Christmas!

Oh, my goodness: a photo turned out*!  May your day also have a moment of grace amidst the chaos.

* Paul took it and made it look good.  I cropped out, as much as I could, the clutter and mess.   

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas 2015

Card-on blue

Paul: Tonight is Christmas cards blitz! 
Me: We could listen to Christmas music and be all Christmasy when we write cards!
Paul: Uh, maybe not.  

Well, at least we got to be a little rude...

Gingerbread Feast 2013

Rem and Steph's was Gingerbread Feast, Friday, was a full house. Many were ready to get creative with gingerbread, icing, and candy. And what was on their minds? (Or should I say who?) 

The oven finished cooking two pumpkin pies, and was then ready for some gingerbread play.





















(Below left: Daniel makes an entrance. / Below right: [House?] Hippo in the tree!) 

Kathy worked away on a Rubik's Cube, while Claire put together the pieces from her cast iron gingerbread house mould.

Michael and Allison and Rob all thought of the TARDIS, but with blue dye and blue prints in hand, Michael and Allison went to town.

After two years of high concept, but badly executed ideas, I decided to go back to something a little more basic... with a spin...

Steph made it pretty and in the end it was comfortable too for all the gummy bear riders (though, they sometimes were upside down). 

While all this concentration was going on, we'd steamed up the windows (below, including a self portrait.)...

Time passed... and then somehow Rem's beard was clipped. 

More photos of the night here. 

Happy Christmas!

One Golden Bird

Really, has Michael been going to the Golden Bird for 20 years?* 

Well, for our team's Christmas lunch, he takes us there to experience what it is that keeps his family coming back.

* Though he also admits, it could just be because we often get so used to doing something and closed in our spheres that something even a block away we might never visit...

Initial thought: This looks like an independent coffee house (with plenty of oil painted birds).

When the food arrived, people thought it was really authentic. I'm not sure on that point, but my pho was very tasty.

There were no speeches.  Instead media dominated the conversation:
- Amy Quon Dynasty on OMNI -- those who brought us Chicken for Lunch and Lingnan, also brings us a reality television show.  Our home grown Kardashians. 
- Some of the crazy dance videos that Slavica and Michael's daughters watch on youtube.

I cleaned my bowl (with the help of a wooden leg / take home container).  I think the waitstaff tried to hand me a cover... then realised I was using my own.

Afterwards, Olivia tells me she's trying to limit her child's exposure to television.  Movie as a form of communication, has its own rules -- what means to see something from a different perspective, how we know something is from the eyes of a character, or that we're now in a different space... all are learned.  She didn't want her child to be imprinted that way, to directed to think in a certain way. 

I definitely never thought of that as being an issue.  Instead, my thought was about how there wasn't a common thing for children (or us) to talk about since we don't all watch the same television programs like in the past.  But then, maybe that doesn't matter as much.  Olivia and I still have lots to talk about.

Merry Christmas

Puppies' Christmas

Video confirmation as to why I shouldn't have a puppy:


I'd be laughing and "awwing" so much there wouldn't be any discipline.  And the stuff they're chewing isn't actually safe for them. 

But this is so cute!

Another Canadian Christmas

Paul and I were kindly adopted by Adriana and Leo to join in their Christmas / New Year / birthday celebration for the 30th.

I was overjoyed.  Finally, my chance to join in a normal family's Christmas celebrations (i.e. one that wasn't a strange mash-up of Chinese and Western traditionals).  What I got wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was exactly what I asked for. 

Behold, their Christmas tree! 















Behold, their Christmas dinner!

(Clockwise from left: Paul, Matt, Debra, Curtis, Catherine, Karen, Leo, Adriana, Alexander)

"I just wanna hold your hand..."

The non-traditional (non-turkey) dinner (Mexican salads and tacos) was a special menu request from birthday-girl Catherine.  It was interesting and very tasty.  The vegetarian substitute for ground beef was so good I didn't even realise it wasn't meat.  But I think the highlight were the packaged cheese curds a.k.a. The Squeaky Cheese.  Delicious and squeaking with every bite, it inspired a discussion about annoying sounds.  It turns out, quite a number of someones at the table really don't like the sound of fingernails being rubbed together. 

