This was my Christmas Day.

One tatty old fir tree, rescued from the garden and pressed into service at the last moment looked not too bad when covered in lights and tinsel.

One piece of music on the stereo played over and over as I sing along - Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols which brings back memories of school carol concerts I sang - which to me were the essence of Christmas when I was growing up.

This little babe just few days old is come to rifle satan's hold ...

(A special Christmas memory from a few years ago - stuck in a horrendous traffic jam along Jalan Damansara - found that my friend and colleague Becky had also sung in choirs and knew several of the same pieces. We gave an inpromtu concert performance of Ceremony of Carols and excerts from Britten's St. Nicholas Canata as we inched slowly forward. Other passengers a little bemused to say the least.)

One present under the tree - mine to him. A couple of CDs -soundtrack to City of Ghosts and another by Cambodian/American band Dengue Fever. "Thanks very much," he says, "but I suppose you bought it with MY money anyway".

One gift for me from my sister. She knows I'm a sucker for earrings.

Several SMS messages on my phone wishing me Happy Christmas. One I don't want to delete ... "To my dear friend."

One visitor. "It's a good thing we have open houses in Malaysia" he said as he bounded up the steps. "Not like in Britain," he added implying that we are a tight, cold lot who haven't a clue about hospitality and interpersonal relationships. I'd said to him on the phone "Sure, drop by for some mince pies. Anytime." He stayed for seven hours, laughing and joking with the Old Man on the verandah as I provided a stream of food and booze. But I like to hear the two of them teasing and being pretty damn rude to each other across the stupid racial divide that keeps so many folks here apart.

One visitor who didn't turn up at the very last moment. Too tired, she said. Too sad, I know. Could weep for her.

One over-ambitious Christmas Meal which took hours to prepare. Mango prawn salad. Roast beef (not as nice as it should have been because my oven is playing up and I couldn't get the temperature right), roast and mash potatoes, brussels sprouts in an orange honey sauce, carrots with garlic and lemon, gravy. Christmas pud (bought, I confess - wish I'd made my own.)

One hour late - our dinner guests arrived. Two people soon to be three. My much loved nephew and heavily pregnant niece-in-law. "Next year our daughter is going to be fascinated by your tree ... ."

A not-too-bad-in-the-end Christmas. Which is much better than I'd expected.