Christmas with a difference........

First of - I trust you all had a blessed peaceful Christmas filled with lots of joy, family, good friends and of course presents... :)

I've been studying the art of Christmas in the Middle East over the past few weeks - and have found it - well - erm - different.

Hubby and I have been discussing all the differences and have put our lack of Christmas cheer down NOT to the fact that its not a "big" event here - but due to the stress over the past few months.

We also decided yesterday in fact - that another reason we have kept it "on the down low" is because this is our first year where we are not involved in MAJOR logistical battles between his family and my family, the major dash from one end of the peninsular (Cape Peninsular for those who have NOOOO idea what I'm talking about) to the other. The problems with who is talking to who, who has to supply what, who's po'ed cause we are not there at the right time - the usual family fun one has at Christmas... :)

Looking back over the past few weeks - its been nice - having one Christmas where we actually "didn't get involved". It would have been difficult to have this attitude back home where the whole town has gone mad - rush rush rush, buy buy buy. Its even harder when you have a LARGE family - I stopped counting when hubby's immediate family reached 40. Granted I'm from a smaller family - but then I have a Tyrant for a mother - so when she says BE HERE AT Silly'o'clock for Christmas - you just have to Nod and Agree and be there (Joking MOTHER DEAR - you know I love ya!)

Here it was a breeze... and I think we needed it like this to get Christmas back into prosective - just the 3 of us - nothing major.

Wednesday the 23rd (bearing in mind that Wednesday's here are Fridays with you lot) there was a Christmas party at the Muscat Rubgy Club - so I decided to tag along with a few friends. I had a great time - and really enjoyed myself - what more can you ask for when you havent been out on a jol for a while - Loud Music, Jurgers, smokey haze and having to shout to be heard!

There is a whole world here of younger people (my kinda people :)) who go out jolling every weekend - apparenlty there are night clubs and bars everywhere - you just gotta know where to go... :) LOVE IT... I was introduced to tonnes of new people - of course I can never remember peoples names - so I have forgot their names already - HOWEVER - I remember one of them was a Saffer!!! When we were introduced he said "Hoezit" I nearly fell of the chair in fits of giggles (okay I did have a few Jurgers in by this stage.... ) I love the fact that you can tell where someone is from just by the way they say HI!

Now to just get re-invited - ALAS I feel I have failed on getting a re-invite... I managed to throw Double D over (look another nick already thought out - this one only really works in my head tho - but its all good - I know who I'm talking about - And NO - its NOT RELATED at all to what you are all thinking... naughty people)

Double D was showing us her stunning tattoo on her foot - so Spin Cycle (quiet giggle to myself) could take a photo.... I was just trying to be helpful and hold the leg up - alas I forgot to let go and double D went flying over. I dont think I could apologise enough .... Sorry.....

However - I do believe Double D did her utmost to get me back ...... she introduced me to the King of PDA's.... a reaaaaaallly old toppie (africaans = guy) with greased back hair and a of fashioned suit, who you can picture is always at that bar seat no matter what time of day or night you go to that bar... you know the type... Anyway when he was leaving I got the whole PDA goodbye - erg....... PAYBACK for sure... :)

Christmas Eve - I went to a cafe called Cafe Ceramique for the afternoon with kiddy and a friend... was great fun to spend the afternoon painting and drinking coffee - but I have this all to tell you in another blog - after I get my bowl back... :)

Later on Christmas Eve - we were invited to a braai at another SA Couple's house not far from us... it was great fun too... :) typical christmas braai - just like we woulda had back home... :) What I did giggle at was on the way there we stopped at a garage / petrol station to buy some smokes - and the tyre alighnment place next door was open - business as usual... WHERE else in the world could you get your tyres re-alighned at 6 o clock Christmas Eve... LOVE IT!!!!

Christmas day - we had no plans - it was great... no rush to get anywhere... Kid woke up - checked to see if Santa drank his milk, ate the cookies (NOW what SANTA in the world would not want to eat some Tim Tams?????) and that the Reindeer had eaten his carrot... :)

He then proceeded to open all of his presents... with the usual looks of surprise and disappointment mixed in... :) why is it that the Hot Wheels expensive toy gets a sigh of disappointment - but the M&M Christmas special packet of chocolates get a YELP of JOY??? All in all though - he did love all of his presents - although it took me most of the morning reading the instructions and putting all the parts together... :)

We then just hummed and ahhed over what we should do... looking in the fridge to see if there was anything to cook... bearing in mind all the supermarkets are business as usual - so should we have needed anything - we could have just gone out and got it... LOVE THAT - imagine not having to triple check everything days before Christmas J U S T I N C A S E you forgot something... here you can just go out and get it... :)

We decided to head to the boat club (its really called CAYC - Capital Area Yacht Club) but we call it the boat club cause thats where we park the boat... makes sense... nice beach, bar and Buffet Braai.... so we sat there for the afternoon partaking in a few beer shandies - NOT A GOOD idea in the sun... and enjoying a good lunch...

Another reason to love this place at Christmas - there was no false festive Cheer anywhere ... Some people had taken picnics with all the trimmings to lay a festive table, some lay a festive table and had the buffet and some like us were just not in the mood - so didn't do anything... it was great.... There is also the fact that the weather is GREAT this time of year - middle of winter, just right temperature outside GREAT I tell you GREAT!!!!

So that was our Christmas - It was nice not being bombarded by Christmas Carols in the shops - although give them their due - there are some decorations / trees / snowman up - but its not thrown in your face all the time - and I think it did us the world of good not having a commerical, hectic, stressed, rushed Christmas.

I think we needed this low keyed one - just to get us back on track... Here's hoping next year is just as good...

Anyways till next time....
xx