Being Alone At Christmas

You know, I didn’t really want to do this. I’m heading home to Aberdeenshire tomorrow, weather and the apparently rather inept Bear Scotland permitting, and though I had already indicated I would be absent over Christmas and New Year, that wasn’t quite true. I was home for one day in between, but didn’t anticipate having time to log on. But here I am. In very Festive mood. Regretting the fact that I had asked Jo and Simone to create new topics for me to write on over the break. Although I fully intended to do so. But partly ‘cos I’m not here much, and partly ‘cos they’re serious ...  Read the complete review

You know, I don't actually mind spending Christmas on my own. Personally, I feel Christmas has become too much of a farce. Maybe I'm a bit of a baa humbug, but there are a number of reasons why I'm beginning to get dispondent about Christmas time. Years ago, Christmas was a time of remembering the birth of Christ. People would dress in their Sunday best, and the WHOLE family would go to Church to celebrate this. A few simple gifts, games and a lunch would be sufficient. But, nowadays - things are well and truly different, aren't they? The sheer madness of it all has gone way past my head! People are running around like headless ...  Read the complete review

I was selected to participate in the 37th UNESCO International Research for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in Tokyo for one year. I arrived in October this year and was excited to go and experience all the modern electronics that Tokyo can offer this Christmas. True enough, Tokyo is really filled with all sorts of lights, lasers and other electronic gadgets this Christmas, but down deep inside seems to be people who does not understand what the essence of Christmas is for. So behind the bright flashing Christmas lights are quite meaningless celebration of Christmas. Now 14 of us were here from different countries around the world feeling the loneliness of ...  Read the complete review

You might be able to save a life this Christmas. Your own. Christmas is a dangerous time. Any policeman will tell you that. But whereas we are bombarded with drink-drive adverts at this time of year, no-one bothers to tell you that the biggest danger might not be in a bottle. It might be in your own mind. Or in a member of your own family. Many, many people are silently dreading the 25th. They probably won't voice their feelings to anyone for fear of being called a 'killjoy', for fear of being compared to people who have 'real problems', for fear of simply not being understood. Christmas is a desperate time ...  Read the complete review

Top ten Christmas list for lonely soles. 1) Usama bin Laden…Doesn’t celebrate the season of good will and wont be decorating his cave. Has no friends, as they will trade him in to America for $25 million. Has a risky upbringing of booze, girls and Jonathan King parties. Not a good Muslim youth. 2) Liz Hurley…..Had to take drastic measures after yet more film flops and successful ones for her leading man. Jealousy often drives beautiful attention seekers to not so calculating risks. Kate Winslett is not the only British actress who will sleep around to make it big (get it) and “fill”the tabloids for publicity. 3) ...  Read the complete review