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December 31, 1998

And in the end...

Oo.. what is Iko looking at? Click on me to enlarge! Most of the pictures are clickable. This isn't a particularly deep entry.. more a showcasing of images and a display of what my family does at New Years. I have never experienced any other type of New Years celebration. This is all that I know... do I dislike that? Nope! I love it. It's simple. It's traditional. It's a part of me. Constant Reader, welcome to my New Year's Eve tradition. All my coworkers had elaborate party plans for this evening. I suppose in that way, I can't be a yuppie. I decided to stay home this evening. I will probably never go out on New Years Eve to celebrate. There isn't anything particularly inviting about a smoky, dark, crowded, loud room with a number of strangers. I like spending it with my family, all crowded around a television yelling at the ball to drop faster. In general, it was very quiet during the day, since my parents rested. My mom prepared our New Years Eve dinner for part of the day. It consisted of finger foods, bread, cheese, and our traditional cabbage head. You'll see photos of everything later... (I can hear you, Constant Reader. "What the heck is a lettuce head?" All in good time.. tee hee hee) Mike and I decided to rent some movies and snuggle in for the day. He rented Crime Story with Jackie Chan. When I snuggled down with him in the evening to watch it, I quickly realized that I had watched it already. Probably with Jim and Tori last year. About 2/3 through the movie, Mike hit some recognition of the movie as well. We were thinking that we should have watched the X-Files Movie instead. My relatives came over. Actually, my Tito Jun, Tita Edith, and cousin, Kim. They came relatively early around 10pm. My aunt made my favorite dish: fresh lumpia (it's like a fresh egg roll.. not fried... very yummy!). Mm.. This was going to be a good New Years Eve get-together. You can click on the images for a larger version. Tito Jun & Tita Edith (hiding) My father reclining on the large leather sofa by the Christmas tree. I thought he looked kind of funny.. like a relaxing reclining woman. "Oh servant, bring me more grapes!" All he really needs is the laurel crown and the toga... My cousin kim in a really cute hat. I think my mom got that hat for Els for Christmas, but I could be wrong. Kim is going to Rutgers right now and comes home occasionally to visit. In some ways, I am jealous because it was difficult for me to come home when I was in school. But, I can't complain too much because I really liked the independence that I got by going out to the midwest. I couldn't go home to my family... plus I was given a clean slate. I could write and transform myself however I wanted for college. No expectations from others. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it. How often does one become so mutable in life? Kim and Els got their hands on my camera for a little while and they started snapping away. Els wants a better picture of herself in my journal. Here's my favorite image of her taken last night. I think it looks like a magazine cover, the way she is posing semi-alluringly. Our New Year's Eve Dinner. From the very bottom: poppers. With cream cheese. These were for Mike and I. Surrounded by this are a bunch of french baguette pepperoni pizzas. To the right of the bare lettuce-head (bare! bare! It's not ready yet...) is some cheese. We always eat Gouda. Above that is a tray of mini hotdogs with a bit of pastry dough around it. Do you know what they are called? To the right of the hotdogs (behind the lettuce-head) is a bowl of sauce for the fresh lumpia (egg rolls) (to the right and behind of the lettuce-head). Those are plastic green cups with ice, ready for refreshments. My relatives from my mother's side of the family came over. Tita Dotte (mom's sister), cousins Kim(young) and Cathy, and Tita Helen (another mom's sister). My Tito Roldan (Tita Helen's husband) didn't come, probaby because he was at church. Most of the time, this side of the family doesn't celebate with us because of their religious obligations. I suppose that's okay. I've stopped giving them Christmas presents, however. Is that mean of me? I just don't feel connected with that side of the family. Even when I was involved in the church. They're my relative strangers. From left to right: My father, my Tita Dotte (in front with her back to the camera), my mom, Els and Kim(old). My pa is fixing his camera, preparing for the ball to drop. I decided to position myself to the left of the television and take photographs of everyone watching the ball drop. From left to right: My Tita Edith, my Tita Helen (in profile, kinda), Mike, Cathy, Kim(young). Nope, it's not down yet! After the ball dropped. I missed watching the ball drop but I got a great picture of my family cheering about it. Afterwards, I walked on over to Mike and he gave me a great New Year's Kiss. 1999 is turning out to be a great year. Oh.. and what is a lettuce-head? Here's a picture. My mother takes a head of lettuce every year and uses it to hold our BBQ shishkabob. Mike thought it was hilariously silly. Aren't some traditions? I still enjoy them. This is home. I am home.

© Copyright 1998, Eileene Coscolluela
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