Easter On the Mekong 2010
I have been an expat for 8 years now, all of them in Asia.
When I first moved abroad, I felt homesick most keenly during the holidays.
However, now I actually am thankful to not be faced by the stresses that holidays bring in the country of my birth.
For Easter, I didn’t give a thought to new clothes for Sunday services, to plastic grass, or to filling baskets with bunny, chick, and egg paraphernalia.
Instead, I was free to observe the holiday exactly how I deemed appropriate, without the burden of explaining my choices to those around me.
I thought wistfully of community egg hunts that my children would be missing, but was pleased to find an “egg hunt” advertised by a French confectioner in town.
We arrived at 8 am on Saturday morning, and the children were provided with locally made sticky rice baskets to be filled with hand poured dark chocolate Eastery images.
The early starting time for the Easter hunt was so that the delicate chocolate sculptures wouldn’t melt in the forthcoming hundred degree temperatures.
After hunting, we were treated to a brunch and activities for the kids. The boys painted a few hardboiled eggs, watched organized games like potato sack races, and enjoyed a slapstick sketch by two clowns.
In lieu of Easter presents, I gave each child a water gun and a small kaleidoscope. Jojo also got some markers.
I didn’t feel like I had to qualify as to why there was no Easter basket a-flowing with goodies. They don’t have anyone to compare their lots to right now. They don’t care.
It was about enjoying the day, and not about acquiring the most (candy, eggs, stuff).
I’m realizing that, while I was raised in a culture that equates TIME with MONEY, it now makes more sense to me that TIME is LIFE.
I’ve spent 7 years in a culture that Westerners describe with words like laid back, easy-going, and even lazy.
The kind of lazy where you don’t keep checking your watch during a lunch date with a friend. Easy going so that when someone drops by and you ask them to stay for dinner, they can tell you actually mean it.
People matter. Time is life.
Money. Meh.
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04 April 2010, 5:10 am
I’m SO with you! People keep asking how we can afford to go off on a nine month round the world trip with our children. We are lucky that we own our house so we can make an income while we are away, but otherwise it’s about lifestyle choices. We don’t have 2 cars, we have one ten year old one. Our kids don’t get iPod touches for Xmas but a box of Lego instead. Our TV is an old cathode ray tube one, not a giant plasma. But we are happy because soon we are going to be spending a whole 9 months on holiday. Seems obvious to me!
04 April 2010, 10:23 am
I’m kinda loving your kind of Easter, Can Can. Have a wonderful holiday!
04 April 2010, 12:27 pm
I was just complaining about having to make dinner “special” since I invited a friend’s husband and daughter (she is out of town on business) so I know what you mean. We tend to have family time regularly and I hate the feeling of having to dress up, having to celebrate. Oh, well. I am a total grinch.
Love that you got just the special bits to share with the boys and not the commercial freakout that happens on occasion stateside.
05 April 2010, 5:52 am
We went out of town and planned our return ON Easter Sunday. It was such a pleasant trip and the kids woke up to a small gift left by the bunny next to our hotel beds. It was more meaningful to watch the sun rise over the Ozarks as we drove east towards our home and we spent more quality time chatting in our vehicle than we would have at an easter egg hunt. Thanks for reminding me of the important things in life, Can Can:)
05 April 2010, 6:04 am
I completely agree! Maybe it’s because I’m not a Christian, but the pressure is definitely off for me. I guess it’s also that I have a 2 year old who could care less about Easter baskets (candy is a different matter) and comparing it with others.
I think you had the perfect Easter, and what lovely chocolates and baskets! You’re certainly right about the time and money thing. I wish we East Coasters were more laid back about our time.
05 April 2010, 7:19 am
I very much agree with you that there is too much emphasis on candy and toys and the huge meal over the holidays and less on time spent together. I think though if I were to travel over the holidays, I would very much miss my close extended family. We were fortunate to spend Saturday crashing at my husband’s brother’s house. On Sunday we had my parents and my brother’s family and my great-grandparent’s over. I have wonderful memories of holidays together with my relatives and cousins and hope that my children will have the same type of happy memories. Now I will add that I wouldn’t mind exchanging a few family holidays for fun, new experiences abroad so long as they were as relaxed and wonderful as you describe.
05 April 2010, 9:56 am
Bravo. My son asked me where the eggs that are hidden come from. I told him chickens. He said “do they fall from the sky?” I told him some people think a really large rabbit comes and hides them in your house. He told me “That’s ridiculous mom, people don’t think that.” I told him we go to the store and buy a little candy and put it in the eggs and we hide it. He agreed that was more logical. We don’t really celebrate Easter, but we do celebrate spring and his gifts of a small chocolate bunny, obligatory peeps (eeew), an UNO game, and a small toy football were it.
05 April 2010, 11:14 am
I’m so with you!!!!!!!! I even avoiding going to visit family for Easter because my family is soooooo into the commercial crap of holidays!! I want my kids to feel loved and special every day! I have friends that spent $100+ on ONE basket for ONE of their children!!!! NOT me!!! America has forgotten what is important!! I teach 7th grade, and it’s sad to see what these kids think is important: good looks, money, the nicest cars, cell phones and clothes. None of them seem to want to strive to be good people, or to help others.
06 April 2010, 11:49 am
Sounds like a great way to celebrate! The chocolates look like they would be tasty too!
10 March 2011, 10:01 am
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