This Just In!!!

Okay. So there is some breaking news. Results just came out for sem 1. HAHA! CUI!!!

I think I got the grades that I rightfully deserved. That's to say my grades weren't fantastic nor were they rock bottom.

I was kinda stressed out about this result cuz it would validate the choice that I made a couple of years ago and the choice that I made earlier this month. I WILL SURVIVE! Strive on.

Okay. Enough about results.

Over the weekend before Xmas, I spent some time in Orchard doing some carolling for the Hall Prod Fund. Walking up and down Orchard, it really began to sink in how commercialised Xmas has truly become. It's not like I haven't written the same exact thing last Xmas and the Xmas before that, but it's still something that bothers me. Worse still, I think I've lost the true Christmas Spirit as well.

I remember when Christmas was such a big deal in my family. When we used to host 40 people around a gigantic table set up in my living room. I don't mean buffet style. I mean an actual table where everyone has a place with a name card, a plate and cutlery set up for each and every person. When we used to take time off every one's schedules to set up the Christmas tree together and go the Cold Storage at Centrepoint to buy the food (haha! it's almost a Eurasian Christmas tradition). How we'd wait for everyone to be seated and say Grace together. My family hardly ever says grace before eating, so Christmas dinner grace was a 1x GOOD ONE to settle the rest of the year. =Þ

This year, I admit I had almost nothing to do with the Christmas celebration at home. It was all my sister this year. She made everything happen. The presents, the decorating of the house, the setting up of the Christmas tree and the shopping for food. I really should have made time for all that. I put hall stuff in front of home stuff.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that the true Spirit of Christmas is in the food, presents and a fake fir tree. It's the celebration of the first Christmas present, Christ Himself. But in the midst of the good food, wonderful presents and a well decorated (albeit fake) tree is the one thing that matters. Family. The celebration is as much about family (or in fact more) than all the glitz and lights and showiness that is today's commercialised Xmas.

Well. As it is year after year, New Year's is just a week away from Christmas and is in fact just a couple of days ahead of this post. Is 2009 a time of change for me? I honestly think so. It might just be the right time. We'll see.