Wednesday, December 19

The Annual Dilemma of Christmas in a Tropical Country

When I was 19 years old, my whole family left the cold white Canadian winter behind and spent Christmas in Maui. Descending the plane on our first stop in Honolulu,we were suddenly blown away in 35C heat. Awaiting our corresponding Aloha Airlines island hop to Maui, the sounds of Chrsitmas carols filled the air terminal. There was something very surreal about it all.

We had our traditional Christmas in the hot weather, but we all agreed that there was something missing......the white Christmas that we were used to ever since childhood.

I live in Brazil these days and every year the Christmas season arrives, I feel completely dislocated. Bless their hearts the Brazilian people,they embrace Chrsitmas as a massive food and family fest that goes into the wee hours. Food is definitely an important factor here at this time of year. Turkey,roast pig, codfish, plums,apricots,Brazil nuts(duh!!!) chestnuts. The best linens are put out, the food is prepared over the preceding week. It could be a typical Christmas in Canada except THERE IS NO SNOW!

I just cant get into it folks.....

I guess the hardest thing for me is to see so much feasting and food and less than a mile away from these festivities are people that don't have two pennies to rub together.

Christmas has become a retailers invention to close out the year in the black......

Unless someone can convince me otherwise, just call me Scrooge...

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