The holiday season actually snuck up on me. I was walking to my Belgian friends house one hot December afternoon the first time I realized it was near Christmas. I was walking on my way like I had time and again when suddenly I noticed something strange, a group of men were erecting a gigantic green metal cone with coca-cola decorations all over it. At night it looked more like the Christmas tree it was supposed to be.
Our house did have a Christmas tree, but it was outside, and a foot tall. It was the nice background piece to the nativity scene my mother placed out front. It was a beautiful set carved from wood. I had seen them being sold on the street before but never looked closely at them. The craftsmanship really was good. The paint was dulled from time giving the set an antique feel.
Christmas day it's self wasn't actually that different. We sat around and watched movies, ate sweets and other foods. The difference was Christmas Eve. The day was spent going back and forth from church to go to all of the Navidad masses. Then at night we set up a table outside and relaxed as people on all sides of us shot off fireworks from their backyards. The shows were better than some 4th of July celebrations.
A week came and passed quickly and soon it was New Years. Which was a surprisingly calm night. We went to the fishing club and grilled on a patio overlooking the water as fireworks shot off across the river at 11 and on our side at 12, one of the few upsides of the time change between Brazil and Paraguay.
We had a conversation on Christmas that struck me odd. My host brother Alan was still living in Arizona at the time. He was video chatting with his dad and he commented that he felt that Christmas in the US was all about presents and not the family time like it is in Paraguay. I didn't say anything at the time. I didn't want to waste Alan's half hour of talk time on an argument with me, but later during dinner it came up again. My host dad told the rest of the family what Alan said. I told them that I didn't think that was true. Obviously there are some families in the US that care more about the presents at Christmas time than anything else, but not everyone is like that. My family here agreed that I was probably right and we went on our way, the whole situation made me think. So much of the exchange going good or bad for the student is dependent on the family they get. If you get a great family you'll have a great time. If you don't, you probably won't. I'm glad that I got lucky and got a good one.
It's a little late, but...
Happy Holidays,
Paz y amor
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