Trading guilt for sympathy with tears.

Tears are a woman's right, so it's said. Rightly so for being the somewhat-weaker sex and bearing much of the emotional burden, it's alright for them to cry.

Crying just to erase all responsibility or act the wounded party and shift the blame on the social stage, however is an underhanded tactic and truely gutless. Unfortunately, the ultimate clincher is this, the ones who do it will have friends as much as one would wonder why and how they got friends at all, they do.

The mark of a good friend is to listen, and be sympathetic. The downside is, this also blinds them to the fact that said friend is not quite as blameless as she made herself out to be. She may be pitiable but for a totally different reason - the simple inability to be anything useful.

Having summarised my thoughts on the issue, I'll then say I'm not naming names because it didn't involve me, is not my problem per-se and I should only be an silent bystander.

Save for the fact that today has been a cumulative of small annoyances, I may not even be posting about this indignity of an excuse for a female.

Because Deepavali is...

an under-rated celebration. 

At least in cities where I hardly feel the atmosphere of a celebration of light overcoming darkness. Where's all the music and fanfare?! But then I suppose the same could be said of Chinese New Year (where's all the fire crackers?!) and I say this only because on the occassions I've been blessed enough to be invited to Deepavali-celebrating homes, I observed that there would be a constant in the form of a Tamil or Hindi movie playing in the background while everyone is really too busy socialising and/or catching up. Kinda reminded me of CNY and the traditional old Stephen Chow or Kung Fu movies. Same concept. Heh heh. 

Then, it's hardly talked about because it only gets one day holiday! How can?! Only one day off to celebrate all the delicious food-ekhem. 

a delicious celebration.

As somewhat mentioned earlier, Deepavali serves up some of the best food of all celebrations in my personal opinion. (All you people who wish to beg to differ may now start sending me invites to come to your open houses) After a dry few years of non-eventful Deepavalis, I got sub-invited to not one but two open houses courtesy of bi's family. (In other words, I'm a shameless tagalong. nyeheheh) And boy were the hosts gracious with their food.. *_* Ahh..the spices, the bursts of flavour. I like~

an artful celebration. 

Does one know how much work and precision it takes to make a kolam, that colorful rice art done in most shopping malls every Deepavali season? Plus all the decorations and lit lamps. 

All in all, I'm glad I didn't miss out on this year's festivities (yes, and food.) it is indeed something special to be celebrating another cultural celebration, surrounded by open-minded people so willing to share home and culture, at least for awhile. :)

innocence fades.

"Forget what we're told, before we get too old" - Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol

So much of growing up is taken to mean gaining more knowlegde,wisdom, intellect. Collecting memories, bits of 'advice' from here and there just to build up who we are and how we think or reason things. Sometimes, there are things not meant to be taken so literally. Taken with a pinch of salt, so to speak, in the words of wise older people. Heh.

For most, growing up means to forget how to laugh at simply anything. Not just at your friends as the dog-eat-dog world teaches you how but with them as well. Means to an end or an end in itself? Ethical questions I will be taught to ponder in my next semester. A question I believe should be imbued from before but isn't. So now I'm questioning the manner we're made? No, it simply is. We are all given choices.

There's a verse in the Bible. It quotes
"See, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves." Matthew 1-:16
It was one of the verses that baffled me most. Still does. I know not how to keep that innocence and walk the tightrope of morality and survival.
Survival even within siblings even in a home where there are indeed no favourites, no special apples. Hard to see, hard for some to feel that way but it's true. Judgement is not by man, yet time over will he do it. It's not hard to judge when one is not on the receiving end. No surprises there.

When children play, seldom do they divide by color or even speech. It comes later, with mimicry and observation. This suddenly brings to mind a typical child's game where a set of similiar looking objects are placed on a page and the child is told to spot different one.

It's fun to point out differences because it reaffirms the belief that you're not the odd one out. It helps assure the ones you talk to that you're in. Maybe. I don't know.

'Children laugh more than 300 times a day while adults only less than 20 times a day.' So it's said.

Thinking in intricate swirls this close to bedtime and typing it out?
I must need sleep. :)

Oh, before that, HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY, CHELLE-CHAN!!! Miss you loads and wish you could be here (or we could be there) to celebrate this day for you!