September has ended. Wake up already!

Just like that - we have entered the last quarter of the year. My wife and I just visited Ayala Malls Marikina and we can't help but notice that establishments are having a dilemma with their designs. Here's why.

We, Filipinos are kinda weird as we celebrate holidays. As early as September, malls, commercial centers, and even households are already decorating all corners with Santa Claus, elves, bells, and Christmas trees. Everything is festive and the airwaves are dominated by either Jose Mari Chan's Christmas medley or Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." As soon as September 1 kicks in, everyone's already in high spirits! Let the Christmas countdown begin!

But then October enters the scene and we have to give way to the spooky celebration of Halloween. Malls once decorated with colorful lanterns will have to be adorned with cobwebs and jack-o-lanterns. Santa has to give way to the grim reaper in the meantime. Red and green must be replaced with orange and black. Just for a moment - just for a moment. 

And then after the first week of November, we are back to the festive spirit, and it will be our mood until the next festivity - Chinese New Year!

That's how obsessed we are with holidays. That's why the Philippines ranks the second happiest country in South East Asia, next to Singapore. In the world tally, the Pearl of the Orient ranks 60th of 146 countries. It's a remarkable feat if you ask me!

But what really tickles us, Filipinos? How can we keep a smiling face even if we face not a few typhoons every year, political wars, and infighting bombard us every single day? If you have watched Inside the World's Toughest Prisons on Netflix, you'll notice how different a Filipino prison is compared to others! Everyone seems to be smiling even in the midst of an unimaginable prison situation. 

It's both good and bad. Good because we know we are resilient enough. We can weather any storm - literally. We are used to heavy rains and flash floods, and even in the midst of calamity we can still laugh and brush off our inconveniences. 

But it can also be a bad thing. Resilience is good until it is bad. It is bad when we brush off even the idea of demanding accountability. It is bad when we allow ourselves to be beaten to a pulp over and over again when it is within our collective means to demand help from those who have the power to help us and make our lives better. 

OK, back to what we noticed in the mall. 

With less than three months before Christmas, it's fun seeing amusement parks and arcades filled with children again. I am happy to see them playing around, with ice cream or cotton candies on hand. I just love their giggles and the expression in their eyes even with a mask on. Christmas is indeed a great time for children. I wish we could keep it that way. We adults seem to have a lot of time for bickering on social media and in person. But for the sake of the children, let's make every Christmas a memorable time for them. 

September has ended. Those who are still asleep, wake up already! The time will come when the pun in this phrase will no longer be relatable to the young ones. But at least, we are a generation that shares a common joke with the month of September - "Wake me up when September ends", "Do you remember, the 21st day of September?". 

But though the music genre may change constantly, may the Christmas spirit remain the same.