Decked Halls

With only a few days to go before Christmas, I finally sorted out my Christmas tree today! But don’t worry: most of my other festive decorations have been up for weeks already. And with the near-constant aroma of mulled wine wafting out of the kitchen, plus the merry laugher of guests at our recent parties (remember, public gatherings are limited to two and now restaurants must cease dine-in service at 6pm, meaning my flatmate Simon and I have become perpetual hosts), it’s been a super Christmassy stretch since December began.

I pulled out all my classic decorations at the start of the month and set them up around my living room, augmented by my favorite Christmas lights, which really lend a festive air to the place once illuminated at nighttime. Coupled with the image of a roasting Yule log playing on the television, courtesy of YouTube, it all really feels like a Christmas dream.

And I’ve taken the opportunity to watch classic Christmas flicks or even old episodes of What’s My Line? with some December-appropriate occupations. With the lights aglow and all the rest, I often can’t forego the temptation to simply close my eyes and fall asleep on the living room couch, even though my bed is only a ten second walk away. I just love dozing into dreamland in my little version of the North Pole.

Of course, I can never resist the temptation to add more knickknacks to my collection, so I traipsed out to Prince Edward and Mongkok, as well, where I loaded up. Think poinsettias galore and an elegant snow-white nutcracker and a faux vintage red model pickup truck complete with a miniature Douglas fir loaded in the back.

I even decorated the office again this year. I mean, it’s kind of silly not, too, in my opinion. I spend an enormous amount of time there, so if I expect my December to feel appropriately festive, I need to have something at least remotely Christmassy surrounding me between 9am and 6pm five days a week.

Luckily, my colleague Laren, who has become a really good friend since he joined the company back in August, has gotten into the spirit of the season as well, and doesn’t seem to mind a little Christmas music from time to time. We each have a chocolate advent calendar courtesy of Marks and Spencer, and he’s even joined in the fun of creating a Christmas tree out of the colorful assortment of Nespresso capsules we keep on hand. It was a little tradition I started last year on my own, but it’s nice to have someone equally—perhaps even more—into it as I am.

With so many Christmas cards left over from last year, I didn’t even have to procure any new ones this go-around, though I did load up on some pretty spectacular Hongkong Post stamps to help carry my Yuletide greetings around the world. Thanks to delays in delivery, I’m not sure all (or any) of my cards will actually arrive before Christmas Day itself, but, hey, it’s the thought that counts.

I also ordered a custom-made Christmas bowtie for Fredric, from my friend Diana in New York. It has adorable little penguins on it, and I loved it so much that, upon putting it around his neck, I immediately ordered a second one to send to my sister in New Jersey, for her dog Roxxi. I love knowing our pooches, who sadly will almost certainly never get to meet one another in real life, have matching accessories at this very special time.

Another little aspect of local life that has helped get my Christmas spirits up is the delectable rum hot chocolate on offer over at Happy Alley, my favorite neighborhood coffeeshop, just down the street from my flat. Taking tasty, rich hot chocolate and adding a special Austrian spiced rum, the concoction is a slightly decadent way to begin a chilly day, and you better believe I’ve indulged on multiple (weekend) mornings.

And there have been a few non-Christmas events to add to the official record, including a fantastic, grueling hike to the top of Ngau Ngak Shan and Ma On Shan, two of Hong Kong’s highest mountains, which are situated close enough to each other to allow ambitious hikers to scale both in a single adventure.

It was a tough journey up, complicated slightly by a hangover from the somewhat crazy previous night, but it was so rewarding. And the hike paid a dividend in the form of an abandoned village we explored when we’d finally descended back to earth.

And last weekend, my dear friend’s Celine and Max tied the knot at City Hall—and asked me to be one of their witnesses! It was a supreme honor, and I’ll never forget the beautiful smiles beaming from both of their faces as they said I do, and then celebrated at their lovely Kennedy Town apartment with a select crew of their nearest and dearest.

You better believe I made the newlyweds kiss under the mistletoe—again from Flannel Flowers over in ifc mall—a few nights later when they came by my place for a little dinner chez moi.

Last Thursday, we had our company Christmas party, which has really put me in the holiday mood. And for the first time in several years, we actually got to hold it somewhat close to Christmas itself, instead of early or mid-November, when we’ve traditionally hosted it in the past. You see, we always like to make sure Kevin gets to be a part of it, but since he perennially spends the three month stretch between Thanksgiving and Chinese New Year back in America, that means moving the event much earlier than you’d normally expect a Christmas party. With COVID keeping him out of Hong Kong since March, we were free to book a table close to the big day itself.

We selected Kinship as our venue, after Jenny, Laren and I tested it out one lunch break back in October and decided it would be perfect for the feast. The food was amazing and the company exquisite. And after finishing the last of the Christmas pudding, we all migrated a few meters up the sloping hill of Shelley Street to Al’s Diner for drinks, where we lingered until the mandated 6pm closing time.

So with the holiday itself only days away, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and merry Christmas! I know we all sincerely hope that by this time next year, our world will be completely back to normal. But in the meantime, I hope you can find the joy and beauty that surrounds us all the time, and that you find much to be grateful for during this very special time!