halloween party in monastic ambience

date: October 31, 2007

time: 8:45pm

event: halloween party of monks and nuns cum costumes

annually, monks and nuns here at the canyons celebrate halloween night with a costume party.

during occasions like this, monks take off their black long habits and nuns unveil their heads and take away their black habits to give way for wonderful, colorful and funny costumes.

in the previous years, since i joined the monks of Christ in the Desert, (i joined the ranks in year 2002), i never had the strength and courage to wear one for the yearly halloween party.

i was very shy then to wear one. but not until tonight.

i took batman's wardrobe!

the party started on time 7pm ( as prescribed by the abbot). not all came with their costumes- at least the younger ones came with their masks and costumes.

a remarkable costume that filled the whole place with ohhhs and ahhhs and resounding laughter was the "daryll hannah costume in the movie Splash with tom hanks" by caedmon. he's so funny. i remember last year, he wore a Novice nun's habit, and it illicited terrible laughter from the rest of the two monastic communities. actually, i gave him that mermaid's tail which i got from anti_mush last January during my last home visit to the Phils.

other costumes were just fine. Mother superior Mary Benedicta came with an all white attire-that of a nurse complete with stethoscope and other paramedic's paraphernalia.

sister therese and lyn came with their flapping wings and glittering wands: they're the prettiest fairies i've ever seen.

sister mary was the wicked witch in one of the hollywood movies in which the title i already forgot. she was just mean with her curly hairs and wrinkled face matched with that castillan nose of hers.

Sub Prior-Junior Master andre came with a boyscout costume on a camping.

marcus wore a fabulous "Clark- Kent-in-transformation-to-Superman" costume. it was just fitted on him to a T.

fun and laughter was tremendous and filled the whole place with the costumed monks and nuns dominating the party scenes.

but our party was't like other parties outside where all had to stay until 12 midnight.

we ended ours at 8:30pm to get ourselves ready for tomorrow's 4Am Vigils in celebration of the Solemnity of all the Saints and the Holy ones.

images of the costumed monks and nuns were taken by bro anton who came with his cam but without costume.

i didn't bring my digi shutter. i didn't want to spoil my batman antics and poise.