A tip to those who want to stay in London flats. Pass yourself off as a road tripper because there are huge discounts for such persons especially if they see you carrying bulky backpacks instead of luggages and especially if you’re traveling in groups of four to say the least. Another tip is to always steer clear from the center of the city so that you will save on the rent expenses. Anyway, hailing a cab is not that expensive so even if you’re staying outside metropolitan London, you can still catch the Linkin Park concert at Hyde Park on that evening.
London is really the scene to be in nowadays especially this Christmas season. Take a look at the London Eye and you will see why. The London Eye is decorated with Christmas lights throughout the holiday season. Besides, Londoners really get down and dirty and will spend everything they can in this Island of Great Britain just to party. For example, a total of 120 million pounds was spent just for partying December 13 to 14. And remember that these parties are booked in advance. They even pay celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears to come party with them. Only on earth will you find this scheme – paying celebrities just to party.
Even members of the royal family attend these lavish parties. Prince William joined stepmom Camilla Parker-Bowles in dining out at one of the posth restaurants in London on December 14. Hmm…I wonder if he was even thinking of his own mother Diana at the moment he was with his stepmother. In fact, partying is the only thing happening around the blocks this Christmas season that the city government of London has even organized a booze bus to patrol the street corners every night even on weekends. Staff in the booze bus will help drunkards get to their feet and guide them home. If you are too drunk to reply something coherent to the booze bus staff, all they need to do is check your wallet for some address identification. But this is not surprising though as the holiday season also serves as a yearender. Surely, things will start getting sober by early 2008. But as of the moment, sit back and enjoy the various parties here in London.
Remember that the holiday season is not just for the Christians. The Jews are also celebrating Hanukkah or the festival of the lights at this period. It is actually a commemoration of the victory of the Maccabees from the reign of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Another celebration will be the Eid-Ul-Adha of the Muslims. The Eid-Ul-Adha is the commemoration/celebration of prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. For this year, it will fall on December 20. Although Muslims in London do not drink anything that is associated with liquor, they will still party by feasting on shawarma and other halal food.
IT’S nice to stay in London this winter because everything is lit – from the London Eye to the Westminster Bridge and even the Buckingham Palace. And while Christmas is already in full swing with the coming of Boxer’s Day on December 26, there were already hundreds of events in London that had been unfolding. Take for instance the Chanel catwalk fashion show in London just recently. It was the very first ever Chanel fashion show in London and it was marred with certain roads leading to the event site closed but Londoners have nothing to worry about as this was the most relevant and awaited show in London all year long. Imagine, this was the very first Chanel show in London.
There were lots of celebrities in the front row such as Mission Impossible 2 babe Thandie Newton, female rocker Lilly Allen and the daughter of Monaco’s Princess Caroline, Charlotte Casiraghi. Audiences such as these normally convene in such places as Milan and Paris but London was transformed instantly into a fashion and social haven overnight. All the clothes posed had a British theme. Never mind the fear of the Londoners that thunderstorms would visit the area during the Christmas season, everybody outsmarted their fears and went to the fashion show. At least those who were invited I mean.
But for the unsung Londoners who were never invited, they are still proud though that their beloved city was chosen as the site for this year’s Chanel fashion show. Some of the apparel that were sported included those bordering on the minimal such as knee-length simple blouses and skirts as well as those daring ones like thick black tights. Other than that, there were also tweed jackets as well as simple pea coats patterned after what London high school girls are wearing. In other words, everything was down-to-earth and Chanel wanted their spring collection in London to look more casual and for the masses. It was actually tailor-made for the 30-40 demographic and a radical disembarkation from the usual hard-to-reach allure that Chanel has been known for throughout the world. Well, maybe that would be the theme for 2008 – minimalism.
In other updates about London, comedian Jerry Seinfeld who has been known on the tube at least in the United States for two decades during the 1990s and earlier this one is planning to have London as his next base. Wow, this is indeed a great development for fans of his show who are from England. Even though Jerry Seinfeld is American, he surely has lots of fans in the Isle of Man, in the Island of Great Britain and throughout Cardiff and the whole of Wales as well as Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland going north to Dublin and everywhere else in between. What Jerry Seinfeld is planning is actually to conduct a one-man comedy.
That is the spirit prevailing in London nowadays – the spirit of resilience. As Christmas for Christians come and Ed ul-Adha for Muslims is near, Londoners are getting more prepared every day to welcome the first day of 2008.
IF you are planning to spend the two-week winter holidays in London, then plan right now. Do not wait for the Christmas rush as you will surely be in jeopardy by that time. When you plan to come here, you must now go to your computer and browse through Travelocity or Expedia. Try to check of the most feasible discounts for you, your spouse and your children. If you plan to spend the holidays there yet don’t want your romance to be interrupted by your kids but if you don’t have any nanny here in the United States, then all you need to do is check in at a two-star or a three-star hotel. Prices vary but if you are planning to go to London, then you must surely have some bucks to spend, right?
Anyway, you don’t have anything to worry about because first and foremost, hotels in London have nurseries and child care centers to billet your child while you’re undergoing your second honeymoon either at the hotel room or anywhere in the city. The most spectacular sight here is the River Thames just directly under the London Eye. Every holiday or so, the London Eye is lighted up at night with Christmas themes. Other spectacular architectures here at night include all the bridges from Westminster to London Bridge. London Bridge was even the site of the video of pop star Fergie’s song. Anyway, there are still other spectacular sights here during winter such as the Westminster Palace, No. 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace.
No. 10 Downing Street is not that easily accessible though as that particular street is secluded from public view. Now let’s flash forward to New Year. New Year in London is also spectacular as the fireworks here tend to reflect River Thames below. Other sights worth visiting here during this time of the year are the uniquely-shaped City Hall and many others. If you have your time, then you may spend the day learning how to drive. There are also student driving agencies here which operate during the Christmas season. It’s surely a lucrative business out here as many people are curious by the road policy in Britain and the rest of the United Kingdom – they drive at the right side.
But let’s stop thinking about Christmas for a moment. Let’s take a closer look at the next holiday happening here in London – Halloween. Unlike places in the United States where they do the trick or treat thing or in places like the Philippines where they do visits to tombs where their loved ones are buried, Halloween here in London is mostly celebrated by younger people and spent in clubs and bars and other joints for the rest of the night till the wee hours of dawn. Partying is inevitable and there are lots of dancing everywhere – dancing to the tune of the latest house and techno music which a lot here in London abound. Think of Paul Oakenfold. Think of Moby. Think of the many disc jockeys of these clubs. Come on, the list is endless. So it’s really not spooky to celebrate Halloween here in London.
