NunStory, Christmas at the monastery

I entered during the Christmas season.

It was the eve of the feast of the Epiphany.

At recreation, the young nuns took a lot of pleasure telling me,

That if I hear noises that night, not to come out, whatever happens, do not come out.

The same goes for the following morning.

With that air of mystery, it was a wonder I was able to sleep that night.

I did hear soft giggles, rustling of things and as directed, I did not come out to investigate.

The following morning was something else.

In the far distance, I heard singing, it sounded like angels singing.

They were singing a Spanish carol, "En Belen, a media noche....."

It was so hauntingly beautiful.

I looked out the window and saw a row of nuns, singing as they walked along the cloister.

The voices approached nearer and nearer.

I could hear them approaching the novitiate.

At the chorus, "Ruido mas ruido," noise, more noise,

the nuns thumped at my door.

Inside, I was frantic, rushing around the little space of my room, not knowing what to do. 

I wanted to come out but they had told me not to come out and I did not.

The nuns proceeded to the choir, ending the Christmas Carol there.

I dressed hurriedly and came out.

Outside my door were packages of presents.

They were presents from the kings, feast of the Kings.

Later, I learned it is the ritual for those at the novitiate.

At the recreation, I shared my spoils with the nuns.

Most of the items were practical, a few were jokes, like dentures made by a sister.

What the young nuns appreciated most were the goodies.

The young nuns soon schooled me on feast days.

Big feast days, we are able to talk during meals.

Not only that, at three in the afternoon, we have tea. 

Some goodies with coffee and milk and we are able to talk also.

There were a few feast days where we have tea at three but could not talk.

As addicted as I was to time spent with the community,

I soon learned which were the feast days where we had tea and were able to talk.

I love feast days. 

Feast days also meant I could join the community recreation immediately,

and did not have to spend the first half of the recreation hour at the novitiate with my Novice Mistress.

We had another ritual during the Christmas season.

We danced before the crib of the Infant Jesus during the recreation and also at three in the afternoon.

I did learn the Spanish jota.

However, it took me a while before I learned to dance the free dance, creating my own.

The celebrations lasted two weeks and then life got back to normal.

Sister Mary John was instrumental in dropping hints 

or giving me info to help me integrate into the life there.

She remained like an angel of help to me to the end.

There were eighteen of us. 

There were the six Spanish nuns who founded the monastery.

Later, six of the nuns from the State of Sabah joined them, five were Eurasians and one Chinese.

The rest of us were from Malaysia.