Christmas 2007
Today is the 26th of December 2007. Christmas 2007 has now come and gone and I negotiated it reasonably successfully this year.
You see, for many years I have lived alone since my divorce in 1994. Sure, I have had a couple of medium-term relationships since that time but, for most of the time, Christmases have been a solitary affair for me.
Over the years my daughter Alana has usually gone to her mother's side of the family. My son Dylan usually goes to my side of the family. I can't go with my ex-wife's side of the family and, to be honest, I have never liked going to my side of the family so, the consequence of all that is that I usually get "hung out to dry" and spend Christmases alone.
Most of the time frame usually okay about spending Christmas alone and have arrangements were I spend time with friends. For example, for a couple of years I would join my friend Vivian's families lunch. They are a large Italian family and would meet at a restaurant or hotel. There would be 30 or 40 people and I would be made welcome. Fortunately for Vivian, but little unfortunately for me, a few years ago Vivian met a guy who became her partner. Her partner perceived me as some sort of romantic threat to Vivian (although nothing could have been further from the truth in reality) and so soon my invitations to Christmas started to drop off. I could understand how this guy might feel little threatened so I didn't feel too badly when the invitations started to cease. Soon after that, my really good friends Ward and Mandy started to invite me to Christmas lunch at their house and that was usually followed by a late afternoon tea at my housekeepers house. My housekeepers, Alexandria and Spiro are an elderly Greek couple and I love them like they are my parents and I love to visit them and spend time with them.
I am aware however of how people can become lonely and isolated at Christmas time. For 10 years between 1995 and 2005 I worked for a suicide and crisis counselling service in Melbourne Australia. I was a volunteer counsellor there and also a trainer. I loved doing the job even though most councillors " burnt out" after only a couple of years. I was well aware that many single people become lonely and isolated around the Christmas period and some of these people attempt and complete the act of suicide. Being aware of this, I have always run my own safety even though I can also get a bit edgy and feel alone and isolated around Christmas period.
This year I am delighted to report that Christmas has come and gone and I have had a nice time. Last weekend was pleasant and eventful and Christmas Eve, being Monday was also a busy day. At the end of the day I joined a couple of people for a Thai dinner at Knutsford Terrace in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It was a lovely evening and the restaurant gave out Christmas hat's, streamers, noise makers to get into the spirit of things. Christmas Day was a very relaxed affair, I just went out walking for part of the day and at the end of the day I joined the same two friends for dinner at an Australian restaurant in the deluxe shopping mall underneath the apartments that I live in. Woolloomooloo is our restaurant based on Australian cuisine, whatever that is. We had an absolutely lovely dinner in lovely company.
Today is Boxing Day and I slept in late. After heading out from my apartment I went over to a suburb called Jordan for lunch and then walked up through a suburb called Yau Ma Tei to another suburb called Mongkok to do some shopping. After that I went to Prince Edward, another suburb, and brought some pot plants and also some goldfish and a goldfish bowl. it's been a great day.
Tomorrow I plan to go up to Shenzhen in mainland China and stay there until Saturday. A nice conclusion to a great week.
Until next time " don't forget to wipe".....
You see, for many years I have lived alone since my divorce in 1994. Sure, I have had a couple of medium-term relationships since that time but, for most of the time, Christmases have been a solitary affair for me.
Over the years my daughter Alana has usually gone to her mother's side of the family. My son Dylan usually goes to my side of the family. I can't go with my ex-wife's side of the family and, to be honest, I have never liked going to my side of the family so, the consequence of all that is that I usually get "hung out to dry" and spend Christmases alone.
Most of the time frame usually okay about spending Christmas alone and have arrangements were I spend time with friends. For example, for a couple of years I would join my friend Vivian's families lunch. They are a large Italian family and would meet at a restaurant or hotel. There would be 30 or 40 people and I would be made welcome. Fortunately for Vivian, but little unfortunately for me, a few years ago Vivian met a guy who became her partner. Her partner perceived me as some sort of romantic threat to Vivian (although nothing could have been further from the truth in reality) and so soon my invitations to Christmas started to drop off. I could understand how this guy might feel little threatened so I didn't feel too badly when the invitations started to cease. Soon after that, my really good friends Ward and Mandy started to invite me to Christmas lunch at their house and that was usually followed by a late afternoon tea at my housekeepers house. My housekeepers, Alexandria and Spiro are an elderly Greek couple and I love them like they are my parents and I love to visit them and spend time with them.
I am aware however of how people can become lonely and isolated at Christmas time. For 10 years between 1995 and 2005 I worked for a suicide and crisis counselling service in Melbourne Australia. I was a volunteer counsellor there and also a trainer. I loved doing the job even though most councillors " burnt out" after only a couple of years. I was well aware that many single people become lonely and isolated around the Christmas period and some of these people attempt and complete the act of suicide. Being aware of this, I have always run my own safety even though I can also get a bit edgy and feel alone and isolated around Christmas period.
This year I am delighted to report that Christmas has come and gone and I have had a nice time. Last weekend was pleasant and eventful and Christmas Eve, being Monday was also a busy day. At the end of the day I joined a couple of people for a Thai dinner at Knutsford Terrace in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It was a lovely evening and the restaurant gave out Christmas hat's, streamers, noise makers to get into the spirit of things. Christmas Day was a very relaxed affair, I just went out walking for part of the day and at the end of the day I joined the same two friends for dinner at an Australian restaurant in the deluxe shopping mall underneath the apartments that I live in. Woolloomooloo is our restaurant based on Australian cuisine, whatever that is. We had an absolutely lovely dinner in lovely company.
Today is Boxing Day and I slept in late. After heading out from my apartment I went over to a suburb called Jordan for lunch and then walked up through a suburb called Yau Ma Tei to another suburb called Mongkok to do some shopping. After that I went to Prince Edward, another suburb, and brought some pot plants and also some goldfish and a goldfish bowl. it's been a great day.
Tomorrow I plan to go up to Shenzhen in mainland China and stay there until Saturday. A nice conclusion to a great week.
Until next time " don't forget to wipe".....
posted by Alan at
11:31 PM
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