Merry Christmas

Gus usually writes this, but I (Peggy) would like to add my thoughts as Christmas approaches. First, I must say that I already feel so lucky to have the chance to live on the other side of the world. The Australians are a unique and friendly people. And their dialect of English is very much like them. British English is proper and somewhat stuffy. American English is concise and to the point. Australian English is colorful and leisurely. There are still times when I have to stop and think and even ask because I have not understood what was said to me.
Second, I must say that Christmas is not the same Christmas without family. I’m missing all of our family and friends. And the 95 degree weather with 95 percent humidity is not really helping. It seems a little strange to be sweating on the golf course 3 days before Christmas. Today we had our first real rain, so the rainy season is finally beginning. That’s good because the weather will cool off a little. Australians do celebrate Christmas much the way we do, with lots of parties and gifts and cards and decorations. The traditional food is very British and, like the British, they take Christmas Day and Boxing Day as holidays. The school year is over in the middle of December, so a lot of families leave to go on holidays (vacation). Nothing much happens from the middle of December until after New Year’s, and many businesses close for the week between Christmas and New Years.
To all of you reading this, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May our paths cross again soon.