The lights are on already, said the taxi driver wryly, Orchard Road would be crowded. I exclaimed, oh so the lights are up! He chuckled and swerved toward Tanglin Road, which would take us straight to Orchard.
A sense of a set piece there, not an irksome one though. This conversation happens every year around this time (mid to late November) with a taxi driver; even if you’re not headed toward Orchard Road. There’s a note of excitement always in the driver’s voice. Maybe he thinks of the tourists and additional passengers bearing the rich gift of extra earnings, or it may be that he just loves the festive air and all the lights, or perhaps he is just a happy sort of guy. Almost unconsciously, I wait to have this exchange as Christmas approaches. it feels like one of the signs of the season…
We hope you have a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, year end… and the lights all around are bright and full of cheer.
