Circle of Appreciation

Note: Yes, this is a retroactive post. The holidays got the better of my time.

Traditionally in the States an employer gives a little something to their employees at Christmas. It’s a small gesture of appreciation for all their hard work. So, following tradition (and given that I’ve been here nearly a year), my American colleague and I gave each of the clinic and community staff a small gift certificate to one of the local stores.

Donning a tinsel-embellished, sparkling Christmas headband, Rich and I walked around to each room and handed out the cards. I didn’t think much of it. After all, it’s tradition. The response I got in return was anything but. The staff were so appreciative as no other doctor had ever done the same. A few days later I was pulled into the staff room in secretive fashion, only to find the entire staff sitting around the table. After getting over a momentary fear that I was about to lose my job, I was handed a wrapped present containing a gorgeous necklace purchased by the entire staff to show their appreciation for me. It really shows that what goes around, comes around.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas is Coming!

I must admit I've had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I credit this to three main reasons:
1. Thanksgiving doesn't exist as a holiday in New Zealand. Of course this makes logical sense given it's a celebratory dinner between the Pilgrims and Indians, but it also marks the beginning of the holiday season for me. Without it I'm nearly catapulted into the end of year Holiday season without realizing.
2. Lack of Christmas displays. In America we're inundated with months of extravagant holiday store displays (squashing every fall holiday into memory oblivion) that allow you to prepare yourself for the overspending event of the year. Here, in New Zealand, they've just now started ramping up for the big day over the last week. A mere two weeks before the event.
3. It's getting hot down here. As the weather warms up and the days get longer my thoughts turn toward barbecues, beaches, and firecrackers on the 4th of July. Not cold weather, fireplaces, carollers, and Christmas. It's hard for me to believe I'll be spending the day in shorts and jandals instead of flannels and slippers. It's just not the same.

Despite a few mental hindrances I've done my best to get into the season by putting up a small 4 foot tree (which I managed to wrap with 700 fairy lights), purchasing my annual Christmas cards (which will sadly, although typical of me, be extremely late in arrival), and setting my iPod on a perma-Christmas tunes shuffle. None of it has really revved up my holiday spirit, until this last Sunday as I was driving home from Hamilton. Due to a late start, I drove through the neighboring towns to Hawera around 10pm, and much to my delight there were house upon house decorated to the hilt with extravagant Christmas light displays, inflatable Santas, and cardboard reindeer. At that moment I knew I was ready for Christmas because nothing says Christmas like gaudy, festive yard displays.

Rugby saves the day

I don't know if anyone's been paying attention to the uprising that's been going on in Fiji recently, but it's big news over here. Mainly because they called upon Winston Peters, the New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister, to mediate talks between the Army commander and the current Fijian Prime Minister. Despite everyone's best attempts, the military still decided they would stage a coup on this past Friday in an attempt to overthrow the current government. Start time was intended for high noon. Unable to access the news during the day at work, I waited with baited breath for word of the uprising. When 5 o'clock came around and still no word I began to wonder if some miraculous negotiation had occurred. Oh no, the coup was simply delayed because of the yearly rugby match between the Army and the Police Force. After all, if the Fiji military was mounting a political uprising, how could they help defend their annual title? Ah, you gotta love the love of rugby.