be here now

One year ago today

2006-10-21T11:38:00.000Z

Today has been one year since I first arrived in Colombia. I can remember the day quite well. I got up really early at Eastern Uni in Pensylvania where I was visiting my friend, and got dropped off at the train station. We both got the train to Philadelphia where we tried to sort out my tickets. I think that turned out to be quite confusing, but I cant remember why. That day all trains to Florida were cancelled due to a hurricane that was on its way, which made me nervous as I was supposed to fly to Miami that afternoon. Anyway, I left Julie, got on the train, made my way back to New York City where someone I knew met me with their car and drove me to JFK airport. I checked in. Simple stuff. The flights, thankfully, weren't cancelled. I had my first idea of what Miami airport was like. I dont like it. Made it onto my next flight and flew down to Bogotá, Colombia.

It was dark as I flew over the country so I didn't get a very good view of it. I saw the lights of Bogotá and I still didn't believe I was actually there. Despite having heard that Bogotá airport can be difficult, I didn't have any problems and I made my way outside to where I got my first view of what Colombia can be like. Lots of people speaking a strange language I didn't understand, all crowded round waiting for their people to arrive. I turned right out of the airport door and saw an American lady with a sign with my name on, so waved and headed over in her direction. And so I met Jennie who was working with Childrens Vision. We met, introduced ourselves, probably hugged, and then she introduced me to about 10 of the kids, who later I would learn all their names and funny little personalities, but to be honest I have no idea of which kids were there. Part of me wishes I knew. Anyway.

We got in the CVII bus, and me and Jennie sat talking while the kids slept through the 45 minute drive through the city. Driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, lots of manic Friday night Colombian traffic, and I saw kids sitting by the side of the road, with nobody else. We arrived at what was very soon to become home, and dropped the kids off at their home and went into my house. There were 2 other people there, Asa and his girlfriend (now wife) Milena. I met them and he carried my suitcases up to my bedroom.

We left almost immediately to go round to the 'chicken place' as I call it because I can never remember the name. I walked along the road talking to these people who had lived in Colombia for a long time and I had no idea where I was or what to expect. In the chicken place we sat at a table by the window and ordered the rotisary chicken and salty potatoes, typical of Colombia. A man with one arm and scruffy clothes was sat eating at another table. A dog was wandering round the restaurant and kitchen. People were hanging round outside. A bar across the road was playing salsa music very loudly. I got a pretty good idea of what the neighbourhood was like! And then after eating, I went home and sat chatting to Asa for a bit. And then went to sleep in my new bed in my new bedroom.

And then the next day I got up, unpacked, had pancakes for breakfast, and went and met some kids and was shown around the kids homes.

But I'll never forget my first day in Colombia. I cant believe its only been a year. Only one year I had no idea who anybody was out there, I couldn't speak a word of Spanish. And now, well, I got told off for asking for a glass of water from the kitchen in one of the homes because apparently, its my house, my kitchen and I should help myself! Its home. One of them, anyway.

I feel good!!

2006-10-19T16:25:00.000Z

I've got 10 minutes till I need to head Neighbours way, down 4 flights of stairs, so as I've nowt else to do due to there being NOBODY about, I might as well write.

Went to Pizaa Hut last night with my hall group (bible study)and it was amazing. SO much fun! There was about 12 of us I think sat at a long table, and me and Alicia were in the middle, and we couldn't stop dancing. We've discovered a very addictive dance that once you've started is really hard to stop. I call it the 'Claire dance' because Claire passed it on to us. Anyway...was great fun getting to know people a bit better.

Got home at about midnight, was in bed not long after and lay there for a while, looked at my clock and saw 1am.....2am.....3am.....4am.....and there was no dreaming in between so I'm pretty sure I didn't doze off at all. If I doze off, I dream. I know because I was watching a film the other night layed on my bed, and dozed off for a minute. And I had the most vivid dream I've had in a long time - I was suddenly on some random street walking into a random shop with one of my best friends, I turned round, and he talked. And then I woke up. And was confused for a minute because I thought I'd actually been there. But thats not the point. Point is, I only got 3 hours sleep last night and I've been tired all day. Having 3 hours of Physiology lectres thoughout the day didn't help. Blood pressure? WHO CARES!!!! I also had 2 hours learning about the ageing process. WHO CARES!!!! Apparantly its all relevant for nursing. It was a long day.

But I'm feeling happy. I'm loving life, making good friends, having a good laugh, am freezing cold so get to wrap up warm (as much as I love summer, there is something about putting on the layers and the scarf and feeling snuggly). It feels good. I'm finally over my chain of illnesses that have plagued me the last month. I feel good. So I feel happy.

Off to watch Neighbours. Wonder what will happen today? It's all too exciting!

