Calaidescope World

Halloween, Here We Come!

I carved my first Jack-o-Lantern (Jack O'Lantern?) in 2002 when I visited my cousins in Honolulu. My Tito Mike gave my bud Gars and I the honors of carving the pumpkin. It wasn't as easy as I thought, but luckily Tito Mike took all the seeds out and carving was actually quite fun to do. Or therapeutic.

It's essentially an American" holiday, but I enjoy decorating and dressing up for Halloween. My sisters have been trick-or-treating since we were 4 or 5 years old, and we still do! Back when our parents were kids, the best place to go trick-or-treating was posh Dasmarinas Village in Makati. The place to go when we were young was Alabang Hills Village in Muntinlupa, and we always went with the Joseph clan. For the past 10 years, the "it" place has been Ayala Alabang Village where residents actually compete for the best decorated home. The "Joni's House" on San Bernardino street used to be the best place to go when I was in college - everyone in the house was dressed up, they had strobe lights and sound effects, and gave away the best cookies and candies.. Years later, I found out that one of our analysts at work lived in that house, and that her aunt, one of our directors, would help decorate. These days, everyone troops to this house on Madrigal Avenue (check out Gabby's blog for what they set up this year), and it's absolutely amazing. The traffic on Zapote Road and inside Ayala Alabang Village, though, is just horrendous! I don't understand these parents who send their kids off in cars and vans, when the joy of trick-or-treating involves WALKING around the village. But I digress....

For the past couple or so years, my office has been celebrating Halloween with a big party for associates' kids. Associates are allowed to come to work in costume (I think. Well, at least, I get away with showing up in costume) with their children, young siblings, cousins, nephews and neices. The kids get to go around the two floors that our company occupies and get candies from all 100 of us. I hope to bring my little Princess Layla next year.

At my office's the second Trick or Treat Party in 2003, I came dressed as Dernhelm (a.k.a. Eowyn from The Lord of the Rings disguised as one of the Rohirrim to fight in Gondor. Yes, I'm a geek! However, I was often mistaken for either Aragorn or Joan of Arc), Harry was a priest, and Annella was a bunch of grapes (she couldn't sit down without popping a balloon). Of all the costumes I've ever donned, "Dernhelm" is my favorite. And the most "re-used" - Joey and Alia have borrowed it on separate ocassions.

One of Bianca's friends, Nina, made my Dernhelm costume (complete with sword!) and she actually runs a successful little costume-making business. Mine was among the first ones she made. Unfortunately, I didn't have one made last year (I couldn't make up my mind) and it's too late for me to have one made this year. So with one week to go to my office 2005 Trick or Treat Party, I have no idea what I'm going to wear! Any suggestions?

posted by Calai @ 12:58 PM