Monday, December 24, 2007

Christmas fragments

My best for Eid (ul-Adha), I say to the Muslim fellow who works in the best damned shawarma place in all of Ottawa.

Merry Christmas, he says back.

There, now, that wasn't so difficult, was it? Especially when I'd forgotten the "ul-Adha" part?

Canada. I simply love this place.

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It was pouring rain in Ottawa yesterday, and well above freezing. Today it's a skating rink.

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Almost done the prep for tomorrow's fiesta. One Vegan--separate dishes, using margarine. One Muslim--no pork, no alcohol. One nephew--doesn't like turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry...his parents bring his meal in a box. All of us will enjoy the day. And that's an order.

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Today's Ottawa Citizen carries a number of pictures of children sitting on Santa's lap, most of them apparently screaming with fright. He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake.

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To my friends and sparring partners in the blogosphere--Merry Christmas. Over the past year I've found good company and less of the other than one might imagine in that odd, roiling, agitated space known as the blogosphere, a subset of cyberspace, a space that has no "here" or "there," a space without place. Thank you for the sometimes fine discussions and the rant/counter-rant self-indulgence on all sides.

Now, must...complete...the tasks...

Have a good one, everybody.

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