Category Archives: Friends

Freya In Luxembourg

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We spent the last four days visiting some friends that we got to know when we were living the small but beautiful Duchy of Luxembourg some ten years ago.

The first two nights were spent in Suzi and David’s house, who now live just over the border in Germany. Freya had no problem acclimatising to her new surroundings, especially since the house is also home to a rabbit (Venus) and a guinea-pig (Blitz); the last two evening’s we stayed at Corrinne’s and Carlos’ house, which offered a very large balcony. Thanks to the relatively nice weather this was utilised on both days, and almost made up for the lack of pets.

We got to do so much in the four days we were there: Parc Merveilleux is a really good Animal Park with decent children’s playgrounds fairy tale themes splattered around the place; a small, unhealthily warm, but well-equipped butterfly gardin, Jardin des Papillons in Grevenmacher; visiting various pubs in the city, including paying a visit to see a DJ acquaintance, Marino.

All in all it was a marvelous break away, and it was fantastic catching up with old friends.

The Invasion Of “Russian” “Culture”

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This year’s Eurovision Song Contest has come and gone, and it is was a fiasco.

There has always been diplomatic voting, where Norway gives top points to Sweden, or Malta and Greece heal wounds by exchanging 12 points of goodwill; however this year, with the inclusion of so many former Eastern-bloc countries, it was just irritating to watch. Eight of the final top-ten countries were Eastern European (i.e. ex-Communist), as Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Armenia, Hungary, Moldova, and countless others helped secure a “Soviet” victory.

Next year could see a further invasion of the East European Song Contest and, if the organisers have not found some cunning way to deal with the problem, we shall not vote. It’s not radical action, I know, but how radical can one be against a TV show? I reckon we could just not watch it, but I think that’s extremism.

We had Mattias, Linda and their youngest daughter, Mira, over to console each other by consuming obligatory alcohol (not Mira, obviously) that such events demands. Freya and Mira played well together, and didn’t fall asleep until very late (or was it early the next morning?).

Mattias and Linda finally crashed (Mattias somewhat sooner than Linda) on the sofa sometime later than the girls fell asleep, waking the next morning to headaches and croissants.

Wolves In The Play-Offs

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Dad and Mum took me to O’Leary’s today, to see “we are Wolves” play a football match. Rich was there, too, without my school friend (and his daughter) Esther. He let the side down a bit by not having a Wolves shirt on (unlike most of the other people there), but he seemed to be very happy when the side Wolves were playing scored goals. It perplexes me, this game. Ooh, some more popcorn!

Dad was quite nervous for the first part of the game, so it must have been important for him. I happily ate popcorn whilst Wolves were being shown on the many screens around the pub, and Mum, Dad and Rich consumed necessary glasses of beer.

I hear Dad trying to get me to say “Boing Boing”, which is something Rich has taught him, though I suspect the other Wolves supporters would kill Dad if they heard him teaching me the enemies war-cry. It appears Boing Boing has something to do with The Baggies, or West Brom, or Tescos. I’m not really listening because the popcorn keeps coming, and there’s only so much a girl can keep her mind on.

Lots of the other Wolves people there kept patting my head or dancing for me. It was all very nice, especially when Wolves scored a goal, but they didn’t give me much popcorn.

In the end Rich seemed happier than Mum, Dad and Wolves people. I was even happier because the man who gave the beers to people gave me popcorn, all without Dad taking out his money. I guess it pays to be small.

The Country Boy Visits The City

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Johan, Freya’s cousin, went back home today, after spending the week with us while he did some work experience.

Jo had asked Linda, a film producer and friend of ours, for the placement, and she kindly took Johan under her wing. She let Johan produce his own three-minute film, which he did by himself (from the initial idea to the editing). Not a bad placement really; better than cleaning the toilets at McDonalds.

This was his first time alone away from his home tract. He seemed to take to it easily, spending the evenings out with his “friend”, Victoria. Freya didn’t get to see Johan much because of this, but still talked often about him, and even proclaimed her love for him.

It was nice to spend a little more time with him. He is quite a quiet person, and I didn’t really get so much out of him, though he seems to know the lyrics to many of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest (the final being tonight).

To Chris And Tanya’s

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We were all invited to Chris and Tanya’s last night, for a meal and film showing of Office Space, which Chris had suggested would be a worthwhile watch.

Freya made herself at home very quickly, and had no problem in involving our hosts in her activities. She has always had a soft-spot for Tanya, and has recently warmed to Chris, which is a nice development in her relationship with him.

During the preparatory phase of the meal I sidled to the computer to have my first proper exploration of World of Warcraft. They had shown me around the basics of the game before, chaperoning me through the on-screen menus more than the world of Azeroth. This time, though, I was truly on my lonesome, and enjoyed it as much as I had expected to.

The first levels involve the standard “kill/return” type of sub-quests, all the while unfolding the overall plot related to the Undead character I’d chosen. While it was unexceptional in its incipiency, the lush environment and “liveliness” of Undercity made for a different experience than Neverwinter Nights.

After WoWing, eating, WoWing a bit more, and eating dessert, Freya collapsed from 16 hours of being awake. Despite her desperate moanings of wanting to sleep at home, she passed out with ease, leaving the adults alone to continue the evening’s mirth.

Having watched Office Space (a decent enough film, by the way), Jo spotted an unwrapped Borat. Why they had kept it unseen is witless enough, but it had been in their possession for a couple of weeks. Unopened. Unseen.

We corrected this oversight by demanding asking for a showing. I have been planning on purchasing the DVD at some point (i.e when it comes down in price), so we were rather happy to have the to see it earlier than we’d anticipated. Suffice to say it rocked, and I have full respect for Sacha Baron Cohen for creating the character and to have the balls to put himself in peril for entertainment.

The rest of the evening (being early morning by that time) was spent chatting about all manner of things. I had succeeded in not becoming drunk (which aided sociability on my part, and the ability to wake up with Freya four hours later without feeling the effects of a hangover), leaving their place at a respectable 4.15am.