Four sleeps until Christmas

If I were in Oz this time of year, we’d be enjoying mid 30 degree weather (40 this week), long sunny days, blue skies, a few BBQs in the backyard after work accompanied by a bottle of sparkling red, while busily preparing and counting down for Christmas day.

While I’m still trying to finish the preparations for Christmas and counting down until Christmas day, it’s a whole lot chillier in Blighty with not so much sunshine and no chance of an outside BBQ unless you want to develop frostbite on your big toe. I leave for work in the dark and I get home in the dark.  My wardrobe consists of everything long, black, thermal and padded to the effect I look like an Australian version of the Eskimo (well kind of). I’m definitely not used to the cold yet.

But it’s not all miserable.  A cold wintery Christmas, while something I’ve not experienced much in the past, is something I’m looking forward to. I’m hoping for snow but do know that’s not very likely. It doesn’t snow much in London so I’m told. When I open the curtains every morning I do momentarily hope I will see snow falling just like you see in the movies and hear in the Christmas carol… Keep dreaming Tania.

So what is different about Christmas here compared to Oz? The following comes to mind;

 1.  Christmas Lights and Window Displays in London

Ok so I know you get loads of Christmas lights in Oz, just take a drive late one night and you’ll find houses lit up like Christmas trees. But have you ever wandered the streets in London such as Oxford and Carnaby Street? And visited the likes of Fortnum and Mason to see their Christmas window displays? If you're ever in the need to make it feel like it's really Christmas then try it out.

Oxford Street

Outside Tiffanys

Fortnum and Mason window display

Fortnum and Mason window display

2.  The Christmas Jumper

In Oz you wouldn't think of wearing a jumper this time of year. Mid 30-40 plus weather and it's purely t-shirts, shorts and thongs (flip flops). So the fact 50% of the British population in London own a Christmas themed Jumper (thanks Wikopedia) is a new concept for me. I thought you only saw that in the movies e.g. Bridget Jones Diary, but no, it's all the go over here. 

I wonder if I'll get one for Christmas!

3.  Mulled Wine

The alternative to sparkling shiraz perhaps? My first try at mulled wine and I can safely say it is a good hearty warming winter drink. For those of you who haven’t ever tried it… mulled wine is typically red wine or port/claret mixed with various spices. Do drink it sparingly.

4.  Ice Skating

Temporary ice skating rinks start to pop up around key locations in London in November/ December. If you enjoy ice skating you can get your fix at places like Hampton Court Palace, the London Eye, Natural History Museum, Somerset House, Hyde Park and the Tower of London. Imagine ice skating outdoors while it’s snowing… it’s just like the movies!

5. Pantomimes & Christmas Theatre

Last year I was lucky enough to see The Nutcracker. But there is an array of various Christmas plays and theatre including the traditional Pantomime. In Oz we don't really see or hear about any pantomimes so in case you're wondering what they are... they're are a form of musical comedy for families in which the audience is expected to participate such as singing or shouting out phrases.

6.  Bread Sauce and Brussel Sprouts

Instead of the Killer Tomato it’s the Killer Brussel Sprouts for me. I have nightmares about Brussel Sprouts particularly since I'm still scarred by being forced to eat them as a child. You can jazzy them up with bacon and bits but seriously I can't eat the things.

Then there is Bread Sauce….can't say I'd heard of it before but if you want to try it with your roast Turkey this year follow the link to Delia's recipe.

And yes these are all served up with Roast Turkey which is a tradition in both countries no matter what the weather. 

Well time to go and finish some off my Christmas jobs such as ice the cakes. Thankyou for taking the time to read my blog and wherever you are in the world have a safe and happy Christmas.

Attack of the Mobile Phones

I was reading the other day, in some paper, probably the Metro, that a woman was electrocuted when she answered her mobile phone on charge. I then heard someone else had an incident when their iPhone 4 spontaneously combusted in their hands. 

Does anyone get the feeling karma is trying to tell us something? 
No, not really?
Well, how about another story then? 

People walking while playing with their mobile phones.

