My garlicky christmas

Christmas Past - the unusual one

I have had all my Christmases bar one in the UK and with my family. So when I was in Hong Kong in 2010 I faced a totally new experience. At first I thought I would be on my own apart from skype and facebook! But then my daughter decided to join me to see if she could get a job in HK and though she was successful she needed a work permit so was there over christmas. So it would be just the two of us. I was away from my son for the first time.

H had been away one year when she was in Australia but otherwise we had always been together. Anyway it was going to be a different and unique event. We decided to cook tapas, H was never big on the turkey roast. Four dishes each. This was our menu:

spicy prawns in chilli and garlic
chicken adobo (with lashes of garlic)
chorizo in red wine (and garlic)
nachos with chilli con carne, guacamole and sour cream
garlic mushrooms
duck pate in port (no garlic!!)
rocket, mango, parma ham. mozzarella and pine nut salad a la jamie oliver (sadly no garlic)
ciabatta garlic bread

I needed extra garlic so quick trip down to the Mall. Wow, it was so busy. Usually by this time in UK, people are making their way back from the pub, wondering if the turkey has over-cooked or whether whoever has been left in charge has had too much of the wine you opened before you left. The streets are emptying and people are sitting down to either a sumptuous feast or the charred and over cooked remains of a good idea. Here in HK they were all in the Mall. The shops were so so busy with everyone out and about. It felt so different.

I returned and final preparations were complete for our christmas feast, Hong Kong style!

We tucked into our food and drank plenty of wine (see blip!) and eventually we were full with lots of food left. But what a fabulous meal. Highlight for me was the nachos, chilli, guacamole and sour cream – sumptuous. It was a lovely meal with lots of choice, far too much to eat but a very good table. A truly christmas feast. Then just a load of Banrock Sdtation and then some port to enjoy as the evening unfolded. We opened our presents – 5 each on a 250 HKD budget which was good. It felt a bit like Xmas now. My favourite pressie was a chinese teapot which I made some korean green tea in later on. H liked her new silk kimono. So we then relaxed, chatted, watched a film, drank more wine and port and then as UK woke up we skyped and facebooked. It was weird but a delightful and unique christmas.

Spending that time with my daughter was just great. We were on the other side of the world but we adjusted and had a lovely time. It was unforgettable.

By the way have located the video of Christmas, the last with my Dad. It was so much fun to see it again. I shall definitely convert to a DVD.

Happy christmas to you all, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing this christmas.