Computers, Chicken and Christmas

Alas, I have been an absent blogger due to my parents' increasingly strict rules about internet hours and computer (a.k.a 'the box')/laptop usage, based on their misguided impression that I have a computer addiction. I am not in denial, nor do I have any such addiction. They do not understand because they simply cannot see how or why I can do so much on a computer. As I enjoy writing, I type a lot of my ideas, poems or stories up using word. I also take a lot of photos, and thus have to load them, delete them, or - occasionally - play around with them using photoshop (adjusting hues, shadow, and all that jazz.) I use my laptop to play music and print photos or files. I use 'the box' simply for internet purposes, as we have broadband, which is only connected to 'the box.'

Due to this misunderstanding, I was not allowed to so much as touch any computer yesterday, but instead was forced to clean my room, a very large endeavour. Such a large endeavour, in fact, that it must be tackled in stages. The first was to unpack my bag from Hawaii (completed a few days ago, about a week after I got back!); the second was organising my school books into ones for my brother to toil over glance at next year and ones to gladly throw out; the third has been to unpack and sort the rest of my clothes and assorted packed things, which has involved cleaning out my cupboard, my dolls' house and my dresser draws to do so. Call me a neat freak, perfectionist, or just plain weird, but I arranged all the furniture in my dolls' house neatly (for the purpose of being able to put other stuff in there, like my iPod box, camera box, sanitary items and toiletries) and - for want of having a life - think it actually looks kind of cool, so I took some photos to share. I just think that doll house furniture is cute, OK?

This is the front of the doll house. My grandfather made it (he's big with woodwork) and my mother painted it.

This is the kitchen. See the little cups? And the kettle on the stove? Cute, right? The cupboard at far right was given to me by a very good friend when I was eight - she even made two tiny little cards to go in the drawers!

There's even a tiny baby grand piano that I didn't know I had! I think my mother must have found it somewhere...

Yes, the doll house has Christmas decorations, and more than the four shown here. Aren't they the cutest?

Today's chore was slightly more constructive (and worthwhile) in that I have been cooking! Pulverising chicken, to be exact. I'm preparing a teryaki chicken dish for tomorrow night, which involves marinating the chicken overnight. Hence the pulverising. It was fun. However, such has my state of relaxation, sleeping in and not doing anything (in true holiday, I-just-graduated-and-I'm-recovering-from-the-IB style) that I have the following supremely stupid conversation regarding the chicken:

Mother: You can make the chicken tonight.
Father: What about Friday night?
Mother: OK, you can marinade it this afternoon then.
Me: How long does it take to marinade?
Mother: Overnight.
Me: But that'll be longer than overnight....oh, wait...it's Thursday.

And here I was thinking it was Wednesday. The only things that structure my weeks are TV shows, and they've all pretty much concluded for the summer.

However, in terms of cooking, I am more a dessert and chocolate chef, as these are not only my specialties but my favourites. And, obviously, the best part about making them is eating them while you're making them. So, this afternoon I baked brownies. Yum.

In the meantime, I have also - productively - set up the Christmas decorations around the house. And as my good friend Pepito is not feeling the Christmas festivities over in Qatar, I thought I'd post some photos of ours to help her get into the spirit. So, Pepito, this is for you!

Christmas obviously centres around the story of Mary, Joesph and the birth of baby Jesus. This depiction is found on a wooden Nativity scene we have.

And Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without nutcrackers (which my mum loves) - who doesn't love The Nutcracker (which I remember seeing a fantastic production of in Honolulu some years back) - and angels? Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!

Speaking of angels...these two are possibly my favourite decorations. They're just so sweet and innocent.

That's just a taste of Christmas. More to come. And, of course, explanations of these photos.

x
Just a girl