
Welcome to my world
This is my space in my universe where I am not disturbed by doorbells, phone calls or questions of who? Why? Where? What?
Or how is this that and the other is/is not in the house?
It is a place where I can express myself without worrying about
my voice being too loud, my laugh too raucous, and my ideas too weird.
The Last Sunday of 2025
Today is the last Sunday of the year. And it has been quite an eventful Sunday because we had our last Christmas celebration of the season.
Like most celebrations in my life, Christmas too is celebrated many times. Well before Christmas, in early December we had a Sinterklaas visiting us the way he visits the kids in the Netherlands. Ms. Papaya was going away for Christmas so we had Sinterklass visiting our house on the 6th of December.

We were introduced to this concept by our Dutch colleague who stayed with us early December. On the 6th of December, I found some bits of rolled up paper near the girls’ door. Thinking it was some rubbish I put it in the bin. That evening, Erwin couldn’t help but ask if the girls had got their presents from Sinterklass. Naturally, we didn’t know a thing about this and when he explained that St. NIcholas or Sinterklass gave presents to the children in a boot kept outside the door, he slipped in a $100 bill under their door, rolled up in a piece of paper! Immediately, I went to the garbage bin and hunted out the paper and gave it to the girls who of course, didn’t know what to do with it!
So before she went on holiday, I gave the Little People their Christmas gifts.
Secret Santa
But Anna Shetty had started her own Christmas tradition. She invited the whole family over for a Christmas breakfast. The highlight of the day was the Secret Santa. Unfortunately, both Little Po and Wow Dinga were unwell on Christmas Day. She had to postpone it to this Sunday. Which is why we had an enjoyable Sunday morning opening Christmas gifts. Both boys entertained us with music while we sipped Apperol Spritzers.
Then came the opening of the gifts which was fun trying to guess who was your Secret Santa. We enjoyed a hearty brunch of sausages, bacon, croissants, cupcakes, quiche, Christmas cake, and plum pudding. Finally, we wound up with a game of Dare to DING.
Goodbye 2025
This will probably our last celebration of the year because New Year’s Eve is like any other night. Since it is the end of the first quarter of this Century, I might make it slightly special. Maybe I’ll stay up till midnight!
Cheers and here’s hoping you have a great 2026.
Ciao,

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