Christmas Is Strewn Across the Foyer

The foyer looks more lived in than I’ve ever seen it. Decorations are still up on the art and door frames, the little gold tree has just been switched off, the table is covered in mostly empty glasses, bottles, pastries, Uno cards, a green poker mat, and the remains of Christmas crackers and presents. The chairs have all been left askew and the sulphuric scent of blown-out candles hangs in the air. Amazingly, the kitchen’s nearly spotless once again (thanks to Agneta, who cleaned while the rest of us watched/sang along to Sweeney Todd in Ryan's room). It’s just after 6 in the morning now, and the full force of Christmas seems to have reached its climax and leveled out.

I didn’t go crazy with my camera today, but my memory card has got images from last night’s prolonged present-wrapping (done in Oscar & Chloe’s old room; I used most of my time typing back while Kim, Jason, Kaitlyn, and everyone else at home talked to me on a webcam) the award-giving ceremony for the London Swimming Club’s annual Serpentine swim (though none from the event, unfortunately), and a few snapshots from the many phases of the Christmas dinner, from last-minute prep to aftermath. It’s not a complete picture, but the results include plenty of happy faces.

I’m sleepy in a very nice way… exhausted from activity and still at a point when I can easily close my eyes and expect them to stay closed for a good while. So I think I’ll finish here for now. What a novelty to call the now post-midnight day “Boxing Day”. Sounds like a good day to rest.


I must mention, however, that it was something of a Christmas miracle that I was able to find a whole chicken today. Yesterday I went grocery shopping with Ryan, hoping to finish up on ingredients for the dinner. We went from Queensway to Shepherd’s Bush to Marble Arch and back, and not once did we find a chicken (among other things). Not that we came home empty-handed (far from it). But even though Agneta’s a vegetarian, and we weren’t 100% sure that Kate would be able to make it, the missing item meant something – to me, anyway.

[This morning I woke from about two-three hours of sleep (twice… there were two alarms, an hour apart), but like on other Christmas mornings, I woke with enough optimism to shake off the sleepy feeling. As also on other Christmas mornings, the familiar view outside looked somehow novel; the air felt a little fresher, too. Agneta was already awake, and just as I was rising from bed, was heading out for a run through the park (for the second time ever, I think). I remembered the Serpentine swim race Ryan had mentioned the night before, and when Agneta came back, I made some coffee to-go and convinced Agneta to go with me to see crazy people racing in a muddy, freezing lake. We missed the race by ten minutes or so, but, as mentioned before, I got a couple pics of the aftermath.

For the rest of the morning, I had a mission.] I prayed to some higher power that the dinner would go off without a hitch, and that something of that cheesy “Christmas spirit” movies are always going on about could be restored. For God’s sake, it’s friggin’ Christmas, and for the most part it felt like I was the only one willing organize anything. Last night, I had to literally beg Agneta to leave the empty bedroom behind and join Ryan and I in watching A Christmas Story (with homemade cocoa and caramel chocolates!). At one point, she even left the room. I don’t know if it comes from having different values or what, but sometimes… jeeze, Agneta! I really felt insulted. Anyway, the point is… today, after searching through numerous Asian stores and the local Spar (the only places open on Queensway), it felt like Santa himself had delivered a chicken to me when I found a Halal market with a butchery open today. I went home with my own made-up Christmas carols of joy bouncing around in my head, just barely able to keep a stupid grin off my face.

Agneta slept till 7, and Ryan slept during a lot of the day, too, though he also helped me cook (and in his defense, he’s been ill). I spent hours in the kitchen pulling together a feast worthy of home, watching downloaded Christmas classics all the while (e.g., the"Grinch", "The Year Without A Santa Claus", & Home Alone). The phase “If you build it, they will come” echoed though my mind once, and every time I got a text I prayed it wasn’t bad news from Kate. But sure enough, even though all public transport was shut down and a cab fare was rather pricey, she came.

