Xmas Prezzies and More

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Christmas at my BF’s parents was really enjoyable. His family is very reasonable, quite happy, proud to f ly the Scottish flag (but not in an over the top way), and were very friendly towards me but not to the point of nosey. B. and I could pretty much do whatever we wanted to, i.e. there was no ‘forced’ or prescribed behaviour or expectations in any shape or form.

We got there at about 1PM and they were already over at their neighbours (apparently this is a tradition – they go over there for a couple of drinkies in the PM). B. and I stayed in his room for a bit but then we were ‘discovered’ – his brother called on his mobile and asked us to come across, which we did. We stayed for a few drinks (me being on the Vodka + Diet Coke) and then went back to theirs and sat down in the conservatory, where presents were given and unwrapped, before having dinner and drinking some more 😛

I got various things including a dark slab of chocolate by HotelChocolat which is amazing mmhh! Also a couple of games – LittleBigPlanet for the PS3 (which I played tonight) and God of War – Chain of Olympus for the PSP (great game!).

I’m back home now though. Needed to get back to the cat and try out LittleBigPlanet. My BF has an Xbox 360 and not a PS3, and I got him Gears of War Special Edition so this afternoon  I was on the PSP and he on the Xbox 360. I don’t mind that – quite the opposite. It was interesting seeing the Xbox 360 in action, and particularly Live. I can see how the system is more ‘sophisticated’ than PSN – on the other hand, PSN is free, and to be honest it’s just right for a casual gamer like myself. I wouldn’t know what to play on the 360!

PS: Today I also purchased the new Prince of Persia for the PS3 from play.com – it’s only £17.99 for some reason!

Xmas 2008 – Meet the Parents

This Xmas I’ll be meeting the ‘in-laws’, i.e. my new BF’s parents and family, for the first time. Pretty different then to the situation with my last BF whose parents (rather: his mother and her BF) I only met 5 years after we first started going out!

There again, the ex wasn’t really a family person so hardly ever saw them. Plus, they lived on the other side of the country (in the South of England – Devon, to be precise).

I suppose I could or should have met B’s parents before this Xmas do, just to make sure we get on fine and there is thus no opportunity to ‘ruin’ the most important ‘family’ day of the year 🙂 . But I am confident and I’m a reasonable person. I know how to ‘hold my own’ and to make a good impression.

Edinburgh Light Night

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This week Thursday, B. and I will be going to Light Night which starts at 17:00 in East Princes Street Gardens:

Heralding the beginning of a fabulous festive season, Edinburgh’s Christmas Light Night will see the festive lights, Edinburgh Wheel and Carousels, Winter Wonderland, the Traditional German and Highland Village Christmas Markets all open simultaneously with a spectacular show and fireworks.

I’ve been there once before with the ex (a few years back) and it was very romantic. We had had a couple of Whiskys beforehand in a pub and then went there, all warmed up and cosy. All the Xmas lights are switched on together and the Xmas fair including the German ‘Weihnachtsmarkt’ opens.

I’ve taken half a day off so I don’t have to rush around. I had some toil left to take anyway. It’s just beginning to become all Christmassy everywhere – even Wetherspoons at the week-end had the trees and decorations up. I don’t normally have any Xmas decoration, but this year, what with a cat and the home being a bit more homely, I might just do it 😀

Don’t send me the Elf Yourself viral

I’ve now received the Elf Yourself – viral website from 4 different people :S

• First, back in November, from some guys at the agency I work for – they sent it round to the whole office
• A week or so ago, a friend sent it to me
• Shortly after, another friend, residing in Italy, did the same
• And finally, my one London friend send it to me today.

Yes, it’s kinda funny, and it’s a clever viral idea. It’s also immensely popular and last year helped contribute to a 20% traffic increase during the holiday period for OfficeMax.

In fact I do faintly remember ElfYourself from last year, but I think it’s much bigger this time round.

Perfect idea though, to create a viral website that can be relaunched every year, ad infinitum, at the same URL, at no (or hardly any) extra cost. The people at OfficeMax must be very happy.

