I always tend to plan big holiday events quite some time before the actual holiday. Most of the time it pays off, and things happen the way I want them to.. but there are also last minute events that changed the outcome.
What I thought I was going to do this Christmas 3 months before:
- Big dinner with turkey, hosted by me, and invite all my close friends... which at the time wasn't that many. It just turned Fall and many have left during the summer, and their return date was unknown.
- Secret Santa with my Favorites
- Have Stockings stuffed with treats for everyone
- Purchase a gift for that special someone back in NY because it's much cheaper there
What I thought I was going to do this Christmas 2 month before:
- Still the big dinner with contributions from Giulia's amazing italian cooking skills, Luika's awesome baking talents and Ting's taste in cheese and dips :-P
- Purchase Holiday decorations and Hats for everyone.. now the friend count has probably quadrupled
- hide and destroy that present I bought... maybe save it for may
What I thought I was going to do this Christmas 1 weeks and 3 days before before:
- Get away from Shanghai, Go to HK or Harbin or Korea
- Found out everyone was going home for christmas and spending it in shanghai alone is too depressing.
- Fell in love with the song Cold December Night by Michael Buble. There's a line in it "Don't want to be alone tonight". Maybe that stick to me a bit hard
- Awesome Brunch @ the Westin for Steven's birthday
- Still did the Stockings, instead they were the 50 Santa hats I ordered from Taobao, and cookies. For my office
- Told Giulia to hide the present, May wont happen
What I thought I was going to do this Christmas 1 week before:
- still host a big party but no food involved. We made a huge Shabbat dinner before Asher left so we were tired from all the cooking and baking
- The HUGE party didn't happen, there was a miscommunication with me and my friend Dave, who kindly lend us his apartment. Apparently they might get kicked out of their apartment if it gets too rowdy. We ended up have about 20 people over and just drank mulled wine, had some illegal substance, and watched TV... and passed out for a bit before heading home at 5:30am.
- The Brunch still happened without Steven because he decided to stay in the South. It was absolutely one of my favorite brunches.. just madness at the Westin and for some reason.. probably because this is CHINA and you can get away with murder if you smile and bow, we managed to get through without any fines or noise complaints
What I thought I was going to do for Christmas 3 days before:
- Joining Tink on his Christmas Bike Crawl
- Partying it up with Patricia at Zeal
What I actually did for Christmas:
- Got convinced by Dad to go to Beijing
- All the western restaurants were either booked or they were charging 4000 rmb per head, so we had Hotpot... Duck Soup, close to a turkey but still not Turkey
- Hung out with Wei wei and his gf for the Day, picking out our Christmas Gifts.. I know.. really traditional right...
- Met up with some old BLCU buddies in Sanlitun
- Went Sunday Service and watched children sing... and thought, "I can't wait to make my kids do that"
I guess Christmas didn't turn out as I expected it to be. Someone always told me I had too many expectations (UPDATE: the Indian guy from across the hall told me not to have high expectations for anything...) Maybe it's because I prefer to have things perfect when the time comes. Why my strive for perfection is so strong sometimes, I wish I knew the answer. All related to my emotional personality I guess. Maybe I just want something out of the storybook but never seemed to get it.
I envy how everyone gets to go home and celebrate with their family and relatives. And having a decorated tree filled with presents underneath. Some of them even had the opportunity to have a white christmas and stuffed stockings. I smile at their lives and wish I can be a part of it.
Then, there are moment where I'm glad I'm here. Some people wish that they can travel around the way I do, being in a foreign country, enjoying things out of the norm.
Regardless it's christmas, I made the best of it, and ignored the anger and sadness that I felt arising occasionally. I promise my future children that they will get the tree by the fireplace where the stockings hang filled with trinkets and treats.
Merry Christmas
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