Happy New Year 2009

Happy 2009 readers!

My December 31st celebration highly depends on where I am at on that day.

Growing up, my parents would invite close friends to join our family countdown at home. After I finished high school, year end celebrations started to cool off and one by one we (my family) started to develop this habit of just staying at home and just chill without any major activities. Not even BBQ or the sort that people used to do when welcoming the new year.

The next time was my year-end visits when I was in college, my dad and I used to lazed around the couch and just watch all the peak programs on the telly and snack while waiting for the rest of the family go about their own celebration with other family members and friends.

Then in came my career and married life in Bangkok, I am again back to celebrating with close friends every New Year's Eve. Today, I again have the opportunity to celebrate it with my own family and guess what? It seems like a deja vu. This time everyone stayed home except for my two brothers who have gone off to celebrate with their friends. We gathered around our self-made fire place, took some marinated meat from the fridge and started barbecuing while laughing like there will never be another next year.

Just a few more minutes to 2009 and the houses surrounding mine seemed to be competing on who can create the loudest bomb out of their questioned legal or illegal purchase of firecrackers. As of now, I am thankful that God has shown His non-stop blessings towards my family, friends and I throughout each of our strives and struggles, happiness and sadness. Thus it gives me confident that He will continue what He has started in each of us. Lets continue to put our trust in Him. God bless each of you and have a great year ahead. *xoxo*