Some photos

When I moved to Austin, I got myself a digital camera, making it simpler to allow others to trace my ways in this new country. So this is the place for the friends at home to see where I have been...

Clicking on an image will produce a larger version. To see earlier or later pictures, use the menu bar at the right, which is sorted reverse chronological, i.e. newest sets of pictures at the top.

Family for New Year's Eve (December 2005)

My mother's family is pretty big, and the nice part is that they can coexist peacefully without problems even if confined to small places. They just cram into a room, some will be reading, some will jointly do crossword puzzles, some will play games, or chat. Here are a few pictures from New Year's Eve 2005:

Tongue in cheek we'd play games that predict each one's fortunes for the next year. One of those works like this: everyone writes one or more limmericks or otherwise funny poems predicting something happening to someone for the next year. They are folded and hung over the edge of a bowl of water. Then one person after the other sets a nutshell with a burning candle into the bowl after stirring the water a bit. Whichever poem is starts to burn first is whatever fate this person will encounter for the coming year. Here's Jill figuring out what the next year will bring: