a faith restored :)

for most things, I think I can somewhat temper even my most optimistic projections with a good grounding of reality, except for two times of the year - when it comes to the occasions of Christmas and New Year

for what ever reason, call it child-like innocence, call it stupidity, there's simply no way I can stop myself from expecting a resonatingly magical christmas and new year

and it's because of those unstoppable expectations, every year for the last few years has been heartbreakingly disappointing; instances of waiting by myself on the street for a friend to come down from a drug high, being at home by myself in the pit of family fragmentation, to vacuous social occasions...

but who knew? Who would have guessed that '06/'07 would be the year that was different? I sure didn't... and for that reason, I was actually incredibly scared heading into it all... anticipating the extreme heartache that's accompanied each xmas/new year

it wasn't anything big that did it; xmas eve was a cold, soggy, soggy walk along the boulevarde (ivanhoe) for chrissy lights, but the company was beyond compare and to go back to their family home, sit in front of the tree and just be until it was chrissy morn was simply life warming

and to spend the large entirety of chrissy day with my family, opening presents with each other, laughing, grinning, smiling, and then extended family for dinner; there was no better way I could have scripted, for me, my magical chrissy

no, i didn't get the shiniest, most expensive present in the world (altho mum far exceeded the $30 limit for me :D), but i got my family for a day, and in the leung family world of incredible transience, that was the only present that was needed

new years eve was a vespa ride for two to a night picnic beside a lake, with a symphony of somewhat frantically mooing of cows in nearby pastures (in response to unseen-by-us fireworks) :P

and new years day was a drive-and-a-half, and a walk-and-a-half, to an isolated beach with some of my closest friends

none of these things were ritzy and glamourous... none of these things extravagently expensive... but each resonating incredibly and so soundly with the core of me, leading me to the only conclusion I could possibly come to; I'm a pretty lucky sod :P