Adventskranz und Christbaumstern sind tot

[muckefuck]

The one compensation as a bid farewell to the merry holiday season (on a most un-Christmassy 60-degree evening) is the thought that another two-week period of feasts and revels kicks off in one month to the day with the arrival of the Year of the Rat.

Cassoulet was eaten. In case it wasn't rich enough, we bracketed it with cream of roasted cauliflower as a starter and a dessert of hot chocolate with monshu's famous roscón de Reyes. Believe it or not, this was actually a less rich meal than the one I had chez Umm `At̤ā'ullāh the night before. My fresh-baked wheat bread laid with smoked and unsmoked cheese actually shrank to the status of an appetiser after course followed by course of gingerbread, black bun (well, not really, but I'm not allowed to call it "fruitcake"), and galette de Rois (which I continued to nosh on long after the almond had been found) washed down with wassail and port.

It was a small gathering but a deeply interesting one. We explained the mysteries of Catholic upbringing to non-Catholics, complete with illustrative jokes (monshu's "What are the three things that even God doesn't know?" was such a hit that notes were taken), not to mention the mysteries the Chinese writing system, Italian tax codes, and Irish politics. I had considered meeting Nuphy at Bear Night afterwards to celebrate the new smoke-free regime in Chicago, but the opportunity came and I felt no need to move on. Instead of staying up to the wee hours making small-talk with near-strangers, I stayed up to the wee hours having good conversation with old friends. What better note to end the season on?

I meant to dismantle the token presence of Christmas in my apartment this afternoon, but I couldn't bring myself to. Clearing away the Christmas candles means beginning the cleaning in preparation for Chinese New Year and I'm not ready to face that quite yet. O spare me, please, until snow is falling again and the prospect of venturing outside for shopping or visiting is less enticing.

Comments

[itchwoot.livejournal.com]

Es muesste heissen "Adventskranz und Christbaumstern sind tot", anderenfalls haetten sie einen schwarzen Mantel an und eine Sense in der Hand. ;-)

So what are the three things that even God doesn't know then? I'm not Catholic either!

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Weisst Du, genau diesen Fehler hab ich auch in einem Hausaufgabe des dritten Semesters gemacht! Was Hänschen nicht lernt!

[pne.livejournal.com]

monshu's "What are the three things that even God doesn't know?" was such a hit that notes were taken

Well? What are they?

What even god doesn't know...

[monshu.livejournal.com]

There are many variations on this, but one version I know is:
1. How many congregations of religious women there are in the church.
2. How much money the Franciscans have hidden away.
3. What the Jesuits are thinking.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I still prefer:

1. Where the mendicant orders keep their money;
2. What a Jesuit is thinking;
3. How many orders of Franciscans there are.

This is the version I told at the party, which prompted the naïve question, "So are there really that many orders of Franciscans?"

[itchwoot.livejournal.com]

ok, I admit it... I don't get it.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

It's a Catholic thing. I could explain it, but you still wouldn't get it.

Also: MWNG!

[itchwoot.livejournal.com]

I can sing small parts of the "Mwng" album in pretend Welsh! :)

Pan Ddaw'r Wawr
Dwi'n Furddun Heb Ei Lawr
Heb Siw Na Miw
Na Chlychau Ar Yr Awr

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

There's nothing pretend about that Welsh!

I always sing aloud to that part. I can't understand most of their lyrics, but the singing on that number is especially intelligible.

[itchwoot.livejournal.com]

it's pretend when I sing it! ;)
I can type it alright...

God, I love that album. That's why the cover is in two of my LJ user pics, hehe. :)

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

You're the only person I know who's even heard of it! Ich hab dich ja nicht ohne triftigen Grund beFriendet!

[itchwoot.livejournal.com]

It was a lucky coincidence. I was at the Reading Festival in 2000, right after the CD came out. I hadn't heard of SFA before that and their performance blew me away.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Oh, I also told Rafael's joke about the Franciscan and the Jesuit smoking, which--as you might imagine--went over well with the corporate lawyer present.