Hi friends, and happy holidays!
This Christmas felt a bit weird. I didn’t go home to Switzerland this year, and instead sat in several Christmas Zoom calls.
Still, the Christmas spirit was there: lots of food, lots of wine, and lots of people speaking loud and all at once.
Another weird Christmas was 2017, when Clara and I were on a 15-month-long trip in Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, the Christmas craze is huge, but it feels very different from Europe. It has no special meaning, beyond it being a popular holiday with lots of shopping involved. Decorations are set up months in advance, and they’re the kitschiest you’ve ever seen. They are even kitschier because it’s 30 °C outside. Christmas music is played everywhere, but not the songs you’re thinking of. Think techno remixes of “Last Christmas” blasting at full volume, everywhere from malls to street food stalls, and on repeat from October to March. It’s wild.