Spending the holidays away from home, in Phuket

I was staring forlornly at my piece of tortilla pizza while comfortably ensconced at the chair at Tom N Toms Coffee at the Limelight branch in Phuket Town. It was New Years Eve and while the new year was earlier celebrated back in the home country, it was still a few minutes more in Thailand. I’m having my own media noche as it’s just another day in a predominantly Buddhist country.

I should be in Thailand before 2015 ends.

That was my resolve and it had to happen. At midnight of 23 December, I arrived at Phuket International Airport, contemplating of booking hotels in Phuket just near the airport or change my Airbnb booking. But still with mixed feelings as to what I am embarking on. Work, primarily as a photographer and I’ve been toying about this idea ever since I extended my stay in Bangkok last October to shoot.

I’m actually okay here but from time to time, adjusting of being in a foreign country not as a full time tourist but as travel blogger, working photographer and tourist. And being a Filipino during the holidays away from home, kind of discomforting. And that’s how I can now understand how OFWs feel when their not home for Christmas. Or when pangs of craving for Cebu lechon hit me. Of all places.

It’s the first day of 2016 and I will be here for a few more weeks before heading to another country and back home again in February.

Its kind of mildly discomforting that there's no last minute rush to the grocery, no frantic food preparations for the media noche nor a festive atmosphere, except for the sporadic burst of firecrackers at New Year's Eve. In a country thst has its, Sonkran, and the Chinese have theirs, it seems, every tourist or those who traditionally celebrate the Gregorian calendar's change are not in town except those in bars. But I'm not in Patong and traditions die hard. Here's my own Media Noche instead, spent at a 24 hour coffee shop. Happy New Year greetings from #Phuket #thailand #sawadee

A photo posted by Estan Cabigas (@langyawmedia) on Dec 31, 2015 at 8:43am PST

A beautifully lit tree at a park in Old town #phuket #thailand

A photo posted by Estan Cabigas (@langyawmedia) on Dec 22, 2015 at 5:04am PST

Colorful #shophouses at the neighborhood where I'm staying. #phuket #thailand #design #architecture

A photo posted by Estan Cabigas (@langyawmedia) on Dec 21, 2015 at 7:50pm PST