Monday, November 16, 2009

Pre-Christmas

Its been many years since I celebrated Christmas in a big way. I hate crowds and have taken to avoiding the mad rush that is Christmas starting way back in New York. Then, I discovered that if I did not go anywhere, New York was THE BEST place to be during Christmas because people from New York comes from all over and the leave the city during that period. With the city empty, you can walk around leisurely enjoy the sights, no waiting at restaurants, movies and shops. If you go down to Chinatown during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, its actually quite merry because New York is full of Jewish people as well as other denomination that go there to have a meal as most places are closed. Then there is Rockefeller Center, The Rocketts, the Nutcracker and great windows of Macy, Bloomingdale etc.

Since then, unless there is a compelling reason, I have a policy of not traveling during major holidays particularly Christmas. So with that default, I was planning on not going anywhere for the holidays but now I am not sure.

You can now hear Christmas songs in the air now (which I love). The lights are out in major Shopping and restaurants areas. The weather is so nice that people are out in full force hanging out in outdoor restaurants and cafes until past midnight. I do enjoy just hanging out at my regular bar and just people watching while surfing the net (reading my NY times online).

But it struck me this weekend that if its already so crowded with 7 weeks to go until Christmas, what is it going to be like as Christmas approach? Then what about New Year day which could be unbearable for me? I don't do New Year parties having done the Times Square thing while in NY. I prefer intimate meals with friends and family, going to bed early and then watching college ball all day next day.

This is not a city where half the people will leave during the holidays and they will be out in full force. The traffic will drive this shopping-hater nuts.

I need a plan..

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