Christmas in Bristol

Being in Bristol felt like being in Australia again. This was not only because everything was in English, but I remembered that in British-style western societies, there is indeed an emphasis on etiquette and politeness. For example, customer service is something I've almost forgotten about whilst living in Belgium, as there's a small socialist hang-on that seems to cause work ethos to suffer, particularly in the retail industry. Then again, perhaps I was just in the right place at the right time: Bristol is apparently the least anti-social place in the UK (thank you BBC for your 100 things we didn't know last year list for 2006).

When travelling, I usually make a conscious effort to gauge the people around me to see how the culture works. I found Spain, for example, very friendly, especially in small towns such as Valdepeñas. Oddly enough, though, my visits to Paris have never encountered anything close to Paris Syndrome, since I've found the Parisians fairly friendly (contrary to popular belief).

The area of Clifton is quite nice, and very posh, next to Avon Gorge, and not too long to walk from Broadmead Shopping in the centre. Naturally I couldn't resist going shopping, despite the exchange rate, but I certainly wouldn't have complaining if I was unable to return to Brussels because of snow, fog, or any other good weather related excuse, since I unfortunately missed out on the Boxing Day sales.

On Christmas Eve, we went to see the GMTV winner of their Christmas Lights competition. Walking into the street, we could have mistaken the first lit house we saw to be the winner, but looking down the street, something brighter loomed. It seems that a neighbour a few doors away has had a similar idea, and there's a bit of competition in the street. We were told by locals that the inside of the house is equally decorated.

All-in-all, it was a good, albeit brief, first trip to the UK for someone holding British citizenship for 25 years. Now my father can stop telling me I need to go there!