Precious Moments

I welcomed the new year through the viewfinder of my camera. The third one if I have to be precise. For a year I had to get used to three different cameras and this doesn’t include the camera of my new mobile phone. It’s a long story. Anyway, even though I took a huge amount of crappy pictures, I have memories that will last forever.

A lot of things happened in 2011. Things that would never happen to the old me. Nevertheless, the last two weeks gave me the moments of happiness I cherish the most. I have lived away from my family for a long time but never so far. The distance made me realize how much they really mean to me. Yes, I love them. Despite the countless quarrels we’ve had they will always be my family and will love me for who I am, with all my flaws and crazy habits. This year I enjoyed every moment spent with them. We weren’t shouting at each other like all families do during the holidays and I still don’t know what was different this time. They weren’t obsessing over what I ate and what I didn’t (mainly the latter) and I wasn’t angry with them for doing it. Maybe this was the key. They didn’t even demand to see the number on the scale. I was finally free to do what I wanted and all I wanted was to spend those two weeks the best way I could so that the memories would warm my heart throughout the whole new year. So there was a lot of music, watching cooking shows on TV while cooking with my mother, shopping, long walks, movies.

This was taken during my shoe-shopping day. I really needed it. Not the picture, the shopping . What sucks the most about being a tall girl in Japan is that when you say what shoe size you want, they send you directly to the shelf with men’s shoes. Bummer! So I took mum with me and went out for a walk with the idea of buying all the girly shoes needed for at least two years. I bought a pair of cute ballerina shoes size 41 (Shhh! It’s a secret!) and I was very happy because nothing of this type over size 38 is available in Japan. I also bought a pair of warm boots and I was carelessly walking with the shoes in one hand and my mother’s hand in the other when I saw this lovely fur ball sleeping in a shoe box on one of the shop windows. Do I need to say that at that moment I wanted one more shoe box? But I bet the cat wouldn’t fancy meeting my dog.

This guy, as innocent as he looks, is a tiny typhoon in disguise. Well, he may cause trouble more often than not but he is my little puppy and I was sooo happy to play with him, and hug him, and kiss him, and… If you’ve watched Looney Toons long enough, you know who Elmyra Duff is (“I’m gonna hug you and kiss you and love you forever (and never use you up)” ). By the way, he is not naturally yellow but unfortunately camera phone pictures aren’t very susceptible to editing.

Another holiday thing? Yep, special meals. One of my favorites this year was the roasted pumpkin stuffed with dried and fresh fruit and nuts. It was absolutely amazing and the only thing I had to do was to grab a spoon because it was store-bought as half of the other food for our Christmas Eve dinner. Again, I wish there were such places in Japan. Of course, not everything was store-bought. I really enjoyed preparing the oven-roasted crunchy chicken (one more crappy picture ) and not so much the sushi but everyone at home wanted to try it so I made enough to supply leftovers for mum for three days in a row. She liked it a lot. I am still not a fan.

And this is the winner of the best food of the year award. Again – the perfect banana bread. Banana goodness heavily loaded with chopped walnuts and raisins. It smells so good that I feel as if I am on crack when I am around it. Seriously, this is the best recipe ever.

I didn’t bake cookies and I didn’t meet the crowds of faithful friends (that I obviously don’t have) as I planned but I still spent two wonderful weeks. I met the ones that really cared and I had a lot of fun with my family. I went to all the places I missed and cried in the cinema during “New Year’s Eve” (Go figure!). It feels so good to be home!

Then, like a moment later, the two weeks were gone and I couldn’t even stay home until the first day of 2012. I packed my suitcase got on the bus and traveled through the snow all the way to Sofia to welcome the new year with friends and catch the plane on January, 1st. Now, when I look at the pictures, a part of me is wondering if it was real at all. It must have been. But I already miss you, guys, and I hope to see you again next Christmas.

Advertisement