Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Secret Santa 2021

I didn't get to do much chemistry this year unfortunately.

I was in a similar boat, lots going on, and I haven't gotten a chance to read the book my Santa sent me.

valeg96 - 21-9-2021 at 12:53

AH HA !
So that was you

Yes, I had to write all of my personal info on the shipping documents and the username is pretty much revealing once you link the two. It's fine if you haven't tried it, I was a bit concerned you would throw it away because it looks a bit gross and grimy but it's a pretty nice one!

[Edited on 21-9-2021 by valeg96]

j_sum1 - 21-9-2021 at 14:42

Give me two weeks from today and I will crank this baby up.
Open to all.

Send me a message if there is any ongoing fallout from last time. I gad thought that all issues had been resolved. I can dredge up data on who had whom if that is needed. But it will be a dredge: I have had a file cleanup.

See you after my holiday.

SWIM - 21-9-2021 at 20:47

Quote: Originally posted by vibbzlab

Is it possible for an Indian Chemist like me to participate in this event?

Secret Santa is world-wide.
Why I myself shipped a package 8000 miles year before last.

Unfortunately, It was the wrong package. However the recipient was very understanding. (Sorry about that, C------x.)

Santa is a fairly international guy: He was either Turkish or Armenian, but nowadays everybody seems to think he's Dutch.
(My Armenian grandfather once told me this is because Europeans might be uneasy with the thought of an Armenian or Turk sneaking down their chimney in the middle of the night, but I think he was joking.)

teodor - 22-9-2021 at 02:48

Quote: Originally posted by SWIM

Santa is a fairly international guy: He was either Turkish or Armenian, but nowadays everybody seems to think he's Dutch.
(My Armenian grandfather once told me this is because Europeans might be uneasy with the thought of an Armenian or Turk sneaking down their chimney in the middle of the night, but I think he was joking.)

Everybody in the Netherlands knows that it is not Santa himself who uses the chimney.

SWIM - 22-9-2021 at 21:11

Well, a small assistant would make a lot of sense.

I think the original near eastern guy just tossed a bag of gold coins down some young woman's chimney so the family would have a dowry for her.

Disclaimer: The lives of the saints is not my area of expertise.

woelen - 22-9-2021 at 22:58

In the Netherlands we have "Sinterklaas", who is not the same as "Santa Claus".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas

This is celebrated at the evening of December 5, not on or around Christmas.

DraconicAcid - 23-9-2021 at 07:03

He's not the same only because we anglophones took your tradition and changed it up a bit.

teodor - 23-9-2021 at 08:39

In Russia (and Ukraine), Saint Nicholas day is 19 of December that almost matches 5 December in the Netherlands considering the difference 13 days between julian and gregorian calendars. Actually, he died 6 of December (and as any saint is celebrated by the day of his death). There is nothing common in the Russian celebration of this day and the dutch celebration except making presents to children, the name similarity, and the day.
Also, we have no connection between Saint Nicholas day and Christmas, also in soviet times both were prohibited and replaced by another character - Ded Moroz, which became the attribute of New Year celebration. At present time most of the people celebrate only New Year (with Ded Moroz or Santa Clause by choice) because Saint Nicholas and Christmas are connected with Christian tradition only so they are celebrated only by a small part of the population. But because the day of traditional, julian Christmas 7th of January) and gregorian Christmas doesn't match and 2 celebrations have different traditions, some people celebrate also Christmas on 25 December but differently. Also those who celebrate Christmas on 7th January according to church tradition (keeping 40 days fast before this day) celebrate the "old New Year" 14 of January because they think it should be celebrated with more drinking and eating than the church tradition allow it at 1st of January (at the period of a strict fast).
So, you see, it is both similar and different.

arkoma - 23-9-2021 at 08:43

I didn't get to do much chemistry this year unfortunately.

I was in a similar boat, lots going on, and I haven't gotten a chance to read the book my Santa sent me.

You should go ahead and meet Friday.

@vibbz--Live in the US,and have sent to the UK and Canada, and had a Santa from Oz one year, so yes, very much international!

I love this time of year!

karlos³ - 23-9-2021 at 10:56

Thats so great!
I would love to join, but can't say yet, I want to mobilise a few friends with similar interests first.
Please give me a week, then I can say for sure

And least year was really great

Quote: Originally posted by SWIM

(My Armenian grandfather once told me this is because Europeans might be uneasy with the thought of an Armenian or Turk sneaking down their chimney in the middle of the night, but I think he was joking.)

