Christmas Ravings

This is my first post about Christmas... and this is the first time I'll not be celebrating Christmas with any friends since secondary school. Whatever it is that I did in primary school, I can't remember :P.

When I was in secondary school, I celebrate Christmas eve with a group of friends in church. Yup, that's right, I'm not a Christian but I go to church... it's not exactly shocking. I was there to celebrate with my friends and also pay my respects to another religion (I'll make another post on my views on religion another time). Being there will at least infect you with the Christmas spirit. Everyone who attended the church will be in great spirits (otherwise how could they have sung scores of songs for several hours straight? :P) After the event ended, my friends and I would just sit in front of the church, hanging out (at that time, mamak stalls were rare and unpopular).

When I was in university, of course I celebrate Christmas eve with my uni friends... which unfortunately, they did the same thing every year. First, they'll go to Kampung Portugis in Melaka to watch other people's nicely decorated house and for countdown. After that, we'll go to some pub and drink till senseless. For me, that will be the only time in the whole year where I drink alcohol. It's expensive, bitter and makes you feel queasy... no idea why anyone would want that.

Even when I started working in Selangor, I would travel back to Melaka every year to do the same thing again with them. However, this year, my Melaka friends have all moved out and is spread all over Malaysia. And those that I am working with or stay in the same state is already packed and prepared to leave for hometown or overseas before Christmas eve.

The reason I will not go back home on Christmas eve is to avoid massive jam. I don't know why some people would be willing to sit in a car several hours waiting for the cars in front of them to move. Me, I would do almost anything to avoid a jam. Previous years, I avoid jams for CNY, Christmas and any other celebration by taking an extra day of leave. For Christmas, I would usually take one day leave for Christmas eve and another on Boxing Day. Since this year I had to take leave up until New Year, I figured it's best not to take any additional leaves.

And hence, I have to celebrate Christmas eve alone. Of course, I don't really need to celebrate it alone. Across Malaysia, there'll be numerous countdown celebrations and all I have to do is just blend in. Christmas countdown is one of the few events where most people don't mind you shouting along with them.

But then again, being a person who hate car jams and dislike traveling, I won't be going to such packed, hot and noisy place. Instead, I prefer to have peace and quiet... it is supposed to be a peaceful night (Cantonese translation :P).

I'll just get some chips, soft drinks and maybe pizza and then get into a movie marathon... it has been a long time since I've watched DVD movies... and there's a backlog of pc games that I'm supposed to have finished by now. Besides, I'll need to sleep early so I can travel back home at 4.30 am to reach home in time to have breakfast with my parents... and then I can sleep the whole day in an air-conditioned room! Ah, air-condition... one of the best creation made by mankind ever!

Well, that's all folks, I might not be able to update the blog until 5th Jan 2009... I'll try to update it in some Internet cafe somewhere but no promises as I'm sure that you'll have other interesting things to do other than reading my blog.

So, Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year! (yes, I changed the words on purpose :P)