Boxing Day

Today is Boxing day in Australia. While talking to my friend Becky this morning I offhandedly mentioned I really didn't know what it was, She explained it to me, then kindly forwarded this link (apparently I'm not the only one who loves Wiki). My brother in law David further humiliated humbled me when not only was he able to explain what it was, but also educated me that Canada and England celebrate it as well. By the way, they both live in the US; a country that doesn't celebrate Boxing Day. Earlier this week I had seen a report that the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race opens on Boxing Day. It begins in Sydney Harbour, and I'd heard that watching the ships pass by is a popular way to spend the afternoon. We left for Manly about 11:30; the race was to begin at 1:00. Tons of traffic, lots of people with the same idea. We drove up narrow city streets and finally arrived, just in time to get one of the last parking spots in a local lot. We walked two miles in 95 degree heat, toting a picnic lunch and drinks, up a hill along with tons of others to secure a prime spot. Just as I was about to say let's turn around, we saw tents set up. We walked down a zigzag hilly ridge, and found a spot - right in the middle of some thorny bushes. I'm not sure if we made a wrong turn, but there were tons of other people in this same location as well. We sat down on a blanket just in time to unwrap our sandwiches and see the first yachts float by. We were pretty high up, but it was a spectacular sight. There must have been a few hundred spectator ships, and a few dozen racing.



About the time we finished our sandwiches, the last of the ships sailed by. And then they were gone. A few minutes later everyone headed out. You've got to be kidding me. I hoofed it two miles in flip flops carrying a cooler and a tired five year old for a fifteen minute race? But yes - that was it. We gathered everything, climbed a quarter mile up the hill, then another two miles back to the car with hundreds of others and drove home. I might do it again, but only if I was with a group of friends and we were tailgating in the parking lot before and after. I'm glad we did it, but it felt a little anticlimactic. By the way, in case anyone sees the photo above and thinks, "what is she talking about, that looks like a lovely grassy area to watch boats sail by". That was actually the place we flopped for a rest on the walk back. It was someone's front lawn and we didn't even care - an indication of how hot and tired we were.

Ultimately I've decided that I don't care for Boxing Day. Not that I don't think it's a wonderful idea, giving to those less fortunate. But I really don't need the entire freakin' country to shut down for the entire day. While living in the States I was used to pretty much everything shutting down for Christmas. But here, it shuts down mid day Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and then the 26th - Boxing Day. And I mean shut down. No gas stations, limited hours for one grocery chain, no restaurants, nothing. Apparently for the last few years, two chain stores David Jones and Myers actually received permission from the government to open their doors for Boxing Day. That's fantastic news if I'm looking for a skirt or a pair of heels, but it isn't really helpful if what I need is a tank of gas and a half gallon of milk. After returning from the race we decided to barbecue. It was 4:00 when I drove to the grocery store; the parking lot was a ghost town. They were open from 10-3. Commercialism (or is it capitalism?) does have its advantages.