1 Dec 2025
Being somewhat ritualistic about the passage of Time, I try to do something different to mark the start or beginning of a month, and other significant days.
In my working days, I used to mark the beginning of each school holiday by visiting the Kwan Imm Temple in Middle Rd with my mom, followed by shopping.
On each payday, the first item I bought would be meatballs for my dog, Shoya.
For a number of Decembers past, I would ride Bus 143 with my mom from Jurong East all the way to Toa Payoh & back, just to see the Christmas Lights! 😄
Over the years I find myself becoming less critical of the designs of our festive lightings.
When I stopped benchmarking our Christmas lightings against that of other countries’ I started to notice the smiling locals, migrant workers & tourists posing under them.
Towards the eves of New Year & Christmas, I would catch up with feeders of street animals I had befriended. It was my way of thanking them for doing on a daily basis what I couldn’t.
As I age & our city gets more crowded, some of the activities mentioned above require more effort & planning.
And because I no longer have the stamina to walk under the Christmas Lights from Tanglin Mall to Plaza Singapura, any corner that shines now gives me immense joy. 🙏🙂
As we welcome the final month of 2025, may we swing along with Time & accept what cannot be changed, to make way for the guidance ahead. ♥️
Lisa Ong 