Daily Archives: December 7, 2007
How my family celebrate Christmas
Christmas is around the corner. Like other people, I really love Christmas. It is the birthday of Jesus and we are celebrating His birthday each year with all the joy and laughter and love.
Back home in Sabah (North Borneo), Malaysia, my family (including parents’ family) will all go to church on Christmas morning. Everyone is always cheerful and smiling for the beautiful day. It is normal in Malaysia to buy new clothes for a special day. Kids and youngsters like this so much, they can hardly wait to put on their new clothes and go to church with family and say praise to Lord Jesus Christ for yet another wonderful year. In the church, people will say hello and wish Merry Christmas to other people. It’s a joyous day.
Every year, there is one house chosen for our big-family get-together. So, after the Mass, we all will go to one of our parents’ siblings’s house for a get together. Here we don’t exchange gifts because one cannot afford to buy for everyone. You see, my mom has 7 siblings and dad 5, so in total 14, plus their spouses and then the children, their in laws and the grandkids etc etc. We only exchange gifts at home for our own close family. (My parents have 6 kids, 5 son/daughter in law, 4 grandchildren).
Back home, we don’t really have special food such as Turkey or baking special cakes. We just prepare traditional meal on the table for all the family members to enjoy. Before eating, we will pray to thank God for the grace on the table and for getting us together again on this beautiful day.
In the Netherlands, Wim will normally prepare special dinner for us. On Christmas Eve, we go to Catholic church. The atmosphere in the Netherlands is a bit different, I miss the cheerfulness. But I reckon that is because of our different culture. At home after midnight, we open our gifts from under the tree. On Christmas morning, we go to our father/FIL’s house and have a Christmas cake and coffee.
Wish you all a happy Christmas. 
When Job-Hunting Begins
I made my first step in looking for a job for next year. I met a recruiter today in my business suit and discussed about our potential future company etc.
In Netherlands, the recruitment agencies are popular for their good service of looking a job for people. One can be a permanent employee to a company with their assistance or become an interim. I never liked working a few months or about a year in a company so for me I always go for permanent job under the payroll of a company and not the recruitment agency.
So, what we need is the cover letter and definitely the CV. Not to forget the preparation of some questions which might be asked by any interviewers.
