My first working Thanksgiving
I've spent many a Thanksgiving Day in Londontown, but never actually working in the office. It was very weird, if I'm honest. Several people seemed annoyed at our holiday, while others cheerfully wished me a "Happy Thanksgiving!" I hung up a sign on my desk with pictures downloaded from clip art of a turkey, a pilgrims hat and a cornucopia. Passersby wanted the history of Thanksgiving. When put on the spot, I got a little flustered and all I could remember was putting my hand on a piece of construction paper and tracing around it with crayon and turning that into a picture of a turkey !
My dad arrived that day, and we had our Thanksgiving Dinner at a nice carvery restaurant on The Strand. Readers will be pleased to know I managed to stuff myself with turkey, cranberry sauce, roasted potatoes and lots of vegetables. Not bad for being in London! I booked Friday off from work and bought us tickets to the newly-opened tour of Emirates Stadium where Arsenal play. While I may go to the ground nearly every week, it was worth the price of admission alone to see the dressing room where my boys get ready before every match, and walk out through the tunnel onto the pitch. Yes, I was like a kid in a candy store!
Theeeeeeeeooooooooooo!!!
It was a busy weekend, despite the never-ending rain. We did some shopping, watched Wah-Wah, ate a lot of brussel sprouts and spend a really nice Sunday walking around Kew Gardens and Richmond.
Flat update: I may have found another place, although I have yet to sign a contract, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. People are already coming by to view my current flat, so my time is running out a bit. That cardboard box is starting to look pretty appealing...
England 1 - Eleanor nil
I actually started writing this post last weekend, but didn't finish it up because I was struck with a nasty cold, and couldn't do much other than rest on the sofa and watch The West Wing on DVD. Ironically, the original post was entitled 'Finally some luck!' Ha. My oh my how things change in the course of a week... I have been a good girl and, knowing the tight flat-letting market, have been resigned to making myself available to see any decent-sounding place the moment it came on the market. Sod my sniffling cold and stressful work week. Every Saturday and nearly every evening after work, I've trekked the hour(ish) journey down to meet with various estate agents in the Fulham area to view anything and everything that comes available. I thought I had caught a break when I found--and had an offer accepted--on a great flat in Parsons Green. By no means was it incredible, but it 'ticked all of the boxes' as they say. Convenient, charming, converted Victorian, refurbished, with 'all mod cons.' Most importantly it was on a great, safe street right near the tube station. 
Here you have to negotiate with the landlord what you'll pay, what is included in the rent before you can sign a contract (eg, furniture, fix the bubbles in the wallpaper before I move in, etc) and we'd made it through all of that, I gave notice on my current flat, and started to plan my move. Phew - finally some luck, I thought!
But just as I thought my bad English flat-karma was on the mend, I got a call on Thursday from the estate agent telling me the bubbles in the wallpaper I had noticed actually had turned out to be not just old, dodgy wallpaper as I had thought, but evidence of a major structural problem in the building and they were going to have to remove the entire 300+ year old external wall. Not only has it now been deemed 'inhabitable' but the landlord had decided to sell the property because he didn't want to deal with the problems. So, feeling completely dejected and more than a little anxious with the thought of being homeless soon, it's back to the drawing board...There's not much available out there, and I don't have much time, so it is kind of a crap shoot at this point. If you know any spells to un-do my bad English flat-karma, please let me know...
It has just not been a very good week. My friend Ruby who is 7-months (and quite obviously) pregnant, told me stories about how she rarely is offered a seat on the packed tube on her hour-long journey into work. WHAT?!? Excuse me? I mean I know I come from College Station, where guys got up on the school bus if there was any woman standing, which might be taking the gentlemanly behavior a bit too far. But how in the world can the people of this city leave a heavily pregnant woman to sway and topple (and sweat!) for an hour every evening because they're too busy zoning out or reading their free newspaper?!? Ugh, it really gets my back up.
Oh, and it's been in the 30s outside, windy and raining like crazy. As I was leaving work on Friday, hurrying to get off to view yet another bad flat, I got caught in a major wind tunnel outside my office. Trying to get to the tube station as quick as possible while hiding under my umbrella, the wind caused my umbrella to close half-way, turn itself inside out and SMACK me in the face, throwing the dripping water all over my head, face, and clothes. Left me in a great state to smoosh onto the train for an hour! Luckily I got to stand next to a guy with really bad BO for the journey. On top of that, my heat has been broken for two weeks. It just doesn't turn on. I've told my landlord, who has yet to call me back. It's time to move into my cardboard box under Waterloo Bridge, me thinks.... So yes, this country has definitely kicked me in the ass this week. It's definitely England 1 - Eleanor nil.
But just like a weeble, one of my favorite childhood toys, I am a-weebling and a-wobbling, and trying not to topple over. In an effort to trigger a change, I'm getting out of here today - am off to Richmond to meet my friend Alex for a boozy pub lunch by the river. Maybe a nice G&T is just what the doctor ordered...
Halloween in London...and other fireworks
Halloween in London was rather anticlimactic. While they do recognize the holiday, the British seem a bit resentful of the day as a whole. I was told by one of my coworkers that on Halloween, her husband turns off all of the lights in the house and makes them hide upstairs so they don't have to answer the door to trick-or-treaters! This plan seemed a little excessive until she explained that they didn't grow up here trick-or-treating, that it was just another commercial thing brought over by the Americans in the last few years. I wasn't sure what to say to that...'I'm sorry??' I think what came out of my mouth, unfortunately instead, was 'I want to go trick-or-treating'...
Tuesday saw CSKA Moscow come to the Emirates for a Champions League match. It was a VERY cold night - down to 1C, and the wind was whipping around the stadium like mad. I rushed there after work, because Johnny Harber had scored hospitality seats for the evening, which meant food and drink and good seats. I had to just respond to anyone that asked 'Hello I am from Universal Pictures -- John and I are working on a content deal together.' Not a bad deal, me thinks. One of the perks of hospitality is that they pick one (out of the 2-300 people there) 'random' person to go pitchside before kickoff to watch the players train. John seemed to have the magic touch that evening and luckily he got to bring his dad and I along. I was shaking so hard most of my pictures came out blurry, but I was so close to my boys it was unbelievable!
On Saturday, I started what looks to be the long process of flat-hunting. I had booked appointments to see 3, and two of them had been let by the time I turned up. I walked around and around the Fulham and Parson's Green area for hours, popping into estate agents to leave my details. I've seen a couple more this week and all that seems to be consistent is that everything is really expensive, tiny, and not very nice. Great...
Later that evening, I met up with an English guy named Neil I had met at our company party the prior week. Turns out he works for Heinz, not Universal, but I've always wanted to know more about ketchup and baked beans! We went to see the fireworks at Ravenscourt Park near the river in honor of Bonfire Night aka 'Guy Fawkes Night' which is a massive holiday it turns out. Guy Fawkes was some sort of rebel who wanted to overthrow the government and tried to burn down the Houses of Parliament back in the 1600s, and ever year on the 5th of November they have bonfires (with a rag-doll version of Fawkes on top) and fireworks all around the country. Apparently, until 1959, it was illegal NOT to celebrate the day of Guy Fawkes arrest in England. Like conkers, there is also a little diddy that they sing during the bonfire (oh, lucky me!):
Remember Remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot
Guy Fawkes Guy, 'twas his intent
to blow up king and parliament
Three score barrels were laid below
to prove old England's overthrow
By God's mercy he was catched
with a dark lantern and lighted match
Holler boys Holler boys let the bells ring
Holler boys Holler boys God save the King
