Sign of life
The new year is five days old already, so perhaps it's time to document my new year's eve for posterity's sake. Or something.
I spent NYE with Francesco, Inge and Daphne. Francesco had made dinner which we didn't get to eat until after nine o'clock because we went to Mass beforehand. The Mass, by the way, was a great way to close off the old year. Not only did Father Wagenaar choose to use much Latin, he also used a new incense which produced billowing clouds of fragrance. There was a visible cloud hanging in the sanctuary, slowly drifting towards the choir. All in all, the sights, sounds and smell combined into a full-sensory experience, which won't let you forget the fact that you are at Mass. It was great.
Anyway, back to the three-course dinner, during which Inge and Francesco discussed just about the entire body of theology of the past centuries while I chose to mostly listen and insert a few choice comments here and there. Because dinner started late (although probably at a normal Italian time) it was midnight before we knew it. We ventured out a bit, but the cold soon drove us back inside. The fireworks weren't overly spectacular anyway.
All in all it wasn't among my most spectacular new year's eves, but it doesn't always have to be.
The next day Inge and I watched half of season three of Battlestar Galactica and I really enjoyed the opening episodes: the sheer bleakness of life on New Caprica, and the seeming powerlessness of the two battlestars and their crew was very well done. And the rescue mission, with Galactica jumping into the atmosphere and falling towards the surface to allow the Vipers to engage the Cylons on the surface was amazing.
The rest of the weekend wasn't overly exciting. There was a moderate turn-up at the parish's new year's reception, and I enjoyed the chance to speak with Guido, Evine and Tom and Wendy with their little girl.
