Come dine with me

“Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.”

Okay. Since my last blog update I have decorated my future house on an online webpage, finished two bottles of wine, been keeping myself updated with what’s on wanelo.com, thought about what I want for Christmas, bought three new bottles of wine (they were half price) and been to a catholic church. Yes, I have been to church for the very second time in ten years. The first time in ten years was last year at my brother’s wedding – there was no way I wanted out of that one. And the second time was this Sunday, andthis Sunday was my first time at a catholic church.

I did not take this picture. I stole it! But it's the cathedral if you doubt it.

J asked me if I wanted to go to the Christmas concert at the cathedral of Christ the king. She sings in the choir. I told her that I wanted to go, because even though I am not religious it would be good to go out and see something and I have wanted to see the cathedral from the inside since I came here. So I ended up being invited to dinner with her, her daughter, S, and her male friend, B. Since I am quite picky when it comes to food my first thought when she asked me if I wanted to have dinner with them was to say no. In that way I wouldn’t have to eat something that I didn’t like. I always fear that I have to eat something that I don’t like. But it wouldn’t be very polite of me to thank no, so I told her it sounded lovely and that I would be looking forward to it and I did look forward to it even though my mind was thinking non-stop about what she would be cooking. Would it be something with cheese – the thing I fear the most? But my worries were completely unnecessary when I came to dinner and found out we were having mashed potatoes (YES!!), meatballs (YES) in tomato sauce (YES). Everything was lovely and it was the first time I had potatoes since I came here. And for dessert we had chocolate cake with whipped cream, strawberries and jelly. MY KIND OF DESSERT!!! Normally my people think jelly is disgusting, but it really is the best thing ever. So all in all I had a brilliant dinner!

We arrived at the church before time because J and S had to get there earlier. So B took me to Greville Arms just to show me what was inside. We had a drink in there before we headed back to the church just in time for the concert. The concert was alright. It’s not something that I would attend every other evening, but it was fun to experience it and it wasn’t really a church-ish concert. It was just Christmas carols and hardly any talking. And it felt great to actually be surrounded by a lot of people.

When we went for the drink before the concert B kept saying that I will find a really rich husband, and I’m glad because that is the only husband that I ever want. I don’t dream of getting married but if I am going to have a wedding of my own someday it sure as hell will be expensive and worth it. Alone the crown I want to wear costs around e3,000. And I think I’d probably want to have my wedding in Austria or Switzerland at Christmas in a medieval castle. I thought it was quite funny how he kept saying it, and I have come to the conclusion that he can see into the future and that he knows that I will meet a v. very rich man one day. Maybe he is even Santa!

Ho ho ho ...

The crown I want.

I want this ring. It's €4400.

And this dress

But hey, I might actually be able to afford the dress. It's only €165

I want these wine glasses. They're €160 for four.

I want the wine glasses no matter what. They are amazing and on my wishlist!

Anyway Mullingar has got into the Christmas spirit with Christmas decorations and everything. There is something special about Christmas when all the Christmas lights are on. I just love it! Even the cathedral has figures of Jesus and Maria etc. (I’m not really sure who they are; I’m just guessing it’s them). 

The cathedral at night. I don't know if you can see the figures in the top. I DID NOT steal this picture.

This is the Greville Arms hotel, where I went with B. 

I haven’t really had the time to take any pictures of my own, so I stole some from Google, just to show you what it looks like and I believe that I haven’t really uploaded any pictures of Mullingar yet and that is because I still find it too awkward to take pictures when people are around. Maybe when my parents come over I can get them to take some pictures of the town with me in it! Then it’ll be actual proof that I really am living here and not just pretending, though the town isn’t anything special so there’s no need to pretend to live here if you don’t. That would just be stupid. Most towns are just towns and don't have anything special about them, so I don't mean it in a bad way. I like living here.

Today it is my seventh week in Mullingar and time goes by so fast. In nine days my parents are coming over and in 12 days I’m heading back to Denmark for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Also it’s about time that I start buying Christmas presents so I went out today to do some of the Christmas shopping. So far I bought presents for the dogs, Bianca and Effie, and one for my very best friend. I also bought candles – which is one thing that I have been supposed to buy for a very long time, but I just find them so expensive. For 6 dinner candles it was €5,50 and I think that is expensive. I don’t know the price in Denmark so maybe it’s the same. I also got the perfect idea and use my empty wine bottles to stick them in. In that way I saved money on candlesticks.  And I also think it looks nice.

I think it's nice and cosy and a bit homey.

It is 11 degrees celsius outside today. Kind of a hot Christmas I think. 

Nollaig Shona – it means happy Christmas in Gaelic. B taught me that.