Theresa and I woke up on new year’s day feeling like we need to go straight back to bed.

We had climbed into bed a little after 3am but neither of us could sleep. It has been that way for a while now – once we get past our bedtime, we’d find it so much harder to sleep.

We had been at Lynda and Leng’s place on New Year’s Eve, and did the countdown together with about 7-8 other families. The Chua’s were well prepared. At about 11.45, they took out a tray of champagne flutes and had them filled just before the countdown. They also had poppers, streamers and all other paraphernalias ready. It was a costume party theme and there we were, us as The Wiggles together with the cotterie of the usual suspects – the Audrey Hepburns, the Michael Jackson, the Santa Clause, the Jedi, Elvis, Sean Connery, Cat Woman, Hannibal Lectre, and even Shane Warne. All these bad impersonations had their glasses of champagne in hand as we tuned into Channel 9, countdown.

A few hours after waking up, Ing Tung and Chin Moi rang – it was 12.25pm and they were checking if we were coming. They had rang and left a message the night before but of course we were too stoned to notice the message which asked us to go over for lunch that day. My vegetable curry has found another set of victims, so we woke kiddo up and went over, for yet more eating. We caught up with Patsie and her family, as well as Clement and family and Chui Boon. By the time we got back a little after 6pm, we were so tired we just lazed by the tele.

I wondered, and still do, what this year would hold in store. As I spent time earlier this morning with God, I asked Him to simply be gentle with me. It was an odd prayer, clearly betraying my inadequate theology. I guess I need to know my maker more this year. Perhaps a little less costume or facade of being a Christian and more substance of knowing, loving and obeying my maker. That would be good.