Let the Blood Run Free

Here’s how I’m spending my Christmas holidays. Yesterday I was awoken by a text message asking me if I ‘wanna give blood?’ although it’s obviously a good thing to do, I declined, needing several weeks to work up to the idea.

However I did accompany Nicola as she gave blood. I scored 2 biscuits, a coffee and an orange juice in the process. Although Nicola specifically told the nurse not to give me anything.

The centre was pretty busy and we waited in line for about an hour before Nicola could go on the table. Unfortunately, although they found a vein, Nicola’s body gave up on her and refused to give a full pint.

This is the third time she’s attempted to donate blood but failed. First her count was too low, then they couldn’t find a vein, now this. Although she declined to take a sticker proclaiming her good deed, she did still get the satisfaction of being better than me.

I think we did agree that we would both give when she was allowed to go back at the end of March. Watch this space.

From there we went to the cinema, where Nicola refused to see Black Christmas cos she hates horror films. So we opted for Pan’s Labyrinth, which Nicola eventually declared was even bloodier than the film she didn’t want to see.

Set in post Civil War Spain it mixes a brutal war story with fantasy as a young girl forced to live with her evil Army general stepfather discovers through fairies and fauns that she is the heir to an underground kingdom.

For the most part it was quite enjoyable, although it never really hit home for me either as a dark fantasy or as a horrific war story. Sergi Lopez however, is excellent as the evil stepfather and sadistic army captain.