This
was, by all accounts, an exceptionally outstanding Christmas. All the elements
came together to create an unforgettable holiday season, from its earliest
appearances back at the start of the month, continuing in their crescendo
towards the big day itself, and winding down with a lot of casual recovery and relaxation
over the rest of the week that followed. Yes, the last Yuletide of the 2010s
was surely a success, and I’d like to take some time to put together a quick
recap of the festivities.
Of
course, once Thanksgiving has come and gone, Christmas is already upon us, at
least in terms of decorating. I make it a point to wait to do up my apartment until the first of December, but—needless to say—not everybody is quite so patient. I’ve written many times before that Hong Kong
goes crazy with its lighting displays, often festooning the entire façade of an
enormous harbor-fronting skyscraper with seasonal embellishments.
These
never fail to amaze me, and this season, after ten years of viewing the
displays, I was still stopped dead in my tracks at several points to take in
the impressive sight and snap a photograph or ten.
The Peninsula, grande dame that she is, also got supremely decked for the season. There's an undeniable grace and beauty this building lends to Salisbury Road any time of the year. But I think I love it most of all when those elegant December snowflakes are added to the mix.
Yes, in spite of all that's gone on here over the past string of months, Hong Kong still got dressed for Christmas in her usual fashion.
And
after years of postulating about it, I finally buckled down and bought a real
tree for my own apartment! I’d toyed with the idea over the past few Christmases, but one thing or
another always got in my way. So it’s an utter delight to be writing this under
the lights twinkling on my nearly seven foot tall fir, bedecked with candy canes and
those same stalwart ornaments I purchased for my first Hong Kong Christmas back
in 2009.
I
wish I could say I picked out a prized beauty from the dozens of trees
available at Hong Kong’s famed flower market. Alas, while I headed out there
one evening many weeks ago—and stocked up on poinsettias, complemented by a bag
of fresh roasted chestnuts from a street vendor, during my visit—the trees
themselves were outrageously overpriced. Full and tall and proud, I must
confess, but costing several times the amount I had hoped to pay.
I
love the romantic idea of traipsing over to Prince Edward and selecting the
perfect noble evergreen. But the reality of the situation would also then entail
lugging the thing back to Happy Valley in a rented van, plus carrying its hefty
bulk up the six flights of stairs awaiting you once you’ve arrived in my
building. It was just not to be.
Enter
trusty (albeit boring, commonplace) Ikea, which not only offered remarkably
cost-effective specimens, but also threw in free shipping—including a
delivery man willing to scale my steps! Of course, the catch is that you don’t
choose a specific tree, sorting through the multitudes to find your ideal.
All you decide is whether to go for the small option (between four and
five feet) or the large one (between six and seven feet). Mine turned out to be
a little barer than I would have liked. But, all things considered, it was a
great bargain.
And,
I must say, the smell of the pine needles and the, well, the realness of a genuine tree, have
injected a great deal of holiday happiness into my life these past weeks. Many
nights after work, I’ve voluntarily ensconced myself in my living room, with all
the lights plugged in, just to bask in the gloriousness of the scene. (True
confession: I deliberately doze off on the couch more frequently this time
of year than any other, falling asleep to Christmas music and visions of sugar
plums.)
In addition to the apartment, my colleague Cherry and I also took it upon ourselves to decorate the foyer of our office this year. I found a bag of holiday decorations—really just some garlands and a few worn, miniature trees—behind one of the desks, and we lovingly set them up to lend a little festive cheer to the workplace.
I amassed
way too many Christmas cards from Saint John’s Cathedral Bookshop back in early
December, too. (The same place I procured my chocolate Advent calendar.) I just couldn’t help myself; I fell in love with so many
varieties. In the end, I wound up sending out just shy of twenty-five cards, while
I bought something more like sixty, so I have ample supply when the holidays
roll around again in 2020!
Hong
Kong’s Christmas events started well before my trip to Hanoi, including that
all around spectacular weekend where SantaCon Saturday meets International Race
Day Sunday. With the exception of Rugby Sevens, I’d probably rank it as
the greatest event of the annual social calendar. And I immersed myself in it
fully this go around.
