Festive fun

The Yuletide has come to the Expat's part of London. The Barrister and I bought a Charlie Brown Christmas tree on Saturday (short, a bit sparse and rather pathetic looking), but we adorned it with baubles and fairy lights from the 99p shop, transforming it into a magnificently festive Tannenbaum. Then to a mulled wine and mince pie party on Saturday night, complete with homemade Aberdonian shortbread from The Daily Wail Sub.

Later on, after a robust sing-a-long, there were Festive Olympics, including the 7 metre dining chair hurdles and the women's sock wrestling championship. I was previously unaware of the rich tradition of sock wrestling, the sport where competitors each don an ankle sock, and then wrestle to try to rip the socks off of one another using any means necessary. We fellas spent most of the time watching, mouths slightly agape, The Ad Guy videoing it on his phone. Women grappling on the floor in shortish skirts and dresses? Nothing says Christmas more, does it?

Yesterday a few friends, perhaps thinking I needed a bit of Americana, took me to The Big Easy on the posh King's Road. As the name suggests, the food has a Nah'lins flavour - Cajun BBQ, jambalaya, with some Mexican and burgers thrown in. It's like an American bar and grill and more so - American football on the television, Bud on tap, free popcorn served at the bar, massive artery clogging portions. It reminded me of "Irish" pubs I have been in in places like Stuttgart, Rome and Hamburg, a hyper over-imagined version of the thing place it was trying be. Still, stuffing my gob with shrimp fajitas, washed down with margarita pitchers. Nothing says Christmas more, does it?