In The Mood of Celebration

Yuletide

Yuletide is the name given to the period around Christmas.

The name “Yuletide” comes from the Scandinavians, for whom 'Yultid' was the festival celebrated at the twelfth month. This was the twelfth name of Odin (Jul), who was supposed to come to earth in December, disguised in a hooded cloak. He would sit awhile at the firesides listening to the people, and if there was poverty, he left gifts, usually bread or coins.

On the night of December 20, the god Ingvi Freyr rides over the earth on the back of his shining boar, bringing Light and Love back into the World.

In later years after the influence of Christianity, the god Baldur, then Jesus, was reborn at this festival. Jul signifies the beginning and end of all things, it is the darkest time (shortest hour of daylight) during the year and the brightest hope re-entering the world.
During this festival, the Wild Hunt is at its greatest fervor, and the dead are said to range the Earth in its retinue. The god Wotan (Odin) is the leader of this Wild Ride- charging across the sky on his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir.

In ancient times, Germanic and Norse children would leave their boots out by the hearth on Solstice Eve, filled with hay and sugar, for Sleipnir's journey. In return, Wotan would leave them a gift for their kindness.

In modern times, Sleipnir was changed to a reindeer and the grey-bearded Wotan became the kindly Santa Claus (Father Christmas).

So lets remember that many of the associated Christmas and Yule celebrations actually date back to before Christ and were adopted or altered from their original meanings. Things like Feasting gift giving, pudding, tree decorating(Yggdrasil), father xmas, holly, mistletoe, reindeer, yule logs, hanging stockings up, leaving food out, candles, yule and the 12 days of xmas all are original pagan activities.

Many people today think that Father Christmas is just the British name for Santa Claus. Whilst it is true that Father Christmas and Santa are considered virtually the same today, Father Christmas is a completely different person entirely, with a much longer history.

The earliest Father Christmas appeared during ancient British mid-winter festivals. He wasn't known as Father Christmas then, of course, but as a general pagan figure who represented the coming of spring.
When Britain fell under Saxon rule in the fifth and sixth centuries AD, Father Christmas took on the characteristics of the Saxon Father Time, also known as King Frost or King Winter.

This association was strengthened when the Vikings invaded Britain and brought their own midwinter traditions with them. The 20th through the 31st of December is known as Jultid -- the time when the Norse God Odin takes on the character of Jul, one of his twelve characters, and visits the earth. The name lives on today as Yuletide. During Jultid Odin, a portly, elderly man with a white beard and a long, blue, hooded cloak was said to have ridden through the world on his eight-legged horse Sleipnir, giving gifts to the good and punishments to the bad. Our Father Christmas became fat like Odin and developed the ability to automatically know whether people had been bad or good. Also like Odin, Father Christmas could travel magically and be in lots of places in a short space of time.

Mistletoe

In Norse beliefs, a connection to mistletoe is found with the Norse god, Balder. In order to protect him from harm, his father, Odin, and his mother, Frigga, asked the elements and all living beings never to harm Balder.
However, they forgot to ask the mistletoe. Loki, a rival of Balder made an arrow of mistletoe and gave it to Balder’s blind brother, Hoder, to shoot. Loki promised to help Hoder aim the arrow, but he aimed at Balder instead of the target. Thus, Balder was killed.
After the elements tried to restore his life and failed, Balder was restored to life by his mother, whose tears turned into the pearly white berries on the mistletoe. Frigga, rejoicing for her son’s return, forgave the mistletoe and gave it a blessing (in the form of a kiss) for everyone who stands under it.
So hanging mistletoe became a symbol of blessings and good fortune for celebrations.