Whether
drinking Coronas with a view of the skyline, or belting out “All I Want for
Christmas is You” on the Star Ferry, or wreaking havoc along the MTR escalators,
SantaCon always makes for a grand day from start to finish. And although I rocked
up solo, I very quickly found the friends with whom I’d be spending the day. I mean,
there were probably around three hundred Santas to choose from, so I guess this
isn’t really a big surprise.
Some
of these came in the form of new buddies with whom I struck up random
conversations; others were from unexpected encounters with people I already
knew—some, like my friend Kayla, who I hadn’t seen in years! By the time I
headed home that evening, my Christmas spirits were sky high.
The
next day I trekked out to Sha Tin for Hong Kong International Race Day—and was
absolutely gutted to learn that the Jockey Club decided to forego their traditional
HKIR baseball cap, which I have collected almost every year since my first
visit to Sha Tin for International Race Day in 2009. Due to the civil unrest, they also opted to nix the
traditional fireworks display that sees impressive pyrotechnics shot off into
the air after the conclusion of the final race. Still, I can’t say anything else
negative about the day. But here’s hoping that by December 2020, things are
back to normal again on all fronts.
After
spending the first several races in the public area, I then was invited to join
my friends Kathy and Lou—and Kathy’s entire family!—in the Owner’s Box, because
her dad's horse Glorious Forever, a champion in last year’s two thousand meter Hong
Kong Cup, was again running today.
Although
he fared much worse this year, it was Kathy’s sister Karan’s birthday, and the
whole clan was duly celebrating. It was a great way to cap off yet another
wonderful December day at the track.
As I’ve
noted before, there are so many pieces of the Yuletide puzzle, that all play
their own role in the season, some tiny, some large. For me, this season was
chock full of almost everything I require to have myself a merry little
Christmas.
Holiday movies and television shows are a must for me, from classics like The Thin Man, Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, and The Shop Around the Corner to Christmas-themed
episodes of The Honeymooners, Mary Tyler Moore, The Office, Friends... even What's My Line? Whether watching at home or occasionally on my desktop at work, I love
revisiting all my favorites (and, from time to time, discovering a new addition
for the list).
I
stocked up on the egg nog, of course, courtesy of Taste, an international supermarket
in the Hopewell Centre in Wan Chai. I kept one bottle in our office fridge to
liven up my morning Nespressos with a little holiday cheer, and another one in
my apartment, to create stronger drinks as the Christmas schedule allows.
And I
felt just the tiniest bit gluttonous about it, but I bought my marrons glacés
from the Maison du Chocolat this year. The past few Noels, I’ve saved a few
bucks by procuring less deluxe French candied chestnuts from various places. For me,
Christmas just isn’t complete without them, but I decided to splurge on the top
of the line morsels to see out the decade.
And,
at long last, I tracked down mistletoe in Hong Kong! In Christmases past, I’ve
scoured the flower market and countless florists all over town, ranging from the
high end to the mom-and-pop varietals. Never fail, I have totally bombed in my
endeavor. But, this year, I lucked out!
I
was heading back to the office after a client meeting one morning last week,
and I decided to pass through ifc en route, to pop into posh CitySuper to scope
out their gingerbread houses. As fate would have it, the equally posh Flannel
Flowers, located just next door, had several bundles of the holiday weed in
stock.
I was
on the phone as I passed and did an excited double take, for I’d definitely dropped
by in previous years, seeing as this would be the kind of place to sell rare
goodies for homesick Americans looking to recreate their traditional Christmas down
to the tiniest detail. “This is the first time you guys have sold this, right? You didn't have this last year?”
I asked the shop girl.
“No,
we haven’t had this before," she replied, "but it’s quite special.” She
then proceeded to convince me it was wise to spend HKD 100—or about USD 13—on some.
It didn’t take much effort on her part. Now that I’d found it, I probably would
have paid a lot more. As they say, Christmas comes but once a year. I've loved pointing it out to people when they've dropped by over the past days.
In
the end, I didn’t get my gingerbread house from CitySuper but rather from Great,
another ritzy supermarket over in Pacific Place in Admiralty, a few days later.
