The Ghost of Christmas Past

'Who, and what are you.' Scrooge demanded.

'I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.'

'Long Past.' inquired Scrooge: observant of its dwarfish stature.

'No. Your past.'"

- A Christmas Carol: The First of the Three Spirits

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Even old Ebenezer enjoyed his trip back to his past. So armed with a few pics from yesteryears, let me walk you down Nostalgia lane (I hear it's just next to Wisteria).

A photo in Church with our priest, Father Huan before we set off for carolling. That's me standing on the far left. Was only in Sec 2 then.



One of the more memorable nights. A bumpy jeep ride to Kenny Peter's residence deep in the rubber plantation.


Our Christmas Play in 1990. That's me in the Clown costume. No, the Royal London Circus was not in town.



At Rachel's birthday party on Christmas Day 1990. It became quite an annual affair on Christmas Nights.


Slightly older now in 1992. On the bus for another Carolling session.



With Ray, Steve, Julian and Dennis. There were quite a bunch of us, Dragon year babies, at that time.


With Ray Lee, Carol, Ray Ng, and Justin (Ching Leng). Taking a break from singing.



The year we made a year-end trip to KL



After Christmas Eve Mass

And before I scoot off to Muar tomorrow, here's wishing you a wonderful and blessed Christmas. Maybe I'll follow up this post with Pics of Christmas Present after I'm back next week.

So meanwhile, HoHOho ... MERRY CHRISTMAS and GOD BLESS...

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i wish i was santa...
he knows where all the naughty girls live...
- on a t-shirt

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

“It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas …”

Yes it certainly does look like that time of the year again, and going down the checklist …

Wet rainy mornings and cold stormy nights … tick

Brightly decorated and lighted Orchard Road … tick

Lots and lots of shoppers thronging the Shopping Centres … tick

Year-end sales … tick

Carolers, street performers, dancing cartoon characters doing their bit to spread the cheer … tick

Salvation Army volunteers at every street corner … tick

E-mails and E-cards bearing Christmas wishes … tick

Yes, the familiar sights of the year-ending festivity. Like a well-rehearsed annual play that never fails to put on a show every year.

Christmas has become a truly universal (and commercial) event, enjoyed and adopted by many, regardless of religion or belief. So much that people now religiously make it a point to observe the day the only way they know, ie. Christmas Countdown, partying the night away, exchange gifts with loved ones, bbq with friends, etc. You don’t have to be Christian or even know the name of the town where baby Jesus was born to celebrate this occasion. It’s an open invitation, no cover charge, just come dressed to party.

The face of Christmas is changing. Even Santa is going out of fashioned. And at churches the Nativity Scene is taking a backseat to the Christmas tree.

Well, you can argue that at least the themes of peace, goodwill and charity are still closely linked to Christmas. So is the art of giving and sharing. People are spending, retailers are profiting; the economy can only look up with all the good vibe spreading around. Drop the religious association and you will have a celebration so universal and unifying that it will make a fitting end to the year. So why change a wining formula ?

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Is it?

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From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it. ~Katharine Whitehorn

Nonsensical Musings

I have not blogged much recently. Can't find a right excuse for that.

So as I sit in front of the widescreen, my mind runs through topics that I might blog about - the Year that is almost over (no point crying over spilt milk), the magical December feeling (done that, and besides I'm suffering from a lack of it this year), year-end shopping sprees (probably not, credit card bills went soaring from recent purchases), movie reviews (a bit behind on this aspect, last seen was Casino Royale) or more rants about everything that is not quite right with the world (S'pore PR price hike, the Iraqi conundrum, melting ice caps, Soccer Sugar Daddies, the list just goes on). Then the mind just goes blank and the gears in my head just refuse to click.

Oh well at least I tried.

Here's something to leave you by. A quote from Henry Drummond. Something to keep you in the right spirit this Christmas.

'The test of man then is not "How have I believed?" but how "How have I loved?" The final test of religion is not religiousness, but love; not what I have done, not what I have believed, not what I have acheived, but how have I discharged the common charities of life. '

Wider window to the world

My new toy from Sitex. A 19'' Viewsonic widescreen LCD (yes, it's the brand with three Gouldian Finches) with built-in speakers. Now my screen can accomodate more content at one time, though photos seemed kind of stretched. That means people will put on a few pounds on my screen.

The rest of my PC do look a little ancient around the new kid in town. My old graphics card don't even support widescreen resolution or DVI output. Now I've got an excuse to upgrade the rest of the hardware.

But the "Bad Electronics" curse got me again this time. Damn you single bad pixel ! This means a trip all the way to Funan to make the exchange.