In the last steps of cooking, everyone lent a hand, and I swear that when I tasted everything on my plate, I was transported back home to every Christmas I’ve ever enjoyed. I’m proud to say that everyone enjoyed the meal, and quite a few extra helpings were had afterwards. The leftovers are being looked forward to as well.

Untraditional though this Christmas was, I had an unforgettable night. I hope tomorrow is full of rest, leftovers, and card games. I was even sad for a bit, but even now, with a new morning’s sun just waiting to rise above the horizon, the warmth of an evening well spent remains.

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(NOTE: Sorry for the messy, long-winded post... )

Practically Perfect

Today has been (to borrow a phrase from Mary Poppins) “practically perfect in every way”. I’ve almost entirely shaken the cold of the past week (I needed a tissue just once), and today I rose early, showered, and paid my rent. I made myself a cup of tea to go (weird note: that precise bag of PG Tips was taken from a hotel room on The Strand last spring, made its way home to California and was mailed back to London along with other teas from home), and had a very good interview – which included a series of tests with good results – at an office temp agency in The City. I then bought myself a hot brie sandwich at Eat and walked round the corner to the Tower of London to eat it by the Thames.

Being only just after 2 PM, much of the day remained and I felt inclined to wander. I wandered across the Tower Bridge, bought a cup of cinnamon-coated nuts from a cart, explored the area in search of an elusive tea & coffee museum (the website now tells me it’s closed till early 2009 anyway), took a dozen or so pictures of the Thames and converted warehouses in the fading light, and spontaneously walked into a beautiful setting of lit skylines, passing yachts, cherry mulled wine, and carolers putting on a Cinderella-esque show (it was office-themed, featuring a temp up against three snobbish sisters whose last name didn’t sound unlike “ugly”) in an outdoor amphitheatre outside City Hall.

I met Agneta at Primark after that; she needed some work clothes, and I wanted Christmas decorations (and a nice pair of Victorian-style heels). She had to head home to switch shoes before going to a trial shift at a champagne bar in West Kensington, so we parted ways for a time. Two hours were spent in search of wrapping ribbon and the game Sequence, and as it happened, I only found one of these and gained a couple other treasures along the way. The day had already gone so well… productivity seems to add an extra spring to my step… and the search felt a lot more like a journey through the best place for Christmas shopping in the world, as it just may be. From Oxford Street to New Bond, to Old Bond, then Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, then Regent Street and then back to Oxford Street, I became a connoisseur of Christmas lights, abusing my poor cell phone’s battery in pictures and videos – not that the quality is top-notch; maybe I’m just in the mood for boasting… I want to share some of the wonders of Christmas in London with everyone at home. It’s just about impossible to imagine that Rodeo Drive could have ever impressed me. To compare, now, is just unthinkable.

By the way, I bought something at Selfridges for the first time ever – some colored sparklers to surprise my flatmates with later, and I explored Henley’s on Regent Street for the first time, seeking Sequence but leaving with Uno.

[Pardon me if my writing starts to sound a little fragmented now… It’s almost 5 AM, and I’m starting to drift.]

I was late to meet up with everyone (Oscar, Chloe, Agneta, Giulia, Ryan, and Ryan’s friend) at the Italian restaurant in Notting Hill… and my tardiness was increased by 10 minutes as I put up some of the decorations as a little surprise. When I finally did get to the restaurant (which took a while to walk to… and thank goodness for my A-Z book), what followed was well worth the £30 bill eventually accrued by my credit card. The whole dinner was perfect. How could I put it without sounding too corny or too plain? I was very glad for the company; we really did have a lovely, intimate gathering. And the food and drinks were appropriately both lavish and like comfort food, and so authentic. I’d like to see the Olive Garden just try to cook this way. And somehow having an Italian friend be the one to introduce me the restaurant added to its value. She even worked there for a while; and for a very short time, so did Agneta.

