Staying versus Leaving

We blog frequently about the compromises we make living on a boat. Whether it be doing without amenities like a freezer or hot water, or negotiating work versus play days, there always seems to be give and take in our live-aboard life. Making the decision to fly home for Christmas this year was one of the more difficult compromises we've made lately. Being apart has been more the norm than the exception these past couple of years, so opting to be apart when there was no real family emergency seemed a bit inconsiderate on my part. Yet, David encouraged me to go and spend the holidays with my sister.

I treasure the holiday season. David enjoys it, but it's not that important to him. “David, I'm going to decorate the boat for Christmas.” “Okay, honey, have at it.” If it gets decorated, wonderful. If it doesn't, no worries. I go for lots of lights and faux evergreen garlands, fresh flowers when we can find them, stuffed stockings and a  traditional roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings. David loves the food aspect, and cheerfully participates with my holiday-mania, but the rest is all fluff to him. We even negotiate how soon and how often I'll play Christmas music on the boat. He's reluctant to hear the same Christmas CDs (we only have two) much before December 1st. Me? I could start playing them in July without a problem.

In the past, we've celebrated Christmas in Florida, Ecuador, Chile, Tasmania, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia … sometimes with a group and sometimes just the two of us. We always manage to make the the day cheery, but there's something about picking out a Christmas tree and decorating it, and all the other festivities that lead up to the holiday that put me in the spirit.

David and I talked about this at length before I made the plane reservations. I wanted him to come back with me. He preferred to stay and work on the boat rather than travel back to the States for a couple of weeks. He'll rack up some “cave time” and get lots of projects completed by the time I return.

What it all comes down to is compromise once again. Beyond doing things for the boat and maintaining our live-aboard, gypsy lifestyle, sometimes we need to do things for ourselves as individuals. So I'll be in Boston sister-ing over the holidays and David will be in Durban Nine-of-Cupping and come the New Year … we'll be ready to start living the good life once again … together.

Getting into the Spirit of the Season

We've missed celebrating quite a few holidays, so I was keen to make sure we got started celebrating Christmas early … especially since we'd be apart this year for Christmas. Yes, I'm heading home to Boston to spend the holidays with my sister, Lin. David is staying with his demanding mistress, Miss Nine of Cups, in hopes of repairing all we broke crossing the Indian Ocean. When I saw an ad on the Point Yacht Club website for a Durban City Orchestra holiday concert and a luncheon held at the yacht club, I exercised my option for this as as one of our negotiated afternoons off.

There's something about seeing Christmas decorations up in foreign countries that's always a surprise … as if they don't celebrate this holiday the way we do. South Africa certainly does celebrate, although like Australia, it's a summer holiday here and going to the beach for a braai (BBQ) is more reasonable than roasting a turkey in the oven. The downtown main streets in Durban are decorated with garlands and lights and all the shops have Christmas decorations and holiday sales going on.

The festivities were held upstairs in the yacht club and the turn-out was pretty impressive. We had a “cruiser table” which included Finnish, Australian and American sailors. Not quite a United Nations representation, but fun nevertheless. The luncheon was the usual buffet fare; nothing special, but edible (and I didn't have to cook it or do the dishes).

The concert began as soon as we sat to eat and continued all through the meal and dessert. I kind of wished all the meal hubbub was not concurrent with the concert as it was very disruptive and  rude to the orchestra. The Durban City Orchestra, with about 40 members, has been in existence since 1888 and is the second oldest symphony orchestra in South Africa. They were quite good, especially for an amateur group.

The arrangements of holiday music performed spanned  traditional standards like Silent Night and White Christmas to the upbeat score of Polar Express. A young singer contributed some vocals along the way. I was definitely in my element. I knew every word to every Christmas song and, like many others in the audience, I was singing along. David was tapping his feet and mouthed a few words to the songs he knew. I teared up when they played I'll Be Home For Christmas.

All in all, a good start to the holiday season though I boarded a flight to Boston within hours after the concert finished.  I have mixed emotions over being “home” with my sister and not “home” with David for the holidays. “Home” for me definitely spans two continents.

An Aussie Christmas

This will be our second Christmas celebrated in Australia. Last year, John and Shawn on Active Transport spent the holiday aboard with us in Sydney. This year they're in South Africa and we're in Hobart. Unlike Australians who realize that Christmas is a summer holiday down under, we're still northern hemisphere traditionalists and it's hard to dispel old ways of thinking that have been ingrained for decades. We're not hoping for snow or anything, but we like the big midday turkey feast and presents under the tree ... I mean, the mast, on Christmas morning.

Most Australians we know tend to celebrate the holiday at the beach with a picnic or have a big outdoor barbie. Several folks from the marina have taken off for a week or two to go sailing or camping over the holidays. It's summertime ... outdoor activities seem the right thing to do. We're told, it has become traditional for international visitors who are in Sydney at Christmas to go to Bondi Beach where up to 40,000 people visit on Christmas Day. Wouldn't that be a fun experience? (NOT!)

Christmas shopping is done in shorts and t-shirts instead of all bundled up in parkas, mittens and snow boots. Though I've seen poinsettias, the local red proteas or the native Christmas Bush with its bright red flowers, seem more appropriate. I've seen artificial trees, but no lots full of real Christmas trees for sale. Santa might be just as likely to arrive at the beach on a surfboard or in a dinghy as in a sleigh … and the white boomers readily replaced the tired reindeer without hesitation for Santa's inland Australian run last night … or so we heard.

Perhaps if we were from California or Florida, the beach thing would be appealing. But we're not...we're from cold and snow country and being at the beach on Christmas … well, it's just not right! We should be shoveling snow or making snowmen or snow forts...having snowballs fights, but definitely not laying on a beach. It was cool and overcast today in Hobart. Not a good beach day at all … but not good for snowballs either.

So, how did we celebrate Christmas? We planned to go to midnight service at St. David's Cathedral, but it was cold, dark, windy and misty at 11pm and we were already in bed. So much for that plan.

We were up early this morning drinking mimosas (champagne and OJ) and singing Christmas songs while getting the turkey stuffed and in the oven for our traditional afternoon feast. We gratefully declined offers made by friends and opted to spend Christmas with just the two of us this year. We like each others' company a lot plus more leftover turkey for the crew.

We cooked and chatted and opened our presents. We had cinnamon coffee cake for breakfast...washed down with yet more mimosas. We watched a romantic movie (Love, Actually) and it was time to eat. The turkey was roasted to perfection. The aroma had driven us crazy for hours. The table was set with our best linen and china (as if!). Hours of preparation led to a leisurely, sumptuous dinner. Everything was delicious including the blueberry/raspberry crisp for dessert (a close second to cranberry pudding). A fine day celebrating what we love most … each other.

We'll Skype our family in the States and Brennan and Hannah in Rome tomorrow when they have their holiday celebration.

Wishing you and yours a happy Christmas from Nine of Cups.