The eating is almost done

#ChristmasMood

As I try to plump up my expensive plastic tree with cheap stuff bought from Kmart, I can only gawk at what cultured professionals can do…all photos from the NY Times..

Noche Buena 2021

A Simple Prayer for Christmas Dinner

Dear God, we give thanks for this time when we can all be together. We give thanks for this food which is bountiful and delicious. We give thanks for this joyful holiday when we can celebrate our Savior and his love for us. With joy we pray, Amen

Surf and turf

Our favourite- a seafood boil

Graze well

Standing beef roast

Fruit cake

Not supermarket bought- ordered from an artisan company in Christchurch that does only Christmas cakes

Vegan is here to stay

Bust all your vegan myths; this vegan Tiramisu cake is the most decadent thing we’ve ever tasted

Ryan's Christmas Gift Registry

I don’t care about the critics- the current government still has a good grip on a situation that could be ten times worse (and a hundred times worse in other countries). The critics could either drop dead or catch Covid; either way, FUCK YOU and you don’t know squat. Anyhoo, a weird call today- level 3.2 which allows for some businesses to open (like malls!) and others to remain closed like restaurants (boo!) and cinemas (double boo!).

So if you’re an anti-vaxxer, you can go out on Wednesday and catch yourself some Covid- that will teach you.

I’ve done all my shopping and besides, the only times I go to a store is when I’m not sure of the fit or the fabric; I buy the majority of my clothes from the same labels so I know my fit 99% of the time. But yeah, going out there is like playing Covid roulette, and for what? For a pair of goddamned pants lol. Not worth it.

And speaking of shopping, here’s a list of stuff I’d like to by for myself if money is no object; after all dreaming is free…

Caviar Sturia - Vintage 50g

The Sturia Vintage caviar, symbolic caviar of Sturias know-how, allies subtlety and complexity of flavours persistent in mouth. It associates rounded firmness and an explosion in mouth of harmoniously fruity and iodized flavours. Simply serve on a spoon, the tin placed on a bed of ice $278

Rimowa Aluminium Cross-Body Bag

Made in Germany and crafted from ultra-resistant grooved aluminium, the RIMOWA Personal Aluminium Cross Body Bag in Silver features a unisex hard shell meant to house and transport your daily personal essentials.

Kenneth Cobonpue Boom Town Table lamp

Hundreds of tiny figurines come together to build this unique table lamp designed to highlight what we can achieve when we unite and work together. Salago fiber is applied by hand to add volume to a sculptural body of steel $2185

Saint Laurent Sac Du Jour

I WILL GET THIS BAG

New Apple

NZ$6,049

Zero electric motorcycle

Zero is adding more performance to the 2022 SR with increased battery capacity and more efficient architecture. The SR will get 14.4 kWh and 15.6 kWh battery options and a ZF 75-10 motor maying 74 horsepower and 122 lb-ft of torque, good for speeds of up to 104 MPH. Zero estimates 225 miles of range during city driving, and up to 113 miles at 70 MPH. Fully optioned with the Speed & Performance Boost and Power Tank, battery capacity hits 20.9 kWh for more two-wheeled adventure.

Happy Holidays

I’m not complaining, not really.

I bought amazing gifts for myself; gifts that allow me to continue earning money that I could in return, give amazing gifts to the people I love as well as more gifts for myself (a win-win).

My health is okay and will be better because finally, I have self-control; the lechon can wait until April 2020.

The world is shittier than ever, but I’m not adding to the sludge of shit by creating/sharing my own shit. The rare tweet aside, I’ve closed the door on the situation in the US and the Philippines. Let people who do their beds, lie on it.

Christmas 2017

A bunch of firsts; first time to work until our office closed on the 22nd. First time to NOT stress on what to eat. First time to have a decent gift budget which I had half-saved for. And first time to be less nostalgic about the whole thing- and everything was just perfectly fine.

Christmas is way better with kids

We've always had Christmases with kids in the mix which makes the holidays something to look forward to. Woe the day when everyone is all grown up.

Last minute trees are better than no tree at all

So true, that comforting, reassuring smell of pine

'Curate' what you eat

Which means taking out stuff that's pretty in photos but bland in real life. Also, take out stuff that's too hard to do. Try out new stuff like this salmon mignon which was just okay

Satisfy cravings

It's been a while since I had mussels and New Zealand has some of the tastiest, plumpest kind. An old Maori woman gave me a tip at the seafood counter at New World; don't use the scoop she told me. Use your hands to hand-pick the best ones, unbroken and heavy. 

Save it for Noche Buena

We assembled a bevy of nibbles and cold-cuts to stave off the hunger for the long wait to midnight dinner. If it was colder, arroz caldo would have been nice.

Noche Buena

Seemed lean but the callos, ham, salmon and black forest torte cake was just right

December 25

Had Christmas dinner at the flat which was apt because the family was white, and Dave missed it because he fell off the wagon which is also apt because stories seem to suggest that it's such a white-person thing to do (!!)