It’s Not Christmas…

Posted by: bkksoul on: December 25, 2006

• In: Bangkok | Life
• 14 Comments

Until I hear Hanson’s Merry Christmas, Baby while shopping. Nothing quite like the familiar crack of Taylor’s pre-pubescent voice (eight years on and it still makes me go, “whoa, puberty”) to remind you what time of year it is. How sad is it that I actually lingered around a few minutes longer just so I could hear the entire song?

But yes, Christmas is here!!! And because it doesn’t coincide with midterms (unlike last year), my dad and I were actually able to go to midnight mass tonight at Holy Redeemer, my high school’s old namesake and also where my parents got hitched back in ’78. I guess this is why I’ve always been so fond of this particular church, even if I don’t *cough* attend as often as I’d like to. Hopefully this won’t deter God from looking deep within his heart and considering my little plea bargain to please oh please help magically rearrange the answers on my dental anatomy exam in exchange for twenty Hail Maries and a promise to go to church more often once I move to my shiny pink arrow as I’ll have no more excuses to dole out since it’s literally ten minutes away from said church. What can I say? It was the Catholic school girl in me talking, complete with pressed white polo and pleated plaid skirt. Ten years of that kind of tortu– I mean, excellent education will burrow the guilt in you like nothing else.

I keed, I keed. I don’t talk about religion much here, but there’s no denying it played a significant part in my upbringing — and midnight mass tonight reminded me of that. Speaking of which, mass was beautiful, to say the least. Everyone was giving off fuzzy, warm vibes and it was impossible to be a Grinch, no matter how much you might want to grumble at the holiday season. Tonight’s mass basically stripped away the commercialized parade Christmas tends to get morphed into this time of year and brought things back to basics. Oh, and the choir? Fan-freaking-tastic. I was totally blown away by their gorgeous performance. Seriously made the night that much more fabulous.

Afterward, my dad and I wandered the city ’til 2 in the morning. Hate to be a walking cliche, but because of the lights, holiday ambiance, and fab weather, the city truly did take on a magical kind of light; the kind of light that transcends all the glittering, blinding, fluorescent lights of Soi Cowboy AND Patpong combined. Yes, people, it was that magical.

Holy Redeemer was packed, so we decided to park at the Conrad and walk over.
Not that we could complain — the weather was beyond fantastic.

The place was brimming over with people mingling before mass.

Can’t have Christmas without an oversized Christmas tree.

Afterward, a couple of people lingered on to pray.

But even more magical that all that combined was Caro!
Yes, I got to meet up with my favorite partner in crime.
And we hereby promise to go to mass more in the coming year.
Really.
No, really!
Did you hear that God?
(And yes, I know I look like my dad.)

~*~

Currently Playing: Hanson’s Silent Night Medley, because unlike Merry Christmas, Baby, there is no cringe-worthy voice-breaking, and also because I like to remember how their singing here used to make me happy to know that, why, yes, it is Christmas, and yes, it is the night that Christ was born. Oh holy night, indeed (although I’m not so sure about the brightly shining stars). Happy birthday, Jesus! And merry Christmas to all. :)

Currently Reading: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. Angela’s Ashes enthralled me with its lyrical prose and witty humor, making me cry and laugh within pages of each other. Teacher Man made me want to sit in on his English classes and soak up every last fabulous tale he had to tell; at the very least, I hope he lives to be a hundred so I can read a hundred more.