For anyone who is not in Cardiff, a few weeks ago, they turned on the Christmas lights. It was quite the event, the Dr. Who cast was there and "pressed the button" so to speak... Bob the Builder sang some songs and most importantly, they turned on the lights. The Christmas is what I'm calling the beautiful decorations all around town. The lights, little stands, it's like Christmas Town at Bush Gardens... but real! (and minus the Amy and Steph and the worst snow storm of 2009) Songs were being sung, the lights dance and sparkle everywhere. Its just so exciting every time I walk into town. I want to go to the ice-skating rink and ride the ferris wheel, go to Starbucks and get hazelnut latte, have roasted chestnuts... they are frickin' everywhere! I have only heard of them in the Christmas song, not actually seen them in real life! I'm pumped... but sadly I can only participate so much in all the festivities. Now as an American, I am strictly banned from listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving.
Here is the problem: there is no Thanksgiving here. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite Holidays. Maybe that is because I bounce back and forth between my two families: one where a house of almost 100 people gets together and you vaguely remember that you are related to every single person in the room (isn't that terrifying) and then the other I get to go to the beach and hole up with the Bitto side of my family and have a great time at the Outer Banks, NC and just sit around, shop, and eat for a week. The best part about Thanksgiving is seeing most of my family in such a short period of time. There is also the food! I love Thanksgiving dinner, don't get confused... dinner is not at 6 PM, oh no, its at 2 or 3 at the latest. That way you essentially eat everything you can at that meal and you don't eat dinner. I mean can you really stop someone from finishing off that turkey leg and I mean, the Cranberry Sauce! That is hands down my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. I don't want any home-made with the cranberries still being all crunchy on the inside of my sauce, give me the can and i'll open it and cut it into slices based on the lines from said can. Yes, I know, it sounds horribly lazy and frankly American, but hey... we are the ones who celebrate this holiday of feasting!
But as Thanksgiving is coming up this Thursday... I will be missing my family. I will not be in the Outer Banks with my siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, and my granny. I will miss them, but this also means I have something to look forward to. Christmas. I get to go home and see them, I get to listen to my Jackson 5 Christmas CD that my mom mailed me a month or so ago, I get to do everything but decorate the Christmas tree because it will already be done by the time I get home. I have already made the Christmas playlist on my iTunes, and I'm psyched! Come this Thursday night, my flatmates will be sick of me because Christmas is all that will be coming out of my computer's speakers for a quite some time.
So now, something to look forward to.... The Christmas
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
American Halloween vs UK Halloween vs Fancy Dress
If you haven't seen the movie Zombie Land... do. That is the only way I can describe the UK Halloween. Now in America we do it... well right! We put on the least amount of clothing, or possibly the most creative we can acquire and we put on a show. Everyone looks crazy, and it is just so much fun! Ok, maybe there are the few (or many) girls in College who dress up in the scankiest outfit they can (usually just a bra and a pair of hot pants) and grab a hat of sorts and say they are _______ (insert Firefighter, Policeman, Disney Princess, Fuzzy Animal, etc here). Its a good time. Girls are excited because they let out their inner freak and guys are happy to look. The best part about it, it is totally acceptable! Also, we don't dress up on just Halloween. In the college scene at least, you get Halloween weekend. If Halloween does not fall on a weekend night, then you get the weekend either before or after (depending on which it is closer to) and the actual day to dress up! Thats at least a weekday, plus a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and occasionally Sunday to dress up!
On occasion you do get the people who just shouldn't be dressed that way at all. You know, the girl who has her bum hanging out of her skirt, or worse, skirt not even covering half her butt. Maybe you have a drunk person who has had 3 too many and now they have a costume that is falling apart and they don't care. Then there are the people who just went to the costume shop and bought the dorothy costume that involved the thigh high socks, poofed out skirt and corseted top. They just lacked creativity! And there is always the cross dressing male. They are there to make me smile, and I am greatly appreciative of it. Now while I really wish that I was posting pictures of Halloween from last year, I'm pretty sure I lost them all in my computer switch. Sorry to those I facebook stalked to find ones of me from last year, and if you so desire, I will remove it if you ask me to :)
Now here in Cardiff, I did not know we only do scary. You can put on a Buzz Lightyear suit, but you better have some face paint and plan on giving yourself the face of a someone who has contracted the T-virus (for Resident Evil fans) or look like Bill Murray (for Zombie Land fans). Everyone is dead, everyone has face make up on, and everyone has a bit of fake blood. How does that happen? There were quite a few girls dressed as animals of sorts, or maybe a dead pirate, or the occasional cop or something, but they all looked like they were dead. That is a lie, there were many cats. They kinda took over the population with Zombies. It was kinda creepy. I didn't really like it much, but I understand the need to be something scary on the scariest day of the year.
