Christmas in Australia

Christmas just isn’t Christmas without the cold.  I’ve decided I’m just not convinced by warm Christmases.  So much of the holiday to me is the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas when you cozy up to the fire with a sweater and some Andy Williams in the background while drinking hot chocolate and marvelling at your beautiful Christmas tree.  Here, even with the tree up and the A/C turned down and Andy singing away I just can’t truly get into the holiday spirit knowing I’m going to sweat as soon as I walk out the door.

The wonderful thing about being in Australia for the holiday season though is that the entire country shuts down for a month and a half.  Come Christmas Eve, nothing is open, school holidays have begun and people have officially checked out of work until Australia Day in late January.  Food is centred around seafood and BBQ’s, and a traditional Christmas Day swim is usually on the docket.  

David and I were able to go to Christmas parties for both Iron Mountain and PGI this year.  IM’s was at a pub outside of Paddington.  It was small and casual and we enjoyed bonding with my co-workers.  PGI’s party was (as to be expected) more formal and over-the top!  We had a room at the top of the Sydney Tower with amazing views, great food and a DJ for dancing!  It was fun to get dressed up, enjoy some bubbly and do a little dancing with the girls   

Christmas Eve was spent with Janine, Niels, Sam, Jacs and Sawyer at J&N’s house.  We did make-your-own-calzones and stuffed ourselves silly.  They even indulged me with Christmas music   

Christmas Day was very lazy.  David got up before me (!) and made a coffee cake (thanks for the recipe, Papa John!) and then we opened our gifts.  Santa was very good to both of us this year!  I got an iPad (yeah!) and David got a wine sensory kit with 36 scents found in wines plus a 100 point Parker wine (2003 Greenock Creek Shiraz Creek Block) and a bottle of 2008 Kaesler Old Bastard.  He was so excited – Santa did well this year!  Then we watched How the Grinch Sole Christmas and some of White Christmas before Jo and Peter came over for a marvellous (if I do say so myself) Christmas dinner.  I made beef wellington and mussels with prawns (the fish market couldn’t get me any snow crab!) We drank way too much wine which meant that they were happy to stay in the Dupree Suite for the evening.  

Mom comes in tow days!!  I can’t wait!! 

~LAA 