 

"Have you seen this cat? He is awesome."

The pets made a rather small appearance on this visit.  Pax consistently followed Alexander, (finally parking herself under his chair during dinner), but the cats were out of sight.  That is... unless you looked to Leo's laptop.  Opened to provide the night's background music, it also proudly displayed as the desktop image, Darius.  The white cat was sitting upright on the sofa with television remote in paw, next to a beer bottle... Yes, he is awesome. 

(Right: Paul and Alexander in coordinated outfits.)

 

(Below: Alexander, fully flirting at 6 months.)

 

Happy Birthday!

Catherine blew out the candle on her birthday bucket of ice cream and dessert was served.  She smiled so much, I wondered if she really turned thirteen. 

Karen had made pies and pastries for the occassion. 

There was talk to play board games for the rest of the night.  But when someone mentioned they haven't yet seen Candy Cane Lane - none of us had - we set off that way.

Though in separate cars and it was very cold, it still felt pretty nice to be with Adriana and Leo's family to see the lights. 

When we headed out to our separate homes, despite not being like a greeting card or Martha Stewart magazine (o.k. I admit those were the base for my idea of a "normal Christmas"), I was happy.  The quirky traditions, the joy of the night, the good company, the inclusion... might not be normative, but it was special.  And I think I can see that in my family Christmases too. 

I'm pretty lucky. 

Christmas

House Hippo and Coconut eventually fell asleep and Santa filled their stockings. 

Come morning, I arrived and we all opened presents. 

There were several surprises including a special delivery. 

Afterwards, we headed over to Rem and Steph's for a visit and some tea. 

The day's main event, which I worried about was dinner at home with most of my family.

Instead of a traditional / fusion Christmas dinner, Mom and Dad decided to do take-out.  Foil containers of various chow meins, rice, vegetables, and meats filled the table. 

A bottle of wine appeared at some point.  The contents weren't necessarily of that much interest.  Instead, my sisters and I all wanted the decorative bottle!  Dad, in some good humour that I don't often see, wrote on three pieces of paper, which the three of us drew from.  "Good Omens" and "Of What You Will" appeared on Angela and Theresa's... so I found mine was "Victory"
(勝利).

Though there the conversation was a bit stilted and awkward, everyone was on their best behaviour.  Um... except the nephews. 

The cookies I had baked for dessert seemed to go over well... until I found the secret ingredient to the trail mix cookies (walnuts), Kevin was allergic to.  (I swear I'm not trying to kill him!)  






Thankfully, with a pill, he recovered quickly.  With time to open presents and play games, Christmas wasn't entirely ruined.  In fact, it turned out pretty good. 

(Left: Cracker jokes and paper crowns.
Below: The family females and Cranium)

Carols and Lights

Jeff (as translated by me): "How quaint and quirky.  My friends go out.  You guys sing carols!" 

Yeah, aren't I lucky? 

I was elated Jeff was in town to attend Carolling Feast.  One of my favourite traditions for the season, and I was going to get a chance to share it! 

As usual, there was a great turn out, with out of town friends home for holidays in attendance too. 

I got to sing and he snapped these photos for the night. 

After the singing and feasting, Paul directed us to a spectacular house in his neighbourhood where pretty much everything was lit!  A propellor on the garage spun.  Little figures moved across the lawn.  As a caveman probably stared at fire, I was stunned.  I would have gone closer if not for the cold and tresspassing laws... (Jeff's photos from afar.) 

Mom was waiting for us to get home.  She immediately went to bed, but we weren't ready to sleep yet.  It annoyed her we were so late, but I think she was happy that the two of us had this chance to talk. 

With this feeling that a lot of changes were coming, we talked and talked.  He told me about finding Dao, and how it's helping to explain our religious roots.  I folded shirts...