Enjoying the festivities in Penryn and Falmouth
Hello! I’m Ariq, an international student from Indonesia, currently studying MSc Marine Environmental Management at Penryn Campus in Cornwall. With the first term almost out of the way, most of my friends are already packing up to spend Christmas with their families. My home, unfortunately, is halfway across the globe, so it’s not easy for me to reunite with my family. But that’s not a problem because it’s not every day I get to be in the UK (well, technically I am now), so I might as well use this opportunity to get the most out of it. While everyone is going home for Christmas, I’m going to make Cornwall my home away from home!
What comes to mind when you think about Christmas? For me, it’s winter, snow, ginger-spiced cookies, and colourful lights. Sadly, I couldn’t get most of them back in Indonesia. As a tropical country, it’s scorching the entire year, so I couldn’t experience that warm and cosy feeling while sipping a hot chocolate to beat the winter cold. Now that I’m in the UK, I’m really excited to finally experience my ideal Christmas!
What does Christmas in Indonesia look like?
Christmas isn’t as festive in Indonesia, at least in the place where I grew up (I can’t make a generalisation because Indonesia is a big and diverse country!). Like in any other place, Christmas is a moment where people get together and spend time with their families. But as I mentioned, Indonesia has tons of religious and cultural holidays because of our diversity. That’s why Christmas, unless it’s part of your faith, usually feels like simply another event out of the many. Also, people tend to be more festive towards New Year’s Eve instead.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a special day! Sure, we do have decorations on a Christmas tree or artificial snow, but since it’s not actually winter, they’re merely props and didn’t create the wintry vibes that I’m dreaming of. Our Christmas is also mostly family-oriented. We don’t have big, community-based or town-wide celebrations like Christmas markets or lights switch-on. Again, I’m not saying it’s far from being special. It’s only because I have a particular idea of Christmas and the neighbourhood where I used to live doesn’t have that, unfortunately.
Winter wonderland in Penryn and Falmouth
One of the reasons why I chose to study at Penryn Campus is exactly because of its location. There’s something charming about a little harbour town, and I think it would give me the Christmas vibes I’m looking for. I study in Penryn but live in Falmouth, so I get to experience both towns! The towns are pretty and feel homey. Maybe that’s the reason why I haven’t felt any homesickness yet (hopefully not.) My Christmas dream began at the end of November during the lights switch-on. On a cold evening, I arrived at the spot where the event should take place. But it was silent and dark; I thought I was in the wrong place. I followed some people towards the town centre, and then the quiet street gradually bustled with crowds counting down in unison. When it reached zero, the night became bright and filled with lights. It was enchanting!
The merriment isn’t over, as Penryn and Falmouth have more to offer! A week after, the Festive Weekend was held in Falmouth with lively food, drink, and art stalls around the town centre. If you like collecting trinkets or beautiful handicrafts, the Christmas market has a lot of options. Me? When there’s food, I’ll be there too. A festival is where I can have an excuse to indulge myself in tasty treats! The Cornish pasty is my go-to food. Nothing beats a hearty dish with that flaky crust and warm filling. Pair it with hot chocolate, and it’s perfect to warm myself up. There are also various types of sweets, and some only cost 50p, so you could try a variety of flavours. When it comes to food, I’m always intrigued to try unique flavours, such as eggnog cheesecake and gingerbread miso caramel (yum!).
I almost crossed off all my Christmas bucket list items, but there’s one thing that I couldn’t get in Cornwall, and that is snow! Fortunately, they put up snow machines along the street to give a winter wonderland effect. It may not look like much in the afternoon, but when it got dark, the artificial snow along with sparkling lights made it magical! I guess it still counts towards my Christmas list.
I love walking. Simply strolling around the town and wandering without a particular purpose in mind gives me joy, especially when there are festivities like this. Even though Falmouth and Penryn towns are small, they bask in different types of atmospheres, which keeps them interesting. Also, because of the small size, it’s easy to meet with other people. I keep bumping into my friends when exploring the streets. It’s nice to see everyone is relaxing and having fun during the Festive Weekend (which also happened to be a few days away from our exam… I guess that’s why we’re all decided to wind down and immerse ourselves in the festivities!).
Cosy Christmas on campus
You could also enjoy some activities at Penryn Campus. If you’re a part of a society, they each have their own Christmas events. I often join the Expedition Society because they have a weekly walk around Cornwall, and for Christmas, they had a walk from Penzance to Mousehole to see the most famous and arguably the best Christmas lights in Cornwall! Okay, it’s not on campus, sorry, but I hope I got my point across. There’s a bunch of other things you can do, including wreath-making and quizzes. You might want to check out your course department as well because they might also have some events. Mine had a winter market, an orchestra and choir, and a conservation talk.
My favourite is the Intercultural Café! It is a weekly event where people from different cultures gather (you don’t have to be an international student. All are welcome!) and do different activities every week. We had boardgames, painting, making origami, and many more. For Christmas events, we had quizzes about Christmas cultures around the world and made our own decorations and cards. You could also join just to meet and mingle with people from different backgrounds while savouring delicious free (I know you like this word) snacks and drinks! This is one of the things that makes me excited and look forward to coming to campus every week, especially because the café was after a stat class, so I need to refresh my brain. I highly recommend it!
And more activities…
I don’t think I could give you an exhaustive list of Christmas events in Cornwall because there are so many of them. Do keep an eye on social media or advertisements across the town to find out what’s happening. This is also the reason why I like walking, because I discovered several events posted through flyers spread around the town. Some attractions became free or had a reduced price! Pendennis Castle, for example, was free during the same weekend as the Festive Weekend. Aside from admiring the magnificent keep, you could cosy yourself up inside it where a fireplace was lit up, all while you listen to choir performances.
The University offered a trip to the National Maritime Museum at a lower price, and ResLife also held an ice-skating trip at the Eden Project. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to get tickets because they sold out fast! It was only five hours after they posted the advertisement. Crazy! So, make sure to always keep track and be aware of those kinds of events, so you won’t miss them. I also visited the Flicka Foundation Donkey Sanctuary with my other international friends, who were also not going home for Christmas. It’s not exactly a Christmas event, but it’s another thing you can do here. Check out other student blogs to explore what other activities are available around Cornwall!
A home away from home
I’ve been sharing all the fun stuff throughout this blog, but spending Christmas holiday abroad by yourself can get lonely for some people. It might take time to be able to call Cornwall your home or maybe you simply miss your hometown, and that’s okay to feel that way! Feeling alone because most of your friends are away can be challenging, but I also see it in another way. It’s time for you to be you. You can try to fill in the gap with hobbies that you enjoy, or even better, try something new. You might discover new talents or activities that you’ll like without the influence of other people. That’s what I’ve been doing, and it’s life-changing because I got to embrace moments of peace in solitude. Along the way, I’m feeling less lonely when I’m alone because I have me.
Again, it might not be easy and takes time, but it’s worth trying. Staying in a new place by yourself can be difficult, but like they always say, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” You’ll find the freedom you have to simply be very rewarding. So, go out there, or stay indoors, and try new things! I already have a few plans in mind to spend winter break in my flat. Because all my flatmates went back home, which means I have the entire kitchen for myself! I’m going to bake some breads and cookies. There are several recipes I wanted to try that I’ve never made before, so there might be some failures or burnt smell (oops…), but no one can stop me from keeping perfecting the recipes. Well, that’s my plan. What about you? What version of you are you going to discover this Christmas?