Coming Home

In the dark dreary nights, 

when the storm is at its most fierce, 

the lighthouse burns bright 

so the sailors can find their way home again. 

In life the same light burns. 

This light is fueled with love, faith and hope. 

And through life’s most fierce storms 

these three burn their brightest 

so we also can find our way home again.

- Anonymous -

There have been so many instances in my life when I felt that I had lost my way home and even at some point, lost myself. I felt as if I was adrift on a current that took me everywhere else but never the places I wanted to go. Then there were the things I did that I thought would fill me and make me complete, instead it had the opposite effect and left me feeling more alone and emptier than I once was. 

I was unprepared for 2010 if I have to be honest. I never really felt ready for it... I kind of went along with it if it makes any sense. So now, when I stand at the door of 2011 I feel a little tipsy and unprepared because it felt as if I skipped a whole year and yet at the same time, because I never really planned the year nor set myself ridiculously arduous goals I could never accomplish. 


It is therefore, an absolutely surprising to say that I think 2010 went brilliantly. This has got to be the first year that I look back and say “hey” it turned out pretty darn good.  This is the first year where I stood grounded in my thoughts, in my work and in most parts of my life. Sure 2010 were fraught with its share of glorious moments and moments that I wish would have never happened, moments that were nerve recking, moments that were sad and worrying and moments that I wish I could take back. Each year had its own defining moments, yet for some reason I feel as if 2010 was just a glimpse of how life will be like moving forward and I am glad that the year, however many ups and downs there were, happened the way it did.

Several nights ago, I was wondering... if I was given a word to sum up 2010, 

what that word would be... and I thought “Love” was the word. 

There was a lot of love in 2010. 

Love from B, my best friend who I got engaged to this, 

Love from Belle my wonderfully mischievous Beagle,

 Love from my family, Love for my soon to be family, 

Love for my job (with its ups and downs), 
Love for my friends – both old and new, 

Love for  travelling, Love for all things news, 

Love of my hobbies and most importantly 

Love from God who has showered me with such abundant blessings 

that I will be forever grateful and thankful.

And although “Love” seemed appropriate, it didn’t quite fit 100% and after reading the quote from Anon above and as I started writing this post, I realised that the word words to accurately sum up this year would be “Coming Home”.

Coming Home to God.

Coming Home to the ones who love me.

Coming Home to where I belong.

Coming Home to my own.  

I am Home finally and it’s just awesome. 

May the coming year be filled with more goodness and blessings from God and from the looks and sounds of it, 2011 will be a very blessed, busy, brilliant and bountiful year.

Happy blessed New Year everyone. 

I pray that all of you are happy and safe wherever you are. 

May God watch over you and keep you and the ones you love safe.

Cheers to a brilliant 2010 and to a new better and more awesome 2011! *hugss hugss*

Scenes from My Christmas 2010 (v2)

These are some of the photos that I took from Christmas Eve and on Christmas day, and one of the days I when I spent 16 hours in The Curve shopping centre.

The grotto of Mother Mary @ Saint Francis Xavier's Church, PJ

We decided to have a late supper and we went to A and W an icon for Petaling Jaya folk. The food wasn't great - in fact it was quite pathetic. It would have been redeemable some what if the service was good but it was horrible as well. *sniff*

The sad and inspiring burger that Daves ate.

I had a spot of shopping alone on Christmas Eve morning. Treated myself to some magazines and a delish pizza which I sadly could not finish.

The Christmas decorations for One Utama this year were pretty nice. I liked the quaint country-ish feel to this.

 

Four Seasons Chocolate Cake from 'The Bee'. The name
was nicer then the cake. 

The yummy fried salted chicken from Little Tawian

The rose tea my colleague had

Magazines to browse through. One can never have too much of inspiration!

Decorations @ The Curve

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My Christmas gifts

Hey all. So how is the prep for New Year? Anyone done their New Year's Resolutions for 2011 yet? As for me, I am finally on break till the end of the year and our prime minister just announced that there is a public holiday on the 31st, so hopefully I will get an additional day of leave in 2011 *smiles* - Awesomeness!

I plan to do some spring cleaning tomorrow and the day after and hopefully get some reading done as well. New Year's is going to be quieter and a little lower key this year since B will not be sharing New Year's Eve and Day with me *sniff sniff*. He will be going to Jitra in Kedah near the rice padi for his cousin's wedding thingy. A part of me wants to go but then the thought of going to somewhere deserted is not too appealing. It would help if this relatives were a nice fun bunch to be with (like my relatives) but they are not - so all the more reason for me not to go. Thank God he is okay with the idea of me not going with him. 

So, this year I will be with my family and friends. Most probably it will be a poker and card game night (must remember to blog about these new Hasbro card games which are uber awesome!) which I am looking forward to. Alternatively, a nice night in writing or reading or watching some series is alright with me too.

Anyways, I finally got my Christmas pressies posted up. I did receive some lovely hand cream from L'Occitane from Jilly Bean and a LOTR letter opener in the shape of a sword from Zee and some other small pressies too! A pity that I did not take any photos of the items. Anyways, here are some photos of the pressies I got and my lovely Thomas Sabo charm bracelet! Thank you all for the lovely presents *smiles*

Christmas has left the building

Finally Christmas came and then it was half way gone and then it was gone totally. This Christmas is in fact, a very very low key Christmas. Doesn't help that I had the flu bug for most of Christmas day and I looked like crap and I sounded like crap - sorry for sounding all Scrooge-ish - which really kinda sucked. I took a couple of meds and it helped, so am glad.

