This Christmas.

About 1:30 in the morning. Just got home from an evening of Family Guy, the Newsroom (great show!) and filling out PhD applications and briefs. And the weird thing is, it felt like any other night. Except it’s Christmas Eve. But with the absence of two key factors because these last three Christmases haven’t really felt like ‘Christmas’: weather and family.

            I’ve spent all my life having a white Christmas. Even if it wasn’t snow, it was damn near close with slush or sleet. Some Decembers it being so worse that my car door was frozen shut or you had to start the car an hour before leaving just to make it bearable to drive in. And so with these last three seasons, celebrating the holidays in 90-degree weather, shorts and a BBQ just doesn’t feel the same. It’s just not Christmas. Christmas is about shovelling the snow out of the driveway to make room for the relatives to park, going out and having snowball fights and even showing off your new toys to your friends. That’s definitely one thing I look forward to upon returning home, a white Christmas.

            The other is family. To me, Christmas isn’t about religion but instead coming together of family and in some cases even friends to celebrate the love, camaraderie and affection of close ones. Some of my friends have the ease of this love as families live just down the street or interstate. And others even have the luxury to travel home to Canada, the US and Germany to be with family on Christmas. I don’t have that luxury.

            So with this, I say cherish every moment that you get to spend with your family, no matter how annoying they may be. Because at the end of the day, they will always be there for you. Because they will be waiting for you at the terminal with open arms. Because somewhere in the world are homeless citizens just trying to eat on a Tuesday, soldiers in war just trying to survive another day or myself typing this at two in the morning to take a break from PhD research and reflect off the good times this year has given me.

 

And with that, from myself down here in Australia, I say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.

Now I’m going to go watch Love Actually.

-H

Happy holidays!

The other day, a mate of mine told me she didn't celebrate Christmas. When I asked why, thinking she was Jewish or some other faith unbeknowest to me. She stated she was atheist and found it hypocritical that people who don't practice a faith would celebrate such a religious holiday. Which made sense. But Christmas is also a marketed holiday with the creation of Santa Clause and such. But more or less to bring people together to reflect off of all that has happened throughout the year. So whether you're religious or not, Christmas can be celebrated not as a holy holiday, but a time to spoil others and hey, even yourself! So go get that iPhone that you've wanted all year just so you can play Angry Birds.

Another year under wraps but hey, even this time another decade. The holidays weren't too much this year. The absence of snow really takes away from the spirit. not to mention the lack of decorations, a tree or people to celebrate with! This year just me, the two dogs and Law and Order to pass the time. Not to mention I have to work at midnight until noon. So happy holidays! haha.

Whether you're a Satanist, Christian, a Scientologist or even atheist, I hope you all enjoy your Christmas, get what you deserve, and be thankful someone out there actually cares about you!

Miss you all!

Cheers and 再见！

-Hardy