Dec. 23, 2005 11:55 at night!

Just came back from dinner with a few close friends at the Felix Fusion Restaurant located on the top floor of the legendary Peninsula Hotel on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. It wasn't exactly traditional Christmas fare as our Western friends would know it but nonetheless, it was a kind of Christmas celebration because the company was very nice and the ambience excellent, not to forget the three excellent bottles of champagne we gulped down during dinner! For those of you who've never visited this fabulous restaurant before, let me tell you that apart from the excellent food, this restaurant is famous for its toilet, yes I mean MEN's TOILET! All the urinals are located by the window with a full view of Kowloon and one gets the feeling that Kowloon is at your feet when you're doing the usual thing that every one has to do! No joke, the other attraction is that if you stoop down to look at the frosted glass wall separating the men's from the Women's toilet, you can actually see the ladies' feet next door! But nothing else of course, it is just a gimmick of the restaurant which became the talk of the town when it opened! Nothing low class or gross, after all this is the renowned Peninsula of Hong Kong!

Just this afternoon, we had a Christmas lunch for the staff at the office - the whole works, complete with the Turkey with cranberry sauce to German Sausage, Beef Wellington, Roast Rack of Lamb and of course the Ham. Assorted Sushi was thrown in just to give it the local touch! But that's it! No Christmas pudding as the locals find it a wee bit too sweet for their tastes!

Tomorrow afternoon, again at the Peninsula, we have booked high tea at the Lobby because ever since I could remember - and that's at least 30 years ago - the PEN (the local's favorite term for the Peninsula) always has some local school choir to sing Christmas carols at the Hotel! None of us at the office are staunch Christians but Christmas carols are something to reminisce by, especially when they sing "Silent Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," or the not-quite-Christmas-carol "White Christmas"! These songs just bring back such nostalgia of Christmases gone by, which always seem to be lovelier, the memories sweeter, the days when we were younger!

Katharine, our webmaster, (who's always reminding me that I've not fulfilled my "duties" by not having written to you in a long time, bless her!) had in fact asked me to write something to you for Christmas, as many of our American friends do! They would write a blanket letter to all friends telling them what had gone by the previous year, how their family had fared, memorable trips they have made, new additions to their families, what their children (and in the case of my friends, their grandchildren) had done! But I was reluctant - for several reasons! First, the last paragraph I wrote may give you the wrong impression that people like me are always reminiscing of time gone by as if we are so unhappy with the present! Let me correct that impression right now! That's not what I mean at all! We still enjoy Christmas as we grow older but perhaps in a different way! It never snows in Hong Kong but we've traveled to enough places in Japan and Vancouver, even to Williamsburg in the USA where we used to frolic freely at the first sight of snow. Maybe we don't build snowmen and put carrots for their noses as we used to do, but we still value Christmas as a time for remembering old times, friends and family, and for wishing blessings on the dear ones we truly love! And more important perhaps is to remember in our hearts that the most important of all is "Love, Peace, and Friendship" for the World as Jackie says!

Katharine, while trying to 'instigate' me to write this letter, asked me blankly "Have you ever celebrated Christmas?" I didn't answer right away! But as I think back, my answer is "Of course Yes"! I was born in Malaysia under the Queen's Regime, a British Colony just as Hong Kong was. We had so many different nationalities in Malaysia then, the main ones being the native Malays, the Chinese, the Indians, and the Eurasians and of course the Caucasians. I remember sweetly then that the British Government really took care of the various population groups then. Our neighboring countries may only have one New Year but way back in Malaysia then, we celebrate FOUR! The English New Year (Jan. 1, which of course took care of the Japanese and the Koreans although they were not present in predominant numbers then), the Chinese New Year (the date of which varies from year to year as we follow the Lunar Calendar), the Malay New Year, and the Indian New Year (I think it was called Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights). Just imagine how happy a kid would be - having four New Year Holidays a Year!

It was also at this time for the whole Family (although my Mother is Buddhist and a staunch one I might say), that setting up the Christmas tree was a highlight for this Festive Season! We would buy plastic trees (no real firs around then) and each year, we would put on the gramophone (no CDs and iPods then either) to play Christmas music as the family in turn put up the Christmas ornaments, Father first, then Mother, the Aunts and relatives, then my elder sister, me before my younger brother in rank right down to the domestic helpers who were inevitable for a Chinese Family in a rather well to do Chinese Family then! After all the ornaments were up, we would spray artificial snow (it never snows in tropical Malaysia) and turn on the tree lights, and sing along to the music (the domestic helpers who did not know English would just hum along to be in the mood) before we started the feast!

That was how I celebrated Christmas then! Now perhaps it's a little different! We're not able to plan ahead for parties, events, or trips overseas as our friends do because we're not sure whether Jackie will be working or where he will be working. For instance, tonight, Jackie has a night shoot which will probably last until dawn breaks, the same for tomorrow night! But still, the roads in Tsimshatsui and the Lan Kwai Fong areas (the town's most popular tourist areas) would have all the roads blocked, only allowing pedestrian traffic! And the HongKongnites will party and drink and make merry! It doesn't matter what their religion is; Christmas is a time to celebrate! The same will go on when Chinese New Year comes next month (January 28th 2006). That's how metropolitan Hong Kong is and that's the way it will continue to be!

Dec. 24, 2005, 01:05 a.m.

It's Christmas Eve now and it is only appropriate that I wish each and every one of you a Very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. May 2006 bring to you all that your Hearts Desire! And may you continue to give Jackie the love and support you've given him all these years. Along the way, because of Jackie, I realize I've also been blessed with your Love and Concern! I honestly thank you!

Warmest Regards,
Willie