having fun as a family. I was paranoid in the months i heard about the trip that we'd leave before Christmas, interrupting our Christmas celebration (which i had missed the year before). I got lucky - we flew on the afternoon of Christmas day, allowing us to keep intact our ever-important Christmas eve rituals. beach holiday?
or home?
or home?
I love Christmas. I love twinkle lights and red balls and evergreen branches and presents under the tree and mistletoe and baking cookies and going to holiday themed parties and watching 'White Christmas' and 'Miracle on 34th Street' and driving around to see the Christmas lights and spending many days shopping for the perfect gifts and wrapping them just so and planning the Christmas eve appetizer menu and the smells of cinnamon and pine and Christmas music, from the beautiful and orchestral to old school classics to the endlessly corny, and going home for the holidays to fight with my brother over the remote and whine about the empty pot of coffee and fires in our fireplace and wearing slippers and new pajamas and the mess in the living room after christmas eve present swapping is all over and the wine and Christmas eve church service and the requisite watching of a Christmas eve movie and feeling warm inside and out.The only thing i dont like about Christmas is being away from it. Here in Japan nothing i do seems to get me into the Christmas mood. Its just becomming winter here and there has been no snow. Very occasionally i stumble across a house with lights on at night - invariably they are tacky and flashing. The most decorated places are the 711's and the grocery stores, which endlessly
play the same bad Christmas covers that even I find annoying. Thanksgiving in Japan fell on Labor Day, but even though i had the day off the whole holiday was a non-event for me and therefore a lackluster beginning to a holiday season.Doreamon is part of the Christmas display
I shopped for Christmas gifts in the wrong frame of mind, leaving me disappointed in my purchases. I couldn't really even wrap things because customs will open it all, so my gifts were sent in unimpressive packaging. I wont even be able to have a Christmas celebration with friends here or be at home to call my family as i'll be travelling.
And don't get me wrong, i'm still thrilled about India. I know that if i can't go home its very good that i'm not staying in Japan where i'd probably spend the holiday at Keiko's house, trespassing on their hospitality, eating Christmas Cake (i htink the Japanese equivalent to fruit cake), and being void of holiday cheer. I've just started to wonder why i'm not going home. Why i ever thought another Christmas away from home was a good idea.
So to all of you who will be home for Christmas - enjoy it. Revel in it. Soak up the warmth and the good smells and eat more than your share of calories. To anyone else away from home, family and friends this Christmas - i feel for you. Maybe you can help me remember that it will only make next Christmas and all the ones after all that much better.
2 comments:
Oh Em!!!!
Your Mom gave me your blog, and I have been quietly reading it since September. Never commenting! But I felt compelled after your last entry. I understand, it doesn’t feel like Christmas if you are not home (been there, done that). But I am sure that there are many, many Christmas’s at home in your future. So enjoy India, the sights, tastes and smells, your friends companionship (chin up). And then when the Holiday Season 2006 is over, you can start planning your next Christmas at home with your Mom’s cookies, Dad’s fudge, fighting with Andy over the remote, and large mugs of coffee with Amy. Have a blessed Christmas Em, and travel safe! I’ll keep you in my prayers!
CB
Hello? We get to spend Christmas getting food comas from Indian delicacies, then then veg out and watch bollywood! And....speak English!!!!! And not be cold!! and most importantly, not be in Japan! Seems like an ok option to me.
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