Christmas...

Ah yes... this year, I had a Christmas with a difference. My mum, brother and I decided to attend midnight mass. And though I was really tired, having been out of the house since morning, I was glad I made the effort to trod down to church some one and a half hours before mass began. Indeed, it seems for the thousands of Catholics who are usually late for Mass, somehow, the midnight mass drew them in much earlier. It wasn't as if the seats were different, or that there would be a special privilege for people at the front, but somehow, people make the effort to get to Mass early so that they get the best seats in the house.

It took just ten minutes after the wardens allowed us into the church for the whole church to be filled with people - all decked up to the nines - a far cry from the usual bermudas, jeans and T-shirt garb you would usually see on Sunday. It seemed there was a silent rule, that you had to dress up a little to celebrate the birthday of Jesus.

The carols before Mass began was lovely. I love the songs, and having been educated in a school where music was the soul, I immensely loved the praise and worship. I could sing my heart out all night if given a choice! And the choir - my favourite one - was just great! Grace was fantastic as usual, and the young boy (can't remember his name) - he sure has grown up, gained a whole lot of confidence, and was just awesome as he sang solo in latin! Speaking of which, certain parts of the mass were sang in latin, and it really created that prayerful atmosphere of Christmas. For a moment, in church, Christmas was not about shopping, giving and receiving presents, but it was about celebrating the birth of Christ.

And long after mass ended, I still had all the songs in my head! We reached home, exchanged gifts, and my dear brother got me such a sweet card. He even wrote nice messages in it, and took effort to add smiley faces on the stars in the card! We surprised mum with a crucifix she was saving up for. She was really touched... and it made us happy knowing that we had made her happy.

My friends came over today - my four closest friends and their husbands... Two came with their kids, so I had a house full of babies and an active 2 year old who really stole the show for the afternoon! My godson Keith, isn't exactly handsome, but he's a real charmer, making friends with whoever that crossed his path. And he was very intelligent in ensuring he got what he wanted too! When Pris and Roy wanted to leave, he even decided to wave goodbye to his parents to follow them.. All because he thought "Uncle Roy got aeroplane.." Lee Yee just shook her head when he did that!

Pris came with Eshton who cried lots at first because of the unfamiliar surroundings, but after a while, he became entertained by Keith, who was playing "catch" with my mum. Indeed, we all never saw Eshton smile so heartily before and it was just heartwarming to see Pris and Roy's joy when they saw him laugh so heartily.

It was fun making Grace happy with the series of pink items my mum and I got for her... But what made her happy was the yoga mat she had her eyes on for the longest time! Wendy got her a pink sarong too! To match the pink towel and handphone pouch I got her!

I had invited Max over but he had lunch with his family and had a dinner appointment. Every year, it was tradition for him to eat the drumstick of the turkey. Well, it's still there in the fridge if he makes it in time before we wipe it all out!

This year's food was simply fabulous. I ordered it thru Grace, who ordered it from Temasek Poly's canteen chef! Not only was it cheap, it was simply yummy! We had a turkey, ham, roasted beef and shepherd's pie. I got bread and salad, while friends brought over cakes. It was simple, yet filling... and all gave the thumbs up for a superb meal! Juicy and succulent, just the way we had wanted it. Pris said this is the first year she's come to my home and I didn't cook or bake a single thing... Yeah.. that's different.

This year, it's a Christmas with a difference. It was nice. It was peaceful. It was celebrated with the closest friends, and that is all that mattered. We had fun, we shared our joys.

Christmas, my favourite time of the year.

Where has my holidays gone?

I must say that this school holiday is hardly one! For starters, I had to teach extra two weeks for my sec threes. Then it was packing and packing and packing cos our school's shifting back to Hougang. For a moment, I didn't know how to operate as I didn't know if I should report to the new school or the old school. Finally, things began to settle last week as we teachers unpacked our belongings from the Rhema boxes.

For most teachers, December marks the start of the holidays, especially since the shifting seemed to have eaten into our holidays already. But for me, it marks the start of more work. Unknown to many, I am embarking on a new project. I met up with a new teacher, and together, we're on some big mission to ensure things run smoothly next year.

And so, the weeks so far has seen us hopping from place to place, speaking to potential trainers and vendors, chasing for quotes and syllabus. Tomorrow, I will be starting my day again at 9am in school. My new colleague and I will be heading down to the other side of the island to see if it's possible to run a diving course for the school kids.

It's tiring, but it's exciting. And I face my new challenges with a bitter-sweet relish. It is but the beginning, with more to take on next year. I just pray that I will be able to take on this challenge well, and do I was meant to do when I chose to teach.

As for the holidays, I guess I have to wave it goodbye this year as I forfeit any thought of a trip overseas. Maybe one day, I'd have a chance to claim back this holiday!