Damn Christmas...

Dear all,

Haven't really written anything for this page for a while, have been kind of busy and lazy (yes, they can go hand in hand)...but because it's near the end of December, my anxieties are prompting me to write this all down and share with some of you...

I'm not sure about most of you, but I absolutely HATE Christmas....especially in HK...

When a whole city becomes like an overly done film set for a cheesy Christmas movie, complete with awful elevator tunes repeating and repeating in every shop you go into...i get really depress....

Don't ask me why, i'm fucked like that...and I especially dread it when i feel like i'm coerced into being happy...First of all, I never get it why I'm suppose to be festive for Christmas (though new year's eve is getting even worse lately). Don't get me wrong, I've always enjoyed the holidays and the parties, but every time when someone says: "hey man, it's christmas, let's celebrate!!". It just kills me...i never get the logic behind this line...Being a non-Christian, I simply don't know what's there to celebrate...

Then there's the human traffic!!! Every year when we step into December, the streets of Hong Kong become unbearably crowded. Cars get jammed, people get stuck, I get claustrophobic. I sometimes suspect that I've a mild form of agoraphobia ...but that's another story...

Comparing to the reasons given above, however, what I found most 'disturbing' about Christmas it's the commercialization of it. Doesn't it feel like everywhere you go, there's no escape from some sort of media portrayal of different brands associating itself with the festivities. I mean can somebody please tell me what's Starbucks got to do with Christmas? I don't think the Lord drank coffee back then...Yes, this is all nothing new, and there are even those who rejoice in the commercialization aspect of it being a good indicator of our society's wealth and affluence. I've no problem with people's spending power, I just don't want that stupid tune ringing in my head when I struggle to go to sleep at night...i thought holiday is all about relaxing and peace of mind. If there's ever a Risk Indicator for Mental Pollution, December will always be marked as high....

For those who wanna look more into the subject, there's a documentary coming out soon titled What Would Jesus Buy? that deals with the subject and "tries to reminds us that even though we may be “hypnotized and consumerized,” we still have a chance to save ourselves this Christmas."

Before I end off this post making myself sound like a complete cynical bore...I just wanna recommend some good music to those who would like to get away from the hustle and bustle this holiday...

I'm sure some of you must've heard of the great Estonian composer Arvo Part and his music...but for those who hasn't, I highly recommend these two albums:

Alina- Listen

Kanon Pokajanen- Listen

I don't wanna say too much about the music because any descrīption with words cannot do any justice to the music on these two albums. Personally, I consider Arvo Part's music as some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard and I cannot think of any better gift to all my fellow AnD friends...

Have a wonderful holiday all and stay out of trouble....

take care...

D....