Christmas through Kids' Eyes

Delon
"The Sweetest Christmas" Performance
Mal Kelapa Gading 3
25 December 2010, 7.15pm-8.30pm

When I found out that Delon was gonna perform for the Christmas event in the mall, I'd never had a doubt in my mind. See, Christmas is my thing. And since the location was reachable, the show timing was good, and it's Delon, why wouldn't I go there? I took Mat, Karen, my sister and my mom with me. Knowing the place would be packed, I only worried about the kids' convenience. Based on my experience watching public shows like this, the view from center side was always the best, but it was also the worse. Eventually audiences would lose control and started pushing people forward just to get nearer to the stage. That's why all securities were allocated there. So we managed to get a loose spot at rear side. The only spot without securities around.

This was how it looked like to watch Delon from the kids point of view:

~ I wanna see Christmas through your eyes. Want everything to be the way it used to be. Back to being a child again, thinking the world was kind. I wanna see Christmas .. Christmas through your eyes ~
by Gloria Estefan

That's right. That tiny figure wearing Santa's hat was Delon. Kids didn't complain, though. They enjoyed his performance as much as we, the adults, did. Considering I had to keep my eyes on Mat and Karen, I let go of my plan recording the songs. Back to the old days, when I could see his shows without any camera on.

Delon sang 8 songs. Or was it 7? I lost my counting since he started his first one. First, the acoustic of the atrium was pretty bad. Second, I couldn't concentrate on what's happening on the stage. I was more amazed by what's happening around the stage. It was alive. A fact that Delon was still loved by many, many people. Young and old. A fellow audience at my right side, brought her daughter. I heard she said to her little one, that the man on the stage was "Koko Delon". Then in her conscience, she corrected herself and telling her daughter to call him "Oom Delon" instead, since she was still a baby when Oom Delon held her and took photo together.

W-O-W. Talking about the leap of generations.

Chances of Delon to go to our spot was quite slim, since most of the enthusiasts were at the center. I also noted, maybe one of the reasons was also because there would be no security to help him, in case the rear audience dragged him to the dark side of irresponsible fans action. But hey! We got two, no, three potential young fans in here. I told Karen and Mat to raise their hands and wave to Delon whenever he looked at our spot. Thus, together with the little girl mentioned above, the choir had started: "Oom Delon! OOM DELON!! OOM DELOOOOOONNNN!!!!!!!"

It worked. I got a really good hunch when he was about to start singing one song. One particular song that kept swimming in my head whenever Christmas came around. A timeless, beautiful song written by David Foster and Linda Thompson-Jenner, originally performed by Natalie Cole. One of the best song that was also included in "The Sweetest Gift from Delon" album. Instinctively I turned on my camera.

And there it went ..

"Grown-Up Christmas List":
Natalie Cole (with David Foster), Natalie Cole (with London Symphony Orchestra), Amy Grant, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Anthony Callea & Sylvie Paldino, Charice (with David Foster), Jane Monheit, Michael Buble

That's the only video I captured. The one with "Grown-Up Christmas List". The one when Delon finally acknowledged the kids calling and he approached us to say Merry Christmas. Mat got his handshakes.

Then near the end of the song, the kids got Delon's Christmas pins, privately distributed by Vena. These limited number of pins, were also distributed to the crowd by Delon and the MC. Only the lucky ones at the front row could grab it. Many others were left drooling over it. At one point, Mat dropped his pin. It flew over the railing and dropped near the stage. I couldn't reach it. Some audience around us had already locked their hungry eyes on that lonely pin on the floor. Oh no. Mayday! Mayday! Luckily, Wawan was around. I called him out and asked his help to pick that pin up stat. He returned the pin to us, thank you, and I immediately pin it to Mat's t-shirt. Ha-Ha. Now it couldn't leave anywhere.

So the rest of the evening was enjoyable. No one pushed us forward, nor stepped on our feet. When the kids were tired standing, they sat on the floor. Really. Like Mother, Like Son. (If I could sit on the floor, I wouldn't hesitate as well). I recalled some songs: "Hai, Mari Berhimpun", "O Holy Night", "Grown-Up Christmas List", "Negeri di Awan" (his new single, originally by Katon Bagaskara) and "Mary's Boy Child" as the closing song. Three other songs I couldn't remember, one of them I suspected written by Delon himself (gosh, I was such a lousy fan).

I could say Delon and Christmas were a perfect match.