This year, Christmas wasn't like the Christmases of past. My family and I don't really have any traditions though one thing that I have tried to do each year was attend Midnight Mass at the church I grew up in, Saint Francis Xavier's church, Petaling Jaya. There is something so magical about Christmas Eve mass. It is as if, I am transported back 2000 years ago and am anticipating the birth of Jesus. I can picture the manger, the shepherd, the Magi, the star... all of it. 
I usually go for this mass with friends and sometimes my folks would join us but for the last couple of years, they have not. After mass this year, my friends and I went to the AandW drive through in PJ and feasted on junk food and root beer. It was a good night save the crappy service and the crappy food! 

Then there was the absence of a Christmas gathering with our extended family. This is a yearly affair where all our relatives on my dad's side get together to have fellowship, sing carols and just talk. Not having a gathering this year felt odd and in some ways incomplete. I have somehow also gotten closer to my relatives who are an awesome bunch of people and it's a pity that we have one less gathering. We are about 70ish (or more) strong and its just awesome to come together. It is always a huge affair when everyone is around.

On Christmas day, I had lunch with my family, just the four of us. We had lunch at Kitchen Creatures and I found it hard to talk and enjoy the food with the flues. It really does dampen ones spirit. After lunch, we went to see some furniture for the house and after browsing, I had a snooze which did wonders for me. This was followed by a simple dinner with my friends and later awesome new card games by Hasbro and poker. We ended the night at about 1am and I stayed up a little to finish this book that I had been reading for several months. 

Oh yes, I have another tradition. I open my Christmas presents after Christmas Eve mass when I am home and all ready for bed. I turn on some Christmasy music and open the presents. I just can't wait for Christmas morning to do it *smiles* This year has been wonderful. There were so many wonderful unexpected gifts this year (3 Thomas Sabo charms). I have been truly truly blessed with so many wonderful friends. It's such a joy to open something unexpected. 
Even Belly got presents from her Dog-Father, Daves - see the doggy treats *smiles smiles* 

There was also an unexpected email from an old close friend, G, who is coming back in January. I have not seen him for years and I am glad that he is finally coming home (though I am trying not to be angry at him for staying away for so long and for not trying harder to keep in touch) - definitely something to look forward too though I am not sure if he likes who we have become today. Anyways, I have taken some photos of the presents I received but I have had some problems uploading the photos - so perhaps I shall upload them when I get this matter sorted out.

I shall end this post with a hope and a prayer that the tradition of Christmas Eve mass continue yearly and that there will be more family and friends related events not only on Christmas but whenever possible. I can't wait to have my own home so that I can invite friends and family over (though I hate to clean up after - maybe paper cups will solve this issue and a plastic sheets on the floors - hehehe!). Goodnight everyone. I hope that all of you had a memorable and good Christmas this year.  

Pleasure @ the fair grounds #2

Here are more photos of the fair grounds. 

Hope you have an awesome and magical Christmas. 

I am off to get ready for the Christmas Eve mass *smiles*

Christmas Eve

It's early Christmas Eve at the moment. Old time Christmas crooners and Belle's snores are accompanying me and I am trying to feel all Christmasy but there is something lacking still... perhaps tomorrow the Christmas Spirit will hit me with a bang at Christmas Midnight Mass which I am going to with my best buddies and B. 

I somehow kinda like Christmas Eve more than I do Christmas Day. Maybe it's the anticipation of Christmas Day or Christmas Eve mass that I have been attending for several years now. It's just magical.

Well, I thought that this is the best time to wish all my readers and blog surfers a very Happy and Blessed Christmas. May the Christmas Spirit live on in your hearts today, tomorrow and all year through. And here's to giving and receiving. Don't forget to send out a little prayer to those less fortunate than us who don't get to spend their Christmas with their loves ones or who are hungry and homeless. May God bless them and keep them safe.

Happy Blessed Christmas all!

Pleasure @ the fair grounds #1

On one of the short trips we had recently, B and I had the pleasure of visiting and old school fun fair. This fun fair was the kind of fun fair that used to be popular way back in the day (you can tell by the look and condition of the rides really) and which children (and adults) of today would wrinkle their noses at. 

These fun fairs are awesome to me. They are picturesque and evoke memories of a forgotten time. A time when XBoxes, Playstations, super cool arcades, the interweb, 3D movies were just ideas and dreams on in someones mind. 

It's a place where families go to have wholesome family fun. 

As I strolled with B around the fair grounds, I wondered if our children would one day experience these simple pleasures in life and if in the future these fun fairs would actually still be around. It's sad but the fun fair that we went to will cease to exist come 2011. The whole of Danga Bay in Johor will in fact be closed for development. What a shame. I mean do we really need another couple of high rise monstrosities and overpriced condo living in Malaysia that only a select few will be able to afford? I think not. But there is nothing that I can do against over zealous businessmen who think "development" (mostly of their bank accounts) is needed in this part of the world.

Ok. Enough ranting. I shall instead present you three 

or so posts about pleasure at the fair grounds. Enjoyce!