Your host, the Def Selector.

We begin around 1:30pm, Hungary time, for the first meal with the family. Click the “more” tab and keep refreshing as I will try to update every 30 minutes or so. With pictures! Entries are from newest to oldest, so start at the bottom and work your way up.

10:24pm GMT +1: This concludes part one of Liveblogging Christmas. Stay tuned in just another 18 hours for part two of the series: Liveblogging Christmas Part II: America. This is Def Selector, signing off. Good night and good luck (sleeping on that huge stomach).

10:10pm GMT +1 Ákos calls relatives in Canada. It’s been years since they’ve seen each other. We are packing up our things and getting sleepy.

9:53pm GMT +1: The tube comes on again. In America we watch football, in Hungary they watch swimming.

9:13pm GMT +1: Guests leave. Quiet ensues. Moans due to full stomachs continue. 

9:09pm GMT +1: It’s snowing!

8:42pm GMT +1: Bizarrely, I weigh less than I did before dinner: 69.9kg before, 68.4kg after. I explain to the guests that despite constantly looking thinner every year, I’ve stayed almost the exact same weight for nearly 10 years. We’re entering the post-meal lull.

8:30pm GMT +1: And now it comes to this:

8:11pm GMT +1: The Rolling Stones 5-DVD concert set has been put on the tv. Start me up! 

7:56pm GMT +1: Dinner is consumed. Talk revolved around how delicious everything is, whether we will take a train from Vienna to Budapest upon our return or not, and how many children my sisters have. Plan is to look at pictures of Owen in J-tree and Abram in bed after dessert.

The BIG MEAL (#1) breakdown:

First course: “French Salad”. Vegetarian-friendliness rating, on a scale of 1-5: 2-3 = Hoo-ha that’s a lotta mayo. And eggs. BUT, there are vegetables such as corn, peas and carrots swimming around in there. I promise.

Second course: traditional fish (carp) soup. Vegetarian-friendliness rating, on a scale of 1-5: 2 = those fish were once swimming around freely, seeing things that only their weird beady eyes could see. But mmm are they yummy. Strong Steve added for spiciness.

Main course: Turkey, fried carp, potato-onion salad, rice, pork stuffed with plums. Vegetarian-friendliness rating, on a scale of 1-5: Turkey – 1 = Do. Not. Want. Potato-onion salad – 5 = Go Vegan! Rice – N/A = yo, rice is rice. Still yummy though! Pork stuffed with plums – 1 = Do. Not. Want. Oh my Jesus I am full.

Ákos makes the fish and pours the wine simultaneously. You don’t get this far without serious skills.

6:30pm GMT +1: Presents are exchanged, many laughs and kisses as well. 

6:15pm GMT +1: I get yelled at for liveblogging during present opening. I suffer for my art. 

6:00pm GMT +1: A glass of champagne is poured for all. Five minutes later, they take my music off again. Now it’s some corny “normal” Christmas songs. I’m just waiting for “An Irie Reggae Christmas, volume 3″ to come on. A bell rings and it’s time to open presents. To learn more about Christmas traditions, see this article, by our friend Michelle Enemark. 

5:50pm GMT +1: Shot #2: Shot of pálinka, plum brandy with honey, homemade by Ákos. They decide to put my music back on. I go along with this and put my watch back on, to better keep track of time. Hi Abby and Dad!

5:45pm GMT +1: Final guests arrive, the farmer cousin and his girlfriend (wife?). She used to have short, boyish hair, now it’s ear-length and dyed blonde dyed blonde with pink streaks, but the roots are showing hardcore. 

5:32pm GMT +1: Shot of pálinka, plum brandy with honey, homemade by Ákos. 

5:17pm GMT +1: Waiting for the guests to arrive, and finishing up making dinner. I sliced the bread. The Wolf sisters are barking and snapping at eachother over something I can’t understand. Oops, here are the guests! 

4:38pm GMT +1: Showered and dressed, the Christmas music is playing. I found a special mix CD for the occasion, but no one seems to like it. Maybe they’ll feel different in America, the land of the free and home of the copyright. 

4:05pm GMT +1: Return from run. Do 30 pushups and 60 sit-ups. I’m like Rambo, only pacifistic.

3:38pm GMT +1: Go for a run. Gotta prepare for the Christmas dinner to come.

3:01pm GMT + 1: Singing the Christmas song (in Hungarian). I hummed along and played music director.

G-money gets his present early. It’s a picture he took in New Zealand, where he backpacked around for a year.

The presents are under the tree. I’ve been told one of them is for me. 

2:15pm GMT +1: Lunch.

1st course: Cherry soup with soy milk. Vegetarian-friendliness rating, on a scale of 1-5: 5 = Go Vegan!

Main course: Cottage cheese strapacska (potato dumplings) with sour cream. Vegetarian-friendliness rating, on a scale of 1-5: 3 = no animals were harmed in the making of this cheese.

Dessert: Various cakes and strudels. Vegetarian-friendliness rating, on a scale of 1-5: 3 = who would put meat into such sweet delights?

1:37pm GMT +1: Sugi gets ready.

This would be huge for the five or so people who regularly check the site. Otherwise, I can’t say there’s much point.

Except.

That it would be a very cool thing to look back on in 20 years.

What do you think? Tell me in the comments.