Non-existant articles and Little Miss Sunshine

2006-10-06T13:32:00.000Z

This is ridiculous. I've been sat here in the library for what seems like forever trying to find some stupid article about Nursing history and I can't find it anywhere. It's pissing me off. Libraries aren't supposed to be this difficult! Thing is, we don't know if we're supposed to be looking for a book, or a magazine article, or an e-journal, or what. So it's hopeless. I don't think it'll be the end of the world if I don't do this work but I would like to and I don't seem to be able to.

And I'm tired. So tired. Slept better last night than I have all week but it was still only for 6 hours in the end so it hasn't helped me quite catch up yet.

Went to see 'Little Miss Sunshine' at the cinema last night. 10 of us went hoping to watch 'The Devil Wears Prada' but it was fully booked so we saw the other film instead, and it turned out to be one of the most random and funniest films I've seen in a long time. So, I had a great night.

Going home tomorrow! I'm excited. Have been more homesick than I was expecting. I guess because in Colombia I couldn't see my family, it would have made me bankrupt to see my family. And here its so cheap and they're so near yet so far. So I'm glad to be going. And Richard is speaking at my church on Sunday so it'll be fun to see him too. Wish he had all the kids with him, but that would be a little much to ask!

Anyway I should go back to try finding this damn article. Chao.

Free days are fabuloso

2006-10-04T13:47:00.000Z

I watched Bring It On last night. Such a classic. We were gonna go to union to play pool after but we got a text saying there was only one bar open and it didn't have a pool table. So we went to the off licence, bought wine and sat in the kitchen playing cards. Great fun. Even better that I could sleep all morning as I don't have lectures on Wednesdays.

So now I'm sat listening to Robbie Williams and eating an orange lolly. Yummy.

We've developed a bit of a Neighbours fan club in our halls, everyone knows that 5:35pm is set aside for Neighbours. Fun! But because me and Sarah are going to the CU later we had to watch it at lunch time. Shocking stuff man!

I've started lectures, I have 19 hours a week of them. Gonna be tough. Gonna be interesting but much easier if I can manage to sleep at night. Yesterday was a looonnngggg day. Found some Christians on my course which is cool, they're really nice. Of course I live no where near them but I can at least I can see them during our long days!

So now got not a lot to do till 5pm when I'm walking up to the CU.

My rainy day, all full of loud ringing

2006-09-29T17:27:00.000Z

Woke up at 7:50am in time for the 8am fire drill.
Is it not cheating if they pre-warn us about a fire drill?
Stood outside for 15 minutes with everyone else from my halls, some people obviously having just dragged themselves out of bed.

Walked up to the campus and had an introductory morning to nursing, lots of people talking to us about things I don't remember now. Went to the disecting room and saw some half heads.

Walked to the Medical building to find out I had already signed up for the I.T test I want to take. Unnecessary journey.

Started walking home and bought a second hand anatomy book. Very hungry by this point.

Realised I have no food and really need to go shopping. Buy a chicken tikka wrap, an apple and some skips for my lunch. Eat and watch Bill Bailey - Part Troll.

Walk back up to campus in the pouring rain and in my gorgeous new boots and get lost trying to find the registry office where they had a nice big fat cheque waiting for me - first bursary payment. Walked round in circles between the 2 quadrangles and then walked across the road to the information desk and found out the registry was one of the only places I hadn't checked while wandering aimlessly round the quads.

Went to the bookshop and bought a white coat and 2 bottles of water.

Walked to gym and signed up - more money but is very cheap for a years membership. Saw Helena and Sinead coming out of gym so started to walk home with them.

Walked to the (better) union and signed up. Had my photo taken and I think my hair was pretty bad because of all the rain.

Finally got home ready to crash and then went out again and walked to the doctors to register. Thankfully didn't involve any money.

Got home in time to watched Neighbours and got 10 minutes into it when the fire alarm goes off again. 2 in 1 day...are you kidding me? Found out I know the person responsible - she was straightening her hair. That is how sensitive these fire alarms are. Went back inside and finish watching Neighbours but didn't understand.

Came upstairs. 4 flights up. Legs hurt, too much walking today. Now Sarah is ordering pizza, chicken and potato wedges for some people in our kitchen. Lovely. Going to the (better) union tonight hopefully, could well do with a good night out.

Sitting alone in my room with nobody about - sometimes that is lov-e-ly

2006-09-26T12:04:00.000Z

I keep trying to upload photos but tinternet is being a bugger and wont let me.

I had to register today, and as the whole university application process is one big muddle to me as I didn't have a lot to do with it as I was out the country, I didn't realise until yesterday that in order to register you have to pre-register on the internet and then be faculty approved. That was like gobble-de-gook. Anyway, after traipsing round different buildings this morning all over campus, and waiting F-O-R-E-V-E-R it seemed, I finally have my student card and am registered.

