Hello everyone! Yes today is December 31st 2013. The last day of the year! I'm currently lying on my bed right now, in my room in Jakarta, listening to the loud fireworks from both right and left side of my house, non stop since 9pm. Yeap it's new year's eve, and because my house is located kinda in the central of Jakarta, monas and thamrin is nearby, central park mall is as well, also ancol and other places who provide magnificent firework show. Plus some neighbours who are also celebrating. It's so noisy, that's why I can't fall asleep til now. And this is not the first time, I remembered clearly that this is just the same as last year. When I was lying on my bed since half past eight but ended up fell asleep after twelve when it's all has come to the end.
Why am I in jakarta? Yeap as usual I'm going back home this christmas. How's my christmas celebration? Well it's so simple, nothing special, on christmas day me and family simply go to PI to buy mom's winter coat then go home and at night we send mom to the airport cause she's going to HK at midnight.
However,different from my simple christmas, christmas eve in jakarta was being celebrated in a real great way here, I just noticed. Most of the ppl around me are having great dinner, the traffic is depressing, as always, ppl are saying merry christmas at midnight, not on the day. When I went out in the morning of 25th the streets are empty, every are still silently asleep or staying at their house. The worship are mainly done on the christmas eve as well. Don't know if this is the first time that we- or our culture has switched to celebrate mainly on the night. Or it's just me who just notice it
Talking about christmas, of course it's the happiest time of the year for me! Hehe not only as a Christian, but maybe since I live in the UK, or this year, cause in there, it's their biggest day, not in a religious way but in a cultural way. It's their biggest event, like Lebaran in Indonesia. What I like about christmas in western countries is how we take it as a moment to share joy, exchanging gifts with the lovelies and reunited with fam to have a simple christmas dinner at our own house.
Also when during december the streets are being decorated in a very beautiful way, and on the weekend people are out to the shops to buy christmas gifts. queueing in the card shop to buy a single christmas card or with another christmas accessories. Yes that's what I like from christmas in the uk. The culture of giving, celebrating not in religious way but because it's their culture, where all bus and trains are in shutdown on the 25th and 26.
Different with in indonesia, where almost everything is open during christmas eve, the 25th and 26th. Ppl prefer to go to malls and restaurants rather than having dinner at home. When malls are competing to have the prettiest and the most unique christmas tree, rather than decorating the streets it self. No giving presents, and as wev
know. Not everyone are celebrating it in here. Yeap there are many differences. As a big event, christmas is being celebrated in different ways in the world as the culture goes. The difference in my country is, christmas is a religious event, only Christians celebrate it, other ppl only take it as a national holiday. While in western countries, they are neither Christian or have a religion. But they all celebrate it as one cause it's a culture for them.
Another thing I love from christmas, the end of week 10 when almost everyone are going back home or going on a trip!
In the last one week before going back to jkt, everytime I meet ppl we're exchanging christmas greet, and new year greet. (cause we know that maybe we won't happen to meet again on the day) asking where are u going during the break, saying have a great trip, have a great holiday at home, and safe flight. Yes that simple words do mean a lot to me. I love those days. When the joy of christmas break is there.
Next after christmas, mostly spend my time to be at home, watching dvds, Thor 2 and Ironman 3. Ah these movies are so good, ahahaha. And hanging out with sister and dad only since mom is not here. More quality time with dad. And here comes the new years eve. Went to emporium pluit in the evening. Dinner at xo suki. Went to bookshop to buy a novel then bought a cup of bubble tea. Finally! Hehe, then, going back home
But what I notice again is again the crowd of this city that is so alive. On the way home the road are so packed of ppl riding motorcycle going to ancol or monas idk, to celebrate!
On gajah mada and hayam wuruk street lots of ppl are walking to monas since the governor hold a big new year event in there. Fireworks are everywhere, restaurants are all fully booked and reserved, in monas ppl are gathering, being entertained while waiting for the countdown, some are in the mall, some are working, some are staying at home, some are having a party or a gathering, some are lighting the fireworks. Yeap everyone are having different activities in this one city.
This is only jakarta, imagine other big cities, hong kong, new york, sydney, london and edinburgh. In the big cities ppl are celebrating and gathering. But in some city like my sister's in Adelaide. She simply have a beauty sleep in silent cause she's gonna work again tmrw morning. Yeap it's new year. The biggest event for everyone, cause it's nor cultural or religious event. It's an universal event. No matter how you celebrate it. The time is still ticking, new year is here. 1st of january, here we meet again, counting up from jan to feb to march to april and so on. Time flies, there are times to celebrate, there are times to mourn. There a re good times there are bad times. But anyway, again no matter how and with who and in which situations u are now in to celebrate this night. Just be glad for this night, take your time to look down, take a rest for a while if u keep looking up during the last one year.
Just be glad that another year has passed. I know some friends are celebrating in a loneliness, far from family and close friends, maybe? I know that feeling, but once again, don't be sad just be glad. It's a good night to look back and be grateful for what we've achieved til now
Look back to appreciate what God's given to us this year. Don't hold you sadness or madness for too long. Cheer up and go entertain yourself to make the night. Only your ownselves who can make you feel happy. So choose to be happy
Time to say goodbye to 2013. Wishing you all many blessing and happiness in the upcoming years. Yeap, happy new year people!!!!!
Best regards,
Jakarta, december 31st 2013
Jeslyne
