Category Archives: Holidays

Christmas in Australia

Posted on December 20, 2011 | 7 comments

Christmas in Australia is normally all about BBQ and beach. It is in summer so instead of having snow and bonfires we head to the beach to cool down and enjoy time with our family and friends.

One of the famous things to do during Christmas is to go and watch Christmas carols in Domain. Normally they have lots of celebrities and thousand of spectators coming together to sing carols and support charities.

I really feel bad for the Santa here who are wearing Santa outfit in this hot weather.

Normally we eat roast turkey, roast potatoes, pumpkin and salads, cold ham, cold chicken, king prawns, lobster and crayfish. Desserts are normally Pavlova with cream, strawberries, passionfruit and mince Pies. Don’t forget chilled beers, wine and champagne.

I am sure you haven’t seen this but if you go to Bondi beach on Christmas day, you will see Santa not in the sledge but in either surfboard or lifesaving boat.

This year the weather has been a bit crazy. It has been raining and a bit cold. Very abnormal for December in Sydney. We are hoping it snows here (hahaha) this year so we can experience a white Christmas. It is raining right now.

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. I love the way all the malls and streets are decorated with lights and ornaments. Lots of houses in each suburb and their gardens are decorated with lights and Christmas ornaments. Today, I saw a bus fully decorated with Christmas stuff and the driver dressed as Santa. He was happily honking and wishing everyone a merry Christmas. It brought a smile to lots of passer by.

 The environment in the malls and offices are transformed into sparkly and colourful, happy places. I did a round at work yesterday and going through each department, I saw lots of nice decorations. Everyone seems happy and looking forward to a long break.

Our department is well decorated as well with tinsel and Christmas lights. The gifts under the Christmas tree is growing day by day as everyone is dropping their gifts there.

There are a few lunches and dinner planned to celebrate Christmas at work. The first morning tea was held last week officially starting Christmas celebrations. Lots of selections of pastries, sausage rolls, chips, dips and cake were there to choose from. The cake was decorated with Santa’s reindeers and a Christmas tree as well.

Also on Wednesday, we went to our first dinner after work. It was bowling followed by dinner. Had great fun. Then on Friday there was a big dinner organised for the whole 200+ staffs. So many people to know and mingle with 🙂 .. I am going for one more dinner tomorrow and there will be a few more lunches and morning teas before we officially close on 23 December for 10 days to reopen on 2nd January 2012. Looking forward to the break. Time to relax and unwind.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

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Posted in Australia, Holidays

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When is the right time to put up the Christmas tree?

Posted on December 1, 2011 | 2 comments

At work today everyone had their own opinion on when to put up our Christmas tree. It has been up for the last few months in the shopping malls. They even have Christmas carols going on the loud speaker. I guess they just want us to shop for Christmas early.

In Sydney, every year there is a big event for the Martin Place Tree Lighting & Christmas Concert in Hyde Park. It happened on 24th of  November this year.

I really like the giant tree they have every year and especially the lights they have on Sydney Town Hall. It is colourful and in the evenings it brightens up the city.

In most suburbs, most houses have their Christmas lights up as well. There are some suburbs where they have so many decorations in the garden that people drive by just to look at the decorations and lights.

At work every department have their own tree and I am in charge of putting the tree up for our department. So when I told the boys that we need to put up our tree today, they said it was too early. But then all the girls including my boss were ok to have our tree up today.

Anyway I did some research and found that different people have a different opinion. Most suggested that Christmas tree should be up only 12 days before Christmas and until 12 days after Christmas. Do you know when is the right time for putting up the tree?

The problem at work is most of us take time off around Christmas which means that the last week before Christmas and first week after New Year , there is hardly anyone around.  There is no point in having decorations if there is no one around to appreciate them.

So finally we decided as it is 1st of December today, the tree should be put up today. We spent few hours decorating the tree and now it looks a lot like Christmas in our department.Holiday season is here and I am really enjoying it. I need to go around different departments now and see what they are up to for Christmas decorations.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

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Posted in Australia, Holidays

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My letter to Santa

Posted on November 28, 2011 | 4 comments

As Christmas is just around the corner I thought I might write my wish list now. Some people may tell me that it is too early to do that, but have you been out lately? All the shopping malls and stores are decorated with Christmas trees and decorations. Christmas carols are on their loud speakers and every advertisements and catalogues have Christmas references. Above all that, North Pole is so far away from here that I thought it would take a while for my letter to reach Santa as FedEx told me they don’t have next day delivery service there and Santa will certainly need a few weeks to find what I want.

I could write I would like Marc Jacobs’s bag, Jimmy Choo’s shoes, Prada sunnies, and Chanel diamond earrings or I could be really beauty queen like and ask for world peace and every human being to be happy. But sorry this year I will be very selfish and ask for what I really want.

Here is my letter to Santa this year,

Dear Santa,

You know I have been so good this year. I was always good as you know but this year I am sure I get extra brownie points for not being a Bridezilla during my wedding, understanding another human being (my husband), not killing anyone when things didn’t go my way and above all not spending so much money on shopping, buying worthless stuff.

This year all I want is one thing from you and I really hope you can fulfil my wish. So here you go, I want a new book on “How to live a perfect life for Dummies” this Christmas. Wait! I am not done yet. Please make sure the following chapters are included in that book.

  • How not to smack someone when they lie to your face?
  • How to pretend you are enjoying the conversation when you are not?
  • How to enjoy life when you spend so much time working, cleaning, cooking and doing laundry?(Can days be longer than 24 hours?)
  • How not to show your disappointments?
  • How to love what I am doing ?(when I really want to be somewhere else doing something else.)
  • How to win the lotto?
  • How to have lots of holidays? (may be if I win lotto, this problem will be solved)
  • How to cross all the items in my bucket list in the next 20 years?
  • How to be friends with people who stab you in the back?
  • How to smile and look surprised when you open a gift (when you are actually shocked)?
  • How to please everyone around you?
  • How to be a perfect wife, daughter, friend, sister and daughter in law? 

I can think of more but I guess the book will be too heavy for you to carry around and there is next Christmas anyway.

I know I know, you don’t know the answer as well but still give it a shot and send me that book please. Isn’t Christmas the time when you try to be nice? So you better be nice to me and send me WHAT I WANT. Otherwise I will tell everyone who will listen that there is no Santa and beware I have 2000 friends in Facebook and 5000 followers in twitter and I blog too!!!.

Thank you so much Santa. Love you.

A nice girl from Downunder o:)

M

XOXO

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Posted in Australia, Holidays

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