This was Mat's first public Christmas show to see. I knew kids wouldn't care for details, and perhaps what he saw was different than what I saw. Or maybe it was the same. Seeing he could stay nicely among the crowd and the noise, eyes on the stage, I thought it caught his attention very well indeed. I was happy I took him along with me.


Thanks to Vena Kresnan, Delon and Yeslin Wang.

Indonesia vs. ??

"Udah pakai kaos merah, tempel bendera merah putih di pipi kiri-kanan, terompet ditiup ga bunyi, yang nonton berisik bener, penalti ga gol pula .. mending dengerin iPod aja dah."

Akhirnya Mat ga tau hasil akhir pertandingan.

Mat: "Mama, ayo ceritain tadi Mathieu nonton bola gimana."

Mama: "Jadi tadi di babak pertama, Indonesia dapet penalti, tapi ga gol. Nilainya masih nol-nol."

Mat: "Iya. Terus?"

Mama: "Terus di babak kedua, Malaysia tendang gol satu. Jadi nilainya satu-nol."

Mat: "Iyaaa. Terus apa lagi?"

Mama: "Terus Indonesia tendang gol satu. Jadi satu-satu. Ga lama, Indonesia tendang gol lagi. Jadi nilainya dua-satu. Indonesia menang. Malaysia kalah." (Mama ga mau pusing jelasin masalah gol 0-3 hari Minggu kemaren dan kenapa hari ini Indonesia menang, tapi ga dapet piala.)

Mat: "Oooo."

Mama: "Jadi tadi Indonesia main sama siapa?"

Mat: ".........." (mikir)

Mama: "Sama Ma ..."

Mat: "..... maaaaaa .."

Mama: "Lho??? Kok Indonesia main sama Mama?"

Mat: "Iyaa. Kan pipi Mama ga ditempel itu (maksudnya sticker bendera merah putih). Jadi Mama bukan Indonesia. Jadi Indonesia main sama Mama."

Mama: "............" (jatuh dan menggelinding dua kali seperti bola kaki masuk gawang Malaysia.)

T'was the Night Before Christmas

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever. ~Bess Streeter Aldrich

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.~ Norman Vincent Peale

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space. ~ Dave Barry

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year. ~Victor Borge

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. ~ Larry Wilde

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ~Andy Rooney

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
~Ada V. Hendricks

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Christmas is the day that holds all time together. ~Alexander Smith

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. ~Harlan Miller

The Way Kids Celebrating Christmas .. by Dancing

There's always something to tell about kids' performances. They're so eager, so naive. Whether or not they have talents in art (i.e. singing, dancing), you can be certain you'll have delightful experience watching them on the stage. Anything could happen. And they were never the same. In practice, general rehearsal or in the performance, they could switch partners, standing outside their designated spots, throwing last minute tantrum on stage, falling down, shoes flying off .. anything. All in all, adorable.

Christmas Celebration
Global Montessori School
17 December 2010 @ 4pm-6pm
Lippo Supermal Karawaci
(photo and video exclusively on Facebook)

"Winter Cheer", Toddler - GMS Lippo Karawaci

Seven kids were planned to perform, one backed away crying as hard as she could. And she was not even the youngest one. The youngest one, was the best dancer in the group. Some teachers had to stand by very close to the stage cause she barely aware of the stage end.

"Shout to the Lord", Toddler - GMS Lippo Karawaci

The same six kids (one was still very much reluctant being a star on stage), doing some afternoon exercise. Up, down, up, down, move your legs, wave your hands .. they were just like a bunch of flowers, with one or two bended toward the opposite direction.

To the Sky", Pre Elementary - GMS Lippo Karawaci

Mat was in this group, along with his seven friends. In four pairs. The boys wore tux and raindeers headpiece. The girls were in white dresses, with white ribbons on their hair and wrists. The only non-Christmas song, but I admit, this one kinda grew on me (click here to see the original MV). This was a perfect example of how various the kids gave us their performance. From the school practice to the stage, not one was the same. Mat and his partner looked like they both were having a fight with each other. I kept signaling Mat to move closer to her, but instead, he moved even farther apart. He might have trouble understanding the concept of "left" and "right", or maybe it was me who didn't know how to do a sign language. I ended up getting Mat confused till he stopped dancing for a moment. "Where do you want me to go, Mom? Speak clearly!!" Uh-oh! So I left him alone. Turned out all was fine and cute. Kids gotta work on their chemistry. And there should be big Xs that mark the spots. But I was very entertained seeing this dance.

