Photo of the Week, plus Christmas Work Parties

From Photo of the Week

A Christmas tree in Trafalgar square. The tree is donated from Norway every year, in recognition of the assistance Britain gave the country during World War II.

Office Christmas Parties: Grace and I both had our office Christmas parties on Tuesday night, which is why our photo of the week - which has evolved into a Tuesday affair - is going up today, instead of last night. Office Christmas parties in the UK are not exactly like the ones you might have in the states, though it probably depends on the organization.

First off, our party was held off-site, at a lobby in the Science museum and no partners are permitted. I think the idea is to keep it limited to familiar faces, so everyone is in on the same work jokes and thinking more about having a good time than meeting new people. The theme was Spirit of Havana, so the place was decorated with palm tree type plants and some women dressed as Marilyn Monroe (?). We were to show up at 7:00 for drinks, with dinner starting at 8:00. We were to be kicked out at 12:30 (we were allowed to come into work an hour late the next day!).

We weren't the only company at this event though. I think lots of places around London host Christmas parties in December, taking care of all the planning so companies just have to choose a package and say how many people are coming. It must be a good way to raise money, if you're a museum or concert hall or church. Anyway, there were maybe five companies at this thing.

Also, there's a dress code, which is not that surprising (I mean, you have a dress code at work too). Jeans and sneakers were barred (you will be turned away at the door, we were warned). Most of us men wore suits, but some people in my office wore tuxedos, and not just as a joke. And all the women wore ball gowns!

In some ways, this all reminded me of Cambridge, where they had formal dinners in the cafeteria (buttery) that required you to wear a tie to get in. At Cambridge and Oxford too, they have enormous lavish balls after finals that you must wear a tuxedo to get into. And so, most kids who go to University in the UK own tuxedos. And so, they use them whenever they get the opportunity. (I missed the end of year ball at Cambridge, as Grace and I were in India. Plus, I don't own a tux!). One of my co-workers did his master's degree in the states, and he complained that (jokingly) 'the worst part about school in America was that people had no taste. You would go to an end-of-year dinner, expecting everyone to dress up nice, but it would just be delivered pizza in an empty classroom.'

At the actual event, we had an open bar and seated dinner with assigned places. The company mixed everyone up, so that you were forced to interact with people from different departments. And there was a live band, and after dinner everyone went dancing. And that's how they do it!