Was exhausted when I woke up this morning, took me about half an hour to eat my breakfast. I tried getting an early night (midnight) but didn't sleep til nearly 2am. It is melting hot in these halls and I just could not sleep.

Over the weekend I went to stay with a friend who I've known since I was a baby, typical that as soon as I move up to Glasgow, she is moving down to Wales so we still dont get to see each other! But I had a great time catching up with her and her husband and we relaxed and chatted and then got exhausted by walking up a mountain. It was amazing up there. Scottish mountains, with the sun shine and a cool breeze blowing and a big motorway in view....so that dims the beauty a little, but it was still amazing!

Got an email this morning off my Colombian friend Lucy who is in the States and a phone call from my friend down south last night. It's nice catching up and hearing from people.

I don't get to wear my hat

2006-09-20T16:55:00.000Z

A few days on and I am loving it. I feel so at home here and everyone is so nice. Man, I've got 3 homes. I suppose I'm quite lucky in that sense. Not too many people have 3 places in the world they feel happy and comfortable and at home in.

Spent today at the emergency room at the hospital. I had to have blood taken a week ago and the bruise is unbelievable. It swelled up instantly and was bruised over my whole elbow and half my arm within 2 days. Its been getting better since then but yesterday it started to seize up again and by this morning I couldn't move it and it is so painful. So, my lovely Sarah came with me to A&E which thankfully didnt take too long. The sign said 'Average waiting time - 6 hours' but we were there for only 1 1/2 hours. I was seen to quite quickly really, and my temperatur was up so they reckon its infected. I'm on antibiotics, which is marvelous during Freshers week, which is one big drunken fest really. Not that I'm like that, I am sensible with my drinking really, but its a shame to miss out on all the parties. Tonight is a fancy dress Wild West party but I cant go, and we've bought the pink sparkly cowboy hats specially, and I dont get to go. That would have been fun. Sarah is being lovely and staying with me, which is super nice but I feel kinda guilty that shes missing out on the party. But, we do have 4 more years worth of parties so its ok really.

Anyway, not much else going on atm. Am currently listening to Delirious in Spanish. It's great understanding 2 languages.

The start of Glasgow....whinge....but loving it

2006-09-17T12:06:00.000Z

I been in Glasgow for 2 days now. Me and Sarah moved in on Friday into Halls of Residence. Lots of nice people living here too. So far spent both nights out at the student union dancing the night away. Good crack. It is a lot of fun, but for me not every night. I do enjoy clubbing but maybe once a week or, more like it, once a month. Give me a pub any day. And I see everybody getting so off their faces drinking so much and, at the moment I'm pretty homesick for Colombia, the 2 just dont match. I've got pictures of my kids on the wall and I see them and think of everyone last night at the union and its totally 2 worlds. I am enjoying myself, honestly! Just homesick as well. I guess all we're doing this week is socialising, which I guess with nothing more structured to do it can get a bit old. Freshers week is supposed to be madness I guess. If I wasn't so homesick I'd be good! It's been nearly 4 weeks since I left Colombia (only 4?!?!?!) and it makes sense that I miss people there loads. Ohwell. I'm glad I've got Sarah here with me because there are so many people who don't know each other, and when I'm feeling this way it's nice to have someone familiar around. Sarah went to church this morning and found another girl who used to live in Glasgow at the church who lives along the corridor from us so we've been invited to a service tonight which a lot of students go to which should be good, so we're doing that tonight. This morning I just needed to sleep. Anyway kids, at the moment I need a shower and something to eat. Chao

Life

2006-09-11T20:29:00.000Z

Life is strange. Looking back at old photos its amazing to see how much life has changed over a short time. People I used to hang out with all the time a few years ago...who are they? Where are they? And then I've noticed a few people who are so unhappy with life, and so far from God it upsets me.

Hey guys, can I be your friend?

2006-09-10T20:20:00.000Z

NO BARNEY, WE'D RATHER KILL OURSELVES AND BE EXTINCT!! (Micarah I miss you! Life is not the same without you. Or the Barney impressions.)

Well, I'm back after the summer. And this is what I wrote in my last post.

Me and Jenny fly off tonight at 8:10, spend a night in a hotel near Heathrow aiport, And then get up at about 5am to go back to the airport where we have a 2 1/2 hour flight to Madrid, and then a 10 1/2 hour flight to Colombia. It's gonna be a long day!!!!!!!!

