Category: Holidays
“My mother used to say that there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet. She’s now in a maximum security twilight home in Australia.”
― Dame Edna Everage (aka, the formidable Barry Humphries)
Something that I only really became aware of in the last year or so as we were gearing up for our move (finally!) to London, was the expat blogging community, and the local friends they’d made via it, based in London itself. I started reading a few, mostly to find travel tips for some of the places and countries we wanted to visit, but I really enjoyed a handful of them and kept reading. I liked Aspiring Kennedy especially, and many of her friends, so when the writer behind it (Lauren) announced that she was organizing a meetup for people who wrote blogs, read them, or just who just happened to stumble upon her post that day, I signed up immediately.*
It was held at the Biscuiteer’s Notting Hill boutique. They specialize in seriously stylish iced biscuits (cookies to Yanks), and the whole troupe of us got to ice our own while drinks were passed and chats could develop.
I’m sure I came off as the most ridiculous person there, I was just so eager to socialize with actual, breathing people that some awkwardness must have been the result. Lately my work pace has been such that there are days I never leave the flat. Productive, yes. Inclined to make me hyperactive, definitely. The only cure is human contact and I’ve been getting but little of it. The result was something like puppy-ish over-exuberance. Calm it down, C.!
It’s usually in meeting people that my life experience is thrown into sharp relief. Among other cultural issues, I can’t answer the basic question, “Where are you from?” satisfactorily. It’s always fun to talk about adventures growing up, but I often feel like a bit of an odd duck after introductions. Luckily these lovely girls didn’t seem to mind and we were soon swapping stories like pros. Some of them are in London for their own work, their partners’ work, as students, as permanent expats, or just passing through. We were quite a diverse bunch.
Regardless of my undoubted exuberance, I had a really great time and met some impressive ladies to introduce you to:
Ruth from the Planned Adventure (a fellow freelancer, we had much to commiserate on)
Amber from Nouveau (whose style, taste, and dog I covet)
LilyBelle from Honey on the Ground (the blog name apparently came from a sermon her grandfather once preached, which I think is fantastic)
Alexandra (who doesn’t blog anymore but who does work for Diane von Furstenburg, which is exceptionally neat!)
Teri from The Lovely Drawer (a girl with a wonderful eye!)
Katie from The Schwinds (a fabulous girl who is packing as much Europe into a year as possible and with whom I shared a Tube ride home and a lovely long chat)
And more who I didn’t get names or cards from but really hope to meet up with again. I think it was really lovely of Lauren to foster a little community building, goodness knows lots of people (expats or not) could do with it sometimes. All in all, a delightful evening and much needed.
* I’m unsure if I fit the qualifications of being “A Blogger” (caps, please note), most of the bloggers I know have exquisite platforms and expertise while the goal of my writing is largely just to tell stories and share adventures. Regardless, I wanted to meet some of these fabulous people and was really glad I did.
“One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. “Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”
― J.K. Rowling
I’ve officially started Christmas shopping. Admittedly it’s going to be a somewhat low key year (student loans and London rent being not insignificant priorities), but it’s still a lot of fun. Plus the holiday season in London is a feast for the senses so just being out and about is a treat.
On Longacre the other day, for example, I noticed a cheeky seasonal prank that I thought the minion coterie would appreciate.
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
You can’t see it, but Santa there has a full on cotton ball beard!
“I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.”
― Jon Stewart
Hope American minions had a delightful holiday! I went to an American service at St. Paul’s Cathedral headed by the US Ambassador and his family and then spent the rest of the day doing some Christmas shopping. An intensely Protestant sermon was preached which infuriated my Catholic seatmate, yet electrified the couple who walked down the cathedral steps next to me – so even the tradition of being surrounded by people disagreeing fiercely was upheld! A fortifying plum and almond tart at Liberty saw me through until I had leftover curry for dinner. Jeff meanwhile wrestled with an uncooperative rental bowtie for his tux before heading off to his office’s Christmas party in Bloomsbury. (A visual representation of our differences can be found here. Along with other general London goodness.) An unconventional but very nice holiday all around.
Alas ’tis not a holiday over here so I still have to be productive. Here are your links (actually pretty well connected to a theme this week) and enjoy the weekend!
Apparently my name is Grey Selkirk. Which sounds rather sleek and deadly to be honest. Now, which district would I belong to? Having not read the series I rely on you, gentle readers, to let me know (looking at you, Janssen).
Let’s continue with the geekery, shall we? Hello, sweetie. I got River Song!
All communication technology changes language, but the internet allows us to track it in ways we haven’t exactly used before. Meme language interests me.
tumblr find of the week – first drafts are utterly dreadful. My just finished one is unusually bad, I think. Pearl clutchers disregard the title.
