It’s this time of year again, Christmas Time! =)

I can’t help but think of this time last year. It will always be one of the Best Christmases I’ll ever have. Not only was it because I spent it with a fantastic bunch of friends, with an amazing Christmas Dinner, as well as having a heart warming Christmas Eve, it was also the first Christmas which I felt so mind-numbingly cold that it was so appropriate to stay indoors and chow down on masses of food =P

The Christmases in the southern hemisphere just doesn’t fit with the snow covered Christmas Tree or jolly fat Santa covered in furs found on those Christmas Cards. Instead, my Christmases in Australia have always revolved around food (similar to Chinese New Year but with ‘western food’). One Christmas in HK was spent shopping at the markets. The Christmas in Yunnan, China was spent on the plane flying to somewhere I don’t quite remember.

So an actual cozy Christmas Dinner in Beijing was something that I really appreciated. But of course Christmas has it’s downsides in a foreign country, one being no family and the other being the crowd. Despite being used to the typical Beijing crowd, the Christmas rush was completely unexpected. The locals use Christmas as an excuse to go on romantic dates… which is fine by me, the problem comes when the whole Beijing population decides to move around on that day!

So Christmas in 2008 is back in Australia, I’m thanking my lucky stars that it’s not the 40ºC+ weather they experienced last year! And I’m extremely glad it’s with my family, and the extended family =)

I ended up stuffing myself silly (again) but it’s alright because it can be worked off during the After Christmas Sales (Boxing Day Sales)!~ =)