Friday Five (on a Thursday before Christmas)

[fajrdrako]

Got this from monsieureden:

1. Christmas is celebrated by many people in many different ways. What does Christmas mean to you?

A time of beautiful symbols: of light and birth and hope. A time to appreciate friends, and love, and beauty, and the really valuable things in life.

2. Have you or do you attend a religious service on Christmas Eve or Christmas? Why?

I have done so in the past, though not for a number of years. I am not Christian and there is no church I would chose to go to for doctrinal reasons. But I like the ambience, the Christmas hymns - I always loved the beauty of the candle-lighting service I used to go to occasionally at the Anglican church on Bank Street.

Sadly, I have heard so much about how people shouldn't go to Christmas services if they don't go to other services throughout the year, that I feel somewhat awkward going to it, and stopped doing so. Perhaps I also feel that I would be unwelcome if the people there knew I was not Christian. I'm never sure of that - the level of tolerance to expect. It's like trespassing, though I feel that Christmas is (for many reasons) part of my spiritual life as much as it is theirs.

3. It’s a Wonderful Life, Rudolph, Frosty, Home Alone? What is your favorite holiday film?

I have seen so few holiday films - and those I have seen were mostly at the urging of my ex-husband when I was married, so thanks to him I've seen a few of the traditional American ones like It's a Wonderful Life - but none of the other ones mentioned above. I never feel any urge to watch them. I suppose my favourite holiday film is The Lion in Winter, with second choice being The Sound of Music.

The only time I remember ever actually watching a movie at Christmas was when I visited my cousins in England, and we watched Night at the Opera on television. It was the first Marx Brothers movie I'd seen and I thought it was one of the funniest things ever. So in my mind, it's associated with Christmas. But I'm not sure I've seen it since.

4. Which is better; the giving, or the getting?

Either, if it happens with affection.

5. When you were little, what was something you asked Santa for, but now may make you chuckle?

Year after year I asked my mother for weaponry - swords, bows and arrows, that sort of thing. She preferred to give me other things - though I did get the bow and arrow one year, and she was both amused and shocked that I slept with them beside me on my pillow. I was never a violent kid - to me it was the romance of history that I craved through the weapons, and the symbol of courage and challenge. I still crave that sense of the dramatic, romantic past. And I still want a sword.

Comments

[widget-alley.livejournal.com]

3. You are the only person I know who would also list The Lion in Winter as a favorite Christmas film. Share the love.
5. You're kidding me. I did that too. Of course, difference being, I actually got them, because I have cool parents. My closet contains more weapons than clothing.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Well, The Lion in Winter is simply brilliant and I adore it.

My parents were cool, but a little too pacifist to be comfortable about giving me weapons. Of course one can be a pacifist weapons-lover, but they didn't understand. I think I'd rather have pacifist parents who don't understand a love of swords, than parents who accept violence and think it's okay. I was always proud of my father when he went in anti-bomb marches and things like that.

[widget-alley.livejournal.com]

::giggles madly::: We just attended an anti-Y-12 rally last week. I'm a birthright Quaker. It doesn't get more pacifist than us. And yet.... and yet.... they support my decision to fence, be involved in the SCA, learn kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do and street fighting. Like my brother says, "We put the 'fist' in pacifist." (He is, of course, joking.)

I will always attempt to use every method other than violence to solve conflict. But let's face it. If someone is attempting to force themselves on me, for example, and talk gets me nowhere, I'm going to give him the Ankh-Morpork handshake, and I seriously doubt there's a philosopher on Earth who can fault that.

The weapons... I'm just a weapons-lover, like you.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I always say that if I were to become Christian, I'd become a Quaker. (But what is a 'birthright' Quaker?) I must remember your brother's line! I haven't taken kickboxing, but I did take 'tai chi with sword' and absolutely loved it. And I love movies like "Hero" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

My love of weaponry hasn't much to do with their ability to hurt people. It's because of the artistry involved in making them and the skill involved in using them and the ideals and etiquette that have evolved around them.

[widget-alley.livejournal.com]

A birthright Quaker is someone who's been a member of a Meeting since birth. Someone who wasn't convinced (convincing is like conversion, only, without the converting. No evangelism.)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. Thanks for explaining!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I forgot about asking for weaponry! I think most of we history-inclined children did that.

Ironically, I attended a traditional Christmas Eve service with my father last year - it was his idea and he is not Christian and not religious. I am spiritual but I am not traditionally religious so we made an odd pair. That said, I would go for the beauty of the church alone, the history, the architecture, and I am fascinated by various rituals and music, so I got very excited about taking a wafer from a priest just because I had never done it before, just as I get excited about singing in Latin (in choir) or seeing all the gorgeous churches in Europe because they hold such history and are so ingrained in a culture or a time period.

I think a lot of people only attend services on the holidays because they enjoy the atmosphere but aren't crazy about the doctrine that comes with attending the services weekly. I readily admit to that. I wasn't raised in church and I find it neigh impossible to start indoctrinating myself nowadays. All holidays evolve and I can't imagine people not making you feel welcome when you express interest in a ritual, or a spiritual outlook, without wanting to necessarily convert.

Much love!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I forgot about asking for weaponry! I think most of we history-inclined children did that.

You mean I wasn't the only one?

it was his idea and he is not Christian and not religious.

I love what Christmas will do to people!

I am spiritual but I am not traditionally religious so we made an odd pair.

That sort of sums up my position too - though I confess that as the Christian right gets more and more media coverage and I find them terrifying, I become more afraid of Christian concepts and less inclined to want to go near them. And that's a pity.

