EDITORIAL: ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS……

CHRISTMAS is just around the corner! And it promises to be a better celebration than the year before this time around. Tail-gating right behind it is a New Year that beckons with an open door for better things to come in 2022.

Shopping malls are all decked up ready for Christmas while people are making plans for a feast to celebrate the Yuletide season. For some it’s Christmas while others put their plans together for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. This time around, we can feel some optimism in the air compared to the year before when everything and everyone turned gloomy and pessimistic.

But we have much to look forward to this December and in 2022. Back in December last year, vaccination for Covid-19 had yet to be administered but at the time of writing this editorial (November 27 2021), 77.1% of the Malaysia’s population have been vaccinated with a substantial number having had their booster jabs.

We have come a long way since Covid-19 hit our shores back in early 2020. But we are not out of the woods yet as new variants continue to drop on our laps. We have to continue to be vigilant and not let our guard down. Our primary objective is to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Any temptation to set aside strict SOPs we have been adhering to all this while may bring detrimental consequences.

December will be the time of the year when many among us will balik kampung to celebrate Christmas with their families. Many probably didn’t get a chance to head home last Christmas but this time around, travel is allowed for Malaysians to move around freely.

In early November, I took a short trip back to my hometown. I chose to travel on weekdays to avoid any massive traffic congestion along the way or on the island. After almost seven months since I last stepped foot back home, it felt good to drive around to feel what I have missed there. Perhaps a short trip was not sufficient to make up and catch up with a 7-month absence. We found ourselves rushing for time to do as many things and see as many people as we could. But alas, it was not enough and it would warrant a revisit soon.

What’s in the cards for December and what have we resolved to do in 2022? Work will continue to dominate my schedule this month like any other. Perhaps short breaks in between will do me good to seek the inspiration and motivation I need for the coming New Year. I am sure I can look forward to some positive changes and exciting surprises along the way.

Picking up speed for 2022 where we got stalled will be my top priority. Efforts that were supposed to have taken off this year were put on hold because of the pandemic but I am confident we can pick up where we left off over the last two years. Nothing is impossible if we put our heart and soul into it.

Are we ready to take the bull by its horns and live our life to the fullest in 2022? Travel is probably in the books for many who have had to satisfy the travel bug by just moving around in the country since October. Travel between Singapore and Malaysia opened up on November 29 and we are optimistic that more gateways will reopen for travelers soon.

In the meantime, get your vaccinated if you haven’t done so. If you are up for the booster jab, get it done soonest possible. I recently received my booster jab. Apart from a sore arm where the needle went in, I suffered no side effects. I didn’t cut back on my activities and continued with my usual running around right after my jab.

Let’s have a MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS and enjoy ourselves. But let’s keep safe while doing so. Life goes on as they say…..and our lives are just beginning to restart this year end and New Year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!