Over the hills and far away...

Snow

2010-11-29T23:44:00.003+11:00

I love snow. I love the way it falls from the sky, caught in the breeze, drifting through the air. The wind blows and it sweeps across the landscape. The wind stops, the snow pauses, gravity relents for a second, and time stands still.

My island home

2010-11-02T02:59:00.003+11:00

Everyone keeps asking what Tasmania's like, so I decided to make it easy for all of us, and make an album of my favourite Tasmanian places, things and general photos. I thought it deserved a nice soppy description, to match my nice soppy post from a few months back about what homesickness really is, so don't worry too much about that. I guess in some ways this is part two to that - that was people focussed, this is place focussed. I'm starting to look forward to going home quite a bit, because once things are inevitable, my brain accepts that into its upcoming diary and gets excited. Doesn't mean I'm not happy to still be here, just means my ticket is booked, and there's nothing I can do about it.

So if you know Tasmania, check out these pics, plan new adventures for when I return, remember the times we had. If you haven't been there and keep asking what it's like, three words: Come, visit me. If you need more than that, hopefully these will help to give you an idea. I imagine I'll be taking far better ones when I get back, now I've had lots of practice, but these will do for the minute...

Click the photo, and you'll see my album. And I hope to see you there soon.

A procrastinatory post

2010-10-24T21:46:00.026+11:00

In exactly 10 days I have two assignments due. And then another 3 days after that. Originally they were all due on the same day, but I've just gotten an extension for one. So now seems like the perfect time to write a blog entry! I sat down this morning to work on an essay, but couldn't get in the headspace, and I wrote 500 words of it yesterday anyway. So thought I'd work on my translation (more on that in a moment), but then someone commented on my blog, and it got me here, and I thought 'really should write that long overdue summary of what I ACTUALLY did over summer, and uni and all that stuff', and that's way more important, right?

Important note before I start. I'll give you links to various facebook albums. Sometimes it will be the whole album, sometimes I'll just give you the first photo of a particular adventure that is included in a larger collection. If you're not on facebook, you should still be able to look at them. Let me know if you can't. Otherwise there are some here, or you can look at the map from a couple of posts ago.

Ok, so the boring stuff first. Uni this year. Or this semester, depending on what hemisphere you're in. I'm in the same room as last semester, with almost all new flatmates. The international to UK student ratio is a little skewed - 8 internationals to 4 domestics, but it seems to work pretty well.

The weather is turning wintery, it's not getting above 12°C (74°Fish) and there's a nice mixture of rain and sun. The leaves are turning golden, and piling up in little corners, all ready for me to jump in.

My subjects aren't too bad so far. The one I really wasn't looking forward to, Modern Germany, is turning out to be pretty interesting, partly because the lecturer is really into it. Medieval Writing is interesting, reading lots of Chaucer and other medieval writers, and discussing all the symbolism and stuff. It is reminding me why I stopped doing English after first year, but it's good to learn about understanding medieval texts. Translation Theory and Practice is tough but great. I'm translating a section of Beowulf from German into English, his battle with the dragon. An extra challenge is that it's from a book published in the 1920s, so the German is a little more old fashioned than I'm used to. In my wisdom I borrowed the newest dictionary from the library, when really I probably should have gone for the oldest they had. But I had to get special dispensation to borrow a German-English dictionary (they're all reference only), so I am not going back to swap it. Just using a combo of that, the online Oxford one, the free Leo one (which is often better than either of the others) and google. Have to take my work so far to my advisor tomorrow, so will get back to doing a bit more of it after I've done a bit more of this... Overall, there's a LOT of reading - we're expected to keep a reading log for Modern Germany, Chaucer takes forever to read (although I'm getting quite adept at finding modern English translations...) and because that's the unit that doesn't count towards any of my majors, it's the one I put the least work into, and Beowulf auf Deutsch. Well do I need to say anymore? But I have set my computer system language to German, and Chrome and Facebook too so going for the immersion technique.

A sign of how much work I have to do is seen in what books I'm reading. Still on Vanity Fair (and loving it), but also reading a Frank Herbert (wrote Dune, all time favourite of mine) one called The Dosadi Experiment (picked it up in a second hand shop, hasn't really enthralled me yet), but my focus right now is back to Terry Pratchett (standard relaxation reading for me). But in German. so it's not all bad. And my past week has been full of anti-social behaviour. And not the sort that would get me an ASBO. I hit my study streak for a while (looks like I may have lost it again today though), and didn't really want to go out anywhere, because I just wanted to work. Yesterday evening people asked me if I'd had a good day out. Unfortunately, no adventures for me, I was locked in my room writing about the creation of a German national identity before 1815, with the thought of watching His Girl Friday as my reward for good work to keep me going. Been on a classics streak for the last couple of nights, with Shall We Dance and Bringing Up Baby before that.

Anyway. Enough of my anti-sociality. You want to know about my summer adventures. There's been a lot of photos floating around, but what about the actual stories I hear you say (yes Erica, I got the message :D).

Well, I left you when I was on my way to Iona. I'm not really sure how to capture seven weeks in a blog, but I'll do my best. First, I should tell you about the island. At about 3 miles by 1.5 miles (4.8 x 2.5 km ish), it's tiny.

But I also cannot emphasise enough, just how beautiful this island is. Its main uses are sheep farming, some cattle farming, and as a tourist destination. There are various arts and crafts that happen too, and the population, not including the Iona Community, is about 50-100 people (correct me if I'm wrong - just going off my memory here). It is remote, 3-4 hours from mainland Scotland, only tenuously connected to the outside world - the ferry is the only way on and off the island, and in bed weather that cannot always run, and there's a sense it is fighting to return to the isolation of years gone by. Power cuts, while not regular, are to be expected occasionally. I only experienced one and discovered that no matter how peaceful I thought the island was, it was even more so when there was no power. We kept the shop open for a while, putting everything through manually, before closing a little early. Some places are eerie without power, but Iona is just even quieter.

The weather is mad, raining in the morning, warm and sunny in the afternoon. It can be very windy, but can also be very very very still (and that's when the infamous Scottish midges attack).

(A few of us went for a walk one blustery afternoon. For more photos, start here and go on for a bit.)

But when God created rain, he made it for this place.

And before I go any further, I should introduce the people. From all the ends of the earth, from Paraguay, Russia and New Zealand. Czech Republic, Canada and Germany. And everywhere else. Every week people came and people left. Wednesdays were both Vollie farewell day :( and New Vollie Day :) (vollie being volunteer).

Tierney left. Even the Meese were sad to see her go.

On Fridays one lot of guests left, and on Saturday a new group arrived. Everyday there were day visitors coming through the shop, often from Germany, Norway or Sweden. I don't have photos of everyone I met, or remember the large proportion, but there were certainly many who wrote on my heart in permanent marker. And expect me to drop in sometime. I will be visiting. You'll see lots of photos of them as we go through, but let's just meet a few for starters.

This was a sad day. I was leaving the island. But it's tradition that all the other vollies and residents come to wave us off.

Toben (Canada), Tierney (Canada), Alex (England), Katie (England), Matiss (Latvia/US), watching the sunrise. More later.

Fiona (Germany), Nellie (US), Me (Aus), Lea (Germany), Maggie (US) and Tierney (Canada) at a Ceilidh (traditional Scottish dance, held every Monday night for the guests. This was Tierney's last one, so we dressed up for it.)

Back: Me (Aus), Christina (US), Nellie (US), Grant (Hong Kong)

Front: Fred (Germany), Milci (Paraguay), Jakob (Czech Rep.)

This was at Christmas in July, which I organised because everyone always laughed at we Aussies for having Christmas in summer. Here's an aside of a few photos from that.

Ashley (US) and Maggie (US) were pretty excited when they saw what we were eating.

Oh yeah, full Turkey roast. With all the vegies. Fran the cook in the Mac Centre is amazing!

Everyone got into the mood. It was on a Friday night, so all the guests were gone, and we the staff could enjoy ourselves. All kinds of decorations appeared.

And we had a secret present giving thing. It was wonderful. I got Kevin (photo later). And now back to the introductions.

Tierney was my second roommate after Karen. I don't have any photos of Karen, but she was wonderful too. Tierney's Canadian and we had a lot of fun together. She'll pop up in lots of photos.

Oh look, there she is again. This was on our shopping spree, we walked from Bunessan back to Fionnphort, and bought things. Including the Meese (see Tierney's feet and a later photo).

Toben (Canadian). We have the same taste in movies and tv, and led a campaign to watch good movies. Along with Tierney, we had lots of fun adventures with Meese, Movies and More.

Nellie (US), Fiona (Germany) and Tierney (Canada). It's going to get a bit tiring to try to remember everything I did with everyone, but needless to say you'll see Nellie again lots in my next post, because we 'did' Ireland together. And Fiona and I arrived and left on the same days, and in between we laughed a lot, and baked yummy things.

Joe (England) and John (England) were often mistaken for brothers. I don't have a photo of both of them, but just imagine a second Joe and you'll have it about right. You won't actually. They looked nothing alike apart from having similar dark curly hair, arriving as friends, working in the same department and having crazy frisbee skills. Apart from that, they're totally different. Or so they insist...

And that's a small selection of the people on Iona. Now back to the island.

The sunsets are almost always incredible, and we had some fun with them. One night God really pulled out all the stops for us. Sunsets usually lasted for a long time, and we played with this one for about an hour before the show ended at about 11pm.

Tierney and Milci

Serge, Tierney, Nellie and I spell "Iona"

Sunset from the top of the tallest 'mountain' on Iona, Dun I, on another night.

Even when the colours were a little less vibrant, we had good times.

On the way to the North End one evening.

This one had started out well, then fizzled a little. But we spent a good hour or so skimming rocks, before it really was too dark to see anything.

But it isn't only the sunsets that are wonderful. Once a few of us got up to see the sunrise.

A small selection of the group, Katie, Matiss, Tierney, Lea and Me.

We got up at 4:30am to head up Dun i. And it was worth every yawn.

Sometimes I wish I was a sheep. Imagine waking up to this every single day.

This one may help you get some sense of the size of this island. But also shows that our descent from Dun i was pretty marvellous too.

And then there was just the general islandy-ness, separate from the whole pretty sunrise and sunset thing. The water is generally pretty freezing, but in moments of madness, we sometimes went swimming...

Tom, Tierney and me after swimming at Port Ban one sunny afternoon.

It may look blue and idyllic, but really, it was cold.

This particular beach is generally considered one of the best to swim at, and seeing a sunrise and going for a swim were two of the things I really wanted to do while on the island. There were a couple of other families at the beach that day, and I think they thought we were quite mad. Especially because this usually sheltered and still beach was quite breezy that day. And there's nothing between this beach and Canada. There are two kinds of beaches on Iona, sandy (like above) and pebbly.

Toben, Sarah and Joe at Columba's Bay

In fact, in many ways this whole island is a giant pebble party.

And then there's the actual abbey, a beautiful building with sections dating from around the 13th Century. I found worshipping challenging in this building, simply because it was so beautiful and old, and I constantly found myself getting distracted by details.

Walking up to the abbey, one of the first things you notice is how imposing it is. It is neither tall nor grand in the traditional sense, but because it dominates the landscape.

It sits in the middle of open fields, nothing to distract the eye from it. The island is not dead flat, but it this Abbey that draws the eye from the moment you catch sight of Iona.

Not the world's best photo of the Abbey from the ferry, but the only one I've got.

I loved sitting in the cloisters on rainy or windy days after all the day trippers had left.

They were very peaceful, but I also loved the sense of connection with the past they inspired. I knew that the sounds of the wind whistling through the cracks, the rain dripping off the stone, perhaps chanting from the Abbey were the same sounds as monks were listening to 800 years ago. It felt incredible to know that when I closed my eyes, my ears were taking in the sounds of almost a millenium, and that continuity held a remarkable appeal for me.

Every evening a service was held in the Abbey, each day with a different theme. One evening at the end of a Creative Space - worshipping through creativity, word passed through through the congregation of a beautiful double rainbow outside. We all flocked outside to enjoy the spectacle.

This island was designed to be admired. I took to always carrying my camera, simply because there were always things to be photographed.

On the walk to the Abbey through the paddock, or field as they like to call them here.

The Abbey one atmospheric evening

St Martin's Cross, outside the Abbey

At the North End Beach

And there was lots of wildlife to be seen. Some wilder than others.

Cows with heads...

... cows without heads...

Nellie and I spent quite a bit of time mooing out the window at these two.

... cows with babies.

Very cute sheep. Including one very friendly sheep who loved to be patted.

Sheep with mad horns.

Sheep on the move.

One of the island cats.

Seals

Deer

Meese

Kevin the Sock Creature

And of course puffins.

Next to Iona is a very small island called Staffa.

There's a big cave that looks quite impressive, and the island is sometimes said to be the other end of the Giant's Causeway because it's the same rock structure.

Twice a week a bunch of the guests piled onto a boat and went out to see the island and, in the right season, the puffins that live there during summer. Tierney and I joined in one day,

Did I mention how windy it gets in the Inner Hebrides?

for a fairly choppy hour and a half boat ride followed by an hour looking at the Puffins

Then we ran to Fingal's Cave to look, snap and run back to the boat.

Some other time I'll have to go back and check out the cave properly. When there aren't super cute puffins to admire.

Another time, a group of us decided to go to Mull for the day (that's the island just off the coast of Iona), and climb a mountain. When I said to Tom "I just want to go up a mountain", I did not necessarily mean the biggest mountain on the island, but that's where we headed.

The Isle of Mull, with Ben Mor in the background.

Right from the beginning the views were spectacular.

When we set off, we couldn't see the top of Ben Mor, but decided to head up A'Chioch, the smaller mountain beside it. The guidebook warned us it was a difficult walk, although I would say it was more just hard work than difficult. We followed the path up through the mud and grass. As usual, I ended up at the back of the line, enjoying regular pauses to admire the scenery. And that is not a euphemism for catching my breath. The scenery was more breathtaking than the walking.

Finally we reached the top.

Serge, Fred, Maggie, Tierney, Tom and Nellie

We some of the others thought they'd walk up a little further, but I was perfectly satisfied with sitting and gaping at this

See, gaping.

And then it was time to head back down, although we probably could have stayed for another half an hour - we had to wait at the bottom for quite a while until the bus came back past.

But it meant we had time to dawdle down, stop for a snack,

Serge and Nellie eating Tiffin. Mmm.

and then rest at the bottom before we hit the road again.

Fred, Serge, Nellie, Tierney and Maggie waiting at the bottom while Tom went to find a tap to fill his drink bottle.

Despite my fear of climbing such an enormous mountain, it was a great day. Tiring, but super fun. And we were all pretty happy at the end of it. More photos here.

Fred, Tom, Maggie, Nellie, Tierney and Serge

And that was Iona. It was wonderful, I didn't really want to leave, but had to. And I wouldn't have had more adventures elsewhere if I'd stuck around. More general photos of all stuff and things Ionian are here.

Right. That's enough now. I'm going to do an hour of work before I have to get ready for church, so you'll have to wait to hear about the rest of my summer, but surely this is enough to keep you going for a bit?

2010-10-14T00:52:00.004+11:00

Right now two thoughts are getting me through my day of reading ridiculous numbers of articles:

Movie night tonight

God loves me.

That's all. Read this.

A map

2010-10-08T08:22:00.003+11:00

Here's the beginning of my current blog project. It's a map of my summer travels, with some of my favourite/best/most representative photos of each place. To see the Ireland photos you'll need to click on the actual map and then look at 'page 2' of the results in the side column. Not sure why, but it doesn't want to show all my photos at once. Apparently there are too many.

At some point I'll try to write something about each of the places - these photos probably aren't new to most of you, and it's just a visual representation of what you already knew, but at least it's something. Right?

For the moment you'll have to make do with this, and a short summary comment on my summer though.

It was a wonderful summer, not much summery weather, but it really didn't matter. Iona was definitely the highlight, but living somewhere for 7 weeks is naturally going to give a different experience to just passing through. The places that have been added to my travel list include western Ireland, more of Cornwall, and more of Scotland. I consider myself quite blessed to have been able to see as much as I could, that I spent a fair proportion of my time travelling alone and did not encounter any trouble. A lesson well-learnt was that I can and will travel alone quite happily, and that God provides both straightforward and curious blessings.

