T.G.I.F.

Thank God in Facebook.

This little cyber-wonder has been such an integral part of my college career. It's been my procrastinator, my story-teller, my ad machine, my stalker device, my keeper-in-toucher, my network.  There's been times where I'd hate the thing and just want to deactivate and live a completely Facebook-free life.  But then I think about how bored I'd be, how many events, news, gossip I would miss and I get sucked right back in.  It's not a bad thing as long as it's taken in moderate doses.  And once I graduate, I'll eventually wean off of it, right? (So why do my cousins still check it first thing in the morning??!)

One of the best things about Facebook is that it is the ultimate invitation.  Got a party?  Notify everyone on your friends list and viola, you got yourself a party.  Events, meetings, even brainstorming sessions have been done via Facebook.

Which was how we got to ice-skating.

I sent a Facebook message out asking people to... watch a movie.  Somehow, we college students with A.D.D. changed the subject which eventually led to ice skating.  So off we went on Friday night to Elements to ice skate!

Elements is one of the newest fabulous shopping malls that caters to Hong Kong's rich and famous.  But one of their food courts and their skating rink fit within our budgets and made for a delightful Friday evening of burgers and skating on ice.

Now, if only I actually knew how to ice skate.  Or to even roller skate for that matter.  For some reason, in my happy childhood, somehow anything on skates or wheels skidded blissfully by.  I do know how to ride a mean bike so that's some consolation but hobbling around on ice skates when you're 21 and there's 8 year olds whizzing by you in the rink, it can be somewhat of a stressful thing.

I had fun though.  With my delightful teachers Alice and Xixi and Luis and Jesse and Janice and whomever else that had the courage to hold my hand, I was able to stand by myself on the ice, walk a little on the ice and even skate alittle .  I feel accomplished!

I love the holidays.  I love the chunky scarves and long coats. I love the lights and the Christmas cheer. I love the families, the smiles and the long-standing traditions.  We had also intended to have a little holiday photo-taking session that day but when you're traveling with 20 people, it gets kinda hard to move around.  But trust that we'll be saving that for next time!

The next morning, I awoke with my whole body sore from tensing up on the ice but this little pain was worth it for all the fun and love I had that night.  All the more reason I'll miss Hong Kong!