Wednesday 23 December 2009

Enjoying a quieter Christmas holiday

We might not have snow where I am, and I do miss many little things I am used to at Christmas (although my parents in law make gigantic fforts so I will not feel too homesick, they even bought bûches de Noël), but I am still enjoying the holidays tremendously. So far, it has been dolce far niente for me here. There is doing nothing and doing nothing of course. The first lead, or is a result of, boredom, and the other is simply enjoying doing very little after a time of frantic living. The period before the Christmas holidays is almost always frantic, and so are often the holidays. This year, we are having a quieter time, my wife and I.

Of course, enjoying inaction still means doing something enjoyable, without any pressure. So I am reading: local crime fiction (I don't know if it is any good yet, but so far it is fun), some Marjane Strapi book (always a pleasure), more comics books, etc. I am also drinking local beers (so far this is a very Breton Christmas), drinking tea (reading Broderies in the meantime, as it features Iranian women drinking tea), all this by the fireplace. Just this is enough to keep someone happy. Like the electric train, the fireplace is a Christmas tradition I have from childhood. It is nice to have the fire here too; it feels like home. I am generally a urban man, but I deeply appreciate the atmosphere of this remote place. There is no snow, but it can always change.

1 comment:

VioletSky said...

Oh, but you are in Brittany!
I don't think I could ever actually spend Christmas in a hot clime, though I joke about escaping to a Caribbean isle every year...

Joyeux Noël to you both!