1. Do you enjoy the cold weather and snow for the holidays?
I’m going to have to agree with Kristen here and rant about how “hemispherist” this question is. Folks, the majority of people in the world never have a white Christmas. Nobody in the southern hemisphere does (unless they live on top of a mountain). Nobody on the equator does. Hell, a good portion of the northern hemisphere never gets cold enough. So stop ramming it down our damn throats! That said, I personally wish I could have a white Christmas, not because it’s “traditional” or anything, but because that’s what I remember growing up. I miss sledding with Amy and Antny.
2. What is your ideal holiday celebration? How, where, with whom would you celebrate to make things perfect?
This is another one of those questions that stings for someone with loved ones on more than one continent. Ideally it would be my family and the Snook’s and all of our friends together… but it’s never gonna happen. Best not to dwell.
3. Do you do have any holiday traditions?
The day after Thanksgiving, we would always hit Michael’s craft store to pick up plaster ornaments and paints. Then back at the house we’d eat leftovers, paint the ornaments, and put up the Christmas tree. Mocking my brother’s artistic attempts was always a highlight. There’d probably be some sledding (if we had snow). As Christmas neared, it was inevitable that Amy and Antny – or as I like to call them, the Christmas Sneaks – would try to convince Mom and Dad that we should open our gifts Christmas Eve instead of morning. I was the traditional holdout. Sometimes they won; sometimes they didn’t.
4. Do you do anything to help the needy?
Not nearly enough. The bitter cold of London was always a sharp reminder that there were people out suffering in it. Here in Sydney it’s easier to sail through the day without noticing. I should make more of an effort.
5. What one gift would you like for yourself?
A really nice new digital camera, maybe even an SLR. That’d be cool.