Commanderblonde,
I was out in San Diego last Christmas at Anglo American doing my CPL/IR and there were guys out there at the same time doing there JAA PPL over the Xmas period. We did have Xmas day off though, although there were some guys flying! not me I was in the Australian bar eating my Xmas dinner and drinking lots of beer!
Weather was excellent as well, ate Xmas dinner outside by the beach under the palm trees wearing shorts and t-shirt! Certainly beat cold, miserable Blighty!
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Aargh, that was the taxiway we landed on!