The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The fulfillment of an ageless, timeless prophesy. A silent night indeed. And pretty much a holy one too.

I'd been looking forward to Christmas all semester and for the opportunity to reunite with close friends and loved ones I'd missed terribly the past few months. So when Christmas eve came round, one can imagine just how thrilled I was. Little did I foresee or expect, though, the dizzy spells that hit after the 9:30pm mass at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, which rendered me unwell to attend the gatherings that evening.

Christmas day was spent mostly in my room, with the exception of a short lunch with Dannel and an external family dinner hosted by my parents at our new home. Late-night plans that evening was also cancelled.

Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe what I really needed this Christmas was peaceful time to myself - something I haven't been able to enjoy and embrace for some time now. This year has been a real hectic one - both the army chapters and the university chapters - which made quiet, reflective time with myself this Christmas possibly "the most wonderful time of the year".

But I'm still looking forward to meeting up with close friends and giving them each a big hug. And I'm still excited about giving out the presents I had prepared. I've yet to spread joy even once this season. They're all still sitting under my tree. All in good time.

Different Sides of the Same Moon

I'm in my objective state now. Based on my understanding and analysis, here's the situation from both party's ends, which accounts for the vast difference in opinion between the two.

One is trying very hard to conceal personal feelings, because it takes a lot to be strong when faced with such trials. Embracing feelings can lead to breaking down and exposing oneself, especially in front of family. It's a huge gamble. Therefore, strict formality in tone of speech and messages, neglect and distancing becomes the order of the day. It's understandable. Sometimes, that's what one needs to do in order to stay strong.

The other tries as much as possible to look past the glass cover, to trust that beyond the cold front is the beautiful soul with great interest for friendship maintenance; that the surface appearance is no reliable reference for judgement. But it's not easy to always live life like that - to look past the glass cover. There are times when one becomes weak and can only judge based on context. That's when paranoia takes over.

When that happens, it is very obvious, especially through ones choice of words and tone. And the other is smart enough to detect the weakness. That's when conflict arises.

There is the accusation that one does not trust the other enough to believe that underneath it all, nothing has changed. Such an accusation is extremely valid. At the same time, the other is left with the challenge of friendship maintenance with a non-active cold front, which one has to see past. The party is challenged to trust, even after being dumped. In this case, it's difficult to trust in the words, "you deserve to be happy".

This doesn't imply that the two no longer care for each other or yearn for each other's friendship. They just have different ways of dealing with it. It is a matter of perspective.

The two still try to see each other's points of view. That's when there's peace. But because we're human after all, there are times when one party falters. That's when the whole structure of trust crumbles. It's not easy to live life like that.

However, in the wise words of Nelly Furtado, "all I can do is try".

Golden Globe Nod and a Walk of Fame Star

Christina Aguilera is wrapping up 2010 with a tumultuous high. First, she fulfilled her gargantuan silver screen dream last month with the release of her first film, Burlesque. Then last week, she received a prestigious Golden Globe Award nomination for it!

Oh, the beat that my heart skipped when I read the list. I was thrilled enough to know that films and actors I was rooting for (e.g. The King's Speech, Black Swan, The Kids Are All Right, Colin Firth, James Franco, Annette Bening, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore) all received nominations that would increase their chances for Oscar gold. But to follow that up with Aguilera's name listed for Best Original Song made it all the more a jubilant event!

I think the nomination's well-deserved, and that's not coming from an extreme, biased point of view. I've been listening to the film's soundtrack the past few days and it's really an awesome record with loads of fun, soulful elements, and featuring Christina as singer and songwriter for 8 of the 10 tracks. It's gotten me hooked.

Burlesque was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy). If that ain't a Hollywood dream come true for Aguilera, what is?

Just last month, she was also honoured with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, an excellent accolade in recognition for her contribution to the entertainment industry the past 12 years. I'm absolutely delighted for this queen of pop. It's a joy to follow someone every step of their journey for so many years and see them make it this far.

I hope she wins the Golden Globe Award, gets nominated for an Oscar next month, and eventually become an Oscar winner in February. Go Christina!

We've Only Just Begun

Alas, the finishing line of 4 months' worth. What a juggle struggle, seriously. Heavyweight responsibilities from practically every of life's compartments.

I can confidently proclaim, though, that I've worked my ass off, neglected myself from many of life's joys and privileges, and pushed my already-lofty limits to even greater heights. All in the name of reputation and respectable grades. Pulling through the strain I'd inflected on myself has become all the more incandescently blissful.

It's quaint, however, how ones expectations of oneself can decline within such a brief period. And my gosh, it has. Oh, the dawn of reality that fellow students can open you up to.

My absence from the lives of those who matter has been constant in the last few months. They have been missed as dearly as they've been saying they miss me. I have 30 days to make up for that, because God knows what kind of chaos the next semester will bring.

"We've only just begun to live.

White lace and promises

A kiss for luck and we're on our way..."

The Burlesque Way

America has seen it and was amazed by the body of art that Burlesque encompasses. Come January 13th, Singapore will finally get a taste of the riveting musical experience Christina Aguilera has to offer in her debut silver screen performance.

I could not be more thrilled for this wondrous queen of pop. Her royal highness returns to claim her throne, alongside another queen, Cher! Talk about a juicy, dynamic ensemble.

After following her artistry and career so closely for 12 years now, I'm ecstatic that this is finally happening for her and that it's coming our way.

Examination Period.

With every minute that you stop studying, you lose the opportunity to revise one more point in your lecture notes and textbook. That one more point could be the answer to one difficult question in the examination. Answering that one difficult question correctly could mark the difference between an A- and an A grade for you.

Don't lose focus. Don't be distracted. Study.