A White Christmas

My X'mas started on the 23rd December. Work was putting on an X'mas dinner - "Turkey with all the trimmings". So naturally, a bunch of underpaid, underfed backpackers was excited at the prospect of a good feed. Rule No. 1 - excitement never pays off. Only 1 out of 3 buses came to pick up the staff at night, and the rest was in the freezing cold for an hour... -10 degrees in minimal clothing (go the partee clothes!) is no joke! I was skeptical as to whether my toes were still there in the end! When they finally realised most the staff was not there, they sent a shuttle out for us. Rule No. 2 - premature reloef doesn't pay off either. We got there starving, and all the "trimmings" were gone, and we were just left with cold turkey and stuffing. By the time we finished that, all the desserts were gone too. Trust me, never rely on free food, and Canadian beer really sux!

X'mas eve was not too great to begin with either. I had a 1.5 hour lunch / ride break at work, so I scoffed down my lunch and went up a slope that usually takes me 1/2 hour to get down coz I'm so crap. o what happens, I stack it on nmy tail bone, which most of you know is my specialty. The beaty of it was that I stacked it at the top and had to board back down to work in a lot of pain. Climbing up and down with rental boots didn't help either and by the time I got home the last thing I needed was vomit all over my bathroom! (see next entry). I couldn't handle it anymore, and just went to bed at 6pm.

Anyways, it goes to show that when life sux, sleep it off. When I woke up I was greeted with a card and a package from Rachel and Ben in Vancouver. They were so sweet.. sent me lots of lovely things to cheer me!! I think they were worried coz the last time I called, my room blacked out and I was sitting in the dark. Hmm..

Being X'mas eve, I called the locals and called home.. I hate missing those family gathering with way too much food!!! Canned soup for dinner offered little consolation too!

It was only until I opened my presents that I felt the spirit of X'mas. Asa bought me a much need pamper pack, and also brought over a box which I thought was the one present from my beloved friends back home (you know who you guys are!!)!! Anyways, thanks to you guys, I didn't go to bed till late as I went through all the items in the box. Each item felt like a new present, and so many presents made me feel loved. I was really touched by a leather journal - all the messages made me homesick. I was in the room by myself, laughing at all the quirky characters I called friends back home. Photos brought back so many memories of past trips and events, although some I really doidn't want to remember!!

All in all, what started as a shitty X'mas (beats the Melb roadtrip where we were stuck in the bushfires) ended up being a pretty good one. Despite working all day, we made it heaps of fun and a bunch of us headed to the local Inn for a buffet X'mas Feast. In the tradition of poor backpackers, we stuiffed ourselves silly after spending 10 hours of wages in a dinner! Actually, now that I think of it, X'mas ended up with me very sick and overfed!!