Never again.

This year's entries to the Native Parol-making contest in the office.

I never want to see another parol again.

Slept for only an hour (slept?? it's more like a long nap! haha) after cramming up to finish our entry for the native parol contest being held now in the office. Ours is that one on the topmost row. Btw, sorry for the blurry image. My camphone isn't 5MP!=(

The rule was simple. Submit a 24- to 36-in-diameter Christmas lantern made of indigenous materials. It can be of any design, but the materials must be native. My officemate R, being the competitive type, wanted to join and tagged me along (which I began seriously regretting after the fifth time I got burned by that hot glue gun!). At 3a.m. this morning, I was telling her, while I was carefully attaching our makeshift tassel, made of coconut shell and walis tambo, using the last remaining ounces of my strength (OK, that seems a little too much, but I was dead tired you know!), that, next year, I won't let her drag me into this mess (which I call native parol making) again! The mere thoughts of spending three whole nights working on a parol once again will just kill me. I could care less with the 3.5K php prize. (What? It's gonna be 5K php next year? OK, where do I sign up?)

Well, just ranting. I am tired. Extremely. But it's okay. On our way to the office this morning, R and I were amazed that we were able to stand working on the parol for 8 straight hours. We hardly rested, just glimpsing on the what's on the tube every once in a while. Then, I told her that the drive of seeing the parol as it takes form was enough to keep me awake. As I mercifully attached each sheet of copra, I was actually excited for the finished product. Yes, I was tired. And yes, I already wanted to sleep, but I guess, when one is focused on the goal, one cannot just stand resting. One just works and works and works. OK, now that's deep. haha But it is true, right?

Anyway, win or lose, I am happy we got to finish our lantern. But I haven't changed my mind: I never want to see another parol again. hahahaha