We’re feeling the holiday spirit here at Blacklane, so we spoke with some members of our crew to find out more about where and how our team will be celebrating during the holidays.
Here are some more of the heartwarming highlights.
Amaan, Content Creator
Normally I would be home in Australia celebrating with my family, and I’ve actually decided that this year I want to spend time with my partner here in Berlin, and we’re going to have our very first couple’s Christmas together.
In Australia at this time of the year, it’s really hot. You go swimming, and have barbeques… In Berlin it’s going to be snowing, so there’s no chance of that happening. We were talking about starting out own tradition this year, because this is almost like us starting our own family holiday for the first time.
To me, going home for the holidays feels like prawns, swimming pools, and a lot of beer-tinis.
Abhishek, Senior Product Manager
This Christmas my dad is visiting me, so we’ll be traveling in Europe. Usually in India, December is not such a big holiday time, and it’s super cold, so you are just sitting inside. This time, traveling across Europe to visit Austria and Belgium, will be a really fun time.
I have not traveled with my dad so much, so it’s some of those very limited moments. So, just traveling with him in itself is like that bonding time between father and son. My father worked a lot before he retired, so I really want to make sure he enjoys this feeling of being totally relaxed.
Growing up in India, and of course you grow up watching all these movies about Christmastime, how the whole city is decorated, and it’s snowing… so reliving it here, it sometimes feel like being in a movie.
Chikahiro, Senior Backend Developer
This winter I’m planning to go to Peru, and to see Machu Picchu with my wife. I’ve never been to South America before, so I’m looking forward to seeing the different culture, alpacas, llamas, the people, the food…
In Japan the celebration is more in January. We go to a shrine to say thank you for the blessing of the year, and we eat some special food for the beginning of the year. I’m still enjoying the culture here [in Berlin], so here I want to go to the Christmas markets and go to mass.
I like traveling because of the culture, and for me culture means people. I like to make some local friends, because it can make for some special memories.
Erika, Director of People & Culture
I will be traveling to my home country Finland, to Helsinki, for a week or so. We have a lot of Christmas celebrations over there, and then typically what I like to do is to go somewhere warm. This year hopefully I will go to Australia.
On Christmas Eve, that’s the main day that we celebrate in Finland, we have a big Christmas dinner. We have this tradition of Santa Claus coming and knocking on the door after Christmas dinner to hand out the presents. Santa has traditionally been my grandfather, so it’s funny, after Santa leaves, grandfather suddenly appears fifteen minutes after, and usually has the same watch that Santa did.
What I’m most looking forward to is seeing my nephews who are now at the age to really enjoy seeing Santa and unwrapping the presents.
Fahad, Visual Design Intern
This winter I’m planning to go to Austria and Budapest with some friends, and in Budapest I have some relatives, and we’re going to meet and celebrate. They’re from my country, from Bangladesh, and I haven’t met with them in a long time. One of them has two little kids, who are really really cute, so I’m excited to meet the babies.
For me the journey is so important, and I always try to enjoy the time of going somewhere instead of waiting for the time when I will be there. This is sort of philosophical, but life is a journey, so I try to enjoy every journey, and as we are going through our life, this is a journey too.
Natalia, IT Applications Manager
For me the Christmas holidays are always family-related, it’s very important to go home to Ukraine to see my family and friends.
I love eating Russian and Ukrainian dishes, but for me going back home is first of all eating Borscht. My mom does it the best. We also go to see our grandparents and look through old photo albums.
The happiest memories is always being with them, sitting in their living room and talking. This is the most treasured memories, it goes right to my heart. I also have a twin sister, and catching up with her is always a highlight.
Giuseppe, Learning & Organizational Development Lead
I will come back to Italy for three weeks, celebrating with my family and friends. Everything is calm and easy, and you have some good food. We always start with lasagna, and then we have some fish.
Everything is so simple there. Nothing special has to happen to make it nice, just to be together is enough. We see each other very often, so it is just a way to spend even more quality time together.
With these kind of events, when you are with your family and so on, you can recharge your batteries and come back with new ideas.
Dorothea, Key Account Manager
I will celebrate Christmas with my family in the south of Germany. Everyone will come to my parents’ house and we will celebrate in a very traditional German way. As my father is Greek, we also say the traditional Greek wishes to each other.
My favorite part is the singing. Everyone plays an instrument. We have a piano and a flute and a guitar, and we start to sing as a choir. We also decorate the Christmas tree and argue about how to decorate it the right way.
My sister will be there with her small kids. One is a newborn baby, so it’s quite special because it’s her first Christmas.
