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It's only about one month til Christmas--as if people need reminding, eh! The hustle and bustle in the shopping centres has started, and the search is on for that 'perfect gift'. But something else has started as well; the seemingly relentless pressure from charitable organizations for a bite of one's spending. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a scrooge at all. My position is that those who 'have' should share something with the 'have-nots'. I think we who live in the Western World have a lot to be thankful for and more often than not we take that for granted. But, it increasingly seems that more and more charities are springing up; but who has the income to give to all of them? I feel a bit guilty that I can't give to all of the worthy causes that I'd like to. We try to do what we can, however; we buy Fair Trade coffee where possible, we donate things we don't need any more to the charity thrift stores, and for the past few years we've purchased charity Christmas cards. If we had a bit more disposable income, we'd love to sponsor a child in a have-not nation but right now we are unable to do so. But is what we're doing enough?

I think around this time of year, people just kind of tune out to all of these charities. On Friday here in Britain was Children In Need day, which is an annual charity day sponsored by the BBC. People do daft things like sit in tubs of baked beans or custard, or have bake sales and that sort of thing to raise money for disadvantaged children in Britain. It's kind of neat because the stars also get in on the act and there are special editions of television programmes on the day (kind of like a mini-telethon). Millions of pounds are raised every year and I'm sure the money goes to some worthy recipients but I got the impression from customers at work (our store was one of the hundreds of retail outlets who were collecting for Children In Need) that people are just tired of giving. Along with Children In Need, there's Red Nose Day which is held bi-annually which provides funding for worthy causes in the UK and Africa. But there are so many other charities, like Oxfam, Save the Children, Cancer Relief, The Heart Foundation, various animal charities, environmental charities....and I don't know about you, but I feel kind of guilty when I see those heart-wrenching adverts on TV. I have to mute them on many occasions because they cause me to feel a lot of guilt that I just can't simply support all of them.

I guess people have to 'pick their battles' and donate to the causes which are closest to their hearts, but it just seems that this time of year, everyone from charities to the retailers are all encouraging people to part with their money. Granted, spending on a charity will most likely have more beneficial results than lining the coffers of corporations, but for people on a set budget, it's difficult to draw the line on where the money goes.

So President Bush is currently being wined and dined here in the UK. I find it interesting that because of the security risks, all this pomp and circumstance is pretty much wasted because no one will actually get to see him; most of his visit will be conducted out of the public eye. Which is a real pity, because Bush won't get to see the real Britain, and all that money spent on showcasing the UK will be not-well-spent. So he'll get to see the touristy type things (Buckingham Palace (aka Buck House), lots of marching people wearing funny furry hats but not the real Britain.

So what is the real Britain? In the time I've spent here, I have realized there isn't a difinitive answer to the question, just like it's difficult to answer 'So what's the *real* Canada (or America, for that matter)? But if *I* was responsible for planning the Bushes itinerary, here's what I'd include, based on real, honest experiences of British culture (and hey, it would cost the taxpayers less, too).

1) A pub lunch. OK, so technically Bush is having one of these, with his mate Tony. But I doubt it'll be authentic. For one thing, the kitchen of the chosen pub (FYI, it's in Tony Blair's home Constituency) has had to refit its kitchen to comply with White House requirements (like what? In case there's a terrorist mouse found in the back or something?!), to the tune of a million bucks. If that was my pub, I'd say 'OK, you pay for it then...and I get to keep the kitchen as a souvenir'. But I digress. Pub grub is cool. There's nothing like a nice roast, some boiled veg and a steamed pudding smothered in creamy custard (consuming the above meal with a glass of an alcoholic beverage is optional in British pubs) to take the chill of a winter day. All the while listening to the banter from the other tables, and engaging in some pleasant conversation oneself. If Bush was lucky, one of the locals would challenge him to a game of pool or darts and tell him what they really thought about the state of the world. I doubt that the Bush/Blair version would be as relaxing as this would be normally.

2) Seeing some of the fantastic countryside. Even when it's pouring rain (or especially when it's raining) the English countryside is really nice--where it hasn't been built on, that is. I like seeing the old oak trees, and patchwork of dry stone walls weaving their way across the farmland, and seeing loads of bedraggled-looking sheep.

3)Seeing the coastline A trip to Blackpool would suit the Bush's nicely. To sit on the pier eating an ice-cream, taking in the sea air and playing a few games of Bingo in an arcade and buying some Blackpool rock to take home to the Bush's daughters ('rock' is a kind of thick, stripey stick candy for those who don't know what it is)--a seaside holiday is a very traditionally English thing to do; nowadays the Brits go on cheap package holidays to Spain or Cyprus, but that's beside the point. It's a bit rainy this time of year for a walk along the beach while watching the kids play beach cricket or building sandcastles with their buckets and spades (*not* pails and shovels!) but eating some fish, chips and mushy peas should take the chill away.

