My husband and I were actually thinking about the whole "Santa talk" before Christmas, but we ended up skipping it. One day, our son came home from school and asked directly if Santa was real or if it was really mommy and daddy leaving gifts at Christmas. Since he asked and seemed ready for the answer, I told him the truth: it’s us. I’ve heard stories about kids crying and feeling betrayed when they find out, but our son wasn’t upset at all. In fact, he was really happy and said, “Now you can buy me whatever I want!”
He also mentioned that he felt suspicious last year because he got exactly what he asked for—a block toy set. Not only from us, but also from his grandparents and aunt, so he received three times what he wanted. What child wouldn’t be suspicious?
Unfortunately for him, he hasn't been behaving well lately, so he knows there won’t be any gifts from us this year. However, he still got presents from his grandparents and our friends, so he’s not completely gift-free. There’s even something cool I’d like to buy for him, but he really hasn’t been listening recently...
Actually, some of the things he does at school might be considered normal in Poland, but here in Taiwan, my husband had to speak for two hours with his teacher over the phone! Although the teacher doesn’t think it’s a big issue, as she’s Christian and understands cultural differences, she feels that if our son is living in Taiwan, he should be more mindful of his behavior. After all, he’s only 6.5 years old and is expected to sit down for most of the day, not to mention the amount of work they have to do at school, plus homework. There’s very little time for him to burn off energy, especially since the sun sets after 5 PM. So, by the time I pick him up from school, it’s already dark. But when the weather isn’t too windy or cold, we still go to the park after school.
This year, Christmas doesn’t feel festive at all. My husband has been working overtime constantly, so we won’t be having a Christmas dinner. I’m not really willing to eat at 9 PM or later when he finally comes home. Probably the only thing that feels like Christmas is the tree we decorated, but aside from that, there’s nothing that reminds me of the season. Sometimes, it feels a little sad, especially since I’ve seen photos of my schoolmates with beautiful homes, pretty Christmas trees, and family dinners, while I spent the holiday alone - my husband working and my son at school.
Our community organized a visit from Santa this year, with better gifts than before. The kids received balloons, Santa hats, and candies. Our son also got a little block toy Christmas tree from our landlords, but it was me who had to build it because he doesn’t have the patience to do it. The blocks were tiny - so small that I felt like my fingers were too big to hold them!
Christmas passed by quickly and almost unnoticed. Sometimes I wonder if I want to celebrate Christmas the way we used to in Poland, or if I should just treat it as a normal day. Actually, my husband and my son have only had a real Christmas in Poland once, about six years ago. Since school started, it’s been even harder to go back to Poland during the holiday season. Originally, we planned to go in the summer, but because of my husband’s work, we kept pushing it further into the future. However, we’ve finally bought tickets for mid-January, so we’ll be flying soon. Maybe not the best timing, since it’s winter, and I don’t think Taiwanese clothes are warm enough for extreme cold. Even though we bought one of the more expensive jackets from Decathlon, which claimed to be snow-proof and good for temperatures as low as -5°C, I’m still worried. Hopefully, it will be a mild winter. If it drops to -20 or -30°C, it won’t be much fun unless we stay indoors - but that sounds boring. We hope to get out and visit some places as well, especially since my son hasn’t seen much of Poland yet.
I’ll be updating the trip on my blog and YouTube channel, but it will take some time to edit. I don’t think I’ll be able to edit while in Poland, especially since I get shy recording voiceovers, even at home when my husband is the only one around. He always checks my videos before they’re published, so it’s not like he doesn’t know about them, but I still feel awkward.
To add to that, recently there have been so many troubles with airplanes. After I saw the news about the Korean airplane crash where 179 people died, I’ve become even more scared to fly. I wasn’t a fan of airplanes before, and that incident only added to my fear...
Anyway, have a wonderful New Year, everyone!
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