November 23, 2023
Christmas is in the air! Indeed it is. As the frosty air creeps in, my anticipation for the upcoming joyous holiday grows faster. The cheerful melodies of Christmas carols fill the air, and I can already hear them in some malls and stores. However, I feel a sense of happiness and sadness. It is sad with the fact that my father is no longer with us this Christmas. But I know he wouldn't want to see us sad. So as much as possible, I want to stay happy and look forward to welcoming positive days ahead for myself and my family.
When I read about the LOH161 Contest by this week's judge @elizabethbit, it reminded me of my past Christmas wandering around the town and visiting grand Christmas installations. Some of this year's Christmas installations are up already, and Sunday is when I plan to visit them. But if it falls on a Sunday, I won't be able to make the contest deadline. I'll thus post some 2021 selfies that I haven't yet uploaded to Hive for the time being.
EVERYBODY does selfies, right? You will need to go out someplace where the Christmas decorations are in full swing; whether it's a local department store or your favorite restaurant, someone's home, or wherever the spot may be. You will need to dress festively and hit me with your best shot of Christmas selfie cheer! Be creative; be humorous; be extravagant and over the top! It's early yet (not really) but let's see how to do a serious Christmas selfie!
Christmas in Hong Kong is always grand, transforming some establishments into a magical wonderland. Apart from the Christmas celebration, I look forward to seeing grand Christmas displays. Shimmering lights and colorful decorations light up the spirit of Christmas in my heart, which has changed ever since I worked abroad. This is only the season where I feel excitement while reminiscing about good old Christmas days with loved ones.
Sometimes I wish my family was with me because Christmas isn't just about enjoyment and wandering but also about reunion and family bonding. What makes it special for me is when I celebrate with loved ones. It'll be seven years of spending Christmas abroad alone. So grand decorations alone aren't enough to make me feel complete on Christmas. I hope my wish to be with my family at Christmas will come true someday.
That was a wonderful day that I spent exploring different places. I started my Christmas day with some delicious cuisine. I placed an order for a steak, salad, dessert, and takeout order for pizza. They were a lot for me to have, and that only occurs on extraordinary occasions. It was followed by going to the local church for mass and then wandering around the city. I made a decision to end my day at Tsim Sha Tsui Harbor, in order to see the Symphony of Lights and visit Christmas displays along the harbor.
At this moment, I'm reminiscing about the good old days with my family on Christmas. This includes holiday preparation and shopping. Back when I was in the Philippines, I used to prepare desserts for special occasions like Christmas and the New Year. That's the least I can do in the kitchen since I don't know how to cook main dishes. I give that work to my mom and brothers, lol.
My favorite dessert during Christmas and the New Year is a mango float. It isn't just me, but my family as well. I bet many Filipinos like this dessert because it originated in the Philippines and is now known in other countries. This Filipino dessert is present on almost all kinds of occasions. You might taste some coffee too, since we use diluted coffee to soften the crackers. All flavors complement each other, which makes this dessert one of the best.
Using a few ingredients, one can make this delicious dessert. It is more like a layered Graham cream cake made with Graham crackers and topped with mango slices. We use cream and sweet milk for the fillings. You can imagine the sweetness of it mixed with the unique flavor of graham biscuit.
Well, I have no photos of the preparations, but it is so easy to make mango float. You just need to mix the refrigerated cream with a mixer (if you have one) until it thickens, then gradually add sweet milk. Some use gelatine to give a smooth, firm, and gelato texture to the cream. I tried this before, and it was perfect. After making the cream, it's time to layer the Graham crackers. The crackers must be soaked in diluted coffee with water to soften them. Some use milk. Although it is optional, the grain is perfect when crackers are softened. Pour the cream on the crackers, then top with mango slices. Repeat the process until you make a layer. For the final toppings, you can top more mangoes, then sprinkle with crushed Graham crackers.
There are different versions of mango float nowadays. You can check out this video to learn the process easily.
Now that we are talking about food, this makes me crave Filipino Christmas dishes. I badly missed them.
Anyway, we have a few more weeks before Christmas. What are your plans and preparations? Let's wish for a merry Yuletide season!
Thanks for your time.
(All photos are mine)
Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures. |
|---|
You can also reach me on my socials and let's be connected:
Feel na feel na talaga pasko dyan madam, dito samin di pa gaanong ramdam although may nangangaroling na, and malamig na din aa in super lamig, lol. But in some establishment may mga design na din tho its really not as lively as that in HK, sadly tahimik pa rin dito samin, nakakaano tuloy dumayo sa ibang lugar to have fun too.
Grabe early mangaroling hehe...wala ba pacontest jan per brgy for christmas decor? Yun ang nakakaaliw samin..
Hahaha, ay sa december la talaga magsstart yon even the christmas village.
Wow just look at those decorations and every things, it's already Christmas, and Hong Kong is a place I would love to visit in the future.
You should, you'll enjoy here ☺️
mango float is also a fam favorite..
d lang pwd sa diabetics hehe..
heheh true
Paskong pasko na talaga diyan, Ang ganda ng lugar, favorite ko rin Ang mango float, ang sarap.
Ay wow, Parang gusto ko sumali this week's contest pero old photos gamitin ko. Wala pa akong nakitang Christmas installation dito sa amin.
Pwd naman basta istate lang na old photos.
Dto meron na kaso Saturday deadline at sunday pa off ko
great snaps @jane1289, I love the food captures, I am lucky my Daughter in law, who hails from CDO, often makes them as treats for us all to try
Nice decorations, selfies and foods. Might have to give Mango Float a try 😋
Christmas in Hong Kong seems so lively, doesn't it? You look beautiful in the picture.
I'm sorry that you can't be with your family every Christmas. Seven years is a very long time. I hope you can celebrate Christmas this year in the Philippines.
It's sad that your father is no longer with you. But I know he will be looking after you from above. May his soul rest in peace. 🙏
!LADY
View or trade
LOHtokens.@ladiesofhive, you successfully shared 0.1000 LOH with @jane1289 and you earned 0.1000 LOH as tips. (3/30 calls)
Use !LADY command to share LOH! More details available in this post.
The layered dessert sounds lovely! Thanks for sharing all the lovely photos of Christmas and the recipe for the dessert! Take care and have a lovely day!🤗💜
View or trade
LOHtokens.@jane1289, You have received 1.0000 LOH for posting in Ladies of Hive. We believe that you should be rewarded for the time and effort spent in creating articles. The goal is to encourage token holders to accumulate and hodl LOH tokens over a long period of time.
What wonderful photos!!! and I identify with you because I don't have my father either and I understand you perfectly, so I enjoy every minute and if I can make someone else smile I have won, as for the decorations you visited last year they are a spectacle and I'm curious how it will be this year!!!!
What a divine sweet, I never imagined it could be made with mango, look at this one I'm going to post, it's similar, I hope you like it, and if you get to make it let me know so I can enjoy it in the distance with you!