Advent

Presenting...

BBC's Advent Caldenar
"Reveal a different audio gem each day during Advent. There's poetry and readings performed by celebrities including Terry Wogan, Derek Jacobi and personal reflections from Lionel Ritchie and Fay Weldon."

December 1: Joseph's Journey, narrated by John Savident
December 2: John 1, read by George Carey
December 3: John 1 Advent 1955, read by John Savident
December 4: The Oxen by Thomas Hardy, narrated by Paul Jones
December 5: This Is the Truth Sent from Above, performed by King's College Cambridge choir
December 6: Luke 2:1-6, read by Imogen Stubbs
December 7: Christmas by John Betjeman, read by Denis Nowlan
December 8: Journey of the Magi, narrated by Terry Wogan
December 9: In Dulci Jubilo, performed by King's College Cambridge choir
December 10: Luke 2:8-16, read by Derek Jacobi
December 11: Can It Be Real? by Noel Vincent, narrated by Imogen Stubbs
December 12: Once in Royal David's City, performed by King's College Cambridge choir
December 13: Matthew 2:1-12, read by George Irving
December 14: A Christmas Meditation, narrated by Fay Weldon
December 15: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, performed by King's College Cambridge choir
December 16: Personal Reflections, shared by Lionel Ritchie
December 17: A Little Town of Bethlehem, performed by King's College Cambridge choir
December 18: Isaiah 40:1-5, read by Derek Jacobi
December 19: A Virgin Most Pure, performed by King's College Cambridge choir
December 20: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, written by Longfellow, read by Fran Godfrey
December 21: Nativity Day, written by Clare Bevan, read by Stirling Rodger and Richard Dax
December 22: Ballad of the Breadman, written by Charles Causley, read by Sarah Kennedy
December 23: Good King Wenceslas, read by Willard White
December 24: Journey of the Magi, written by T.S. Elliott, read by Tim Pigott Smith
December 25: Away in a Manger, performed by King's College Cambridge choir

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmaskah, Chanumas!

Vatican Midnight Mass
I was so used to the idea of Pope John Paul II delivering the midnight mass message that at the thought of "Christmas Eve midnight mass," I had a mental image of the fragile late pope giving Christmas blessings instead of the current Pope Benedict. When I saw the first pictures posted from either BBC or CNN, I had a real shock. It felt unreal.

CNN World: Pope: Joy is real gift of Christmas

The British Queen made a speech too: Queen Elizabeth Remembers Tragedy


Tsunami Anniversary
It's been a year since the tsunami that devastated the coasts of Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, etc. News links that caught my eye:

American Red Cross: Tsunami Recovery: In Their Own Words

BBC: In pictures: Tsunami remembered, World marks tsunami anniversary

CNN: Tsunami: One Year Later

New York Times: Tsunami's Legacy: Extraordinary Giving and Unending Strife

Times of India: Tsunami survivors mark first anniversary


Presents
Remember my holiday wish list? I'm at 78% (I never thought #10 would come true anyway). THANK YOU!


Church
So I totally overslept for the main Christmas service back at my home church. I ended up attending the main Cantonese service instead. I suppose I could have opted for the main Mandarin service, but I felt more comfortable with Cantonese than with Mandarin.

It was truly awe-inspiring. The wonder of Christmas returned to me, since singing Christmas carols in Chinese and hearing a Chinese Christmas sermon made the entire Christmas experience new. And the pastor, for a change, didn't preach on Christmas passages but on three of the letters recorded in Revelation.


Chanukah
Chanukah is on December 26 this year, but the first candle lighting is tonight, since Jewish days begin at sundown.

Background of Chanukah here. I love the Chanukah story and think the Wiki version a bit too cut and dry for my taste. For a more storylike version of the Chanukah's origin, check out this version by holidays.net.

To those who celebrate Chanukah, have a wonder-filled holiday!