Merry Christmas

The "Holiday Season" was slimmed down for us here in London as Halloween has not caught on (despite it originating in Ireland) and Thanksgiving, for obvious reasons, is non existent. We did experience our first "Guy Fawkes Night" in November where the Brits celebrate, with bonfires and fireworks, a group of Catholic conspirators who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.

We celebrated the Christmas season with both our employers having Christmas parties (there are a lot of pictures from John's company party). John's company had an overnight, black-tie Christmas party at an old Manor House in the English Countryside. We had to travel by tube, train, bus, and taxi to get there but it was well worth it... Christmas Eve was spent with our landlady watching "Chicken Run", drinking wine, and snacking on crisps. Christmas day we opened presents, relaxed, and watched "Dr. Who" specials. The day after Christmas is "Boxing Day", a holiday which originates in early feudal times and now is a day of football and post-Christmas sales. We'll be in the pubs watching Chelsea continue their winning streak.