Changing seasons

[shewhomust]

This week the first "To let to students" signs have appeared in the street. These used to be a herald of summer, like the first cuckoo. The university briefly enforced a ban on advertising before the Easter break. But times are hard and landlords are desperate; last year this part of the city was bristling with notice boards by very early spring, and this year it's earlier yet. These earliest blooms, like crocuses, are a rich shade of purple ('palatinate purple', a subtle suggestion of alignment with the University...) Ah, don't mind me, I'm just grouchy: I hate this insistence that only students need apply, it leaves me feeling that I, as a permanent resident, am the interloper, the cuckoo in the nest.

The autumn leaves have peaked. There are still plenty of bright golds and russets, but there are more and more bare branches, too. A week or so ago I noticed a couple of trees just down the hill, one all in lemon-yellow and the other all vivid scarlet framed against it. By the time I reached them with a camera, they had lost just enough leaves that the impact was gone - and today they were bare branches.

There were baked goods at the Graphic Novels group last night. This is not unprecedented, but last night's offering was both seasonal and comics-related: to celebrate the publication of Hector Plasm: Totentanz (and All Souls' Day, only a little late) our very own Steven Finch, who lettered and designed the comic, baked us pan de mûk;erto, following the recipe in the comic. How cool is that? Also, the pan de mûk;erto was very good. But since we've eaten it all, here's Hector versus the Danse Macabre.

And the Christmas decorations are up in Newcastle, great swags of white which I suppose represent snow. I'm told that Fenwicks' Christmas window has been installed, too, but I try to avoid that...

Comments

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

I hate this insistence that only students need apply, it leaves me feeling that I, as a permanent resident, am the interloper, the cuckoo in the nest.

Yup. That's exactly how it felt to J and me as well. And when we wanted to rent a flat that was to be let to students, they wouldn't let us. Apparently there's legalities involved. YARGH.

I'm amused that the Fenwicks' Christmas window is up. It feels like only yesterday that I was looking at the last one...

[athenais.livejournal.com]

I deeply resent the Christmas stuff being up in so many stores. Even in the neighborhood, one house has their big Christmas decorations up. It's crazy! No one needs two-plus months of Christmas. I want to celebrate November before we get into the retail madness of the holidays.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Hmm - I'msure there's legalities involved, as in: tenants have legal rights, and we'd rather not take on someone who might invoke them...

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

No one needs two-plus months of Christmas.

That's one sixth of the year! It's Narnia in reverse, always Christmas and never winter.

Also, then by the time it really is Christmas, the early starters have had enough, and want to take their decorations down on Boxing Day; and I'm up for partying for 12 days...

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

Ironically, there used to be this calendrical (?) barrier in the US called Thanksgiving. It happens at the end of November. And for years and years, Christmas stuff didn't start going up or being advertised until Black Friday, which was the day after T-day and the Official Start of the Retail Holiday Season. It was called Black Friday because often the retailers would do so well that day that they would be in the black for the year.

But lo, commercialism got the better of the American Consumer (and retailers) and now Christmas stuff starts right after Hallowe'en. It's a very very sad thing. Especially because many Americans aren't Christian and don't care about Christmas. But they have to look at Santa and Tinsel for an extra month.

GRR

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

I am constantly perplexed with how Americans seem to cope with both Thanksgiving and Christmas: you get together with all your family for a huge meal with lots of traditional dishes, including turkey - and then a month later, you do it again? Amazing!

We are, at least notionally, a Christian country (i.e. we have an established church) and we tend to be baffled when Americans talk about 'holidays' in December! But it's true, the deal seems to be that you can be as Christmassy as you like, so long as you call it 'holidays'.