My Christmas was a bit of a non-event, in part due to the fact that my plan to take my wife for a lurvely meal at Carnegies fell through because we had some in-law thing that had feck all to do with Christmas.
However, there were a few things that saved it for me.
One was going to a Christmas eve get together at a certain Canadian friend’s house (thanks, you-know-who).
The other was getting a phone call from my family in Ireland.
(Also the call from Tash cheered me up somewhat )
*I also got a few Happy Christmas messages from some fellow Forumosans.
Christmas is non-negotiable for me. Any sudden “in-law things”, any requests for me to do work, or other such intrusions are summarily turned down if I have already made plans.
our christmas was okay. on christmas eve we went to belgian pie’s and we were so full afterwards that everyone was asleep by the time we were home. On Christmas day we drove around the west coast and looked at the garbage filled beaches. But Christmas seems to come and go here, it doesn’t really feel the same as back home.
Well, that’s true, but it’s also no more than you make of it. If you go all out, decorate the house and tree, have friends over or go out together to celebrate, have gift exchanges and play Xmas music while decorating each other with icing and red and green candy sprinkles and so on, then it still feels like Christmas. If you don’t do those things, then it doesn’t feel much like Christmas at all, since the city doesn’t really dress up the way they do back home. In otherwords, you need to try a little harder to make up for the lack of ambience.
Christmas Eve I had turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries and pie with Chinese friends. Christmas day I had Chinese food with western friends.
I also got home really drunk on Christmas Eve at 4am. Woke up so late on Christmas day I thought I was going to miss dinner. Felt a little more like New Years.
[quote=“irishstu”]
One was going to a Christmas eve get together at a certain Canadian friend’s house (thanks, you-know-who). [/quote]
That was MY favorite part of Christmas. Thank you,
Christmas in Taiwan? Ah, isn’t it a blessing just to be free from all the chores and obligations of this time of year back home, especially the horrendous Christmas shopping! That alone makes Christmas here very special for me, regardless of whether it’s accompanied by any seasonal atmosphere, festivities or celebrations.
I woke early and bid farewell to my sweetie, who had to GO TO WORK for her kindie’s CHRISTMAS DAY Christmas program.
Packed. Went to the airport. Spent 9 1/2 hours flying home.
I was met by my father at the airport.
Went to the VGH to visit a friend whose special Christmas gift from Santa was a new kidney, and is thus laid up for a while.
Spent 1 1/2 hours on the road home.
Stopped by the office to see my mother (the entire reason I’ve come home now–rather than at CNY–is that she’s recently developed cancer and will begin chemo in a couple of days). Nonetheless, she’s plugging away, spending a few hours working in the office–ON CHRISTMAS DAY-- for Elections Canada.
Home. Hello to the wolves. Crash for 2 hours.
Mom’s home. Off to the extended family gathering and meal.
Home at 11:00. Quick email to my sweetie saying that I’m here and all is well. Notice an email from the job I’ve just quit to come home to see mom… “We need you to send us this work or you don’t get paid.” So I did up files that they already have, repost them, and thus get sucked into doing WORK ON CHRISTMAS DAY. :raspberry:
Is nothing now sacred?
Finally, 35 1/2 hours after Christmas begin half-a-world away, it’s done, I’m done.
Merry Christmas all,
and to all, “Good night!”
zzz…
Very glad to hear that you made it back and are settled in again, Jaboney. Best wishes for your mum’s health, and a Happy New Year to you and your family there.
[quote=“Hobbes”]Very glad to hear that you made it back and are settled in again, Jaboney. Best wishes for your mum’s health, and a Happy New Year to you and your family there.
Sorry to bring you guys down, but this message was posted on the Tainan bulletin today.
[quote]Well, I hope everyone that tied one on this weekend got home safely. One of you, however, didn’t. Our pal Chris Giebel is lying in the Tainan Municipal hospital in a brain dead coma. I picked up his mother at the airport last night and brought her to see him. She is completely devastated, as you can imagine. When the doctor told her that there is no hope of recovery, that he is brain dead, the seriousness of the
whole nightmare hit her. Would you do this to your mother? I stopped ragging on Chris about his excessive drinking and drunk riding a few months ago. Nothing I said was going to change his reckless behavior. I just hope some of you heavy drinkers take this to heart and think about your mothers before you get on that bike after drinking too much. And please don’t let your pals ride drunk. This is truly the saddest Christmas for Chris’ family and friends.[/quote]
Obvious lesson: Don’t drink and drive. Have a safe and happy holiday. Considering how rampant drunk driving is in Taiwan and particularly Tainan (the cops do nothing to stop it, less than useless), maybe some people might think twice after reading this.
)
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