I was on my usual walk to work from Shepherds Bush to White City when I saw a woman walk out of a cafe, coffee in one hand and mobile in the other. So intensely occupied with the mobile, she had no clue where she was walking or what was around her. As I walked closer I knew without a doubt she was headed direct into my path, so I just stood there. This would be interesting. I wonder if she will notice me? Readying my backpack in front of me to use as a buffer, I prepared for the oncoming collision.

[brief pause....]

The moment of collision, my feet were firmly planted.  She incidently bounced off my bag, stepped back, briefly looked up, gave me a rude stare, back to her mobile phone and kept walking.

You think people would learn.

On that same route on another day a woman well into her 50's had the same problem with her mobile phone. I followed behind her carefully and when it came to the big glass doors to walk out of the shopping centre rather than check to see if anyone was coming behind and keep the door open she just walked straight through and let the door career towards me. If I didn't have quick reflexes my teeth would have been sitting in the back of my brain by now.

I often sit and watch people around me, going about their business, completely addicted to their mobile phone and taking no notice of those around them. And I'd like to say I often envisage myself with an electric cow prod in hand doing mad ninja moves on the idiots like the ones I mentioned earlier, but I don't, I just came up with that idea. 

Apparently the US has started fining people for using their mobile phones while walking. What a wonderful idea. If Blighty started that they'd make millions!

The Royal Enclosure at Ascot

Walking into Ascot via 'The Royal Enclosure' entrance you immediately get a feeling that you're in a place where you better mind your P and Q's... as well as your ABC's.

While fake tans seem to get in wherever you go (there is no way of escaping that slightly off yellow/orange glow), it's definitely not a place you'd be allowed to wear a short skirt, strapless top, fascinator and thongs while sipping on a cold stubbie of beer. The posh birds would almost faint in horror if they succumbed to such a horrid sight. Oh dear!

When we received our tickets in the mail, it was accompanied by a booklet carefully explaining a strict dress code. Now for those of you who know me well you'd have thought I'd just ignore the damn rules and do what I liked or possibly not bother with it at all. However, how can you pass up an experience in the posh part of Ascot with an opportunity to see a Royal or two?

So what were the dress standards? For women there's a full page of criteria including things such as no straps less than one inch in width, no fascinators and hats have to be at least 10 centimeters in diameter. For men it's easy, tails and a top hat.

Enjoying the view from The Royal Enclosure

And what was the fashion like on the day? 

I have to admit it was nice to see everyone really dressed up. For men, grey top hats appeared to be a trend (although it could be like that year on year). 

The Top Hats out on display!

For women the day really was all about the hat. The more creative, big, fluffy, twirly, stripy, spotty it was the better. The dresses were a mix. I don't think wearing a fluoro orange and green dress is particularly flattering by the way.   

I did hear stories on the news that a celebrity got escorted out for having too short a skirt but then on the same news page an Australian was photographed in the same area wearing the same length skirt and she was allowed in.  As for hats, well I definitely saw a few that would not have been anywhere near the minimum 10 centimeters in width, so I don't think the dress standards were strictly adhered to or policed by the local fashion police (yes that is a job at Ascot). 

One of the rather big hats ... inside the Royal Enclosure

The Royal Enclosure itself is a lot larger than we expected. Spread around the parade ring and an area trackside, it leads up 4 floors to various restaurants, bars, cafes and of course betting areas.

We had already investigated restaurants online and with some offering lunches at just £800 per person (yes a bargain I know!), we decided to opt for a cheaper version.

Our delight of the day was a good bottle of bubbles.

The Royal Procession, a tradition that started back in the 1820's, was the official start of the race day. The Queen and the Royal party paraded along the track in front of the crowds in horse drawn carriages.  So yes we got to see the Queen, just a bit further away than what we had expected. 

Bet's are always placed on what colour the Queen wears each day. And if you're interested she was in a lovely shade of pale blue on Saturday. 

The Royal Processions... yes that's the Queen way down there!

