Say What?

Well, hello December, have you see November? I must have just missed him! I cannot believe it is December! The shops have their Holiday things out and there is a tree on Broad Street but there has been no Christmas music on the radio and little talk of it as well. This past weekend Ben and I noticed the crowds increasing in the shopping areas nearby. But it is strange not seeing lights on any houses, no Santas, and no Holiday music. Christmas is a little less commercialized here. Plus, there's no point decorating our flat since we'll be back home, so everything pretty much feels the same. All the more reason to get excited about going home.

ADDENDUM: I changed the radio station and now we're hearing lots more Christmas adverts and music. Also, Christmas celebrations are more likely to kick off 1 December at the beginning of the Advent. Rather than after Halloween :)

This last week Ben and I finally ventured into Eagle and Child a pub that has been around since 1650. It is a narrow and close-quarters kind of pub with fairly good drinks and okay food. Though I am sure it has held onto it's place in Oxford for its notoriety as being the meeting place of the Inklings. From the 1930s to the 1960s the Inklings (including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien) met in the “Rabbit Room” at the back of this pub.

One of several new things I have caught onto this week is the greeting everyone has around here. It usually consists of "Hiya" for "Hello" and "You alright?" for "How are you?" At first it threw me off a few times because back in the States, "Are you alright?" is a question of concern, not just in a "Hi, how are you." kind of way. So now when someone says, "Hiya, you alright?" I don't have to say "Yeah, why do I look like somethings wrong?" :)

Plus, I have been picking up some terms like:
Strippy Jumper = Stripped Sweater
Chav = Kind of a wanna be thug (apparently a fairly new stereotype)
Bloke = Guy or Man
Toilet = Bathroom - So why is is so strange to just call it what it is? But I still cannot say, "I am going to the toilet" and they laugh when I say restroom. Sounds so polite I guess.
Trainers = Gym shoes
Plaster = Band-aid
Pissed = Drunk

Also, "yeah" is a fairly American thing. I have everyone at the cafe answering back with "yeahs" and customers are always thrown off by it. And if you were wondering, I do get the occasional meanie who comes in an is literally rude to me because I am American, but I am happy to say they are far and few between and I usually get more interest and compliments rather than rudeness from customers when I start talking.

Ben has been doing a lot better at work. They are starting to realize all that he can do and have been giving him more important things to work on rather than just boring old numerical analysis. :) Plus, it seems everyone there is really nice and getting along well within their department. Also, he is thinking of either lecturing or being a teaching assistant in the upcoming Hillary term.

This is our last weekend before we head back for the Holidays. Since we just got paid, I am hoping we can go somewhere interesting so I can take some more pictures! My digital camera feels neglected. I will try to get out and take some wintry pictures of Oxford but they seldom get snow here...

Till next time! Tah!