Another one for the British checklist...

Yesterday, I had the fortune to be invited by one of my workmates to go to the Arsenal match.  It is fairly difficult to get tickets, so I made sure to rearrange my plans in order to make it (that makes it sound like I'm so busy, but I'm not.  I just happened to have plans this weekend that I had to reschedule for March).  

For those that don't know, Arsenal is a London football team.  By football, I mean soccer.  Although, if I were to say that here, I think I would be smacked.  They were playing the Blackburn Rovers.  Sadly, they lost, but the whole thing was *SO* cool.

Here are I am in front of the stadium.

Since I know absolutely nothing about football/soccer, I had a lot of questions for Geoff and he was kind enough to answer all of them (Stein, you would have hated me!).

Following are a few things I learned at the match:

1) Emirates Stadium is in a Wrigleyville neighborhood. - Similar to the Cubs, the stadium where the Arsenal play, is in a local neighborhood.  I got off the tube and we walked about 10 minutes to the Stadium.  It is just a mass of people heading there.  There aren't as many pubs around the Emirates Stadium, though.  Once the match is over, people leave (very orderly like).

2) No paper tickets. - They don't give people paper tickets.  Instead, the tickets are given out in a little red leather wallet.  

As a result, there is very little scalping.  I don't think it is illegal, but it apparently isn't really done.

3) They call the field the "pitch". - I don't know why, Stein.  They just do.  You may think it is stupid, but I'm not going to get looked on as being the stupid American by calling it the field.  Here is my view of the pitch.

4) Visitors are confined to one section. - Unlike other arenas where fans from the visiting team can be peppered around the stadium, that is apparently not done in English football.  The visiting fans are relegated to one particular section, which just happened to be across the pitch from me (visible only in the top left corner of this picture).

One of my workmates told me I should cheer for the underdog (Blackburn).  Now that I know that opposing team fans would be looked down if outside the visitor section, I'm going to have to have a conversation with him.  I feel like he was setting me up.

5) Limited substitutions. - Apparently, each team is only allowed 3 substitutions during the entire match.  Considering it is 45 minutes of running during each half, it is a testament to how in shape these guys are.  Impressive.

6) Limited drinking. - They don't allow drinking in the seats.  In fact, there are no vendors touring the stadium.  They have drinks available during the 15-20 minute halftime, but it isn't enough time to down the drink.  If you have to go to the loo, you end up shotgunning a beer/cider (yes, they sell cider at the stadium!) so you can finish it before the second half starts.

7) Fashion observation. - This is the point where Brock would start stabbing himself in the eye with a pen.  He hated when Sue, Julie and I would start talking about fashion.  Anyway, the thing I noticed from a fan-fashion perspective --- not many baseball caps.  In the States, I'm used to seeing a ton of people wearing Cubs/Bears/Sox/Hawks caps at any sporting event.  I saw 2.  That's right, two (2) people wearing hats.  Not a British thing.  So glad I chose to leave my Cubs hat back at my flat.  The fan-favorite piece to wear --- a red & white scarf.  Seemed a little odd to me, but it was everywhere.

8) The universal love of sporting events. - It's consistent here as in the States, the bathroom line is almost always shorter for the women. :)

So, I checked another one off the list.  I'm so happy I got to do it.  Next up, rugby and cricket. 

Alone in a sea of Anglicans

I grew up surrounded by Catholics.  I went to Catholic school all my life (yes, for those that doubted ---- we Marquette Warriors didn't just worship beer).  So, for the first time in my life, it is a little odd to be in the minority (religion-wise).  Most people in England that belong to any sort of religion categorize themselves as followers of the Church of England.  Anglicans are not that dissimilar from Catholics -- sort of Catholic Lite in their beliefs.  The Church was started because Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife and the pope said no, so the King did what kings do and split off from the Catholics.  (Yes, I know this is a simplistic explanation of what really happened, but this isn't religion class).

Anyway, today was Ash Wednesday.  For the non-Catholics in the audience, it is the day after Fat Tuesday and the start of Lent, which is when a lot of Catholics give up various vices (e.g. sweets, swearing, alcohol, etc.) for 40 days (or if you are Kelly's mom, it's for 1 week at a time).  You also end up seeing a lot of people walking around with soot on their heads.  That, apparently, is not a common sight in England.  Walking around with ashes on your forehead invites constant stares, people telling you that you have something on your forehead, and general confusion when you try to explain why it is there.  The confusion didn't make sense to me considering the Anglicans celebrate Ash Wednesday, too.  It makes me wonder if I'm working with a bunch if heathens.  :)

It was weird to be the odd man out.  This must be what my friend Nicole feels like when she goes to church in Vegas by herself on Sunday morning on the Strip.