My favourite castle ever is Caernarfon in one of the most character-less towns ever, and another castle will have to work pretty hard to top that list. Wagamama's is my traveller's McDonalds - chain restaurants for when decisions are just too hard to make and familiarity is sought. God's love is everywhere to be seen. Belfast is awesome, Dublin is not. Cornish rain is just as wet as anywhere else, but prettier. Small towns have the best book shops. Except Caernarfon. It is socially acceptable to take a book to dinner or the pub, especially if you have an accent. Trains induce both sleep and excitement, creating a hyperactive Imogen with her eyes closed. Some museums have realised that adults like to dress up just as much as kids, and they are the best museums. Other museums would fit in a shoe box and they're not quite as fun. Although trying to get in the shoebox to see the museum could be. Bus drivers deserve medals for kindness to waifs and strays. Cider is nice. Guinness is not ... really. Having a sense of direction is vital if you intend just to wander and lose yourself in a city. Who knows where I would have ended up without God's protection. Cows like to be scratched behind the ears. Some sheep are friendly. Medieval people must have had super powers of concentration because their churches are so pretty they're totally distracting. A day in the rain is fine if you're waterproofed up. Daggy is worth dryness. Haggis isn't half bad. Plastic bags should be banned in hostel dorms. God is good.

View Summer 2010 in a larger map

And there you have it. My summer. I may even add in my other travels from this year at some point. Probably during essay season. Or I might just make a new map. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. My first target will be to give you comments on each of the locations....

New Post coming soon

2010-09-20T04:35:00.003+10:00

I'm currently just playing around with trying to create an interactive map with writing, photos and journeys integrated. This means that for a few days there may be posts that pop up and then disappear, just as I test certain features (the 'preview post' option only gets me so far...)

Thanks for your patience, and I promise that if you keep watching this space you'll get a wonderful experience of my time travelling around the west coast of the UK, and the island of Ireland.

A long overdue update

2010-06-30T06:03:00.002+10:00

Dear Readers,

It has been drawn to my attention that I have long abandoned you to the perils of your imaginations in relation to my travels, and I seek here to rectify my error. First I must beg your forgiveness for this breach of my duty to you, and offer an explanation which may be inadequate but may serve as an explanation nonetheless.

It has been many years since this blog began, and some progress of my life may be traced through its pages. My enthusiasm for writing has ebbed and flowed as life has occasionally overtaken me, but the one constant for maintaining my will to write has been the knowledge that someone else would read it. Without this knowledge, I feel there is little point moving the memories out of my head and onto a screen. Althoughmy blog may serve also as my travel diary, so too do my photos, and the storyteller in me needs an audience with whom to share my adventures. And so dear readers, I must both apologise to and admonish you, for your perseverance but lack of response. A storyteller who is told to tell a story to a brick wall may question the sanity of that request. I must also thank those of you who do comment, my faithful readers. Your words are encouraging both for their existence and their substance.

And so, my learned friends, we move to the substance of the matter: What have I been doing in my long blogging absence? Most recently, I have been tackling the challenge that is teaching 124 Italian primary school children English. A challenge indeed, but a rewarding and fun one.

Who: Well I’m working for the English Experience (I must drop some names as I struggled to find any information about the company when I applied, and hope this may be of use to someone else) in Savona, Italy. The city is right on the coast of the Ligurian Sea, and much sea bathing has been done. And now, because I cannot be bothered writing it all out again, I shall give you the highlights of an email I sent my parents about it:

Currently I’m sitting in the living room at my host family’s house, the weather is ‘changeable’ outside (one of the kids knew that word the other day when we were talking about weather, I was fairly impressed) and I am working out what to do today. The family is probably going to the aquarium in Genoa this afternoon, because the weather isn’t crash hot (has been raining for the past week, but next week should be sunny allweek), some of the other teachers are meeting in town to work out where to go or what to do, and a couple of others are heading to Alassio, about 40 minutes west from here.

My host family is lovely – the two boys are great at playing together and almost ignore me, although I did play chess against the older one a few days ago. That was embarrassing – I couldn’t remember how all the pieces moved, and Samuele seemed to think that I would understand his instructions if he just repeated them over and over in Italian… I lost. Simone goes totally hyper every time any one knew walks into the apartment, apparently goes from sleeping on the couch to jumping around like a ninja jedi in a flash if the doorbell goes. He’s about the same age as the boys, has enormous eyes and expressive eyebrows, and is quite hilarious when he turns on the crocodile tears. Doris, my host mother, is very sensible and understanding. Her English is very limited, but I she’s not too bad on the past tense, so I’ve found out quite a bit about her life and we get along pretty well which is good. I’m not entirely sure if she minds whether I go to the aquarium or not – when I said I was thinking about going to see the Savona fort today, but that the aquarium sounded nice and I therefore wasn’t too sure about what to do, she immediately told me about what food I could eat for lunch when they were out (not in a ‘you can’t eat this’ way, just saying there was leftover pie, and there’s the pasta and here’s the pesto). But it will be this afternoon, so I might just wait and see.

I’m having a great time. Could never be a primary school teacher, but I am having fun. The other teachers are all lovely, we get along pretty well, and it’s got a similar vibe to summer camps at home, just with God missing.

Today (I started this email this morning, now I’m continuing it after dinner (semolina cakes, roast chicken, carrot salad and peaches)) I visited the fort and went to the beach for a while. When I asked Doris when she was possibly going to the aquarium, it was revealed that she didn’t expect me to go as there was no room in the car anyway. She offered to make room, but I insisted that it was no problem, that I really didn’t mind, so that dilemma was solved. They ended up going to the beach anyway – the sun came out and the predicted rain never eventuated, but Doris’ lower back started to hurt for some reason – she doesn’t know why, and she’s a physio… That meant they had to come back early from the beach. In the meantime I had a lovely day exploring the fort (no idea about any of its history – the usual problem of too many historical ruins, too few plaques to go around), wandering through Savona (everywhere was shut because it’s a Sunday), eating lunch by the harbour (panini with tomato and mozzarella), going for a swim (everyone else thought it was too cold, admittedly the sun was a little patchy and there was some serious wind action, but the water was wonderful and the wind dried me beautifully), and lying around on the beach in the late afternoon sunshine. This was all with most of the other teachers with whom it’s pretty fun to hang out. The next week is supposed to be sunny and warm (finally), so hopefully my next few afternoons will involve lots of sun, sand and gelato.

Yesterday four of us went to Monte Carlo for the day. It’s about 2.5-3 hours away on the train, but the tracks run right along the Ligurian Coast and it was beautiful. We kept going through tunnels and coming out into either sunshine or gloom, so we decided they must be magic weather tunnels. Monte Carlo was started sunny but it started to cloud over just as we were about to head to the beach. We wandered up to the castle, saw the cathedral, looked out at the view over the hideously large and expensive boats, and then meandered along to the beach. My general impression of the place was compact – it’s all very tightly packed. Also very touristy – the casino was swarming with tourists, I don’t know how James Bond manages just to walk in without crashing into snap-happy families. It was an interesting place – very well kept and very busy, but also with an odd combination of community and shallowness.

One thing I didn't mention was Doris' desire to introduce me to as many English speakers as possible, which led to a few awkward conversations of the 'so, here we are then' variety. The worst was when she invited her nephew around for dinner, with the intention that I go and meet his friends afterwards and do something. Another teacher from school came along, which I was immensely grateful for, and after much small talk we explained we had preparing and planning to do, and didn't think it would be a good idea to go out for a night on the town, the object of which was apparently to get girls drunk... On the penultimate evening, Doris said that we could go and have dinner at his house the next evening, to which I said 'sure, although all the teachers are having final drinks at 9:30pm'. Her response was 'no, that's impossible, he lives 20km away, it will never work...' I thought 'oh no!' until she continued with 'drinks are much more important.' Today's Awesome Thing covered this quite well...

And now, I am sitting on a train heading to Glasgow. National Express appears to have forgotten the difference between forward facing and backwards facing, so I am sitting once again looking at where I have been rather than where I am going. There should be wireless on this train, apparently, but my computer seems to have some trouble getting an IP address, and I can’t be bothered being proactive about it. I’ve just watched an episode of Doctor Who and Outnumbered, and when this is finished I shall continue to read Les Misérables or listen to Harry Potter. Exciting I know. (editor’s note: I actually watched them, and then an episode of The Office, and then most of the Dark Knight, to see how much I could watch on one charge of my computer… And I stared out the window at the beautiful scenery for many hours).

I returned from Italy on Saturday evening, and had a couple of relaxing days in Norwich, chilling out watching tv, the football, having a picnic, moving my stuff from the flat into a basement. On Monday I went to London, where I played with Sophie and repacked, managing to get four bags down to two without leaving anything out.

And now it is Tuesday, and I am on my way to Glasgow. 5.5 hours on this train, and evening in Glasgow and then half a day travelling tomorrow will bring me to the Isle of Iona, where I’ll be for the next 7 weeks. I’m now starting to get quite excited, as Italy has passed, so this is my new adventure. I expect it to be unexpected. There will be challenges and no doubt I will learn new things. Hopefully I have packed enough warm clothes – the weather there is supposed to be quite changeable, and can be quite wild. But I like weather, so I’m excited about that.

And that’s about it really. I’m worried I’m turning into one of those people who doesn’t really get excited about much – I seem to have lost the ability to get butterflies about upcoming events. Heading to Italy, I got up, ate breakfast, made my way to the airport, ate a sandwich there and flew to Italy. First day of school, I got up, got ready, ate and walked to school. This is amazing because I used to get quite anxious about small things, and wouldn’t be able to eat before going away for a weekend because of the anticipation. I’m not ruing the loss of my pre-adventure butterflies, but do wonder what it means about my attitude towards them. I still get excited, but there may also be an element of acceptance – ‘I’m going, there’s nothing I can do about it, I can’t avoid it, so just accept it.’ It’s probably my sensible kicking in. Has anyone else found similar? Is it just me getting ‘old’ and/or maturing?

Well folks, keep praying please. Especially for my time on Iona. And after that – currently no solid plans, although I have said I am available for another camp in Italy at the end of August, so that might happen. Or I could visit people all over the UK, or travel in Eastern Europe. Or perhaps a combination of all three. I don’t know what’s happening with Greenbelt – they haven’t gotten back to me for ages, so I’m just going to wait and see who offers me something to do first – Italy or Greenbelt… Prayer that I end up in the right place would be appreciated please.

Toodles for now, thanks for reading, don’t forget to comment just to let me know I do have some readers…

Cheers,
Imo

It's not homesickness if you don't miss home, so what is it?

2010-05-19T03:39:00.003+10:00

Editor's Note: This blog does not necessarily reflect the mental state of the author, and is merely the by-product of exams and an over-analytical mind.

Homesickness. It's an odd condition. I've seen people inconsolable with homesickness, to the point of hyperventilation, and I've experienced milder forms which usually exhibit themselves through restlessness or listlessness. I've never felt ill, and often think the German word Heimweh or home pain is more accurate. It's a pang that hits when you think you see someone you recognise from home; a stab when you go to text a friend but realise they'll be asleep. It manifests itself through an unconscious sigh, a vacant gaze or a furious bout of activity.

I've been blessed on my current overseas jaunt to have seemingly avoided the curse of homesickness, thanks to quick friendships made, a stable Christian community found in a familiar society with lots to do and an easy routine. I haven't been completely free of nostalgia for home, but it's not the country I miss, or Australians, it's specific traits in my close friends and family.

Having arrived here, I quickly made new friends - people to have coffee with, go travelling with, hang out with, but I also quickly realised just how special my friends back home are. This is not a slight on my friends here, we just don't have the history that makes a friendship go that extra mile, although I hope we may be making that history so that in 5 years when I visit you we can just relax back into the easy friendships we've got here, without any worries.

I miss having a friend to text and say 'hey, walkies right now?' knowing all the problems in the world will have been solved by the end, someone on exactly the same wavelength who understands my frantic hand gestures when I forget a word, someone to dance with when there's no music playing, someone to race against with the crossword. The sense of connection with everyone at uni or in town, knowing there will always be someone to bump into and then hang out with for an afternoon. Long chats at midnight sitting in a car outside someone's house, long chats at midnight standing outside someone's house. Spontaneous trips to the movies 'just because', knowing someone so well no words are needed to invoke fits of laughter over a private joke, someone who understands what I'm really saying underneath my clumsy words. Missing all these things is what homesickness is for me. It's neither crippling nor ever-present, merely an occasional spasm of loneliness.

I sometimes wonder who I will still be in contact with in five years, no matter where in the world we all are. And I don't mean facebook contact, I mean skype, emails, postcards, letters - those deeper forms of communication that must be a substitute for face to face in a long-distance world. Who will I be able to drop in on impulsively without feeling like I'm intruding, who will be on my list of 'want to come to the movies, starts in half an hour' people, who will care when I visit just somewhere other than home, no matter how dull? In who's lives will I participate, who will let me know when they've broken a bone, visited an interesting bookshop or bought a new phone. Because I'm realising it's those little things that define a relationship. If I notice that an old primary school mate has travelled somewhere interesting, I will flick through the photos on facebook because it looks like fun, but for my closer friends I'll look at photos of their new pet sitting on a chair, stool, the floor, and in the bath and I'll comment. I don't care what the subject is, I'm interested because it's important to that person. I might even try to remember the name of the pet.

Without wanting to sound like some kind of chain status update, if you remember doing any of those things thank you. It's the simple things I miss, and I am learning how much I value your friendship for the simple things we do together.

Summer is just around the corner

2010-04-30T21:03:00.004+10:00

Here at uni the weather is warming, the sky freshening its blue coat of paint and the bbqs are coming out. There are almost constant bbqs down by the lake in front of my room, so I often get wafts of bbqy smells. Right now I should be studying for my Latin exam in a few days, but instead I'm going to fill you all in on my summer break plans because, quite frankly, they're shaping up to be pretty good indeed. They'll start on the 27th of May, after my last exam, and continue through to the end of September. The exam period goes until the 10th

of June, and I'll still have youth group (have I told you I've been helping out with one?) and young adults stuff at church until then, so I'll be in Norwich until then, although will hopefully get out and see some of England too, but be back for the weekends.

My first summer break adventure will be going to Italy for 2 weeks. I've found myself a job working for a English language school that goes to schools in a country and runs two week intensive English classes for upper primary students. I'll be running activities, sports and crafts for 4 classes a day, living with a host family, weekends and evenings free to explore, get paid £250 a week ($AU400ish) and have all travel expenses there and back covered. I'm a little nervous about having to run a class of about 16 kids with varying language skills all by myself, but I've talked to people in the company quite a bit, and it sounds like they have a lot of support available and experienced people to give guidance. I don't know exactly where I'll be yet - they run a few camps at the same time, and distribute everyone among them. A friend from church is also going to be working for them at the same time, so we're hoping and praying we might be on the same camp. We could ask, but they have so many people to place they can't really take much notice of requests.

I was hoping the timing would work out so I could use the opportunity to then travel around Italy a bit, but a few of days after that finishes I have to be at Iona, so will need to fly straight back to England and head up to Glasgow. I've written about this a little bit before, but in brief, I'll be working in the shop for seven weeks. This is very exciting, and a lot of people I've talked to about it have been just a little jealous.

After that I'll hopefully head straight to Greenbelt, where I've applied to volunteer in the youth village, and am just waiting to hear back about police check types of things...

And then I have about four weeks left of my break in which I can do whatever I like. Just this week I heard that I've been given at $2000 scholarship by UTAS, so I intend on putting that to good use around Europe for the end of my break. Ideally I would like to explore Eastern Europe - Western is all very lovely and 'must see-ish', but also a little repetitive because it's all the same companies doing the same things in slightly different cities, but I'd like to go somewhere completely different. I will, of course, have to go to Paris at some point so I can fulfil my promise to Granny that I will visit Paris, but if someone told me I could go either to Paris OR (eg - totally random off the top of my head) Hungary, I'd much prefer the latter.

I'd still really quite like to go and see MUSE in September, but can't seem to find anyone who will actually be here then to go with. So far I'm only aware of one other exchange student who will be here for next semester too, another Australian girl, and I'm not sure what her plans are. But those last four weeks are still to be organised - all very dependent on things like people visiting, travel buddies, money etc etc.

And that's the plan. While you think up intelligent questions to ask me about it, check out this flavour of crisps I have just eaten. I couldn't go past the six pack that included this one:

It's all part of World Cup fever, and came with two other flavours.

South African Sweet Chutney: Not bad - quite a bit like the tomato flavoured ones I think are around in Aus.

Australian BBQ Kangaroo: I didn't start hopping, but they were alright. A little like bbq flavour (strangely enough), but not samboys bbq - more like thins bbq (considering thins and walkers are the same brand, that's not really surprising)

Japanese Teriyaki Chicken: Still to be sampled.

I think I'll have to try the other flavours too - they've got a few different varieties - English Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, German Bratwurst, American Cheeseburger are some I remember seeing.

It's cheap and easy to get high in Germany.

2010-03-29T06:48:00.002+11:00

Yes ladies and gentlemen, you read that title correctly. It is very easy and rather cheap to find oneself high in Germany. 'What moral degredation has this girl suffered in such a short time?' I hear you ask. Well i an attempt to sunder my own repuation, I shall also add that I find myself sitting, this partially fine-partially rainy Frankfurt evening, in the middle of the red light district. 'Oh my!' you exclaim. 'What has become of our shy Imogen?' Well let me tell you, and in the process alleviate your fears and reclaim my good name.

