If we were having coffee, before we dive into our coffee, I would give you a warm hug and wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I am not a hugger but what the hey, it’s the holidays and the end of a year. Time to celebrate the good times.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you I am filled with excitement at the moment. I am going to China in 10 days! No, I have not finished packing yet. I will be bringing two suitcases and only barely finished packing the smaller of the two with 6 kg to spare. This is good news and bad news. It’s good news because this means I will have no problem checking in my luggage at the airport. It’s bad because it means my mom and aunt can still jam things into my neatly organized suitcase.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you I am also excited because I have a very sweet surprise for my mom this Christmas. It’s been hiding beneath my bed for the past two weeks and I can feel my excitement about to burst but I will have to wait until Christmas because I want to wait until it’s the right time.

If we were having coffee, I would also tell you about the book I’ve been reading during the past week. I bought a paperback copy of this book at the thrift store and dug into the book immediately after I got home. It’s the first book I’ve read since November and I haven’t been able to put it down. The thrill, the suspense, and the scandalous drama, it’s been keeping me at the edge of my seat from the beginning. I just passed the half-way mark and I can’t wait to find out what happened in the end.

Finally, if we were having coffee, I would tell you it’s been a quiet holiday this year. We visited some friends yesterday and haven’t really gone anywhere. I would tell you my aunt is disappointed. She was looking forward to traveling for the holiday until my mom cancelled the car reservation a few days ago. My mom and I are just too tired. Meanwhile, my aunt had been bugging me to take her to places and it’s been driving me crazy. In a way, she’s like a little doggy trapped in a cage. I feel sorry for her and I feel apologetic I can’t fulfill that duty because of my exhaustion.