Paris...

Why have I been deaming about Paris every night for a week?

Christmas songs...

Spent part of the day working on my Apaplexy contrib. While writing, I listened to Christmas songs on YouTube, making a list of my ten favourites. I may change my mind about them all tomorrow, of course - except for the first, they're always in flux. So here's my ten favourite Christmas songs, carols, and hymns:

1. In the Bleak Midwinter - Sung here by Julie Andrews. The music is by Gustav Holst. Can’t even say why I like this one so much: something about how the Christina Rossetti words and the way it is different from most Christmas songs and hymns. There is an alternate tune, which I don’t like at all.
   
   
2. Santa Baby - this is Taylor Swift singing it, though it’s an Eartha Kitt classic and no one sings it as well as she does. Flirty and silly.
   
   
3. Chestnuts Roasting on a Open Fire - Michael Bublé. Romantic.
   
   
4. Baby It's Cold Outside - Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone. I never liked this song till I heard this version; I do love Leon Redbone.
   
   
5. Snoopy and the Red Baron by the Royal Guardsmen.
   
   
6. O Holy Night - sung here by Celtic Woman/Chloe Agnew - I like the song in general, but I love the way they use the harp here. - I love the evocative drama of this song.
   
   
7. We Three Kings, sung here by the Beach Boys: . So traditional; nice memories of childhood here, and I’ve always loved the words: Westward leading, still proceding...
   
   
8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: Annie Lennox singing it. Beautiful words: Tidings of comfort and joy.
   
   
9. Adeste Fideles - how often do I get to sing songs in Latin? This link is to the Vienna Choir Boys’ concert.
   
   
10. O Little Town of Bethlehem - as sung by Frank Sinatra.
    

Sunday TV watching...

Marion and Vickey and I went to dim sum at Beijing Palace - we didn't know they had dim sum till we got there. Agreed that it was good, but not as much variety as at Mandarin Ogilvie. We talked about home and childhood memories and Steven Pinker.

We went back to my place and watched:

1. The first episode of the British Being Human. I got all excited because I've been to the pink house in Bristol.
   
2. The first episode of the American Being Human. I enjoyed seeing the Montreal houses.
   
3. An episode of Criminal Minds called "The Big Wheel", which featured Alex O'Loughlin as Vincent, the OCD serial killer.
   

Seeing Being Human reminded me that I really don't like vampire stories, even though I quite like the show despite that. The American version seemed bloodier, and less intense... hard to say why. I liked the similarities. For me, the big difference is that I think Aidan Turner (as Mitchel) and Lenora Crichlow (as Annie) are utterly gorgeous and I didn't think anyone in the American vesion was very attractive at all - and really disliked Sam Witwer's looks. (He plays Aidan.) On the other hand, I like Sam Huntington more than Russell Tovey, but then, I like just about anyone more than Russell Tovey.

While watching, I made the fabric I bought yesterday into a Christmas tablecloth, by hand. Enjoyed it.