Another one for the British checklist

I experienced my first pantomime yesterday, courtesy of my friend Karen's friend, Alison.  Alison lives in north London and was gracious enough to invite a stranger to come watch her panto (look at me with the lingo --- I'm so hip).

What is a pantomime, you ask?  Don't get scared.  It has nothing to do with mimes.  It's actually like a musical comedy with audience participation.  They are a big British tradition, particularly during the Christmas holidays.  A woman usually plays the lead and there is inevitably some man dressed up like a harsh looking woman who steals the show.  This particular pantomime was about Jack and the Beanstalk.  I wasn't actually sure what to expect, but it was a lot of fun.

It started off with me taking the tube north about 20 minutes.  Alison must have known about my tendency to get lost in London because she gave me very specific directions on how to get from the tube station to the school where the panto was being shown.  She left a ticket at the door for me.  

How do you not like a girl that leaves something like this for someone she doesn't know?  So sweet. (OK, I just now noticed that she put the female symbol on the envelope next to my name.  Ha!  I guess that is what I get for having a boy's name.)

Anyway, I sat next to Alison's in-laws, daughter, daughter's boyfriend, husband and son.  I had to ask her father-in-law which one was Alison.  Thankfully, he pointed out the right person to me (although he admitted later that he was very tempted to point out some random stranger to see what would happen.  Nice.).

The show itself was funny.  A bit different.  The characters actually talk to the audience and try to engage them throughout the show.  There was a mix of children's music, modern music (sadly, that stupid Psy song made an appearance - including the dance) as well as British political references (a guy was dressed up as Boris Johnson, the mayor of London).  On the whole, it was very different, but fun. 

After the show, we went back to Alison's house.  She lives in a very cute row-like type house (although she called it something else).  In addition to all of those at the show, her daughter was home with chicken pox and Alison's mom, who was in from Baltimore.  Needless to say, it was a full house.  It was extraordinarily generous of Alison to invite me back to her house with her full house and another show on the docket.

All in all, it was an experience.  I don't know if I feel the need to see another pantomime soon, but it was definitely a new experience.  Fun and cheeky, as they say.  Check another item off the British to-do list!

Celebrity Sightings, Part 2

I can't believe I forgot to include this one in the last post.  It is my favorite --- Kevin Bacon for a phone network:

There are a series of 3 or 4 of these and they made me laugh out loud.

Celebrity Sightings

I don't want you to get too excited.  I haven't actually seen anyone yet.  Well, at least I don't think I have seen anyone.  I don't really know any of the local TV celebrities because I can't seem to get into the British TV shows.  British TV is a whole other post.  

No, where I have seen these celebrities is in commercials.  I'm not talking Ellen Degeneres or Sofia Vergara hawking makeup.  It's everything else.  Here is a short list of the celebrities and what they are pitching:

Katy Perry - Pop Chips - I think this may be shown at home, too, but it seems like she is everywhere here.  I see her on almost every bus stop while walking to work and while running.

Rihanna - Vita Coco - it's coconut water.  She is on every other bus stop that Katy isn't on.  I know they are friends in real life. Maybe they planned that.

Brad Pitt - Chanel - This is the SNL spoofed ad.  I like the SNL version better.

Patsy Kensit - Weight Watchers - Who, you say?  I'm betting my sister Teresa is the only one who would know who she is.  For Lethal Weapon fans, she was one of Mel Gibson's chicks in the second installment of the series.

Beyonce - O2 - O2 is my mobile carrier.  She doesn't say much.  She just flounces around a bit.

Jennifer Aniston - ?? - Actually, I don't know what her commercial is all about.  It is set in a coffee shop and she is all hopped up on caffeine and complaining about the fact her computer isn't working.  It's really stupid and not really effective consider I don't even know what she is selling.

Kate Winslet - Sky Media - Sky is one of the TV stations here.  She acts very serious and emotional...about a television station. 

The number one weird commercial is by....drumroll, please.....

Eva Longoria - Sheba cat food - I'm serious.  Cat food.  She dances around with an open can of cat food and then serves it to her cat.  What?  

