Due to a lack normalcy (which is a real understatement), I often lose track of what time, day, and occasionally what month or season I am in. It is technically Winter here but it feels like a really long, constantly-sunny-weather Fall to me.

Anyhow, as Tlell started making her holiday Christmas music playlist on her laptop (and as I get the Facebook message that Christmas dinner is at the Virly house this year), I realized that Christmas is just around the corner.

(yes, lately most of my posts have been me realizing something…).

Here is my list of things that I miss (for better or for worse) that usually remind me that Christmas is coming….

• A bombardment of holiday television commercials.
• Television advertisements of upcoming classic holiday movies and cartoons (nope, I don’t have access to a tv and living in a Hindu/Buddhist country makes access to western television programming limited as well).
• Signs of snow on the mountain tops in Vancouver (and comedic reports of heavy snowfall and blistering wind-chill in Ontario).
• Christmas merchandise at local big box stores (immediately after Halloween).
• Someone wearing a Santa hat.
• People talking about what they are doing during the holiday break (or when they plan to cut work early).
• Tlell’s holiday cookies and baking.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgQN6JpNFpY&hl=en&fs=1]