The post Christmas shop.

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Christmas was wonderful. Christmas without the mayhem was divine. I didn’t feel the need to wake at 4am in order to be in the Boxing Day Sale queues. The madness of the people obsessed with claiming their bargains. I was sleeping in the warmth of my bed as thousands of crazed people ran through shopping centres all across the country. Why? If they really wanted whatever they were buying, why not buy it at the normal price to make sure you get it.

I did head out for post-Christmas shopping (yesterday, mind you, so that’s okay in my book). We wandered for 5 hours from shop to shop. I was very controlled. I didn’t abuse the credit card and left at 19:00 (quite early for me) with only two bags of goodies.

My family were out in numbers…My niece who was obsessed with finding £5 pants got her wish. (She’ll kill me for posting that about her, but I doubt she’ll notice). It’s always hard to shop when there are nine of you trying to look for your own things. We managed! I do feel the urge to go out shopping again, while I’m in England. I have to make the most of it. I won’t be back for months…. Oh, what to buy?

2010 is nearly over. 2011, you’re gonna be a great year. But what to do? Help me bloggers.

Haven’t you just loved 2010?

It’s been good! Maybe you didn’t enjoy it as much as me, but I give it 7.5 out of 10. There’s always room for improvement. I am planning on rating 2011 an 8 or 9 out of 10. I have ‘things’ up my sleeve for next year. I’ve made my list of things to do. (Here it is, look just here). Ok, it’s looking thin on the ground (at the moment). Perhaps you’re sitting at your computer now thinking of something extraordinary that I should be doing in the coming 12 months…. Are you? Do you have that special little something I should try next year? Bear wrestling? Shark catching? Mountain climbing?

Suggest away….. I would love to extend my list for 2011. You’re more than welcome to comment. I will add all the best suggestions to my list. I challenge you to make your own list for next year.

Thanks bloggers. I will be thanking you all again at the end of 2o11 when I’ve become a wiser person (because of you).

Merry Christmas Bloggers. (More wine and mince pies anyone?)

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It’s Christmas! I love Christmas! Christmas Day is always fab. I’m 31 years old, but I’ve woken up in my own bed at my mum’s house. (I do not live at home and I am not single….just before you start judging me). I am home visiting my family in England and it’s lovely.

Plans for the day:

• Open presents (They were under the tree…. I do believe in Santa, I do……)
• Watch the two most special people in the world open their presents.
• Munch on chocolate when nobody is looking (Ssshhhhh, After Eights ARE allowed, it’s after 08:00).
• Eat breakfast at approx 11:59 (That is still officially morning and so that’s acceptable).
• Dig out the Christmas CD (Oh no…. Wham, Cliff and a bunch of 70s rock bands singing the same bunch of songs).
• Assist with the Christmas lunch (It’s the blind leading the blind in the kicthen).
• Phone the family (Merry Christmas to one and all).
• Stay in pyjamas for as long as possible (Either that or until my Mum starts to make comments about my appearance).
• Drink wine and finish dinner.
• Eat dinner and drink wine.
• Drink wine and eat Christmas pudding.
• Drink wine and read the joke from the cracker…. (That old one).
• Wear silly Christmas cracker hat…… (Check watch….) It’s nearly time.
• 15:00 “Can everybody be upstanding?” (I would if it wasn’t for all those wines….) It’s time for the Queen’s Speech on TV.
• ……The rest of the day blurs together like a happy dream. More wine to accompany the family and friends visiting. Perhaps some TV, some chatter and some games….

All in all, the day will be lovely. It’s such a shame that it’ll be over before it started. Only 365 days to go.

*This blog was written before Christmas Day on the wonderful Schedule timer. Just in case you were thinking that I was sitting in front of my computer at 09:00 on Christmas Day. Not a chance. I’ve got prezzies to open!!

Lost in translation… It’s the only explanation.

Home for Christmas and that means it’s time for some Christmas music to accompany the festivities. I wonder what music my mum has in store for us…. Time to check the CDs…. We looked and laughed when Track 1 played. It didn’t sound like the most jolly of tracks. When I turned the CD case over I read some of the listings and their English translations….

Russian Folk Songs: ‘Antem’
“I’m dancing on the green with the bindweed“,
“What a spacious step it is“,
“What a nice porch is my new porch“,…. and my favourite, the ever-uplifting…..
“My husband used to beat me when I was young“.

You really should go out and purchase this wonderful CD. A real stocking filler of fun!

An unforgettable ferry crossing.

Just when I thought that travelling by ferry to England couldn’t get any worse I ended up on DFDS ferries from Ijmuiden to Newcastle. It was the ferry that time forgot!

Once onboard and parked we found our luxurious 1x2m cabin (ok, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration…)

My all important first impressions were:
1. Plastic everywhere (what a classy bedroom/cabin/box).
2. Rust in the bathroom (5 stars this was not).
3. A bathroom so small that you can shower and sit on the toilet simultaneously (time efficient).

After dumping the bag (with overnight essentials) we headed off to explore the boat. 10 minutes later….we’d seen everything! It was time to get some cinema tickets. There’s nothing better on the overnight ferry than back-to-back to kill the time. ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘The A Team’ later we resurfaced and headed to the bar lounge.

Next it was time for an evening drink and some light entertainment. Oh boy, were we in for a treat. Our singer was the campest thing to come out Liverpool since Cilla. His hit list included ‘Is This The Way To Amarillo’….It was gonna be one of those nights.

