(no subject)
First of all: Merry Christmas (Feliz Natal!)
Here in Brazil most people commemorate Christmas in the night of the 24th. In my family, for example, after spending the hole day cooking, baking and preparing everything, we go, get ready and gather in the living room of my stepmother's (or, in this year's case, go to her older daughters) around 8 p.m., have some small talk, make some late adjustments, wait the guest... Depending on the mood, around 9-ish, we proceed to the Secret Santa.
I don't know how each of you do it (do tell!), but here, we start with someone, who has to describe the person they going to gift and the others has to guess (sometimes the characteristics given are the inverse of what the person really is). When it is guessed, the person gives the gift to the other and, then, the gifted proceeds to make the same until everyone has their gift.
This year, as my possible gifts couldn't be found (all of them were books that were sold out by the time my stepbrother went to buy it - despite the fact that the bookstore's website says they are available), so he gave me a (no idea what you call it) card that is worth R$ 30,00 in products of my choice in my favourite bookstore. As the card was the size of a credit card, he decided to play a prank at me: I had to rip trough 5 boxes and lost of wrappings to get to it.
The I let it with my father for safe care and he lost it. I should be sad, except he gave me the R$ 30,00 and more R$ to go and by whatever is it I want in the bookstore.
After the Secret Santa, we hang out a bit, watching the telly (loved Shrek's Christmas Special), taking pictures, playing with the kids... then, depending on our level of hunger, we go and have our Christmas Supper (something like this). Now, this is one of my favourite times of the year, because it is the only time (save New Years, sometimes) when we can eat my stepmother's farofa (to know what a farofa is click here). Of course, it is hell to spend the whole afternoon picking all kinds of nuts for her, but it's worth it.
After that, we hang out a bit more, and when it strikes midnight, we toast and wish Merry Christmas to everyone. Then, we exchange the gifts (the year my older niece discovered Santa Claus didn't exist, she dressed up and Santa and distributed the gifts herself). And, finally, we eat the dessert, if we hadn't already. And that's it. By 1, 2 a.m. I'm home again, trying to figure a way to put the new books on the shelves.
'Till nest day, of course, when I go back to my stepmother's house, so we can have our Christmas day lunch
(generally, leftovers). Yesterday's lunch was a bit of chaos, since my stepbrother showed with his new girlfriend unannounced and we all got into a frenzy to left the house presentable before the girl rang the doorbell. She looks like she's worth the trouble. Then we played this game called "stop" (we determine some categories such as "cars", "names", "movies"; decide by arbitrary means upon a letter and try to come up with things that start with that letter to each category. The person who finishes first says stop and we proceed to see everyone's result. The person with the biggest score wins (it's afforded 10 points for a original name and 5 if someone else wrote the same as you), that I don't if you guys have (again: do tell!). That was fun, except I lost, because I write really slow; so, when I was with only half the categories written, someone had already said "stop'.
Then, I went to see the Golden Compass with my father. We liked. And I want to read the book now.
Oh, I was going to talk about the loads of movies I saw this weekend (over at the rental shop, they had this promotion that let you return the dvds only in the 2nd of January. But then, I remembered that I wasn't going to be here that day - will still be in the beach... *sigh* -, so had to watch it all at once.), but this post is length enough as it is, so, maybe another day...
And, in case I don't have the time: Happy New Year (Feliz Ano Novo)!
Here in Brazil most people commemorate Christmas in the night of the 24th. In my family, for example, after spending the hole day cooking, baking and preparing everything, we go, get ready and gather in the living room of my stepmother's (or, in this year's case, go to her older daughters) around 8 p.m., have some small talk, make some late adjustments, wait the guest... Depending on the mood, around 9-ish, we proceed to the Secret Santa.
I don't know how each of you do it (do tell!), but here, we start with someone, who has to describe the person they going to gift and the others has to guess (sometimes the characteristics given are the inverse of what the person really is). When it is guessed, the person gives the gift to the other and, then, the gifted proceeds to make the same until everyone has their gift.
This year, as my possible gifts couldn't be found (all of them were books that were sold out by the time my stepbrother went to buy it - despite the fact that the bookstore's website says they are available), so he gave me a (no idea what you call it) card that is worth R$ 30,00 in products of my choice in my favourite bookstore. As the card was the size of a credit card, he decided to play a prank at me: I had to rip trough 5 boxes and lost of wrappings to get to it.
The I let it with my father for safe care and he lost it. I should be sad, except he gave me the R$ 30,00 and more R$ to go and by whatever is it I want in the bookstore.
After the Secret Santa, we hang out a bit, watching the telly (loved Shrek's Christmas Special), taking pictures, playing with the kids... then, depending on our level of hunger, we go and have our Christmas Supper (something like this). Now, this is one of my favourite times of the year, because it is the only time (save New Years, sometimes) when we can eat my stepmother's farofa (to know what a farofa is click here). Of course, it is hell to spend the whole afternoon picking all kinds of nuts for her, but it's worth it.
After that, we hang out a bit more, and when it strikes midnight, we toast and wish Merry Christmas to everyone. Then, we exchange the gifts (the year my older niece discovered Santa Claus didn't exist, she dressed up and Santa and distributed the gifts herself). And, finally, we eat the dessert, if we hadn't already. And that's it. By 1, 2 a.m. I'm home again, trying to figure a way to put the new books on the shelves.
'Till nest day, of course, when I go back to my stepmother's house, so we can have our Christmas day lunch
(generally, leftovers). Yesterday's lunch was a bit of chaos, since my stepbrother showed with his new girlfriend unannounced and we all got into a frenzy to left the house presentable before the girl rang the doorbell. She looks like she's worth the trouble. Then we played this game called "stop" (we determine some categories such as "cars", "names", "movies"; decide by arbitrary means upon a letter and try to come up with things that start with that letter to each category. The person who finishes first says stop and we proceed to see everyone's result. The person with the biggest score wins (it's afforded 10 points for a original name and 5 if someone else wrote the same as you), that I don't if you guys have (again: do tell!). That was fun, except I lost, because I write really slow; so, when I was with only half the categories written, someone had already said "stop'.
Then, I went to see the Golden Compass with my father. We liked. And I want to read the book now.
Oh, I was going to talk about the loads of movies I saw this weekend (over at the rental shop, they had this promotion that let you return the dvds only in the 2nd of January. But then, I remembered that I wasn't going to be here that day - will still be in the beach... *sigh* -, so had to watch it all at once.), but this post is length enough as it is, so, maybe another day...
And, in case I don't have the time: Happy New Year (Feliz Ano Novo)!