Glasgow - Scotland
December 2019
December was an odd time for me and was quite a mix of emotions. Glasgow looked a treat for Christmas, with all its lights and festivities up. Unfortunately, however, I was on my own for practically the whole month, as Amy travelled back to Perth for Ziv and Tahlia’s wedding.
Although I was kept busy with work and friends, I found myself surprisingly lonely coming home to an empty house on a nightly basis. I very much got cabin fever – made worse by the fact I was working about 50 hours a week at the time, as I begun to transition between jobs.
My spirits began lifting once the lights went up on the House Of Fraser Buchanan Street. It just seems to light up the whole town and announce Christmas. Glasgow may be small, but they seem to put a lot of love and effort in to Christmas and the otherwise gruff city becomes very cosy.
My first Christmas engagement began with Emer, Grace and I attending the King’s Theatre pantomime – Jack and the Beanstalk. Silly and altogether #Weegee, it was fantastic. At two years in a row, it’s effectively Christmas tradition that we go now. It was a shame that Amy didn’t get to join, being away in Australia.
I was soon enough joined by Sam, who came up from Huddersfield. It was great to have Sam around as I'd been living on my own for about a month at this point - much wine was drunk and much Red Dead Redemption 2 was played. I particularly enjoyed taking Sam to watch an Auld Firm match (which Rangers won) at the nearby Cairns Bar.
Kudos are definitely deserved for Sam as he happily helped me with the preparations for Christmas dinner, which was to be at our house this year and was rapidly approaching.
Many people had offered to host us for dinner, which was generally touching, but we happened to know a number of other people with nowhere to go on Christmas, so we ended up having a delightful vagabond’s Christmas at our house. Sam and I were joined by his friends Colin and Keesia, as well as Grace, another Australian who recently moved to Glasgow who Amy met through the Glasgow Giants AFL team.
I gladly took the reins cooking the meat, but delegated much of everything else – I was well rewarded for doing so, as we had quite the spread. Cola ham, roast pork, roasted vegetables, vegetarian lasagne, hand-made bread and dips, cauliflower cheese, Brussels sprouts, and honey carrots – which was the only let down as they turned to taffy as they cooled. We even had mulled wine, Christmas pudding, sticky date pudding, and gingerbread houses. It was a veritable feast and was had with good company.
Although I was exhausted by the end of the day from all the cooking, I was quite proud it came together, as it was the first time I had hosted a Christmas dinner. Again, it was just a shame that Amy couldn’t join, but that’s how it goes.
Boxing Day was spent doing… Nothing. Sam and I continued to eat leftover ham, watch wrestling, and play way too much Red Dead Redemption. Sam and I then spent the next few days touring Glasgow, buying a few things on the Christmas sales, enjoying a few pints here and there, and visiting the Christmas markets. Oh, and we watched It's A Wonderful Life, as is our Christmas tradition. It was lovely to just enjoy each other's company.
After the post Christmas lull, New Year's was suddenly upon us and Amy returned to Glasgow. After one night's sleep, Amy, Sam & I went to BrewDog Brewery in nearby Merchant city to ring in the bells with Keesia, who met us later than evening.
It felt great to have everyone around and so much Christmas/New Years cheer. At the end of it all, I couldn't help but have thought I didn't allow myself to have enjoyed December as much as I should've having worked myself so hard.
Lessons for next year, as Christmas only comes but once a year.
JC
“Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.”
Clarence the Angel - It's A Wonderful Life
Comentários