the Christmas that will be.

I am praying that this Christmas won't be like the one I had last year. So this year, I will plan this carefully and I will be a little selfish with my time just to spend it with my family. I owe this break and I am allowed to have an adult-reasonable curfew when I am out partying with my friends.

I am excited to shower my nephew, Theo with kisses. So is my brother, who haven't seen him since my sister Ann gave birth last July. I am addicted to my nephew like white chocolate. I am absolutely smitten by him!

I haven't really been looking into having children of my own..not yet. I started out late with my dreams and I'm still heading to that direction. Theo is my constant reminder that someday, I would like to have one. I would like to set up a trust fund for him so that when he grows up, his parents will not worry about a dime.

I checked my calendar availability, itenerary, stuff to bring and of course, christmas gifts, so for at least a week and a half, I can forget that Manila exists and I can get lost in my own little Baguio.

My best friends Missy and Jackie will set up our usual coffee talks at my favorite hangouts City Lights and Kafe Klutch, they are tucked away comfortably from the busy streetlights of Session Road and so I won't be bumping into some people I know when I'm half-drunk and laughing my a** off when Jackie cracks her share of jokes.

Looking forward to my favorite hobby: Food trip.

O' Mai Khan (best Mongolian cuisine ever!), my family frequents the place at any occassion and my favorite governess of the house Manang Dolor would greet me as I approach the entrance of the restaurant. She is very attentive to my family's needs and we always have someone on stand-by for every demand on sauce, napkins or chopsticks.

Most of their meals are garlic-based and spicy on the palate. Conqueror's Meal is their version of Crispy Pata, very tender to the bite and flavorful with a garlic bits. My mom's favorite is the mongolian barbecue, a smorgasboard of vegetables cooked to her liking with endless supply of oils and sauces. Their Lemon Chicken is the real deal! The quarter chicken is deep fried to perfection then the lemon sauce has a balance of the right tart and sweetness.

As the meal comes to a close, my Manang Dolor makes it a habit to tell her staff to wheeze a dessert cart filled with cheesecakes, chocolate domes and fruit cups beside our table, mom shakes her head disapprovingly as we hoard the cart and happily pig out the sugar madness!

Tea House I don't appreciate pasta at all, but I love noodles like Palabok. I heart this dish since as far as I can remember and Tea House has the best palabok with overflowing aligue (crab fat) sauce, tinapa (smoked fish) , tofu and pork cracklings.

The daughter of the owner, Pia, was my classmate in college and whenever I visit the place, she would ask the waiter to bring me a big complimentary bowl of Chona's Delight (resembles a Mississippi Mud Pie),sink your teeth into a light sponge chocolate cake drizzled with fudge and clotted cream.

Rito's Bulalo Everybody knows Baguio City houses PMA and a lot of cadets visit this place during pig-out weekends. I am living proof of this (chuckles) as my foster brothers would order bowls of Bulalo that has rich, buttery bone marrow then constantly dipped in patis, calamansi and sili.

Sylvia's This is near Saint Louis University, after class, we would empty our pockets for merienda and feast on native corn on the cob with butter and turon. Their Turon is usually large with strips of langka in the middle. This crunchy sweet is so addictively good that students would line up for hours just to get their sugar fix for the day.

Mama Peredo's Thank you Jenny for introducing me to a newfound love - Chicken Potato Pie, hands down for the creamy and cheesy concoction that this local bakeshop offer. It resembles a smooth and silky version of mashed potatoes mixed with sharp cheddar cheese, rosemary and spicy pepper chicken mix. I know my way around the kitchen and I have this knack on identifying some of the flavors thrown in to a really good food turned into a goldmine.

Baguio is such a wonderful place to come home to. Christmas won't be the same if it doesn't happen in the cold.

I will make everything happen on my Christmas break, and this is with the help of my friends and family. Break out the fine china and pop out the cork on my pink champagne. This princess is coming home...