It's cheap and easy to get high in Germany. Fact. I wouldn't know about drug prices or availability, but I can tell you that the Rheinturm in Duesseldorf and the Cologne Dom tower are both super cheap, very simple (although the latter not so easy) and extra high. In my last blog I wrote about the Rheinturm, and I will now recommend the Cologne Dom with equal gusto. For about €1 Mo and I had the privilege of climbing the 92 metres to the top of the tower to look out over Cologne. Once again, photos are to follow. Needless to say it was a bit of a trek, a lot of spiral stairs and some slight hypnotism from staring at them for too long. But the view was pretty cool indeed, up and down the Rhine. Every surface on the way up, and up there was covered in grafitti, lots of letters in hearts, but it was a great chance to see some of the stone work up close as well. And then yesterday we once again headed upwards to Drachenfels in Koenigswinter, near Bonn. But let me start at the beginning.

Well after Dusseldorf we headed to Cologne on the train, a trip which took about 1/2 an hour. We arrived at our hostel, the Black Sheep Hostel (would once again hghly recommend - very small business/family feel). We were invited along to paint easter eggs that evening, and then eat the pancakes made from the eggs, all for free. We accepted the invitation and headed out to explore the town for the day. Our aim was to visit the Dom and the Lindt Chocolate Museum. We got to both, and also walked all over the city until we were exhausted. Although to be honest, we were probably more exhausted just from climbing the tower - afterwards our knees were shaking whenever we were faced with stairs. The Cologne Dom (Cathedral, just realised you might be wondering) is enormous on the outside. It just looms out of nowhere when you walk down the main shopping street, and is RIGHT next to the train station. But somehow it also works as a reverse TARDIS - on the inside it's quite small, and a little disappointing. But we couldn't go in very far because a mass was about to start.

After climbing the epic tower of knee breaking proportions (do it if you're ever in Cologne), we wandered along the river to the chocolate museum. This was pretty interesting, with a few free samples. It was pretty cool to watch a Lindt machine do its thing, although I was really hopefully we would be given a sample from it, freshly made, but no luck. Anyway, after that we mosied back to the hostel for egg making. That was fun, my egg was not very pretty, Mo's was, but that's ok. We chatted to a girl from America who's made Germany her permanent home. Mo and I agreed there was something a little strange about how emphatic she was about her love of Germany and German people and all things German, finding it a little over the top. *Shrugs*

The next day we caught a train to Aachen. This is about an hour away from Cologne, and we hoped to get away from the rain in Cologne. Our plan was to no avail, and we wandered a little cold and damp. Interesting city, lots of Charlemagne/Karl der Grosse/Charles the Great references and statues (google him and you'll work out why). The church was very very shiny on the inside, in the most literal sense of the word - so much gold and sparkly stuff it was a little insane. To hide from the rain we went through the Town Hall, which was interesting and dry. Nothing of particular note, except the lack of outsidey weather.

In Aachen we also went on a hunt for a mysterious museum of the newspaper, but couldn't find it anywhere - three different maps gave us three different precise locations, but we went up and down all the streets in the general area before giving up and finding a cafe where I could get something savoury (tomato soup) and Mo something sweet (chocolate cake). Cafes like that have proven to be particularly difficult to find... We then ambled back to the train, although by this time the rain had stopped and the sun was out a little bit, so it was much more pleasant and we stopped to look at things like the old city gate.

That evening we went for a walk down to the river again, and had a pleasant stroll around the area. Cities usually look very pretty at night.

The next day we went to Bonn. This was a 1/2 hour trip on the train, and I hope to go back sometime soon. We were following instructions from Mo's Oma again, this time to find her childhood home and do a couple of things she recommended, including going up to the Drachenfels Ruins. We spent most of the morning getting to Bonn (our original plan was to go by cruise boat, but they're not running until next week), then getting to the house. It was a little bit epic, but also an adventure. Busting to go to the toilet for half the journey certainly added to the experience. The house was a little cute traditional looking place, not a McDonalds this time which was encouraging.

We then headed up a big mountain on the cog railway, to a ruined castle/lookout/???. One thing I've noticed here is the Germans are good at giving access to historical sites, but not very good at advertising what exactly they were. Anyway, I felt like I was in some kind of Jane Austen story, going for a day to the ruins. There were so many people there, and the 'problem' of too many ruins in Europe was clearly present - the tallest point has been used for attaching antennae to, there's grafitti, a lot of people clambering everywhere, an ugly visitor centre (all closed 'for refurbishments') and a general air of decrepitude. A littel sad really, but I suppose there's only so many places that can be cared for.

We walked back down the hill, past the ultimate lego castle (usually a folly stops just at the tower, this extended to the entire building), before eventually getting back into Bonn (walked to the closest train station, no trains, went across the river on the ferry to the other station and caught a train from there). We planned to go to the Haus der Geschichtes - all about Germany in and straight after WW2, and thought we'd have the whole afternoon there, but in the end only had about an hour. I'll be going back there - was fascinating. We then went for another evening wander (we're trying to do this in every city - they look totally different at night), through Bonn, saw the house where Beethoven was born, and happened upon lots of random performers including fire people and drumming maniacs.

It took time, but we finally tore ourselves away from Bonn, back to the train station, where we were lucky enough to be sharing a train with a lot of football fans returning from a match, and riot police. Reassuring? I think not. But we got back to the hostel safely, repacked our bags, set our alarms for 6am and turned our clocks forward for the end of daylight savings.

This morning we got up, stumbled to the train station, got on a train and sat bleary eyed until the pretty Rhine valley woke us up. A couple of hours later we arrived in Frankfurt, and that is where me sitting in the red light district comes into it. Our hostel is about a block from the train station, but is right in the middle of the centre of negotiable affection. The hostel assures us there's no danger, and so far we've felt it's just a bit weird. Seems like a nice hostel - far bigger than the other two, and less personal, but clean, well organised and friendly enough. I'm writing this on a borrowed laptop on free wifi. We managed to con our way into cooking ourselves dinner tonight, asking if there was a fridge anywhere we could put some pesto we'd brought. The receptionist seemed a little surprised at the request and told us to go up to the 7th floor where there's a kitchen for guests on the 7th floor, giving us special permission to cook as long as we cleaned up after ourselves. Feeling a little dodgy we did as she said, went to the unlabelled 7th floor and found a shiny kitchen. We cooked food, ate food, encountered one person who had no curiousity about us at all, washed up and left again. It was good. I suspect not many people ask for strange things like somewhere cool to keep some pesto, or even better somewhere to cook themselves dinner...

I'll tell you about Frankfurt some other time, probably when we're in Berlin or Prague (next two destinations). Good time being had by all, my German much better now, looking forward to seeing history stuff in Berlin. And now it's time for me to go and sleep. Good night!

Guten Tag

2010-03-25T07:11:00.002+11:00

For those of you missing my errant 'y's and 'z's from five years ago (was it really that long?) never fear, they have returned. That's right ladies and gentlemen, I am back in the land of the Deutsch, where the keyboard is odd and the language odder. Of course, I'm (sort of) used to the latter, but perhaps will never be accustomed to the z and y keys being swapped, or the other idiosyncracies of a language where a letter with dots over it gets priority over a questions mark.

Most of you probably know I'm travelling around Germany for 17 days with another exchange student. Our plan looks something like this:

23/3: London to Düsseldorf

25/3: Düsseldorf to Köln (hopefully including day trips to Bonn and Aachen)

28/3: Köln to Frankfurt

30/3: Frankfurt to Berlin

3/4: Berlin to Prague

6/4: Prague to München

9/4: München to London

Generally the days should be easy to fill, there's plenty of touristy/historical/authenticy stuff to do everywhere, and it's just the evenings that could potentially pose a challenge. Neither of us are massive clubbing fans, so we plan on lots of night exploring (safely of course Mum), perhaps some culture, food and anything else we can find that won't cost us lots of money and will let us be in bed in time to be up bright and early the next day.

Currently I'm sitting in one of the communal spaces of the Düsseldorf hostel - Backpackers Düsseldorf, and I would seriously recommend this place for anyone coming to Düsseldorf. Free internet, bed linen, towels, breakfast (toast, tea, coffee) and very easy to walk to everywhere in the city. The beds are wide and comfy (I note the wide element because my bed at UEA is very narrow, so it's nice to not feel like I'm going to fall out if I breathe in), the rooms are quiet, the lockers huge and the bathrooms not as dirty as is often expected. We hope that the rest of our accommodation is as decent - went for the cheapest places with the highest ratings on Hostelworld.com so hoepfully we won't have too much grottiness.

Düsseldorf has been nice. It's not the most interesting of cities, and I doubt I would ever have come here if it weren't for the super-cheap Ryanair fares we got. Which incidently landed us about an hour out of the city centre (although we knew this before we booked). There was something slightly confronting about landing at an airport that is an ex-WW2 military airbase, having just written an essay on the end of that war and the beginning of the Cold War - I'm discovering that history is still taught with a bias towards the allies, and when faced with solid evidence of the war, I still struggle to throw off the 'Germans equalled the enemy' prejudice years of school history has given me. Totally unfair, but I am working on it.

Ryanair. Not bad. Got us from A to B without any hassle, expect a lack of information about which desk to go to for baggage check-in. I was mildly concerned to see what looked like a teenage boy tending to the engine and checking the tyres and doing all those things you usually see four people doing on less-budget airlines. But he drove off in a buggy, so must have at least been old enough to have a driver's licence. And I felt both infinitely more relieved, and almost just as concerned when I saw Jesus was to be our flight attendant. I hadn't realised being a carpenter back in the day was of the same level as working for Ryanair today, or that the second coming would take place while I was strapped into a Boeing 737-800. But really, such things shouldn't come as a shock.

Back to Düsseldorf. We arrived, got into the city and realised it wasn't too far from the train station to the backpackers, and decided to walk. No problemo, except that the particular street it's on was numbered by a three year old who didn't realise 80 goes between 79 and 81. After staring at what should have been the right building for a little while, someone stopped and told us where to go, without us even asking. Earlier we'd had another helpful citiyen try to help us, only for us to tell him how to get to where we wanted to go...

There isn't all that much to do here. I'm quite relieved we're only here for a day and a half. Last night we went wandering, found dinner and then slept dinner off. Today we went wandering, went into the most unfriendly museum I've ever seen (the city museum what's more), tried to goad some swans into doing something other than sleeping, found Mo's Oma's old house (now above a McDonalds) and spent the best €3,60 ever going up the Rheinturm. If there's one thing you do in Düsseldorf, go up there. It's amazing. The lift goes at 4m/second, and the tower is about 240m high. You can spend as long as you like wandering around the 360 degree windows that have a magnificent view over Düsseldorf. Wandering, sitting or sleeping I should say. Photos to follow when I am on a computer through which I can load some pics.

After that we wandered back to the hostel, found some dinner and wandered until we ended back here again. We've now worked out a vague plan for Cologne, and will head there first thing tomorrow morning.

So far my German is coming back fairly well, but I'm not getting many opportunities to practise it - as usual everyone is überkeen to 'help' by speaking English, and it's so sporadic that we have to use German that I'm not tuning in quickly enough from the beginning of a sentence, and miss the first thing anyone says to me. But hopefully by the end of the time here I'll be a lot more confident, and will snap into the language just like that.

Well that's all for now. More to follow, not sure if any of our other hostels offer free internet, so you may have to wait until I get back to the UK.

Tschüßi bis später!

The Long-Awaited Part Two of the Catch Up

2010-03-20T01:01:00.015+11:00

Apologies for the strange formatting in this blog - I'm not quite sure what's going on with blogger's updated post editor. I hope it isn't too distracting. There are lots of photos to keep you busy anyway.

Contents

The Gym and other forms of exercise
Windsor Castle
The Supermarket
Weekend Trip to Bath

The Gym and other forms of exercise

Well, yesterday I posted about my new bike, so that's one other form of exercise covered already. The uni is situated on a lot of beautiful land, with tracks going all over the place, so it's very pleasant to go for walks on nice days, as you may have gathered from my photos. :) Otherwise there is a very big and new gym on campus. It's very cheap, and I usually go to the gym, pool or an aerobics class at least once a week. I would like to go more, but just don't... It's the first time I've actually enjoyed going to the gym, possibly because I've been listening to Harry Potter while running, cycling or weighting. That makes it so much more enjoyable.

Windsor Castle

Was quite big and shiny. The day started out pretty overcast, but cleared up beautifully, so we got to see everything in sunshine.

We got up super early to be at the busstop at 7:30am, then travelled for a few hours on a coach until we arrived. I think I napped for some of that time, so can't really tell you much about it. I was at the end of a bad cold, so needed my rest and to look after myself. When we arrived we were given our tickets to get into the castle, a map and instructions to be back by 4:30pm, and were then sent off to explore. The first thing we found was the changing of the guards, complete with brass band.

Now I will be the first to admit that I was too distracted watching the one guard who wasn't in time with the rest (they all seemed a little sloppy, with some confusion and poor synchronisation), and didn't actually get any photos of them from the front, but I believe I have found the answer to the question 'Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?' (who guards the guards) - the police! I found it amusing that the guards needed guarding at least...

This statue of Queen Victoria was just outside the entrance to the castle. From the angle of her sceptre, I would say she was a Hogwarts graduate.

We looked at St George's Chapel (when I was young, a chapel was small and a cathedral was large. How times have changed). No photos allowed inside, but here's one of the outside. A wedding was happening there in the afternoon. I imagine that would be rather grand.

We discovered that the British Royalty apparently have some trouble distinguishing between water and grass, and what is appropriate for a moat.

Once we got sick of the castle (there was lots to see inside, including all the reception rooms, and Queen Mary's Dollhouse), we mosied along to Eton. Yes, where the school is. Unfortunately it was a Saturday, so no sightings of funny suits or top hats on 12 year old boys, but it was interesting nonetheless. We couldn't go in anywhere, just wandered along the streets.

Very posh gate here, with wood and bricks - both signs of wealth. And a lamppost made by someone with too much time perhaps?

While ambling back to Windsor, we stopped to look at the birdies. No, I'm not actually obsessed with them, but there were so many of them.

I got the evil eye from one, after taking a photo of its friend...

...being a little less than graceful. Yes, it did just swim backwards into a jetty.

By then it was drawing near to bus time, so we sauntered back to the castle and surroundings. Where we found

(right next to Ye Olde Shoppe (picture below).)

Overall it was a rather fun day. We saw stuff, learnt things, not least that Windsor is slightly obsessed with the Royals. To the point where everything has crowns.

As usual, there are more photos from this trip here.

The Supermarket

Well I don't really know what I was intended on writing about the supermarket when I wrote my last blog with the contents page, so I'll just have to make it up. They have supermarkets here, where you buy stuff. Good. That's all.

I suspect I was actually going to tell you about the wide range of choices between different chains. On campus there's the UFO (Union Food Outlet), which has a lot of fairtrade stuff. Everything there is a little more expensive, but for basics it does the job. The most convenient off-site supermarket is Morrisons - the bus from uni stops right outside it, so you just hop on and off and there isn't too much lugging to be done. However this is a cheaper chain, and I don't feel it's as good quality as some of the other places. And they don't have as much choice in some things. So I prefer Sainsbury's, but it does have a little bit of a walk back to the bus. But that does stop me buying too much. The last shop I did was 3 weeks ago, and I'm holding off until I get back from my Easter trip, which means using just what I already have until next Tuesday.

Weekend in Bath

We started out as seven. And ended with the name number, which was probably a good thing. Over the Valentine's Day weekend (although I had to be told that was that weekend - can never remember the date) we headed off to Bath for a few days.

Bath is almost entirely built of bath stone, which gives it a very uniform appearance, which is both attractive and terribly boring at the same time. The symmetry is amazing to look at - all the buildings are the same, and the effect is very smooth and easy on the eye. It gives the city character, but I prefer a little less order and a little more imagination. Only my personal preference however. It was quite pleasant to be in a city with proper hills again, although our hostel was at the top of one.

Speaking of the hostel, we stayed at the Bath YHA. It was fairly pleasant, although the bathrooms let it down, especially considering the services offered in the city...

We saw lots of the sights, and went on a free walking tour, organised by the city council.

I would highly recommend these tours if you're ever in Bath. Although it depends on the guide, it was one of the best tours I've done - very friendly guide, knew a lot and was very enthusiastic about telling us everything she could.

We saw the Pump Room

Assembly Rooms

Royal Crescent

And yet more elaborate lampposts. Someone really has had too much time on their hands.

We also went on a bus tour to Stonehenge and Lacock Village. Our tour guide was a slightly mad ex-army/truck driver/turned tour guide (fairly standard combination in my experience).