4) Shopping in a market. I love the traditional markets here. Bury, where we used to live, has a really good one. It's three days a week, and it's kind of fun to buy household goods, produce, and things you didn't know you needed from the market stalls. I especially like the banter from the traders. 'Get your nice fresh bananas! Only 30p a pound, these are gorgeous and going fast! Not a bruise on these beauties! Come on, get your bananas here!' Forget going to stuffy ol' Harrods or Selfridges for a shopping trip, this is much more interesting. Bar that, going into a local grocery store is highly educational as well.

5) Sleeping in a tiny terraced house. Most Brits don't have the luxury of huge American-style houses with backyards large enough to play tackle football on them and porches and that sort of thing. I'd love to see the Bush entourage staying in a truly British dwelling, the terraced, or 'row' house. Think Coronation Street and you get the idea. It would be great for the Bush's and all the CIA people to share a house containing 3 small, cramped bedrooms and then to fight for one tiny bathroom in a morning (with a limited supply of hot water) before coming downstairs for a breakfast of Corn Flakes, toast with Flora margarine, a boiled egg in an egg cup and a cup of Nescafe. Perfect.

So before you know it, Bush and Co. will be back home in Warshington and telling everyone about the 'quaint' time they had in jolly ol' England, with narry a protester in sight to spoil the trip. But I know he woulda had a much better time (and get some better photos) if he would've followed my suggestions.
But I know he's a busy man, running a country and all, with not a whole lot of time to sightsee. So instead, I would post Dubya a copy of Bill Bryson's "Notes From A Small Island" to let him know what he missed about the REAL England.

I was going to blog about this anyway, but Desiree blogged about this (kinda) and beat me to the punch but I'll elaborate on her post.

I haven't had a chance to get my Christmas parcels off yet, I missed the surface deadline to Canada ages ago--it was Oct 31st. Well, I haven't even bought my family's parcels yet, as I haven't been enthused this year about Christmas in any form (I'm normally like I big kid when it comes to Christmas) cuz hubby's off work and I like I said before, shopping's no fun when you ain't got no mon-ay. But every year it's really hard to come up with something creative to get my family that's 'typically English' but doesn't cost a whole lot (so the Wedgwood china is out) and will stilll get there in one piece. I try to think 'light and fluffy' but it still costs an absolute fortune. And I love to send little 'goodie parcels' to everyone because I love buying other people stuff. If I could buy the whole world a pressie I would. (I can feel my hubby nod his head in agreement when he's reading this)(And no, it's *not* because of the fact that if I buy other people something, they'll feel guilty enough to buy me something in return--I'm not that crass!--I just like to show my friendship and appreciation to those around me). I also feel sorry for my parents and want to give them a good Christmas. Since my sister and I have 'fled the nest' they've spent Christmases pretty much on their own and I feel kind of guilty about that. So I try to make it up to them somehow.

I know I left it late. And what's more, when G was at our local post office yesterday, the lady at the counter (who knows me/us all too well--it's really sad how much time I spend in that place!) gently reminded G to remind me that the surface mailing date has passed and how I always leave it late. Sheesh.

So I'm in a dilemma. I have to either risk sending my stuff (I guess I'd better come up with some goods to actually send PDQ) by surface anyway and hope that my pressies get there on time (hey, there's still a month left, why shouldn't they!? Is there only one boat a month across the Atlantic or something?!) or cough up the money and do it airmail (in that case, my gifts will be a lot lighter and fluffier than in past years). But I do know that all this causes twinges of panic that I left it too late by accident and I tried to be more organized this year but circumstances prevented me from doing so. When I do eventually schlepp into the post office I know I'll be given the third degree that I left it too late blahdeblah, and I'll feel mega-guilty at my lack of forward planning.

But it's interesting that research came out yesterday that showed Brits are expecting to spend an average of £868 each on Christmas this year. On average, we will spend £345.65 each on presents, £114.72 on food and £63.85 on drink, and the rest on Christmas cards, accessories and decorations. (see the rest of the article here) I wish we could afford to spend that sort of money! Who *are* these people that could afford to spend that much, I don't know anyone like that! Oh wait a sec...maybe I *am* one of those people...I think I spend that much on postage, sending my 'light and fluffy' presents back to Canada.

We have been laughing with OddTodd (Click the link and watch the cartoon; believe me, it's a slice of unemployment reality. Warning: contains mild language). When my hubby was working, my role, in addition to working outside the home, was the care and feeding of my very own Techy. It was at times demanding and frustrating but the breakthroughs I made in understanding this weird I ( mean that in the best possible sense) creature was rewarding--especially on payday. Now, my role is new and much more challenging, in a bad way. If the upkeep of an *employed* Techy is difficult, try the upkeep of an *unemployed* Techy. Especially one with Broadband Internet and lots of time to kill. That is a dangerous combination, believe me.

