Thorndale Ave. December 25, 2004 

Christmas Morning and my first Belfast snow! Merry Christmas! 

December's Journal Post

Gentle readers, I think that this month I will try to tell you all about some of the things that have been going on regarding the Christmas holiday here in Belfast. I hope this gives you a peek in to the life and times that I have here. I wish you all the best for your Holiday season.

I had my earliest Christmas celebration this month within December’s first week. My pensioner’s group at Thornbush held a wonderful party on December second. The group is wonderful, they are one the groups I really look forward to working with each week. The women are lots of fun, kind, vibrant and laugh a lot. We had a lovely luncheon and they gave me a nice button-down blue shirt that I have worn more than a couple of times already this month.

Sherry seems to be a very popular Christmas drink here. It’s served at lots of functions (that or mulled wine). Mulled wine, which I had never had before a few weeks ago, is a wine warmed hot and served with fruits and spices. It’s quite a treat. I have enjoyed that with a family from my church here (Thank you Townends) and with my friend Padrig.

In addition, for those of you who have never celebrated a UK Christmas, there are wonderful table decorations/gifts simply called ‘Crackers’. They look like short tubes, with twisted ends. You find a friend and each grab an end, rather like a turkey wishbone, and YANK. The cracker does what it’s name suggests, and cracks in two pieces with a spark (made by a small powder snap held inside). The winner has the larger end and gets to pull out a paper crown and usually a small toy, some jokes, or maybe a fortune. They’re quite fun.

For the first time, I sent out a good number of Christmas cards this year. I think it totalled about 20 or so. They were a lot of fun, but according to my parents, theirs hasn’t arrived yet…so I’m concerned that some of them may not be making it in as timely a fashion as I would have liked. Others, it seems, like my sister’s are safe and sound in the States already.

It has seemed like a month of ending. It is a month of going away parties and the expectation that I will not being seeing the people here for a few weeks and that it is appropriate for us to discuss not only what we will be doing on our times apart, but also the need to express how that time apart will benefit us once we return to the ‘regular schedule’ of things. As I write this, I know that I have coming my way just over two weeks off of work.

One of the most lamentable things about the season was the news that I received last week concerning my impending trip to Sunderland. I was supposed to be going to Sunderland (flying into Newcastle, and getting picked up there) on Boxing Day (December 26th) and returning on the 29th. As of Tuesday, I was un-invited to Sunderland by the friends there who had originally urged me to come to visit. My plans for the season were just shattered. All the time off I had booked, the preparations I had made and the excitement I had anticipated for that time immediately following Christmas day were all voided. Gone.

I have been trying to assign a certain meaning to these events and have found that task difficult. Certainly I am disappointed, upset, and dejected. What I do not feel, however, is anger, frustration, or any sense that I am to blame or made less of a person by their decision to exclude me from their holiday plans. I think that I have decided one two things that really bother me, and in order of importance: 1) I don’t get to see my friends that I have been looking forward to seeing for some time now and 2) I’m out some serious cash for the plane ticket (which, as a mission volunteer I can’t come by all that easily).

On a lighter note, we have a beautiful Christmas tree up in the house (compliments of the Stars of Hope pageant). It is my first real Christmas tree and has made our front room smell wonderful (much to Mel’s allergies’ dismay). We put some pretty white lights on it and decorations left over from years past; beneath it has been filled with presents. Some are from my parents Some are from my roommates to their significant others, to each other, and from their own families. I, myself, have been getting presents left and right which I have done my best to avoid shaking, smelling, rattling or snooping in. Saturday is coming fast enough for me, anyway.

We had an office Christmas party last Friday with a fun gift exchange and secret Santa time. Just last night Mel and I held a part for our youth group with a white elephant gift exchange. From that adventure, I received a nice roll of scotch tape (Thank you Ashleigh).

Christmas here in Belfast is shaping up well…and who knows what the next five days will hold for all of us here? Mary’s mother is here for the duration (even if she is down with a nasty cold) and Mac (Melissa’s boyfriend) will be here Wednesday, the same day that Mel leaves us for the season. I guess that’s it for Christmas here in Belfast…I’m sure there will be more to hear next month.

-Ian