One of the nicest afternoons spent recently was at a
friend’s son’s Christmas party. The other brilliantly spent afternoon, which I
don’t remember much to write about involved adults, free flowing alcohol and
three birthday cakes.
Christmas as I remember it growing up in the Middle East was
lovely. When the temperatures drops to 20 degrees in a place that boasts of 45
plus in summers, the whole city turns into a small fairytale. Thanks to the percentage of Lebanese Expats, Dubai,
was never less than an extension of the French Riviera in the desert! Along
with air kissing, the festive season brought in, live sized sleigh’s,
reindeers, fake snow on trees, fake Santa, outdoor cafes, Puss in boots, coats
& mascara!
Ever since I moved to Bombay, I miss feeling all
Christmas-y. So this time after receiving a warm heartfelt invite from my best
friend “Just come to help me decorate and not eat!” I graciously accepted and
looked forward to an evening of carols, light banter, a slight nip in the air
and chilled glass for comfort. I was of course
in denial about trivial parts like - kid’s party, handicapped friend, since her dog bit her
hand, to add to the lack of excitement just incase!
So, there were decorations to be put up, games to be
organized, food to be supervised. Chop! Chop!
I started with putting up stockings around the tree. Asking
the kids to decorate the tree seemed like a brain wave only till I had to break
up a “he is taking away all the nice ones aunty!” I don’t know what they were
fighting about, I only heard “AUNTY!!!” I noted their faces… Dodge Ball was one
of the games we were playing later that evening.
Half way through my friend shrieked “Carols! Oh no we didn’t
download any!” The horse tranquilizer
had not kicked in yet; I suggested she take one cause for three days she
mistook her anti –biotic for some random pills instead.
As one of the mothers gasped that her son had been walking
around with a glass of Strawberry Sangria thinking it to be fruit punch, we kicked
the evening off with Mariah Carey’s “ All I want for Christmas is you” but
progressively moved correctly towards Christmas Carols.
Twelve kids, three mothers, two glasses of Sangria down, the
evening was getting better. We played
pin the hat, apple in the basket, dodge ball, Dumb charades, fought with a few
kids for disqualifying them, fought with a few mothers for not giving their kids
a third chance, drank some more, played some more….
As I sat on her porch, arranging the Sangria soaked
Strawberries on a red velvet cupcake, tactfully balancing the reindeer horns on
my head, I realized that no matter how old I grow, no matter how many inappropriate
stories my friends tell me about Santa and his Elves, no matter how many soap
cans I spray out pretending that it’s snowing, Christmas will always be the warmth
that the snow brings in.
….Santa came to say…Rudolph with your nose so bright, would you ride my sleigh tonight. Then all of the other reindeers laughed and shout and called in glee, Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, you'll go down in history.
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells jingle all the way, oh what fun, it is to ride, in a one horse open sleigh. Hey!
