ding ding dong

Christmas 2007 (from atlantisian.multiply.com)

It was early Tuesday morning, the angels woke me up as i dream of an old Christmas song.

"Christmas isn’t Christmas
Till it happens in your heart
Somewhere deep inside you Is where Christmas really starts
So give your heart to people
You’ll discover when you do
That it’s Christmas, really Christmas for you!"

The KLCC shopping mall was excessively packed with last minute shoppers last sunday night, the area where the parking ticket vending machines located were so crowded that the queque looks like a maze to me. Well, its not like i have any issue with it cuz its vain just to say things like that and then swim right back into the sea of shoppers. Although christmas has been commercialized nowadays (to the extent i'm quite agree with that). However, i always think that Christmas is not just about gifts and christmas party. Its about the SPIRIT of christmas!! How the christmas songs can lighten the mood, how the sight of the shinning christmas tree able to make your inner child running out, how the surprise christmas gift will makes you cries out in glee, and how the Christmas Mass draws you so nearer to the baby Christ.

Christmas time these days really stir up a lot of my emotion, it really reminds me that growing up is fun. I brought up in traditional Christian family, and as a child, i've always love Christmas season, cuz its my once a year 'happening' moment where i get to wear up my shinning white dresses and become the angle who declared the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ during the caroling. it just oozes such a warm fuzzy feeling everytime i reminescence on those innocent days.

Although now i have jumped out of the traditional frame of the Christians, I still harbor a lot of these similar feelings for Christmas. While i'm writing these, my heart is singing with the excitement of wanting to share all of these feelings out bluntly with no reserve. people asked me shouldn't we do these at all time instead of only once a year, people also criticizes those consumers who falls into the fake Christmas tranquility putting up by those smart business man. what i really wanted to say is whether we like it or not, living in the city itself makes us get too caught up in our lives and forget about what's the thing which matters the most. So is it that bad if we have some nice holidays to remind us what we should be doing more often, and if not, the purpose of what we celebrate? The civilizations had created special occasions to bring people together, and why not we take full advantages of it instead being defensive and critical?

.... To read the rest please go to http://atlantisian.multiply.com/journal/item/93

Christmas 2008

That was my last year's christmas entry (now you know why is it in itallic). 2008 has been a year of fast pace. Looking back at my own writing a year ago, i actually felt quite the same as how i felt last year. And the next thing i did was.... a sigh.... without even realizing it. It's neither a sigh in grateful nor in regret. It just a simple expression of realization, kinda like "here comes the christmas, and here it goes again" if you know what i mean.

Well, this year the Christmas came and knocked on the door with all the up to 70% End year sale and Christmas sales. Sadly to say, that's the first indication of the coming of Christmas in many cities, although i would prefer snow better. How i miss the white Christmas in Liverpool... One thing which is very much noticeable is that the Christmas decor was not as elaborative as last year, especially in Singapore. Previously, I heard alot about the extravagance and magnificent of the Christmas decor at Orchard Road. Well, my anticipation did not paid off as the decoration was, in a Malaysian's slang, so so only. I think the ripples effect of economic recession storm in US is slowly spreading to this part of the world as well.

Attending Christmas Mass on christmas morning has been my life long tradition and practice. Although Peter's family and I were in Singapore this year, but we still take the effort to wake up early at 630am, take the MRT and attend the christmas mass at this big Catholic Church. It was a great morning with cool breeze and i was sincerely happy cuz its christmas. However, there is this one incident which happens during the christmas morning which really ruin my christmas mood.
We are early in the church, while waiting for the service to start, i was chatting with Peter on how my previous christmas experiences in hometown were like. Suddenly this old lady who sitting beside me told me off in a very stern voice, "Please be quiet, church is for praying not for conversation". Her voice was quite loud even Peter's family who sitting at the back row heard it.
My instant reflex was like "oh.. sorry", but when i recollect myself, i can't helped but asking myself, do i REALLY need to apologize? At that point, I was really dissapointed by the whole incident to an extent that i cant even concentrated on the sermon. Later the old lady moved to the side, making space for others to sit between us. However, she still give me this nasty glance now and then as if she was checking whether i am still chatting or not. Peter's family were kinda taken aback by her remark as well and offered me comfort through a pat on my shoulder, Peter's aunt even pointed out to me when that lady was chatting with the person sitting beside her as well.

Is church not a place for conversation? church is not a building, in fact its the body of Christ, people who believe in God gather together, fellowship and enjoying each other presence while worshipping God, that is the church of disciples's day, and i believe that's the church of today as well. How can we shut off the communication between brethren and just focus the communication with God? The conventional old stream church always talks bad about Charismatic church, but one thing for sure, these young churches never think that engaging conversation and interacting with brethren is a nuisance. No wonder when i looked around at the congregation, all i can see is people of middle age and above. No youngsters, no vibrance, just pieces of meat which are emotionless and don't talk to each other.

Christmas...... what does it mean to you, dear old lady?