We walked home in clusters, some leading, some meandering behind; Giulia, Oscar and Chloe formed the caboose. For a time, the three of them were singing something in Italian for a while; Agneta and Ryan were talking about some club, and Diana & I chatted about books and personal libraries. Back at the flat, I had the pleasure of watching their reactions to the decorations I set up in their absence. It turns out that Agneta spent about 3-4 hours cleaning and reorganizing the kitchen earlier, and my decorations were like the icing on the cake.

Oscar and Chloe went to bed first. Giulia stayed for one game of Uno before getting some rest for hers and Claudio’s morning flight to Italy. (I’m envious now just thinking about it.) The rest of us played for a couple hours, with Christmas music and tea (I had cinnamon and anise seeds; the others had mint). None of us had played the game for a long while, and we referred to the rules a couple times, but it felt like childhood renewed and reinterpreted among the four of us. It wasn’t like other late nights in the flat… there were no drinking games (the "Tesco vodka" has become an ongoing joke), no pervy jokes. It was all coziness and fun… the sort of innocent, wicked fun that that comes from attacking other players with “draw 4” wild cards (“the evil card”).

It was a day and a night I shan’t soon forget.

Nah, needs garlic!

This probably sounds like a really silly thing to miss, but last night I dreamt I had DVR again and thought it was the most awesome thing to be able to rewind TV. I also dreamt about a whodunnit mystery in a monastery, but that's beside the point.

Also, here's a list of food-related things I wish I had in London:

• eggnog
• pumpkin pie
• sourdough bread (I always have to settle for "farmer's bread")
• clam chowder in a bread bowl
• avocado (they're here, but not quite the same; you definitely won't find it being sold off the backs of trucks!)
• buttermilk
• Trader Joe's misc.
  

Restaurants:

• PF Chang's
• Brent's Deli
• food court at The Getty
• Marie Calender's
  

I have found a few things that remind me of home. I found a number of foods that I'm used to getting at the Asian supermarkets in California - e.g., gummy fruit (no lychee, but they had my second-favorite: melon), Pocky (!!!), and the same brands of Tofu and soy paste. My "tea cabinet" has been filling up, too. The top shelf has acquired a reasonable variety since I moved in. I'd still love some "Paradise" iced tea, however. Also, I've tried to make some oven fries like my mom's, but they weren't quite there. I didn't even have garlic salt - I couldn't find it in stores anywhere, so I had to make do with garlic powder and salt (which, as Wikipedia will tell you, is not the same).

Thanksgiving - Just Photos

One Rainy Sunday Afternoon

Today has been... relaxed. Not much exciting has gone on, but in a nice way.

My alarm woke me up at 9:30, but I stayed under the covers a little longer anyway. By 10, Abby brought me a cup of tea. While letting the tea cool, I fell back into sleep till 10:30 - when I got up suddenly, realizing that breakfast had already been in progress. Not bothering to change into regular clothes, I went downstairs in my jammies & joined everyone mid-breakfast. There was a full spread - sausages, veggie sausages, scrambled eggs, chocolate muffins, tea, juice, bacon, baked beans, and roasted mushrooms & tomatoes.

I hung around the kitchen a bit, watched some TV, and went upstairs for a shower. Unfortunately, by the time I came downstairs, Camille, Mark & their daughters had gone.

The rest of the day was divided between working on my CV & cover letter and playing with Poppy - watching films (she saw Singin' In The Rain for the first time - and, to my delight, loved it), pretending to be "spies on holiday", and "camping" in her pretend-den (a sheet tent in the living room).

We had pizza & salad for dinner, with leftover lemon tart (with crème fraîche) for dessert.

Fin. (For now.)

Dinner Candles & Conversation

I admitted to being half nervous and half excited about coming to the UK for the six month duration. But after this evening, I must say, I feel rather comfortable. Staying with Gill & Kevin has been the best possible way to arrive.

I feel so cozy right now, satisfied by a wonderful meal and the happy warmth of good conversation, and now I’m just winding down in bed with a nice cup of tea.

