Don't you just love Christmas? Seems as if snow is falling around Singapore when it's only rain or some rude bird peeing downwards, the cold winter's chill that's either a figment of your imagination or the air-con from the supermarket, and the roast turkey covered with thick gravy on the table that's actually the skinny kampong chicken that mum boiled with soup. But whatever the case Christmas is so special you can feel it around you, smell it in the air!
Erm.... How come I get the feeling I've lost some readers here already? You mean you don't feel it? That's sad... Now, I want you to pause and imagine a scene from Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol". Ahh... Feel the snow, smell the smoke from the chimmneys. It's Christmas time!!
Haha... I love Christmas... I used to love it for the presents I was going to unwrapped on Christmas morning, anticipating the delicious food during family gatherings, and most of all, the happy faces of everyone during the season. My brothers and I just can't wait for this moment, because our parents usually know what we like, and the presents and food are usually suited to our taste.
As I grow older, I still love unwrapping presents, but I realize the heavy strain on the family budget despite my extremely generous parents' comforting smiles. My parents spend alot during Christmas, not just on us boys, but on the numerous relatives and friends we have. Sometimes, I feel like telling them not to buy us presents so that they can save on the money (and it's quite a big sun I tell you), but experience has taught me not to do that because it only upsets my parents, significantly my dad. Giving gifts is his No.1 way of telling us how much he loves us, and I've learnt never to reject that.
Good food is still a must for any type of gathering among Singaporeans. My mum's the best cook in the world. You can tell by our waistlines. Imagine the amount the exercise I gotta do before maintaining my weight. By food is only part of the greater bonding known as fellowship, which brings us together to enjoy each other's company. However, as I grow older, I learn the politics of mingling with relatives. Politics is a hateful game, but though I don't like it, I gotta admit that I'm pretty good at it. How I miss the time when my innocence got the hold of me to gather all my cousins to play hide-and-seek around the house and talk about silly things for the whole night. Now, we've all grown up, and every action is watched upon by our relatives. A finger into the nose, a spill of drink on the floor, or an insensitive remark made is equivalent to death. Family politics. Sigh.
Smiles are everywhere during Christmas. Everyone is happy, especially to me when I was a young boy. But as I grew older, I began to see through the smiles of people. Many of these smiles are fake, if not forced. Many of these smiles have ulterior motives, and fade as quickly as they appeared when their goal is not achieved. Sad isn't it? Are you one of them?
Hmmm... Sounds like a really pessimistic view of Christmas huh? Nevertheless, it's still my favorite time of the year. Yes, some of you have guessed it, I'm an optimist, unlike my two younger brothers. Too optimistic I guess. But it provides balance to the family. Christmas is a beautiful season. There's a dressed-up Santa on his sleigh giving out cheap presents, Rudolph prancing with his electric bulb nose about to fuse anytime, and the baby Jesus that looks kinda comfortable in the horseshed.
Jesus, beautiful Jesus. There won't be Santa or Rudolph if not for you. No presents, no smiley faces. Perhaps just a simple Boxing Day and decoration for the New Year. 2006 years ago, God gave us the biggest present that we could ever wish for on this Christmas Day: A ticket to Heaven.
Are you going to accept it?
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