Londoners

Are starting to feel a lot less crazy and a lot more familiar. I don't want to attack people I see in leggings. I understand about 95% of the things they say. And sometimes they really pull out the stops and make me really happy, like when they have the Princess of Norway light up a HUGE Christmas tree in the middle of Trafalgar Square.
And then Michelle and I walk through Leicester Square and there is this CARNIVAL in the middle of it for no apparent reason.
People looked unsettled as I passed them; it might have been because I was grinning like I was off my trolley. This is the prettiest, most exuberant city I have ever been in at Christmastime; my personal theory on this is that London has about six Jewish people so they just steamroller over their preferences and go Christmas Crazy for the personal amusement of Prince Charles. There are ice skating rinks EVERYWHERE, and so many lights and chestnut vendors and ornaments shaped like Beefeaters that I have to physically restrain myself from buying.

In September, I never thought I'd say this, but I'll be sorry to go. I have really become fond of this place and I know I will love it even more once I am through making posters about global warming. I'm citing today's psychotic weather as evidence, in any case.