Sunspots

Well, the Internet abounds with festive cheer today. Here in Jaffna, that part of the population not sensibly at home with the family is mostly drunk and thowing firecrackers around in the street. This has been the case since yesterday afternoon. At least it has shut the dogs up for a bit. And the Hindu crew up the road, not to be outdone, have been banging drums for about a month now.

I've never been much cop at Christmas. When the force of Christmas is strong, I find it entertaining to be just a bit grumpy and contrary - digging my heels in, but getting dragged along anyway. I cringe at 99% of carols, but enjoy strong harmonies. I'm not big on tinsel or mass shopping hysteria - is anyone? But ultimately I do play the game, and it's fun to buy presents for the people who make life meaningful.

Nor am I much impressed by ritual, as I tend to find it numbing. But yesterday I found myself one of a congregation of five at Jaffna's only Catholic mass in English, in a sparse room like a big blue dojo. There was some talk of peace, and singing, with determined voices raised above the explosions outside. And a baby Jesus on a bed of red rice.

This evening there'll be makeshift hummus (the chickpeas are boiling as I write), leeks, red wine, Christmas pudding and whatever else people bring along, under a floppy Christmas tree and a constellation of fairy lights on our balcony. The company, stragglers all, far from our families: an Armenian rescue-worker/André Agassi lookalike who's sadly about to go home, a sturdy Kurd who's just arrived from Iraq, a Swiss farmer/motorcycle maintainer and another Brit (it is he who is providing the pudding). And possibly some stray Japanese & Scandinavian friends later on.

Thanks to anyone who has voted for me at the Asian Blog Awards. With your help, suddenly I'm doing OK, for a newcomer with few regular readers. I still have little idea and less illusions about what it really means, but if you're reading this before the year is out, and you're feeling seasonably charitable, please consider voting again. (For those weary and wary of democratic exercises, I promise this is allowed, once a day).

If you mainly check in for pictures of Jaffna, your reward for putting up with my waffle is to be found on Billy's site.