Begining to look like Christmas....

During my child hood Christmas of course was  the most look forwarded day of the year. My mother ensured it came with plenty of gifts and many happy moments. Spending time with family in upstate new york was always enjoyable because i would get to see my older cousins and play, for the time being i would have brothers and people to admire until it was back to being a sickly single child.  I don't complain about being only child,  but it is a  bit lonely at times i wonder what its like to have some one to either follow or to lead in such a relationship.  Of course I digress, Christmas now that i have become older and more mature is not  especially big for me anymore.  Yes i do enjoy seeing family but It doesn' t have to be Christmas for that and it shouldn't be just Christmas either.  With that said, it is the day before Thanksgiving and I am away from home for the first time.  I do indeed miss being home and family, but i find myself pre-occupied making plans to travel and and trying to keep busy.

Lately I have been feeling a bit of homesickness , but not everyone has the means nor the time to do what i am doing so i would like to enjoy it too the full while i am in the moment.  As I walk around Yokohama and japan, Christmas decorations are in full force.  As far as i know here  X-mas is more of a passing admiration.  It is not practiced, there is no day off, and more or less is just about a reason just to put lights up and make the city pretty.  Presents are not exchanged for x-mas but for new years in a separate more Japanese holiday.


For Christmas, if all goes right,  i will be in the northern Island of Hokkaido staying in a home stay and experiencing a Japanese x-mas and new year.  Not sure what to expect but the more new things to experience the better...