Having kittens

It's been a long, long time since I lived with any animals (apart from a few flat mates during my student days who could probably fit under that description.)

And the last one (animal, not housemate) I "owned" - in as much as any human can own an animal - was a dog, back in 1981 or so. I have never owned a cat.

So I did a lot of soul-searching before deciding on getting a pet while living in London. I did think about it a few years ago but in the back of my mind was the plan to go back to Oz "in a year or two" and get one then.

Though that's still the plan - the "year or two" now being "in a few years" - I figured why wait... and wait .... and wait .....

Besides which, my partner was really keen to have some intelligent conversations for a change.

So, meet our two little Battersea Dogs Home girls - Gizmo and Pippa.

Similar christmas days

And so I spend my 13th christmas day in London. Every year I have the same classic English christmas and I love it. Lots of wonderful, traditional christmas food: turkey, veg and christmas pudding. Followed by watching films I have already seen but that seem strangely more enjoyable when watched on christmas day with a bunch of people I often don't see for the rest of the year.

And, of course, phoning my friends and family in Australia.

This morning I chatted with my sister-in-law in Queensland. What had they done on christmas day? Had turkey, veg and christmas pudding and spent the afternoon watching films.

Classic - maybe its not uniquely English after all. The only difference was around 30 degrees in temperature.

Tips about London

who better to provide tips about London than people who have "been here". Lots of tips on free things to do and see.

From the Guardian's web site

BBC NEWS | England | London | Routemaster makes final journey

There was nothing quite the same as travelling on the top deck of the number 12 routemaster to Peckham.

The experience was even more surreal late on Saturday nights. I remember one such evening, getting the bus home at around 11pm from the west end. As usual, the top deck - in fact, the whole bus - was packed.

Now on the routemasters, the golden rule was that only the conductor could ring the bell to tell the driver to stop the bus. Us mere passengers were only to tug on the cable.

Some drunken revellers decided it was easier to simply ring the bell for the conductor when she was downstairs. So you can imagine the scene when the conductor came upstairs - shouting to all passengers within earshot: "if one more #@*£ing person rings that #@*£ing bell, you can all #@*£ing walk".

She then went back downstairs, leaving 40 or so passengers cowering in their seats.

Only on a routemaster, and only in south London.

Christmas in London

Visit London - Christmas site

As an Aussie, I have fond memories of baking hot christmas days - swimming in our family pool, riding my bike in the sunshine and playing football with my brother and mates.

Sadly, I also have memories of "traditional" christmas dinners - hot roast ham, chicken, vegetables, gravy and my mother's home made christmas pudding - though we were at least spared from having to get dressed up like turkeys to eat it.

We also used to send and receive christmas cards with winter scenes on them - really bizarre in temperatures of 35 degrees celsius to receive a card with a snowman on it from your neighbour.

Why did my mother do it? I think she felt that it just wouldn't be a proper christmas if she didn't. By proper, she meant English - even though she had never been here. So despite the heat and humidity, a traditional English christmas it was - every bloody year.

So I love christmas in London. It brings back memories of what my mother used to try and give us every year - except this time around, it IS the "proper" christmas.