At Stonehenge it was learnt that it really is impossible not to look like a zombie when listening to the audio guides.

And that they really are, just as advertised, a bunch of rocks in a field. My thoughts on this?

They were quite interesting, but I found the surrounding landscape and the touristy-ness more interesting than the actual rocks. Still, some things just have to be done.

We also went to the village of Lacock, where lots of filmy things in Ye Olde Englishe Towns get filmed.

They even have an authentic shoppe.

We pretended to be wizards, because this is where Harry Potter lived before Voldemort (voldemort voldy voldy voldy-mort) zapped him.

(I think Queen Victoria did a better job at wizard poses than we did.)

After that we went back to Bath, and had food at the oldest food place in the city, Sally Lunn's. She made buns (although I thought they looked a lot like rolls, perhaps it's another dialect thing). Our waiter was very enthusiastic, and took photos of us all eating. We asked him to, it wasn't some weird thing.

Once again my snap happiness didn't cease when everyone got sick of me taking photos, so I turned the camera on myself, and discovered I actually am a camel.

What else did we do in Bath? Well, we went to the Roman Baths to take the waters, as is appropriate when one is in Bath. I drank some of the water they all drank gallons of back in the day. It was warm, and had a strong aftertang of iron. Not as pleasant as some things I've drunk, but better than many others. Still, I couldn't drink a whole glass.

Tried on corsets at the Fashion Museum. Tight. Couldn't breathe. But still felt remarkably elegant. That was all due the fact we could neither breathe nor bend over.

Finally, before we all departed for home (and that was another adventure for the next paragraph), we went to the Jane Austen Museum, where we were treated to a tour guide who read us a spiel that seemed to have been written on the ceiling or the backs of her eyelids, then walked through and saw things from Jane Austen's life and times.

We finished with cream tea in the Regency Rooms. Including many different coloured teas and cakes and scones. Only the teas were different colours, and even that's an exaggeration. One was pink, the others were normal tea coloured.

And so endeth our trip. The final stage was to get back to London. On the weekends they're doing 'engineering works' (leaning on shovels?) on part of the line back to Norwich, so any train trip is a mixture of train and bus. This was no exception, as they'd closed half the tube lines we needed as well. We were spread out over a few different departure times from Bath, but still managed to all catch up to each other in Ipswich (thanks to a very round about route from Paddington to Liverpool St stations by the first group) and enjoy one last leg together. Part of it was in first class (we were instructed to get on 'here' and sit down, so we did...), then we decided we didn't want to have to pay lots if we were found in the wrong compartment, and moved. Overall it was a good adventure. I would like to go back to the area at some stage and see some of the other things a little further out from Bath. But that will have to wait for another day.

More photos of Bath are here.

And there you have it. You aren't actually up to date yet, because I've been to London with Stu and Elly since all this, and done other fun things, but it's better than nothing. Next week I'm off to Germany for 2 and a half weeks over Easter. I'll have Easter Sunday in Prague which should be beautiful. I'll try to catch the blog up to current events by then, but can't promise anything. In the meantime, check here for a summary of our adventures in London by Stu and Elly. To start you off on my photos, go here.

Well done on getting this far. I'll stop now. Toodles!

My new bike

2010-03-19T02:53:00.004+11:00

I bought a bike. It's a second hand hybrid (cross between a road and a mountain bike), and I bought it from a guy who comes onto campus to service, repair, sell and buy bikes. He's subsidised by the uni, which I think is pretty cool, and will buy the bike back from me at the end of the year for 40% of what I paid. Although my flatmate has just offered me 50% so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. He did quite a bit of work on getting it up to scratch - new chain, brake pads and cables, some new spokes, a new tyre, so it should do me quite nicely for 9 months. I took it for its first proper ride today, into town and back again. There are more 'hills' than you expect, but you also pretty much just have to ride in a straightish line.

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Here are some photos of my bike. Helmets aren't compulsory here, but I feel better having one, so my mission today was to buy one. I managed to get a decent helmet and a super cheap, 'small' reflective vest for under £12 (about $AU20), so now I can feel silly but safe when I ride to and from church at night. And I brought my lights from Australia, so I'm all set.

I am a little concerned about its apparent lack of personality though. I remember many a great bike that named itself, Maurice for one. This one has a few rattles and creaks, but nothing that really qualifies as a name. So I hereby declare a naming competition open. Tell me your suggestions, and if I like one I'll send you a postcard, or something. The right to chose a completely different name remains with me, and anyone can enter.

Thoughts from an session dropping some eaves.

2010-03-16T05:09:00.002+11:00

The scene: Me sitting on a train opposite a group of 12 year old girls. Earphones in, music off all the better to hear them with.

The conversation (a summary): 'But what clothes does she suit? I know she suits skinny jeans but what about *brand name* tops?'

The revelation: Clothes don't suit us anymore, we suit them. This has been known for some time - "the clothes make the man", but now grammar has adopted the phenomenon, so it's official. What a peculiar thing self-identity has become.

Spring = pretty flowers.

2010-03-03T10:36:00.003+11:00

On my walk from town to uni, I noticed some very pretty flowers all over the grass by the side of Earlham Rd. If anyone can tell me what kind of flowers they are, I'd be most appreciative.

I think the last one looks like a bedside light...

Spring is springing.

2010-02-28T22:11:00.013+11:00

Have you ever really watched spring emerge from the cold damp depths of winter? I mean more than just noticing the blossoms have come out, but actually observing the progress of that blossom, from bud to bloom. I've been blessed enough over the past few weeks to see the process almost daily and observe the slow transformation, and it's quite remarkable.

When I arrived here, I couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't want to ride on the top level of a double decker bus (although I've since learnt that it can be a little nauseating with some drivers and roads...). Sitting at the front, high up above the world, it's the adult's equivalent of sitting on someone's shoulders and sniggering at everyone's bald spots.

But one of the fantastic things about sitting so high (13'11" from ground to top if anyone's interested) is what there is to see that's invisible from ground level. The top of bus shelters, covered in lichen, bird poo and water puddles, the bus stop sign also covered in, and the buds on the tree branches pressed against the windows.

Spring has long been one of my favourite seasons, and I consider myself quite honoured to be allowed to watch the progress of these buds. A few weeks ago, the branches were completely bare, now they're covered in green tipped lumps. Slowly the leaves are emerging, and soon the streets we travel on the 25 and 35 will be lined with beautiful green trees.

The beauty of this process inspired me to capture it on camera, so I went for a walk around the lake and now give to you a selection of photos not on facebook, in celebration of the last day of winter and the coming of spring.

Photos of the view from the bus are still to be taken, currently it's pretty wet outside, so all the windows in the bus are fogged up.

If you're wondering why I've put a watermark in, it's because I realised any photos I post on my blog are also put on picasa and therefore very easy for someone to use... if they happened to want a strange close up of a tree branch... I found really handy, easy to use, free watermarking software here.

The big 'what I've done so far' catch up post (part 1)

2010-02-21T03:07:00.008+11:00

Table of Contents

Part 1

Introduction
Opening a Bank Account
World Cafe
Day Trip to Cambridge
Phone Calls to Australia
Seeing some Seals

Part 2

The Gym and other forms of exercise
Windsor Castle
The Supermarket
Weekend Trip to Bath

Introduction

When my editor suggested I tell you all about what I've actually been doing over here, my first thought was "Well I'm sure someone reads my blog, although I'm not sure who, surely they'd be interested in what I've ACTUALLY been up to so far in my adventure in England-land, rather than my vague impressions and ramblings about nothing." So here it is, a comprehensive post about what I've seen and done so far. Of course, if no one reads this, it won't be wasted, as this blog also operates as my travel diary... As always, there are more photos available on facebook - I'll only put up a small selection here, but you should be able to see the facebook albums, even if you aren't a user. Let me know if there are any problems.

Opening a Bank Account

Living here for 12 months entitles me to open a bank account here. I wasn't sure who to go with, so I followed the age old device of joining whoever had the most famous name, who had a branch on campus. I expected a long and tedious process, but instead I just had to take a letter in, talk to the manager who opened the account and told me it was all sorted and I just had to wait to get my cards and pins. The most difficult part was getting my money from my Australian account to my British one... The process for me getting a form back to the bank went like this : bank faxes it to Mum who scans it in and emails it to me. I print it out, fill it in, scan it and email it to her who then passes it on to the bank. But it's all good, I now have money, can budget properly and don't need to worry about whether my Travelex card will be accepted because it doesn't have a chip... Hurrah!

World Cafe

Before arriving, I'd looked up what kinds of things were going on for international students, and found a group called World Cafe. It's run by a group called Friends International, who focus on building communities and family like groups up for people away from home. This is a Christian group, and each Friday they run themed evening - I've been to an international quiz night and a night of traditional dancing so far. There are also Bible studies for those interested in learning more, and occasional day trips. The majority of regular attendees are Chinese, but there has been great excitement at having Australians, Americans and New Zealanders attending. A few of us went along in the first week, and others have gone along after hearing about it from us. Apparently the coordinators have a lot of trouble getting the word out to western international students - they put it in our weekly email bulletin, but who reads that? I suspect there are cultural differences at play as well...

Day Trip to Cambridge

The Dean of Students office organises trips for the international students to see parts of England, and one of the trips I've been on with them was to Cambridge. We left UEA at about 9am and got there at about 10:30am. We went on a walking tour of the city, including into Emmanuel College,

the chapel of which is designed by Christopher Wren, who went on to design St Paul's Cathedral in London.

As part of this tour we also saw King's College Chapel, which was both magnificent and a little unchurch like.

The size of the building made it feel a little more like an elaborate banquetting hall than a place of worship. I understand it to be in the style of the time in which it was built, but have nevertheless decided that it does not feel 'churchy' enough to me. Please don't now start about stereotypes and church buildings and things. It is certainly a magnificent building, and I would love to hear Evensong there sometime.

One little amusing thing was the 16th Century's royal version of an "I heart ___" tattoo:

"R A" - Regina Ann. King Henry VIII's dedication to his 2nd (of six) wife, Ann Boleyn. You wonder if he considered converting it into something else.

We had pizza, that was nice,

Saw the Chronopage (time eating clock), which was a little weird, but also quite funky. The grasshopper on top looks like something out of Jabberwocky.

After wandering around for a little while, seeing a Round Church

and other random parts of the city
we hopped on the bus and headed home. It was only five hours in Cambridge, but it struck me as being a very pretty city. I'll try to go back sometime in the spring or summer, when there's punting on the River Cam. It is quite touristy, and I still struggle to get my head around the fact that it's a university that's also a tourist destination.

More photos are in this album.

Phone Calls to Australia
I have rung a few people, which has been nice. And that's all I'll say on that topic. Oh, apart from advice for future travellers - get Skype credit if you use Skype, calls are super cheap.

Seeing some seals
The aforementioned World Cafe sometimes has day trips to different parts of the Norfolk area, and a group of us went along to Winterton to see the seals. They spend the winter there, and we had no idea if there would be any, many or none. After walking along the beach for a while

and admiring the North Sea

we saw some seals

They were quite cute, and frolicked around. There weren't very many (compared to other years apparently), but it was a nice walk, we saw seals, I chatted to new people and saw some British beach landscape. On the way back, we walked behind the sand dune, and the landscape was totally different. One side was the sandy dune, the other grassy fields with sheep.

The afternoon finished with afternoon tea at a nice country cottage of the parents of one of the World Cafe helpers. Yummy food. No photos, was too busy eating. :)

For more seal photos, click here.

And now I think it's time for a break. Take some time to have a cup of tea, and in a couple of days, I'll put up part two of this post... Hopefully I may beat Elly with the posting of this blog too...

My New Church

2010-02-08T21:48:00.005+11:00

Well, it seems that I have found a church to settle at, a happy event indeed. Keep an eye for my discoveries while hunting in the new edition of the Tasmanian Anglican, in your local church this weekend (14th Feb).

It's a rather quieter service that Resonate, but in the end that seemed irrelevant. I was praying that God would show me where to go, and my thoughts kept returning to this church. I went a second time last night (after much deliberation over whether to go to a new service, or back there), and felt very much at home - there's a really good sense of genuine community, and the vibe is that of a big family, where comfort and support is more important that flashiness. Last night, I felt like I'd found home and as though I was just meant to be there.

The evening service is like a standard 10am service - follows prayer book orders of service, with communion about once a month. Not all the standy sitty recite bits in unison are done - just some of the standard responses to prayers and readings, although I suspect this probably changes week to week. The music is not as band-like as at Resonate - much more ... umm... acoustic, and a little older. Lots of 1990s Stuart Townend and Matt Redman, plus a few hymns and other assorted composers.

The preaching roster is made up of a few different people, plus extras who are giving it a go for the first time; last night a woman preached on the end of Ecclesiastes. It was a good sermon, very interesting. The next couple of weeks are looking at Song of Songs, followed by Mark.

After the service I got chatting to a few people in the tea queue (these Brits, they really do love their queues). There was much excitement as I filled out a yellow card - the official way of joining the church. Hehe. There is youth stuff going on. If I remember correctly 0(ish) to 14 year olds have a program during the morning service, and 14-18 year olds during the evening service.

I was a bit worried about what would happen this week after church - the week when I was new and knew nobody would be ok, because people would either talk or completely ignore the totally new face. But this time I knew a few people by face, but not enough just to jump in to a group and start a conversation. My back up plan was to just start introducing myself to people in a kind of backwards welcome thing. But as I should have trusted, God put people around to talk to me, so I was entertained for the entire period from end of service to go to Bible study time, and didn't have to stand awkwardly at all.

This church has an evening Bible study/social time for young adults, at someone's house across the road. They're working through Judges at the moment, and the two times I've been we've looked at the story of Gideon. This group was one of the reasons I felt quite at home at the church - it's a mix of students, young workers and others. It's a very comfortable group, much like any normal eclectic group of Christians. I think it's a mixture of some people from another church - the study leader is the assistant pastor elsewhere.

So overall it's a nice church. I went somewhere else in the morning, and liked it, but my mind just kept coming back to this one. The service is in the evening - a rarity for Norwich apparently, which suits me so much better. It's about 10 minutes away on the bus, and when I get a bike I'll be able to stay out later than about 11pm (last bus). The actual building is very pretty, I don't know when it was built, but it's tall and rather grand looking. It's Anglican (the only Anglican church I've visited... Except St Peter Mancroft where I heard Evensong), so it's familiar. The denomination wasn't a deciding factor, just happened that way.

Oh and it's called Holy Trinity.

Five weeks. I think. Or is it six?

2010-02-04T03:54:00.002+11:00

Time is flying. There's nothing I can do to slow it, despite my greatest efforts. Although right now I'd quite like to fast forward a few days so I can skip this whole 'sick' business and get onto fun things like seeing Windsor Castle. I have discovered my favourite cold and flu drug is not available here, and nothing else seems to be quite as effective (of the two I've tried so far...). I still have snot, this wouldn't be the case if I had my favourite vanilla flavoured meds. I should be going to see a local production of The Producers tonight, am hoping I stop feeling so rubbish in the next half hour or so.

Anyway, onto more pleasant things, like butterflies and meadows. I decided to sum up my life here by creating a few lists. Here they are:

Five Linguistic Differences between Australia and England. I cop some flack sometimes because I call things by strange names, but I will not bow to pressure and call a corgette 'zucchini'... oh is it the other way round? Darn.

1. Chook: chicken —> chook, seems fairly obvious to me, but apparently not.

2. Capsicum: is not a pepper, I have tried to explain that they are two different things, that we use the scientific name, but this is not an acceptable excuse.

3. Vacuum Cleaner: 'Hoover'. Say that in a sing-song English accent and you'll understand why I mock them for it.

4. Singlet: I ended up so confused at the end of this conversation I don't know what is called what, but I know I was referring to a girl's spagetti strap singlet.

5. Ummm. Just pretend I didn't mention the zucchini-corgette confusion earlier, and insert it here.

Top Four Memorable Smells of life in England (specific largely to UEA). Ironic considering I currently have a blocked nose.

1. Mud.

2. The bus - smelly people, airless, drunk people, food, wet clothing, standard bus smells, but combining to be unique on Norwich buses.

3. The kitchen's unmistakable odour of burnt toast, mixed frying meats and the label on the bottom of a saucepan that's slowly burning off.

4. The tube - so it's the same as Melbourne and Vienna, but that tang of hot grease, metal, people, foods is unmistakable.

Five unmistakable sounds

1. The fire alarm - a faulty alarm meant we had 4 alarms in 3 weeks (including two in one night), plus they test it every Friday morning. Never fails to make me jump and start panicking slightly.

2. Birdsong - before I left Australia I was sitting outside listening to all the birds thinking 'I'll miss this, I hope birds are just as vocal over there'. Never fear, they are.

3. Kamikaze Squirrels - they're utter nutters, just jump from branch to branch and one would be forgiven for thinking there was a small elephant stampede in the tree tops.

