Part 2 of 2 - Christmas in London versus Christmas in Singapore - December 2008

Christmas Day as we all know is an annual holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. In a city like London where you could throw a 50 cents S$ coin (equivalent to the size of a 2 pence except the latter is coated in bronze color!) and hit a church with it, it is not difficult to imagine how as busy as the bees these places of worship can be during this time of the year! This phenomena is rather similar back in Singapore except that a London church will have natural bare trees as its backdrop for a Christmas setting!

After bringing my friends for sightseeing at the Borough Market, London, I happened to chance upon Southwark Catherdal, London Bridge in the midst of their special lunchtime service in view of this Christmas season. It isn't too polite to barge in while a church service has already commenced but I figure God may perhaps grant an exception now and then especially during a season of giving and forgiving!

A Christmas carol by the magnificent church choir, a brief sermon and blessing by the Priest was all we experienced by the time we gatecrashed into this Christmas service. Despite this brief moment, I almost felt like I was transported to heaven!

I have been to many churches and cathedrals but the interior of this one really took my breath away. Perhaps it was that huge Christmas tree dancing with lights standing strong and tall with the combination of the angelic voices of the choir that cause a warm, happy and comforting sensation running through my entire body? Most probably further enhanced by the warm and familiar feeling of having my friends sitting beside me! Or could it be the sermon the priest has just delivered (in that extremely nice Englishman style with that perfect and clear pronunciation - very nice indeed!). Or was it the very elaborated and beautiful high ceiling of the church that cause me standing in awe while I sang the Christmas carol? Very strangely, I did not notice any stain glass windows in this church - the very artistic item that usually cause me to 'Wow!' but yet I had to suppress my 'WOW!' until after the service has ended. All in all, we concluded - the gatecrashing is definitely worthy!

The exterior and its architecture is as beautiful as its interior.

Southwark Catherdal, an Anglican parish church

The Holy Family

As the Londoners relax at the church courtyard chatting, having their lunch or admiring the Christmas tree (peeping from the extreme left corner on bottom photo), we continue our sightseeing to some of London's most popular historical monuments bringing along with us the spirit of Christmas!

Busting with activities at the church courtyard

Part 1 of 2 - Christmas in London versus Christmas in Singapore - December 2008

Christmas is a heavily celebrated festive in London and in most parts of Europe regardless of whether you are a Christian or not. Perhaps that's why London has 2 public holidays during this season namely Christmas and Boxing Day versus one public holiday in Singapore.

I wasn't in London on 25 December 2008 but I could already experience the festive pre-Christmas mood of the Londoners . Even with the phenomenon of the gloomy economic turmoil lingering in the air of the city of London, the bright and cheery Christmas decorations and lightings with Santa making his appearances at almost every corner along Oxford and Bond Streets would have immediately extinguished any negative traces of the recession that's left lingering! As I strolled along the streets of London watching the Londoners flooding into the department stores doing their Christmas shopping, I just could not take my eyes off the very delightful Christmas decorations. Here's a few very unprofessional shots of Santa which I manage to capture in the midst of my window shopping:

Santa is stocking up his fridge!

Santa enjoying his English teatime..

Santa is spoiled with a variety of drink choices..

Ops! Santa must have too much booze during this festive season. Well.. I guess it's OK to be hanging upside down or suffer an extreme hangover but do always remember 'If you drink, don't drive!'

Santa's making his routine delivery to deliver the gifts (in his scooter??) Hmm..What happened to his reindeers?

Christmas is also the time for bakeries and cafes in London to show off their artistic and baking skills! Most bakeries will be displaying their gingerbread man house, Christmas log cakes, cookies or biscuits in various shapes - each shape (snowman, Xmas tree, star etc) symbolizing Christmas and so on which simply look too attractive to be consumed!

I am trying very hard not to overindulge my fondness for the freshly baked and beautifully designed pastries, cakes and the never ending varieties of desserts on top of my already excessive dosage of chocolates and hot coca.

Just one of the many bakeries in London during Christmas season

Having witness the Londoners and their Christmas shopping sprees, I moved onto Leicester Square and was captivated by a very delightful mini Christmas carnival put up with game stores, merry-go-round, Christmas trees and lightings.

Leicester Square - trees with bare branches and a Christmas tree as the backdrop, a typical sight in London during the winter season

Lots and lots of delightful game stores.

And a child's favourite ...

The colorful Christmas lightings, Christmas songs and Christmas decorations simply bought live and joy to the City of London. For the first time, I aren't bothered by the early sunset (which can be as early as 4pm!) with the thousands of Christmas lightings illuminating the streets of London.

And finally let us not forget the very famous and traditional Christmas Tree at Trafalgar Square, London. The tradition started since 1947 when a Christmas tree is given to the people of London from the people of Norway in gratitude for Britain's support for Norway during World War II. In this present days, this traditional spot indicates the countdown to Christmas for many Londoners. The lighting of the Christmas tree and carol singing are organized annually here.

Norwegian Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square

What I also love about Christmas in London is to be surrounded by many natural Christmas trees instead of artificial ones back in Singapore. Do pardon me for not being too environmentally friendly because these trees are just so delightful. In it's natural state, these trees create a very relaxing scent of leafy freshness which I am quite addicted to. Looking at these trees remind me of the huge Christmas tree housed at Ngee Ann City, Singapore.


I also caught lots and lots of poinsettia! I finally learn about the name of this Christmas flower. As a child, I've always love to draw this bright and red flower on Christmas card but am clueless to the name of this flower until now.

