Thursday 22 December 2011

Girls Who Play Chess in Coffee Shops


Maria and I, unlike this girl and her intelligent friends, play no chess. We did, however, do very little as it was one of those wonderfully unproductive days where we looked at houses on the internet and set up a facebook page for Maria's website and discussed our training regimens. At two o'clock, I was meeting Anna, and I waved goodbye to one friend to meet another, who I found waiting for me outside of Ã…hlens clothing store. We browsed the Army shop and admired the hustle and bustle of a city in Yule tide bliss, before we grew too cold and took the bus to her house, where her family was quick to greet us. Little Emmanuel showed me his new car; mamma Elsa gave me a hug; Samuel shaved his beard, I take it, as a sign of respect; and finally, Anna and I went downstairs to play Legend of Zelda, a game presided over by the honourable Evelina, who watched from the sidelines and laughed when I made Link pick up and put down pots. I quite like having a good many people in a single houses. One is never in want of company.


Speaking of which, my brother Joel, his wife Sofia, his best friend Jachin, and my sister Sofia all arrived today by car from the south of Sweden. They are here for Christmas! Mother greeted them with hot mulled cordial and gingerbread cookies, which was followed by dinner--hainanese chicken rice, made from a packet brought all the way from Singapore--and a dessert of vanilla ice cream and raspberries. We had a good time of it, idling long at the table, our conversation drifting in and around a manner of subjects and sliding easily into laughter, as it should be when family gets together. Let Christmas begin!

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