4. The kitchen door - "whoooooosh thud". Right next to my room, whenever anybody goes for a midnight snack.

5. The constant sounds of people - the cooling towers (I think) that never stop, the ever-present hum of distant traffic even when no sign of life is visible.

Some things UEA does better than UTAS

1. Admin. Isn't hard to beat UTAS really, but UEA does.

2. Location. While the university has lots of concrete, it is surrounded by woodlands and marsh, through which run lots of walking paths. Beautiful.

3. On site facilities - shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, laundromats. All signs of a far greater emphasis on living on campus.

4. Ethics - all coffee is fairtrade, and there's a large emphasis on being as environmentally friendly as possible.

5. Centrality - if you have any problem, go to the Dean of Students office and they will point you in the right direction. Usually down a short corridor behind the main desk. The university is fairly compact, and therefore there isn't too much running up and down big hills required.

Some things UTAS does better than UEA

1. The website - never thought I'd say it, but especially their equivalent of MyLo.

2. The library - how does a university operate without a reserve section???? Especially when there's a far greater focus on self-motivated learning.

3. Chips - the chips here are rubbish, worse than the Ref's the day before oil-filtering.

4. Exams - why does a uni need almost 6 weeks for exams? I still have no idea how it all works.

5. Timetables - Here classes go from O'Clock to O'Clock, which means lots of quick walking in between. The lecturers have more discretion about start and finish times, and will sometimes take only 50 minutes, but some will not give up a single minute of their allocated 60.

And that's it. Hope that gives you some ideas of my life on campus. Keep an eye on the Tasmanian Anglican for an article about my experiences looking for a church. I was going to write it here, but was asked to put it in the Anglican. I'm not sure if my article will go online, so keep an eye for the new edition from the first Sunday of March.

And my nose appears to have stopped running so much! Hoorah! Theatre here I come.

2010-01-20T03:26:00.003+11:00

Dear Readers,

Today marks the third week since my arrival to the shores of this new land. The weather of which I was warned is present, with a forecast of 'staying cloudy and damp', and although uncertain about its precise location, I am being careful to avoid the dangerous 'Midsummer' area.

On this day, I experienced some moments of complete contentment as I gazed out a library window, over my books and onto grassy pastures and heard the elaborate songs of birds. There was no other place I wanted to be, I wanted for nothing, and I thanked the Lord for his blessings. This led me to depart from the library, and venture across the pastures, where your elegant correspondent partook of a constitutional stroll around the lake's edge, before settling on a bench to learn about the terrible deeds of the Crimean War.

Upon completing my learnings, I returned to my lodgings, whereupon I perched myself elegantly on a heater to thaw my derriere. Having then fallen into conversation with various other lodgers about the Crimean War and golf, I was drawn to the conclusion that it was time to appraise you of my educational situation in this foreign country.

Each week I must participate in seven structured hours of learning, with many times this expected spent in personal studies. My classes cover topics such as Napoleon to Stalin: The struggle for mastery in Europe, Latin for Historians, and Landscape II: Built and Semi-Natural Environments. Perhaps surprisingly the latter of these is so far proving the most engaging, perhaps due partially to the enthusiastic teachings of the staff. Never before have I heard such profanities emit from an educator's mouth, but he is forgiven for his excitable delivery of them.

My lessons in Latin will perhaps be the most challenging, as we struggle to grasp the concepts of grammar not yet familiar to your dutiful correspondent. The tutor in this subject, however, is a wise woman, who I feel will not let us fail easily in our tasks. I look forward to utilising the skills from these lessons.

There is a chance your faithful correspondent will not survive her lessons about Napoleon to Stalin, as there is a great deal of ferocious boredom induced in some of the topics. This has been diagnosed as only a temporary affliction, and should pass with the coming of a World War.

As to the location, the University is becoming less of a puzzle, the city slowly falling into place on the map contained within my head.

As I end this missive to you, my loyal reader, I must reiterate my utter thankfulness to our Good Lord who has provided a safe and happy harbour for your persistant correspondent.

Your Sincerely,

Imogen

One week in...

2010-01-13T23:49:00.003+11:00

Well, I've been at Norwich for a week now, and I'm feeling pretty settled. Haven't found all my routines yet, but they'll come. The most surprising thing so far is that the only homesickness I've had so far has been momentary, then gone. I think the internet really helps this - being able to keep in touch with home, seeing what's going on on facebook, chatting to people on skype means I feel far less disconnected than last time. There are disadvantages to this of course, and the main one is that I have to be careful to ensure my real life here takes priority over Tasmania. There's little point in being on exchange in a foreign country if I constantly miss opportunities and experiences because I'm distracted by 'home'.

I have Wednesdays off this semester, which is nice. This morning I was registered with the medical centre, so I'm now covered by the NHS, and this afternoon I'm going to Sherlock Holmes with some people I met at a church on Sunday. It's not quite as random as it sounds - they're friends of a Christian flatmate (who's been letting me tag along to church and Christian Union with her), and it was all organised last night at CU. I find it funny that the last movie I saw in Australia will be the first movie I see here. But should be fun - I enjoyed the movie last time, and wouldn't normally go to see it again, but it's about meeting people and living here.

The strangest thing about life here so far is actually living on campus. Here's a map of the campus, with relevant buildings so you can see how close everything actually is.

For those of you who've lived on campus before, this will seem normal, but for me it's strange. Where before uni was only a part of life, now it is life - everyone you meet goes to uni, and a fairly standard question is 'where are you living?' There are people who don't leave campus for weeks on end, because everything they need is here on campus. Last night walking back from Christian Union (via the pub) we bumped into some of our flatmates and all walked back together. I had to carry my bag of dirty washing through the middle of uni the other day, and an hour ago I popped out to one of the campus restaurants for lunch. It's very easy to see how one might become socially isolated in this environment - seeing only other uni students, and often only the same ones, without much interaction with the outside world. I shall endeavour to avoid that fate.

I bought a year long bus pass the other day. Free travel within Norwich for 12 months. It was expensive, and I need to make 50 return trips from the city for it to be worthwhile, but looks like just this week I'll use it at least 4 times, if not more. I debated whether to get one or not for a while - would like to get a bike too, but figured that if I have it, I'll use it and will go into town impulsively, like yesterday when I was bored, whereas if I don't, I'll save everything up until I can't avoid town any more. I think having it will give me far more freedom and I really will get to know the city.

Anyway, that's all for the moment. It's snowing at the moment, but I really want to go for a run. Bizarre. I hate running, but even when I was at home I was feeling the need to go running, to the point where I had dreams about jogging and enjoying it. A lot of my flatmates go to the gym, and running and things, so hopefully my aim of becoming fit this year is not so ridiculous. There's some good looking aerobicsy classes at the gym, so once my gym shoes get here from Australia I shall be off and away. I've also been eating rather healthily I think - lots of vegies, legumes, grains etc, which is nice. Made a pot of potato and onion soup, but I don't actually like it - the potatoes burnt right at the beginning, and I didn't realise until it was too late. Someone else likes it, so I've told them to eat as much as they like, then it's going into the bin in a couple of days. I should get used to the stoves at some point before the end of the year.... Hopefully.

Being the nerd I am, I'll get back to reading about the 1813 alliance between Austria and Great Britain now.

By the way, I've stopped posting my blog entries on facebook, so people over here won't read them (not that I'm going to write anything horrible about anyone). Please pass the word around about my blog though - I'm sure there are people who don't know it exists who still want to know what I'm up to. :)

A photographic tour of my home for the next year.

2010-01-10T06:37:00.003+11:00

For photos of UEA, especially Norfolk Terrace, have a look here. If you want to know more about what Norwich looks like, check these photos out.

My day started with a walk around the lake, a walk I've been meaning to do for a couple of days now. It's very pretty with all the snow, and I can't wait to explore some of the longer walking tracks in the area. There were lots of people walking dogs and jogging, but also a few other dawdlers like me. The area of land the uni has is quite impressive, and I imagine it will have a few more stages of beautiful as it goes through spring, summer and autumn.

After that, I headed into the city with Mo, a girl from Maine who's here for 6 months. We didn't really have a plan, just to get an idea of the lie of the land, buy a few things and end at a supermarket.

We were pretty excited to have our first trip on the top level of a double decker bus.

We wandered, saw some old stuff, didn't go into any museums or anything, but generally got an idea of how the city fits together. It's quite small - apparently wasn't affected by the industrial revolution so the street plan is the same as that set out in the medieval period, and it hasn't moved very far outside the original city walls. We're told it takes about 15 - 20 minutes to walk from one side to the other.

We ended in the supermarket, where I bought supplies for the next (hopefully) week and beyond - I doubt I'll use an entire packet of lentils or rice in a week... Now my cupboard has food in it, which is exciting. Still don't have any bread though...

The post you've all been waiting for.

2010-01-08T20:32:00.005+11:00

I'm sorry to everyone who may have thought I'd fallen off the edge of the planet somewhere between Singapore and London, I have been intending on blogging for some time, but haven't. I'm still alive, am now in Norwich after a fun week of total-touristiness in London. Here's a selection of touristy photos, you'll find more here.

After a long time travelling (about 24 hours flying time, plus airport waits), I finally arrived. But first a word about the journey. I couldn't get window seats, and usually hate aisle seats because when I fall asleep I slump into the aisle and get attacked by the food trolleys. But this was the best flight I've ever had in the aisle - British Airways' headrests are very flexible, and bend down a long way so my head was surrounded and held in place. Meant I got some sleep. Spent lots and lots of time standing up the back chatting to various people and looking at the window trying to work out where over earth we were. The maps weren't working on the tvs, so we just had to guess. Finally got to Heathrow at 5am, went through the British aisle of immigration feeling like a complete imposter, trying not to talk in case they noticed my accent and revoked my passport, got out and was collected by my brother. We headed off to his flat, where I met my lovely 1o month old niece for the first time:

Spent most of the day relaxing, accidently dozed off too early in front of the tv, so woke up too early, but not so early I couldn't enjoy seeing London the next day. Caught up with Carli, and we saw lots of things over the next few days. Check my facebook album for more photos, but here are just a few, with accompanying Doctor Who references when relevant:

Buckingham Palace.

Phone Box! Oh, and Carli and me.

The Doctor thought he'd gotten rid of them all, but he missed one. Genocide? I hope not.

Repaired after that whole alien ship crash business a few Christmas' ago.

Westminster.

Also saw the Tower of London (very interesting place) and spent a whole day in the Museum of London (best £0 i've never spent - go there if you get the chance, not on the standard tourist route, and therefore no big crowds, everything's completly free, and the cafe food is only mildly over priced but very yummy.)

Well then I travelled by coach to Norwich. Got here mid afternoon, after taking about 10 hours to move 5km on one stretch (a slight exagerration, but I did hear the phrase '5 mile delay'). Caught a bus from the city centre to the uni, and although I haven't been back in yet, it looked very English, and therefore good. Hopefully I'll get in tomorrow, although there are supposed to be bitter North Sea winds.

The uni seems very nice. It has been described as a concrete jungle, and I can see that. Got lost a few times, but am now starting to get the hang of how it all fits together. The maps are pretty useless, because the whole uni is connected by walkways and bridges.

As soon as I walked into my accommodation I was welcomed by a couple of other residents. The majority of my flatmates are from the UK, and have been here since September. This means they're settled and well-bonded. I was a little concerned that it might be hard to fit in, but so far they all seem pretty easy to get along with and pretty keen to make me feel welcome - I'd been introduced to a few people within about 15 minutes of arrival, another couple came and knocked on my door while I was unpacking, and my stick figure (including beanie) had been added to the whiteboard of flatmates within about 5 minutes. I think there are about 5 girls and 7 or 8 guys, but I'm not entirely sure. Not everyone is back from the break yet, but when they are I think we're all going out for bonding drinks in town. There was a rather funny moment when I revealed that I'm not really a drinker, as this apparently presents a problem for bonding, but we'll see what happens. Almost all the others in this flat are studying med, nursing or physiotherapy. THere is one person studying English, but I think that's it. A few of the nursing students are on placement at the moment, and get up ridiculously early, but I can sleep through almost anything, so I'm already getting used to the noise of them moving around in the kitchen early in the morning.

Here are a few photos of my home for the next 6 months. Not sure where I'll be for the second semester, will have to vacate then get a new place at the beginning of next semester.

The view from my room window.

My room. Right next to the kitchen, with the water pipes in my cupboard - bit noisy when people use the kitchen taps, but also a nice warm cupboard which is great for hanging damp clothes.

My little sink area. Forgot to rotate it... Just turn your head.

The kitchen table (and windows).

The cooking half of the kitchen.

One of the other girls in my flat is Christian, and has offered to take me along to her church on Sunday, hoorah, and another international student (from New Zealand) is also going to be looking for somewhere, so we might go trialling together.

I've mostly been hanging out with other international students, and we're a mixed bunch. The largest group come from the US, followed by Australians. There are also some Norwegians, and probably some others, but I (unfortunately) find myself hanging out mostly with the Australians and Americans. Hopefully I'll get a chance to get to meet the others when we're not in such a large group - there are various day trips and outings planned throughout the semester. I'm looking forward to classes starting on Monday, will hopefully get to meet lots of 'natives'. I know one girl doing one of my classes, but no one else. My Latin for Historians class has about 11 people I think, so that will be a good chance to make friends I hope. Especially since the classes are 3 hours long first thing on a Thursday morning.

Timetable looks good - I have WEdnesdays and Fridays off, so will hopefully be able to do some 3 day trips to see things.

Currently the country is OBSESSED with the snowy weather - I've taken to having BBC News Channel on in the background (in the accommodation they have a free internet tv thing set up), and they just keep going back to the snow, checking in with different parts of the country, different old men and ladies eating their meals on wheels, different outdoor gear salesmen. The favourite shot is that of the reporter's foot pushing the snowy slush around on the road, followed by the locals shovelling.

That should keep you going for a little while. I'm off to find some dinner. Bye bye and thanks for reading.

Today I realised I would see neither the end of the orange juice in the fridge, nor the disposal of the rubbish in my bin.

2009-12-24T01:22:00.000+11:00

Monday is looming, and I still haven't quite accepted that I am leaving here for 12 months. Probably won't until I'm on the plane. Right now I'm feeling a mixture of anticipation, excitement and a little guilt. Not nervous or scared, quite possibly because it hasn't sunk in, but the guilt is related to the stress, worry and general frustration my mum has been dealing with over the past few months with her mother. As the only child left at home, I've been trying my hardest to be supportive and make it easy for her. It's been unnecessarily busy, and my parents and I have been like ships in the night, so I haven't had much quality time with them lately. It's very hard not to resent unforeseen circumstances for this, especially when they could have been avoidable and largely the result of whim, but the time has flown for whatever reasons and there is no going back.

I still live at home, a move I strongly advocate for anyone trying to save money, and I'm pretty close to my parents - I like living with them (usually...). We don't always see each other during the day, and the news is usually on during dinner, so our longest conversations are at night with them in bed, and me leaning against the doorframe at the foot of their bed. It's not unusual for Dad to put his pillow over his head in an attempt to tell me to shut up, but Mum and I keep going until one of us can't remember the words any more. Sometimes I'll get home at 10pm intending on going straight to bed, but not get there until 12:30 because I've just been debriefing with my parents, in the kitchen or their bedroom.

I'm telling you this so you can understand my sense of guilt at leaving them. I feel a little like I'm abandoning them when things are tough. This trip has been in the planning since well before stress arose, and my parents want me to go, but it's always hard to leave the people you support when they need it the most.

This trip is going to be great. Probably a little scary at times, but I can't think of anything that might realistically happen that I can't handle, although I'm intentionally not imagining too hard. I'm pretty certain I've got God's support for it, which is a huge blessing, and I can't wait for a proper winter with snow. Finding a new church, and fitting into a new community will be exciting, as will getting to know my flatmates. My biggest concern at the moment is finances - currently I don't have quite enough money, but I have several solutions for this, so it'll all be good. Who knows how I'll go with culture shock or homesickness, but my intention is to keep off instant communication (facebook, phone, skype) as much as possible especially in the beginning, because I know from experience these don't do anything to help. Letters, emails, blogs will be my communication of choice, so please post any comments here rather than on the facebook post of my blogs (I have it set up to automatically post my blogs as notes on fb).

If you're a praying person, please pray for youth group, as I leave it and it takes a new form of leadership - there is potential for it to crash and burn, but with prayer, support and dedication by the leaders it will be fine until a new youth worker comes along. Please pray for my parents and anyone else whom I support, entertain or distract. Please pray that I'll settle quickly, happily and without too much fuss, and that I won't worry about money. Please thank God for the opportunities I'm getting - studying overseas, working at Iona (7 weeks in the shop over the summer holidays), travelling around, meeting new people, and for the work God's doing in laying the foundations - phenomenally fast acceptances, unexpected money, random (yet very handy) connections.