Christmas flowers, trees, mistletoe etc for sale!

Borough Market, London is definitely a place not to be missed whether it's during the Christmas season or not. However, do note that the market is usually opened only on Thursday to Saturday.

Shops are typically closed on Christmas day in London and this holiday is typically unofficially reserved for your family. The big Christmas dinner with your family where the Londoners get together to feast, drink and party! This practice is rather similar to our Lunar New Year reunion dinner in Singapore except that we don't feast on stuffed turkeys during LNY!

Christmas turkeys at Borough Market, London

I can still see many book and card stores in London selling Christmas cards. Sending traditional Christmas cards by Londoners appear to be still quite an in thing while I know many of us have long ago migrated to cyber space. For this Christmas, I am swamped by 6 times the number of e-cards as compared to the traditional Christmas cards! By the way, maybe it's safer to stick to the e-card because the Royal Mail went on strike just this December!

And finally, in a slightly smaller scale (definitely not as grand as the glamorous Christmas lightings and deco along the shopping area of London), here is a school in London giving its students a treat by inviting Santa right to its school compound. The students were so excited to catch a glimpse of the white hair man in the ever familiar red costume that I could hear their screaming and shouting a few streets away!

Santa on top of the bus waving to the excited children

MERRY CHRISTMAS and may you have a BLESSED one!!!

Funny tips to reading the London Tube map

Most of us (err..Especially WOMEN and perhaps a handful of the super sensitive MEN who are attempting to understand a bit more of their other halves) would most probably have read the book by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease "Why Men Don"t Listen and Women Can't Read Maps'. Applying this statement in the general sense, I would have been nodding my head with agreement until such time when I am given the task to getting around in London by Tube and Docklands Light Rail. I regain my faith that -'Men do listen' and bringing glory to the "M" gender are the male staff of the London Tube station while I can also proudly conclude that Women do know how to read the London Tube Maps'! If yours truly here, the well known map reading idiot; can put in a little effort to figure this out, why can't you?

Having gotten so used to the relatively simple train network transportation system in Singapore as compared to that Tube transportation system in London, I bet most of my Singaporean friends have never in their lives access the SMRT website to download the train network map. Even when you have never been to one of your chosen destination along the SMRT track, you are quite confident to figuring that out by simply referring to the signboard or at the map provided at the station itself.

My natural talent obviously doesn't including reading maps - including the London Tube Map! If you fall into the same category as me, fear not because help is on your way!

Tip # 1

Do check out the tube map at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1108.aspx and be mentally prepared for that first reaction! (At least this is how I felt!)

Oh my God! That tube map actually has 14 lines with so many color tones that even the colors of the rainbow cannot handle? This is simply incredulous! How am I going to figure all that out?

Before you start turning that piece of map into a snake and ladder game or another version of the game "Monopoly" (Btw, I almost threw a dice and started walking my piece across that map!), take a deep breath and turn to the second page of the tube map. Yup yup! Ignore that colorful maize in front of you first! Otherwise, it may make your head quite dizzy as some familiar names of the Monopoly game starts to pop up in your brain and further cloud your thinking process.

Be good and turn to Page 2 of the map now. A "Index to stations" in alphabetical order will appear in front of you. Find out the name of the tube station of your chosen destination and locate it on the index. Each tube station name is represented by a map grid (for your easy reference) and a zone number (which tells you roughly how near or far is the location from Central London). The standard tube map covers the 6 zones of London namely, zone 1 to 6. The smaller the number gets, the more centralized is the location. E.g.: Most offices, banks and financial institutions are situated in zone 1.

Once you have identified the grid to the start and end destination on the index. Locate them on the tube map and identify which line you should be taking by the different color codes. Refer to the key to the different tube lines.

Tip # 2

Do not try to print out the Tube Map (unless you wish to cut down more trees and are blessed with a high tech color printer at home).

Warnings! Please do not ignore!

• Black and white printout of the tube map - All the tube lines might turn out all looking like the Northern Line or Jubilee Line which are represented by black and grey respectively!
• A4 size cumbersome 2 pages of tube map - You wouldn't want to look so unglamorous and be caught digging out that huge printout of the map and trying to refer to it.
• Intrinsically designed and handy pocket sized tube map - These are readily available in most tube stations, especially at stations like Liverpool, Paddington etc. Please look out for them and pick up one. These are absolutely free of charge and are periodically revised with new updates or changes.

Tip # 3

Don't even attempt to memorize all the names of the tube stations! The least you should do is to familiarize with the different tube line and their respective color code. E.g.: Central Line = Red, Circle Line = Yellow, Northern Line = Black, Piccadilly Line = Convent Blue (as in the CHIJ blue), Victoria Line = Sky Blue and so on… I personally find this extremely helpful when I am rushing to my destination. A quick glance at the direction signboard (color coded of course!) in the tube station does point me to the right direction!

Tip # 4

Become a fan to the "journey planner" at http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en

Put in your start and end journey and the journey planner will be able to produce different travelling options, estimated time of the journey and an extraction of maps in pdf files.

Tip # 5

Don't ever think that above tips are to it to travelling around London by Tube! More tips and warning messages to come in my subsequent blog!

And lastly, for the benefits of my foreign friends, SMRT stands for Singapore Mass Rapid Transit. Do please feel free to also checkout the SMRT at http://www.smrt.com.sg/trains/trains.asp when are trying to get around Singapore!