Surrounded by an interesting crowd (an acquired taste). The rather large guy next to us enjoyed dry-humping each and every waitress that passed, dancing wildly from his seat, shouting out with his best Geordie accent (C’mon N’castle). It was like car crash entertainment!!! Where to look? What to laugh at next? I wasn’t expecting such an unmissable evening of entertainment. The Geordie decided it was time to take to the dancefloor and started some ‘interesting’ side-to-side shuffling, some crazy dancing then his best ballet routines against the bar surrounding the dancefloor. What a vision!

The ferry crossing certainly offered more than we initially expected.

Call the emergency services! He’s been stolen! (The best and most shocking call made to the police).

This is a real call made to the emergency services in the UK. OK, for many of you the accent may be difficult to understand. (It’s quite strong). I managed to find this great typography video on YouTube that creates graphics from the words. (I hope it helps you follow the conversation).

I was stunned when I heard it! Really stunned!!!!! Some people are so stupid. I couldn’t help but share it with you all, bloggers. Enjoy!

I love the fact that she is calling because someone has stolen her snowman….. The fact that she admits that her street is not that great is hilarious. I’d love to have seen her snowman with teaspoon arms and coins for eyes. Hahahaha…..

Obsessed with snow

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Snow, snow, snow…. Delicate, white and pure.

CHAOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No….It’s delicate. It brings a sense of calm and tranquility.

Or……………. More CHAOS!

While many people around the world embrace the inevitable snow that comes with this season called ‘Winter’, the Brits are beside themselves. Ah, something new for them to moan about. They wish and wish all year for a white Christmas, yet two days into snowy weather and they are all cursing the very mention of that ‘S’ word.

The news in the UK….It goes like this….

Main Headlines: “Snow has brought the country to a halt. The airports are shut. The roads are chaos!”

Sport: “Snow has disrupted many events across the country. (Oh, boo – No football…..)”

Transport: “Snow has brought the chaos to airports (Hadn’t we mentioned it? Well, we’re here to make you panic… So, the airports are shut! Motorways are looking more like white carparks”. (Stay indoors everyone. Chocolate and wine will help you cope).

…………..and now…. Weather………………

“It’s snowing out there!” (Really?)

So, what is the obsession with the white stuff? Why do the Brits love it, yet hate it? Why does the UK come to a grinding halt the moment there is 4 cm of snow laying on the ground? Forget WMD to attack the UK, or suicide bombers making long term plans….. All you need is a snow cannon and the country is crippled.

I love the snow! I think it’s fab! I’d happily watch it snow for months…

Here are some other little snowy and seasonal treats that I’ve recently blogged about…

The blog about the mad, crazy Dutch people who dare to cycle on the snow.

The blog about Santa (oh, bless him).

The blog about the biggest toy shop in the UK featuring ‘live animals’.

My Christmas Countdown (from the beginning of December)….. *Note to self… I must check how far I’ve got.

How would I live without my present book?

I’m buying presents for 33 people this year! I’m shocked just typing it. I mentioned this the other day to a friend and they said that they buy presents for 3 people (what a difference). I love buying presents though. I love looking for something that will make someone smile. I have quite a big family. It comes from having 3 brothers, with wives (who have lots of children) and lots of cousins too.

It was thirteen years ago that I ‘stole’ my step-mum’s idea to keep track of my present buying using a book. It sounds simple, but actually works really well and has great benefits (especially when you have a memory as poor as mine). I used to jot down the things I had bought people on scraps of paper, but would lose them. So, what do I do?

• List all the people you plan on buying stuff for (I do this around February/March time and add to it).
• Buy the presents WHEN you see them (throughout the year). I usually start in July. It’s better to buy something you see and think “Oh, that’s perfect for……”, rather than go on the December panic buy!
• Write the gifts in the book once purchased.
• Tick them once wrapped because once you have all the presents for all those people you gotta make sure you’ve found them and wrapped them.

The great thing with this idea is that you can do the following:

• You can keep track on the size and cost of presents for each person.
• You’ll remember what you bought someone the year before. OK, you don’t wanna be buying them the same thing year on year. You probably won’t remember, but they might.
• It’s fab to look years back and remember how times have changed. I love looking back and friends who’ve come and gone… Special times gone by. Family members no longer with us. Christmas celebrations of the past that I will always remember.

When I say I stole the idea…. It was more borrowed. It was 13 years ago that I saw my step mum’s book of presents. I flicked it open and looked back at 1983. It was so much fun reading the things that I’ve been given as a child.

I’m a sucker for memories.

I was under the impression that window displays were an art form.

Shopping…..(let me just sit back and think about it)….Yes, I love it. I love shopping. I just zoned out for a second to think about what I could be buying right now. Oh, to have that credit card with the endless limit (and the paid-balance every month).

I enjoy a good trip into the city to shop around, but most of all to be lured in to each and every shop (store, my American friends) by the tempting window displays. Some window displays, especially at Christmas time, are amazing. The effort and time put into making them perfect in every way is clear to all. The shops clearly make a lot of money from them. Lure the customer in and they’ll be hooked, searching for anything they remember from the window.

Shopping in Cyprus was not like this. Well, that’s rather unfair actually as most of Cyprus is wonderful. I did venture to the capital city of this lovely Meditteranean island when I visted one summer. I thought I would take in some of the sights, do a spot of exotic shopping…….and came across these window displays!

Well,... "Hello Ladies!"

An odd sign. Any ideas?

Here’s a photo from my vault of holiday snaps. I saw this a few years ago in a small cafe in France while I was enjoying a skiing holiday. The sign was stuck to the radiator pipe. I have no idea what previous customers had been bringing into the place.

What does it mean?