Anticipating Christmas

Four days to go and it is Christmas.  How I eagerly anticipate this one time of the year!  What with the generic presents (mugs and picture frames among others), recycled carols (Oh, I am hearing songbirds here and there. Which type of birds? Parrots!-- I used to joke the younger carolers with this remark. Obviously they will throw me that if-it's-a-joke-then-it's-not-funny-look.  I think caroling is such a gaffe), reunions with family members and kin (some of whom you do not even want to catch a glimpse of), palatable dishes (Oh, so tasty you want to puke), freezing cold temperature (freezing is hyperbole, of course), and an overflow of money (obviously another hyperbole).

How I eagerly anticipate... for something I know will not happen.

Photo credit: Publicis Singapore/Sonny Day of Tripwire Magazine

I had a chat last night with one of my very close students.  He now goes as a freshman to a premier university in my country.  An hour of tete-a-tete.  How I missed him!  How I missed all of them!  Time has swiftly passed.  My students have transformed to fidgety butterflies from dawdling caterpillars , to intricate flowers from tiny buds .  Darn, my student even threw me a pick-up line! Haha! And so, the rap session brought me to the flashback of several Christmases ago.

I pine for the times that I enjoyed tongue-lashing at my students when they lack synchronization for the basic steps of Feliz Navidad, pine for the times that I had a frog in my throat because of explaining some lessons even I get confused of (Preposition must be the hardest Part of Speech for playing excess baggage and giving rebirth to phrases resulting to Idioms) and ultimately, I pine for the times that I had to play surrogate mother, sister (No, never babysitter despite them being a bunch of pain in the neck) and friend.


How I eagerly anticipate... for something I know will not immediately happen.

No, not too soon.  For now I have to settle with the thought of celebrating Christmas on my own... without the generic presents and perpetual carolers, away from missed family, students and friends, and in the absence of appetizing dishes and freezing cold temperature which surely make me wish that I could spend Christmas back home.

This is just one of the purple-lit trees erected on the center island along the street of Sharah Khalifa, Al Ain City.  Perhaps UAE's own way of wishing Christian expats a happy holiday. (Authors's own snap)