Tonight had. been prepared in honor of Ally’s upcoming birthday (it’s this Wednesday). After we all come home from a day of shopping and lunching in St. Albans, Gill went to the kitchen and began preparing a dazzling feast. I watched Monsters, Inc. with Poppy sitting on my lap while Kevin snoozed away on the sofa (Mark was there doing the same for part of the time). Camille was with Gill, and I suppose Abby, Jess & Ellie were upstairs in Abby’s room. Dinner was served with candles and champagne; everyone but Kevin, Poppy & myself had opted to dress up. As per their tradition, everyone at the table got a wrapped present on their plate. When everyone was seated, the wrapping was shredded; Kevin & Mark got chocolates, Gill got a block of stationary, I got a passion fruit perfume, and the others got draw-on-yourself plates with permanent markers. It was a fun tradition – even little presents add a lot of spark to the beginning of a meal. (I’m thinking of adopting the tradition, too!) The starters were seared scallops with baked garlic, Parma ham and pulverized peas, and a mozzarella alla caprese salad with avocado (though Gill gave it another name – something to do with “three colors” in Italian).

We had about an hour to wait before the main course could be served, and thus a decision to make on how to spend the time. Abby brought down some cards for a game of “Would you rather…?” – and it filled the time so very easily. It started out in turns and eventually mingled into regular conversations – and I must admit, the champagne may have helped. It was fun, silly, and engaging. At the beginning of the evening I occasionally felt a little outsider-ish, but it wasn’t long before that feeling went away. Camille & Mark have even invited me to come stay with them – and I think I may take up their offer, possibly en route to visiting Ellie (Glasgow Ellie, obviously) It’s funny; I could picture myself like Julia Roberts’ character in Notting Hill a little – think of the scene when she comes to dinner for the first time. By the time the main course was finished (it was chicken stuffed with feta & wrapped in bacon, and an unpronounceable but extremely flavorful Turkish veggie dish involving potatoes, sweet potatoes, curry, some kind of fruit, cilantro, and other things), I had finished two glasses of champagne and begun a glass of something called a Kea (?), and the time had passed as smoothly as if on greased rails. We had dessert after; it was an and/or choice of blackberry & apple crumble (with custard or crème fraiche – I chose the latter) and/or a French lemon citron tart (I had both).

I helped clear the plates and joined the girls in the living room, where “Little Britain USA” had JUST finished (credits rolling) as I entered (I didn’t even know the show was on the air already!), and “Live at the Apollo” had begun. I guess there must be a second famous Apollo theatre here, too, because Jimmy Carr kept addressing the crowd as Hammersmith. Anyway, it was everyone together again in the living room, all cozy on the couches and chairs (and air mattress, partly). The other performer (the main one) was Allan Carr. There were some jokes I didn’t entirely get – and Gill explained some of those references (e.g., an A&E is like an E.R.) – but it was funny nonetheless.

When that was over, Kevin and Mark turned the channel over to football (Blackburn vs. Manchester United – Gill cheered for Blackburn), and one-by-one the room emptied as the girls went upstairs, Camille went to bed, and then eventually Gill & I went up to bed as well, though I had planned to go on the internet a little bit before coming up here. But, I ended up changing into my jammies and writing, and only now I’m about to go downstairs for a little quality internet time. I’ll be checking my emails, of course, and maybe I’ll get a little World of Warcraft in, too – it crept into my dreams last night, so that must be some kind of a sign.

Oh, and tomorrow morning we’re having a “full English breakfast” before Mark, Camille, Ellie & Jess leave.

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Post-blog note: (2:17 AM)
The problem with going online for 2+ hours after a cozy evening remains that I start to feel disconnected from the aforementioned cozy feeling. I’ve been sucked into the online world and subsequently spat out just in time for a few hours’ sleep. And worse still, I didn’t get the chance to play any WoW.

Post-post blog note: (2:22 AM)
The Flight of the Conchords’ “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros” is playing a loop in my mind, all because I used the word “subsequently” in the previous paragraph. “O-ther rappers dis me, say my rhymes are sis-sy…”