The Diary Game Season 3||January 1-2022||Overseas Filipino Workers New Year Celebration-Welcoming 2022 With Love and Hope Despite The Calamity Happening in the Philippines

Mabuhay Filipinos! May you all have a grand and magnificent New Year. The year 2021 has brought us a lot of circumstances that test our faith as humans. The year 2022 is about to begin, let's face this new beginning with an optimistic attitude, perchance this year will give us a resurgence of fruitful life and good health. Let's move forward with a strong determination and courage to survive in whatever trials that may come our way. Lets us be strong for the sake of our families.

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Today, I would like to share our simple New Years Celebration here in Japan with my Filipino fellows. For the past years, this was supposed to be one of the crowded events in our place. We usually received huge numbers of Filipinos who are already Japanese citizens and even some other foreign nationalities. But due to the restrictions, we limited our visitors this time.

We have individual assignments from the stage preparation, cooking, washing the dishes, table preparation, and usherettes. We also contributed 1,500 yen each for the expenses and contest prizes.

Early morning the cooking in charge was already busy preparing the ingredients needed for their recipes together with their assistant. They intentionally prepared it early to have them self ready for the party later at night. One of the dishes that we prepared earlier is our favorite “Lechon belly” which requires a long time preparation.

At the same time, the stage decoration in charge also started decorating our stage that early. This time, the decoration was just simple because we had no other guest but us.

After those preparations, we then get ready. The ladies put some makeup on and wear their best attire for we have a competition which is “ The Star Of The Night”. I guess everyone is very excited about this event!

All we've got are Filipino Foods, like humba, shrimp, fried chicken, menudo, pancit, and lumpia. For our desserts, we have maja blanca, biko and macaroni salad. Honestly, I already missed those Filipino dishes. But this time, my craving was satisfied. Von Appetite!

At 7 pm, our party got Started. We were all ready for the party. The ladies were well dressed. Our program opens up with an opening prayer followed by a welcome remark by our leaders.

The most awaited part of the program, Dinner time! The feeling that you are hungry and the food in front of you is an array of dishes that you have been craving for a long time. You really need some extra rice!

These are two of our parlor games, the rubber band relays and guess what's on the box. Others played bingo cards and did karaoke. That's really one of our habits as Filipinos we love to sing at any event. We make fun and comfort ourselves while waiting for the New Year.

After 12, together we thank God for everything he had showered us this year. We then went back to our room. As of this moment, I feel mixed emotions. Even though how much I tried to smile still my mind keeps on thinking about my family in the Philippines. We still don't have a proper connection since the internet and power have not restored yet in our place after the devastation of the typhoon last week. I missed my two sons and wife very much. Last year, during this time my wife prepared food for their Noche Buena and we talked all day. Now, I don't know what they have on the table. I really feel so empty inside. I hope they are still enjoying this New Year's Day.

Happy New Year everyone,
@juichi.