While I constantly keep in mind the late Pope John Paul II's caution to the young not to be obsessed by the materialism of modern society, tis the season and I could not help but feel like doing a bit of Christmas Shopping. Accompanied by Jamie, who warns that in the peak accounting period of the next three months, I will be an accountant's widower, we headed out to spend my 13th month's pay. After getting myself a X'mas-Birthday present - the S5pro, my gf picked out a shirt and belt for me, for work next year. And then almost a little too quickly we both felt a little sick of Consumerism dressed up as Father Christmas and so we decided to head down to Kranji where on the coast, near the dam, at lowtide we could walk out in the mud to the spit, where adults were digging up cockles, and little children grabbing alien looking horseshoe crabs, which are endangered, who are actually more spider than crabs, and swinging them around, trying to extract a confession, and I had to be pulled away by my gf from giving them a lecture on why they should not be doing that. Walking through the mud and feeling the seawater on our feet had a therapeutic effect upon us and we felt happier and more relaxed than we were at the mall. After Kranji we headed to nearby Sungei Buloh for sans-mosquito bites, a long pleasant peaceful "I-can hear-myself-think" walk to the breezy Aerie tower. I have a good feeling that in time to come, my gf will fall in love with Sungei Buloh as well.