I'm very curious to know how some of these commercials came to be.  Did the ad agency think "Sheba cat food?  Eva Longoria would be perfect!".  Or, was it more like, "I wonder who we can get for $x?"  And how did that conversation go between the celeb and their agent/manager? "So, there is a commercial you have been asked to do.  What do you think about cat food?  Don't worry, it will only be shown overseas."  Don't get me wrong...I'm not judging.  I just find the whole thing fascinating.

Here's hoping I see a celebrity in something other than a commercial.  I'm hoping for someone like Sophia Grace & Rosie (from "Ellen"), Prince Harry or someone from the cast of "Downton Abbey", but I think that might be too much to ask for.  Knowing my luck, it's probably more likely that I will run into one of the Osmond Brothers who are here starring in the musical "Boogie Nights."  Yes, "Boogie Nights."  Insert joke here.

A light went out in Chicago...

I got an email today that a friend of mine passed away this weekend.  He lived in my old condo complex and, in the wacky small world of Chicago, I found out after I moved in that he was friends with Aunt Nancy.  I kept pretty much to myself in my condo complex (anyone who met my downstairs neighbor would know why),  but Frank was one of the few people I did talk to.  He was always working in the yard and had the kind of green thumb that made this perpetual plant killer jealous.  I honestly can't think of a time when he didn't have a smile on his face --- even when he was dealing with some whacked out people in our association (no, not me).

I was worried about stuff like this when I came over here.  I was worried that i was going to miss both good and bad events.  I'm sad that I can't properly pay my respects to him and his family.  I'm sad that I can't be there for my aunt.  I'm mad that someone was taken so young.

I last saw Frank at our annual Holiday party at my house.  I don't know if this will make Frank happy or sad, but I can't get the image out of my head of him with his crazy bad Christmas vest.  I think he bought it from a thrift store because the invite said "holiday attire".  It was like the holiday version of the Party Jacket.  So bad, it was good.

My favorite market (so far)

If there is one thing that I've learned in my time in London it is that these Brits like a good market.  There seems to be a street market on almost every block.  I've spent the better part of the past few weekends exploring the different markets.  For the most part, they all sell food, crafts, flowers, and, of course, junk.  But they all have a different feel.  I spent yesterday exploring Portobello Road Market.

Portobello Road Market (hell, I'm calling it PRM from now on.  It's too long to write the full name) is a short tube ride away in Notting Hill (by the way, tube rides are just like el rides except I saw cute little mice, not massive, disgusting rats).  Once out of the tube station, the directions said to follow the crowds to the market.  Unfortunately, the crowds didn't know where they were going, so I had 3 separate groups of people ask me where to go.  It was a bit like the blind leading the blind.  It wasn't that hard to find, but I just got distracted staring at the houses.  The area is adorable.  It has a lot of row houses (you know I'm a fan of those) and it just very quaint.  Very neighborhoody.

Once I found the market,  I was a happy camper.  It was chilly, but sunny out and it wasn't too horribly crowded.  By the time I left, though, it was wall to wall people (forgive the tilted angle of this picture, but I got bumped by someone while taking it).

PRM is known for its antiques, but it also has an area with new designers selling jewelry and all sorts of other things.  I'm not into antiques, but seeing some of the old china patterns, silver patterns, etc. was pretty cool.  There were also some stalls selling old school hardcover books that were beautiful (if my luggage didn't already cost me a fortune to ship over, I'd buy a whole bunch of books to ship back because they were so pretty).  I ended up buying a handful of things including a little brass sign that says "LOO", which I think will look cute in my house, and a old silver tea box, which I'm using to hold some jewelry.

London in general is all about street food and PRM is no exception.

Sadly, I wasn't hungry while I was there, so I didn't get anything to eat, but I did get three yummy rounds of cheese for later.  I think I'm going to weigh 400 lbs. when I get back because I keep buying the cheese.  How do I pass up a bunch of stinky cheese for £5?

I wish I could pinpoint what made PRM my favorite so far.  I think it was the combination of old, new and the neighborhood.  Either way, I'm sure I will be back.

Perfect Timing

I was having one of those "what did I do/what was I thinking/how do I get out of here" type of weeks.  Stress with work and feeling a little out of my element made me question my decision to move across the ocean with nary a friend in site.  When I walked in the door of my flat, I was greeted by the site of this:

Letters from home....one was from Kelly and one was from Tom's mom and dad....both were so well-timed and very sweet.  They put a big smile on my face.  A little bit of home was just what I needed. :)