion cupcake (Japan)

Semantic error (Korea)

History 3 trapped (Taiwan)

Like in the movies (Pinoy)

If you're a bl fan and haven't watched these, i definitely recommend all of them. They're all classics with great actors, good plots and amazing cinematography. 1000/10

[the-barrel-man]

I use to play this on my Twitch account and my Filipino viewers get a kick out of it. I translated the Nintendo Super Mario Bros game into the Filipino language. I think I did a pretty good job with the limitations.