So this is Christmas?
on My Thai (Thailand), 26/Dec/2010 11:16, 34 days ago
There have been so many times in the past few weeks when I’ve forgotten that this is a rather busy time of the year for most of the Western world!In England, the appearance of tinsel and trees in October (or even earlier) is just the beginning of a long and inescapable build-up to the day itself. Much as I love Christmas, and it really is my favourite time of year, I’ve always found it mildly infuriating that there’s no corner of my small world into which Christmas doesn’t creep. Come December 1stthere’s no way you can just ‘pop into town for a few bits’ without encountering pedestrian gridlock; something that always leaves me with a considerable case of pavement rage!Well, this year has been an escape from the stresses and strains of the festive season, but not necessarily a welcome one!My‘Santa Does Airmail’ parcels started arriving mid December. I still get ridiculously excited about receiving mail but, before that, Christmas was not to be found in my ‘land of smiles’.Christmas, Bangkok styleThen, on a shopping trip to Bangkok, I was really confused to hear Bing Crosby crooning from the Siam Paragon speakers. How surreal; listening to songs about chestnuts, roasting fires, snowmen and sleighs when its 90°out and we’ve not seen rain in weeks, never mind any of the white stuff! After that, little things were appearing here and there – the tinsel in Big C, Christmas cards in Tops, mince pies in the cake shop across the road. Little reminders of what I’m missing out on (not that I’ve ever wanted to eat amince pie!). And then there were the not so little things – Santa’s ‘helicopter’ on top of a shopping mall, theAlice in Wonderlandtinsel feast at Siam, the lights down Sukhumvit...it turns out Thais can, and will, celebrate every festival known to man!Still, the world seems slightly askew and I don’t think people understand just how important Christmas is for us farangs!At work on the 23rd, I overheard one colleague asking another what the date was. I wanted to shout‘It’s Christmas Eve eve, how can you not know what the date is?’ However I heard from Nicola, another volunteer, that her organisation had their Christmas party on the 24th, believing that was the big day itself! I guess it’s pretty conceited to assume that, just because something is important to me, it should have the same consequence for the rest of mankind!Most of the organisations that Thailand/Burma volunteers work with seem to close over the holiday season, possible because they’re more internationally based than mine. Here in Mahachai I was lucky that Christmas happened to fall on my days off – the Friday and Saturday of my ‘weekend’ being Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.After to-ing and fro-ing about taking 16 hour bus trips to visit friends up north, I found out that my office will be closed for a few days over new year, so the decision was made to stay in‘the armpit’ instead and save any travel for the week after.In a desperate attempt to inspire some small spark of festive cheer, I stuck on the only Christmassy tunes that I have with me: Low’sChristmasand Malcolm Middleton’sWe’re All Going to Die(the best Christmas number one that never was...you need to see the video to fully appreciate why! Do yourself a favour:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbL9Vsobx8I). Not the most upbeat of fare in most people’s opinions and I was a bit guttedChristmas Wrappinghadn’t made it to Thailand’s malls, but it was a start!So, on Christmas Eve I got another one of my Dad’s succinct but insightful emails and that, partly because it included mention of my granddad, brought a slight wobble on.I have to give it to my humble bedsit,it does get an alright sunset!Christmas EveThe evening of the Eve itself made it one of those days where you’re so grateful for the choice you’ve made, even if at the time staying in and watchingThe Sopranoson the laptop seems like the safest thing to do! My choice had been to bike, ferry and bike it over to Tha Chalom and my spent energy was fully rewarded. It was so comforting and warming to hear Christmas carols (same tunes, different language) that I felt a small piece of home was there with me. That’s sort of where it ended though – there was a moment when, stood in the St. Ann school grounds watching the Thai version of a nativity play, eating an ice lolly and sweating at 9pm, I suddenly realised how it was at once so close and so far removed from the experience I would have been having back home. It was a special evening and I came away so appreciative of the people who had been around me – even though we couldn’t communicate much and despite some initial pointing and curious glances, their smiles and well wishes reminded me of Christmas’s ability to unite people. Maybe the build-up to Christmas - all the trees and trimmings – sometimes gets in the way of experiencing such a thing.The old 'school play'...just watching brings on the shivers!And then the day itself...Oh, I look back with such envy on those days when our presents would bulge out of huge Christmas