It’s not easy spending Christmas on the other end of the world from most of your family and friends. What’s especially difficult is when that much-anticipated Christmas holiday doesn’t turn out to be much of a holiday at all. Sometimes if you’re lucky, you will be able to find the right people with the right food at the right time. That's when another holiday away can become much more manageable. If you have been able to find the right community, you won’t be alone.
This is the second Christmas in five years that I have not been in beautiful Brighton, Ontario. Since I left town to go to university I admittedly have spent very little time in my semi-rural hometown. It’s definitely not because I don’t love the place. I don’t love Brighton like I don’t love double-negatives. It’s a beautiful town on Lake Ontario with incredible people and great times. I just seem to find myself farther and farther away. During Christmas time, occasions pop up to reunite some of the comically large hometown friend groups I’m apart of, and the same thing tends to happen with my comically large extended family. Sometimes you can go a year or two without catching some friends or family during the holidays due to conflicting schedules; but when you are able to get together, things have a way of picking up where they left off. Reunions and casual gatherings when everyone can shoot-the-shit and relax are undoubtedly the greatest moments during holidays.
This is what makes living away from home so difficult. Of course I miss my family and friends. The thought of missing one possible opportunity feels like missing all of them at this time of year. When you are an experienced traveler you have the constant worry of missing something – but letting it cripple you is the worst thing you can do. We just hope that no one forgets about us.
This is what makes living away from home so difficult. Of course I miss my family and friends. The thought of missing one possible opportunity feels like missing all of them at this time of year. When you are an experienced traveler you have the constant worry of missing something – but letting it cripple you is the worst thing you can do. We just hope that no one forgets about us.
“We are torn between nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known.”
– Carson McCullers
There’s a flipside to this of course. Technology allows us to connect with people back home in a way that has never been possible before. Videos and photos can be sent back and forth immediately and with ease; international phone calls can be made for free with the right know-how. The Christmas tree back home looked beautiful, as always (although it was a little skinnier than usual…) and I was able to speak to my niece over the phone for the first time. New memories and new types of traditions are forged out of necessity.
Unlike my last Christmas away, I wasn’t able to spend it with the fantastic family of my best German pal (shout-out to Jan and the Van Lengerich family). Now I’m an adult, sort of. The school I work at is primarily a Chinese school (with a private Canadian program within it) and therefore abides by the Chinese holiday system. Shocking fact: Christmas is not a traditional Chinese holiday (of which there are many).
During the typical lead-up to the holidays you are bound to get invited to a few Christmas parties. Some swanky friends or an employer will usually get everyone together for a nice sloppy party where everyone dresses up. Here, Christmas kind of has a way of sneaking up on you. The extent of my Christmas parties included an excellent Beijing Hockey Community Christmas party at the local bar (dress code: jerseys) and our school arranged for us to go see the Peking Opera at the Olympics Watercube with many other “foreign experts” that are hosted in Beijing. The hockey party was a blast as usual and the opera was… interesting. If you have never experience what Chinese Opera is like, here is a little taste.
Unlike my last Christmas away, I wasn’t able to spend it with the fantastic family of my best German pal (shout-out to Jan and the Van Lengerich family). Now I’m an adult, sort of. The school I work at is primarily a Chinese school (with a private Canadian program within it) and therefore abides by the Chinese holiday system. Shocking fact: Christmas is not a traditional Chinese holiday (of which there are many).
During the typical lead-up to the holidays you are bound to get invited to a few Christmas parties. Some swanky friends or an employer will usually get everyone together for a nice sloppy party where everyone dresses up. Here, Christmas kind of has a way of sneaking up on you. The extent of my Christmas parties included an excellent Beijing Hockey Community Christmas party at the local bar (dress code: jerseys) and our school arranged for us to go see the Peking Opera at the Olympics Watercube with many other “foreign experts” that are hosted in Beijing. The hockey party was a blast as usual and the opera was… interesting. If you have never experience what Chinese Opera is like, here is a little taste.
We lasted about ten minutes. Not to mention it was a dry event. On Friday evening. That we were bussed to through an hour of traffic. Straight from work. With no dinner. Great idea, poor execution. Having to work Christmas Eve stinks, but we were fortunate to get Christmas Day off as a nice last minute surprise. As a staff, we decided to get together on Christmas Day for a boozy brunch and Secret Santa. Having already decided earlier that I shan’t be working on Christmas Eve, my students and I watched a Christmas classic: Die Hard. |
It had waaaay more swearing than I remembered. Since it was too late to balk on that idea, I made the students pay close attention because they would need to answer some related questions on their Leadership exam. That’s teaching, baby!
That Eve evening I had an excellent dinner with other friends from the hockey community that were left in the city because of work. Many of us also had Thanksgiving together potluck style, and while that meal had excellent ham (and turkey and people and etc. etc.) we decided we might as well get the whole thing catered.
Many foods were eaten and wine was drank. After dinner we played some party games, watched Christmas movies and smoked cigars. It was Christmas! What else were we supposed to do?
That Eve evening I had an excellent dinner with other friends from the hockey community that were left in the city because of work. Many of us also had Thanksgiving together potluck style, and while that meal had excellent ham (and turkey and people and etc. etc.) we decided we might as well get the whole thing catered.
Many foods were eaten and wine was drank. After dinner we played some party games, watched Christmas movies and smoked cigars. It was Christmas! What else were we supposed to do?
Staff Christmas brunch was equally good. We decided on brunch to give ample time before and after to talk to our families for those much missed Christmas Eve and morning family get-powwows. Thanks to time zones, in China Christmas events happen twice. We can experience our own for ourselves, and try our best to feel part of everything going on back home. It helps give perspective on the things that matter the most in life. It teaches you the value of spending time with family while you can, spending time with friends while you can and being able to savor the moment wherever you are.
So our small staff enjoyed brunch together at Kylie and Sara's hutong apartment. We shared stories about “back home”, listened to our favourite Christmas songs and drank coffee and baileys. We played Crazy 8’s, ate lots of finger snacks and even fed the scraggly-toothed Hutong cat some Christmas tuna. At the end of it all Mama J made an incredible brunch in a wok and we passed around gifts as part of a Secret Santa. I’m enjoying my personally crocheted slippers right now.
So our small staff enjoyed brunch together at Kylie and Sara's hutong apartment. We shared stories about “back home”, listened to our favourite Christmas songs and drank coffee and baileys. We played Crazy 8’s, ate lots of finger snacks and even fed the scraggly-toothed Hutong cat some Christmas tuna. At the end of it all Mama J made an incredible brunch in a wok and we passed around gifts as part of a Secret Santa. I’m enjoying my personally crocheted slippers right now.
The holiday season can be brutal for anyone. Don’t worry about debt, buying gifts or trying to impress others. Just worry about being happy with the people you care about while you can. New Years is the same. People put so much pressure on themselves to have an incredible night. Mark the year however you please. If that is at home by yourself, so be it. If you are with a few friends celebrating, forget about all the other stuff. They’re just details. Start fresh. |
Yeah okay, we totally missed a New Years countdown at the place we went. Who needs it?
Happy New Year!
1.
ps. Do you have any New Years resolutions? Tell ya’ mine, if ya’ tell me yours.
Happy New Year!
1.
ps. Do you have any New Years resolutions? Tell ya’ mine, if ya’ tell me yours.