Saturday 6 December 2008

A Request Of Sorts

Well, we are into December and Christmas is very much on its way. We have brought out our Christmas books and put them in a beautifully decorated box (the result of last Saturday morning painting on the balconey). These books are only around for December so are particularly fascinating to the girls.

Here, the decorations and lights only went up in November, which feels very late really! The shops and catalogues are full of presents, our local Carrefour has Father Christmas and his reindeers outside (so odd, in the hot sun!) and a nativity scene inside (no Jesus yet - I don't think they notice that they have left him under a rock!).

A traditional Christmas activity here is Chante Nwel, which is Christmas carols Caribbean style! I don't know any of the songs but they are very cheerful and catchy, with plenty of singers in traditional madras dresses and musicians playing drums and guitars. We hope to go and see a performance one evening.

All in all, it feels much more relaxed here than at home. We are celebrating at Bertie's sister's house, and all bringing a dish. We are to get presents for the children so I think I will do books all round! I have mentally chosen the girls' presents (a French bible for CassCass from CLC and a toy or two for them both). As for cards, in France the deadline is 31 January so no hurry there! One aspect of life which is definitely less stressful here is the lack of travel as no where is much more than an hour away, meaning you don't have to allow a whole long day to visit someone, which is an integral part of our holidays back home.

So to my request - if you are being kind enough to send a card this Christmas, to save you some money, do send it to our London address. It will be forwarded to us and we don't mind receiving them late - you have until 31 January! My other request is I would love to have an up to date photo of you or your family which we can make into a collage to help us remember who all you lovely people are! (I hasten to add that is for the benefit of the younger ones, I can just about remember you!) You could just email one, but I don't think I know how to turn that into a printed one to go on my wall! Thank you very much in advance!

Other projects include putting up some decorations and a tree that are in a box in our hallway; making some decorations for the tree (I like the idea of making/getting something each year, and so this year we will decorate little carboard frames mum brought us and put our photos in them); having a special advent reading each day during the week before Christmas.

What are you up to this Christmas and what projects do you have during the remaining weeks?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh well I will just post your card anyway!
Evie has decorated our tree. Photos asap.
On wednesday I asked her to meet me after work - at Newington Green - to go on a secret adventure. We got on the 236 and reached Highbury Barn before she guessed where we were going.She was maagnificent on a packed bus home.We have a new decoration - a sea shell angel from Hawa'ii which says Aloha on it.

Missus Wookie said...

We never have Jesus arrive until Dec 25th (he's not there when the kids go to bed but arrives in the night....), and the wise men travel around the room until Jan 6th when they finally get there.

Anonymous said...

Oops sorry ! I've left you wondering where we were going too!
And thanks to The Mistress Wookie for pointing it out to me!
I'd seen some Christmas trees opposite Second Chance for £15.But when we got there they'd gone up to £20. this year rayners are £30 -£50...

Hevs said...

What a fun adventure! Here we have real trees for sale in Carrefour - they start at €30 I think. Again, they just dont feel right in the heat!
What a good idea Missus Wookie. Here we will be celebrating 6 Jan with the Galette de Roi I think - that is Ephiphany, isn't it?