Sticky wickets

Interestingly, I am in Canada, and in spite of my very reliable sports filter, I have had two conversations about cricket today, maybe three even. Firstly, I noticed in the Guardian that the team that won the Ashes in the summer are getting honours in the New Year's list, of course, why wouldn't they, England winning the Ashes is like the hand of God reaching down from the clouds and making a big thumbs up sign. It is a miracle of incomprehensible proportions.
I mentioned this to Kevin as we walked back from the shops this morning, and some Pakistani or Indian boys were playing cricket in the park. This is truly admirable and the reason why Pakistan always whoops England's arse at cricket. Even IN England, I have only ever seen Pakistani boys out practising cricket in recent years, and then, definately only in the summer.
When I was at school, it was played in school, just not at ours, but then one summer we had a PE teacher who had played in the English women's cricket team and she indulged us for a few weeks.
Since it is already New Year in Britain, I have spoken to Austen and he tells me that so far England have managed to beat Australia but, as ever, Pakistan are unconquerable.

So in only two weeks I will be back there. Two weeks used to be the normal length of a visit, and yet it seems now that I am pressed for time. I am desperately looking forward to seeing Austen, Sue and Holly, Alex, Laurence and Ben, and my all my friends, but I don't really want to have to leave here to do so. Selfish huh? And this in spite of all the things I miss. I will revel in being able to go to Sainsburys, M&S, Boots, WHSmith, all shops that excel in their own fields and with the exception of M&S, where loyalty cards actually give you something.
Britain, land of prepositions and articles, where I understand the banking system, where the post is delivered right through your door even on a Saturday by men and women on bikes, where I know when people are using language ironically,and most of all, where the price it says on any item is the price you pay.
I look forward to going on the train, to being able to buy a drink in a pub without being waited on, to Indian food, to Chinese food which you can eat with a fork because British people look on chopsticks as the slide rule of the culinary world. To organic milk, to better driving and where people are not allowed to use mobile phones while driving, to knowing that your meat is ethically farmed and that advertising standards are enforced.
This visit I will be staying in England because of the new baby, but it is also nice to be near enough to France to go for a day, to be able to drive through Europe to Holland and Germany, just knowing you can do that.

In spite of all of that, this is my home now with Kevin, and I don't want to not be able to see the mountains. Here, there are fewer people, and even in a big city like Vancouver you never feel as crowded as in Britain. Nor do we have chavs here, and THAT is a big old plus for Canada.