Post-holidays musings

Back from the whirlwind (relatively) trip through Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. Had a lovely time (though thoroughly tired from arranging things for not one, but two separate trips - more musings on this later if I dare) though it was rather unfortunate (or fortunate,depending on how one looks at it) that half the group had bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea on the last day. Nevertheless it was great touring those places with people so familiar to me, especially in manner. Lame jokes galore, Malaysian accents and Manglish, with comments both flattering and unflattering in front of subject of mention in Malay and Mandarin, and loads of posing for pictures, mostly taken by the dependable "Phantom".

More musings and pictures (definitely!) later when all have been compiled and filtered.

However, I will say this - I've never been into so many churches in my life, in such short a time! It almost seems that the church-visiting was more than enough to cover the lack of service (or mass, in Sheena's case) attendance during the holidiays. The main reason for this spate of "holiness" is really the fact that entrance to most churches are free, which is a great attraction for student visitors such as us.

On one hand, seeing the grandeur and intricacies of the churches, each unique in its own way, one feels almost compelled to worship the Lord our God who made the heavens and earth thousands of times more beautiful than these churches. It's easy to see why people worshipping in these churches can be so full of adoration for God - the towering tributes infects one with their enthusiasm for God, and the quiet surroundings invite contemplation. Then, I see the opulence of the decorations from a non-Christian's eye, to whom these statues and paintings hold no higher meaning, and feel almost disgusted. All the wealth in these churches sitting around - dozens of intricate dresses for a miracle-working statue of infant Jesus, cold granite and marble lining floors of empty chapels, gold and precious stones embedded in relics - while people just outside starve and beg for food. And in these same churches, so seemingly rich with art and culture and assets, moneyboxes are strategically situated, inviting visitors to give to the church. In one case, a priest (whom I pity for being stuck with the distasteful job) stood at the entrance, receiving "donations" from visitors before letting them roam around in the church.

How does one rationalise these things? Sure, some of these things may have been there since ages ago and have more value spiritually than in the real world, and I'm definitely not expecting all these exquisite churches to be torn down to feed the starving worldwide, yet shouldn't there be a way to translate this grandeur to practical use?

I'm also not accusing these churches of not reaching out either(in actual fact, one of the churches we visited had a corridor full of displays about the outreach work they had in Africa, complete with an almost life-size replica of a gorrila - interesting...). I guess the thing that gets to me is the fact that these churches, with their stony facades and intricate stone decorations and long-dead saints, portray a Christianity that is as cold as the marble floors and the bodies of the saints, a far cry from the vibrant, flowing water of Life we Christians can drink from (whether we do or not is another matter not for this post).

Anyhow, this trip (and the Finland one) has given me loads to ponder upon (and enough of travelling in big groups for a while), as well as loads of pictures to sift through, receipts to sort, gifts to organise, and tons and tons of memories. What fun and laughter! I hope that all of you had an equally enjoyable turn of the new year!

And yes, Happy Birthday to my dear surprised (and probably not suffering as much anymore with the surprise *grin*) housemate SH!