After enjoying our bubbles, watching a few races and having a few bets (and yes we did have a bit of a win), we lined up with the thousands of others shuffling (some stumbling) down to the train station for the long ride back to London. 

A fun and successful day out to add to my Blighty experiences!

Bye for now.

Trying to avoid sniffing armpits and other peak hour adventures

You can't have truly experienced a life in London unless you've travelled peak hour on the train.

A very empty Kingston Station at 7.55am!

The 7.55am from Kingston to Clapham Junction is the relatively painless part. We're one of the first stops, so it's easy to get a seat. By the time it gets past Wimbledon the carriages are full, and when I get to my stop, Clapham Junction I find myself almost doing acrobatics as I navigate my way between passengers, dogs, kids, bikes and bags to get out the door. 

It's then a mad dash from platform 11 to platform 1 but thankfully I wear my comfortable flatties. The connection isn't an easy one, not just the distance you have to close in a short period of time, but avoiding people meandering while reading their phones and trying not to miss the only connection every 15 minutes to Shepherds Bush.

Guessing where the doors will stop is the name of the game on platform 1 as that gets you first through the door and onto a seat. Of course if you don't, then you shuffle on with all the other sheep on the train, find a spot to hang on and try and immerse yourself in either a book, music or the latest news on twitter. Anything to avoid the overwhelming sense of claustrophobia.

So while the trip into work can be a little challenging, it's the trip home on a warm summers day that I really dread. No it's not the fact that sometimes the platform is so crowed at Shepherds Bush that I just stand back and wait for the next train; it's just not worth the stress.  The fact is, it's just not very pleasant when hundreds of people are squeezed together in a small train carriage and all you can smell are body odours as armpits glare down at you (yes I'm short so can't escape them). I always carry a scarf with me to bury my nose in and thankfully it has the remnants of my perfume to tide me over before I can escape into the fresh air.

It is no wonder that by the time I arrive back to the place I started that morning, it's almost a sigh of utter relief that the travel for today is over and I can disappear back home, throw my bag down, kick off the shoes, rip the work clothes off and change into some comfy trackies and then plonk myself down on the couch for a few brief but welcomed breathes in utter peace.

Serenity now....

ps.. if anyone reads my posts feel free to share your train experiences!

The Blighty Culture Shock Experience

Expats Blog is running a series of competitions over the coming weeks, the first of which is themed Culture Shock. 

And yes I've entered!... An excerpt from my entry is below;

From Vegemite to Marmite: The Blighty Culture Shock Experience

My initiation into the culture shock experience was my first trip out of Australia. Rather than ease my way into overseas travel like most normal people do, I jumped head first into Nepal and India starting with a 20 day trek in the Annapurna region of Nepal. It sounded good at the time and it actually was, but when I landed in the tiny airport in Kathmandu to be greeted by soldiers in camouflage greens holding machine guns I was a little scared. The alien like scenery I then saw through the bus window on the way to my hotel also left me wondering what the hell I was doing. Needless to say it was one of my top travel experiences and the catalyst to seek out more.

As I sit here admiring the scene of Tower Bridge on a rare sunny afternoon I realise I’m a world away from that first ever travel experience and the ones that followed. If I could list all the culture shock experiences I’ve had I’d need a book, but today we’re here for Blighty.

I’m lucky as I’ve been here before. I’ve done the working holiday visa that a lot of Aussies do and now I’m here for love. Yes I’m now a Mrs and not a Miss.

So what stands out for me in terms of Blighty culture shock that I’d share with you whether you’re new, old or never been?

1. That black liquid gold we Aussies know as Vegemite isn't a staple over here. Instead they have something known as Marmite. Don't expect it to have the same consistency or taste. And I will let you be the judge of whether you like it or not. Personally I'll stick to Vegemite.

2. Be careful if you're going shopping for a pair of thongs .Thongs actually are g-strings, so you may get an odd look or two when asking for them in a shoe shop. Instead ask for flip flops.

To read the full article please go to the Expats Bog website. If you want to support my entry either like it, share it or leave a comment on the website. There are also loads of other entries, so enjoy the read!