Christmas in Townsville... a surreal experience.

         Christmas is a funny thing in a tropical climate and even more so when it’s deemed summer. I knew it would be hard for me to be experiencing the “anti-Chritsmas” here without the “feel” of Christmas. The eggnog, the milk punch, the hot toddies, the wearing of bells and antlers, the giddyiness and the joy of the season. I knew it would be harder still without my family so I decided to ignore it. Ignore it and it will go away…. Not very true, ignore it and you will CRAVE it! This became abundantly clear to me when I started missing the presence of decorations strung about town. Don’t get me wrong, Townsville has plenty of cheer, and also, heat and rain so decorations are sparingly placed about. I avoided Christmas music too, I couldn’t bear to hear Bing Crosby’s sweet soothing voice; this was alien to me, all of these needs to avoid what was staring me in the face... that I LOVE Christmas! Carols and giddyiness and giving and Christ, because after all, he is the reason for the season.

In a moment of clarity which was all-too-late I, by chance, ran into a cab driver that took people around to look at lights while listening to classic Christmas tunes. I snatched up the opportunity and grabbed my flat-mate Elise for a Christmas Eve champagne cruise of Townsville cheer!


Here is what we saw:

Not much snow, infact that will never be an issue, but LEDs do a pretty good job of making the season merry!

The sounds of Christmas... blissful to me but still very different to what I have grown up with. [click the video] {may have compatibility issues, comment if you can't run it}

Memories of Christmas seasons long ago entered my mind with the visions of Windcrest in San Antonio and the long lines of cars that went down the street and onto the highway awaiting the glimmering glory that was the light festival the neighborhood hosted.

Impressive displays of roof decorations made you feel like it was snowing.... a luminescent radioactive snow.... but snow nonetheless! 

      Not too bad a light tour for the few inhabitants of Townsville, it's hard to catch everyone's lights up and going during the wet, a string of thunderstorms followed up by a cyclone in Cairns and it's aftermath interrupted the displays. 

          After all of that I was feeling quite in the season… just a bit late… I won’t make that mistake again. Christmas is and always will be a sacred holiday that I will honor, not ignore.

       To continue my Christmas adventures I got the “joy” of battling with the hellish beaurocracy that is Australian customs. My wonderful father sent me a package with a stocking and gifts from my family that we were to open together on Christmas morning (boxing day in Australia). A simple task of shipping something FedEx was turned into a stressful juggling act thanks to one small detail on the customs form. If the entire package is valued at more than 1,000$ AU they will hold it for tariffs. Remember why the US broke free from the Brits, it’s those bloody taxes!!!! This country still hails the Queens and her tariffs also! The one thing I hope to impart on you is to NEVER send anything that you wish to get to it’s destination ontime if it’s valued over 1G. LIE, break up the shipments but for pete’s sakes don’t send it!!! My father and I had many dealings with FedEx and customs and at the end of the day we were champions and the Christmas goodies were delivered, this was not without the blood, sweat, and tears of both, me, my father, and my various wonderful friends that drove me to Australian Air Express to pick up my parcels. Thanks to you all!!!

Here is the big winner and my new (and very unexpectedly) favourite gizmo:

        I originally thought the iPad was silly but I now stand corrected, like the iPhone, it is something you need to experience to understand. This now completes my Apple ensemble of the iPhone, the iPad, the Macbook, and my AppleTV. New converts are arriving daily as a result of my still very new devotion to Steve Jobs. So when do I get a cut from the sales? I won’t hold my breath, but for now, it has ended up being a very merry Christmas indeed.