The time has come for the christmas post. It's always weird to spend christmas in Japan. There are no beach parties, no surfing santa's, no big family day. Instead, it's bitterly cold, everything is open and most people work (although this year the Sunday thing changes that) and it's a special day to go on a date with your chosen paramour. Of course in a Buddhist country, it's surprising that they recognise the day at all. But in this country of rabid consumers, it's the commercial aspect that has caught on. The deviated Christmas "spirit" makes for some hilarious times and sights. Anyways....
Merry christmas to you all, I hope you have a lovely day wherever you are. I hope that you're with your families and that you all cherish them suitably. They won't always be there....
With the mercury dropping down below 0 for the next few nights, it's going to be bloody freezing here in Tokyo. Would love to be on a beach having BBQ and beer fun in Australia but I think getting through my first Christmas without my Dad will be much easier done by staying here in Japan....
I'll be spending the day with my good buddy from Brisbane, Christian. We're heading out to a beautiful onsen in the grounds of an old temple nearby to soak and well... probably drink lots of beer and eat delicious okinomiyaki.
I'm out for a Christmas Eve Thai dinner. Merry Christmas folks, see you on the flipside.
frangipani wrote this on December 24, 2005 5:45 PM
Comments
Due to the proliferation of comment spam, I've closed comments on all older entries. If you would like to leave a comment for this post, please email me directly at martine {at} frangipani {dot} info and I'll add it manually. Thank you and sorry for any inconvience caused.
bizarre hearing a completely different view of christmas...
beach parties? surfing santas? summer?
for me christmas = cold miserable weather + bloody expensive plane tickets + long plane ride + jet lag from hell = not the best of fun
but, yeah, there is that whole family thing going on.
and, yeah my loss is not really comparable, but this is my first christmas without a paramour/best friend.
so, in some small way, i know where you're coming from....
ah well, didn't say that well at all...had hoped to be more eloquent & feeling-ish...
but, hey, what do you expect from a drunk british girl at 6am????
(shit, supposed to write comments here, not drunk rambling monologues...sorry.....)
anyway - what i wanted to say was in some little misguided way i am there with you......
and let's cheese next week! (yay to japanglish!)
On December 25, 2005 6:13 AM,
Juggs said:
Have to inform you,...but,..I woke up to a sweltering HOT summer Christmas day today. It may be freezing in Tokyo but the "Heat Is On" as the song from Beverly Hills Cop would go here in sunny QLD, Australia.
Air conditioning, a swim and then a cool beer is our plan of attack for this Merry day.
Oh how I envy Tokyo's below zero forecast as we here in Sydney head towards another 38 degree day. Same predicted for Wednesday, NYE and NY Day! Ugg. Merry Christmas!
All the best,
Anne
On December 26, 2005 8:03 PM,
Bee said:
the first photo is a classic. hilarious.
I think Christmas in Australia sucks. Having grown up in the Northern hemisphere I associate Christmas with snow. not sweat. But I do like the prawns, much larger than the scrawny worms you find in your average UK prawn cocktail.
Next year I'm completely boycotting Christmas - going to Thailand instead. I had thought that since becoming a Buddhist I'd have a valid excuse for non-participation in festive activities, but my mum wasn't having it. Ho-hum...
yes, he is such a sweetie. his name is haku, he works at my hair salon, as does tsushi who is in the second pic. gorgeous boys. the day before haku had been wearing a cloth wrap, and tsushi had been wearing fishnets and high heels. they both have girlfriends, in case you're wondering. japanese men love cross dressing. it's really common.
oh, and bee bee, have a great NY too. i *may* be back for a visit in april for jackie's 40th.... keep your fingers crossed.
On December 28, 2005 3:58 PM,
Bee said:
love a man in fishnets
*wink wink*
i will also cross my toes until April - it would be lovely to see you again.
oh & you're invited to join us in Thailand/Laos/Cambodia next year. Doing my utmost to get the likes of Michael Squire & Brandon in on trip. They've never been overseas! Gawd!!!
And poo to the 'coward' who was nit-picking about incorrectly labelled book number. I shall make a note of your imprudence in the book of "Crimes against humanity". Shame on you Martine. :-)
thailand/laos/cambodia would be awesome, especially with you crazy cats. let me know when and where and I may get there too.
yes, poo poo to "anonymous coward". there's always some dick being shitty in the comments. but then again, it's often because i don't have my facts EXACTLY right.
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