Oh That We Were There

A very apt phrase for this year, taken from one of the Christmas carols. It epitomises whatever that I've done this year; in short, a summary. NS, DL, qieing, enjoying good food, ORD, IC... Been there done that. Chionging games... I've been doing that since the beginning of this year, both on 360 and PC. Moving house... Xiong but a new experience. Swimming and running... Since the JC days, stopped during the NS days and now continuing on, to advertise the banner of freedom. Carolling? 6 times with VJ Choir... Need I go on?

But since it's Christmas time, I'm not going to continue with the expected Merry Christmas to you. If it was during 04 to 06, I would be more enthusiastic about carolling, you could say my interest in carolling waned. Compared to last year or even 05 or 04, my attendance could be described as lacklustre. From an impeccable record from 04 to 06 to a dismal one this year. Why? Because instead of concentrating on carolling with VJ Choir, which I have been doing faithfully for 3 years, it's time do move on and do something more different, more meaningful. For 3 consecutive years, I've attended the carolling sessions from 20th to 25th without fail, not to mention those before the Christmas week. This year something stayed my hand. A combination of factors which culminated in me attending 6 sessions only. On further analysis, that's actually close to 70% of the carolling. It's still quite a lot in terms of percentage, I realised. Whatever... Here are the reasons in no particular order of importance.

1) Technically since I was an appeal student, I was "encouraged" to attend carolling sessions in year 0. But I didn't, so when I was in year 3, it was to repay the carolling I owed during year 0. Now that means that I didn't carol at all for year 3 (since year 3's carolling is used to pay for year 0) so this year's carolling is used to pay for last year. And since I didn't really see many year 4s (who are not in VC) who come back for carolling, my attendance for next year's carolling should be easy to extrapolate.

2) Another guilt factor. I promised someone I'll be singing for his special concert but I didn't (my bad) so that was why I went for the reunion. I owed him one.

3) People factor. Not many of my batch people went for VJ choir's carolling so it didn't seem sensible to be an extra. After all, I don't really know this year's batch people except the year 3 seniors (and a few year 4s here and there)! It was fun carolling with you guys...

4) Power factor. Ever since year 1, I've always known that VJ Choir will lack singers as the seniors all flock to VC like bees to honey. Add those who pon and those who are sick and you get a skeletal crew of singers for VJ Choir. I'll never forget the time when there were only 2 tenors carolling. 1 T1, 1 T2... That was in year 1. Hence, the motive to carol with VJ choir. And on those days where they were shorthanded only. Hence I didn't go for all!

5) Weather/lazy factor. Bad weather coupled with the common disease called laziness ruled on certain days. 'Nuff said.

6) Passion/Purpose factor. By far the most important of all factors I feel (factors 1 to 5 can be called excuses), carolling is about the passion for singing and spreading the Christmas joy. If you are passionate and want to spread the Christmas joy, then by all means carol. But if the passion is not there, then it is better to do something else instead to spread the Christmas joy.

The question then is, what better way to spread the Christmas joy if not carolling? Simple. 2 cases as examples. My dad recently had to send a Christmas package of goodies to someone. Only that this someone is a wife of a jailbird. Imagine the sadness of spending Christmas without someone you love, knowing that he or she is spending time in a cold, dark and damp cell... Imagine the joy it would bring to that wife if she were to receive a gift from her soulmate although her soulmate is in prison. Now because we live very far away, it would be expensive to take a cab (with the bloody price increase) and very inconvenient to take a bus/MRT. So I volunteered to be the chauffeur. And I tell you that was the most meaningful chauffeuring that I've ever done so far. Although I did not went with my dad to deliever the goodies, knowing that I had played my part was touching enough for me.

Not convinced? Just the sunday before Christmas, I went to a nearby Old Folk's home with some of my peers to spread the Christmas joy via carolling. We sang, shook hands with them and wished them Merry Christmas. Now seeing their happy and contented faces as we spread the Christmas cheer was so touching. It struck me that ironically the last time I'd visited them to spread the Christmas cheer was back in 03! Yes indeed, before I joined VJ Choir. I realised that I'd been missing out on the other side of Christmas, being so involved for the last 3 years with VJ Choir instead.

To conclude, I'm not saying that in retrospect, I regretted spending so much time with VJ choir. In fact, I truthfully enjoyed every second of carolling with them for 3 consecutive years from 04-06. What I mean is that after 3 long consecutive years with VJ choir, it's time to scale down my commitment with them and instead, spread the Christmas cheer to others less fortunate then us. I feel they deserve it more than others who are more well to do. Heck, if VJ Choir were to do something meaningful and carol in some old folk's home or in some prison in the future, I'll most definately be honoured to join. Sadly, knowing VJ Choir and the phrase "a leopard never changes its spots", it would seem that my days of carolling with them has ended, until the time comes when I feel passionate and wanting to spread the festive cheer to other more fortunate people again, though I don't forsee that time coming anytime soon.