Christmas

Christmas happens

Christmas happens, even if you’re in a place where it’s sunny and summer and about as far from the North Pole as you can get. Here’s proof (I was present as witness): mariela-christmas.jpg

Christmas happening

I had a distinctly different Christmas experience than usual though, what with being in Patagonia, thousands miles from family, home and tradition.

Christmasy things I didn’t do this year: •  Taste gingerbread or lemon squares •  See Frankie shoot his eye out on television numerous times per day •  Wear my puffy-painted Santa sweatshirt •  Hear the cat try to climb the Christmas tree in the next room •  Watch the traffic director at the local shopping center dance while signalling cars •  Lip sync along with the carolers at my doorstep

Christmasy things I did do this year: •  Decorate our cabin by hanging stockings and a string of lights from the curtain rods and putting a 2-inch Christmastree made of green beads in the windowsill •  Blare English-language Christmas carols from my computer while sitting in front of the woodburning stove with my roommates one evening •  Buy chocolates and a bracelet for my amiga secreta at work •  Visit my second cousin Christian Santelices at his family’s ranch in Río Verde, a small community about an hour and a half from Punta Arenas. Eat a feast, open gifts by a tree.