No sign of Christmas
I woke up this morning and realised it's one month until Christmas and it couldn't feel less like it.
*Note about waking up - the sun shines through my curtains at 6:30 a.m. everyday. I know for certain that back home mornings are pitch black until much later than that! It's winter, isn't it? Aren't the days supposed to be really short and dark? What's up with the sun coming up so early around here?
Though I will be home right before the big day, I'm a bit sad to be missing out on all the Christmas anticipation. It's just not the same when you've got sun, blue sky and early fall-like weather (certainly no snowfall here). There are still mosquitoes flying around! The nights are chilly, yes, but the days have been oddly warm.
And there's no Christmas carols playing on the department store speakers. Actually there really aren't any department stores in the malls like we have back home, come to think of it. There aren't seasonal movie classics playing on TV. It had become a tradition with my family to catch A Christmas Story at least once during the holidays.
There's no annual hunt for the boxes of Christmas decorations, no Christmas card writing, no talk of where to get the tree, no discussions about how to manage the family-visiting schedule.
On the odd occassion I'll come across a store with a little plastic Christmas tree in its window, advertising a paltry selection of sad decorations.
If I wasn't already so self-conscious about people here watching me, I'd stand out front of that store and stare at the tree like a little kid wanting the puppy in the window.
It's been tempting.
Update: I went online to listen to one of our Toronto radio stations and waddaya know they're doing a special "Kick off Christmas" weekend show and David Bowie is belting out Peace on Earth in a duet with Bing Crosby. Made me want to curl up on a couch with a hot chocolate in front of a fire place somewhere snowy.
Talked to my mother today though and she said the weather back home isn't much different from Amman. Apparently it's 15 celcius and hasn't snowed for weeks. Whatever is happening with the Canadian weather, it better get its act in gear before I get home.
Green Christmases are no fun.
*Note about waking up - the sun shines through my curtains at 6:30 a.m. everyday. I know for certain that back home mornings are pitch black until much later than that! It's winter, isn't it? Aren't the days supposed to be really short and dark? What's up with the sun coming up so early around here?
Though I will be home right before the big day, I'm a bit sad to be missing out on all the Christmas anticipation. It's just not the same when you've got sun, blue sky and early fall-like weather (certainly no snowfall here). There are still mosquitoes flying around! The nights are chilly, yes, but the days have been oddly warm.
And there's no Christmas carols playing on the department store speakers. Actually there really aren't any department stores in the malls like we have back home, come to think of it. There aren't seasonal movie classics playing on TV. It had become a tradition with my family to catch A Christmas Story at least once during the holidays.There's no annual hunt for the boxes of Christmas decorations, no Christmas card writing, no talk of where to get the tree, no discussions about how to manage the family-visiting schedule.
On the odd occassion I'll come across a store with a little plastic Christmas tree in its window, advertising a paltry selection of sad decorations.
If I wasn't already so self-conscious about people here watching me, I'd stand out front of that store and stare at the tree like a little kid wanting the puppy in the window.
It's been tempting.
Update: I went online to listen to one of our Toronto radio stations and waddaya know they're doing a special "Kick off Christmas" weekend show and David Bowie is belting out Peace on Earth in a duet with Bing Crosby. Made me want to curl up on a couch with a hot chocolate in front of a fire place somewhere snowy.
Talked to my mother today though and she said the weather back home isn't much different from Amman. Apparently it's 15 celcius and hasn't snowed for weeks. Whatever is happening with the Canadian weather, it better get its act in gear before I get home.
Green Christmases are no fun.
posted by Grace at 12:00 PM
7 Comments:
Well, this is what happens when you are 4% of the country.
On Christmas Eve the radio stations would play Christmas carols, and some stores like Cozmo do.
I think this year we'll be hunting again for a natural Christmas tree, it usually means we'll head north look around for places that sell natural ones. 8 years ago we got a saw, a pickup and a police patrol after us...you figure out the rest.
Anyways, it's true there is no much decorations, but any store or home could put the nativity scene without someone complaining or the authorities telling them you are offending someone. Ebenezer Scrooge might not be on TV, but you could catch the Christmas mass on national tv, Syrian national TV would have a live coverage of Syrians all over the country celebrating Christmas all day long , this is valid till Bush topples the Syrian regime and replaces it with AL-Qea.da.
I think my old school is having Christmas carols every weekend or something.
Merry CHRISTmas!
You should go and visit Bethlehem. I don't know if they have any decorated malls playing carols over the PA, but I'm sure it feels suitably Christmasy one way or the other.
Firas - good luck finding a tree this year.
Don - I'm hoping to visit Bethelehem actually. Jerusalem too, if I can fit it in before I fly back home.
well i second the motion. green christmases are no fun! i just spent a weekend with my gilfreind shopping christmass style in glasgow. no snow to be seen for a good few months im told.
make that a christmassy eggnog latte for me!
Hey, if you're finished in the middle east, would you like to finish out my contract in Korea for me?
Grace, the weather here is backwards! They have lots of snow and cold weather in Vancouver and Victoria, where they don't even had snowploughs, and there's frigid weather in Edmonton and the prairies. Here it's warm and rainy, but apparently it'll drop below freezing this weekend. We'll enjoy these last scarf-less days while we can!
Grace,
The weather here in TO has been fine, but man I was in Edmonton for 2 days and I froze my ass off. It was -25C on both days. The sun is out at 8 am and down at 4 pm... what kinda life is this?
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