[You can listen to the below, as live on BBCR2, here]
On Saturday night, I was out with some friends for our Christmas celebration. We have a bit of a routine going now. A pub, followed by dinner and then onto a karaoke booth. We pepper our, this year Turkish, meal with several rounds of a specially devised quiz (thanks to one particularly talented pal) – and of course, things get rather competitive.
Favourite rounds include General Knowledge, Best of the Year, and the hilarious Face Fusion – where we struggle to identify pictures of ourselves that have been merged with famous faces. But last weekend saw the arrival of a new, and unexpected addition: the sensory round.
So, how does it work? Well, two people sit blindfolded across the table from each other and race to identify the mystery object placed in their hands – using any sense except their sight.
It was a pretty messy business that invariably involved chunks of edible items flying across the restaurant as opponents tried to feel, taste or smell their way to Christmas party victory.
I soon found myself head-to-head with Dom, an accomplished chef and pub owner. We each unwrapped a small glass jar. Yells of “Open it! Smell it!” ensued, and before we knew it - having vigorously shaken the contents all over ourselves, we were howling the names of various kitchen herbs.
Anticipating a major defeat - surely Dom’s culinary nasal palette was far more refined than my own – I screamed ‘OREGANO’, whilst his now infamous cries of ‘HERBES DE PROVENCE’, fell on deaf ears.
Victory was mine. An out-of-the-blue triumph that saw us revelling in the joy of the totally unexpected…
For me, the spirit of Christmas is one of great unexpectedness. The nativity itself sees the unlikely arrival of God’s climbing down; of coming as a vulnerable baby amidst the poverty of a lowly stable.
The author, G. K. Chesterton wrote, “Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.”
So, may your heightened senses at this magical time of year see you relish the paradoxes, the surprises, and those unannounced ‘memory-bank moments’ in your own lives – and, whatever sense you’re using - best of luck to you and your respective teams for any upcoming festive games!
Merry Christmas!