"Christmas Eve (Poem)", Pre Elementary - GMS Lippo Karawaci
12 kids performing a poem. Each of them wore different animal or flower costume, and a letter sign hanging by the neck. Mat was the Icicle and he was the only male flower among his friends. At the end of the performance, when the kids were jumping, his flower headpiece refused to stay put. Mat was obviously upset by the headpiece betrayal.

Now, repeat after me:
C is for the Christ
H is for the Heaven
R is for Remembering
I is for Icicle
S is for Stocking Stuffs
T is for Tinsel
M is for Misletoe
A is for Advent-calendar
S is for Santa Ho-Ho-Ho
E is for Eggnog
V is for Visiting
E is for Everyone

"Jingle Bells", Pre Elementary - GMS Serpong
An honorary mention from the sister school. A very cool choice of song, a neat choreography, executed very well by the kids. I only managed to capture the last couple of minutes, because I'd been busy chasing a clown with Mat (yea, he's still upset by the headpiece, so he intended to make his revenge on the ugly clown).

"Christmas Tree", Pre Elementary - GMS Lippo Karawaci
By far, the best performance from Mat's school. Or I could say, the best of all performances. The pom-poms were cheery, the song was uplifting, the choreography was tricky, but those six kids were INCREDIBLE! God, I'd seen other performances by the kids at their age (maybe older), and they were never this good. Kids were very loose, enjoying their time on stage. And it was contagious, parents (and audience) couldn't help cheering. I sensed pride. Big time. It was heart-warming.

All kids closed the performances by singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" on stage. And Santa Claus finally came for giving out presents.

I'm taking this moment to thank all teachers. For their wonderful efforts in preparing the event. For the song choices, the choreographs, the costumes, those little details that might go unnoticed. But the most of all, for their patience in working with the kids, acknowledging their talents, full-fulling their hopes.

Merry Christmas.

The Best Time of the Year

I love December. For so many reasons. These are just some of them.

Mat's birthday is one day after Santa Claus' arrival. So the routine of Christmas shopping always merges into birthday arrangements. It doubles the cost, but the most important thing, it triples the fun as well. Santa day, birthday, Christmas day. See?

It's a good time to clear up my leaves. Yeah. Nobody can work in this holiday mood anyway.

Though it doesn't get to snow around here, December is always a beautiful month in all terms. It certainly does feel like it when the Christmas tree is lit up and the Christmas decorations are hanging around and cheering up even the gloomiest spots. That put a smile on your face seeing those red, green and gold colors everywhere. (Or maybe it's just me).

A perfect excuse to set everything in Christmas themes. At home and in Litterzone.

As in summer, December is a good month for family movies. This year it got The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Tangled (a.k.a. Rapunzel: A Tangled Tale. It has a bunch of teasers that are hilarious. I'm lazy to put the links in here, so you go ahead browse them). And I'd like to recall: The Polar Express as the best 2D-feel-like-3D Christmas movie, Home Alone as simply the best Christmas movie ever with the best Christmas soundtracks and Miracle on 34th Street as the movie that set Sir Richard Attenborough as the real Santa Claus in my mind forever.

Christmas songs. Enough said. It's on the sidebar and in here. And the honorary awards go to (click on title to view video and place your pointer on it for lyrics):

"Somewhere in My Memory" ~ Home Alone introduces me to this song. I love it. Love love love it. The children choir brings a longing, indescribable sweetness. John Williams is truly the master composer, though some may say his works are sometimes repetitive. I love these two versions too: "Main Title" and "Finale".

"Carol of the Bells" ~ A traditional song I've heard it the first time from, again, Home Alone here. In a non-English-tongue country I live in, very rare I hear this sung in church. At its original tempo, it's a tongue-twister and a breath-taking song. Literally.

"Star of Bethlehem" ~ Have I told you that John Williams a genius? No? Well, listen closely to this song and "Setting the Trap", from Home Alone.

"O Holy Night" ~ Another traditional song, my all-time favorite, whoever sings this song. But Celine Dion got it through me most.

"The Sound of Life" ~ Exactly how it feels. Oh, and one night a couple of years back, I was alone in my house, accompanied by my twinkling little Christmas tree. I grabbed my Canon A80 and set it on tripod. There, the background pics on the video.

"When Christmas Comes to Town" ~ Always makes me cry. From the OST The Polar Express, here's the original scene.

"Believe" ~ This is all over The Polar Express. A beautiful score, beautiful lyrics, and gosh, Josh Groban.

"Holidays are Coming" ~ Despite of my addiction to Coca-Cola, this 2009 advertisement is definitely put the mood on a different level. The best Christmas ad to date. Wonderful! And yeap, holidays are coming indeed, and it's contagious.