Nov
22
This weekend marks the 1-month marker to when our days will start getting longer again. 
I know that the worst is yet come and that it will still be a long cold winter, but when you put in perspective and look for the silver lining, it really doesn’t seem so bad. The Salt Grit buckets have been placed alongside some of the roads in preparation for when the ice appears on the road surfaces. There are very few leaves left on the trees now, thanks to days and days of gale-force winds, but that is perfect because all over the place the local councils have wrapped the trees in fairy-lights, so as you walk along the paved streets past cosy little coffee shops you pass all these leaf-bare trees that are wrapped in hundreds of little lights. The outdoor skate parks have started to be erected in and around London, Ferris-wheels are being erected, Christmas markets are being advertised and Christmas lights twinkle from every street lamp and shop window.
On Tuesday evening we went to watch the Springboks play rugby against Saracens at Wembley stadium. It was undoubtedly one of the most incredible experiences, not only for the fact that we were watching our own home team, but to be at Wembley Stadium was just an amazing moment. The stadium quite simply is as fantastic as you imagine. It has a seating capacity of 90 000 which makes it the second largest stadium in Europe. We were part of a crowd of more than 46 000 people. The flags, the painted faces, the atmosphere, the singing, the Mexican wave, the pre-match entertainment, and the camaraderie amongst the fans from both teams were just incredible (even the stadium food was something I’d rate pretty well). We were part of a group of 16 family and friends, cousins with vuvuzelas, waving flags, screaming for our guys in the green and gold. We travelled to Wembley by train. (Yes Steve, brace yourself! Here it comes). We left Tonbridge station and travelled to Charing Cross where we entered the underground and took the tube to Marylebone Station. We did this because we were meeting Steve, who works in London and he was going to travel with us to the stadium. We boarded the train at Marylebone station but just as the train was about to leave the station we read the scrolling electronic board in the train and realised Wembley Station was not one of its stops. With a dash to the train door we tried to get off, but the train moved and we were heading out of the station on the wrong train. 
We got off at West Ruislip station, dashed over the pedestrian bridge, and caught the next train heading back towards Wembley. In the end I think it worked out just great! We had plenty of time on our hands anyway and this little odyssey on the train gave us a chance to chat with (and laugh at) Steven 
. Arriving at the stadium was fantastic. The huge glowing arch hangs across the sky, the well organised directions to our seats, passing hundreds of other South Africans and flag sellers all over the place. Who cares what the score was? At the end of the day it was about the feeling that I had inside of me when I walked out of that stadium and joined thousands and thousands of people walking to Wembley Park station and heading home on the trains. It is truly one evening I will always remember.
On Friday Mitchell travelled to France for the first time. He went to the town of Lille. They left the school at 05:30am by coach to Ashford International Station where the whole coach, boys on board and all, was put onto the train. They arrived in Lille for a day of trying out their new French skills, shopping at the Lille Christmas market, visiting the zoo, and experiencing a day in a French city. The weather fortunately held up for them, with only a short spot of rain. Mitchell cannot believe how expensive France is. He shuddered that he had paid €4.50 for a hot chocolate. (At the current exchange rate that is R50.85). 
He did seem to enjoy the fact that he had walked into a hotel restaurant, ordered, consumed, and paid for his entire meal on his own. I guess I had never realised that something so simple has always been done for him, by an adult. They visited the Lille zoo and Mitchell came home with some photos on his camera that he took at the zoo. What did he photograph? A rhino, a zebra, some buck… I guess the African spirit just runs deep. Trips like this are just one of the reasons why we made this journey to the UK. School children, that are a part of a school group, are not required to get a visa for day trips like this. So Mitchell gets to experience these outings to the continent, without us having to go through the pains of organising a Schengen Visa.
On Saturday Mike spent the day in London at his cousin, Ian’s bachelor party. They spent the day playing paint-ball and watching rugby. Mike left at 07:00am to get the train to London and returned at about 21:00pm in the evening, so I am guessing that it was one awesome day of meeting new friends and spending some time with Ian. Ian is one of the most down-to-earth guys I think I will ever have the privilege of knowing. He is an artist and a free-spirited, fantastic guy. Somewhere out there, there is one very lucky South African girl. Ian and Margo, here’s to you guys! We wish you all the best!
Christmas creeps ever nearer and the shops over here are absolutely beautiful. In South Africa we would never have anything to do with snow in our Christmas decorations, because it just was never a part of a South African Christmas, We never had a Christmas tree with white anywhere on it or anything like that, but now it’s all different and we can open up Christmas this year to a whole lot of new decorations and ideas. 
Today we drove to the Brooks Garden Centre near Paddock Wood; about 10 minutes drive from us. What a beautiful sight! There was a huge room with the most beautiful things to buy for Christmas, the biggest Christmas stockings you have ever seen and lights of every colour and shape. I can’t wait for the decorations to go up this year.
There are a few exciting weeks ahead of us. Jon arrives in the UK pretty soon to spend Christmas with us, my birthday is approaching, and I am hoping to take my first sky-dive in celebration. Mitchell and Jenna are looking forward to all the Christmas markets and Jenna’s letter is on its way to Santa. The weather cools, the rains fall, the weeks pass by like a speeding train. Every week is still filled with new friends and new experiences.
