Christmas at Last

[aggienaut]

   Okay it's time to catch up on actual events before details get too fuzzy.

   We had a Christmas party at our place. It was actually really fun. Once again various friends from the latino community all ended up coming over, joint efforts were made to make a huge amount of food. Cristina (since I just added a bunch of people from the LJ Revival community I should note my wife, Cristina, is from Venezuela) had decorated our christmas tree (fake, but christmas being in summer here real trees die to fast) really beautifully. With presents for the White Elephant game and specific presents for various people there was quite the elegant pile of presents under the tree.



   The party went on till 2 or 3 am with dancing and revelry.

   In the ten years I've been here in Australia, especially at first I was often invited to people's houses for Christmas. I actually found it more sad/lonely/alienating than if I just stayed home -- this is another family deep in their family time, celebrating the most traditional cultural distillate there is, that they've been marinated in their entire lifetimes, and no matter how good of friends we are and well intentioned, I still feel like an outsider.
   This was the second Christmas since Cristina was here, last year we just had a quiet christmas just the two of us, and she made Venezuealan tamales (hallacas), apparently a Venezuelan christmas tradition. It seems I never posted or wrote about that so here's three pictures from Christmas 2024:





   But back to this Christmas. This party. Celebrating with a community of fellow immigrants, of my wife's culture, a combination of parents with kids and unrelated people, for the first time in ten years it genuinely felt like Christmas to me. We're all immigrants struggling together to find that sense of home. I never felt this with the groups of "Americans in Australia" because half them are always "I'm an ex-pat not an immigrant" and they are the must insufferably privileged people imaginable.


(This most recent Christmas)

Comments

[lenine2.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! I'm happy for you.

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a great way to celebrate Christmas! The food look delicious!

[iddewes]

Glad you had a nice time! I know what you mean about the “expats”. I joined a women’s club but it’s nearly all wealthy housewives.

[king-of-apathy.livejournal.com]

Looks like a great Christmas. The 2024 food looks really impressive too.

'I never felt this with the groups of "Americans in Australia" because half them are always "I'm an ex-pat not an immigrant" and they are the must insufferably privileged people imaginable.'
I'll count myself fortunate that the Korean foreigner scene is pretty chill and inclusive. In eight and a half years here I've yet to hear any of them come out with the "I'm an ex-pat not an immigrant" line.
People can call me an expat, foreigner or immigrant. It's all the same to me.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Tell Cristina that I want Venezuelan cooking classes from her.
I know what you mean by Americans. Way back in the day, my boss made me sign up for the American Women's Club here in Sevilla. I hated it so much...all the women were insufferable as were the Spanish ladies who were married to American men who join. Stuck up and wealthy with few exceptions. I quit after that first year.
Looks like good Christmases!

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Looks like the usual Christmas crowd - LOL.

- Erulisse (one L)

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Well then, immigrants to the US should call themselves Ex-pats, too. 😉

Interesting how hallacas are a Christmas tradition the same way tamales are.

[maju01.livejournal.com]

Some do. (Some of my fellow Australians.)

[morrigan716.livejournal.com]

Looks like a nice, delicious Christmas.

[jeanne-therese.livejournal.com]

Yesss real tamales are wrapped in banana leaves...haha, my family makes Guatemalan style tamales and they look similar to this. We don't eat them with sides inside the leaves like in the photo, just a little lime. Just kidding though, everyone's traditional tamales are really cool and unique!

I never get tired of seeing Christmas photos. ❤️ It looks like you had a really special time!

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

There's a Guatemalen food truck that pops up around here and we're friends with the people that run it. Guatemalan style tamales are one of their staples!

[modestmaya.livejournal.com]

As an American myself, ex-pat is the DUMBEST word I have ever heard uttered from another American's lips. I just called myself a "half Aussie" for fun, and to confuse people. I am glad you had a lovely Christmas for the first time in a long time... that's wonderful!