It's Wednesday and once again I am up and awake at a time of the day where most people would normally be fast asleep. I'm here trying to unload the contents of my purile mind into cyberspace in the hope that somehow, somewhere people out there will find a gem or two in my sad little life.
Anyway, life was not too sad. Actually it was quite cute. Ended up catching up with Han Li and spending quite a bit of quality time together. Relaxing to be together and I'm wondering if I should try and plan dropping by Hanoi before heading off to see my mother in Germany? At the very least it could be a new experience.
I'm currently counting the days down to Christmas and then to New Year. I'll need to work out an article for Today and for Arab News. Hadn't had time to work on the Christmas cards in the way I used to, but I think I shall try and express my Christmas wishes via what I seem most familiar with - articles. I think Azlan's trip to Saudi for Haj Pilgrimage on Christmas day would be a good start. I wouldn't go to the extent that Gina's church would go to and call poor old Santa Claus a creation of the devil, but I do feel that the "Shopping Spree" and "Spend till you die" aspect of Christmas has been overdone and the spirit of Christmas needs more emphasis.
Christmas, Jesus's birthday is something worth celebrating. Whether you believe that Christ is devine is irrelevant. For me, the man could have been many things, but his message was and is devine. The command to love your fellow man, including those who sin against you is something that we don't hear too often and I think people could do more to spreed this message. There is way too much hate being preached - even amongst certain people who would claim to be messengers of Christ.
It's worth remembering that he told a wealthy young man to "Sell your posessions and become a follower of mine." - It's something that many Church leaders would do well to remember as they count their tithes. It's also an irony that his message of giving up your material posessions is celebrated by endless consumption of things that you don't need or really want after the whole jing gang is over.
Perhaps I'm a little cynical because my travel plans went awray. Perhaps I'm cynical because the last time I spent Christmas in Singapore was two-years ago with my Grandma who died this year.
All this may be true but that shouldn't detract from what I really want for Christmas. That is, I would like to walk on Christmas day and not be detracted by the pressures to want and need more. I'd like to walk on of the house on a Christmas day and feel that I'm not going to look at the poor and suffering remaining that way. It's not going to happen but at least I can dream that on Christmas day I will be able to just be.
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