The one I settled on wasn’t your typical variety. Instead, it was a dog gingerbread
house, complete with a sugar Fido. And I customized it to suit my own little
pooch. Since the house's inevitable post-Christmas destruction, I’ve even been
sure to share some of the pieces with him.
Continuing
the tradition of “Up on the Housetop,” my annual Christmastime rooftop bash, I
had a group of friends over on Tuesday evening the week before the actual holiday. I had
to squeeze it in early because many Hong Kong-based friends fly back home or head off on Christmas
vacations. The nature of a mid-week party kept the alcohol intake lower
than that of my usual weekend gatherings, but it was still a noteworthy
addition to the memorable litany.
We
had mulled wine a-plenty, Santa hats galore and a seemingly unending string of
Christmas tunes emanating from my laptop. And it was wonderful to ensure ample
time to celebrate with some of my best friends.
Starting Tuesday, it turned into a pretty busy week, because after my party, I wound up at
the track with Matt and Ana on Wednesday for the last of the pre-Christmas race
meetings. Of course, Santa Claus was there, but he didn’t bring me any extra
luck. None of my bets hit.
But
Thursday might have been the high point of it all! Saint-Germain, the wonderful
French brasserie around the corner from my place, organized a raclette dinner
with “all you can eat” melted Swiss cheese and charcuterie. I booked a table
and invited friends to join along, and I am already looking forward to the
January installment, since Saint-Germain plans to continue putting these feasts together once a month between now and the time the mercury rises with the coming of
spring.
I
also hesitantly bought a ticket of the Nutcracker
again, put on by Hong Kong Ballet. Perhaps my greatest Christmas surprise this season is how utterly phenomenal it was. For me, Tchaikovsky’s spirited ballet
is an integral part of the holiday. And I must admit, I’m pretty spoilt. I grew
up outside New York City, and trips up to Lincoln Center to see Balanchine’s
legendary production were a common Yuletide occurrence for the Parisi family.
My
first attendance at the Hong Kong version was in 2011, when I went with Amy and
Chiara. I remember the three of us wincing as the Cavalier visibly struggled to
catch the Sugar Plum Fairy during their Grand Pas de Deux. Now, don’t get me wrong.
I thoroughly enjoyed the show that year. It certainly helped get me in the Christmas
mood. And I'm not trying to say that it was laughably bad or amateurish. But it was nowhere near as impressive as New York City’s.
Five years later, in
2016, I again made my way to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui to see
the show, and, again, my verdict was that the quality of the dancing was certainly
capable but somewhat basic. Still, just being in the Grand Theatre listening to
the spellbinding music is enough to warrant the price of a ticket. But I longed
for a more eye-catching production.
The
following year, my friend Sophie and I came up with a novel solution, since she shared
my assessment of the local Nutcracker.
Instead of exchanging the highest quality of dancing for the novelty of three dimensional dancers, we opted to book
seats at a screening of the Bolshoi’s Nutcracker
in a TST cinema. Obviously, the Bolshoi is one of the few dance companies that
can give New York City Ballet a good run for its money. And it was surely a
treat to see such a storied production.
But
this year, the day before Christmas Eve, I was toying with the idea of going to
the Cultural Centre a third time. And I’m so glad I followed through. I must say, the
Hong Kong Ballet has gotten markedly stronger since 2016, and if this is the
new normal, then I’ll be a regular attendee from now on. Yes, I’m proud to
report that we finally have a fabulous Nutcracker in the SAR.
To complete
the illusion of being in New York City, I prefaced the show with an amazing
dinner at the nearby Langham Hotel’s Main Street Deli. Feasting on an enormous Reuben
and fries (plus a ginger ale) in a spot-on recreation of a Manhattan diner
really did the trick. I think I have a new holiday tradition on my hands for those years when I'm unable to return home for the holidays!
A few
noteworthy anniversaries have also come and gone during the Yuletide reveries. My
blog just hit the tenth anniversary of
its initial post, written all the way back
on 22 December 2009. And on Christmas Eve itself, I celebrated the tenth
anniversary of my inaugural visit to what I now lovingly treasure as my Hong Kong
home, my Happy Valley apartment. Yes, it was a Christmas Eve barbecue hosted by
dear old Sonia, two and a half years before I’d move in to the place myself. I’d
been in Hong Kong a mere six weeks, marking my first Christmas away from my
family, doing my best to make new friends under the circumstances.
