Doyles at Watson's Bay, Sydney

By Algernon

Earlier this year, I moved from self employment to working for State Owned Corporation. Some of the benefits are a slower pace and a nine day fortnight. With the nine day fortnight it means every other Friday off.

For a number of years I have come to loath the commercial aspect of Christmas, the gluttony and materialism that go with it. Now I’m not trying to put a religious spin or anything here, I looking at how it is celebrated and the excesses that go with it.

Watson's Bay Camp Cove - source Wikipedia

In recent years one of my clients had harbour cruises. This year the SOC I work for had a Christmas Lunch in a restaurant and the section I work for has what they like to call a “Big Day Out” the following day. The Big day out is always held in the same place, The Watsons Bay Hotel. Now Watsons Bay is a place of my youth, many years watching the yachts head out and down the coast on Boxing Day or maybe a day trip when visiting grandparents at Bondi.

The Big Day Out is always held on a RDO in December and has done so for around a decade. Tradition stipulates that all those attending must wear Hawaiian shirts and never the same one two years in a row. I was proud of the gem I found at St Vinnie’s for 50% off for $3. Others managed to find some real stunners. We would all meet at Circular Quay to catch the ferry arrive in time for opening returning on the last ferry around 4:00pm. One of life’s simple pleasures is catching a harbour ferry.

For many years I’ve noticed that the Christmas decorations hit the stores at the end of September, in my youth it was the end of October. The stores are spruiking stuff much of it overpriced and that much of it we don’t need. A lot returned on the days after Christmas. Another thing I see is the desperate need to get together with “friend’s” and “family” at this time of year when some would not even consider at other times.

Lately I’ve wondered about the Christmas food. Legs of Ham, Turkeys, fruit cakes, puddings etc all winter food and not really appropriate for Australia at this time of year. Growing up, we’d visit an aunt where a cousin would appear bearing gifts of lobster, prawns, fish and other seafood wonders. Being fisher folk they’d bring this fresh off the trawler.

Now a Christmas dinner is a meal you don’t eat at any other time of the year. We eat leg ham all year around and eat half a leg between Christmas and New Year what is left over is saved for pea and ham soup in winter. The turkey is always a small so it’s gone a few days later. Now I know people who wouldn’t eat ham except at this time of year then buy a whole leg for a small family now a leg weighs between 11 and 15kgs it’s a lot of ham. I’d hate to think how much is wasted. That goes for the giant turkeys as well. Our butcher tells us the Turkduckins are popular. That’s a chicken stuffed into a duck which is then stuffed into a turkey and will set you back around $150.

The discussion at the BDO came down to what each was doing for Christmas. One spoke how family members had their nose out of joint as they always did Christmas lunch and had done so for over 40 years was not impressed that lunch would be at their place. Forget the fact that they were getting slower and forgetful and that this person had a young family. An interesting time ahead for them. Another said they had a family do on the weekend where half the family was at loggerheads with the others and some were not even welcome. Afterwards they are off to somewhere in New England with partner and their mother who is just as insistent about doing things even though they are less able to cope compared to years past. Even in my family we are have Christmas here though it’s not our turn with everybody doing something towards it. One family member feels put out even though they are having day surgery this week.

I’m sure we’ll all have good days!

As for presents, I ask for peace and goodwill to all people. No one seems to understand this. I’d prefer no presents or would prefer someone buy me a goat in Bangladesh or a toilet in the Congo or even a permanent clean water supply in Malawi. I live in hope.  This year however, one of the children has taken to buying presents, something they haven’t done in the past. They don’t have much money apart from some pocket money. They’re a little concerned as they feel it’s not much. I told them it’s something I’ll cherish as they have given it from the

As for the day, celebrate it as you do and can I offer all of you peace and goodwill. If you can’t get enough of Christmas music here is a link to keep you out of trouble. Every day is Christmas at this station.

http://radiotime.com/station/s_89803/181FM_Christmas_Standards.aspx

Good Luck to All !

Also a Happy New Year to all the Piglets.