Much In Vain, Where There's Plain Gain

The festive season still has a week or so more to go, and meanwhile those sugary delicacies are not fading out of view and falling out of reach. In fact, more obvious and ubiquitous than Mars or Snickers bars, these pineapple tarts, greenbean pressed-powder cookies, caramel batter rolled flakes (or "Love Letters" as they are popularly known), et al. are simply impossible to avoid and their seductive powers are greater than any sex siren. So, even as vanity might induce one to fast, you cannot avoid the impulse to procrastinate on the protein at the sight so many conveniently available carbohydrate temptations. The nett result is a real gain... not in losing weight but gaining greater girth! And all the dinners, suppers, snacks, and sweet sensations that symbolise wealth and prosperity in the simple shape of Chinese Mandarin oranges, will make one imitate the Fortune Buddha in form faster than a flash! No pain, no gain is lost in meaning here. There is everything to gain from realising simply that it is in vain to resist. It will only be an added incentive to make things right and be weary of all dietary controls going awry whenever the festivities come around...