Multi-Cultural Christmas?

As a household currently of one, I help friends celebrate Christmas. When I was in a household of two, we'd do something. None of my exes were particularly religious. One was a lapsed Catholic. The other wasn't even baptised even though he had gone to Catholic schools. Christmas for him was mainly a family celebration not really a religious one.

I'm grumpy at New Year's. It really doesn't mean that much for me, and I refuse to party just because one is supposed to party. It's the one time that I won't use as an excuse to party hee hee...

Well, it's been decided that we're doing something for the new year this year. A friend of ours is coming back to send her mother back to Europe (she recently got a temporary assignment elsewhere), another friend is here for the holidays without his partner. Since three friends are moving away in the coming year, this is really our last New Year in Jakarta together.

My wish for a French Christmas has been fulfilled. No fresh oysters (too expensive) but we'll have foie gras, smoked salmon, cheeses, a Yule log and I've volunteered to make the turkey with all the trimmings.

Technically I don't celebrate Christmas, but when we were children we'd always have a tree, and have the presents, etc. Friends of my parents would always have us over for Christmas lunch, which would be a very nice English Christmas meal. Then there were all the Christmases in France, so yeah, it's pretty much a part of me.

It's been easier to find turkey these days. Two or three supermarket chains carry it in their stores that cater to expats. We don't have much choice - it's frozen, the birds are around 6 kgs, and it's horrendously expensive. There's just one brand (Norbest). The other day I saw that they have just the turkey breast, but that was almost as big as a whole turkey and twice as expensive...

Hah - after years of seeing frozen turkey at the supermarkets all year round, there's no turkey to be found this year. Apparently there was a shortage - you never know here with imports, whether it's going to go through or not - and as of Saturday last week no turkey. I am going to make one last try, but I think we'll have a leg of lamb this year and some roast chicken for those who don't like lamb.