Merry Boxing Day

Remember, if you haven't, get me a present because I just might have one for you.

Presents

I didn't actually want to buy a lot of gifts. But then, one gift leads to another and so on and on. I end up buying the most gifts in the family.

The budget was RM50. All the expensive gifts, gifts more than Rm10, are for family. Those for friends are all under RM3. But they are good.

I think that's something I've enjoyed, a lot. Shopping for gifts around RM1. Then, you have to get very creative. Also, the tags are great fun. A chance to be witty, festive and fun. Hahaha.

Im looking forward to Christmas.

Just Flat Incumbus

The spectre of the MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE! You go to a Christian camp and your spirituality and relationship with God climbs. Preferably on the last day, you peak. Then on, its downhill all the way.

I just came back from a Youth camp. I didn't enjoy it. I don't feel any spiritual perk.

It just didn't work for me. Though I know it worked for others.

I didn't feel God. It was just me and the abyss. And when I looked into the abyss, the abyss looked back at me.

Movie

A quick note before turning in, I went to watch Space Chimps.

It is one-of-a-kind. Words cannot describe it. I suggest everyone watch it for an unforgettable experience.

Moochers Theorem

Finally, I put into writing the unofficial theorem that all like-hearted moochers around the world have always known. Perhaps you are a moocher the moment you are born. Or do you grow into one because of your environment?

We're talking about the laws of psychology and sociology here. I don't even know what those laws are. All I know is that mooching is the highest point of self-sufficiency that can be reached.

Mooching is not begging. Begging is asking for money. It is crude, rude and uncivilised. Mooching is an art.

The best moochers mooch without slipping out a word. A slight jerk to the hamburger of choice or a smile to the potato chips.

So here is the theorem:

You have go out with 8 friends and each friends buys a burger at McDonald's. From each friend you take a bite. One bite is equivalent to 1/8 of a burger. How much would you have eaten if you mooched a bite from every friend?

A whole burger! Plus, you would have eaten the most burger of all your friends because they would be left with 7/8 of their burger.

Young Writers' Camp

It's been almost one week since I've returned. Whatever after-camp hangover is over. So, I write this with a sober mind.

YWC 2008 was a writing camp. Last years camp was much more relaxed, we only wrote one piece in four days. This year, I wrote four pieces in as many days. Last year there were sessions and lots of play time. This year there were sessions and deadlines, stress and facilitators pointing to the clock, shaking their heads and asking you to hurry up.

Over the blood, sweat and hands of time we clambered to hand in our articles. Then we waited to see if it was published. Front page? Back page?

Throughout the camp I was always looking out for stories. There was no rest, there was no relent from the gnashing teeth of the newspaper!

But, I enjoyed myself.

I enjoyed writing. I enjoyed trying to find a story that nobody else would write about. I enjoyed laboriously trying to put it into words.

However, I suspect I might have liked writing so much because my pieces were published. I think some didn't enjoy it because they just weren't very interested in writing and they're articles were cut so they felt left out.

The Onion

A story I wrote in YWC:

There was once a tiny little onion bud. Luckily, for this onion bud, it had a really good farmer. Everyday the farmer would come and feed it water and fertilizer.

In the ground, the onion and its friends grew with the tender care of the farmer. They learnt the hardship and goodship of friendship. They matured with time and put on layers. Together, they grew.

Then, one day, they were plucked from the ground. They were shocked, but they trusted their farmer. They were carried into the big place where the farmer lived and put on a wooden board.

The farmer peeled them, then started to dice them. "Help! Ouch! Ow!" they screamed in their oniony voices. They didn't understand this, the farmer they trusted was hurting them! The farmer heard some pleading voices, shrugged and brought the knife down again.