Happy New Year

How was the holiday for you?

As usual, I went up to Scotland for Christmas, but decided to see the new year in back in England for the first time in my life that I can remember. This was for several reasons including wanting to spend it with Lisa and friends, doing something different, and the lack of my cousin Marsha on her 'round the world trip.

The holiday started in Glasgow on 23rd Dec 2003 where Peita, Andrew, Mhairi and Derek headed out to the quirky TriBeCa for a Christmas meal (thank to Peita's booking via 5pm.co.uk). I ordered the steak without fully reading the menu, and was therefore understandably surprised to discover that it was served in a chocolate sauce. It was very real, I kid you not. The oddities continued with a single, unisex toilet with saloon-style swingdoors into a urinal intalled in what looked like a small, tiled shower room, and a large classic motorbike randomly placed in the middle of the tiny restaurant.

And so, after watching drunk people dance about outside the window waving to us, we decided we needed to move on and get pished. The idea was to visit several pubs and bars to give ourselves a bit of variety, but really we just ended in a continual argument about whether each venue was indeed a bar or a pub. My saving grace was seeing a sign on the way out of one subterranean location categorically identifying it as a bar when I had been outvoted by a strong majority inside insisting that it was indeed a pub.

After stopping off in several different but all over-crowded bars, we ended up in the newly refurbished Loft which was a refreshing change: very spacious, not too crowded, and very nicely decked out. There were two huge stills from the Hitchcock films North by Northwest and Rear Window lit by what looked like old-fashioned studio lights.

At some point there we seemed to make a unanimous decision to return to Peita and Andrew's flat for more drinks and a game of Cranium. It was my first time playing, and for those who've never heard of the game it's sort of a mixture of pictionary, charades, Trivial Pursuit and playing Speak & Spell. Sort of.

Well the drinks flowed and the game went on for some time. When it was over, Andrew thought it would be a good idea to teach me how to improve my hopeless skills at SSX3. Despite my inebriation I think the training worked to some degree although the late night made it painful to get up the next day and finish of the last bit of present shopping left for me to do.

Christmas day itself went well as usual, with some interesting presents: a towel that Duke Nukem could learn something from; a t-shirt from threadless; a GBASP; a useful handbook; and Posable Magnetic Art.

It was great to see family and friends that I usually only see once or twice a year, and to make some new friends too.

I returned to Guildford in time for New Year's Eve celebrations, predicably involving food, drinks and over-excited girls with glitter spray.

All in all a good night. I wonder what I'll be doing next time 'round...

Have a good 2004.

Jim x