Current Christmas Day Playlist the Wife Unit and I are arguing over. We have 30 hours to figure this out or Christmas is ruined.

1. Elf
2. A Christmas Story
3. Bourdain’s Parts Unknown: Manila
4. Die Hard

I’m cool with Elf leading off but we are locked in stalemate on the best #2.

Parts Unknown: Manila is extra special as it’s connects me to my wife’s family, and it’s also shot during Christmas which is pretty much the entire month of December in the Philipines.

Mom 2 always went to the Philipines every year to visit with fam and I always wondered why she would pack up cardboard boxes full of treats and knick knacks to bring, tiny little Philipino woman with a large suitcase and two heavy ass cardboard boxes. Of course she’d bring a box back of Philipino treats. My dumb ass thought ‘Why not buy that shit when you’re there?’

It wasn’t until I watched Parts Unknown:Manila till I understood the meaning of the balikbayan box.

Dammit Bourdain, I miss you ya bastardo.