Christmas dinner with salsa dancing friends

_MAL5242.jpg, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

Christmas Day, I caught a ride back to Stockholm with Lena and Lotta, caught a few hours of sleep, and then went to a dinner with friends. I was invited by fellow salsa dancer Evert, and the dinner was held at the home of another dancer, Robban.

I was pleasantly surprised to see lots of familiar faces there, including Helena, Jose, Leo, and my charming dance instructor Marina.

Robban prepared a delightful meal, afterward we all caught the subway down to Medborgarplatsen for the second annual Christmas salsa party at Debaser Medis. It was a lot of fun, but I had to leave after just a couple of hours because I was too tired. At the time, I was still recovering from the cold I’d caught a few days before.

Here are the best 38 photos from the evening.

Friday evening 'after-work' with Lisa

Friday evening I took the subway down the Medborgarplatsen and met Lisa 2. We walked across the square and down to Tegelhuset, a nice and cozy place that offers a bit more solitude and greener surroundings than the noisy establishments directly on the sqare.

Oh, it occurs to me that this might be a neologism for you folks not residing in Sweden: When Swedes get together for drinks after the end of the workday, they call it an 'after-work,' using the term as a noun. This usage doesn't seem to exist in any English speaking countries, despite the fact that it's an English term. Interstingly, Swedes also say 'after-ski,' while Americans say 'après-ski.' Oh well; people are strange. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the 'after-work' at Tegelhuset...

Lisa and I sat at a table outside under an umbrella and some tall trees. We chatted over a couple of beers and had a great conversation. After a while, the sun went behind the trees and the temerature dropped noticably. Luckily for us there were space heaters hanging from the umbrella above the table, so we stayed warm.

I've only known Lisa for a few months, but I've already come to think of her as a good friend. She's definitely a kindred spirit, and is much more outgoing than the average Swede. She lived abroad for a time, so perhaps that explains it. Or maybe she was outgoing even before, and it was partly due to her extroverted and friendly nature that she had the guts to embark on her international adventures. Whatever the reason, she's my kind of person and I always enjoy spending time with her.

_MAL9696.jpg, originally uploaded by Michael A. Lowry.

On the way home, I struck up a conversation with a cute girl who was listening to an iPod and standing next to me in the subway station. Her name is Emilia and she's a fashion design student. We chatted for the few minutes that it took to go from Östermalmstorg to Tekniska Högskolan. She will go to New York City in October to study. I didn't have time to give her my contact information. I should really get some personal calling cards printed for this sort of occasion.

Here are all 14 photos from the day.