In less than seven hours, I’ll be on board a plane with Farenheit. It really isn’t my intention to stalk them. They’re on their way home (transiting from Medan), and I’m going for my final holiday this year.

I wouldn’t go to the extent of calling it a ‘dream’, but I’ve always wanted to spend Christmas and New Year in a really cold place. Before I make it to Prague for the amazing fireworks, or to Antarctica for the auroras, I’ll have to settle for a reasonably chilly place- what my friends would call my second home- Taipei. This is my first NYE away, and my fifth trip this quarter. Yes, I’ve actually managed to surpass last year’s record. (Ya ya ya, I know I led a tour to Taiwan just eight weeks ago. It’s different lah.)

Because of this 8D7N trip, I’d been working my ass off the last couple of weeks. And with about nine roadshows this month, I barely had time to sleep and pee. (Exaggerating, but you get the idea.) As a result, I didn’t have time to think about Christmas.

There wasn’t much Christmas shopping to do- I’m sticking to the plan conceived last year. The money goes to children in third world countries. People in the office were on leave one by one, and we didn’t have a party for the first time in years. And C., who was hosting a Christmas dinner for us, declared that there wouldn’t be any exchanging of gifts.

The only present I had to buy, was for Ivy. I was her Secret Santa in the Studio. I had meant to rush out to get something for her on the day before Christmas Eve, so that I could leave it in the studio for her. Then I realised she was on leave and wouldn’t be around to collect the gift. She must really hate me now. Secret Santa FAIL! Hahahaa. Ok, I’ll get her something from Taipei.

I was in bed by 6pm on Thursday- the first time in a really long time that I was at home alone on Christmas eve. I’m not a Christian, so Christmas eve was merely an excuse to party and feast. I would have felt loserish if I was a few years younger, but I truly didn’t want to party this time. I only wanted to sleep!

I was just saying earlier I prefer Chinese New Year to Christmas (from a non-religious perspective). Bak Kwa is so much yummier than turkey. Period.

Happy Boxing Day, people. I’m off to Taipei!

Edit: Maths not very good. It should be 9D8N.