Bollox if that happened. We did leave at 8:10, we did spend a night in hotel near Heathrow, we did get up at 5am (actually 4am) and then bollox if the rest happened. Long story, Jenny might scream if she hears it again. But, so I've been lead to believe, planes dont take off when they're supposed to, they sit at the gate or drive round the airport for a few hours. I still dont like Miami airport (how did I end up there again???) And it turned in to a long 3 days, not day. And that was just getting to Colombia!

Apart from the joys (???) of travelling, we had an awesome month at Childrens Vision. Very fun seeing the kids again, very laughing, very emotional, very hard, very loving, very God-ish. That pretty much sums it up. Oh yeh, and very covered in paint.

I'm typing this on my shiny new computer. It's so much more fun typing when its my own and I worked my ass off for this money. What a difference!! And with any luck in the next few days I'll be taking photos on my shiny new camera (if my dad will drive me to the shop to buy it.)

Went to see TheTempted the other night. Awesome band, great fun, danced and drank a little too much, then the next day had to drag myself around Newcastle trying to bridesmaid dresses which was fun but I only wish the headache had been a little less...Saw Sarah in her wedding dress, very lovely. (Sorry Alan not gonna tell ya :-) )

Thats about all. Moving to Glasgow on Friday. I'm not in one place for more than 2 minutes it seems. Best way to be I reckon...FUN!!!

I'm leaving, on a jet plane...

2006-07-21T13:23:00.000Z

I am so ready to be leaving and doing something different again. That aside...

I was filling out forms for uni today, and as I'm going into nursing, I have to be covered for lots of illnesses. So I rang the doctors to find out when I had the necessary injections. I figured what with having lived in/been in 3 third world countries in different continents, I must be covered for every illness under the sun. You'd think so!! But according to the doctors, I'm not covered for: tetanus, hepatitis B, MMR or Meningitis. It takes a lot to actually freak me out. This did. Not happy!!! Because I know I've had those injections, but they have no records which means I have no records. So we made it up a little bit. So we eventually got the forms done and sent. And the rest of the day has been just as stressful, but not as worrying. Stressful because I have too much to get sorted and I leave the house in 3 1/2 hours to go to COLOMBIA!!!!!! Me and Jenny fly off tonight at 8:10, spend a night in a hotel near Heathrow aiport, And then get up at about 5am to go back to the airport where we have a 2 1/2 hour flight to Madrid, and then a 10 1/2 hour flight to Colombia. It's gonna be a long day!!!!!!!! And I'll probably be quite ill by the end of it. Lots of travelling, not much sleeping and not much eating. My body disagrees with it and tends to let me know it disagrees, which in turn I disagree with. Anyway, it'll be amazing to get back tomorrow and see everyone, try and find our way from airport to home, endure the Colombian taxi ride...it'll be great! So now I need to go and sort all those little things out what need to be done before I go - who knows what though. BYE FOR NOW!!!!!

5 days baby!!!!

2006-07-17T11:34:00.000Z

My dad keeps setting the fire alarms off. Must have been about 6 times in the last 20 minutes. It gets a little bit old even before the first time.

5 days baby!!!! And then I will be on an aeroplane and wishing the time will pass instantly, which of course it wont because the day I want to be the quickest will inevitably be the longest, right? But I will step off that plane in Colombia, endure a Bogota taxi ride back to my house and then I can see them. See the kids and the staff and everyone I've been missing a lot over the last 3 months. I cant believe how fast the time has gone. But in some ways it seems like FOREVER.

I have my last shift at the chippy tonight. This job has been a blessing in disguise, honestly. I've moaned and whinged constantly about it, because it hasn't been an enjoyable experience! But all in all, it hasn't been too bad, and I would have been bored without it, and its filled my bank account quite nicely which working 2 nights a week wouldn't have!

5 days baby!!!!

Dreams and strange reality

2006-07-08T11:14:00.000Z

I've had a few dreams recently. One was to do with work, one was to do with tatoos and freaky men, and the other was to do with an old friend.

The one to do with work - my friends are getting married next year and I had a dream about their wedding. Part of what in my dream was a regular wedding tradition, the couple faces each other, holds both hands and has a tub full of mushy peas poured over their hands. Like that was what symbolised them actually being married. Not the vows, not the ring, not the kiss. Mushy peas. That's when you know that you're at work too much.

The one to do with tatoos and freaky men - I've been thinking about getting a second tattoo but I don't know what or where or when. But in my dream it was going to be the outline of 3 stars. I could not for the life of me draw this thing. So most of my dream was about trying desperately to draw some stars. And the freaky men bit, well, I know someone who recently got a tattoo and ended up having a date with her tattooist. So in my dream the guy doing the tattoo was old and freaky and was hitting on me. Not fun.

The one to do with an old friend - basically I bumped into someone the other night I haven't seen for ages and that night had a dream that we stayed up till the sun came back up, sat on a park bench, talking. Sounds like fun to me!

