However, he conceded he enjoyed swimming during the Christmas break and would be swimming on Christmas Day and all summer.
The things we take for granted on this side of the planet.
I was talking to another friend who knew I spoke on cruise ships and jokingly wondered if I had been speaking on the cruise ship where a passenger fell overboard a while ago or as he put it ... jumped overboard to get away from one of my presentations.
With mates like him who needs enemies?
He also outlined he had never been on a cruise ship so I gave him a bit of advice for free ... stay on the ship while it is at sea!
His idea of a Christmas break was going to be on a ship where you are surrounded by water, but can swim in only the overcrowded pool. Good luck with that.
Give me a river or lake or Mount Maunganui or Whangamatā any day.
Another friend was telling me that he now has three houses.
Nothing huge about that given he is an Aucklander and some of them can own many more houses.
However, his houses are not all in Auckland. In fact, only one of his houses is in Auckland.
He also has a house in Greece and another one in South Africa.
More scrutiny from me revealed that he chose those locations so he could always be living in a warm place all year round. He will be in New Zealand for Christmas during summer. Christmas break is also a great time to catch up with whānau and friends who we may not have seen for a while.
I recently caught up with a mate who I had not seen for many Christmases and informed him my son was now a medical doctor and my daughter was in medical school, to which he replied, 'Wow, your wife must be really clever aye."
With mates like that who needs enemies? But that's what good mates do too.
They keep us humble. Hopefully, it will be a few more Christmases before I see him again.
However, the Christmas break is also an important time for us to catch up with the most important person in our lives. Namely, ourselves and get refreshed for the new year ahead.
Many of us may visit our favourite swimming, diving or fishing spots, and others may attend a church service or another special place to rejuvenate ourselves.
Wherever that place is, the Christmas summer break is a time when we can set new goals and yes, some of us still set New Year's resolutions that are the result of some good thinking during Christmas time.
Or they are made up on New Year's Eve and we wonder why those ones fail after a few days. All the best with your resolutions whenever you set them.
So whether you will be swimming on Christmas Day, travelling on your first cruise or sunning it at your New Zealand bach or even chilling, diving or fishing at a beach or attending a church service, or swimming in a river - I would like to wish you a merry Christmas and a safe and enjoyable time with you and your whānau this summer.
We live in a piece of paradise on planet Earth here in Aotearoa. At least that compensates for the bad jokes from some of our mates that we have to take on the chin.
Nga mihi Kirihimete ki a koutou katoa.
- Ngahihi o te ra Bidois is an international keynote speaker, businessman, author, husband, father and MBA - a Māori Boy from Awahou