And that's about all. I have 5 more sleeps until takeoff, an enormous amount of clothing to cut down on, and Christmas to survive. My bedroom is a pigsty, and I know that if I leave it messy, the mess will just wait 12 months. I still have presents to buy for Christmas, and baking to do. I have no idea if I've filled out all the correct utas forms, or if I'll get snotty letters. If I were told I had to leave tomorrow, I'd probably fail completely at taking anything useful, but who cares. I'm going to England for 12 months. I'm going to study medieval history surrounded by the stuff. I'll see my new niece, travel around Europe, make new life-long friends, and have an adventure with God by my side. Who can ask for anything more?

If you're reading this on facebook, add my actual blog (http://jabberingfool.blogspot.com) to your rss feed - it will update quicker, and you'll be able to comment on my posts rather than my facebook notes (better for posterity and for my reminiscing in the future).

Quite frankly quite awesome

2009-12-11T17:06:00.002+11:00

Check out these Star Wars Themed hoodies. Who wouldn't think you're the coolest person in the world when you're dressed as a Storm Trooper and still toasty?

Or cruising the streets dressed as an X-Wing Fighter Pilot?

Reminds me of those suits you get for little kids - the Spiderman costume,

or the monster suit

But really, they're just for our inner-nerds, and isn't it about time they were given a chance to shine. Although if you are a little embarrassed, maybe the Storm Trooper, with it's total face covering zip-up hood would be the most appropriate.

Endings.

2009-12-09T00:57:00.003+11:00

It's been one of those days. You know. Those ones. They're neither amazing nor terrible. My evening was good fun, watching movies with some friends, but there was a recurring theme of waiting things out to see if they got any better, only for them not to. First I was watching a terribly sad doco on the Darrell Lea family. I think the family policy of 'whatever happens in the family, work comes first' summarises it all. The company is held in higher esteem than any family connections, including between brothers or father and son. It was incredibly disillusioning, and a powerful lesson about how destructive ambition can be. I kept watching because I didn't want to miss a potentially decent ending, and go away with the wrong impression. But there was no happy ending.

Then we watched He Died with a Felafel in His Hand, which was also a little disappointing at the end. We watched it out, wondering where it was going, and hoping for a happy ending. But once again there wasn't, and we were just confused about what had happened, and why we'd kept watching.

I'm sure there's some kind of anecdotal lesson in this, but I'll have to think about it to see what it is. It was a fun evening anyway, we also watched Flushed Away which I enjoy a lot, and just hanging out with friends is always fantastic, no matter what you're doing.

I promise not to comandeer a chieftain tank in order to invade Paris.

2009-11-24T00:24:00.004+11:00

Points to whoever can identify my title reference. Without Google.

This time in five weeks, I shall be very close to arriving in Singapore, quite possibly looking forward to getting away from a slightly tipsy, over-chatty Welshman. Hang on. that was last time... Mum suggested yesterday that I start to work out which clothes I should take. Perhaps a little early to actually start stacking them up (they'll just go back into the wardrobe as quickly as they come out), but it's certainly time to start wondering which clothes I should replace (jeans), which need cleaning (downie) and which are just perfect as they are (ummm?). Then in a couple of weeks I'll start actually doing something about it.

Still hasn't sunk in that I'm going. Haven't really done much preparation except get my tickets and travel insurance, and practise jumping up and down excitedly in my head.

Anyway, in outdated preparation for living in the United Kingdom, I watched through the 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers over the weekend. I'd forgotten quite a few bits, but one of the best is here at 1:12.

If you're reading this on facebook, check it out in infinitely cooler form at my blog.

Checkerboard Cake

2009-11-03T21:30:00.007+11:00

On mentioning how much I wanted to have a go at making this cake, I was told to put photos of it up. So here they are :) And no, I do not ever want to be a food photographer, so don't expect beautiful shots of glossy food on pristine plates. :P

So it's not going to turn out like this, but it's looking quite cool. Was looking through my Green and Black's Chocolate Recipes book, and found this, read the instructions and realised that it isn't nearly as complicated as it looked.

Part one was making two batches of mixture - chocolate and vanilla, but I didn't take a photo of them. Then I had to pipe the mixture into pans and bake them. You must note that this was my first ever go at piping, so excuse the wobbliness :D

Then, when they had cooled, I spread apricot jam (homemade, yummm!) on each layer, and stuck them together.

Then came the icing, which also is not amazing, but should taste good. Was supposed to be ganache, which is always so much better, but I didn't have any chocolate to melt for it.

So now I must just wait for the icing to set so I can cut it, and see if it looks at all checkerboardish.

A short time later:

I'm pretty excited that this worked! Yes it's a bit wonky, but it still looks great I reckon.

It tastes pretty good too, although I think there is perhaps a little too much butter. I already reduced it a little, but I might do so again if I use this recipe again.

But there you go. It wasn't very complicated, although it took a while. And it was pretty satisfying to cut it and find that it worked.

Bliss

2009-10-26T12:07:00.003+11:00

I suspect "study heaven" is a contradiction in terms, but if it were possible, this would be it. Perhaps minus the weird smell, which I can't post a photo of.

The only problem is that I have to fight the urge to pull out the gardening gloves and get weeding. That's for AFTER exams.

If you're reading this on facebook, see the original at my blog, which is so much cooler than facebook notes. For the first on my overseas adventures next year.

Procrastination stage 2

2009-10-20T17:04:00.006+11:00

I was procrastinating so much I never documented stage 1 of this fabulous journey that ends in blissful holidays, but all you really need to know is that it involved much cleaning.

By this stage I am getting a little beyond house cleaning and cake baking, and have moved onto greener pastures. Literally.

So I took some pretty photos of the garden. Thought it was going to evaporate yesterday, so was much steam rising up, but didn't get photos of that. Got some of rain drops and other pretty things, and was happy.

But today things took a turn for the worse. I was forced to spend several hours creating pointless tableaux from lego and cars. Painful I know. Out in the sunshine and fresh air, all for this:

And thus I move closer to procrastination stage 3. Who knows what that will involve.

For all the photos, click here.

Right now, I'm eating scrambled eggs, with a comb, from a shoe.

2009-10-15T16:39:00.003+11:00

Due to a number of complaints about the length of blogs on this website, management will allocate only a small space for future entries and will not tolerate the propagation of superfluous information.

Title: University of East Anglia
Departure: 28 December, 10:30am, Hobart Airport
University orientation: 6 January
University start: 11 January
Easter break: 20 March - 18 April
Assessment: 4 May - 11 June
Holidays: 12 June - 26 September
Autumn Semester: 27-17 December
Return: 27 December

First choice subjects
Spring Semester: Latin for Historians, Landscape II, British Intelligence in the 20th Century - Myth and Reality.
Autumn Semester: Translation Theory and Practice, Modern Germany 1866-1945, Medieval English

Holiday and Tourist ideas
Volunteer at Iona (application submitted)
Volunteer at Greenbelt
Visit Stu and Elly in Bulgaria
Visit friends in Austria
Go to Eurovision in Norway
Go to random places with super cheap flights
Anything else anyone suggests.

He's up there... mewing in the nerve centre of his evil empire.

2009-09-17T17:02:00.002+10:00

Sometimes an organisation just blows me over with its independence. Over the past couple of days, I have developed a strong respect for the independence of a certain administrative cell group. This independence is of a special variety. The OED gives several definitions of 'independence', but this administrative cell group is so independent it does not even adhere to the common rules of the English language. In fact, they are so independent, the independence is passed on to each member of the staff, and each is willing and able to work quite independently from each other. Another thing I admire is their determination to keep this independence. Not for them is the curse of conformity of opinion or knowledge. Each holds their own knowledge, and it is their's alone, not for anyone else to know. Sometimes this fierce determination to maintain independence is taken to the point of hiding even the existence of the knowledge. The members of this administrative cell group work hard and receive little reward for their toil and trouble. They are the ultimate protectors of independence. So next time you're on the 5th floor of the humanities building, lift your hat and give a cheer. They (well, one member) may hear, and they certainly won't pass it on.

Turn left at the dead badger

2009-09-05T11:32:00.003+10:00

Look. It's a rat. a great big rat. In the stove. It had a friend. I don't know where its friend went, but I hope it wasn't off to have ratty babies. Come to think of it, I don't know where this one went either. I wish them all the best, and hope they have a wonderful life together, far from here.

The Elephant and the Balloon

2009-08-25T16:06:00.004+10:00

So I did that Facebook list thing - 15 books that have been the most influential in my life, without thinking too hard. It took far longer than it perhaps should have, as I went blank, then later remembered a whole heap of others. Here's my original list:

1. Cold Comfort Farm (Stella Gibbons)
2. Lord of the Rings (Tolkein)
3. Bible (God)
4. Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
5. Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe)
6. The Book Thief (Marcus Zusak)
7. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
8. Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen)
9. Time Traveller's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
10. Famous Five (Enid Blyton)
11. Almost any Terry Pratchett
12. Dracula (Bram Stoker)
13. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
14. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
15. The Horse and his Boy (CS Lewis)

Followed by the extras I would have added if I could have had a few more spots (or even replaced some of the above with):

The Dark is Rising Sequence (Susan Cooper)
Two Caravans (Marina Lewyecka)
Dune (Frank Herbert)
Empyrion (Stephen Lawhead)
Obernewtyn (Isabelle Carmody)
Cloudstreet (Tim Winton)
In the Hall of the Dragon King (Stephen Lawhead)
Tom's Midnight Garden (Philippa Pearce)
The Elijah Bailey books (Isaac Asimov)
1984 (George Orwell)
Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare)

What were my criteria? To tell the truth, there weren't really any specifics. Some people looked at books they reread a lot, others at books they felt they had to read, and I just looked at books I always remember. A lot of these books have just one or two scenes that have stuck with me, such as the final scenes of Brave New World, or when Shasta and Bree are travelling along the cliff edge at night, with Aslan protecting them from falling, in The Horse and His Boy.

Some of the others I re-read regularly for the story, like The Secret Garden, Empyrion and Terry Pratchetts. Empyrion (especially the first) plays like a movie in my head as I read it, and even now I recall large chunks of narrative in movie form, although I haven't read them for a few years. Some I listed for the way they made me think about the world, 1984 being the slightly stereo-typical one of them, but also Things Fall Apart and The Book Thief, which gave me new perspectives to mull over.

And then others I listed because they are books of my childhood, read over and over, and yet still loved (and still read). Famous Five (yes I still re-read these occasionally) Dark is Rising Sequence and In the Hall of the Dragon King are some of them.

Of course not all fit into one of these categories, some are books I studied at school or uni (Cloudstreet, Things Fall Apart, Northanger Abbey). To some studying a book ruins it, but I find that I often like the book far more after, because of the intimate knowledge I have of it. I can appreciated the humour more knowing who the author aimed it at, I can see the lessons being taught. Of course it doesn't always work. There are some books I plan on never ever ever picking up again, but that's more related to the fact I didn't like the book in the first place, and couldn't care less about learning anything about it.

Lastly, I would like to thank my parents for raising me with books. To my Dad for reading me Lord of the Rings every night when I was seven, to Mum for taking me to the library, or collecting me after school when I'd taken out too many books to carry. For Sunday afternoon trips to Book City (the smell of which still transports me back 15 years). For letting me read anything, with nothing more than a warning that 'this book might be a bit complicated, but give it a go'. For all the times I've stood in our lounge room staring at the bookshelves, being advised by Mum or Dad on what to read next. For letting me (or perhaps even expecting me) just sit quietly in the corner with a book at dinner parties, afternoon teas, lunches, before church, in the car, on the plane, in front of the fire, on buses, while for parental meetings to finish, at restaurants or almost anywhere else.* For teaching me the necessity of being able to just sit quietly and amuse oneself, and how easy that is with a book. That is one invaluable lesson I will be passing on to my children.**

*please note that this may make me sound like a very anti-social child. I wasn't really. The partner lesson to being able to read anywhere, is learning to tell the difference between when you should and when you shouldn't. I think sometimes my teachers wished I was a little more anti-social sometimes, if my reports are anything to go by.

** I think I'll try to accompany that with a love of reading non-fiction and textbooks though. Haven't quite grasped those yet. Usually I find just sitting and staring at the clouds preferable. That's a problem.

Where it's all at.

2009-08-25T15:06:00.002+10:00

I got exciting news yesterday. My first pref uni wants me to apply for exchange with them. I'm in the process of filling out forms with details about me, my course, my major/minor (umm, two majors?), my passports (although my aussie one is about to expire, so will have to update those details sometime) and my subject choices. I have to get utas faculty approval for the subjects I would like to credit towards my majors, which means getting hold of lots more information about the 'modules' than is in the module guides. Which means waiting until lecturers and people come off summer holidays and check their emails.

It's all very exciting! Currently I'm still looking into options for filling my summer break, but there's one place that's really caught my eye. It's a place called Iona, mainly in the Inner Hebrides, and they take volunteers to do various stuff. History nerds may recognise the name of the island, as it's where Columcille (Saint Columba) settled, and perhaps where the Book of Kells was partially created. My brother volunteered there ten years ago, and has (I think, it was via email) enthusiastically endorsed my interest in going there.

2 posts in 1 year? Amazing!

2009-08-23T23:37:00.000+10:00

I'm trying to work out the best look for the blog. Does anyone else have trouble reading the white on grey, or is it just that I don't have my glasses on? I like the appearance, but perhaps not for practicality?

Also, can someone please tell me how to make my heading picture fliexible in size? I'm on a widescreen computer, so it looks all good to me, but I suspect it will just make smaller screens scroll sideways, rather than fitting itself.

Anyway, read my slightly more intersting post below now! :)

It's time.

2009-08-23T22:53:00.003+10:00

There seem to be blogs popping up everywhere at the moment, and they reminded me of all the midnight inspiration I never wrote down. Just for the record, you'll note I've had this blog for many years, since 2004 in fact, when blogs were a relatively new thing. So I'm not ACTUALLY following a trend, I've merely been remotivated to share the minutae of my life with the wider world, while trying to look intelligent (or at least interesting/funny).

So, next year I'm hoping to head off to England on exchange. Yep, another exchange (check my 2005 posts for previous exchange adventures). I had a great time in Austria, but this is going to be so much better. For one, I won't be blogging as much. I blogged a RIDICULOUS amount back then! But if you look down the list at number of posts per month, you can tell when I changed host families....

But I will blog a little, to keep you all up to date on what I'm seeing and doing, as well as to record my memories for posterity. And so I should get into practice. From this day forth I shall blog about the trivial and the vital. But for those of you who are new to my writing style, here are a few tips:

turn off your logic control when you read. I generally write as my brain goes, and while the connections may make sense to me, I can't guarantee they will to you. Just go with the flow.
ask questions (while I'm away, well no, anytime, but while I'm away I reckon you'll actually have questions). Give me direction for my posts. Trust me. It's worth it. I've just reread some of my old posts, and boy am I a good waffler.
be prepared for the absurd to be juxtapositioned with the average. I make strange connections and say things in weird ways. Imagine it in my voice and it might make sense. I write blogs like I'm having a conversation.
Ummm. Nup, that's it.

So anyway, since everyone keeps asking, I'll explain the whole exchange thing.

England. Well, I shall be looking out for rastafarians and moustached flat capped men. But I'll also be visiting my brother, sister-in-law and niece. And gawking at all the medieval history in the place.

I am studying Arts Law, and doing a double arts major in history and german. Because of the way I've organised all my subjects, at this point in time I've got 2 history units and 2 german units left before my majors are complete. So next year I'm going to take a year off law, and go to the University of East Anglia (hopefully, provided they like my application) for a year. Currently I have been approved by utas to go on exchange, and now just have to wait for uea to approve utas to nominate me... or something. May be a while before I know. I've put in an application to get a loan that will go onto my hecs debt (pah, what's another 10 grand when I'm going to be a rich lawyer. ha.), and am preparing to enter battle with centrelink to convince them I deserve youth allowance.

There's some confusion involved in the whole process, largely because utas is occasionally administratively challenged, so I've been told about 4 different things about applying for scholarships. I think I shall contact the scholarships office directly.

I plan to fly out just after Christmas. Flights seem to go up about $800 on the 1st of Jan, so it'll be before then. I'll stay over there for a year, and come back after Christmas 2010. This is all hypothetical and dependant on many many things, but we'll see what happens.

I'm currently working out what to do in the summer holidays. They seem to be about 17 weeks, and I'd like to work/volunteer somewhere for some of that time. I'm looking around to see what's on offer, somewhere that provide bed and board would be great. So if you have any ideas, let me know. I like to be part of a community, rather than outside it like a tourist. It's so much more interesting to be on the inside, working behind the scenes, and I know I have skills I can use to help somewhere.

