The house is super pretty especially this thing called conservatory which is basically a part of the house with a glass roof that acts as Lis' smoking room as well. There's also a door to go into the backyard which has this wooden bench in it; also, it's their dog, Molly's toilet hahahah
Next morning after breakfast (and the first time we saw Rodrigo, another exchange student cum Lindingo Fjallis resident from Mexico who arrived 3 days before us) was shopping time! But first, a willow tree:
Stratford's Westfield shopping mall, which is the largest shopping mall in Europe! Before we started shopping we went over to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which was kinda nice but just another "leftover" building from the Olympics. Though I said I don't wanna shop, I ended up spending £50 in Primark buying 9 pieces of clothes!!! I must say they're really impressive consider the designs, the material, and the PRICE. Haha, totally understood people's obsession with it (though Huihan said the girls section is actually pretty expensive). Met up with the rest for lunch and had pork ribs and chicken wings!
Went back to shopping after lunch and it's M&S this time round to buy Xmas exchange gift (which we'll later find out to be not really an exchange per se like how we do it in Singapore). When you shop, time stop. Once you stop... You don't! Nah just kidding... looked out of the shopping mall, suddenly realize it's nightfall (well not too bad consider the sun sets pretty early anyway); went back to the Chapelhow's and we watched Nightmare before Christmas by Tim Burton ("what's this, what's this?!") cos it was pretty apt. Dinner was Mexican Chillies (you know the chilli cheese fries thingy? This is where the "chilli" came from... Only realize this like few days later lol) and then we just chilled around singing pop songs while demanding Huihan to play them on the piano. Went back to room for "fashion show" after a whole day of shopping before I get an awesome message session by Jiahan HAHAH
Christmas Eve! Got up early for Xmas set ups and it's my first time setting up a real Xmas tree (though I've done the fake one several time at sis's place)!
After Xmas tree set up and putting up deco around the house, Lis wanted to bring Molly out for a walk so asked if we're interested; when we were all prepared and ready to go, Molly just lay on the floor and refused to leave! We finally gave up after few rounds of persuasion/coercion and Lis decided that she'll take us on a tour around Ingatestone anyway.
Went back after the car tour and we saw Lauren already ready for the cooking/baking!
Then it was dinner: Ratatouille!
Chilled awhile after dinner watching shows and nuaing but 9pm has something significant and interesting waiting for us: a catholic Christmas mass! It's also my first time in a mass, where we went to a small church with a very entertaining priest and it was a really interesting experience; a pretty nice way to start the Christmas (and probably the most authentic way as well: small English town, catholic masses; what else is more Christmassy?)
Went back to the house after half an hour of caroling to the Hymn and an hour of mass; we presented our gifts (Glögg and cinnamon biscuit) to Lis and she decided that we should have it together! So we drank and talked and nua-ed and waited for Rodrigo to go up and Skype his family at the stroke of midnight (cos his birthday falls on Xmas day too!) before we proceeded to "secretly" make his birthday cake! Day ended pretty late and we finally rested in the wee hours for the big day...
IT'S CHRISTMAS!!! Woke up early to catch Lis preparing the turkey, which looks something like this:
Of course we had other food as well (and wine and other alcohol and snacks). At around 3plus, all 14 of us (aunt, uncle, Lis' ex-husband, cousins and partners) including the 4 dogs arrived, got seated and dinner is served! BEST XMAS DINNER EVER! (Kinda like a lunch though). There were Xmas poppers that we were supposed to pop crossed-hand, take out the party paper crown and wear it (part of the tradition), and after everyone's settled half their stomach, the charades and song-humming games from the poppers were played. After everyone's loaded their stomach to more than what we can usually eat, it's time for the log cakes! Special addition to this tradition is the birthday celebration for Rodrigo and so we had yet another cake! And that, is the traditional British Christmas I've just described.
According to Lauren's dad, Steve: Xmas day lunch is where men fall asleep by 4:27pm (some average he heard over the radio) and everyone eventually gets too full to move at 7:27pm (he actually said it at this time). But it was time for gift "exchange"! They actually just buy gift for everyone and receive from everyone so we ended up awkwardly gave our gifts away "to the party!" cos we didn't write a particular name for the gift to be given to.
I've been a good boy this year!
The few young at heart (and physically younger as well) ones continued to play Card Against Humanity, which Lauren got as a Xmas gift, and it's really as the tagline suggest:
People started to leave as the night went on and we ended up just nua-ing on the sofa for quite a while before we decided to wash up part of the mess. Rest of the night was just cleaning up and resting... And that, is the best Xmas I've ever had!
CANTERBURY! Everyone slept in and woke up late the next day but we manage to get our asses up before mid-day, had our turkey-fix for breakfast and leave for where Lauren is studying. 1 hour ride there was really worth it as this old town is really quite nice with a particular English Old World charm.
Met up with Lauren's friend, Moses, after visiting the church and we proceeded to chillout in the Chocolate Cafe, which is Lauren's favourite chillout place, and it was really nice to chill indeed!
Visited the castle after the cafe (as usual, 3Cs: Cathedral, Cafe, Castle).
As the sun sets, it's almost time for us to head back cos Rodrigo has a morning flight the next day. On our way back, I realize the radio station was pretty nice; they tell you before they announce a live sports result in case you don't want the spoiler and you can mute it for the part. Coolios.
Reached back the Ingatestone and had our last dinner together; just some leftover turkey and stuff but it was still a good meal cos of the company. Dinner ended with Rodrigo and half-sick Lauren retiring back into their room but Jiahan, Huihan and I continued to have some intense HTHT session for another few more hours into the wee hour. I drank one whole bottle of red wine and another 750ml of cider almost entirely alone in the process and ended up getting pretty floaty. It was a nice feeling consider that was how I felt on my first trip with the Stockholm people to Helsinki and now on my very last trip I get to get this tipsy and carefree feeling once again (if it makes sense?) hahaha.
Woke up pretty late the next morning but we had time to spare. Bade Lis, Lauren, and Molly goodbye after packing up and our breakfast. Left heavy-heartedly and that ends my wonderful and eye-opening homestay here in England. This is, by far, the best trip ever......