The same concept of course applies to popular Xmas songs, such as The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York (= brilliant), and Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody (= rubbish). A hit, played every year constantly in the time running up to Christmas, guaranteeing a nice solid income for the songwriters, forever (thus keeping Shane McGowan in the drink, who, BTW, turns 50 on the 25th December!).

lenina’s Xmas Message: Spread the Love

Love is all around lenina this Xmas. The reason for this is that I’m in Edinburgh, rather than London.

Remember, many social outings in London were characterised by people abusing lenina, with outright hatred being displayed towards her by various females, including threats of violence towards an innocent, albeit haughty, lenina.

I was trying to get my head around that last night, when seeing some of my Edinburgh friends for the first time since August. With them, love is all around. They’re not over the top friendly in a superficial way (unlike the ‘London crowd’ who are always superficial to the point of not in fact existing. At all.), but they are genuine and solid. My male friends don’t have any flirty bollocks going on, and there is no ‘sexual tension’, instead, it’s just a proper genuine liking, and being happy to be spending some time together.

In the afternoon, I went to my friend J’s in ‘her’ shop (she manages a big H&M store in Edinburgh) as a surprise. She was genuinely happy to see me, with various hugs etc. In the ‘London crowd’ a similar hugging etc. would have occurred, the only difference being that these people have never had a real conversation with me, therefore it’s all unreal (i.e. lenina would NEVER hug a fucking stranger that she’s only exchanged platitudes and generic sentences with, whereas for the London crowd, generic conversation translates immediately into a great, close friendship, that is to be solidified by physical contact such as hugging. Yes, that’s why I don’t see them any more).

I wonder whether it’s something in the Scottish national psyche that makes them more similar to the German one, as opposed to the English (rather, the London one. London isn’t exactly England). I get the impression that the Scottish are initially quite reserved, but, once you actually get to know them, they are the warmest and most genuine people, and you have a friend for life. It’s a bit similar to the German way I think. That’s why I can’t stand the OTT way prevalent in American and Australian culture, smiling all the time and everything is fucking great.

The ‘London way’ seems to be similar. Everything is quite superficial, and you don’t get to know anyone really (but you don’t bloody want to, either!). I’ve only got one friend in London, but I’ve known her since 1994, and the reason why I get on with her so well is probably that she’s a disabled, lesbian artist. I.e. she too is a total outcast from mainstream society insomuch that she can’t and doesn’t relate to hegemonic London discourses surrounding relationships, sexuality, male/female bollocks, or friendships.

Still, the reason for this post is not to think about the stupid city that is London, but instead, to ask everyone to spread the love this Xmas. I don’t care what everyone has been doing up until now, but from today, treat everyone nicely, especially, the people you are close to. Also think of giving some money to charity or doing something charitable. Here are my two favourites:

• FreeRice: I’ve blogged about this before
• the Guardian’s Katine project – if you’ve had a good year and some money left over, you really ought to give some of it away. I learned by watching Make Me A Muslim that in the Islam faith, it’s obligatory to give a percentage of your annual income to charity:

There are two forms of charity in Islam—obligatory and voluntary, called zakat and sadaqa respectively. Zakah, from the verb zaka, which signifies “to thrive,” “to be wholesome,” “to be pure” means purification. Giving up of a portion of the wealth one may possess in excess of what is needed for sustenance, is to “purify” or legalize it so that the remainder may lawfully be used by the alms giver.

Deducting zakat from one’s earnings is a material acknowledgment of the fact that the actual giver is God. Since the giver is God, the recipient is duty bound to spend it in His cause.

The law of zakat is to take from those who have wealth and give it away to those who do not. This rotation of wealth is a way to balance social inequality.

(source)

Leaving aside the God stuff which doesn’t sit comfortably with me, the idea of obligatory charity is a great one, and one thing we should learn from Islam.

Though I won’t wish anyone a Happy Holiday. I’ll be wishing people a Merry Xmas, and if they don’t celebrate Xmas, I’ll be wishing them a great holiday, or just a nice time off.