All that I've concluded is that dreams are very strange, they twist reality and you can end up thinking very strange things when you wake up.

And the other, not-related-in-the-slightest thing that I've realised lately is how life can circle back on you. Even if it was something that happened years ago, it really doesn't matter what happened in the middle, because it can very easily pop up again. This has happened twice recently. Things that happened when I was a lot younger have happened again, within 2 weeks of each other. It doesn't matter the amount of people I've met, or the amount of places I've been, or anything - they both ended up pretty much where they were 6 or 7 years ago. Strange.

Get me out

2006-07-02T16:30:00.000Z

I can't wait to get out of here. To go to uni, meet new people, do new things. I'm so bored of life. I love my family, love my friends, love my Church....but I only seem to know people who are, or are practically, married. Which is fine for them. But it means I only seem to know a lot of people who are very involved in another person and, for some strange reason, like to spend time with just that person! I don't have that. Neither with a boyfriend or just a friend. Everyone is married, engaged, close to engagement or practically living together. Fine for them. I need to meet some people who aren't. Some other people, who, like me, want to be single, have a laugh, hang out with friends and not worry about those bigger things in life just yet.

Although I do worry about those bigger things in life. But maybe it's only because everyone else is. I know I'm not ready to settle down but sometimes I wish I was so that I can be going through the same things as my best friends are. Too confusing!

So, like I said, hopefully going away to Glasgow will let me find those other people who feel just like I do. Surely the whole student population can't be settled down?

It's a good thing I'm not staying put this summer. Less than 3 weeks till I go to Colombia, then I'll only have 3 weeks home back before I go to uni, 1 of which I'm going camping with my family. I love camping and hiking. It's my favourite kind of holiday. I need to keep going, keep my mind occupied. My shifts at the chippy are reducing because people are back from holidays and they've hired more permanent people, so I'm not really needed any more. So in 2 weeks I've got from working 53 hours to working 23 hours. Quite a difference! And nothing to do in between. I'm not complaining here, just stating facts. What I do best. Funny, I complain when they give me too much work, and complain when they don't give me enough because I need the money.

Get me out!!!!

What if....

2006-07-01T19:52:00.000Z

"I just dont wanna look back and wonder what could have been."

At least, the quote goes something like that. It made me think. But I'm not gonna tell you what about. There are some things that are fit for my mind, my best friends mind and our minds only.

England are out. We all cry.

A few numbers

2006-06-30T14:24:00.000Z

I have 10 minutes before I need to get ready for work. I've had a very expensive morning, going shopping with Sarah and coming away with some necessary things and some not-quite-as-necessary things that I've wanted for a long time. But, thats ok! Now I'll go and work and earn back all the money I've just spent. At least I get paid tonight.

I'm home alone this weekend and last night started 2 films, didn't fancy watching either and as the minutes ticked by my thoughts got deeper and deeper until I was going out of my mind, so I found something else to keep me occupied. I started thinking about my life. In numbers. How many times I've done certain things. And this is the list I came up with:

15 countries I've been in.
6 continents I've been to.
68 times I've flown in an aeroplane.
14 houses I've lived in.
At least 70 beds I've slept in.
4 languages I've had lessons in.
2 languages I can still speak.
2 boyfriends I've had.
4 lads I've kissed.
2 times I've not remembered the night before and wondered how and when I got to bed.
2 medals I have for dancing exams.
1 tattoo I have.
More tattoos I want.
1 person I've punched out of anger.
I concussion I've had (unrelated incidents!)
19 birthdays I've celebrated.
82 periods I've had.
16 scars and 16 memories.
2 times I've applied to uni.
4 times I've had crutches.
1 pigeon that has flown into my face.
2 cash-in-hand jobs I've had.
0 payslips.

That's as far as I got last night. I'm sure there is a lot more if I thought hard enough! By that time I was too tired and read for a bit, then thankfully slept right through till my alarm woke me up at 9:30 this morning.

Off to work now. Fun. Friday nights are the busiest so therefore makes me the most tired. Only 2 weeks left, and 3 weeks till I go back to Colombia. THAT is fun!!

Weekend

2006-06-25T19:15:00.000Z

Yet again, ages since I've written. But that's because, as usual, my life revolves serving the tea, bread and butter at the chippy. But I managed to get this weekend off and its been great.

I managed to leave work early on Friday because Phil was coming to visit and was arriving at 4pm in Newcastle. Maybe was a little late meeting him, but that was his fault for arriving early! Anyway, had a great very fast weekend with him. Yesterday we went hiking with some people from Church and it was so nice. I haven't been near country-side since January when I was at camp in Colombia, and that was a long time ago! I do a lot of walking in my current line of work, but it covers the same 20 yards, generally carrying trays. Not much fun. I love walking in the country-side, especially when its grey and cloudy. There is nothing there to control you emotions. No sun, and no rain. Sun makes you happy and rain makes you miserable. But when it's grey, you can feel however you actually feel. I like that. So we did a 5 mile walk and hardly met any people and my feet hurt and I was tired and I loved it. And then went home and had chinese food and watched football and stayed up late and was knackered at church today. And then watched more football. I love not being at work!

