Christmas in Australia!

You can definitely tell you are in Australia, when you bump into a Praying Mantis on the Christmas decal outside the front door. They are actually quite harmless, but it did give me quite a fright, as I left the house for another walk on Saturday morning.

I am gradually getting more acquainted to the sounds and sites of Australia, which are so different to The UK. The colourful parrots resting on the overhead telephone wires, unfamiliar squawking and bird song, and of course, the different insects that are a big part of this place; even the ants are four times as big as those back home.

It has been a bit of a culture shock, being back in Perth, even though I have lived here twice before. Nevertheless, it is something I certainly need to get used to, which I am sure I will in time. Of course, the hotter it gets, the more creepy crawlies I am finding. No less than our resident 'Sally Spider' in the back garden. Still I am beginning to accept the differences and if I am honest, enjoying the experience, apart from the rather oversized cockroaches, which I will never get used to!

Once again, I took a seven-mile walk around to Woodbridge Lakes, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite places to go. Even the people there seem to be more friendly than elsewhere I have been - all of them passing the time of day and briefly exchanging pleasantries, as I walked around this stunning natural reserve just outside the City of Midland.

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Since it was Christmas Eve, I treated myself to a couple of pints of Carlton Draught in the afternoon, while out with friend and neighbour joy. We had the last of the Christmas shopping to get; luckily everything was fairly quiet, as we quickly grabbed a few last minute items from Midland Gate!

It was nice to wish the girls at The Swan View Tavern a Happy Christmas, since we hadn't seen them for quite a while. All of us have been so busy, that we just haven't had the time to pop into the pub to see everyone. They were as lovely as ever and I know we will be back before the year is out.

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In the evening, we popped around to Joy's house for a few beers. This will be the first Christmas I have not been around my family in four years and despite the differences I am glad of the change. Mine and Darrell's life has always been full of variety, differences and alternative endings, so for us, it is just part of the course, it makes us who we are. Lucky enough, we adapt to situations pretty quickly and although invariably things never turn out the way we would like, we are happy enough to do the battling to get where we want to be.

This isn't the way I would personally celebrate Christmas, I am typically British when celebrating at this time of year, going all out to have the most enjoyable, over the top experience I can; this is a new level of commemorating the great day, and one I will have to get used to. Christmas is celebrated very differently over here, as it should be. Likewise, when we lived in Spain, we enjoyed the differences, in the same way we do today.

Of course, this was us looking in on someone else's festivities and not our own special day. Next year we would hope to do things as we would want and bring a little bit of Britain and Spain to Australia. A cold Christmas Dinner isn't particularly something I would do for myself, but with temperatures over 30 degrees, it is easy to see why! I mean, who the hell wants to be cooking in a kitchen when it is so hot anyway? Well, maybe next year that's exactly what I will do; for now I'm just happy I wasn't the one slaving away for a change!

I did do my best to add a little bit of home to the festivities and despite my aversion to spending a fortune on chocolates and cakes, I did manage to pick up a distinctly Australian tin of Cadbury's Roses for $15.00, half the usual $30.00 they were on sale for at the beginning of the month. They are a little different to their British ancestors and actually taste far better, so definitely worth the money.

I also managed to get plumb pudding, Christmas cake and my favourite Stollen from Aldi. Everything here is far more expensive, but I have discovered this isn't too much of a problem, especially when you see turkey's being sold in the UK for £147.00 (Bird Flu, has apparently increased prices across the board.) All it really means is you buy less stuff to eat, think quality rather than quantity, and you don't over eat!

We did exchange a few gifts, as we would in the UK. Rather than the over the top, bags and bags of presents, which really have little or no meaning, (just a sign of greed and gluttony, especially at a time of economic crisis, if you ask me,) we did give and receive a few select items, which had special meaning for us and meant for a more poignant occasion.

Equally, Christmas Dinner consisted of traditional turkey, ham and other meat, but there wasn't hours spent preparing and cooking; it was more of a buffet, and we could pick and choose what we wanted to eat, or even if we fancied anything at all. Remember, it was hot, very hot, so eating is the last thing on peoples minds.

Spending time with family and friends is of course the best part of Christmas Day. Darrell's Aunty Alice, his Mother, neighbour Joy and friends Pete and Leanne; a group of lovely people, whose company I thoroughly enjoyed, made for an enjoyable day! Sometimes it's just nice to spend time in adult company, rather than having hoards of kids running about. I have never been a person who appreciates the company of children anyway, so it was nice to avoid that side of Christmas altogether. I have done my years, spending Christmas with Kids and all the tantrums that entails, I am just far happier doing what I want and not what others expect of me. This isn't a day for just kids, it is also a time for everyone to spend together and appreciate each other, without the arguments and outbursts that tend to come with larger family gatherings!

With Dad at my Brother's in Basingstoke, there was no Christmas Day call, but then there never usually is anyway. We have never been that close, no matter how much I love him.

However, it was lovely to hear from the two people who have been there for Darrell and me throughout our journey, when we left the UK at the beginning of September. My dear friend John, who is really my family in every sense of the word. He has always been there for us, especially in recent months, and gave me a good laugh on a day when I needed it more than most. Like Darrell and me, John has very little family left now, so he will always be one of the most important people in our life, as he proved on Christmas Day.

I also heard from my dearest Brother from another Mother, Julio, who once again is the family I never had. We have kept in contact since leaving the UK, and he is so important to my sense of well-being. If I could have taken him with us, I would have; I miss his witty banter every day. He always put a smile on my face, and we have never had a crossed word in all the years I have known him. The hope is, both him and John will visit us in Australia at some stage. Along with the over two hundred messages I received yesterday, I am just so glad to feel loved; people truly care. This was a different Christmas day, but it was significant to end it was the two most important friends from the UK; this made my day perfect and one I will never forget!

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