The holidays are here

Ha ha ha ha ha at all of you back in the U.S. who have to go grocery shopping today. I don’t envy you in the slightest. It seems like a million years ago -- a totally different life yet only one year ago -- that I was trying to go to the Whole Foods in Walnut Creek on the Monday before Thanksgiving and already, that early in the week, the parking lot was so crowded there was a wait around the block for spaces. (I ended up driving home and BARTing/walking back -- mmm, and stopping for a gingerbread latte at Starbucks for the walk home.)

This year on the Monday before Thanksgiving I went out to see what I could find for Christmas decorations on the local market for my office holiday party. The pickins’ are pretty slim. And weirdly priced. Some strands of lights are 15,000 bufers ($12.50), while others are only 4,000 or 5,000 bufers ($3.33 or $4.17) and I can’t for the life of me figure out why the difference. So far I’ve only found two stores that even carry Christmas lights.

Now, I could use some of the lights I packed up and brought with me, but there’s a slight issue of the power conversion and plug adaptors. Plugging in my American lights would need quite a hefty converter.

Then there’s the issue of the party taking place in the afternoon outdoors. It’s either going to be blindingly bright from the sun or pouring rain. Lights may be a “moo” point.

Glass balls on a palm tree and Vince Guaraldi Trio playing in the background is festive yet tasteful, right?

I also had the idea that the Americans in the office could bake Christmas cookies for the Burundians as a way to share an American aspect of the holiday. That could potentially backfire and leave me up to my elbows in cookie dough if no one else volunteers to help out.

Just for the kitsch value, I did buy a couple strands of lights for my own home and office use. Every package looks like it’s straight out of 1955 and they’re all dusty. It’s a little depressing and Charlie Brown Christmas around here.

It’s a tad early for me, but I started on Christmas music today. My first song of the season? Wham’s “Last Christmas.” Right now the Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick” is on. I'll be hunkering down and starting the holiday movie viewing this weekend. My dad likes to watch White Christmas after dinner on Thanksgiving. I'll definitely be watching that first this year.