Well, I have to say these Britons have us Yanks beat in one aspect at least...
They know how to fancy dress. They go out on regular nights in a theme, such as Golf Pro's and Tennis Ho's, or Back to School (wearing school uniforms), or Cops and Robbers. Granted, we are doing it this week for me and a few friends birthdays, but I still enjoy it. You could just grab everyone you know, tell them you are all dressing in a theme, and people actually do it! The only time that works in the US is halloween if you have a group costume (Legends of the Hidden Temple contestants, for example), or a Toga Party. Even at the Toga party I had to provide togas to some people, even if they were out of town. When we had everyone who was dressed appropriately for the toga theme, it turned out to be one of the best parties ever. It was so much fun and no one cared what we looked like. Now only if I can get people to do that all the time in the states.
So it comes down to this:
American Halloween vs UK Halloween: America wins. We have better candy (don't believe me, come get some candy corn from my room), better costumes, and we make it anywhere from a 3-5 day event. Like everything else it is bigger :)
American Halloween vs Fancy Dress: Fancy Dress wins. Everyone in a single theme looking crazy together, why the eff not?
UK Halloween vs Fancy Dress: Fancy Dress again... Its just better, more fun, and can fit any type. You can choose to be super slutty with the choice of outfit or you can cover up all parts you deem appropriate to do so. What I wouldn't give to do fancy dress every day (and plus, then I don't have to try to look good, I can just go and say i'm doing fancy dress and i will be accepted) Plus, I really don't like dead clowns, so halloween looses here...
On occasion you do get the people who just shouldn't be dressed that way at all. You know, the girl who has her bum hanging out of her skirt, or worse, skirt not even covering half her butt. Maybe you have a drunk person who has had 3 too many and now they have a costume that is falling apart and they don't care. Then there are the people who just went to the costume shop and bought the dorothy costume that involved the thigh high socks, poofed out skirt and corseted top. They just lacked creativity! And there is always the cross dressing male. They are there to make me smile, and I am greatly appreciative of it. Now while I really wish that I was posting pictures of Halloween from last year, I'm pretty sure I lost them all in my computer switch. Sorry to those I facebook stalked to find ones of me from last year, and if you so desire, I will remove it if you ask me to :)
 |
| Good variety here: cute, super hero, slutty, and cross dressing male |
 |
| Super Hero Home Made costumes... thats how we do it |
Now here in Cardiff, I did not know we only do scary. You can put on a Buzz Lightyear suit, but you better have some face paint and plan on giving yourself the face of a someone who has contracted the T-virus (for Resident Evil fans) or look like Bill Murray (for Zombie Land fans). Everyone is dead, everyone has face make up on, and everyone has a bit of fake blood. How does that happen? There were quite a few girls dressed as animals of sorts, or maybe a dead pirate, or the occasional cop or something, but they all looked like they were dead. That is a lie, there were many cats. They kinda took over the population with Zombies. It was kinda creepy. I didn't really like it much, but I understand the need to be something scary on the scariest day of the year.
 |
| Flatmates dressed as fuzzy animals... notice the fake blood to the right and the creepy clown... |
Well, I have to say these Britons have us Yanks beat in one aspect at least...
They know how to fancy dress. They go out on regular nights in a theme, such as Golf Pro's and Tennis Ho's, or Back to School (wearing school uniforms), or Cops and Robbers. Granted, we are doing it this week for me and a few friends birthdays, but I still enjoy it. You could just grab everyone you know, tell them you are all dressing in a theme, and people actually do it! The only time that works in the US is halloween if you have a group costume (Legends of the Hidden Temple contestants, for example), or a Toga Party. Even at the Toga party I had to provide togas to some people, even if they were out of town. When we had everyone who was dressed appropriately for the toga theme, it turned out to be one of the best parties ever. It was so much fun and no one cared what we looked like. Now only if I can get people to do that all the time in the states.
So it comes down to this:
American Halloween vs UK Halloween: America wins. We have better candy (don't believe me, come get some candy corn from my room), better costumes, and we make it anywhere from a 3-5 day event. Like everything else it is bigger :)
American Halloween vs Fancy Dress: Fancy Dress wins. Everyone in a single theme looking crazy together, why the eff not?
UK Halloween vs Fancy Dress: Fancy Dress again... Its just better, more fun, and can fit any type. You can choose to be super slutty with the choice of outfit or you can cover up all parts you deem appropriate to do so. What I wouldn't give to do fancy dress every day (and plus, then I don't have to try to look good, I can just go and say i'm doing fancy dress and i will be accepted) Plus, I really don't like dead clowns, so halloween looses here...
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