Once Upon A Time In London

This is the tale of the adventures of a native Oregonian in London.

20 March 2007

Happy St. Paddy's Day!



Admittedly, St. Patrick's Day is not nearly the celebration in England as it is in the US. But they're working on it. The restaurants and pubs are still stuffed full with patrons and packs of inebriated college boys dressed in green and wearing ridiculous hats still roam the streets until all hours.

Michelle and I decided that, since we had been working so much and not really taking as much time to enjoy life as we should, we would enjoy the day as nature intended: Enjoying ourselves.


We hopped the tube into London and arrived in Piccadilly Circus, faces flushed with excitement, eyes sparkling with adventure. And here I pose in front of the famous lighted signs in frong of Cupid (He's up there. He just wouldn't fit in the picture.)
We then moved along to a mall to do some window shopping and try on silly hats. I decided I looked too much like the inebriated college kids and stayed with a small shamrock pin.

After our bit of shopping, we took our lives in our hands and clambered aboard a rickshaw that whisked us through the streets of London to Covent Garden. There was much female shrieking involved as our noble driver (peddler?) did his level best to get us killed by swerving out of traffic and narrowly avoiding every BMW on the street.

We finally arrived safe (if a bit breathless and dizzy) in Covent Garden where we toured the market stalls and shops before succumbing to hungar pains and heading for the nearest restaurant with the creative title of the Crusted Pipe. I didn't dare ask.
I must say I was not overly impressed with the food or the service, but the ambiance was superb. And the chocolate orange pudding cake was to DIE for! Ummmm Yummm! Warm and gooey and dripping with chocolate and clotted cream.

Outside the restaurant a string band (orchestra? sextet?) sent the crowd wild with their energetic renditions of classical pieces. We were both enamoured. Mish bought their CD.

After a bit of a wander to let our dinner settle, we ended up in Trafalger Square next to the British Museum of Art. It's an impressive building anytime, but at night with it all lit up, it borders on the fantastic

To end our perfect night, a friend of Michelle's (he owns a limo service) happened to be in London driving a client around. While waiting for the client to finish partying, he took us around in the limo on a night tour of London. FAB!




13 March 2007

Red Nose Day

I first saw it on the telly. People with red spongy clown noses on talking most seriously about... well, whatever it was people talk about while wearing read spongy clown noses.

Then I saw it on a Kleenex box. Then Paul and Mish were talking about it.

RED NOSE DAY!

"What in blue blazes is Red Nose Day?" I asked.

Evidently, some years ago, a few British comedians put together a fund raiser to raise money to help people in Africa. Now it's a huge national event, almost a holiday, with everyone from grannies to school children doing everything from Cake Sales (like a bake sale) to running around town dressed as a giant penguin to raise money. I believe 60% goes to various charitable causes in Africa, with the other 40% staying home to help people in Britain.

The really cool part of the whole thing is that it's SO much FUN! Because it's COMEDIANS who started it. So, it's all about being silly, having fun, getting a laugh, while raising loads of money for charity.

So, this Friday (16 March), wherever you may be, why don't you don a red spongy clown nose and do something charitable in your community.

Happy RED NOSE DAY!

www.rednoseday.com

08 March 2007

Weird Things Americans Say

Since I have gone on and on about the British and their odd customs, I thought it only fair that I point out a few of OUR odd habits. Especially the rather strange things we say.

For instance, yesterday I called something a doohicky. Now, any self-resepecting red-blooded American knows exactly what a doohicky is. No explanation needed. However, it is completely foreign to the British ear. The poor man looked completely baffled. "Doohicky?" he repeated, as if not quite sure he'd heard me right. "Whatever is a doohicky?"

How to explain a doohicky? "Ummm..." I began (most intelligently), "it's a doodad." More bafflement. "A thingamagig. A thingy. A whatsit." I think he finally got it, but I'm not really sure.

The second odd thing Americans say isn't really something most Americans say at all. It's something Sheena started and which proud tradition I have continued. When surprised by something, rather than saying the typical, "Oh, my gosh," one says, "Oh, Mylanta!" Mish has found this hilarious (She didn't actually know what Mylanta was until I explained it.) and has made it part of her repetoire.

The other night I said (in a group of people) that I needed to stop fannying about and get with the program. Admittedly, this is not a particularly common phrase, but it raised quite a few eyebrows. Fanny means something entirely different in British.

The first time I asked for toilet paper, no one knew what on earth I was talking about. Despite the fact that "toilet paper" was written in big letters over the paper products aisle at the grocery store. I know better now. I ask for "toilet roll". Or if I'm feeling posh, it's "loo roll".

The way I pronounce towns sends everyone into either fits of giggles or ardent rapture. Evidently I make Doncaster sound exotic. Which takes some doing as I've been to Doncaster and it's far from exotic. They've also decided Seattle sounds better when I say it, too. Naturally. I know how to say it properly.