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"Blast this Christmas music. It's joyful and triumphant." - How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Grinch
Uruguay suffers an identity crisis at Christmas. "Jingle Bells" plays through the sound system at Punta Shopping Mall. Not a version in Spanish, no - very high pitched children's voices singing in English with weird electronic/Euro techno music accompanying them. Not bad if you hear the song once, but it inspires wrist-slitting after hearing it on the 10 minute play loop they have.
Of course it's summertime here, making Christmas seem unreal, especially with beach balls and bikinis on one side of the store aisle - Christmas ornaments on the other. I always buy a new ornament every year to mark a special event. Even though I had no tree (in a box in the barn), I went on a search for an special ornament to commemorate my Christmas in Uruguay. Ja, Ja, Ja - every single ornament I found was made in China. My ornament quest lost its appeal very quickly. My enthusiasm suddenly returned when what to my wondering eyes did appear - Italian and German Christmas food! Yes, in the holiday food aisles of the stores were rows and rows of Italian panettone (sweet bread) and German stollen (cake).
It was my first Christmas ever to be alone - but not forgotten! There was one Uruguayan tradition that overwhelmed me with gratefulness - phone calls and text messages from new friends and neighbors, wishing me, "Feliz Navidad!" Uruguayans (native and new) are caring - now that's a tradition I can take to heart.
Uruguay suffers an identity crisis at Christmas. "Jingle Bells" plays through the sound system at Punta Shopping Mall. Not a version in Spanish, no - very high pitched children's voices singing in English with weird electronic/Euro techno music accompanying them. Not bad if you hear the song once, but it inspires wrist-slitting after hearing it on the 10 minute play loop they have.
Of course it's summertime here, making Christmas seem unreal, especially with beach balls and bikinis on one side of the store aisle - Christmas ornaments on the other. I always buy a new ornament every year to mark a special event. Even though I had no tree (in a box in the barn), I went on a search for an special ornament to commemorate my Christmas in Uruguay. Ja, Ja, Ja - every single ornament I found was made in China. My ornament quest lost its appeal very quickly. My enthusiasm suddenly returned when what to my wondering eyes did appear - Italian and German Christmas food! Yes, in the holiday food aisles of the stores were rows and rows of Italian panettone (sweet bread) and German stollen (cake).
It was my first Christmas ever to be alone - but not forgotten! There was one Uruguayan tradition that overwhelmed me with gratefulness - phone calls and text messages from new friends and neighbors, wishing me, "Feliz Navidad!" Uruguayans (native and new) are caring - now that's a tradition I can take to heart.
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