“Annak Ti Candon International has done it again…but even BETTER and
MERRIER!”
(by Justine Y. De Peralta)
There
is this saying that we the younger generation likes to say when it
comes to partying—“Go hard or go home!” Now, some of you may be
scratching your heads and wondering what this saying could possibly
mean. To simply put it, “go hard or go home” basically means to “go
all out” with whatever you are doing at the time and if you choose
not to, then you might as well stop what you are doing and go home.
If there is no enthusiasm or passion behind what you are doing, then
why do it at all right? After the second annual Annak Ti Candon
International Christmas Party on Saturday December 20th,
2008 in La Palma, CA, I must say that Annak Ti Candon has DONE IT
AGAIN. They have successfully put on a Christmas party that
surely cannot be forgotten.
It’s that time of year again when Annak
families and friends gather around to celebrate the holiday season.
Last year’s First Annual Annak Ti Candon Christmas party was a huge
success with everyone coming together as a community and truly
showing what it means to have a good time. Just like last year’s
Christmas party, this year’s Second Annual Annak Ti Candon Christmas
party was another huge success. The evening started off with
Christmas music and greetings amongst one another. In order to get
the party started, Tito Butch presented a moving opening invocation
that helped everyone get into the holiday spirit. Once Tito Butch
finished, it was time to eat dinner.
Table
after table lined up to get their yummy servings from a variety of
delicious dishes. With the wonderful help of the Annak Ti Candon
women serving the guests, everyone was able to taste the different
kinds of food. There was so much food to choose from that even I
could not try everything! I had to ask for little servings so that
I could put more of each type of food on my plate!
As the night continued, more and more
people continued to show up. At one point during the evening, I
remember looking around and seeing that every chair and table had
been filled up. Sound and look familiar? Just like last year’s
Christmas party, this year’s party once again filled to capacity.
In order to accommodate to the growing Annak Ti Candon community,
the executive board deliberately chose a venue that would be big
enough to hold everyone. Although this year’s venue was much bigger
than last year’s, it still was not big enough to hold everyone.
Once again, this was not expected. There were so many people that
even the food ran out and pizzas had to be ordered! After 16 boxes
of large pizzas, it would be safe to say that there were plenty of
satisfied stomachs in the room. Although this may have seemed like
a problem, it did not stop everyone from having fun. Instead,
people just got closer to one another and the Annak Ti Candon
community continuing to grow was a great sign!
Toward the beginning of the night, all
the children were paid a visit by the one and only Santa Claus.
With his bag of goodies and “Ho Ho
Ho’s”, Santa made his way up to the front to see the children. The
children gathered around Santa and anxiously waited to see what
Santa brought them. Of course every one of the kids have all been
“nice” and “good” this year, so Santa had no problems giving them
lovely presents. Once Santa left, he left behind a room full of
happy children.
For
as long as I have remembered, Candonian Christmas parties have
always been full of laughter, fun, eating, and dancing. From having
everyone line dancing to Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart” to
everyone “chowing” down on delicious Filipino food, these Christmas
parties never seize to lack in the entertainment department.
Personally and in my most humble opinion, I believe Annak Ti Candon
Christmas parties continue to follow this tradition as well as
introduce new and exciting things. They continue to top each
previous party with something bigger and bolder. This year, Annak
Ti Candon graced the celebration with Philippine stars, Marco Sison
and
Nora Aunor. Many were in great awe when each star came onto the
stage and graced us with their presence. During Marco Sison’s
performance, Mr. Sison walked around an enthusiastic audience and
shook people’s hands as well as gave some of them hugs. Some women
were able to sneak in little kisses here and there! I am sure that
many people, men and women, walked away from that evening still star
struck.
Marco Sison and Nora Aunor were not the
only ones lighting up the stage. There were guest performances done
by two young ladies, Brooke and Demi, dancing to hip-hop and
celebrity impersonators. Each performance brought something new to
the
evening
and had the crowd cheering at the edge of their seats (literally!).
As I mentioned earlier, the entertainment at these parties are
nothing short of amazing. When I saw the first celebrity
impersonator take the stage, I knew that the next few minutes would
be wildest and funniest minutes of the night. Boy was I right! For
the next 45 minutes, the celebrants were “exposed” to some lovin’
from the lovely “female” celebrity impersonators singing to today’s
music. While some mothers covered the eyes of their children, there
were those who could not take their eyes off the performances. Each
act brought fire and spark to the room—something NO Christmas party
has ever seen! So, the next time Santa asks you if you have been
naughty or nice, just respond by simply saying “I’ve been and seen a
little a naughty, but I always play nice.” I’m sure Santa will let
this Christmas past just this once.
It is obvious that everyone enjoys
these Christmas parties. With this kind of entertainment and
community, who wouldn’t? We, Filipinos, know how to party.
However, partying is not the only thing we know how to do. We also
know how to give back to the Candon community that we come from.
Over the past year, we have been raising money to help support the
people of Candon. As President Omar de Peralta mentioned, Candon
public schools were gifted 16 brand new computers this year. He
said this would not have been possible without the help and support
from Annak members, sponsors, and friends. Fundraisers and
donations are just some of the ways that we as an organization raise
money to give back to our community back in the Philippines. Just
like last year, Mena de Peralta custom-arranged 19 beautiful
Christmas decorations that Annak Ti Candon members were able to have
by making a donation to Annak projects in Candon. And this is what
I love most about Christmas—amazingly people have big hearts for a
good cause. I love how no matter where we are in this world, we do
not forget where we come from and how we got here. Where we come
from serves as the base and foundation of who we are and who we
become. The holiday season is not just about community, but it is
also about family. Whether we have families in Candon or families
here in America and other countries, we are still intertwined with
one another. More importantly the distance does not stop us from
celebrating the beautiful holiday season TOGETHER.
(Click
here to see all pictures from the event.)
