Job Discussion Forums

[unchi pants]

Mine would have to be today...

Right now I'm stuck in an office in Tokyo, sat behind a computer, surrounded by about 20 ugly old men in grey suits.

And they just asked me to work overtime!!!!!!!

Yep, I've hit rock bottom.

Unchi Pants

[ls650]

I suppose this one - don't have to work, just a quiet day by myself 10,000 miles away from home. For Christmas I picked up some Guinness and some VCD movies. Since I can't seem to find any turkey in the markets here, I guess I'll have some KFC and rice for my Christmas dinner...

[unchi pants]

Enjoy your KFC and rice ls650...

My company lashed out on the full KFC spread for the students on Monday night ... Seems to be a favourite at Christmas time in Asia.

Unchi Pants

[latefordinner]

Today is hardly the worst Christmas of my life, but FWIW I just wish people would stop asking me how I celebrate. I go home, I open a bottle of beer, I cook supper, I wash up and I go to bed. I don't have family here to celebrate with, and my only local friend (the one I would like to take out to dinner) is busy. Just another day, if you only remove the expectation that there is something to celebrate.

[Wolf]

My worst Christmas was my second one away from home (this is #5). That was the year that I was asked to play Santa at a (mandatory) Christmas party my company organized for the students. When I saw a few dozen Japanese (most of whom were not Christian) gathered in a nabe (hot pot) restaurant, I just couldn't bring myself to play an active role in pretending that Christmas was a genuine, important part of their lives and not some "wierd, cool foreign thing."

I pretended to be sick, and went home before eating anything. Christmas dinner was a bento (Japanese style lunch box) from a convienience store.

That sucked.

This is the second worst, due to the loneliness factor.

[latefordinner]

Wolf, that does suck. I don't blame you for ducking at the last minute. It would have made me just a bit sick inside too.
This year I only worked a half day, and that was group planning with the Chinese teachers. I don't know how effective I am, but it makes me feel useful, and that goes a long way to combat the loneliness.
Last year I taught on Christmas day, but afterwards I went out and had dinner with a local friend. Rather nice, low key, a perfect way to forget. Unfortunately she's living in another city now, and my supply of friends is limited.
I live in a midsize city with a lot of foreigners. If all I wanted to do was to avoid the loneliness I could take a taxi to Dave's Bar and find another laowei to talk to. I don't much enjoy bar scenes though. As well, if Christmas is to be celebrated, it should be something to celebrate with thefriends you already have, not an occaison to go hunting for friends in last moment desperation.

[biffinbridge]

December 2001.Stuck in the Gulf.Worked the 25th and New Year's Day.Expensive booze,no pot and a wife who would have made Kurt Cobain seem as happy as Bing and Bob in 'The Road to Mandalay'.Bummer.

[foster]

This one wins...hands down.

Am in Thailand...went on a snorkelling and elephant tour (all good) and then went up a mountain to see a waterfall....except that I fell and broke my wrist...so ended up spending 6 hours in a Thai hospital with a nurse who doesn't know how to put in an IV ( I have 4 separate holes in my hand from her ATTEMPTS)

So, I am in a HUGE purple cast, with a Thai hospital bill and 5 days left here....and I LOVE swimming and plan to do it daily...but no such luck.

So yeah, Merry f'n christmas! (pardon my bitterness)

[struelle]

Well, this was the first Christmas I celebrated abroad. Although I've been in China for 2 seasons already, I managed to get flights home both times. Not this season, however.

This Christmas wasn't bad, as I ended up going to downtown Shanghai, singing carols, hanging out at coffee shops, then going to an evening party and gift exchange with my expat friends.

But the atmosphere all day felt, well, it didn't feel at all like Christmas! The occasional store on Nanjing Road and other places had Christmas displays and music playing, but there was no overall festive spirit. Not surprisngly, of course, but it felt like something was missing. To sum it up, the experience felt weird.

Steve

[richard ame]

For as long as I can remember this time of the year has always had mixed feelings for me ,yes it is nice to give as well as receive but, is that what its all about? I see a lot of unhappy people at this time of the year and when you are seperated from family and friends it makes all the harder to bear. My worst time was when after spending a lot of hard earned cash on me and my sisters my fathers car was broken into and all our gifts were stolen ,at the tender age of ten I discovered that there was no jolly old man coming down my chimmney with a sack full of goodies, just some lowlife maggot with a sick smile who hopefully will die a very slow and painful death,Christmas, bah Humbug.

[Canuck2112]

This one was the worst. Some other teachers and I did our best to make it festive...we had a nice dinner and a great time (and a remarkable amount of booze as well), but I'm a family oriented person and this was my first Christmas away from them.

On a completely unrelated note, on my way home from the dinner I saw a drunken salaryman vomitting into the dispensing area of a 'Boss coffee' vending machine (the area where the drinks come out). He was making these bird-like noises with the occasional Japanese word thrown in. It added a bit of bizarre comic relief to the evening, and enhanced my mood somewhat.

[Gordon]

Should make for pretty interesting coffee tomorrow.

I've had a great Christmas this year and after talking to my in-laws and hearing how depressed they were because there were so few people around, it sounded like we had a much better time here. Sometimes it is nice to have a mellower Christmas. Mine was far from it, my two-year old has carried her new little doll around with her for 2 days. Won't let it out of her sight. In my opinion, Christmas is more fun with kids, adult presents can be so boring sometimes and we don't get as excited.

[johnslat]

Hmm, having probably been around for more Dec. 25s than many/most on this board, I likely have more "worses" from which to choose a "worst". The ones in Saudi Arabia weren't too bad, so I guess it'd come down to a run-off between the Christmas at Parris Island, SC and the one in Chu Lai, Viet Nam. On further consideration, I suppose I'll have to go with Parris Island, a place that most definitely is NOT on Santa's route.
Regards,
John

[senor boogie woogie]

If anybody has seen the movie "Bad Santa", I am somewhat like the lead character, especially before I gotten married. Soo here we go,

1.) Was arrested for reckless driving (almost DUI) -Just before XMas 1993.

2.)Working front desk at a front desk in Nevada XMas day and getting my a s s worked off and being mad at the tourists for working me so hard (I did not understand why these twits would spend their holiday in a casino.)

3.) Worked another front desk job on XMas 1999, making no money after being laid off from an ecellent job a few weeks earlier. A bunch of local hood monkies were working me all night then too, even though they lived in the same city. I did drop my pants and Xerox my a s s out of spite.

4.) Got jacked by a jarhead in Itaewon (Korea) because he thought I looked at his girlfriend. I did drunkenly, and if someone did what i did to Mrs. Senor, I would have done the same. I did have a Korean prostitute earlier in the day, so it wasn't a complete loss. Had bad pizza for Xmas night dinner. This was in 2001.

5.) Did wedding pictures in XMas 2001. An all day annoying experience (I hate cameras). My wife looked beautiful. I did get angry with her later because she brought one of her stupid friends with her shopping when I wanted to spend time with her.

6.) This XMas has been pretty dull too. Last year was excellent, and I am hanging around the same person.

I do have a Xmas tradition however. On XMas night I eat Xmas dinner at McDonalds. Something about the symbolism of being in Asia nad all that.

SENOR

[khmerhit]

http://www.homestead.com/175thengineers/ChuLai.html

Dr John---
I looked up Chu Lai on the internet. It made me rather nostalgic for south east asia, despite having been only three years old in 1967 when the above pics were taken....what year were you there?

Merry Christmas everybody!
all bests
kh