Merry Halal

It's been a long time old friend. some stuff happened, some didn't, but I decided to rejoin the blogging world. and I'm still sitting here watching the world go by. except that it's christmas and I've got the mother of all coughs.

but christmas around here is a bit of a relative concept. when you count the greek orthodox, copts, muslems, hindus, jews, atheists etc etc do 50% of us here are actually celebrate it? You walk out and not one person rushing out bundled with presents, though one woman did give me a big smile as I walked past her. A smartly dressed guy did go up to the house opposite and ring on the doorbell, and the young cool bloke who looks like the young denzel washington did get into his car, dust himself down and drive off. but that's it. no santas. no trees in the window. Just the hint of indian music next door.

One of our little local shop was open christmas day (the one owned by turks not somali christians). the guy at the til definitely had something of the christmas cheer about him, not sure if that's because he was busy or not, but it was great when he wished us all 'merry christmas' booming out like he really was santa, and the albanian muslem who was buying cigarettes boomed it back. And me too, the jewish girl. You get into the swing of things I guess, in our own special way.

I took a walk round ally pally on christmas day in the morning. Now that was special. Loads of men with kids shoved out while the women did the cooking before lunch, dog walkers, and of course a few people jogging. (jogging on christmas day...?)
but the best was after christmas. After the meals, and the presents - or not - in the evening walking past the houses with everyone laughing and a bit tipsy. and the next day seeing a man running down the middle of the road after his child with his new bike, talking about balance and encouraging him on, and standing and watching as he pedalled on alone.
I guess that's what it's all about isn't it.