h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I’m back. Well, not really. Actually I’m just here to say that I won’t be much around in future. Sorry to everyone who’s waiting for a reply… I’ve just realized that it’s over six weeks ago that I was here the last time. Which is weird, cause I like this place a lot, I just don’t feel like talking. And of course there’s university which is keeping me away from doing things I’m fond of.

Now to the important part of this post:
Happy belated birthday to Cali_gal and happy belated birthday to Adelaide ! And happy birthday to Websailor in advance ! Hope the three of you aren’t as averse to own birthdays as I am. I wish you all the best!


Katkodl

You know I havent actually seen cali_girl around for ages...

Maybe she's found a job and is busy now.

Or she's fed up with us.

Hello, katkodl! Thanks for the birthday wishes - it was a weird birthday this year, because (a) the number is one I'd rather not discuss and (b)my brother's birthday is just 8 days later, and that was all I could think about - the first without him since I was 8 years old and he was born. It was every bit as bad as I feared it would be.
It's nice to see you here again, hope you'll be back for a longer time, in a while.

Hi, Kat,
Nice to hear from you again and thank you for the birthday wishes - that was a nice surprise. I am sorry you do not feel like talking. I get like that sometimes. I hope there is no serious reason behind it.

People keep asking me what I am doing to celebrate but birthdays have never been an issue with me. Things tend to go wrong on those days and I have never quite been able to see what there is to celebrate in putting another year of your life behind you. The older I get the more I realise there is not much time left and I haven't done anything with my life - apart from having two lovely sons.

Like Della I tend to remember that birthdays, like Christmas bring a lot of to many people.

So I will be spending it quietly doing the things I usually do, looking forward to a half price Bus Pass and hoping to get out and about a bit more now while I still can.

Kat, do keep in touch. I hope your present melancholy goes away and you can feel chatty again.

Take care,

Websailor

We should found an “abolish-birthdays”-club! For me my birthday is always the worst day of the year, well, together with New Year’s Eve actually. I just don’t like those dates. And I agree: there’s nothing to celebrate about getting older.
I could never decide whether I like Christmas or not. I like the idea of it, and also the smell of cookies and firs. And to be honest I like the kitsch in the streets and shops during that time. But I don’t like the way how Christmas is “realized” within my family. Everyone is grumpy and it invariably ends in a huge quarrel. But apart from the fact that my family is incapable of celebrating without force and anger, I think Christmas could be a really nice festive day.

Katkodl

Christmas is a lot different in Germany/Austria from England. It doesnt taste as nice here. You should go to other people's houses for Christmas. Next year you can come to mine.

Hi, Kat,

Sounds as if your family is like mine. My husband thinks Xmas is a racket, a con, a waste of money etc. etc. My father was the same and it spoilt most of my childhood christmases. I always have a feeling of foreboding at New Year, and I can never quite figure out why

I enjoy having my sons over, but my husband always seems bent on spoiling the day in one way or another. Like you I like the feeling of winter, open fires, Xmas lights etc. and I enjoy the cooking but it is usually a relief when it is over.

Still, many people suffer far worse, so I am going to try and make the best of it this year. could of course send me off to have Christmas somewhere else, but I don't suppose that would feel right either. I prefer my own home even with the arguments.

10 weeks or so to go. I have my cards but that is about it - better

So, you are not alone in your feelings. Perhaps we should say hi to one another on Christmas Day

Websailor

That’s strange: I learned (years ago) about British and US-American Christmas in school, and I came to the conclusion that it’s much nicer in those places than in Austria! And: your carols are much prettier than ours! That’s for sure.

Thanks for the invitation!

Katkodl

well we dont have the whole gingerbread and candles etc etc.

Next year I should DEFINITELY have my own place so you can come over and we'll sit and be humbugs and get drunk and pull crackers whilst watching films and eating whatever we like

But why do people have to spoil such nice days on purpose? I just don’t get it… it could be so nice and relaxed!

I always forget to send Christmas cards. I wonder if I’ll get any this year – I suppose people are quite offended cause I haven’t sent any throughout the last years.

I wonder how long it will take the supermarkets this year until the shelves are cramped with Christmas items… Probably as soon as the Halloween pumpkins and stuff is gone…

No candles? No gingerbread? What about firs?

Of course we have those. Prince Albert brought them over when he married Queen Victoria. Im not sure what we did before then.

Today I was shopping (for the first time in weeks) and guess what? The shelves are cramped with Christmas stuff. And then I did something weird (not THAT weird in general, but for me it was weird): I bought some Christmas stuff. In October!!!!!! For at least two minutes it felt like Christmas between all those shiny Christmas tree balls, cards with reindeers and santas, not to mention those kitschy Christmas figurines! In this one shop they really did their job very well: it smelled like firs, but there were no real firs. I think they poured some essential oils onto the carpet! Yes, it really felt like Christmas for at least two minutes!

katkodl

Christmas stuff is in the shops earlier every year! Our local shopping mall has a Christmas decoration shop open already - I noticed it yesterday.

Well, the strange thing is that two and three and maybe even four years ago Christmas stuff suddenly wasn’t sold before November around here anymore. Here’s why:

Halloween has never been very popular in Austria. It’s got an “American image” (although Halloween has British – or was it Irish? - origins as far as I remember) and people refuse to take the custom over around here. Some years ago there seemed to be a conspiracy going on: all shops suddenly were cramped with Halloween stuff. The problem was that hardly anyone bought it. So the shopkeepers gave in last year and now you can hardly buy any Halloween stuff around here anymore.
The positive side effect of trying to establish Halloween was that the shops weren’t full with Christmas stuff before November. But now that they gave up on their plan they obviously went back to their original schedule and sell Christmas stuff much too early in the year again.
Well, probably I've lost my right to complain about that issue since I've bought Christmas stuff the other day!

It's Scottish, I think, Halloween... the first I remember of it being celebrated in NZ was in about 1989 at my son's preschool (by a Scottish preschool teacher or parent.) No one else was really interested much before that, but as our society becomes more American, people get more enthusiastic about it.
I haven't bought any Christmas stuff yet, but I am thinking about cards, because the mail closing dates were announced on the television the other day. Yikes!

Halloween isn't really celebrated anywhere with much enthusiasm anywhere except america now. In england we dont really go in for it all THAT much.

I have seen....4 adverts on TV for Christmas things. My main problem is that I have only REALLY got one family to send presents to and thats Nicks family, which is a bit odd seeing as Nicks not talking to me.

Katkodl, you fancy a Christmas card from England?