Christmas in a foreign land

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First of all...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! Thank you for all the holiday messages; they brought a piece of home all the way over to kiwi land. I hear everyone at home can relate to my having a green Christmas, not much fun is it? I actually didn't mind so much because clearly there was no hope for snow here. Surprisingly the only day that I was really homesick was Christmas Eve. It was slightly depressing to know that the calendar date meant something but I wasn't feeling anything at all. Christmas is definitely a North American holiday. Everyone is just so chilled and relaxed about everything over here that they don’t really make that big a deal out of Christmas. There were very few decorations and I think I heard maybe two carols. In a way this was good for me because there wasn’t a lot to remind me Christmas and home, but at the same time it was a little sad.

I was very lucky though, I spent the holidays in a home rather than a hostel. I was invited to the home of a couple that know both my parents and my Grandfather (my mom's dad). Bruce grew up with my Grandfather in China; their parents were there with the United Church working as missionaries. Then when my parents traveled 30 years ago they spent some time with Bruce, Swish and their family. It was pretty neat to follow in their footsteps. Bruce and Swish were both so hospitable; it was nice not only to be in a home but also to feel at home. They also had another young traveler (Louise) staying with them over Christmas so I had someone my age to hang out with. Christmas day we met the rest of their family and I got to experience a very typical Christmas in New Zealand. The thing to do here is get all your family together, find a spot in a big park and have a day of games and BBQ. No turkey this year! The park we went to was massive, obviously very popular as it was packed. People arrive early in the morning to make sure they get a good spot. Everyone wants some shade and enough room to park cars, set up the volleyball nets and have some running room for the kids. The BBQ was sort of like a pot luck style with steak, chicken, fish, salads, breads, potatoes, etc. Dessert was ice cream and canned fruit. There were a few baked goods, mainly truffles. I don’t have to worry about putting on the Canadian winter fat this year!

After eating we played, bocce ball, badminton, and various other games…some even with prizes. We went down to the beach for a while and then everyone started packing up around 4pm. It ended up being a really nice way to spend the day and I’m very grateful to Bruce, Swish and their family. However, I have vowed to be home for the holidays next year.

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