December is a month of joy! Kids get a chance to ask for gifts. Schools prepare Christmas & New Year shows. Shoppers are excited about the seasonal sale. Workers plan to leave Bangkok for visiting their families in hometown while the others schedule their vacation trips. But most of all we’re just counting down to the most relax time of the year.
Atmosphere around Bangkok starts to spice up for the celebration with light decorations, thematic street sight, events, live bands and especially Beer Park lists. There’s also the chance for us to enjoy winter breeze with good songs, good people, good food and good drinks – for at least a day or two.
I have a week off for holidays. I plan on many things to relax with my must-have group of people; colleague, friends and family.
Colleague’s celebration is the newest part to me. The whole company has the gifts trading tradition happening or what we call ‘buddy’ to rebound our friendship and get to know new faces. At the end we had little party, little drinks and little moves with mini-concert to farewell the year.
Continually with my groups of friend which I had overbooked and rescheduled many times until it settled. There were reunions going on, BFF (Best Friend Forever) nights out and live band & the beer. I and my friends have done them all some we may not sure how it finished or how it didn’t but we do make sure that we had a blast till our last drops!
I gave those parties and reunions for around 4 days before switching to family mode. It’s always been our traditional trips visiting my grandparents for any festive we can which New Year holidays are the perfect match for everyone. My relatives from Dad’s side will gather up and drive to Bua Yai in Nakornratchasima to spend the nights or take them to the trip. Since my grandfather has passed away, we are trying to take my grandmother out more often.
This year I’d call it thousand miles trip to Isaan (Northeast of Thailand). This is actually the day 4 of the trip when we’ve driven across Isaan land to visit Khong River in Mukdahan province and passed 3 provinces with almost 10 unseen destinations. Finally, we made it to the fine dining along the Khong River. Full course meal serves among the amazing nature creation and the warmth of three generations sitting on the table. Catching up each other’s life, talking about the past and giving hugs is what I never ask for more.
Bangkok’s December happiness is something close to all above which you’ll find love, laughter and warmth up in the air. Either the best and the worse or the sad and the happy, they come to an end of 2011 chapter. The new beginning waits for us ahead with the better yet to come.
See you next year B.C. 2555
