Christmas in the City of Gold

I snapped this picture of the sunrise in the City of Gold right outside of my apartment one morning with just an iPhone. It was gorgeous and exhilarating; I think I burst into tears after watching the sun rise. Tonight, Christmas Eve, as I walked along the ocean, I saw these words engraved to the pavement "To sit together, drinking the blue ocean, eating the sun, like a fruit..." It was a poem by Genevieve Taggard.

It is the third Christmas in a row that I am alone. In 2010 I was alone in the City of Power and in 2011 I was by myself in the City of Money after having a nervous breakdown in the City of Power. This time I am alone in the City of Gold, but I don't feel as depressed as the previous two years. I took myself out tonight, hoping to get some good food; it turned out most restaurants were closed and the best I could get was an American burger with fries and soda. Then I went to the movies; I planned to see Moonrise Kingdom but somehow the theater was not playing it even though their website said so. Out of spontaneity I chose to see Hyde Park on Hudson. The movie is saying a lot more than it shows, like all politicians, but I disliked how Daisy was clinging to FDR with such a low self-esteem.

I also planned to go ice skating after the movie but when I arrived at the rink it was already closing. Interestingly, nothing turned out to be what I planned to be today but I didn't feel upset at all. I took a stroll along the ocean home, and that was how I came across the engraved poem. I watched the magnificent bridge, and the moon. For the first time in my life I noticed there was a halo around the moon. I am not sure if it's because I didn't pay enough attention before or the City of Rain doesn't have the right climate for a halo to show up.

After getting home, I watched Love Actually, and finally, cried like hell. There were too many feelings triggered by the movie, both positive and negative. Indeed, there have been several coincidences tonight. "Hyde Park" reminded me of the City of Gloom, where I visited 13 years ago. Love Actually was based in the City of Gloom, where Cole is from. At the end of the movie, it was playing the song "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys. A year ago Cato quoted this song when we had a debate on what love is, before we hooked up. He said "If you should ever leave me, well life would still go on believe me. The world could show nothing to me so what good would living do me? God only knows what I'd be without you."

I forgot to mention in my previous post that Cole is the first virgin I know besides myself. He's 30 years old, Catholic, which is why. Cato is also Catholic but he's not a virgin; in fact all the Catholics I know are not virgins except for Cole. I guess that's why I over-interpret those three kisses that night.

Anyway, I still hope to receive my Christmas present in the morning. Surprise me.