This year Christmas is different. I might even go so far as to say this is my first real Christmas. Two years ago I should not have even been here and last year I did not fully register yet quite what it means. But this year I am absolutely on top of things. It all started with the advent calendar. Comparing the number of open to closed windows provides an intuitive feel how much time is left until Christmas Eve.
Then we went to a Christmas party at Papa’s office. There were so many things to do and they also had a Santa Grotto attended by an old man with a big white beard. I was not so convinced by this man and everybody knows that the Christmas presents come from the Christkindl (Child Jesus).
This was followed on the same day by Maman’s public appearance in a Christmas concert as part of the Bermondsey Voices choir. The concert was great and really well attended.
On the next weekend Papa brought home a Nordmann Fir which I helped to decorate into a nice Christmas tree. But the festive feeling really sunk in when Maman baked Christmas cookies (Vanillekipferln). It is needless to say how much I (and Papa) enjoyed them.
Luckily the big wait to X-Day was made shorter by two great birthday parties this weekend. On Saturday Amelia celebrated in the Bermondsey Village Hall and today Riley’s party took place at his impressive new home in Kennington.
