I know, you were probably expecting a photograph of my Christmas tree, or some other seasonal decor. In fact, those beat-up looking boxes
are seasonal decor for me - this year. While some expats stuff their suitcases with presents and fly home to dispense them in person, we will not be heading home, but rather - as many expats in Asia do - heading somewhere warm and tropical for Christmas, saving the long visit home for the summer. This means that all our Christmas presents must be mailed, and - in order to get them there on time without sacrificing the boys' higher education - early. This pile (which is still short two boxes) will be taken to the post office today and - after all the customs forms are completed (another aspect of expat life I was unprepared for) - will begin the process of traveling halfway across the world to the people we love.
Our dining room table has spent the weekend awash in packing tape, gift wrap, Christmas cards, and bojagi (Korean wrapping cloths) which - thanks to Youtube - I was able to learn to wrap properly
with only a few frustrated tantrums.
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| The 'Lotus Wrap' |
Naturally, the cloths and their beautiful ties will emerge wrinkled and crushed by the tons of bubblewrap and crumpled newspaper that had to be crammed in around all the items (why, oh why, do the Koreans insist on making so much gorgeous,
breakable stuff?) to ensure that they arrive in one piece, but I guess it really is the thought that counts. And, just because
it's my blog and I can do what I want I am so pleased at the way these turned out, I will post pictures of my first attempts at tying bojagi. (Besides, if you get one of these, you might like to know what it looked like before it spent a week or two squashed in a box.)
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| The 'Orchid' wrap. |
While it's been something of a challenge to get so many gifts bought, wrapped, and packed for shipping so early in the year, you can only imagine how thrilled I am at the thought that the majority of my Christmas shopping is done on December 5th. Every year, I make an enormous effort to get my shopping finished early enough so that I can sit back and enjoy the ambiance of the season. It stands to reason that - the one year that I do manage to do it - I'm living in a country where the Christmas ambiance is, well
, minimal, to say the least. And on top of that, I'm trying to get everything packed for our trip to Thailand, which, since it involves a bathing suit, is more
traumatic complicated than normal packing. Needless to say, my fantasies of lounging around basking in the soft glow of the tree and listening to carols will - once again - probably not be realized.
Unless I leave the tree up until February. Now,
there's an idea....
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