It's a pain when you find something you want and cant have.

I'm chatting with one of the lads in Colombia, I miss them so much! He speaks English which makes chatting easier. I haven't heard from him yet and he is a good friend and I saw him on MSN messenger, so I've actually delayed going to the pub! Haha. I'm going with my parents and 2 of their friends. So uncool and so fun.

Went to buy 1 cd today and ended up buying 4. It's great. I love buying cd's.

That's about all for now! Will go for a pint soon. Not that I haven't drank enough this weekend....

The big impression

2006-06-11T08:05:00.000Z

For some reason yesterday, while watching Delirious? perform (and they were totally mind-blowing by the way!) I was thinking about the people who impact us, who leave an impression on our lives. I think, by looking at the last year, the people who have left the biggest impression on my life, are those who believe in me. Those who know that I am real and struggling but have every faith in me to suceed. I met such a person for only a week a few months ago. I'll not mention names, but from day 1 I got on really well with this person and stayed up late talking with this person and a few others about our views on the Christian world. I got to know this person quite well in a short space of time, and even though I haven't had much contact since then, I know that this person believed in me. This person knew that I would succeed in wherever God was going to lead me. I could have told this person almost anything and they wouldn't have laughed, they would have taken me seriously and make me look at the bigger picture. I can remembed conversations that I had with this person. I can remember things this person told me. Even if it was just seeing me say goodnight to the little kids while I tried to walk quietly past their bedrooms and got spotted, they believed in me with the kids. They believed I was genuine and I had/have a genuine love for these kids. It isn't too often you meet people who genuinely believe in you. A lot of people who you meet for a week, or even much longer, you can have nice conversations with, but it isn't too often you meet someone who you 'connect' with in such a short space of time, and you know that if you ever needed someone to turn to, you could fly half way round the world and they would welcome you with open arms. It isn't often that you meet someone who you can talk to about anything and tell them anything and they will take you seriously and keep you strong in God's way.

Then there are the people who in the 6 months in Colombia had a big impact on me simply because they irritated me so much I can't help but not forget them.

I'm not saying that this is the only type of people who have an impact on me. Of course it isn't. I watched many people, while working tough jobs that I wouldn't enjoy, do it with love and servanthood for the kids. That leaves a big impact. Then there are the people who have transformed their lives. Like one man used to be a drug addict. Now he has come to know God, his life has been completely turned around and he is working full time for God. And there are the kids. They have been through such shit in their lives, but they have such a sweet, natural spirit about them. When a 6 year old looks after you and cares about you, that when you have forgotten that you had a sore stomach or a cough the day before, he will come up to you and ask you how you are and check you're ok. Not much beats that feeling. Or when the kids want to show off to their parents the songs I taught them (10 little monkeys jumping on the bed...), that impacts you because the appreciation you get from the kids, and from the parents, makes you feel like you're doing something right and that you are impacting their lives.

I went quite a long way from the original point here. I'm a little tired people, and have to do stuff at church this morning so my head isn't entirely right! But you get what I mean, yeh?

The new versions of persecution....is it worse to be physically or mentally abused?

2006-06-09T21:28:00.000Z

Was is it with persecution? Or any persecution? The latest in England, other than the obvious against Christians, is against the English supporting the English football team in the World Cup. No England football shirts in certain pubs, no showing the England matches in certain pubs in case the foreigners (who from what I gather) aren't bothered because they know they aren't English in England and have no problems with English people being English. Why is it? It is beyond ridiculous. England is England. Lets face it. We have a right to be English. Like if we 'took over' Brasil or somewhere, they wouldn't feel the need to not be Brasilian - they wouldn't stop doing the dances or speaking the language or sporting the flag. It's ok, really!!

And the other thing is Christian persecution. Seriously boys, it isn't the way to make friends. TheTempted had a gig tonight, 2nd on out of 4 bands. And they were amazing. Bloody brilliant. And the next band knew they weren't as good. So in between songs they took the piss out of The Tempted and slagged them off as much as possible. Not cool, guys. Why do people do it? Why do they have this 'thing' against Christians? I know how hard it is for me to get through the day. How do people who don't know God's grace get through it? And why do they insist on slagging off good musicians, just because they promote the gospel, while being fabulous musicians? I don't get it. I'll take it. I love seeing TheTempted perform, partly because I wish I could be that open about my faith. I will never deny what I believe but sometimes I don't have the guts to stand up and say what I believe. I hate that. Why is that? Why should I be ashamed of what I believe in? I don't think I am. I know that God loves me and I love Him. So why don't I share it with people?

