Christmas’ Eve was well-spent with good old friends at our place. The usual Christmas gang of E1, Alyssa, their kid Sonia (she is twenty months and this is her second year with us), Andy, Ying Kai, Kiat and Eileena. A comfortable routine has been established over the years, so much so that the gang knew what time to turn up and what food to bring. The feast consisted of:

Starters
1. Pineapple slices coated in mint sugar
2. Kiwi and strawberry punch with pomegranate

(clockwise from top left) Salmon and tuna sashimi, setting the table, Andy craving the turkey and Swedish meatballs with purple and white potato. Yum!

Main Course
1. 1.8 kg of turkey breast with gourmet sauce
2. 1.5 kg Swedish Roast beef
3. 50 meatballs with purple and white potato, served in thick creamy sauce
4. Huge (I mean could-not-finish kind of huge) serving of salmon and tuna sashimi
5. Generous serving of green salad with prawns, pasta and potato

Dessert
1. Ice-cream log cake (Ying Kai’s purview)
2. 3 tubs of ice-creams – they are Ben and Jerry’s this year (Andy probably had enough of our nagging and brought in the good stuffs this year)
3. Grahams (got its name from the Grahams biscuits used between the layers of peaches and Nestle cream)

Snacks
1. Original Nachos with guacamole dips
2. Prawn chips
3. Many bags of jelly bears

Drinks
1. 1 bottle of Rose wine
2. ¾ bottle of white wine (got it from the duty-free at the airport from the Hong Kong trip)
3. 3 cans of beers
4. 4 cups of Milo
5. 6 cups of passion fruit tea
6. Countless cups of water

That night, everyone’s calorie counters went bonkers that night and ran off together somewhere. We ate and ate, and probably consumed enough to last us till next Christmas.

When no one could muster another morsel, we proceed to the yearly board game challenge. Around one, Justin and Cynthia came to join us for a game of black jack. The party did not end like early morning. Our last guests left almost at four. Wil and I then packed the house.

You reached a stage in your life when you have like three candles on your birthday cake, you feel blessed with friends whom you trust. People you meet less than two times a year (more on a good one), but who will stick with you through sick and sin. Who laugh at the same joke about how silly we were went we were younger. Who fill us up with fresh news about old acquaintances? It was a great night and morning.

The kid slept through the party, to the dismay of our guests. Kiat told me to get her up as it was after all Christmas. He was ignored. The kid must have sensed that our guests were eager to see her for she actually woke up around ten. Our friends went berserk and cooed to her. She would have nothing of that. Just a couple of cool grins and blank stares. And off she went. Like Nichole Kidman on the Oscar's red carpet. Our friends all agreed – the kid is mini Wil. Those trademark ears and eyebrows.

Labels: cerebration, holiday, list