Season greetings, readers!!
I cannot believe that Christmas is but four days away and I am sitting in Siem Reap not needing to worry about buying presents, running through crowds, and definitely brogans in shopping centres!! I'm not worried about keeping receipts for presents in case friends and family don't like them. I'm not watching my shopping budget. And, most importantly, I'm sure as heck not having to listen to effing Mariah Carey sing "All I want for Christmas" in every effing shop I visit!!!! I hate, hate, HATE Christmas carols being played everywhere, especially from November!
Wow, that paragraph made me sound like SUCH a Scrooge!! I'm not a Scrooge though, I promise. I actually love Christmas day. Christmas DAY!!! The lead up and the stress - not so much! But I have a great family and every Christmas we get together and have a big lunch with fantastic home cooked meals and drink copious amounts of fantastic wine. We catch up on the year. We Laugh. We be merry. We give presents. We, perhaps, have an arvo nap, too! Then, come the evening, we eat leftovers from lunch. I love my family's cooking too! My mother always puts on the best Christmas lunches, even if they are small (small for our family being about 12). My Uncle Mike also does amazing Christmas lunches as well with roasts, hams, minted peas, home made christmas pudding with brandy butter, brandy sauce, and cream with... wait for it... brandy in it!! It's the best!! Mum recently started doing chilled eggnog (with liquor in it of course) which I have become addicted too!! I love that stuff!!
But, because I love my family Christmas lunches so much and being with my family over Christmas, it makes it all that much more difficult whenever I spend Christmas abroad! Have any of you ever spent a Christmas overseas without family? I actually am looking forward to my Christmas! This year, plans include leaving Siem Reap and Cambodia tomorrow to fly to Phuket, Thailand for a couple of days with my little brother and his fiancé, before dashing back up to Bangkok to spend Christmas day with Tash's big sister and Margaret's daughter Melissa and her friends, before all of us jumping back down to Koh Samui for a week of bliss and pampering!! Sounds not bad huh!!
But, due to the absence of family on Christmas day, I was wondering if anyone had any idea's on what I could do to make Christmas feel more homely. I found out from www.asiahotels.com that "Bangkok, Thailand - because Buddhism is the official religion of Thailand, Christmas is not a popular event here. Department stores and market places decorate their shops on the onset of the season" * . So, I am hoping I can find a good hotel which puts on a Christmas feast because I will be heart broken if I end up eaten pad thai and coconut water for my christmas meal!!
So, what are your ideas and tips for having Christmas abroad to make Christmas feel more authentic? What makes Christmas special for you and your family/country? I would love to hear your thoughts and comments! I will mention some of the best idea's in a video post I will do over Christmas!!
Until next time,
Daniel
* On that note about Santa, I have no idea what the Asians think of us! They think Christmas is about some fat red guy who flies around the world giving out presents, and that's what we celebrate. That seems a weird concept to me and its from my culture!!
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