In lady news – awesome.
We’re debating adding Monty’s Python’s Live (mostly) Show to our theatre schedule. Even if we don’t, I just have to say that the registration site is morbidly hilarious. (ETA: this thing sold out in 45 seconds. I’m impressed.)
Fair warning, this is a pen commercial. It’s also downright impressive.
I have nothing but respect for this woman and the legal lengths she went to. Admittedly I have mixed feelings on a lot of hacking culture (which I admit I don’t understand all the nuances of and probably could learn a lot more of), and I take privacy issues very seriously, but the fact that this site is no more should be cause for celebration.
Quentin Blake, illustrator of Roald Dahl fame graced Stylist (one of London’s many free and gorgeous mags) with drawings of some of his favorite authors.
“I discovered windows one afternoon and after that, nothing was ever the same.”
― Anne Spollen, The Shape of Water
Lavish department store window displays go back for over a century, but in London during the holidays many stores try hard to outdo each other in creative ideas and design. The more out of the box, the better. There are a lot of great displays, I need to do a post dedicated to them collectively, but my favorite this year is undoubtedly the window at John Lewis.
Initially the display looked pretty basic, just woodland animals. But come closer…
I can’t imagine how labor intensive these must have been. But I think the results are utterly charming!
“Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. ”
― Mary Ellen Chase
Since Thanksgiving is going to be a bit different this year (I’m meeting up with some American expats for a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral), we have somewhat removed it from the calendar. The trouble is that Thanksgiving is the Small Dog clan’s traditional bastion against Christmas celebrations – we do our holidays one at a time, thank you very much.
Therefore, in it’s absence, we’ve agreed that officially sanctioned Christmas celebrations are allowed once Jeff’s birthday passes. (I know you were all just waiting with bated breath…). Enjoy the gorgeousness! I sure am!
“Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes.”
― Erma Bombeck
An admittedly American conundrum. (Among many, apparently.)
Jeff’s work Christmas party is scheduled for Thanksgiving evening and everyone is “highly encouraged” to attend. Spouses aren’t invited. I have thoughts on this, both as to the scheduling (Christmas parties in November violate my sense of order) and the no partners policy.*
I also have a reservation for dinner at The Mayflower – because that was the most on-the-nose Thanksgiving I could possibly have come up with and I thought it would be fun to eat in a pub that commemorates the group that kicked off the holiday to begin with. Very apropos, if not slightly meta.
So. Who can I befriend in less than a month that will go to a major holiday dinner with me and not find it weird? Or do I just ditch the reservation and spend take myself out to a fab day and night on the town and go utterly native by forgoing the only real American holiday? Which I’m not opposed to, but if left to my own devices I feel I should at least do something interesting, but what? Advise me, minions!
*Half of me understands the financial desire to keep numbers down, the other half of me gives this policy serious side eye.
“People need revelation, and then they need resolution.”
-Damian Lewis
I like resolutions, I just don’t always like New Year’s resolutions; anything with a culturally built in expectation of failure sort of annoys me. But every year I make them – in more recent years I’ve kept them extremely well. #humblebrag
A format I came across for resolutions that I really liked was by Carly at College Prep: she divided her coming year up by monthly goals and aspirations to work on one at a time. Much nicer than listing all the things you want to work on, tackling them all at once, and collapsing in a heap in early February (likely stuffing yourself with chocolate cake, skipping that class you signed up for, and whipping yourself. Literally or metaphorically, depending on your resolutions – no judgement here). Since 2013 is going to be a bit touch and go, months aren’t quite feasible but quarters definitely are, so here’s what I’m thinking:
Q1: Work
As weird as it is to think about, I’ve got about two months left here at good old Nowhereford, Noneofyourbusinessshire University police. I’ve learned a lot and am grateful for my what I’ve done here, but I am excited for new challenges and opportunities – one in particular that I’ll talk about soon! My goal is to finish up my job well, leave it in a better state than I found it, and throw myself into new jobs with enthusiasm and and energy.
Q2: Document
We’re moving in Spring, which will require a lot of organization, creativity, and good humor. I’ve jumped continents before and believe you me, it’s fun but it’s work! But I still want to make an effort to be better about taking pictures, writing things down, blogging, and keeping in touch with people in the midst of the chaos. Apart from anything else, it should provide you minions with a lot of amusement watching us scramble. We live to serve.
Q3: Writing
Once we’ve settled, I’m jumping into writing again. We’re still unsure of what my work status will be in Britain, I may only be allowed to be the National Gallery’s latest unpaid (but eager!) volunteer, but so be it. I’m going to relearn how to pitch myself as a writer to US publications, print and online, work hard on this mysterious opportunity I’ve alluded to, and bloody find other chances. They are out there and for the first time in a long time, I can stalk them. Aggressively.
