From now on

I won't learn to any of my regular reader that I hate Christmas. And this year is no different than the others. But in the last two years, I have found, thanks to Hungry's inspiration, a way to turn this commercial aberration in something more judicious.

So for the last two years, my 4 nieces now aged from 9 to 16, have received a chicken for Christmas! Well, it's not quite exact. I should better say that they have given chickens for Christmas. And they were very happy to do it. The oldest have even said on the first year that it was her best Xmas gift ever!

This great initiative comes from Oxfam who found a way to disguise a charitable donation into a symbolic Holiday gift to the population they help in developing countries. This way you can give it for Christmas to a third person who doesn't really need another gadget. And it's tax deductible!

This year, my nieces will receive/give each a mosquito net. It's an effective weapon against the malaria transmission by insects. And I will make them realized that they may save a life by accepting to share a part of their gifts again this year. I like to think that they will probably remember these weird Xmas gifts from uncle Louis when they will be older and might do the same.

So if you're out of idea for someone this year or you want to find a meaning in this celebration, think about this alternative way to spend money on gifts. You will receive the smile anyway and you might save a life and teach a beautiful lesson about sharing.

Find your regional Oxfam Unwrapped catalogue here:

40 years! a round number.

Reaching 20 or 30 didn't change my life very much. Since the age of 17, I've always felt like being 21 or 22 in my body and mind. But in the last two years, visible signs of aging have appeared like permanents wrinkles around the eyes and I don't hear any more exclamations like “Are you kidding? I thought you were in the twenties!” But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I'm feeling old. I'm in perfect shape, I don't suffer from any serious disease and I can do almost everything I want. Of course, I can't recover in a flash from a sleepless night like in my teenage years but I have lost this ability a long time ago!

But beyond a few wrinkles and a couple of minor sores, what characterize the most my 40 years birthday is my change of attitude towards life. I've always been a big defender of the freedom of choice, that every life should be lived in the present moment and not for better upcoming days. Why your 27th years should be less important than your 65th? I always believed that no one should compromise on his wellbeing to achieve a financial success. Many great principles of life that, I now realize, have stayed at the blathering stage without any action taken and that is what I want to change. Call it a mid-life crisis or what ever name you want but the feeling is strong and I'm determined to take that direction.

The first step I took is my decision to quit my job at the park somewhere during the current year. The second one was to register myself to do voluntary work inside a humanitarian organization called Casira and the mission I will join will take place in Guatemala. In May, I will attempt a weekend long meeting where the date of departure, length of the trip and all other important informations will be transmitted. The best scenario for me would be to leave in September for 3 months. I will see if it is possible. Since it will be voluntary work, I won't get paid for it, it even will cost me money but I'm convinced that I will return from there with richer human values and an international mission experience that could help me eventually, with my already acquired managing experience, to find a paid job with other humanitarian organizations like CareCanada or Médecins Sans Frontières who hire coordinators for their international missions.

All this may look a bit idealistic but that is why I start with a voluntary work in Guatemala. I may turn crazy after 3 weeks, living with 30 to 60 people in the same “casa” sharing everything but if it is the case, I'll stop asking myself if I can do it. At least, I will know and move to something else. But now is the right moment in my life to try it. I'm single, I'm healthy. It's obvious that I will miss some of my close friends but in our today's whirling lives, everyone is so busy anyway that we never have the chance to see the people we love as much as we would like to.

Speaking of friends, 16 of them has been invited to come to my place tomorrow to celebrate my 40 years birthday. But this party will also be the first official planning meeting of an ambitious project that has originated 2 years ago around a table decorated with a few alcohol beverages which is to all celebrate our 40th birthday on a beach in the south. With a b-day in january, I'm the first of my group of friends(I'm talking about 20 years and over friendships) that is reaching the 40 years milestone. All the others will reach it during the current year and in November, at the cheapest time of the year to travel south, we would all go for a one week celebration at an all-included resort. However it's far from being done, we all have our lives and obligations. I'm even the first one who doesn't know where I will be then and if I'll be able to go! Although I don't know why, maybe it's because every time we meet the subject comes up, but I'm quite convinced that it will work out...

Ok that's a long enough post!

Now... where I will sit 16 persons in my small apartment?...what if some of them come with their kids?