Mötley Crüe

Fifteen years ago, friends of ours moved back to the Midwest after a decade in Southern California. Knowing how fast-paced and transient life in Los Angeles can be, I asked them if it was hard to make friends. They said it was actually quite the opposite. Because so many people in Southern California were transplants from other parts of the country, they explained, none of them had their extended family around. They found that they ended up spending their holidays together and sharing each others’ hardship and joys.

I think that I’m starting to understand what my friends were talking about. Christmas is supposed to be a time for family; but when you’re 12,000 miles away from Grandpas and Grandmas, uncles and aunts, you make due.

The Friday before Christmas, we had a party with the four families from the Seventh Floor. The kids spent the afternoon cutting out paper snowflakes, making red and green paper chains, and hanging them up. One family moved their tree into the common area, we all brought a dish or two to pass, and the kids brought gifts. We had a big potluck Christmas meal together and then watched the kids open the gifts they had bought for each other.

On Christmas day we accepted an invitation from a family who also teaches here at ICS. After spending Christmas morning together as a family opening presents, we rode the train to the other side of the New Territories. Our hostess made a turkey, a ham, stuffing, and all the Christmas fixings. It was just like Grandma used to make –except for that plate of sushi on the table. Our hosts had also inviting over another American family who were visiting from Indonesia where they live and teach. We had never met them before, but when you're part of an ex-pat community, I have found that you tend to become friends pretty quickly, especially when you are relaxing in someone’s home on Christmas day.

On both occasions, it was a pretty rag-tag band that we had hobbled together and it was certainly no substitute for Grandpa and Grandma, cousins and uncles and aunts. But it sure was nice to have a place to belong and someone to celebrate Christmas with.

-Jack