But seriously, all this is opening up my eyes to the reality of the current job market. No longer is the computer industry the stable, well-paying industry it was up until the dot-com bubble burst a few years ago. The advice that well-meaning guidance counsellors gave to countless high school students was that 'if you want to make some money, computers are the way to go'. Well, it's kind of looking like it isn't really that way, at least from our perspective. I'm sure I can Google for statistics and all that sort of dry-as-toast information but that's kind of boring. Instead, I'll try to keep it to what I've vicariously observed happening in our ordinary, working-class lives. That is much more interesting than statistics.

Tony Blair et al are saying that the UK economy is vibrant, growing, and getting better. We beg to differ. I think there's a real false-economy happening. Like I said several posts ago, during my WalMart rant, I fear that the jobs that are being created are low-to-mid-level skilled jobs, like retail, clerical, and the call centres (which, I've noticed, are popping up like mushrooms after a bad rain around Warrington). They don't pay a whole lot, and they're kind of sucky jobs. The higher-skilled jobs such as Techies are out there, but we're finding out it's an employers' market so these companies who are looking for potential workers can ask for a list of skills required for a particular job which are as long as your arm, but aren't paying an appropriate wage. For example, G has pointed out to me several jobs which sound promising but require Microsoft and Cisco Certification, longterm experience managing a large department in the computer industry, experience working with Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulators (just kidding), but the wages are only something like £15 000/year. And these certifications they're asking for cost megabucks to attain in the first place, so only a lucky few candidates even have them. But to complicate matters, there have been documented cases on the news over here that companies are outsoursing tech support and skilled positions to places like India and Eastern Europe, presumably to save on wages.

So Unemployed Techies, including my husband, throughout the UK troll trough the online job boards and register with the appropriate agencies on a daily basis, looking for possible positions to apply for in order to get that lucritive Great New Job. G's been applying for around 10 jobs a week, and the companies he's fired off his resume to haven't even acknowledged via an email or phone call that they received his application--something I always thought was common courtesy. And some of the jobs he's applied for keep popping up, as-yet-unfilled, over and over again. So what the heck are these companies looking for, exactly? One talented chap from G's former workplace is now working in a warehouse just to have some money coming in. He can't find anything, either. And on the UK job search bulletin boards which G subscribes to, some Unemployed Techies say they've been out of work for a year, even though they've applied for loads of jobs. A WHOLE YEAR. All that wasted ability and talent which isn't exactly contributing to British society. I know Canadian firms face 'the brain drain' of workers to the USA, which is hurting the economy, but this is just weird. Is the grass truly greener over in Canada than it is here? I don't know. I'm afriad if we did pack up and move back that it wouldn't be.

This is pretty depressing stuff, but still my very own Unemployed Techy keeps slogging away at applying for things and I still keep cheering him on. But the letdowns hurt. At times it's hard to keep the ol' chin up and look at things optimistically. It's been two months now. It's been draining on us, emotionally and financially (of course). It's hard to know how to support my husband, even though growing up in an area that relied on a boom-and-bust economy, I have seen what it can do to people and a community. But it has never hit home like this.

People have said 'well, just go on the dole'. Yeah, right. We've checked it out but dismissed it right away--we wouldn't get it. I'm working 'too many hours' (seriously!) and we have savings (so until we have no money, we wouldn't even get considered). Plus it's a pretty humiliating thing to do and we haven't got to that point yet. We have our pride. Plus, even if we did go on it, we'd only get about £50/week which ain't much.

So still we slog on, still hopeful, still waiting for that magic phone call.....

It was recently announced in the news over here that following the retirement of Concorde (rest its soul), various cities will get a member of the fleet as a 'living museum' piece--the idea being that the hoi polloi, who couldn't dream of affording an actual flight on the Concorde before, can venture onto a plane and ooh and aah over it--without the actual experience of travelling faster than the Earth's rotation, of course, and presumably without the glass of inflight champagne.

Manchester is to get one of the planes. It already flew into Manchester last week and is currently ensconced in a hangar, where the Airport is creating its own viewing park for its public debut. It should be ready in April sometime. I can't wait--definitely good for some photos.

But the thing is, so many Brits are wondering why the heck Concorde had to retire in the first place. It was such a part of British culture, and still had a lot of life left. Of course British Airways was being diplomatic about the whole thing, saying it was about cost (of course, eh!) but surely there was some way that it didn't have to be retired all together. Richard Branson, British entrepreneur extrordinaire, offered to keep the fleet going, but BA refused. Was it any wonder, then, why grown adults were unashamedly crying, and literally tens of thousands of ordinary-Joes across the country turned out to bid farewell to it? I wish I could've seen Concorde fly into Manchester, but the crowds were incredible and there was no way we could've got a spot at the aviation viewing park beside the airport to witness a little piece of history. But am definitely looking forward to the opportunity to step on board and wonder what it would be like to fly on such a grand plane.

Of course, there is an alternative. You *could* own your own paper airplane version of Concorde to whizz around! (Follow the highlighted link for the easy instructions--sonic boom not included)