11 Pipers Piping

After babysitting for the Oldhams (the American family that just moved :( ) Nathan and I decided we would go to lunch with my babysitting money, since we haven't been out to eat in ages. We went to this New York themed restaurant (it was called two New York names like "Frankie and Johnny's" or something like that) and I had an AMAZING cheeseburger and Nathan had cod and chips. The burger still wasn't your typical American burger, but it was really good. Nathan enjoyed his fish and chips as well, but I think he was most impressed that they had good ketchup :) Thanks Oldhams!

It's been feeling a bit more wintery here the past couple of weeks. When I went out one day, I found everything frosted over! So that's not snow, it's really thick frost. Just the night before we'd been walking around at night and it was foggy, but the fog was frozen! It's hard to explain, but the air was sparkly! It almost looked like a really fine snow, but it wasn't falling, it was just twinkly bits floating in the air. Really magical :) Anyways, it's not quite as cold now, but apparently it's supposed to snow a lot this week, which should be pretty. I don't have as much of a resentment for snow as I did in Provo. It's more like it was growing up in Maryland, when snow was a rarer thing and everything shuts down and kids love it.

So I thought I'd share some new British terms with you! Working at a clothing store, I've become familiar with all the words people use referring to clothing and other store-related things.

sweater = jumper

pants = trousers

underwear = pants/underpants/underwear

registers = tills

rack (where you hang clothes) = rail

So if you really want to sound British in a clothing shop here's what you say:

"Hiya! You all right? (But run it together so it sounds like "y'awrigh'?") I loved that jumper, but they didn't have the right size on the rail. The only ones they had were proper big, so I went to the tills to see if they had an 8. They didn't and I was completely gutted. I guess I'll try Primark. Cheers luv!"

Haha doesn't get more British than that. Unless you throw in something about X Factor. You should check out the guy that won, Matt Cardle. He's amazing! I actually wanted him to win and he did, and that never happens! So apparently X Factor is coming to the states and Simon's going to be a judge (like he is here), but they're also bringing the judge Cheryl Cole to America. Now, you may ask "Cheryl who?" That's exactly what I said when I got here and people laughed at me. She's on every single magazine cover, so I felt the need to ask. Now that I've been here a while I can't believe how someone can be so huge here and I'd never heard of her. She's a singer in the girl group Girls Aloud (I know, "who?" again. They're like the Pussycat Dolls) and a judge on X Factor. Anyway, it's a really big deal here that she's going to America. Everybody is making such a fuss about whether or not she'll be as big in the states as she is here or if she'll come back with her tail between her legs. Simon's telling her to change her image so Americans will like her and people are saying she needs to fix her heavy Liverpuddlian accent. I think she's adorable and that people will love her and I LOVE her accent (and hey, we loved the Beatles, didn't we?). Anyway, keep an eye out for that.

Oh and I got my Christmas present box from home!! I may or may not have shed a tear or two. I miss my fambly. But we have our stockings hung with care on our wall, so it really feels like Christmas here. I was able to spread some Christmas cheer with a co-worker. I had Christmas Eve off, and she wanted to switch so she could meet her boyfriend's family for the first time. Of course I agreed to take her shift (I mean, we obviously don't have plans), and she was super grateful. It made me happy to help out :) So, let me know when your package arrives at the Brady house!