sacks and it would take the best part of the morning to open them all. Still, considering the price of airmail to Thailand, I got a pretty impressive haul! Setting myself up with more of the Christmas tunes and cups of tea, I tried to pace myself instead of ripping through everything at once.Santa did goodBike safety seems to be a theme this year: some‘blinky blinkies’ for the night rides (although, based on first try, I think these only brought me closer to a rabies attack that complete darkness would), another bell, reflective bags and seat covers (which for the first hour I thought was a shower cap!). To be fair, the road I ride along ain’t the safest and my bike here isn’t like it’s finely tuned, twice removed cousin presently gathering dust in the garage back home. What else... amongst other things a lovely silver bracelet, a few Christmassy books which I’d normally put to one side but am relishing here, embroidery stuff (I’m a geek – accept it, move on) and the new series ofMad MenandThe Inbetweenerswhich I’m really going to enjoy working my way through.The lull after that was a bit of a low, but then I headed into Bangers to meet Nicola for some food.Stopping off for a book in Mecca (AKA Siam Paragon), I was amazed by the number of people shopping, going about their usual Saturday business. Thai people love to celebrate but there’s no way it’s going to interfere with a bit of shopping!As for food, we settled on an Irish pub on Sukhumvit and, while Christmas dinner was easily found, a vegetarian Christmas dinner is just asking too much! So, for the carnivore, it was turkey with all the trimmings. You could see what they were going for but everything was just a little off the mark...not like mum would make but a decent facsimile! As for me, it was‘pad thai mai si ghung’ - not even remotely festive but drinking in the early afternoon balances that out a little!One of the main things I love about the volunteer experience is the support we get from each other. I really do feel like I have a substitute family here in Thailand. Like most families, we’re scattered around and often too busy to meet but would be there for each other at the drop of a hat. I know Robert, one of my fellow newbies in Chiang Mai, has unfortunately had to spend Christmas in the hospital there but everyone has rallied around and taken Christmas to him instead!Anyway, after a few hours of food and drinks it was back in the minivan to Mahachai, readingA Christmas Carolin the vain hope of distracting myself from the routinely manic driving I am at the mercy of.After a brief detour home it was off to the office for their‘Christmas/New Year/staff birthday/any excuse’ party. I got there just before seven and things were already in full swing. You know, when one of the first questions the Director asks you on meeting is ‘Do you drink?’, just what you’re letting yourself in for! I managed to hide in a cornerof the office to do a bit of family Skyping, which drew some attention from the other partygoers. I have to say I was a bit embarrassed when the wai-ing of two audience members (hands joined together, bowing heads) was responded to with a thumbs up from my dad...it’s not quite as impressive a gesture, somehow! It was really good to speak to everyone though and sort of nice that, due to our different time zones, Christmas gets an extended play this year – my evening being their midday.While I’d been MIA party-wise the drinks had been flowing, the singing growing louder and the dancing more erratic! They really do know how to let their hair down here! Managing to escape public humiliation, i.e. dancing, I could sit back and enjoy everyone else making fools of themselves! I’ve found,with my organisation, that it’s in the times they come together outside of work that I feel more accepted and involved. I guess, when you remove the labels of different positions, everyone is on more of an even footing in social situations. It’s either that or the Thai whisky they’d all been drinking!The thing about Christmas here is that, however long you stay, the traditions and practices you hold dear are always going to be there at home for you to return to. I know next Christmas it’ll be back to the same old, same old – bickering while decorating the tree, avoiding shops like the plague, freezing while my dad refuses to turn the heating up, eating my body weight in Maltesers. At the very least, a year away from all that will make me appreciate it more and be thankful forwhat I have.And that leaves me, back at work, on Boxing Day.I’m finding parallels to life back home in spite of the differences...It’s now lunchtime in the office and everyone around me is eating, nursing hangovers and re-enacting last night’s events. Music is blaring out of the office. Beer bottles and the remnants of balloons and streamers are littered around outside. In true Boxing Day fashion it is ‘the aftermath’. And keeping my own traditions alive, my presents will now remain in a pile at the foot of my bed until I force myself to tidy them away at some distant point in the future.Christmas Eve on the ferryMerry Christmas everyone!