Christmas

Christmas this year was pretty low-key :). Despite it only being my first year living in London during the Christmas season, it's the 3rd year I've spent the holiday here so, believe it or not, I have some traditions!

There are three in particular that are major. The first is simple and obvious if you know me at all - go to Carol Service at St Paul's on Christmas Eve, try to go to Midnight Eucharist (tricky when there's no public transport to get you home afterwards), then go to Christmas Day Eucharist.

Second tradition? Prepare and eat Christmas dinner with Shoko who, being from Japan, doesn't have any family in London either.

Third tradition? In the days immediately following Christmas day, experience something so catastrophically stressful that it makes you feel like you need a month to recover.

This year, I didn't think any of my three London Christmas traditions would be repeated. For the first, I fell so ill with a flu 2 days before Christmas that I spent the entire day on the 23rd in bed curled up in the fetal position, alternately sleeping and watching Eelin move around the flat packing for her trip home. I was so ill that it was impossible to stand for more than 5 seconds at a time without feeling nauseated, dizzy, or both. Needless to say, I didn't think I would be well enough to walk, much less attend services.

There was a more conventional reason why I didn't think my second tradition would be repeated. Shoko was going to Switzerland to spend Christmas with her sister and father, which would naturally make her unable to spend Christmas with me :).

As for the third? Well, let's just say that I was hoping my flu was the early arrival of that tradition.

I should have known to expect the unexpected!

On Christmas Eve, I woke up feeling miraculously better. Apart from a lack of appetite and a warped voice, I felt nearly well. In order not to push my luck, I decided not to attend Midnight Eucharist (the idea of trying to find a taxi at 1am in the City amongst the thousands of other people who would be streaming out of the Cathedral at the same time might also have had something to do with that decision), but I did tube it in for Carol Service.

As I was bundling myself up to go, my mobile suddenly alerted me that I had a text. I dug through my bag, pulled out my phone, and checked the screen. Long story short, it was a text from Shoko saying that her passport and money had been stolen so she wasn't able to go to Switzerland anymore! I quickly rang her back to offer my sympathy and get the full story, then asked her if she wanted to spend Christmas with me. She agreed but said she would call me back once she had taken care of some things (speaking to the bank, visiting the Embassy, etc.). That gave me time to pop out to M&S for groceries then, after dropping them at home, head out to St Paul's.

When I got there, the Cathedral was still open for sightseeing and there was no queue to be seen. Reassured that I wouldn't have any problem getting in, I headed into Starbucks to get myself a tea for the wait. Imagine my surprise when I exited 10 minutes later to find that a queue of about 40 people had started in my absence! I attached myself to the end and occupied myself with a book and my tea until the Cathedral staff started to let people in. By that time, the queue had snaked around the back of the Cathedral and out of sight - I have no idea how long it got, but I do know that not everyone who was there managed to get in (and remember, this is a building that seats at least 2000 people).

Anyway, the service was lovely and I came out feeling cheered. Hopped a bus home, spoke to Shoko (who was spending the night at the office so she could be closer to the Embassy, where she had an appointment in the morning), watched some bad movies, and fell asleep early.

Christmas morning dawned with me feeling even better :). I was out of the flat by about 8:30am, and didn't have any trouble hailing a taxi. The driver was a cheerful middle-aged man who wished me a very Merry Christmas as I got out at St Paul's - everyone's cheerful on Christmas day, actually! I took a quick wander into Paternoster Square, marvelling at the complete desertion of the area, then ducked into the Cathedral.

The handful of people who had been at morning communion were just coming out as I was going in, and I exchanged smiles and Christmas greetings with several of them as we passed each other. The Cathedral itself was the stillest I've ever seen it - it's usually full of tourists or congregation but, on that day at that time, it was just what it was meant to be; a peaceful place of worship. I joined a small prayer meeting in a side chapel (3 worshippers and 2 clergymen) then, when that was over, settled into a chair near the West door to wait until I was allowed to take a seat under the Dome for Eucharist.

Anyway, I'll skip past all the waiting and the service except to say that it was a fitting way to start Christmas :). From the stillness of the church in the morning, to the prayer meeting, to the Christmas carols and the music that was sung (Mozart's Coronation Mass - one of my favourite masses), to the friendliness of everyone at the service, it was all very Christmasey and also something I feel like I could only do in London.

When the service was over, I exited the Cathedral and headed down Fleet Street. Because the London transportation system shuts down on Christmas Day (tubes, buses, trains, etc.), I had decided to experiment by trying to walk home after the service. Let me put this into perspective for you. St Paul's Cathedral is in the City of London, sort of on the East end of the city. Paddington, where I currently live, is on the West end of the city. Between the two areas lie Holborn, Bloomsbury, Temple, the West End, Soho, Trafalgar Square, Victoria, Kensington, Oxford Street, and part of Hyde Park. So, yes, I had an idea that it would take some time :). I also knew that it would be an interesting walk along some of London's nicest streets and, to make it even more of an experience, most of the city would be deserted.

So, after speaking to Shoko on the phone and agreeing to meet her in Trafalgar Square, I set out along Fleet Street, walking past Temple, the Royal Courts of Justice, the building used as Gringott's Bank in the Harry Potter books (the Australian Embassy, I think), Somerset House, Covent Garden, Charing Cross Station, and finally up the Strand into Trafalgar Square. I sat down on a bench along the side of the square to wait for Shoko and glanced at my watch to see how long it had taken me - 30 minutes! Not bad :). When Shoko arrived, we decided that we'd set out on foot and hail a cab when we got tired. Walked up Charing Cross Road past Leicester Square and Soho, then turned left onto Oxford Street, which was EERILY deserted (Oxford Street is London's shopping street and is normally packed with shoppers). Passed Oxford Circus, stopped for some drinks in an open Starbucks, then continued on our way past Selfridges, Hyde Park, and Marble Arch before hanging a right onto Edgware Road. Eventually passed Paddington Station and walked up to my flat feeling immensely pleased with ourselves for having walked across the breadth of London :D. lol.

We had a lovely meal and spent the evening chatting, snacking, and watching a movie. I spent yesterday in hibernation mode - woke up late, wrapped myself up in a warm blanket, and stayed in all day, alternately reading, listening to music, wandering around the internet, and watching things on youtube and my DVD drive. And that brings us to today!

Congratulations to anyone who got through this post - hope it wasn't too boring! :)

Oh, as for the third tradition? I'm hoping that Shoko's disaster covered that one and there's nothing terrible laying in wait for me! Fingers crossed.