GOING AWAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS snristmas vacation ‘aimost sinful “J’LL BE HOME for Christmas’’ warbles someone on the radio and I fondly remember the one Christmas we weren’t. You can’t imagine how easy that Christmas in Hawaii was on San- ta’s helper (me). First, it put a good portion of Christmas shopp- ing to rest. The kids were told that their major present was the ticket to Hawaii and the expenses involved in entertaining them for three weeks. Next, because we would be away, I got relieved from all the extra cooking and baking that goes with the season. The trade-off, of course, was that we missed a number of holiday parties ~. how- ever, 1 didn't gain any weight, either. We neither bought nor deco- rated a tree — there was one in the lobby of our condo. [f we had wished to do so, trees available at the Lahina Mall ~ not as nice as here, but trees. Orna- ments were also available on loan to visitors by the condo associa- tion. 1 did cook the traditional dinner but made it pot-luck by putting a notice on the. board in the lobby and inviting anyone who wanted to come. Two.couples accepted and each were brought a vegetable dish. On the other side of the coin, it felt very odd to hear Frosty the Snowman in Honolulu airport. It was equally odd to see palm trees decked with lights. The kids had mixed emotions about the whole thing. Although they realized that Christmas is only one day and an Hawaiian holiday is three weeks long, they felt just a bit cheated. They missed the fireplace. I didn’t — I’m the . sucker who gets to clean the thing. Well, there’s another trade-off, too. After we got home, | honestly felt a bit guilty. Imagine getting out of all that work — isn’t it sin- ful or something? eee For any family planning to go to Hawaii this Christmas, here are a few tips that I picked up during that visit. They may help you out. * Don’t forget to pack very special things from home such as the children’s special Christmas stockings. * Very few restaurants serve Christmas dinner. Hotel reserva- tions for dinner are on a ‘‘guest- first’? basis. Either plan to cook or (Miuch to explore in _ From page 56 the run of Expo 86 and went home determined to go one better. So far they have signed up almost as “many -nations —- Malaysia and Yugoslavia have brought the total * to 42 — and while the contents of - the pavilions are closely guarded secrets, there’s no doubt that the Australians are about to unveil FA winner. ‘ Expo Info — ‘remember that? — tells us that the World Arts .Festi- - val has international stars poised. to..wow the crowds. The "Queensland Cultural Centre will have paintings and sculptures from, the- Louvre, ‘drawings. from the. Windsor . Queen’s’ collection ‘at. Castle, and rare ceramics from the Idemitsu Museum of Fine Arts in Tokyo. * There will be the usual parking problems, although the site will be within” walking distance of many hotels, including the delightful new Hilton -which is thoughtfully “-Jocated over a McDonald’s; it’s amazing how many people in $150 rooms slip out for a $2 breakfast. Accommodations for Expo 88 should not be a problem for those who book a package tour through a travel agent, and as it happens a group of 14 Vancouver agents has just returned from a fact-finding trip to Australia. . Like Expo 86, many people will end up with bed and breakfast, which of course is a marvellous way to meet the friendly Aussies. _Brisbane is. an attractive city despite having a freeway. scarring - the lakeside opposite the Expo site; Vancouverites. will swallow hard when they see what we almost got ourselves. I liked the old stone buildings, the pubs and the road out to Surfer’s Paradise. Allow two nights and three days for Expo 88 and Brisbane and as long as you can for Surfer’s Para- dise. If Brisbane is booked solid, you could do worse than ‘make your: base at Surfer’s Paradise, a one-hour bus ride away. This is for people who like sun, sea and sand, particularly the sand, so white and soft it actually squeaks when you walk on it. The ’ closest natural wonders are the smooth round stones of Nootka Island on the west coast of Van- couver Island. Surfer’s Paradise just has it over ‘Nootka Island with year-round sunshine, women who swim topless and bars where the beer is a chilled amber sensation. To think that Capt. Cook sailed’ right past Sydney Harbour and this place as well. - It’s'‘no quiet little cove however; rather a miniature Waikiki with a soft edge to it. The town and sur- rounding Gold Coast have some wonderful attractions and side- shows,.such