An Expat Christmas, Singapore
Following a long tradition of expatriates in Singapore, we’ve left for the holidays. This is actually the ghost of wordpress talking to you, or at least it will be if this scheduled post thingy works ok, which if you’re reading this it did and otherwise I’m sort of blathering to myself or actually not even myself since – see above – I’ve already left.
But before I went, Thrifty Travel Mama invited me to write the first (FIRST POST!!!) part in her series on expats doing Christmas around the world.
Stay tuned to Thrifty Travel Mama for more around-the-world Christmas awesomeness.
And for even more Christmas, you can check out the Multicultural Kids Blog series on Christmas In Different Lands.
Now. Assuming (again) that all’s gone to plan, we’re probably in Tasmania as you’re reading this, which means we’re probably enjoying one of Australia’s great Christmas traditions: the non-ratings period. So I thought, what with that and all the not-being-here, it would be in the spirit of the season to declare the rest of 2013 Non Ratings Season on my blog.
Your regular programming will resume at the start of 2014. Until then, I’ll be doing re-runs of popular episodes, intermingled with odds and ends that didn’t find a place during the ratings period plus whatever cricket matches happen to be on. Just like Australian non-ratings-period TV.
I’m going to do my best to keep up with your blog, but I will be fighting against the fact that my sister doesn’t own either a smart phone or an internet connection (she’s probably overcompensating for the fact we look so similar) so I won’t have decent online anything until I get to my parents’ house. And then I’ll be expected to socialise, I guess.
Also, if you’re a burglar, note I had this whole post fretting over my solo flights with the children, meaning my husband is still at home with the attack cat. Thought I’d clarify, so you can refrain from wasting your time trying to steal all our stuff in favour of reading some great posts about Christmas around the world.
Have a great trip. I was away on a love fest and stayed away for 8 days.. Yep ; )
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Sounds intriguing… ! 🙂
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Have a lovely Christmas 🙂
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Wishing you well over the Christmas season, too!
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Merry Christmas and a happy no-rating season (what is this thing? I approve.) and congratulations on the guest post!
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Non-ratings period explained (copied from my reply just now to Eszter, above:
The non-ratings period just means they stop running their top-rating shows for a month or so over summer under some agreement that the Christmas period “doesn’t count” in terms of viewership. The TV stations put on re-runs of old shows or stuff they didn’t think was worth showing during the rest of the year. And of course the cricket, but that’s more of a coincidence because it’s being played that time of year and has to be shown regardless.
Basically in terms of my blog it means I’m bunking off til next year. 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and thanks!
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The holidays have begun!! Have a great time and we will see you back in 2014
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You too! Will be catching up with you to read about your Italian Christmas ASAP. Merry Christmas in the meantime!
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Have a great trip! I think Christmas in Singapore is fun and merry! Have you broken the tradition before and stay on for Christmas in Singapore? I certainly hope any burglar who harbours any thought to be delivering Christmas gifts through the chimney if you have one! Merry Christmas to the “ghost”! 🙂
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We stayed last year, and from memory we’ve had one other year in Singapore as well. I actually like the Singaporean way – in some ways, it’s more Christmassy than the Australian way.
(The ghost of wordpress says Merry Christmas back 🙂 )
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TV will definitely be tuned into the cricket because ……… we’re doing ok so far! Don’t know a huge lot about cricket but I always know when we are loosing. TV gets turned off and he’s up at the shed shedding tears all over the tractor.
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🙂 . What’s the latest now? I haven’t been keeping up.
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We’ve been to Singapore at Christmas — lots of blue lights, as we remember! But no matter where you are, Merry Christmas! http://ohtheplaceswesee.com
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Blue lights? I’ll be looking out for blue lights in future. I hadn’t particularly noticed them.
That’s got me curious now. Was it a fad one year or a certain area?
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It was a special area — Orchard Road where we shopped. But I don’t know street names. It also could have been just one year. But it was noticeable!
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I haven’t been to Orchard Rd for ages. I’m wondering where it was, now…
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Oh, and merry Christmas to you as well!
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I have to check out the Christmas around the world. Am I an expat? I am always confused with this one.
I did not know about the tradition of leaving Singapore… Two years ago we celebrated our Christmas in Singapore! Anti-traditionists?!
Your sister lives in a cave? -don’t tell her I said this. HAHA
I have no clue what this non-ratings period means but I am sure you will explain it to me. Later perhaps. At your parents’ house. 🙂
xoxo, Eszter
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Hm. Probably you are an expat, living outside your passport country. I have trouble caring a lot about labels so I am happy to call you whatever you want 🙂 .
I suspect the leaving Singapore is more of an expat thing – a going home thing. So you are probably anti traditionalists for celebrating away from home, whether Singapore or not!
(The non-ratings period just means they stop running their top-rating shows for a month or so over summer under some agreement that the Christmas period “doesn’t count” in terms of viewership. The TV stations put on re-runs of old shows or stuff they didn’t think was worth showing during the rest of the year. And of course the cricket, but that’s more of a coincidence because it’s being played that time of year and has to be shown regardless.)
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It used to drive me crazy as a child that I would finally have time to watch TV and there would be nothing on! Hope your trip is going beautifully. Tassie has a special place in my heart and I hope to return there soon. Happy Christmas and all that jazz. (:
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I know! The one time we would be free AND allowed.
Hope you get back to Tassie soon as well – summer (even a cold, late summer) is a special time there (I haven’t done a winter there yet – none of the stories of Tasmanian winters have been very encouraging).
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts on your expat Christmas experience in Singapore! Fingers crossed you made it through the flights, customs, baggage craziness with your sanity intact. And though this is never the case with TV, I look forward to your re-runs!
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Thanks!
My sanity went a while back, so that’s one less thing to worry about, I suppose. We did make it! On which, more later. 🙂 But in the meantime, thanks for inviting me to guest post!
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I am skeptical of any of your posts being about cricket, even peripherally.
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Hoping that your flights went perfectly! If I don’t hear from you until 2014 (really… no internet… how does one live?!?), Happy holidays and happy new year!
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Well we made it. Good enough I guess!
I’m sure I could get used to life without internet… but would I want to??
Happy holidays and new year to you as well!
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