2. December

I really miss winter at the moment. Although I have been trying my best to indulge in the Australian christmas experience as Jenny advised me too as well, I only do so half heartedly. I play christmas music and have an advent calendar and a santa hat, but I don't feel christmassy at all. In this heat it's impossible to enjoy the half melted chocolate from the calendar and Australian christmas carols? There are none. I haven't heard anyone sing any but in stores they play the American carols. Christmas cards all have snow on them if they are pretty. The only Australian option is a surfing Santa looking incredibly cheap. As we are speaking about surfing Santas I saw this commercial on TV the other day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuFr76btbnE

It is very curious that I miss the Northern hemisphere and our christmas traditions so much more now, than when I was in the US. I think it must be the weather. When Owen and I were looking at the Myer christmas windows I couldn't stop thinking how it should be done wearing thick coats and scarves and sporting red noses. I miss the smell of wet leaves and how crisp and clear the winter air fills your lungs. I miss seeing people come inside with muddy boots trying to make the least mess possible. I miss smelling candles and log fires and tea and hot chocolate. I miss having a nap after school and after sleepily walking downstairs while it is pitch dark outside and the house is filled with yellow light. I miss tidying my room and decorating it with one of the little christmas trees. I miss baking cookies (here it is simply too hot for it). I miss watching big red candles burn down on our advent wreath and christmas movies all over TV (none of them are playing here yet, don't know wether they will.) I miss our christmas markets which are always the same and always wonderful and pretty in the same manner. I miss seeing lights in every tree when it's dark at six and I also miss the need for a hot bath. At least they have pfeffernüsse here.

They are just these things that come with christmas. It is nice to know how much I value them. Would I have ever guessed I would miss the early darkness? But I do, because it's part of the experience and it makes the season what it is. I would love to have a similar sort of traditional experience here but there isn't really one. People don't do anything christmassy. The only weird new thing will be the day itself when it will be hot and... well I don't know what I will be doing. Apparently it is traditional to have seafood but I don't think Anja is particularly keen on it. So we were thinking of going to a eating-in-the-dark restaurant to assign something special for a special day.
I just remembered, and this has nothing to do with christmas, that they don't even spell German beers right. The other day some one ordered one and it's called "schofferhoffer hefewizen".

Probably I just need to push the knowledge aside that it's christmas season at the moment (although it is difficult because of tacky christmas trees everywhere). I am not the only one who thinks this by the way! There even seems to be some sort of event in the Australian winter which is christmas like to make up for the lack of feel in summer. So it's not very far fetched that it's not their most specialised tradition. Actually, they don't really have many traditions and much culture themselves (again, this statement does not originate from my mouth). Here it is more the landscape and the outdoor activities that make their mark. Hopefully I am still to see and experience a little more of that.

It was really, really hot today so I didn't do much, except take this picture, because my hair is finally getting longer again!

This was yesterday when we took a trip to the beach. Luey and Stefan are busy building a drip sand castle, while Davi is showing off his good behavior. 

It doesn't come across well in this picture, but this dog is like a wolf. He is huge and gorgeous and really impressive.

Byes,
Skipper