Q4: Travel
Travel makes me happy; seeing new places or even revisiting old ones, hearing new words, trying new foods, just getting up and going somewhere is like a cool breeze for the soul. My soul could use some airing out. Yes, yes, I know. “Selfish, C., you were just in London this past summer!” Fine. I’m greedy. Gluttonous, even. Sue me.
Looking ahead to 2013, I have so much in store I’m almost dizzy thinking about it – and if I’m honest, a bit nervous to see if everything will work out, as my optimism has been rather strained over the last year. But I believe in tenacity and how far it can get you if you grit your teeth and keep pushing for what you want, as long as you keep grinning. I can’t wait to see where we get!
Years are such big things, aren’t they? I know for me at least, they seem to go by quicker and quicker, but when I really think back over what happened this past year, I’m a bit boggled!
We had some struggles this year. I was personally spared a great deal, but many of those I love had some rough times. Friends got divorced, health problems continued to dog others, and my brother-in-law lost his parents.
There were other, better times. I got a tiny little addiction (and found out many of you were already strung out), and enjoyed it entering the cultural zeitgeist.
Friends got married, a few had babies, and there were parties.
J. was gone for half the year (which is weird, because it doesn’t seem like we were ever apart), and we missed each other. And apparently baffled not a few people who prophesied all sorts of cheery things for us (including infidelity) – so thanks for all you guys who didn’t take that train of thought and instead provided support, distraction, and encouragement.
Margot lived with me for a while before she got married and J. came back. Hilarity ensued.
I committed to getting healthy this year and had a lot of fun doing so. Of course, a year of working out at least one hour a day did wonders for me – but it took a bout of food poisoning to drop that last ten pounds.
The universe dropped a happiness bomb on us!
I was Best Man in a wedding.
Half the country caught fire over the summer. Other, less destructive things happened too.
J. graduated, and we spent a week in London to celebrate and reported on our adventures. I can’t want to go back.
I turned 26 and J. 27.
The election, a production the better part of a decade in the making happened. I was annoyed with the more wailing and gnashing of teeth reactions, but then the Mayans predicted the end of the world so maybe November signalled the end…
…Oh. Wait.
J. and I ran off to Virginia for Thanksgiving and gave you an insight into the Small Dog clan, and we stayed put for Christmas.
And all throughout, work was…typical.
2012 wasn’t a stellar writing year, but I think was one of the best pieces I’ve done in the last twelve months.
And that was the past year here at Small Dog HQ. The world at large did not end (to some people’s annoyance), but Gangam Style, the terrible Liz and Dick TV movie, and Rush Limbaugh made a few of us wonder if it might. Things are politically tricksy in this country, and even more so elsewhere, but there were a great many small ways the human race showed that it’s going to get through it – small boys held signs reminding the world that the act of a few radicals did not and would not be allowed to speak for him, and neighbors shared power after cities went dark from storms. Sure things, got a bit snarky and grim from time to time, but there were always bright sparks of humor, real good will, and happiness – and if that doesn’t sum up what we’re trying to do here, nothing does.
And 2013 is already looking so breathlessly hopeful I can barely stand it.
Happy New Year, kittens! I hope it brings good things for all of you!
“The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.”
~ Elbert Hubbard
It’s after midnight and therefore technically the wrong day, but here are your links anyway. I had to stay a bit after at work to finish up some chores (bless the long weekend) and then had a last minute chance to hang out with an old friend before she hopped back to teach English in South Korea again for goodness knows how long. But the minions will not be denied!
“Beefsteak is her mainstay!” is now a Small Dog Inc. approved catchphrase. Ten points to the first duckling to employ it in everyday conversation and report back.
And in other interesting women from history news, there’s this lady.
These are all sorts of adorable.
Sorry for partyrocking? (Honestly, people, stay off the UNESCO world heritage sites!)
Apparently, grenade launchers were turned in. I have friends who range in opinions from “You can pry my gun from my cold, freedom loving fingers, you hippie!” to “Make love not war, man,” so I’d like to hear the minion coterie’s thoughts.
I have heard of this, but I still find it a funny problem. The title rather sums it up for me.
Still in the mood to shop, but trying to balance it with New Year resolutions to be a better person? Behold the solution to your dilemma.
So, we’ve discussed how I’m not a purist and love a good adaptation – here is a rather clever one in my opinion. No joke, I took the whole series in in two sittings last weekend. Start at number one and enjoy.
Small Dog Syndrome 