Of
course, I couldn’t resist the temptation to host a second rooftop party this season,
on Christmas Eve itself to commemorate the anniversary. And I actually
co-hosted the event with my fourth-floor neighbor Ines, from Poland. You see, over
the past year, Ines and I have become pretty good friends, so much so that I
invited her to our rooftop Thanksgiving back in November.
When
I mentioned that evening that I also planned to have people over on Christmas
Eve, she excitedly asked if she could join and bring along some pals of her
own. She then informed me she desired to make it a true Polish Christmas—where
the major celebration takes place on the 24th—by cooking traditional
foods like golabki (cabbage-wrapped minced beef) and a delectable beetroot soup called barszcz with
homemade dumplings known as uszka.
We
had a good crowd, and everybody seemed to have a wonderful time. And don’t
worry, although we partied until the early hours, I made sure the milk and
cookies were left out for Saint Nick. Perhaps I should have left him some mince
pies instead, as I still have half a dozen left over that I’ll need to finish in
the coming days!
I somehow
still made it to Saint John’s for 9am service on Christmas Day, one of my
favorite church events of the year. As Washington Irving wrote in his beautiful
Old Christmas stories, “I do not know
a grander effect of music on the moral feelings than to hear the full choir and
the pealing organ performing a Christmas anthem in a cathedral and filling
every part of the vast pile with triumphant harmony.”
When they burst into the
sanctuary singing
O Come, All Ye Faithful,
chills ran up and down my spine. And departing to
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing provided an equally memorable finish.
Then
I met Kevin, his wife Lynn, their children Harry and Isla, and a group of their
mates, for an unbelievably upscale Christmas lunch at the Mandarin Oriental in
Central. I’ve had Christmases in restaurants before, but never anywhere like
this! From oysters and caviar, to prime rib, to literally incessant Champagne, it
was top class all the way.
Mercifully,
Hong Kong’s British heritage means that we are grandfathered into commemorating
Boxing Day—the day
after Christmas—as
well, which couldn’t have been more welcome this year in the wake of those ceaseless
bubbles.
I
did make it a point to wake up early, so that I could place my traditional call to my family celebrating at my cousin Victoria’s house in Brooklyn. Whenever
the Parisis gather to celebrate major events and I am unable to join in person,
I almost always pre-arrange to call either my father or sister so that their
phone can be passed around the table for me have a quick chat with everybody.
Instead
of doing anything big afterwards, however, I opted to spend most of that next
day curled up on the couch with Fredric, sipping egg nog, watching Christmas movies
and tv shows, and generally enjoying the strange allure of relishing doing very
little indeed.
The morning started with egg nog. And eventually
I worked up the energy to mull the remains of several half- and quarter-full
wine bottles that had gone unconsumed during the Christmas Eve gathering two
nights before. Shockingly, the results were utterly delicious.
Friday,
we were back to work, but the return was short and sweet. By mid-afternoon I
was at Sarah and Joel’s house in Big Wave Bay to close out the season
in a most memorable fashion. They convinced me to stay for the night in their
guest room, within sound of the surf, allowing us to spend some quality time together this morning, which was as early as expected, considering they have a five month old baby and a delightful four year old daughter... not to mention their rambunctious golden doodle Sandy!
So this morning included home cooked bacon rolls and a glorious
beach stroll-cum-play session. Oh, what a Christmas!
Since
moving here in November 2009, I’ve stuck around Hong Kong six times for the
holidays and gone back to the States four. (Once, in 2012, I had just moved to
Singapore to open a new office for my former company and spent the season in what
I thought would be my new home.) I must say, people often think it must be
depressing for me to be here during this time, that I’m effectively stuck far
away, friendless and alone.
In actuality, while nothing beats a good, old
fashioned American Christmas—and I surely miss my family more than ever come 25
December—celebrating the holidays in Hong Kong with an international set of friends
and traditions is yet another reason why I feel so fortunate I’ve
been able to call this place home for the last ten years!
So,
yes, I know I’m a little late, but I hope you all had a wonderful
Christmas, and I wish you a very happy, healthy and successful 2020!
