Christmas 2008

'Tis the season for TV repeats. What's worse is that the powers that be show the same films every year and ones that seem to have nothing to do with Christmas. "The Man Who Lost His Head" (how that's meant to get you into the holiday spirit is beyond my comprehension), "Maid In Manhatten" again, "The World's Fastest Indian" again, and cruellest of all "Daydream Believers: The Monkee's Story". I mean the world is in the worst economic recession since The Great Depression- aren't we suffering enough?

I was fraught with worry since I was making most of my presents this year and was concerned that people wouldn't like them or else assume I was a Scrooge. Christmas morning I was finishing wrapping the last of them when my brother and his wife paid a short visit before going to lunch in Tikokino. Gareth arrived just before noon to take me up the road to his mother's for the rest of the day. There were quite a few people there and so alot of hugging which I was not used to before coming to live here as our family is not so touchy feely- more slappy hitty. Gine had two friends staying from Germany and they also joined the party. It is so strange to feel part of a family that you're not related to by law or blood but it just confirms for me that my friends are my family (plus some of my family are my friends).

We had lunch outside in the garden before heading inside for present opening. Gine gave me a lovely fine bone china mug with black and white chickens on it which I intend to have my evening cup of tea in from now on. Late afternoon we went back to the garden for tea and Christmas cake while Gine and a local Tikokinonite (Cedric) played music on violin, accordian and guitar with Raphael and Dawn (Gine's friends) sometimes singing along as well. By 6pm I reluctantly realised it was time to go as I needed to feed everyone and have a rest. For the rest of the evening I lay on the sofa and watched "My Family and Other Animals" another adaptation of Gerald Durrell's classic book although, disappointingly, nowhere as good as the TV series that was made in the early 90s.