Christmas in California
Trip Start
Nov 11, 2008
1
19
22
Trip End
Jan 06, 2009
Lake Forest,
California,
United States
Friday, December 26, 2008
Friday December 26th
Well Christmas is over again for another year! Today would be Boxing Day but it's not really celebrated over here - most people just go back to work. Well except for me, lazing around at midday not even dressed yet, thinking about getting another brownie and some of yesterdays leftovers.
Christmas Eve is a big deal over here, it's when most families celebrate together and open their gifts. Paul and Amanda worked in the morning but by late afternoon they had returned home and soon Erika and a friend of hers arrived too, ready for a family evening. All the presents were under the tree - there were loads! - so after some mexican food we all sat around opening presents. I had got Amanda a WALL-E toy that speaks and dances just like he does in the film, he is so cute! I got some nice gifts including make-up, clothes and books. Uling, the family's black chow, was loving all the excitement, sniffing around all the paper, as was the cat Puma, who loved climbing into bags and boxes. No need to buy the pets any gifts, they are happy with all our rubbish!
On Christmas morning, we had breakfast purchased by Erika at a local pancake house, then me and Paul opened our gifts from each other and the ones I had brought over with me - had to keep up our English traditions! I gave Paul some boba balls to put into drinks as well as a jigsaw as he loves them, while he gave me such a cool present - tickets for me and Amanda to see the LA Lakers play next weekend! I then ate the box of chocolates mum had got me (thanks mum!) as I had another family tradition to keep up - eating your box of chocs as soon as you open them (must have got that tradition from dad hehe) and put on the earrings Heather and Linda had given me (thanks girls!)
After stuffing my face, I joined Paul, Amanda, and Chris who had also come to vist, to play a couple of board games before it was time for Christmas dinner. Donna had laid everything out for us to help ourselves, so I tried a bit of everything, including turkey, beef, sweet potatoes, macaroni, green beans, cranberry sauce and rolls. It was really yummy, although with so many people round I had to share my chair with the cat but she was spread out over the whole chair sleeping and wouldn't budge so I had to perch on the end... where's your Christmas spirit, Puma?!
In the evening we were going to see a movie at the local cinema but everything good was sold out (going to the cinema on Christmas day is very popular here as many big films are released that day) so I lazed around watching TV, tired from all the food. Today I'm not doing very much, maybe go to the cinema tonight. I have a week and a half left so I'm trying to think what else I want to do before I leave, and also what fun stuff to do when I get home and see everyone in 2009!