- Kommano88 at some forum on the net. ;) -

Never Knew I Needed

I'm just over Ne-Yo's single previously which lyrics & tune i'm so totally in love with and now i'm already obsessed with this new song of him featured as OST for the Disney's animated picture, "The Princess & The Frog" - Never Knew I Needed. What more can i possibly say? Other than, awesomeness rule! [grin]

Here's the special lyrics...
(Ooh)
For the way you changed my plans
For being the perfect distraction
For the way you took the idea that I have
Of everything that I wanted to have
And made me see there was something missing (oh yeah)
For the ending of my first begin
(Ooh yeah yeah)(ooh yeah yeah)
And for the rare and unexpected friend
(Ooh yeah yeah)(ooh yeah yeah)
For the way you’re something that I never choose
But at the same time something I don’t wanna lose
And never wanna be without ever again (oh oh)
You’re the best thing I Never Knew I Needed
So when you were here I had no idea
You’re the best thing I never knew I needed
So now it’s so clear I need you here always
My accidental happily (ever after oh oh oh)
The way you smile and how you comfort me (with your laughter)
I must admit you were not a part of my book
But now if you open it up and take a look
You’re the beginning and the end of every chapter (oh oh)
You’re the best thing I never knew I needed (oh)
So when you were here I had no idea
You’re the best thing I never knew I needed (that I needed)
So now it’s so clear I need you here always
Who’d knew that I’d be here (who’d knew that I’d be here oh oh)
So unexpectedly (so unexpectedly oh oh)
Undeniably happy (hey)
Said with you right here, right here next to me (oh)
Boy you’re the…
You’re the best thing I never knew I needed (said I needed oh oh)
So when you were here I had no idea
You’re the best thing I never knew I needed (needed oh)
So now it’s so clear I need you here always
Baby baby
Now it’s so clear I need you here always

"Try and fail, but don't fail to try."

My pick for the night

"I'm sitting here alone up in my room,
And thinking about the times that we've been through (oh my love)
I'm looking at a picture in my hand,
Trying my best to understand,
I really want to know what we did wrong,
With a love that felt so strong,
If only you were here tonight,
I know that we could make it right.

I don't know how to live without your love,
I was born to make you happy,
'Cause you're the only one within my heart,
I was born to make you happy,
Always and forever you and me,
That's the way our life should be,
I don't know how to live without your love,
I was born to make you happy.

I know I've been a fool since you've been gone,
I'd better give it up and carry on (oh my love)
'Cause living in a dream of you and me,
Is not the way my life should be,
I don't want to cry a tear for you,
So forgive me if i do,
If only you were here tonight,
I know that we could make it right."


Heard this song on the radio... Love Britney back when she's younger. Good night everyone. Sleep tight and sweet dreams.

What's in my red book?

I know I'm not a very productive employee today. All i did so far was surf and surf and surf i might have reach the middle of the ocean by the looks of it. I sure did some of the work needed to be done urgently but apart from that, i didn't make the effort of trying to learn or master anything in my free time. I just don't have it in me. Excuse. I know. Darn it.

I opened my small red book to jot a new word for the day and i saw that on the final pages of the book were a few short notes that I've jot down before. It must be from one of those days that ideas came rushing into my mind and i just have to write it down so that i won't forget it but sadly, i never get around to use it for an article. A bit of a lick and a promise. It's kind of brilliant tho, the ideas of course and i wonder what was i thinking then? It's something to do about family relation, abundance love, gratitude and personal belief. Whoa~ I amaze myself sometimes.

Now I'm eating a piece of butter cake with teensy-weensy raisins on it. :)

Russian Roulette vs Crawl

Rihanna

Take a breath, take it deep,
Calm yourself, he says to me,
If you play, you play for keeps,
Take a gun, and count to three,
I'm sweating now, moving slow,
No time to think, my turn to go.

And you can see my heart beating,
You can see it through my chest,
And I'm terrified but I'm not leaving,
Know that i must pass this test,
So just pull the trigger.

Say a prayer to yourself,
He says close your eyes,
Sometimes it helps,
And then i get a scary thought,
That he's here means he's never lost.

As my life flashes before my eyes,
I'm wondering will i ever see another sunrise?
So many won't get the chance to say goodbye,
But it's too late to pick up the value of my life.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Chris

Everybody sees it's you,
I'm the one that lost the view,
Everybody says we're through,
I hope you haven't said it too.