Nooo my fucking sides are in orbit

Also cool we have an indian chemist among us, but I wonder why we have only one?
By the amount of indian papers we must at least have a hundred

Syn the Sizer - 23-9-2021 at 12:20

Quote: Originally posted by arkoma

I didn't get to do much chemistry this year unfortunately.

I was in a similar boat, lots going on, and I haven't gotten a chance to read the book my Santa sent me.

You should go ahead and meet Friday.

@vibbz--Live in the US,and have sent to the UK and Canada, and had a Santa from Oz one year, so yes, very much international!

I love this time of year!

I absolutely plan to, I move into my own place Oct 1st and have the book out and ready to start so I don't need to dig through boxes to find it in the new place.

I greatly appreciate it and as well as everything else.

Thats so great!
Also cool we have an indian chemist among us, but I wonder why we have only one?
By the amount of indian papers we must at least have a hundred

Vibzz is a great chemist too, his videos are awesome and he has a way of teaching like an instructor. I know in the Discord there are a bunch of Indian chemists so there has to be some here too.

Indian papers are almost as plentiful as German papers lol.

Really the 4 countries I see the most from are US, Germany, China and India. What I like about many Indian papers is they are often in English or you can sometimes find a translation easy.

Chinese papers are never in English, and even sometimes Google translate makes no sense. I have a photo somewhere where it said along the lines of "Add 10mL of children's tears to the solution", do they have to be tears of joy or tears of fear?

Syn'

[Edited on 23-9-2021 by Syn the Sizer]

karlos³ - 23-9-2021 at 13:05

I have a photo somewhere where it said along the lines of "Add 10mL of children's tears to the solution", do they have to be tears of joy or tears of fear?

Proof!

Or it didn't happen

I offer an old pharmacy bottle(photo of course) containing 1-phenyl-2-propanone in return

MidLifeChemist - 23-9-2021 at 14:01

I'm looking forward to participating this year!

JJay - 23-9-2021 at 18:32

I am definitely interested.

teodor - 24-9-2021 at 00:12

Also cool we have an indian chemist among us, but I wonder why we have only one?
By the amount of indian papers we must at least have a hundred

The number of scientists in the university and the number of amateurs is not necessarily correlating for some countries. It could be either the case when there are no scientific positions available, so the people who do chemistry are mostly hobby/amateurs (and sometimes they are very advanced), or the other way around - if you can do something interesting in chemistry you can get a good position but have no time or money to do the same as a hobby.

j_sum1 - 24-9-2021 at 01:53

I know of at least two Indian chemusts active on the board at the moment.
For SS, the more engagement from more people, the more fun it is.

Johnny Cappone - 24-9-2021 at 09:45

Can anyone explain to me what Secret Santa is and how it works?

karlos³ - 24-9-2021 at 10:19

This is secret santa, I think it is a very thorough explaination: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Santa

Oh... now I get why I received mine in time for sinterklaas!

(thank you again

)

charley1957 - 2-10-2021 at 13:48

I’d just like to know if my recipient ever got his stuff. Never heard a word from him after the initial message. I’ll still be contributing this year though.

Syn the Sizer - 2-10-2021 at 15:37

I have a photo somewhere where it said along the lines of "Add 10mL of children's tears to the solution", do they have to be tears of joy or tears of fear?

Proof!

Or it didn't happen

It appears I misremembered it was just tears not childrens tears.

Sorry for the digression

[Edited on 2-10-2021 by Syn the Sizer]

karlos³ - 2-10-2021 at 16:27

Oh, and please sign me up too.

I asked friends who are here too, but since our forum is down the last days, well...

How long will it be open up to register?

And, j_sum, do you handpick the recipients actually?

Because if so, then that's great and also I'm impressed.... but I actually ask because if, I can and will put up more details in my request if its not too much.
Maybe someone from a country where they don't have exactly the same sweets durings christmas

Or wait, even better, so while we're at it I just ask here

What are typical christmas sweet things or such from or associated with Germany, something you'd also like to receive?
I actually have not really an idea whats considered typical on the outside.

