A little bit of a 'proper' christmas!

Christmas celebrations or should I say 'Holiday' celebrations, to not insult any religion (a massive debate here) seem very different here that the UK. Maybe because we have always spent the Christmas run up at home or in London which turns into a scene from A Christmas Carol around this time, or maybe its just because it still really quite warm here!

Yesterday evening, I walked home from The Lincoln Centre @ 66th, had to pop in the Apple store to check an Amazon Locker purchase (see previous blogs!) all the way up Broadway to our apt on 98th st. The unseasonal weather enabled me to carry my coat in my arms and enjoy some 'fresh' (kind of) air having been in the studio non stop these past few weeks.

Lining the streets are the usual Fruit and Veg vendors, but now on the lead up to Christmas, Christmas tree vendors also line the streets. Fresh Christmas trees and wreaths are propped up against shops, with the vendor living in his little wooden shack 24/7 selling trees to the wealthier New Yorkers with large enough Apts!

Sam and I deliberately cross the road when we see these Vendors so to enjoy the smell of the pine, very reminiscent of the real tree we have at home in MK. As we are staying in a hotel on Christmas with our parents there was no point us getting a real tree however we did sample some 'christmas tree home smell' which was disgusting! Similar to those in car fresheners!!!

Other strange things about this NY Christmas;

1. No such thing as Mince Pies
2. No Chocolate Advent Calendars, in fact very few American's are familiar with Advent!
3. Boxing day isn't celebrated and their are no sales..!?
4. Luckily Starbucks have kept the international christmas spirit going with there' red cups....but still no mince pies!
5. Christmas films have been playing daily since Thanksgiving.
6. I've seen very few crackers for sale.
7. No Pantomime.
8. Where's the Christmas cake?!
9. Where's the Mulled wine?!
10. To be honest...where's Jesus?! Hoping to catch him during a Carol Concert we are going to, on Sunday, at the biggest cathedral ever it seems, we are seat Lower Nave 523 and 524.

We shall also be going shopping in the more upmarket food shops trying to find Christmassy food, attempting once more to bake some mince pies, (with no weighing scales or an oven door that doesn't close because the cake tin is too big, here I am an awful cook, in the UK I should be called Betty Crocker!), catching the New York City's Nutcracker, packing for our vacation in Midtown, wrapping final presents, performing this weekend in a Moveathon to raise money in Washington Square park, see Sherlock Holmes, say goodbye to people leaving NYC as their programs are finished... oh and doing another 12 class card at BDC...all in a week before our parents arrive!