Xmass in the sand dunes

First of all, i wish a Warm and Marry Christmas to Everyone. I hope most of you had the chance to spend the holidays with your family and with those who are close to your heart.

Mine is okay. I'm a bit sentimental these days and probably this Christmas was the most dramatic for me. Don't know the reason, holidays never meant that much to me as this year. Maybe because i'm surrounded by ppl for whom Christmas has no meaning. And the more i see different habits, the stronger i feel where i belong to.

All my life dec 24-25-26 had the same strict routine for visiting relatives for lunch and dinner.
Than last year i broke the routine. It was more like a 3-days crazy partying than a holly festival. It didn't affect me too much but i made a vow that it was the last one without my family.
But as years passing i'm getting older.. i learnt a lot of things eg. you can't plan anything in life. Couple of years back i used to get disappointed if something didn't work out the way i expected it.. but now i know it's useless to be upset if your life turns into another direction. I have to realize not a single thing is certain in life.
And also i learnt nothing can be perfect. Mistake on my side, i was always dreaming of a perfect life, perfect people, perfect Christmas.. and so i see in reality nothing is perfect. What is more important, that whatever the circumstances are i have to make the best of it. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, look around..
and also i'm grateful for those ones who are missing me somewhere far away.


So i tryed to make the best of this year's "Christmas" here in the desert. At least i didnt have to be worried about holiday opening hours in the shop. I didnt want to make a big fuss about it, just to remind my close friends that today is supposed to be special. Well, not for everyone.. "O" was sent to India in the last minutes. Well, i had another thing to be grateful for - thanks God, its not me who had to go there tonight.
As i like spending time in the kitchen - seems to be the only place where i can gratify my creativity - i undertook the preparation of dinner. Well, though i enjoy cooking i'm not practising it too often.. i tend to screw it up sometimes.
The menu was chicken (i didnt find turkey) stuffed with banana with some spices topped with cream (i was supposed to wrap it in bacon and most of the receipts mention wine as an ingredient.. forget about it) I couldnt decide wheter i should put it in breadcrumbs and fry it or bake them in the oven so i prepared both options. Well, i dont know which one was better, i think both had a funny taste alltogether with the spices i used (surprising but i found all the spices in carrefur my mum uses at home). I guess my guests were polite, they seemed to be happy with the dinner - they better did coz i dont like negative critics.
Accompanying the chicken i prepared potatoes baked in the oven with spices and olive oil and salad of sweetcorns, apple and cheese in yogurt, mayonnese and spices.
The cake was "I"s responsibility in Russian style. And unlucky "O" sent her cake to us before she left to India. She was freakin out - can be understood.
First i didn't care where i spend Xmass if i can't go home.. but than i was glad to be in Doha at least.
I got an orange-cinnamon flavoured essential oil from Munic and an oil-burner which mixed together with the smell of the spices coming from the kitchen.. felt like Xmass at home.

Eventually we had a nice evening, we were glad that at least we are together. Later we continued the evening in a jazz club of a fancy hotel with some fancy coctails.. my favourite place in Doha (the only one i actually like). The singer has an amazing voice and sings all my favourites Eva Cassidy, Sade, Macy Gray.. no one dancing there but last night after some coctails we were inspired by the lovely music.. we did.

As an army could have been supplied by the amount of food i prepared for dinner today my guests came back for dinner - and "O" joined us finally in the afternoon.

Don't know what to do with the lot of cake in the fridge... i can't eat all - though i'm trying hard - tomarrow everybody is flying away, i'll be in Kathmandu - i guess the hotel staff already know me by name there - where i'll forget completely about Christmas for this year.