as Sea World, a water wonderland that gets about a mil- _lion tourists a year. Conrad’s Casino rivals anything do some detective work early. ¢ If. you plan to cook, bring small quantities cf spices, gravy darkening or plum pudding from home. Spices can be quite expen- sive, you probably won't find the brand of pudding you prefer, and if you're arriving close to Christmas, the stores may be sold out. * Speaking of sold out, go and purchase your turkey immediately. If you go to the right store, the meat manager will keep it for you in his freezer until! you need it. It takes two days to thaw in the fridge. * Remember, Canada Customs ‘oses its Christmas spirit very rap- idly when faced with a mountain of presents. Australia in Las Vegas, and condo and resort developments are going up all over the place. Canadian exper- tise, including West Vancouver ar: chitect manager Neil Griggs, who worked with Doug Sutcliffe on False Creek, have been hired for the luxury Sanctuary Cove project. Recharged after a breakfast at Surfer’s Paradise, you tight head up to Cairns, which offers conve- nient direct flights to Vancouver via Honolulu. But first there’s the Great Bar- tier reef to explore, the morning dew of a golf course and tennis as the sun goes down. Or what about a book on the beach while a waiter brings you a cold one? David Ellis and project. 57 - Sunday, December 6, 1987 - North Shore. News -' Remember to bring along bills for anything you brought from Canada. Each person is allowed to bring $100 worth of gifts into the U.S.A. You are allowed to bring back $300 worth of purchases for cach family member after a week’s absence, once a year. If you're returning with more than $400 travel wise Barbara McCreadie worth of stuff for each person you can probably afford to pay the du- ty. ef" going to church is part of your usual routine, check with the church of your faith ahead of time. There may be a lot of over- crowding or something you should know about scheduling or special Services. * Flights to holiday destinations will certainly be over-booked: Ar- rive at the airport at least two hours before flight time and re- confirm your reservation 24 hours in advance. ; If you can, have a friend or relative drive you right to the front door of the airport. Shed your boots and coats, leave them with him and pray he’s reliable enough to being them when he comes to pick you up. Bring a bag to put them in. oe And, now a word about people who travel at Christmas for other reasons. It is heartbreaking to see some lonely souls who can’t bear the Christmas season. For some, it’s a family breakup. Fer others it’s a death. Where do these people go when they don’t want unpleasant reminders? Probably the best place, for those financially’ able, is a non- Christian country. I’ve never been to Southern Europe in December so I can’t swear to it, but I’ve been told that the Christmas scene is strictly a religious one. There is supposed to be very little of the tinsel and music that we enjoy. The big gift-giving celebration for Italians, for example, is New Year's Eve. I’m told that the Catholic church considers our all- out decorating and celebrating just a shade pagan, so any country that is predominantly Catholic should be calmer than North America. Couples with no children or close family often find the Christmas season a bit trying. Even the TV is loaded with kiddies and their special programming. Although it is possibly too late to book a cruise, I’ve been told that Christmas and New Year’s on board ship is a wonderful balance of just the right amount of celebrating with all the other general benefits of a jife of luxury. As for the majority “of us, we'll be home for Christmas. March 8, 1988 & March 15, 1988 14 days / 12 nights HIGHLIGHTS This fabulous China holiday takes you to Beijing where you'll see The Great Wall, the Ming Tombs and the Forbidden City. Then on to Xi’An and Suzhou, a Grand Canal Cruise to Wuxi and by train to Shanghai. You'll see the history, BCAA Travel € on this memorable irip. the art, the crafts and the people of China, Call your BCAA travel agent today. PRICE INCLUDES: « All transportation * accom- modation « sightseeing + 11 breakfasts » 9 lunches * 11 dinners * a Peking Duck Banquet. We will gladly, where possible, arrange double occupancy sharing accommodation for persons travelling alone. *Per person, twin sharing. Single supplement $400. Departure from Vancouver. Membership restrictions apply. See BCAA Travel for full details. West Vancouver #908 South Mall, Park Royal Shopping Centre, 922-3361