TheTempted

2006-06-08T15:01:00.000Z

I added a new link to TheTempted, which is the band my brother is in, they're absolutely awesome. You can listen to a few of their original songs as well if you go on it. Take a look.

2006-06-08T11:32:00.000Z

I miss you sweetie!!

More of the same drivel

2006-06-06T09:56:00.000Z

Today is a happy day. I was dreading another 10 hour shift at work, and they phoned and said they dont need me till 3! So I'll only have a 6 hour shift which is a beautiful thing. Yesterday wasn't bad, I did a few hours waitressing, half an hour on the take away, and then a few hours dishes, so at least it was different stuff and not just taking orders all. day. long.

Only something like 7 weeks till I get to Colombia. WOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

The other day was my sister's (pictured on the photo page) birthday, we had a bbq with some friends and people from church, it were lush. We did get photos but it was on her friends camera so hopefully we can get them soon.

So soon I'm gonna head out to the back yard and sit in the sun, i'm so excited!! Isn't that sad. Last night I got in from work and was like "No I only have an hour before I need to go to bed and then I'll just repeat this several times over!!" I have no social life at the moment. But from Wednesday night till Monday morning I only have to work for 5 hours, and I get to go to Edinburgh to see Tree63. They're a South African band, last time i saw them was in South Africa, they're mint!! Cant wait. Going with my dad and my brother. We have a spare ticket....anyone want it? £27. Full day thing, lots of bands. I'm so excited!! I love live music.

no title....

2006-06-02T21:37:00.000Z

I got an email today off a really good friend of mine in Colombia, Luz Cenia, and I miss her like crazy! We are the same age, 2 weeks apart (I'm the older!) and we get on so well and we lived together and got by on bad Spanish/English and had a wonderful 5 days together, and I miss her. But I'll get to spend 2 weeks with her in the summer when I'm there which I am SO excited about, I can't wait to see her again! Hearing from people in Colombia makes me miss everyone so much. But I'm going back. GET IN!!!!

I spent today totally relaxing which was fantastic, totally needed. I actually had a full nights sleep last night, something that hasn't happened in months, and then I spent the day NOT AT WORK but lying in the sun and listening to music and then at the pub for a meal with Nat tonight, and then sat with a drink talking to my parents when I got home. So, all in all, despite it not being what I originally planned, I had a wonderful day and I really enjoyed it. Now I have 5 more days at work before my next day off....oh goody.

Chips and flights

2006-06-01T11:25:00.000Z

Finally got to see some of my friends last night, it seems so long since I've been social at all! You know that feeling when your life revolves around home and work, and work starts too early in the day for anything except dragging yourself out of bed to happen, and finishes too late for anything except a sit down with a beer in hand to happen? That pretty much sums up life en este momento.

I was reading Jenny's post about the youth of North Shields, and it made me realise again the difference between Colombian kids and kids here. The kids in Colombia, I'm sure, have come from much worse backgrounds than the kids here. Yeh they have crap backgrounds here, but it would be so easy, going by the what the NS kids were saying - "we can't help it, we come from a rough background" - for the kids in Colombia to be completely uncontrolable, worse than the kids here. All it takes is a bit of love. That is what makes the difference between the kids here and the kids there. There they have been shown love. Human love and Godly love. And they are, ok normal kids :-p, but for the most part, lovely and friendly and happy and managable. The kids here don't have that, so the have rebelion in place.

One of the things I always liked about the kids in Colombia were that 16 year olds (and worse, 14 year olds!! Unthinkable!!) would go to the park to have a laugh and play. It is possible for them to take a football and hang out and just play and have fun. Here, if 16/14 year olds go to the park, it will involve sitting in a small huddle trying to be descreet and passing around the bottle or a smoke. This is what I've seen. Maybe its a bit of a generalisation. I'm not saying that the other doesn't happen in either country. But I liked it. I liked how, when working with the 4 year olds, I would go to the park and see our older lads there too playing a (very serious) game of football with the other kids and with anyone who came along and wanted to join in!

And, yeh baby, I'm going back!!!! I am a lot poorer than I was a week ago, but I have a reservation on a plane (several planes actually) from Newcastle to Bogotá! I leave here July 21st, get to Bogotá on Saturday 22nd July and am staying for a month, I leave there on August 22nd. And I'm going with my Jenny and my mummy. I'm so excited! I get to go back, and see everyone again. Gonna be harder than hell leaving in August though, coz last time I could say "I'll be back in 3 months, I'll see you soon" and that was unbelievably hard! Next time it'll be "I really have no idea when I'll see you again." But I'll get to spend that month with them. Gonna fly by. I just hope the next 2 months will fly and the time after, in Colombia, will go slowly.