I would go for the beauty of the church alone, the history, the architecture, and I am fascinated by various rituals and music

Yes, me too. I love the way Christianity retains medieval concepts - the physical design of most churches, for example, and the symbolism.

I get excited about singing in Latin (in choir)

Very cool. Was it Gregorian chant? I'm trying to think if I've heard singing in Latin - except in recordings - I can't think that I have. I certainly haven't done it. Heu, et pax vobiscum one and all!

I wasn't raised in church and I find it neigh impossible to start indoctrinating myself nowadays.

Well, I'd say: don't even try. Find an approach that speaks to your spirit and don't try to adapt to someone else's faith. At least... that's my approach!

All holidays evolve and I can't imagine people not making you feel welcome when you express interest in a ritual, or a spiritual outlook, without wanting to necessarily convert.

A comforting thought. I hope you are right.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

It's unfortunate that prominent, media-hungry extremists ruin it for the masses, but it's true, and it happens with all religions, beliefs, etc.

Last semester we sang Mozart's "The Solemn Vespers" and the Lord Nelson Mass.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's unfortunate that prominent, media-hungry extremists ruin it for the masses

That's absolutely true. But it's also a little like saying "too bad everyone isn't as intelligent and enlightened as we are" - which undoubtedly people at every edge of ever political spectrum is saying about everyone else. Such is life.

Mozart - how wonderful!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

"too bad everyone isn't as intelligent and enlightened as we are"

Haha, I think that every day at work. :-P Just kidding.

True, true. Still...

I love Mozart!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I love Mozart too. I really want to see his operas. I saw "Don Giovanni" and loved it.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Oh I'm jealous. I assume you enjoyed the director's cut of Amadeus, which included more scenes with the operas?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the director's cut of Amadeus. Must rectify that sometime soon. I have wonderful memories of seeing Amadeus on its original run in London - that was exciting! But I liked Equus even more.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Oh, have you read the Da Vinci Code?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, indeed I have. (And I've discussed it with a certain malicious glee on a couple of e-mail lists.) Have you read it? I was more impressed with the book it was based on, Holy Blood, Holy Grail.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I have read it. Loved it. Read Angels and Demons too. Skimmed Holy Blood, Holy Grail - just a little too long-winded for me to actually read through. Maybe later. :)

I liked the parts that brought up Eden's time and associated it with the Priory of Sion (Gaston of Orleans, Mazarin and such).

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

If I'd read the books in reverse order I might have reacted differently - the thing was, there were no surprises fo me in The Da Vinci Code and I could anticipate most of the clues. Knowing Holy Blood, Holy Grail really interfered with the plot! Now, I don't think anyone would read Holy Blood, Holy Grail for its style, which was - at least in translation - unimpressive. But the history (or, rather, pseudo-history, since much of it is fictional) was fun.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree. I did figure out the Da Vinci code partway through anyway, which didn't make it any less interesting, but I rarely figure out mysteries so I surprised myself.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's fun when that happens, isn't it? Sometimes it ruins the story, but most often it doesn't. I did it with Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca - a matter of great pride ever since.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

It doesn't really ruin the story, because the story can still be good - it's not all about the revelations, especially if they're fun. Plus then you're reading in the hopes of confirmation, which is a whole other fun-ness in itself!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

All that is true. It certianly didn't ruin "Rebecca" for me, but it gave the book an odd flavour.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I'm semi trying this with my own story. There are tons of hints throughout that two of the characters are in fact the same person, but it's not verbalized by either narrator or characters, so it's one of those things that, if you're paying attention, you know the answer from, say, chapter five, and feel more confident as things move along, but you're waiting for someone to fess up and confirm your suspicions.

I hope it works, lol, cause it's fun.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It sounds like fun! Am I going to be able to read the ms when it's ready?

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Ms? Manuscript? *feeling stupid*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

text. copy. what you've written. whatever form it may be.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Yes, possibly once I finish it and feel comfortable about sharing. In the meanwhile, I try to share bits and pieces of the story with lj 'friends' ala my journal, when I feel inspired, and with hopefully the tack of not 'showing it off.' Usually a paragraph or a description.

I assume you've caught those few entries? I should do another soon. Of course, you don't get the full story that way, but it's the best I can do until I get the novel fleshed out to my first draft, beginning to end. I've already forced myself to divide the "epic" as a whole into books, because otherwise I'll go crazy. :)

I don't really want to be writing six hundred page books and that's what it would end up being if I did not divide it or at least give myself some guidelines so that maybe later I'll discover I don't need this or that, etc. etc. Also, the division prevents me from 'rushing' the time frame, which would naturally happen with certain months and even years being less important than others. I can make those years climax and calm better if I'm ending a book and then starting a new one, rather than haphazardly covering all that time from chapter to chapter. You can skip years from book to book - it's rarely difficult to do this from chapter to chapter.

Dorothy Dunnett I am not! hehe. Just preliminary thought, really. I appreciate your interest! I want so badly to share Eden with all of my friends. It's just a very scary thing because of all the things I've ever written, this is my heart.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I assume you've caught those few entries?

Enough to be tantalized by them.

I've already forced myself to divide the "epic" as a whole into books, because otherwise I'll go crazy. :)

Welcome to the 'on the way already' club.

Dorothy Dunnett I am not! hehe

Of course not. She is unique. But then... aren't we all?

Having your heart in what you write is IMHO the most important thing of all.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :) The future shall tell!