Names

Over the last half year a lot of names have progress from [fillword] to an actual name, since I roughly decided on what defines the two tribes.

Tribe A is technically developed, names are European-like, they live in a prosperous country. They live in a few big cities, so the rest of the land can be used agriculturally.
Tribe B is not so technically developed, the names are based on arabic names, the country is dry but they have developed a wheat that only grows there. They live in small settlings, mostly only one clan at one place.
(Woho, see, conflict! *g*)

I know all this, and cannot, for the life of me, give those tribes names. They are still A and B everywhere.
I have checked books with names, have searched google for names of arabic tribes and such, but nothing took my fancy. *sigh*
(The world has no name yet, either)

I'm rather fed up with this. Maybe I will spent this Friday with google again UNTIL I FIND NAMES...

Progress

I didn't make any progress on story wordage, but I wrote about 600 words for a few paragraphs on the plot.

Surprisingly I know a lot more about Ella now, and what conflicts and obstacles she has to face and overcome in the course of the story. Conflict is what has been missing from my story so far. I have a bit of conflict in the plot - not nearly enough - but almost no internal conflict. I still do not know how to go about it, but at least I've found the problem.
And while I was on my way home yesterday I had a few more ideas about the relations between the two main tribes, how they are different and where they are dependent on each other.

All this is promising for the new year and I vowed to myself to make more writing time, even if I don't really have the time. I want this thing to get somewhere already! :)

Work

I'm back at work.

The only person in my family and circle of friends that has to work between Christmas and New Year.

And seemingly the only person in the whole building...
Of course, that's not true, but there are and will be very few people in today and tomorrow and it's very quiet round here. My boss is in for half a day although he is on holiday still, but from 10 people in my department, only 2 are here.

I should be glad about a bit of quiet time, to write. But when I came in today I had 190 unread e-mails, not to mention those read but not yet answered. Aaaand it's statistic day today, meaning I will have to spend a good hour on compiling that.
And since nobody's here, I have to do all the work alone... *sigh*

Presents

After I had received many books for my birthday, my family obviously thougth that that should be enough and didn't give me books for Christmas. My godfather and my godmother however did. :) I got Tintenherz and Tintenblut (that would be Inkheart and Inkspell for you). I will buy Tintentod (is there a translation for the third book yet?) as a late Christmas present to myself in the new year.

Together with the books my father (the His Dark Materials series) and my sister's boyfriend got, and those I'm currently still reading, I should be fine for the first... three months? ;)
Oh, and not to forget Jo's book, Spymaster's Lady, being released in January.

(I won't mention my other presents. Not because they are not worth mentioning, but because they might not be of much interest)

Christmas Menu

Oh boy did I get nice food today!

Yesterday was spent with my mother's side of the family at my aunt's and the food was delicious there too, but today...

My grandmother invited us to a three-course-menu.
The starter was apple-pumpkin-soup with curry. But as it was more a curry-soup with apple and pumpkin and since I cannot tolerate curry I didn't have more than one spoon of it.
But then, then came the main course. I had ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta cheese on rocket salad, doused with molten truffle-butter. Oh I was in heaven! :)
The dessert were little puff pastries filled with marzipancream, chocolates in various forms and fruits, all decorated nicely on a plate.

I will dream about that for a long time :)

Merry Christmas

I'm wishing all of you a very merry Christmas and restorative holidays!

May all your wishes come true in this magical time, full of wonders and lights.

Christmas Cards

Here's the collection of the christmas cards I received this year (5 more than last year *yai!*)

Thanks to everyone!