Some Christmas thoughts

Christmas

I’d rather be almost anyplace for Christmas than Cork.
Last year I was in the Netherlands. I lived in Haarlem.
But, on Christmas Day Cork is shut down…we're in a Catholic
country. Ugh. I think if Jesus were here he'd say (in Ireland)
'Hey what the feck is this? I didn't say make a big crazy shopping
day in my honour....JayZuuz;-

In the Netherlands I could always find a nice place
open even on Christmas for a coffee. I could almost
live on coffee for a while.

I’m living in a stone building, and my heating is a
uniquely Irish old style…a space heater…two bricks
in a small space. The electricity heats up the bricks from
11pm till 8am or so.

I’m divorced, and one child doesn’t talk to me; the other
I see once a week. They are both in their twenties. So, they’ll
be with my ex for a meal. Christmas is a fast for me.
I bought Barry’s tea., and I’ll do loads of writing and continue
reading the Holy Qu’ran; chapter 3., and a book on Vietnam.

And, i wouldn't go to my exes for a meal for 1 day after
364 days of unkind things. I'm harder that most people.

I’ve often thought that I should spend Christmas Day
in a Muslim like Algeria, or Morocco Marrakesh, Fez or
Tarfaya?

I knew a Moroccan woman named Naima(spelling)
in Amsterdam, and she said that she lived near the
Sahara. I don’t know if it was Tarfaya, but that place
is near the Atlantic, and not far from the Sahara…
and to stand at the edge of that vast expanse of desert
would be a pleasure to the eyes and senses.

Naima was a very nice and sweet person in her
late 20s who worked in a coffee shop. And, once
when she was cleaning tables she turned her back
to the long mirrors behind her. She then stood on
her toes slightly and looked over her shoulders and
into the mirrors at her ass. First the right side, and
then as she turned to check out her left cheek I was
standing in front of her.

I had asked her for an orange juice about fifteen
minutes earlier, and realized that she had forgotten
it. It was busy, so I was just going to ask her again,
but when I was a few feet away…she realized that
had seen her…but wasn’t a 100% certain.

To me, it was one of those funny situations in life,
so right after she said ‘What do you want?’ I said
‘trust me; it’s perfect.’ And she laughed. I said
‘I’m better at using mirrors,’ and then ‘I was just
wondering if you’d let me know when the orange
boat comes in from Morocco, and I’ll go down and
bring a case here.

Then, she laughed as she realized she had forgotten
the juice, and I told her that I was just coming over
to ask her again when she started checking herself
out. When I was getting ready to leave there was a
mirror behind me, and opposite my front. When I
saw her look over to catch me and say goodbye.
I pretended not to know that she was looking and
I did the same thing that she did, and went up on my
toes and looked back into the mirror, except I really
didn’t check my ass out, and stopped when I heard
her laughing.

The bouncer who worked there, Peter, was reputed
to be one of the best street fighter in Europe came
up to me one ay and told me to wake up. It was in the
afternoon, and I had just taken a law exam…and was
sitting there with a pure joint and an orange juice.

I wasn’t sleeping. I just leaned had just leaned my head
against the wall…closed my eyes, and was trying to remember
one particular question and how I had answered it. When Pete
hit me lightly on my arm and said ‘wake up; no sleeping’ as he
walked by I called him. When he came back I told him what
I was doing, and he just said something about keeping my eyes open.

Then, I said to him ‘Pete I learned how to sleep with my eyes open
in Vietnam, so the next time you see me with my eyes open and
drinking some orange juice you better check to make sure I’m not
Sleeping;- Check to hear if I’m snoring.

Sleeping on guard duty in Vietnam, or in war will get you killed
by the other side and the crap kicked out of you by your friends.
When I felt my head start to fall slightly I almost gasped because
I was afraid I’d been asleep, but I realized it was for a second. Not
sleeping much more than an hour a day wears you down.

But, I miss the Netherlands especially on Christmas because just
walking those beautiful canals even in the cold is something special.
But, I’ll also be thinking of warmer places…Spain, Lisbon and beyond.

To all a good rest and peace...and use these days for reflection.

Peace unto You All

Paul