Christmas Day - 25th December 2009

I can't have a better way to remember this Christmas, for today, 3 of my Koi fishes die and I have to bury them in my garden. It is kinda sad for the fishes have been with me (us) for the past 9 years....

The final resting places for 2 of the Kois

So, Christmas afternoon is spent cleaning up the fish pond. All the males in the house are involved - my father, my brother and myself. It is quite a huge project that requires, well, a lot of water and guts (it's kinda gross to move around in a slimy algae filled pond). Though this is a tiring exercise, it is also fun as everyone in this house is involved one way or the other. And my scarely cat wife tried to carry some of the water filter filled with fish dung for washing as well as helping my mum clean up the house walkway. =)

Me cleaning the filters

Dad Handling the Filter Chambers

Brother Helping Out

Total Mess at the Garden

Christmas night is much better. We have dinner at Valerie's house at Sunglade. And it seems like only yesterday that we had the same Christmas dinner at her place in 2008. This time round, Sharon brought with her fried Bee Hoon and a huge bag of Christmas present for exchanging.

The dinner spread looks great!!

Valerie and Gary (The host couple) prepared the Salad and the Hams

Sharon prepared fried bee hoon

Kelvin and Amanda brought curry chicken

Yogi and LiLing brought the Sheperd’s pie and brownie. And they brought little Kayli to the party too! She's already 6 months and I am captivated with her split seconds change of emotion - she can literally smile and laugh the next second after she cries.

Kelvin and Amanda will also be proud parents this time next year too for Amanda is about 13 weeks pregnent. Yogi is sharing much of his experience with Kelvin on the joy of being a father. I can see how happy this father is and how 'worried and yet expectant' Kelvin looks.

The gift exchange is the highlight of the day

I felt close to this group of friends even though I only met them briefly during my courtship with Sharon. The girls have been good friends since the university days and their relationship has never changed a bit even up till this day. Their husband are totally nice people and it is good fate too, that the guys can click together without much effort. Kelvin, Amanda and Valerie, are really helpful people. They offered to help us look for defects at our new place once we collected the key. I'm seriously touched by their gesture.

This holiday season, I am reminded of how blissful I am to be surrounded with so many good friends.