It's (Not) Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Yes, It's Christmas Eve. I just went into the local Toys'R'Us, and discovered that there were only about 10 other shoppers.

Last night at one of Taichung's biggest department stores, I was able to walk up and down the escalators. Anyone who lives in a big city knows why this is surprising. Subway stations and other places with public escalators often have two lines: one for standing, and one for walking. But in department stores, the same courtesy is not offered. People stand two and three abreast, and no one walks. Even down. So if you want to go down 15 floors (this is a big store), you can wait for 10 minutes for the elevator (which stops on pretty much every floor both ways), or you can queue up with the herd slowly, mechanically, and irritatingly making their way down the escalators. But yesterday, I walked around like it was a Tuesday afternoon in July.

I haven't seen one Christmas special on TV. Even the movie networks have not shown any Christmas classics (Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th St.) , or even any of the rotten new Christmas movies (Jingle all the Way, that one where Michael Keaton plays a snowman).

I couldn't find Christmas wrapping paper in three different bookstores (which are, in Taiwan, the usual place to go for gift wrap and stationery supplies like ribbons, cards, bows, stickers, etc...)

(Man, I do love the parentheses...)

Today's weather: 24C and sunny.

I feel like I need to counteract this non-spirit of Christmas. Though honestly, why I'm still so hung up about it is a mystery. I guess I do need a piece of "home" sometimes. So...

I received some Christmas cards...very cool. They are on display, though not on a fireplace mantle. Bookshelves also do in a pinch.

We have a fake tree, a real poinsettia, and other festive decorations about the living room.

We are borrowing our friend's (imported) DVD of Christmas Story (the evil DVD-region-encoding being conspicuously ignored by manufacturers in Taiwan and China)

I've taken the day off, since there's no holiday other than the usual weekend. Don't get me started about that again.

I'm sorry if you're not religious, or of a different religious persuasion, but I'm glad it's here. I think I needed it. Merry Christmas. Honestly.