LittleFish, continued (her sister's images) updated May 30

December 25, 2006: Bantayan Island, Cebu Philippines

Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/250s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso100

My all time favorite image of LittleFish's sister Jenna, holding her own son Kuji.
...I ran a filter on the background, making it look like a watercolor painting - as this image always reminded me of a story book type image.

Read more in the posts below about LittleFish & her sister Jenna's issues & needs.

On Christmas Day, Rosalinda/LittleFish had invited me to the Family home to celebrate Christmas - she supervised a small party the Family had organized with the neighborhood children, with simple home made games & home made prizes for all the children there - a neighbor even brought a home made boom box stereo made from an old car stereo that was hooked up to some old speakers, so the kids were able to have fun dancing to the music.

I didn't know what the kids were expecting on Christmas Day; most children expect and get presents from their Family - but here it's very different here in Philippines with the working poor Families, as there's clearly no money to buy presents for their children.

I too was a little intimidated by the fact that I didn't have the money needed for presents for the Family to celebrate Christmas in the way I'm personally accustomed to - with the money I had, I always bought food & other necessities for them, so I was absolutely amazed at the Family's ingenuity at making sure their children and the other neighborhood children attending, got "presents" in the form of participating in games & singing; winning small hand made coco wood jewelry prizes & trinkets, as well as home made candies & sweets prepared by LittleFish's Family, from the coconuts that fall from the trees where they live (coconut chewy candies made with local brown sugar are really delicious)

I sat quietly with a smile on my face while I looked on as this very poor Family doing all in their power to craft an entirely simple and home made Christmas Celebration from literally next to nothing.

Where I was earlier feeling guilty about not being able to buy presents for everyone (I was only able to supply some food), I was totally humbled and actually proud of them for being able to take such little resources, and turn it into a simple home grown Fiesta that the children all enjoyed so much.

I enjoyed it all as my OWN special Christmas Gift that day.

Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES

JackJack's younger brother bobs for a single Peso coin at the bottom of the water basin at LittleFish's Christmas Party on December 25, 2006

Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/60s f/5.6 at 35.0mm iso100