Santa's Visit Application

One of my grade five students gave this to me the other day. Cracked me right up until I noticed the Refreshment details had an uncomfortable lot of emphasis on alcohol. The "Where will these refreshments be found?" would lead my young children to think about where Mommy and Daddy keep the liquor, what types were available and why might Santa be so interested in it?

The English culture nurtures this obsession with alcohol into its citizens at a very young age.

On a lighter note, the "Accss details" is a hoot!

Whimsical Moment

With Christmas coming up, and my mind almost completely occupied with the onslaught of a million micro-details involved in relocating myself, I need moments to decompress and rejuvenate. Sometimes all it takes is looking at a picture.

The face of wonder

Oh, for the times when everything in life was this new and strange and mesmerizing.

Little Liv turned one month old yesterday. Yay! She's a little superstar, you know... having been made famous on YouTube with her little waking-up video that's been viewed over 1,160 times. It's adorable! Seriously, I've watched it five times at least and it makes me giggle every time.

Check out Loren and Tiara's website for more pictures and videos.

Paint the Town Chelsea

My girlfriend Elena invited me to join her for the Chelsea vs. Levski Sofia match at the Chelsea Football Club last Tuesday and I jumped at the chance, having never seen a live football match before. Here we are before the match, all dolled up in case a footballer notices us.

As for the game itself, well.... hm.... it's really difficult for me to be gung-ho over a sport that is so relatively uneventful when compared to, say, hockey, where there's something going on every second. I've heard this complaint several times by North Americans who just can't wrap their head around all the hype that Europeans, Africans, and South Americans make over football.

That said, it was actually great fun cheering when the teams almost scored and during the three times goals actually did occur and in the meantime, it gave us plenty of opportunities to gab and catch up. Good fun!

Mind the Gap

"We're sorry to announce that the Northern line is delayed in both directions due to a p...zzzzzt unnnnnd... the train."

Although muffled through the subway speaker system, the crisp English voice came clipping our way and efficiently put a halt to our escalator dash down to the 'underground.' Whatever the reason, we would have to wait for our train and there was no point running.

"Did you catch that?" I asked Nicholas, as we found a spot to wait on the Northern line platform. It was already thickly crowded as only an London platform can be during rush hour: no one is looking, touching , or acknowledging any one else. Newspapers and iPods pose as essential urban camouflage as etiquette deems that no one shall be interrupted whilst reading a London Lite or zoned out to one's tunes.

"No, I didn't catch it. Sounds like a train failure or something." In the past week, Nicholas had had the pleasure of hearing several of the reasons as to why our train could possibly be delayed yet again. Mmm... quality time stuck on the underground. He's oddly familiar with the London system, as the Hong Kong metro was modelled, almost precisely, on its' English contemporary. The major difference being that in Hong Kong, the people are packed in like sardines. The English could not possibly tollerate all that contact.

....

Well, it's now been almost a month since Nicholas came to visit and yesterday I finally learned what that disembodied voice was saying:

"We're sorry to announce that the Northern line is delayed in both directions due to a person under the train."

Yes, that's right. It came as a shock when I heard it clearly, as the same muffled voice has made that announcement at least three times in the last month that I've been on the underground.

What is with the Christmas holidays that brings people closer to the edge?

Disconnected

Sorry folks, this blog is sadly neglected at the moment, but that's going to be remedied soon. Please don't give up on me!

I just gotta get through one more Christmas season in London - woof - just a few more weeks of work. I can do it! Just gotta keep working hard....

Correction: I just gotta make it until the Christmas season... I'll be Canada-bound in just a couple of weeks, if all goes as planned.

Mmmmmm! So excited!

Rainy evening in Paris

Errr.... that's the Eiffel Tower behind us - that little vertical squiggle. Photo taken atop the Champs Élysées

And here's a close-up of the famed phallic symbol of France. Nicholas and I hiked for 20 minutes to reach the second story - some 1,665 steps to be astounded with a stunning view of Paris. But in typical French fashion, we had to endure a merciless frenzy of wind and rain, sniffles and whiplashed hairdos to reap our reward.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace also known also as the Goddess Nike, is one of my favourite ol' gals. We go waaaay back - to uni days where I spent hours on end in the art studio with her. I know the lines of her gown by heart - having drawn, painted and sculpted her likeness over and over. So when I saw her for the first time at the Louve, it was like meeting an old friend.

Nicholas and I only had 30 hrs in Paris, but spent a good five in the Louve. You simply get lost in there - in between time and space that completely belongs to Art.