seasons greetings/grievances

family gatherings are hectic.

before returning here, i had a lot of them with my father's family, especially since one of my cousins decided to get married and include a whole new family into the mix. now that i've returned to where i used to live, i'm spending more time with my mother's side.

different traditions, different tongues and different customs. i am all holiday-ed out...and we still have a few more to celebrate...oh, boy!

don't get me wrong, i love my family. however, spending a lot of time with them within small quarters has proven to be one of the most challenging challenges i've had to overcome during the past few months.

my car was busted today. they fixed it and then within the hour, it got damaged again. finally, someone managed to correct the problem, after some money was passed out. hopefully, the car is well and ready to face yet another day.

i am happy.

i am overwhelmed.

i am happily overwhelmed.

i watched a marathon of anthony bourdain: no reservations on the travel channel. somehow, being transported to another country/cuisine at this late hour proved to be the best escape. the sound of clinging dishes as they were being washed, the cat dwelling from person to person, and partial conversations about relatives i have not seen since i was five, was too much for me.

i have now locked myself in my old bedroom. i realize that isolating myself is not the best solution, as i turned everything off days before my departure. now that the reality is settling into my heavily utilized stomach today, so is the reality of how alone i am.

everyone is eating cake and laughing in the next room. i don't feel the need to join them so i will sit here and type to myself.

i fixed my phone today...

...call me.