So. My birthday is coming up. It’s on a Thursday, so if I am going to celebrate it’ll have to be Friday 11th. Fair enough.
Huh, what am I saying “if” for? Of course I’m going to celebrate! Surely that’s the reason the Good Lord gave us birthdays? The question isn’t “if?” but “where?” and “how?”.
I’m leaning towards The Dubliner as the best option all round (it’s basically between that and my flat, The Dubliner is my favourite place for an evening out, after all). As long as I book a table there is plenty of room, even on a Friday evening (as opposed to my flat which has room for only a very moderate party). The food is good (and I wouldn’t have to cook). The drink is very good. The atmosphere is brilliant and I can pretend to be in the British Isles. There are two drawbacks:
One: Though the drink is good it is also expensive.
Two: As people will have to pay their own meal and drinks, there can be no obligation to bring me birthday presents.
Actually, the latter is potentially a good test of people’s perceptiveness and inventiveness. I do love presents – have people noticed? And I do not care whether it cost them 50 øre (4 pence or so) or 500 kroner (40 pounds or so) – in fact, unreasonably costly presents disconcert me by putting me in a state of obligation to the giver (unless I know the person really well) – it really is the thought that counts. And by thought I do not mean: “See, I brought you a present”, but “See, brought you a present that I think you will like”. (Not to put pressure on anyone at all.)
Hm. I think I will start at The Dubliner. It means I can invite more people without worrying much about whether they’ll turn up or not. We can always move on to my place (or somewhere else, for that matter) if we find we’re a suitably sized party as the evening progresses. (Note aside: I know this is the opposite of what “normal” people do. “Normal” people start the party at home and then go out. But then “normal” people want to go clubbing or sit in places with cigarette smoke so dense you can’t see your hand in front of your face and music so loud you can’t hear yourself think, let alone the person talking to you. I don’t. My idea of a perfect evening is plenty of conversation with reasonably intelligent and funny people, and I prefer to be able to hear them and to speak without having to shout.)
Anyway, that’s decided, then: If you’re near enough Oslo to be able to make it to The Dubliner on 11 April, therefore, consider yourself invited. Please let me know if you intend to turn up – I do need to book a table.
It occurs to me that I probably have to send some e-mails as well, rather than expect that everyone I know reads this. Their loss entirely, of course, but there you are, I do know such people.
It also occurs to me that this is a good occasion for publishing the laws I once set down – as they were originally created in relation to birthdays, mostly:
Ragnhilds 1. lov: Man blir aldri for gammel for geletog. (One does not grow too old for jelly trains.)
Ragnhilds 2. lov: Det er aldri noen grunn til å spare på vaniljesausen. (There is never any reason to save the vanilla sauce.)
Ragnhilds 3. lov: Man skal, om overhodet mulig, ha bursdagsselskap. (One should, if at all possible, have a birthday party.)
Ragnhilds 4. lov: Det er alltid plass til en bok til. (There is always room for one more book.)
I’ve been trying to disprove the fourth – as the good little scientist that I am – for years. I have not succeeded yet.
Voice in my head: Kent – Allt som inte är musiken (that is the title, right? I don’t even like the song, so don’t expect me to know the title.)