Reading through the Solomon star (Solomon Islands national newspaper) my heart was heavy with nostalgia. Christmas carols in the Islands, theres no better way in bringing the Christmas spirit to the Islands than good old fashion door to door Christmas carols. The choir consists of adults to really young children some are made up of family members other groups are just the village children going around singing Christmas songs either in English or their native tongue.
In Tokyo most of the shops turn up their Christmas songs the only problem is its always very sad. Some artist cant help making Christmas songs about their sad sad life. Jingle bells started to sound like a mushy love song for some weary traveler. Its just depressing, in my street they install speaker on the street poles leading all the way to the station and every morning its the same sad Christmas song. In the evening they switch to the latest hits like Taio Cruz, Flo rida etc etc, where is the Christmas spirit?
When I was growing up my Dad and I would look forward to the Christmas carols. Some nights we would sit out on the porch waiting unfortunately for us we have a fence and the little kids will just pass by onto the next house. We would have to strain our ears to listen to their harmonious voices coming from our neighbors yard. Sometimes they are more bold and would call out if we would have them singing in our yard so one of us will run down and open the gate for them to come in.
Christmas carols are awesome in the villages also, the group will have at least one member playing the guitar, another the Ukulele and then a drum. The rest will contribute with whatever little instrument they carry with them while singing.
In return for their delightful singing we offer a little token of our appreciation and off they went. Sometimes the Carols continue til dawn depending on the number of houses in the area. No group would want to pass a house even if the houses are less than a metre from each other. They treat every household with the same favor even if it means repeating the same song a million times and that's something I find typically cool about the Island life.
When I was growing up my Dad and I would look forward to the Christmas carols. Some nights we would sit out on the porch waiting unfortunately for us we have a fence and the little kids will just pass by onto the next house. We would have to strain our ears to listen to their harmonious voices coming from our neighbors yard. Sometimes they are more bold and would call out if we would have them singing in our yard so one of us will run down and open the gate for them to come in.
Christmas carols are awesome in the villages also, the group will have at least one member playing the guitar, another the Ukulele and then a drum. The rest will contribute with whatever little instrument they carry with them while singing.
In return for their delightful singing we offer a little token of our appreciation and off they went. Sometimes the Carols continue til dawn depending on the number of houses in the area. No group would want to pass a house even if the houses are less than a metre from each other. They treat every household with the same favor even if it means repeating the same song a million times and that's something I find typically cool about the Island life.
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