As It Comes to an End

I cannot wait for this year to end. It's been a long and tiring one. If it were a graph chart, you would see unusual spikes in the tapestry of emotions. If it were a heart rate monitor, you'd see that I am very much alive. Right now, I just want to receive some good news and as few bad ones as possible.

I can't say much now. But the more people asked me if I am okay, the more I knew I would be.

Bring it on, 2012.

Christmas Dinner and Secret Santa

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. However, this year took quite a different turn. Instead of snowing in November like last year, snow blankets have not properly draped themselves over the streets and settled on the surfaces. Here in our abode, the lights are up, the Christmas dinner was piled onto our plates and the Secret Santa gifts were exchanged.

Christmas Lights

On the day of our Secret Santa gift exchange we placed the gifts under the tree, got our own gifts and looked at what we got each other. The brown envelope at the side is another Secret Santa gift, only that it is from 'The Great Secret Santa' event that my college mates and I took part in. More about that another time.

The tree

I am always amazed by how similar people can be all over the world, particularly where food is concerned. People love their food.

Christmas Dinner

Like the year before, there was turkey, roast, pigs in blankets, potatoes, stuffing and vegetables, somewhere beneath the mountain pile.

It's a mountain!

Ezra was my Secret Santa and he gave me a lovely box of Marks and Spenser's chocolates and two Lush bath products. Thank you, Ezra!

Ohhh gorgeous!

Anyway, Christmas is on its way. Things are in store, so keep your eyes peeled!

Distraction

It's been a while, hasn't it? I had three final essays to complete for the term. I just handed the last one in this afternoon. I ought to feel the Christmas cheer by now. Somehow unfortunate things are happening quite frequently this year. Strange and despondent causal effects.

I like distraction. I am a master of distraction. Distraction displaces the distracted side of a person.  Distraction finishes an essay in an hour. Distraction cleans rooms and walks around the campus without stopping. Distraction listens to an Ipod in a bus and eats chocolate and cooks pasta. Distraction writes. Distraction laughs and talks and sleeps in a tangled throw in the living room. Distraction notices the tiniest things that used to be unnoticeable.

Then distraction stops.

So here it goes. My grandmother passed away. This time on my dad's side of the family. That's two in a year. And I won't be able to go back again.  We knew it was a matter of time. I knew when I left after the summer break that it would probably be the last time. It was a knowledge we distracted ourselves from for quite a while.

Never mind me, I probably should realize that I've done this before; I hope my dad is okay. I hope my family are. I hope they are. I hope we are.

First Time Doing the Shoebox Appeal

Shoebox Appeal, a photo by rachlyf on Flickr.

Ever since I saw the booth on campus last year, decked with beautifully wrapped shoeboxes, I decided that I would participate (at least once) in the appeal. And that was just what I did.

The annual shoebox appeal is where people place items in decorated shoeboxes, be they food, books, toys, clothes or snacks. They will then be sent off alongside many other goodie-filled shoeboxes to less fortunate children in various different countries. This year they will go to Romania.

For some children, this would be the only time they receive gifts for Christmas. KAOs, short for Kids Action Overseas, is the society on campus that acts as the middleman to collect the boxes.

Most of my friends who are from the UK said that being a 'Shoebox Santa' was part of their school activities. It reminds me of the Hamper Project that my secondary school holds every year.



Ta-da! My first ever shoebox made; I'm really satisfied. Squint and you should be able to see most of the stuff I'd put inside. Otherwise give it a guess. I wrote a bilingual message in the card; I can only hope that Google Translate didn't make any mistakes with the Romanian language. Well, I've given mine to that booth now. If the translation isn't accurate, at least it would be laughable.

Oh, what do you know! It's already December and it has not started snowing yet! *touches wood* I can tell now that it's going to be a much better winter experience than the five months of prolonged bitter cold last year. *touches wood* Besides, the previous year was the worst one in history so how bad can this year get? *knocks on wood ferociously*

I better lay this down to rest or I'll be ritually tapping on my wooden table after each sentence I type. One must be careful not to jinx oneself with famous last words.