It is a Christmas that happens in summer time and my first time to really spend a western holiday in country outside of Taiwan and feel the authentic value of westerners toward this holiday. It is also the start of Ausralian summer break that last 2weeks to as long as 6 weeks for schools and factories alike. From this quite long break, I realize the leisure and laid-back lifestyle aussie live in. It is Ana who volunteerd to reunite everyone for Christmas BBQ near beach but it ends up a picnic pot luck in Bondi beach. I'm also invited over to Constance' s sharehouse in Koogara, also potluck, with Stephanie and Quentin. I didn't assume these two events will schedule the same day but they are after all. What I prepare for the estimated 15-20 friends of two events are rice balls (easy to carry and dine on the beach) and banana cake (my first time and also for its easy-to-transport matter of fact, and of course, for the palatable and satisfactory texture.
I just made my mind one day before the party and couldn't sleep really sound for thinking what to buy and how to do. Rice ball also called Arancini and the dish is from Italy and it is rice ball with whatever fillings you like while the authentic one is with meat, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. It turns out that what I thought as a simple and quick preparation is really a time-consuming task. We (with Michael) didn't finish this Arancini until 5:00pm before starting with banana cake, which took us just 1.5 hrs.
By the time we arrived Koogara it's already 9:00pm and I have the sense of impoliteness of being late when I see the formal, though congenial, setting by the Polish couple (house owner) in their lovly and snug back veranda. It's a sudden grasp to me that the Christmas to them is what Chinese New year means to Chinese and they're no less serious than we do for this important family time.
It keeps rainly through the night and it's no way we can make it to Bondi beach because of the implication of the rudeness again to Polish and my french friends. It's also a hard to come by chance to have such real Christmas dinner with people believe in Jesus. The Polish are pious Christians and they don't enjoy meat (fish or sorts seafood doesn't count) before they join a Mass at 00:00 in Church and it's the unique tradition only for Polish.
I have a good time and savor lots of food that I rarely want to buy in Australia due to the price.
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