So there you have it. My plan. Who knows how it will turn out. Maybe I'll be rejected and will finish law next year. Maybe I'll end up at my 3rd preference of Leipzig. But stay tuned here, and you'll be the first to know. After me of course.

Oh by the way. Did anyone see my photo on ABC weather on Friday? That makes it three submitted, and three used. I really am an old lady stuck in a young person's body.

Terribly sorry about the slightly boring return to the blogoquad, but I'm now off to reflect on God's intentions when he decided to give flies loud wings in quiet bedrooms. And how to kill said flies with the least effort.

Waste not, want not.

2008-09-15T16:00:00.004+10:00

Use every piece of God's armour to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth, and the body armour of God's rightousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6: 13-17

It struck me during Mick the Missionary's sermon last night, that we have been given all these things to use. We haven't been given the faith-shield to look pretty in the pool room, nor the Spirit-sword to hang over the hearth. They have been gifted to us as practical tools to be used.

This doesn't mean we should trash the peace-shoes, instead we should wear them, cherish them, get new laces, get them resoled. God has an infinite supply of peace-shoes to replenish the worthy wearer. I've always imagined the salvation-helmet to be battered but gleaming. Polish it with pride, so you can bear it with pride. The more you use it, the more comfortable it will be to wear.

There's a scene in a book or movie, where exactly it is from eludes me, but essentially it's a man explaining that while his inherited sword has had the blade replaced several times, has a new handle, has been rejewelled, it is still the same sword as has been passed through down the family for generations, because it isn't the parts that make the sword, but the spirit that goes with it. This is how I think we should treat our Armour of God, don't be scared to use it too much, because that's what we've been given it for.

No one (even Luke Skywalker) is great with a sword (or saber) the first time they use it. But with practice they can eventually use it against the evilest of beings, and beat them back.

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

I find the juxtapositioning of the Holy Spirit to as being both a sword and bringing the fruits fascinating. The sword is weapon of war, and yet the fruits belong in the realm of peace. If our lives are controlled by the Holy Spirit, we will be in possession of these fruits, and yet expected to wield their giver (and therefore the fruits ?) as weapons.

My only conclusion here is that we are not to be anything but loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlling when we wield the mighty Word. The sword is in itself not a violent object, it is he who wields it maliciously that makes it so.

What are your thoughts?

Read. Reflect. React.

Have you ever wondered...

2008-08-28T21:05:00.004+10:00

...what you would do with all the time you waste, if you got it back?

"Waste?" you incredulate. "I don't WASTE time! I simply misappropriate and exploit an opportunity that arises in the intercourse of everyday life." Or something like that.

So waste. What is it? Time. What's that? How do the two fit together with a handy preposition and what does it mean?

According to the poster on the loo door at church, the average westerner spends three years of their life on the loo. Three years! Now, personally, I do not consider bowel evacuation a waste of time (pun only sort of intended).

What about sleeping? Wiki answers reliably tell me, complete with bad grammar, that the average (American) human spends 1/3 of their life sleeping. I like being awake, and therefore I must accept that some sleeping needs to be done, and unfortunately cannot all be done at once, as Amelie believed. A third is a lot though, but that's still only eight hours a night. And who hasn't slept for 10 or 12 hours? Perhaps those extra hours spent dozing, lazing, dreaming in bed could be considered a waste.

Of course, the obvious one is television. I've recently bought the Hustle dvds for series 1 and 2. In the holidays I watched my way through both seasons of Dark Angel. I've seen them before, but who cares, let's watch them again, just because... I've been watching Arrested Development, Red Dwarf and Torchwood as well. And that isn't to mention the things I watch on tv. And the movies. Now, that I think is an arguable waste of time.

What is or isn't a waste of time is not my point. That's for you to decide. But what would you do if you could get the 31 hours you spent watching Dark Angel back? Or the 75 hours watching House. Or the 13 hours watching all the Star Wars'. Or the 4 hours a day you spend on Facebook. Or the 5 hours a week you spend drooling over dvds, cds or games in jb.

I'm not going to stop watching movies, tv or reading books. But I know there are far better things I could do with my time, and I'll try to use my time better, with less procrastination, and more proactivation. It's not going to come back, appear magically as the 53rd calendar week, but we should work harder at not misappropriating future time. It's easy to think, "yeah yeah, I'll start tomorrow", but seriously, tomorrow never comes. The time it takes to watch House s. 1-5 is more than the hours worked by some kids in developing countries in a week*.

If you know I've updated my blog, you are probably trawling the internet, or have an rss feed that tells you everything that's going on in the world. Now I love to see all the news that comes in over the day, to see what's happening in the world, and I would love to be able to help where I see pain, but it's not going to happen if I just keep saying "tomorrow, I'll stop just repeating what I've already done and go and do something new." Have to make a move now, or else it will never happen. Now is always there, so it can never be too late to change now, but don't leave it till later, because that ain't gonna show.

*If you're an avid House watcher, don't be offended, I could have picked something else like Lost, but then this disclaimer would read "If you're an avid Lost watcher, don't be offended, I could have picked something else like House, but then this disclaimer would read....."

If you like some of the words created for this entry, please feel welcome to adopt them and circulate them in the wider community. There is no copyright on 'incredulate' or 'proactivation', and while I generally disagree with 'verbation' (the creation of verbs from nouns or adjectives), there is a time and a place, meaning, here and now.

Little time was wasted on this entry if it makes you think about how you spend your time. Do not force me to be a hippocrit by not doing so, thus making it a waste of time spent writing.

Read, Reflect, React.

Reflecting on Contemplation

2008-07-15T21:01:00.005+10:00

Ok, so I haven't written for a while, but life's been busy flowing around me, so I haven't had much of a chance to collate the bundle of thoughts whooshing in my brain. I have however had time to read a lot of books, and one of them has been Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practising the Presence of Jesus by Mark Yaconelli. I heard him talking at Greenbelt and he's an inspiring guy. His dad was pretty famous for pioneering youthy stuff in America, and it is so reassuring to read that his son has exactly the same worries and problems as those of us who have merely risen through the ranks, without inherited knowledge. He describes how he nearly burnt out at the beginning, because of the expectation that he would be his father's son, and because he tried so hard to create successful programs, relationships, groups and to do it all himself.

This book however is about his experiences with using silence and contemplation as a tool of spiritual development at youth groups. "What?" I hear you say, "silence, contemplation with my rowdy bunch? They can't sit still for 5 seconds, let alone an hour!" And that's exactly what I've been thinking as I read it - sounds good in theory, perhaps great for the leaders, but with the youth? Really? You've read my previous post, you know how I crave silence to get God's peace, and should understand that I really appreciate any opportunity to sit with God and try to listen to what he's telling me. But do others? Especially people with endless energy, who can't sit still, who've grown up channel surfing, flicking through magazines, requiring excitement to keep them interested.

Hang on. That's me! I'm like that. I am a fidgeter, I have too much energy, I channel surf when I'm bored with the ads, I rarely read an entire article in a magazine, and I have trouble reading books that don't capture my attention through fast plots or interesting characters. But I also need quiet sometimes. Hmmm.

Every week at school we had to sit in silence for 50 minutes, to make up to-do lists, imagine what we would like for dinner, learn sign language and giggle behind our hands. At least, that's what I did at first. Slowly though, I got the hang of what the Quakers were about with their sitting in silence thing. That was when I started to enjoy the chance to reflect on God's work in my life, pray a bit, and listen. I usually got pretty distracted quite easily, but it planted the seeds of appreciation. My memories of those weekly gatherings are of forced silence, with a few muffled giggles or occasional snores, but generally I remember them as being silent.

And that is why, on reflection, I believe silence at a youth group could become accepted and an appreciated part of our journey with Jesus. I've been praying about what I've been reading, and looking for inspiration for how to use it. I would like to implement some form of contemplative reflection at our grade 11-12 group or the 7-10 Bible study, and will keep praying about it.

In the meantime, however, I think God's been sending me messages again. I read this article today, after Mum thought it might interest me, unaware that was the book I was reading. It gave me real hope - the book is written by an author, and I have an inherent distrust of the advice in books, something to do with the person seeming to be more professional, with far greater resources, larger numbers. But the article is by an Australian, on the ground, in a familiar environment, with the same hesitations as me. And it worked for him!

Just now, while watching The Bill, a character has just said "Silence can be so uncomfortable. But they say I'll get used to it after a while". Isn't that such a common attitude. I've heard it said that the quickest way to be fired from a job in ministry is to suggest 10 minutes of silence be held during a service, but why? Jesus spent a lot of time sitting, listening to God (some examples are Matt 26:36, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, but there are heaps of others). Why do we reject that particular aspect? In an alternate reality, could Christians be scared of sermons and shun them as an important aspect of worship?

Think about it, and consider why you might not encourage contemplation in your area of ministry. There are a lot of different ways to 'do' contemplation, and Yaconelli talks about quite a few, but there are a lot of others too. Look into it, don't be afraid to give those in your team a chance to listen and reflect, without time pressures or other distractions. And let me know how it goes. I'll be reporting back on our adventures.

I pray that God will bless your socks off if that's what you truly require, but will knit you a new pair when that's what is necessary.

Nourishment in flowing water

2008-01-23T23:08:00.000+11:00

It's been a while, and for that I must apologise. I don't know what happened, but suddenly writing on my blog just didn't seem as interesting as it has previously. But I currently have the urge to write something about something, and I don't really know what... In the last week water has been a large part of my life, both a lack of and an over abundance. But it got me thinking about the significance of water to me as a Christian.

BayWest has been renamed Wellspring, meaning the place where the river starts to flow. In other words, it's where people will be raised up to follow God, before flowing out to nourish the community around. But do you think the spring could cause a flash flood? Is it possible to have too many Christians in the community? I don't think that's possible, but I do think there is always a risk of a spring flowing too fast, not allowing enough time in between welling up and spreading out - sending out the people ill-equipped to fight the every day demons of the secular world. Some might argue that anyone who follows Jesus is capable of nourishing the community with their knowledge, but another might say that new Christians only have enough vitamins to nourish themselves, and not others, that as they develop their faith, trust and knowledge, they gain the resources to share. Hmmm, I don't like this second theory, but I feel there may be some truth in it, although I also believe that any Christian, old or new, should be able to spread some nutrients to the community through which they flow, and should be able to rely on God to renew their resources, to keep giving.

People today focus on serving oneself first, and others later. The Christian community has responded by serving others first, and oneself second, a sentiment with which I agree wholeheartedly. But what about spiritual renewal? It is very hard to renew one's own spirit while giving out to others - it's like having a pipe through which the water flows, without stopping to benefit the middle point. We have been trained to believe that taking some time out is selfish, and unnecessary.

I recently experienced what could only be described as spiritual starvation. I was leading on a camp, and was struggling to show God through my actions, to a group of campers who were infuriatingly blasé about responding to kindness. Over the week I could feel myself becoming more exhausted, and grumpier, finding it harder to reach down for kindness and godliness to give. But my exhaustion wasn't just physical. I was pining for some time with God, and had to admit defeat and take time out. I had never required time out for such mental exhaustion before, and it was disturbing. Was God not feeding me? Had he abandoned me to rely only on my own meagre resources, without renewing them? No he hadn't, but what he was feeding me was going straight through the pipe, out the other end, to the campers. I had no chance to absorb what I was being given, before giving it out again, and it was killing me.

God will never ever put you, me, anyone in a situation with which they cannot cope, but sometimes he will require you to stop and listen to his plan for getting through. Pushing on, without stopping for directions, is like running through a minefield without looking at the map. It is dangerous, foolish and can cost you your life. Of course, God could make sure you follow the safe route through, but that's not what free choice is about - his gift to us is the requirement that we make our own decisions, and he can only place markers to show us his way. But we need to stop and look out for them. And THAT is what time out with God is about. It's not a selfish time away from giving God to other people, it's stopping at the service station to get petrol, directions and clean the windscreen of all the stuff you drive through, for a better view of the road, so you can get your passengers to the destination safer and faster.

I hope that makes sense to someone. I hope someone reads this. I'll be praying for everyone who reads this, that you will learn to stop at the service station, and not run the tank empty every time before stopping to refuel. I pray that you will learn to put a dam up within you, to retain some nourishment that flows through you to others, that you won't be forced to remove that dam simply to keep up with supply, but I also pray that you will not become a blocked pipe, from which nothing leaves, and into which nothing new enters.

I love bored science nerds...

2007-06-01T13:14:00.000+10:00

Maybe if we'd done things like this at school, I would have done science... (who cares that it's in Spanish!)

I remember swimming in pools like this, but it was weather inflicted....

Don't try this at home...

Pretty.... And it's a peugeot... And yes it is Richard Hammond presenting... And don't forget that slow release mechanism of... what was it again...?

And now i'd better go and get ready to go to Synod...

Movies I've watched recently and would recommend.

2007-05-27T00:10:00.000+10:00

Well would you look at that. It's almost exam time again. So MOVIE TIME!

Spiderman 3: Spiderman returns this time as a confused student, with issues in his personal life, as he discovers that the identity of his uncle's killer was wrong, and the real killer has now escaped. Spidey sees in his mind how it must have gone, a malicious murder. He starts to think about revenge, at the same time as a strange alien form falls to earth, that enhances the negative emotions already felt by it's carrier.

There are new villains in this movie, with the Sandman and Venom, and the Harry the New Goblin returns to get vengence for the death of his father.

There are very strong overtones of the pain jealousy, revengeful thoughts and disunity can bring, and even stronger ones of the healing effect of forgiveness. At times they can be a little cloying, but overall it is an entertaining movie. In places, I found the music to be too obvious and manipulative. I don't appreciate movies where I can sense myself being manipulated to think a certain way - I'd much prefer it were subtley done.

While this is not a perfect film, I went in expecting it to be be far worse than the others, and I cannot understand where this opinion came from. The plot developed, and the film did not drag. The fights were entertaining, and the use of computer graphics, while at times obvious, did not detract. I loved the scenes with an Emo Spiderman strutting his stuff, and thought it a worthy member of the trilogy.

Garden State: Andrew Largeman returns home for a family funeral, and decides not to take his emotion surpressant drugs with him, making him drug free for the first time in 15 years. His visit is a rediscovery of life, as he reconnects with friends and family.

This movie is a bit of an Orson Wells attempt by Zach Braff, but it's one of my favourites! He directed, wrote and starred in this quiet comedy, which thankfully does not have (too much of) the usual American in-your-face humour. It is for the little things that I enjoy it, for Natalie Portman's compulsive liar, for the furniture-less house, the petrol nozzle. It is a sad story, but also uplifting. While predictable, there are still unexpected turns on the road to the inevitable outcome, and as with all feel-good films, the interest comes in how they get to the end, rather than the end itself.

It's obvious that this movie was made by a young person, and it has the good feeling of being a first, a bit experimental. The jokes are immature at times, but that's ok, they're funny.

Watch this film, expect some swearing and some drug use, but also expect an intriguing story of a person searching for the ability to feel emotions, and the journey (literal and metaphorical) he takes to get there. It's good, and for some reason I put it in the same kind of category as Saving Grace and Little Miss Sunshine (maybe it's the drug thing...??) I loved it the first time I saw it at the movies, and the second time in Austria, the third time, on dvd, I got more out of it, and the fourth time this week I just laughed.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: I was pretty pumped about this one, and I wasn't disappointed! Captain Jack Sparrow is missing and everyone wants him back for Davy Jones' locker, for their own reasons. Off they set on a crusade to rescue him, save the world and stop the evil people all in 3 hours.

The plot is a bit confusing - who wants to save whom for what reason isn't always clear, but since when has that been a problem in adventure movies? All the usual characters are there, and as a continuation from number 2, it is far more satisfying to watch than the 2nd. I found it a little sad, but after the credits comes some closure (WAIT TILL AFTER THE CREDITS!)...

There are some running jokes continued, and the usual frivolities. It has some fantastic computer graphics, enhancing the fun fight scenes. There is violence, and some scary scenes, so take someone to hide behind if you're that way inclined (otherwise take someone who needs to hide... I can suggest a few...), but it is immensably enjoyable. There is room for another, which would make me happy, but who knows - the rumours are unclear about that.

If you enjoyed the first Pirates movie, go see this one! At almost 3 hours long, it has the potential to drag and be boring, but I barely noticed the time going by, so don't worry about that. Go in to have fun, and you'll be fine!

Little Miss Sunshine: Olive wants to be a beauty queen. She gets into the Little Miss Sunshine competition, in California, but they must drive from somewhere much further away (it's another American state I know that much....). The family has a few problems, a motivational speaker who fails, a grandfather who was kicked out of the nursing home for starting a cocaine habit, a Nietzsche following brother who's taken a vow of silence, a suicidal scholar uncle, a mother trying to hold them all together, and Olive, the completely normal, average 7 year old girl. They all pile into a kombi for a road trip!

