Here's an excerpt of a convo taking place recently -- translated and dramatized in a true blogger's style for your reading pleasure (or annoyance), it goes without saying:

"Oh yeah, blogging is so gay!"

"And why's that?"

"No reason." With a shrug.

"Dude, you don't judge something as being gay without reasons."

"So sentence me, Judge."

"F-Y-I, Mister, the most popular blogs generate millions of hits daily. People love them. Some even make money blogging full-time."

"Gay."

"A lot of blogs have very useful contents. I myself find most of the helpful stuff I need for my work on blogs."

"Gay."

"Many if not most professional authors publish their personal blogs and they say blogging keeps the creative juice flowing."

"Gay, gay, gay."

"Fine. Suit yourself, then."

"Thank you. And don't you ever F-Y-I me again, or I'll judge you as being gay as well."

"Fine."

"Fine."

The other night, I was attending this Christmas mass and deep in prayer, full of concentration -- yeah, right -- and getting all annoyed by the ever yapping family -- more on them later -- sitting next to me when a thought crossed my mind. In this city, when people ask you, "Do you have a religion?" and you reply, "Yes, I'm a Catholic," they'll immediately assume you're a churchgoer.

Their next question will be: "Which church do you go to?"

My answer will be: "Er, the Catholic church?" Like, 'doh. I must admit, though, at times I was tempted to say, "The United Church of Our Prince Lucifer the Morning Star," and see what they'd make of that.

The informed ones will stop there with an "Oh, OK. Cool," while the less so will go on: "Oh yeah? Where is that church located?"

"You know that rustic building on top of the hill? The hill which you have to cross a river full of crocs to get to? Yeah, people say it's haunted, but it's all right, really."

Back home, asking whether one has a religion is an idiotic act. Why, everyone does; didn't they teach you the now-defunct PMP in school? So their question becomes, "Which religion do you belong to?" And even after you tell them, "I'm a Catholic," they don't go on and assume you attend church services. A few will then ask, "Do you go to church on Sundays?" Most, however, at this point will switch to: "Hey, have you seen Nicolas Cage's latest movie? I don't understand that guy's hair."

I'm not sure which is worse: being assumed to have a religion or to go to church regularly, as in to be a religious person.

Back to the chatty family next to me. They commented on anything that was going on. It was like having your own live commentary. From how come the child in leading role spoke in an ang moh accent, to why the priest didn't keep his homily short for this was Christmas Eve, to how funny the mother's big toe looked.

If we had been in a cinema, someone would so have come to them and said, "Hi guys. Could you do me a favor? Shut up!" This being in a church, on a Christmas Eve nonetheless, everyone kept quiet. And pretending to be in deep prayer, full of concentration. I guess when the service is free, you don't complain. Don't like it? Go see Nicolas Cage instead.

You know, back in my high school days, to demand a quiet class our teachers used to say, "Guys, tone it down, will you. This is not a church."

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight

Merry Christmas, you guys.

PS: I was gonna publish this entry yesterday, but you don't dis anyone on Christmas -- yes, even bloggers and churchgoers -- so...

Current music: John Lennon - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
Current mood: happy