So where,
Do we go from here,
With all this fear in our eyes,
And where,
Can love take us now,
We've been so far down,
We can still touch the sky.

If we crawl,
Till we can walk again,
Then we'll run,
Until we're strong enough to jump.
Then we'll fly,
Until there is no wind,
So lets crawl, crawl, crawl,
Back to love, Yeah
Back to love, Yeah.

Why did i change the pace,
Hearts were never meant to race,
I always felt the need for space,
But now i can't reach your face,
So where,
Are you standing now,
Are you in the crowd of my vouch,
Love, can you see my hand?
I need one more chance,
We can still have it all.

Everybody see's it's you,
Well i never wanna lose that view.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Both says it through their music. Whether it's just a try to get back to the fan on Chris's side, or RiRi trying to channel her feelings on coping up, i would not know but if i were to vote, hmmmm...both songs are catchy and i like it but maybe i tend to choose Russian Roulette over Crawl. ;)

Btw, notice how the title of the songs is the same as their initials? And to dramatize the Russian Roulette, there's this sound of after-crying-breathing (pardon my silly words here. My vocab is not always functioning. How do you translate teresak-esak in English anyway?)and a shoot at the end of the song...it sure makes the song interesting but one can't help wondering.....well i guess i'll let you connect the dots here. [eerie sound playing in the background~muahaha]

On Crawl tho, i kind of like the lyrics and of course Chris's vocal is great as usual. :D

What my tea bag tells me

As a very avid tea lover, i would love it more if this is how my tea bag looks like. Each bag with different words of wisdom printed on their tiny piece of paper dangling over the cup. How much more perfect it could be, other than sipping a nice hot tea while thinking over those proverbs and looking forward to the next different one i get for tomorrow's tea break.

hmm...very nice indeed.

This is us...

I'm like a sunday morning, you're like friday night
And when we kiss, the perfect weekend -no rain in sight
When i'm feeling incomplete, you're my missing piece
And when you need your breathe taken away i'll be your thief

From the start to the end
We don't need to pretend
That we're perfect all the time
'cause we know what we have
Thru the good the bad
It's a strength that you can't deny...

I don't need to find a million reasons why
This is us, this is us, this is how we love
Some ways we're different
But together we're so right
This is us, this is us
And this is how we love

And even if we fall apart, we'll never feel alone
Just like the moon starts rising, our hearts bring us home
We can always find each other like the northern star
Doesn't matter where we are, i'm looking, going far

From the start to the end
We don't need to pretend
That we're perfect all the time
'cause we know what we have
Thru the good the bad
It's a strength that you can't deny...

I don't need to find a million reasons why
This is us, this is us, this is how we love
Some ways we're different
But together we're so right
This is us, this is us
And that's the way we love

We don't always see eye to eye
You must see a million colours
I just see it black and white
(ain't no way we could get much higher)
'cause when we touch it feels like fire
We both know how good this feels
Yes we do... baby... because...

This is you
This is me
This is us

I don't need to find a million reasons why
This is us, this is us, this is how we love
Some ways we're different
But together we're so right
This is us, this is us
And this is how we love

This Is Us - Keyshia Cole

hmmm..... :)

cengeng?...for a reason.

People who are close to me will know that i am probably one of the most sensitive person in this world.

When someone scratched my car as if it's their new drawing paper last time, i didn't shed a single tear. Not even when i lost something, no matter how important it is.

Back in primary school, i didn't really have much money to spend over food and after that i was constantly worrying whenever it's time for a holiday at boarding school because i could not afford the ferry fee to come back... and i never cried at that too. Well maybe sometimes when i was so worried i could not make it but thanks to my strong and great mom, we always seem to get through that.

But i can't control my tears from flowing when someone close to me hurt my feelings. Friends...family...kids...loved ones...

I was always the first one to cry when mom got mad at me and my sister back when we were kids (sepa suruh jajal). Even now when mom and my sist were quarelling and yelling at each other terribly, it's me who cries first.

I don't know why i'm doing this, but i never want to let people be able to hurt me like that again.