This movie is hilarious for the twists put into a basic road trip story - I wouldn't usually expect some body smuggling, or a horn that jsut won't stop. It has hope, without being horribly corny, and the end is satisfying without being sickly sweet.

Watch this when you want a great laugh, watch it with friends and chocolate. It's a little odd, not your usual road-trip film, and some have found it a little slow or haven't understood it at all. But it's worth watching, especially if you like Garden State or Saving Grace.

Do you think there's a special fairy...

2007-05-23T16:20:00.000+10:00

...who comes and gives you 10 extra zips and makes them extra loud when you're in the library?

The True Story of Easter 2007

2007-04-08T15:11:00.000+10:00

Once upon a time, there was a girl called Imo.

Once day, Imo woke up at 4am, to her cat sitting on her head. She was a little grumpy, but then realised that it was Easter Sunday, and she'd have to get up in an hour anyway. She tried to go back to sleep, but it didn't work and finally at 4:59 she got out of bed, to the irritation of the cat, who was wondering where her plaything was going.

Imo showered, dressed and breakfasted, then headed outside to await her lift. While she waited, the sky started to light up in spectacular colours. Imo took some worse than average photos of the city in the almost no light

Eventually, just as Imo worked out how to get the minimal light to be used optimally, Ruth turned up to collect her. It was now 5:50am, and really far too early to be conscious, but Imo had no real problem, having been awake for almost 2 hours now. She responded to Ruth and Jacks' 'Good morning' with perhaps a little too much energy for the time.

They took off on a trip up Huon Road and met with a few other cars at the Fern Tree Tavern, before setting off further up Hobart's little hill, that is affectionately called the Mountain, or Mt Wellington, when it's in trouble.

As they drove up and up, they saw the sky over the city starting to light up, and the road up ahead started to glow with that pre-sunrise light.

Suddenly, Jack twisted and went 'eek', and it was revealed that his hot water bottle had bitten him.

It was a race against the clock, pretty sky and sunrise, and they were in danger of losing.

They reached the top, and it was as light as day. Everyone piled out of their cars, and we headed off for the lookout platforms. Jack was mourning the destruction of his hottie, and moaned about the burnt patch on his tummy. He got very little sympathy.

It was still very early. About 6:20am.

Everyone looked out over the city, and ohhed and ahhed about the absolutely PERFECT day and sunrise. It was so beautiful, and they praised God for how perfect it was. It wasn't cold or windy on the top of the mountain, which is a rare occurance, and there was a Dawn Service happening in the lookout house. That ended, and people came out and lots of 'Good mornings' and 'Happy Easter's were said.

Everyone could see very far, and they eagerly anticipated the sunrise. While it wasn't too cold, and all were dressed warmly, everyone's fingers started to go numb, and the warmth of the sun was anticipated.

Some of the party went to the other platform to see the sunrise from there.

The sun started to come up. First it was a glow.

Then a shimmer.
Then a sparkle.
Followed by the full force of the sun as it came out to play.
Everyone rejoiced in the light, as it hit the mountain.

Suddenly, in the sunlight, it became obvious who all the people there were. (There were a few couples...)

Ruth and Jack
Liz and Phil
Pat and Mez
Mark (trying to look seriously out at the world, with Pat)
And Phil, Heather and Katherine.
Caleb and Matt were also there, but being camera shy people that they are, this is the only photo with them in it. (And what a mighty hat Caleb is displaying!)
And everyone who was there....What a silhouette... Lucky we can see the landscape around Ruth really.... :-P
There's those cloudstills.... (clouds that look like waterfalls.....)
Oh, artistic shot of what happens when Kath runs away from me taking her photo.

And those final shots of picturesque Hobart at dawn.....

What an amazing, perfect start to a wonderful Easter.

And now the sun is starting to set again. There's something extremely satisfying about seeing a whole day's sunlight, from the rise to the set. But I think it's something that shouldn't be done too often, to keep it a novelty... :-D

Merry Easter everyone!

Two years to the event

2007-04-06T16:13:00.000+10:00

This day two years ago I was in Austria, trying to solve a dilema. I was on Easter Break from school, and my school friends were going out in the evening of Good Friday to celebrate the break, and I couldn't decide if I should or not.

I really wanted to - I'd only been in Austria for a month or so, and wanted to see Altstadt at night, and go out and have fun with my new friends, but it was Good Friday, and it just felt wrong to go and have so much fun on the anniversary of the death of the most important person in my life.

I didn't go, and spent the day in silent suffering - from indecision and PMS that brought on homesickness. I guess that was one way of looking at Good Friday, but I've been thinking about it today, and I think that if I was given the chance again, I would go.

Jesus died. That's sad. But he rose again. That's happy. If he hadn't died, he wouldn't have risen again. So that makes his death a happy thing.

Good Friday is for reflecting on his death, and what it brought (hoorayness for us), and I think it's very understandable to want to stay at home and not do anything fun at all, but if you are just wasting that time, wishing you'd done something else, then it's not the best use of the time. I suspect that had I gone, I would have spent the rest of the day in much more worthwhile reflection.

So if you're going to spend time at this time of the year in reflection, make sure you make it worthwhile, and don't umm and ahh about whether you should or whether you've got time or whatever, just do it.

Anyway, that's a bit of a ramble, just a warm up to my real post really. Maybe. Probably. Prossibly. Possibly.

What's been happening lately? Not all that much really. I'm back at uni, studying ArtsLaw, with German and Medieval History for my Arts subjects. I'm loving them. For Law I'm studying Contracts and Torts (if only it was that delicious). They're kinda interesting, very applicable to everyday life, which is a nice difference from my arts subjects.

I'm currently avoiding doing my contracts summaries, which involve lots of highlighting and A3 paper. I'm so easily distracted today. Georgie (my cat) has been a great distracter all day... Later I'll go to Tenebrae, a service which celebrates the actual crucifixion of Christ, with lots of drama and candles and drums.

I've booked my flights to England, hoorah! I'll be there for Greenbelt too, which I'm pretty pumped about! I keep talking to Emma (future sister in law) on msn, which is great. She's very excited about us being there for Greenbelt too. Then I'll be off to Austria for a few days, which will be fantabulastic I reckon, looking for nice cheap flights there at the mo...

Well I'm hungry right now, need to go find some food.

Watched Bruce Almighty last night. I've seen it before, but I really like it. It's not perfect, but has some cool points to think about. Such as, what would happen if God gave us everything we 'want' ("who really knows what they want?")...

Hot Fuzz

2007-03-20T22:32:00.000+11:00

Hot Fuzz. Go see it. Haven't laughed at hard at a movie for quite a while! Cop spoof that really does the spoof thing well. Had some beautiful little touches. For the same people as Shaun of the Dead.

Pan's Labyrinth. Also fantastic. Mexican fairy tale for adults. Odd ending, but sadly happy. Quite violent, but excellent effects and unusual story. It's use of the grim Spanish Civil War reality intertwined with Ofelia's dangerous involvement in the mystical Pan's Labyrinth, is intriguing, as is the juxtaposition of the two stories.

RECALL NOTICE

2007-03-13T23:58:00.000+11:00

The Maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.

This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.

This defect has been technically termed Subsequential Internal Non -Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some other symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental Component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this SIN defect. The Repair Technician, Jesus, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.

The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.

Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Believers' Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility.

Thank you for your attention!

GOD

Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by "kneemail".

Kraftwerk - Hokey Kokey

2007-03-06T17:52:00.001+11:00

Foreign Police Sirens

2007-03-06T17:51:00.001+11:00

Bill Bailey examines Cockney Music

2007-03-06T17:42:00.000+11:00

Bill Bailey's Love Song

2007-03-06T17:29:00.000+11:00

I've gone on a YouTube Bill Bailey hunt in case you hadn't notice... Just to share the joy...

Chaucer Pubbe Gagge

2007-03-06T17:24:00.001+11:00

I really must be a young Christian...

2007-03-03T22:42:00.000+11:00

I know of four weddings within the next 12 months... In order of occurance

My brother, yep fine... He's 30ish, so ancient by comparison to the others

A friend of a friend... Well that's considered to be a controversial marriage, with him a 22 year oldish christian, her a 20 year old explorer of christianity, dating only 1 month (but known each other far longer I think...) This is one I don't have a particular opinion on, but it's still a young christian marriage...

Two of my good friends, who announced it tonight. This is one we've seen coming for a long time, and it's FANTASTIC, but they're both only 20, with her 2 months younger than me. These guys are the first of my close group of friends to get married, so I'm starting to feel old...

Then another two of my friends. I don't know him all that well, but she's a good friend, also younger than me.

It's one of those things that people laugh about, one of the truths about Christians, that we often get married young, but wow has this month really proven it right... Hehe

Congratulations to all though! Yay!

The Side Effects of Global Warming

2007-02-28T23:16:00.000+11:00

The Truman Show (spoilers)

2007-02-22T19:02:00.000+11:00

Watched The Truman Show today. I've seen it before, and I know it was the coolest most thought provoking film like evA about 5 years ago, but I'm 5 years behind, and in light of several conversations I've had over the past few days, it got me really thinking.

The Truman Show, for those who haven't seen it and haven't clicked on the link, is about a guy (Truman) who's the unknowing star of the ultimate Big Brother show. He was born on live television, and has lived in a world created solely for watching him live out his life since then. It is all directed by Christof, down to the consoling lines spoken by Truman's 'best friend' when Truman is suspecting that there's more to life than he's been led to believe. Truman starts to fight this pretend world, wanting to explore outside it's walls and see more of the world.

Truman's struggle reminds me so much of the fight I see some people facing when they start to wonder if there's a God. When they believe, there are just as many obstructions as Truman faces when he wants to do something that isn't acceptable to the others living in and 'controlling' his life.

Truman starts to really wonder about the truth of his life in Seahaven when little things strike him as a little strange - a light falling from the sky explained as a plane shedding equipment midair, an encounter with a man who looks like his dead father, who gets whisked away. Explanations for every strange event are found in the newspaper the next day. All these, plus an episode from his school years, start to make him wonder and question what's going on. But the more he questions, the more obstructions he meets as Christof tries to prevent him living his own chosen life. Within one day he discovers there are no flights to Fiji available, the bus to Chicago breaks down, and when he takes dramatic action to drive out, he is stopped by a convenient nucular leak that has forced roadblocks and an evacuation zone to be set up, preventing him escape via the road. And yet he keeps trying.

We see the people barracking for Truman at the Truman Bar, in the bath, the carpark, hugging pillows with Truman's face on them, in Japan, learning English from the show. We see Laura, the girl who 'they' didn't want talking to him, and got taken off the show for doing so, leaving an indelible memory with Truman. And these are the people who rejoice when Truman steps out of the set, after refusing to bow to Christof's pressure and give in to the fear of leaving the safety of Seahaven.

Truman faces death to find the truth, as Christof uses increasingly extreme methods to try and force Truman to turn around back to the 'normal' life. But he keeps going, and this is the message I want all you people who are looking at life, wondering what it's all about, whether there's a God, whether he's worth following to take from this post.

God can't force us to do anything, that's one of the beauties of him, he gives us free choice to do what we like. Of course there's a way he'd like us to do things, and he makes sure there's always opportunities to do it his way, but you can take a different road if you wish, although where you'll end up is not the best destination for the rest of eternity. As in The Truman Show, there are always obstructions, some major, some minor, but you'll get through if you believe in the end goal.

The Truman Show reminds me a little of the book of Job (about the guy who's faith is rigorously tested by the devil) and also the Lost Son (guy gets early inheritance from dad, goes spends it all on sex drugs and rock n roll, then returns home crawling and dad welcomes him and throws a massive party). Those of us who believe in God, Jesus, Father, whatever you want to call him, are members of that party. We are barracking for you, like the audience of the Truman Show, and when you choose to push away the 'normal' life - the life of a non-christian, we throw a massive party, as does God (Jesus made wine - of course God likes a party!).

I just want to encourage anyone who reads this to keep searching, keep testing the boundaries of what you believe. You don't have to believe in Him, but He believes in you.

I'll be praying for you.

May you let God guide your steps, and may you see the work he does in your life.

God bless,
Imo

Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to seperate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39

Stinking hot...

2007-02-18T17:10:00.000+11:00

Today it's rather warm... By our standards especially, where mid-20s aare considered warm enough! So far it's gotten to 35°C, but there is no respite, because our houses often warm up to the same temperature as outside, and a lot of us don't have airconditioning. But we just sit it out, and enjoy frozen blueberries... Well that's our house at least!

But the weather has been hot for the last couple of days, with a cooler front expected tomorrow. On Friday we had spectacular storms, with thunder and lightening that lasted for several hours. It was such typical Tasmanian weather - one minute the skies were bright blue, and the sun roasting everything alive, and the next it was raining and thundering and flashing. I lay in the hammock under the house for a while, watching the lightening and the rain, marvelling at the wonders of the weather. And it was spectacular from under there, until the wind started to blow the rain straight onto me... It was still spectacular, but better to watch from inside...! It was completely dark by about 8pm, when the sun was meant to set at 8:20, which gave an odd sense of almost jetlag.

Well I've been kinda flat out with work, doing Eisteddfod stuff, and some other stuff that got passed on to me to do by my mum. It's all money, but O-Week starts tomorrow, so only a week till uni. Hoping this week will be really nice and relaxing, planning to catch up with a few people and stuff, so shoudl be good!

Been busily planning my trip to England for my brother's wedding (have I ever mentioned that my brother's getting married? Well he is! To Emma, who we met last year at easter when she come to visit! She's English, is a teacher, and seems really nice!) I'm planning to fly to London via Vienna, and return the same way, then I can have a few days stopover in Vienna and see all my Austrian friends. I'm SOOOOO looking forward to it all! Emma's planning to show us all around the area where they live, and I'll visit the sister of a friend who's working for a year at a school, about 50 minutes drive from Emma and Alex! Yayayayayay!!

Talk about timing too! When I'm in Austria, a friend from there (who's studying in Egypt) will also be home! We're planning to organise everyone to be in the one place at the same time so we can have a big catch up!

Finally, Heth got home today, after 2 and a half months of adventures in New Zealand and Costa Rica! It was great to go out to the airport to welcome her home! WELCOME HETH!!! Hooray! She's back safe and sound!!

I love the rain!!!!

2007-01-21T16:42:00.000+11:00

Isn't rain jsut the coolest thing in the whole wide world? I mean, weather in general is amazing, and i think it is in the weather that God's work is the clearest!! But weather like today's, is just mind-blowing.... This morning i was lying in bed, peering out a tiny gap of curtain, wondering why i could see blue skies when it's supposed to be really rainy today. But i got up, got dressed, sat in the sun for a while and read my book. Suddenly the sun went behind a cloud, and I looked up at the Mountain. There was this enormous grey cloud taking over the mountain, sweeping down. The temperature suddenly dropped, and I felt like I was in some kind of a horror movie when everything suddenly becomes colder as the menacing yeti steps into the picture. Went and changed into trousers, and watched as the skies turned grey, and the Bureau of Meteorology showed that the temperature that it feels like had dropped by 10°C in about 30 minutes. Then came the rain. It was pouring down - sounded and looked like hail, but it was just MASSIVE drops. Well, our house had a memory lapse, and forgot that rain's supposed to be on the outside and not the inside. Mum and i raced for towels and water waterfalled down the windows (on one it was on the outside, very pretty, on the other however it was on the inside)..... Silly blocked gutters...! Then the chimmney started peeing, but we didn't realised until there was a puddle on the floor... Crazy Crazy!!! Hobart got 30mm of rain in about an hour and a half....

Well we don't usually have a lake in our garden...!

I love the sound of the rain drumming on a tin roof, like the ones we have, and also on the alsanite roof of the house next door. Beautiful sound. Everytime it slowed, I would get tense, and think 'no, please, keep going and move up into the midlands!!!' But everything must come to an end, even beautiful things like soaking rain, and it did. We looked outside and under the house were a few lakes.... Mum got excited, grabbed the hoe and started to make channels...

Mum contemplates the puddle under the washing line.... (The photo doesn't want to go the proper way, so you'll just have to tilt the head!!)

I can't remember ever having lakes under our house before, Mum says she can remember it happening maybe twice before.....

But I just love the rain so much!!!!!! And it's still going, but easier now, and it's really really misty...... YAY!!!!!! RAIN!

Sorry, I'm just a bit excitable about it!

I got Ugg Boots a couple of days ago, which is fantastic - never had them before, so i keep on walking around the house in them thinking how lovely they are - two tone purple!!!

And I got bluetooth working between my computer and my phone which is very useful, and also got iSync working for my phone (iSync is a thing on macs that means you can have the same address book and calendar on your phone and computer). It's not supposed to support the Nokia 6233, but I found a useful thing on the apple discussion site on how to add an unsupported model in. I love people who work out that stuff and then tell people like me who can follow instructions but not work them out!!!