DraconicAcid - 2-10-2021 at 16:58

Maybe someone from a country where they don't have exactly the same sweets durings christmas

Or wait, even better, so while we're at it I just ask here

What are typical christmas sweet things or such from or associated with Germany, something you'd also like to receive?
I actually have not really an idea whats considered typical on the outside.

I would say mead or Holunderbeerwein, but those can't be mailed overseas. Or the dry ingredients for Gluhwein.

karlos³ - 3-10-2021 at 05:25

@Syn, pharmacy phenylacetone bottle pic attached, as promised :cool:

Quote: Originally posted by DraconicAcid

I would say mead or Holunderbeerwein, but those can't be mailed overseas. Or the dry ingredients for Gluhwein.

Thank you the inspiration, and crazy!
There you happen to be born as, live in, and in general, are german your whole life and only last year the thought occured to me, while drinking a glühwein "damn, christmas would suck without glühwein" and now I hear about that!
I would have thought other people else would drink other hot alcohol containing things... local warm alcoholic drinks we do not have here...

So christmas does for you not actually smell like bratwurst and glühwein?
Thats really something to swallow...

We were once in breslau, poland, and it was just as it is here, but its just a step over the border.
Else, no, christmas I've always been in my country.

But really great, thank you, this bit has already helped to kickstart my creative thinking

(but keep em coming nonetheless

)

phenylacetone pharmacy bottle.jpg - 35kB

DraconicAcid - 3-10-2021 at 08:48

People will have mulled wine here, but it's not nearly as universal as it is in Germany, and one generally has to collect all the spices and make it from scratch.

karlos³ - 3-10-2021 at 11:58

Quote: Originally posted by DraconicAcid

People will have mulled wine here, but it's not nearly as universal as it is in Germany, and one generally has to collect all the spices and make it from scratch.

Always used mulled wine interchangably, I thought its the english equivalent, but I guess not?

Wow, I guess those ready-to-use glühwein spice mixes(just put into the wine while warming up) would be huge for exportation then

Like a tea bag, but no, not "like", actually they are tea-bags.

Good that I know that in advance!
Next christmas I am going to make a million or even seven, by exporting a few tons of those to the states!

But not to get rich of course.
View this is an humanitarian act.
You guys can't live on like this any longer, I am appalled, but also, my heart is broken because of the many americans who went from crip to grave without at least once a year for just a month being able to have sweetened hot alcoholic beverages sold (and socially acceptably drank) at every corner, next to a bratwurst vendor....

Mhmmm bratwurst... alright.... I think I got all the drool wiped off and out of the keyboard...

It turned autumn so quick, and all the christmas sweets are available already, also, its freezing cold at times.
And I have to admit, I am also getting into the mood, slowly.
Guess it was the same for MadHatter when he opened the thread

DraconicAcid - 3-10-2021 at 13:02

Yes, mulled wine is simply the English term for Gluhwein. You can find the tea-bag things for mulled wine, but they are hard to find. Mulled wine isn't popular enough for the importers to ship in a lot of it, and it's too hard to find for it to become really popular.

And most of the continent has repressive liquor laws that say you can't drink in public without risking fines, so buying a mug of mulled wine at an outdoor Xmas fair isn't going to happen.

basement - 3-10-2021 at 22:46

I haven't participated much on this board, however I really like the idea of Secret Santa and would love to participate

[Edited on 4-10-2021 by basement]

j_sum1 - 4-10-2021 at 00:23

Quote: Originally posted by basement

I haven't participated much on this board, however I really like the idea of Secret Santa and would love to participate

[Edited on 4-10-2021 by basement]

Great!

Watch this space. In all likelihood I will see my way clear to opening this up this Thursday.

valeg96 - 4-10-2021 at 06:31

I don't remember what was in the form last year but I suggest you add a small section if we have special items to give, so you can do better pairs. Some of us are overflowing with glassware or chemicals... this year has been especially lucky!

[Edited on 4-10-2021 by valeg96]

Oxy - 4-10-2021 at 14:10

What are typical christmas sweet things or such from or associated with Germany, something you'd also like to receive?

Hand grenade

[Edited on 4-10-2021 by Oxy]

Syn the Sizer - 4-10-2021 at 15:24

Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1

Great!

Watch this space. In all likelihood I will see my way clear to opening this up this Thursday.

Ooh, I'm impatiently waiting

Herr Haber - 5-10-2021 at 08:02