I've been told by someone (probably multiple people on multiple occasions but I don't remember who to credit for this bit of info.) that holidays can be the hardest times living overseas. Customs and traditions can be so different that it doesn't even feel like the same holiday. Well, it does feel like Christmas here - and it's cold like Christmas should be, not like a SouthEast Texas Christmas - but some things just aren't the same. Most notably, it's as hard to find a candy cane here as it is to...well...find something where you are that's hard to find. I could never imagine that a western country wouldn't have candy canes.
Maybe even more poignant, Christmas carols make Christmas for us. We went to a Caroling Service with some of our British friends on Sunday. It reminded us quite a bit of a Christmas Eve service in the states, but we couldn't get over a few of the songs. Two of the most traditional Christmas carols - "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" - don't sound the same AT ALL! The words are the same but it stops there. The chords aren't the same. The notes aren't the same. The beat isn't the same. The rhythms aren't the same. It's just not the same.
Another cultural reminder that our home is not here, or even in the states, but our true home is with the Father who became flesh to walk amongst us somewhere around 2,000 years ago. We are praying fervently this Christmas that you will experience Jesus in your life this Christmas more than you ever have before.
"For a child has been born—for us!...the gift of a son—for us!"
MERRY CHRISTMAS
12.20.2007
12.07.2007
12.04.2007
new foods
So I (Angie) thought I would write a little blurb about some new foods I experienced yesterday. Chris and I had lunch with a British couple who Chris met a "teaching english" workshop. We had them over for Thanksgiving dinner and so yesterday they had us over for lunch. We had a traditional English dessert - Apple Rhubarb Crumble. I'm pretty sure I have never had rhubarb before and it was really good. Then in our conversation we started talking about minced meat pies and they asked if we had ever had one. Upon answering no, they said well this is your lucky day! Now if you are not familiar with minced meat pies, first of all they have nothing to do with meat. Apparently they are only sold around Christmas time and there are several varieties. So basically it looks like a miniature pie with the top crust on. Inside is a concoction of tart fruit with a sugary syrup - it was so good! Then last night before my last new taste sensation we had a fun experience. We went with some friends to St. Paul's Cathedral to an Advent service. I had never been inside the cathedral before and it's absolutely beautiful. I really enjoyed the music part of the service - the choir and the organ were incredible. After the service we went with our friends to a Chinese restaurant in London's Chinatown. I'm not a big fan of Chinese food but I can usually find something I like so I wasn't too worried. The first thing they brought out was an appetizer which was "pancakes" (more like very thin flour tortillas). Then inside the pancake you put bits of cucumber and some sort of onion and then duck meat with a duck sauce. That was my first taste of duck and I really enjoyed it. I was pretty proud of myself for trying new things. So it was a very tasty day! This Thursday we are going to see the Christmas tree lighting in Trafalger Square so I'll try to get some pictures and post them. Bye for now...
12.01.2007
Loads of people!
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I know...we haven't blogged in quite a while now. There really isn't a good excuse. We received our internet connection about two weeks ago, our mobile phones are finally setup and running, and life seems to be smoothing out a little. Hopefully by January we will be on more of a regular schedule (which we hope will include more regular blogging). For now, I just wanted to share a bit of our day.
We've had some good times amidst our adjustment here. We're trying to use this time that we've been given to experience the culture that is around us. The pictures above are from a VERY COLD trip down to Richmond on the Thames last weekend - a somewhat "posh" area with gorgeous parks and river walk. I am told that it is a great place to watch the infamous Oxford v. Cambridge rowing competition in the sprint.
Today, we went to the city for lunch with some friends who are moving back to the States next week. Then we tried to go by FedEx to post something, but we found out that they are only open M-F from 9-5. On top of that, it's at least 45 mins to the nearest FedEx location from our flat. So it looks like I'll be making another trip on Monday morning to the city. Fun times on public transport:)
In any case, here's the fun part. Since we were in the city, we decided to go check out Oxford and Regent streets. I heard that they should be lit up for Christmas on Dec. 1. But we were not at all ready for what we experienced. Coming out of the tunnel we encountered a hoard of people - shoulder to shoulder, moving along like cattle. What we didn't know was that the city closed both streets to through traffic today to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season and the streets FILLED with people. Enjoy the pics (I took them with my SWEET new Sony Ericsson Cybershot 5mp Phone). Hopefully you can experience the crowd despite the darkness.
We love you all and we're praying that God blesses you in new and extraordinary ways.
Chris...
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