I'm going to have my first proper meal in several days now. My eating habbits are terrible. They involve a lot of chips and sandwhiches at really strange times of day. Bring on the good ol' rice and beans of Colombia.

Still nothing going on....give me entertainment people!

2006-05-26T15:11:00.000Z

So today is David's birthday. Yay. ¡Feliz Cumpleaños!

Seems a while since I wrote, really nothing happens in the very interesting life of a waitress. I have insane hours for the next few weeks, I'll be going to Colombia to get a rest! And that is saying something. We'll not tell Children's Vision about the insane hours I'm managing to work - they'll get me doing all sorts. So this is to be kept quiet!! Haha.

Good news, don't have to get any jabs to go back to Colombia. Except yellow fever maybe, but I survived 6 months without it so I'm sure I'll be ok. Apparantly in order to catch Yellow Fever you have to be bitten by a mosquito (which cant survive in Bogotá) which has bitten a specific type of monkey. I think the chances are quite slim. But I don't want to to catch it. Apparantly by law you have to have it. In that case I was breaking the law for 6 months. What a rebel I am.

It was so nice to sit and chat with Sarah the other night in the pub for a couple hours, I never get to see people anymore! Not that I'm gonna complain about the amount of money I'll have the end of this ridiculous slave labour of working in this restaurant. But, it was very nice to sit with a very good friend and pint. Not much beats that I'm afraid!

I can book my flights back to Colombia soon. YAY I can't wait to actually know when I'll see my kids again. When I can hug them again. Can't wait. So excited.

The life of a dish washer/waitress is......

2006-05-22T20:22:00.000Z

BORING!!!!!

Just got in from 5 hours dishwashing. Life is insane. Give me Pre-Jardin any day. Actually no...I don't mean that. I love them. Really I do. They're just.....difficult. Rebellious. They like to run away from me. I am having difficulty typing. I think I'm very tired.

Went to the job office this morning. Signed on for the first and last time, then signed off. I will get 1 weeks job seekers allowance. But that money will make a huge difference!

I'm bored. I know I have stuff to do now, but it isn't exactly mind stimulating stuff. I guess thats what the difference in Colombia - it was hard to get bored with my work because it was constant, challenging mind stuff. Teaching English - not my strong point! So it took a lot of creative energy (all I posessed) to prepare those lessons. And it was constant Spanish which again isn't a natural thing, constant figuring out these kids, constant...doesn't matter about that one, constant....mind stimulation! Not getting that from serving tea and bread and washing dishes. Oh well.

So I finally figured out how to add a photo page to my blog, so instead of taking up loads of space on here for that, now with one magic little click you can get to my very own separate photo page! Well done me. So when interesting things happen (which wont be for a long time now as my life revolves around the chippy) you can see it for yourself. How very exciting.

Not got much to say really, managed to write quite a bit but it's not overly exciting. I'm greatful for the job, honest, I know its what I need and it's a God-send. Just wish it a) was more exciting and b) involved my kids! I miss them. I know I say that loads. But I'm tired of missing them. Tired of not seeing them. Constantly on my mind, and it is very difficult to have 120 things on your mind at once so it takes a lot of my mind-time. Wish I could give them hugs every day like I used to. When will I see them after August? Who knows. Wrote a few more emails today to people there but still haven't heard from a few people who I'd love to hear from.

I. CAN'T. MOVE.

2006-05-20T23:01:00.000Z

I worked 11 hours today. I'm a waitress. I'll earn a lot of money, which is all I'm in it for. Definetly not for the excercise, the fun of meeting the public on a daily basis, or even the half hour break I get in the middle! I will be able to eat at university. That is all I'm bothered about. I ache everywhere. Tomorrow, I'm sure, will be worse. I may not be able to move tomorrow. It's quite difficult now as it is! And by next Sunday at 4pm, I will have worked about 55 hours, from yesterday. So I may have to rely on other people to bring me my food at uni, considering I wont be able to move EVER AGAIN after working those hours for a few months, but at least I'll get the food, right?

Santa Marta

2006-05-19T11:52:00.000Z

To end my time in Colombia, I got to spend 5 days with a very good friend in Santa Marta, a gorgeous coastal town in Colombia on the Carribean Sea.

Hired, tired and happy

2006-05-19T10:13:00.000Z

So yep I got the job. I am hired. I am excited but am so bloody tired I'm finding enthusiasm difficult. Did you know that at 3:30am it is light enough for me to walk around my house without falling over anything? Had one of those never-ending-never-sleeping nights last night.

So I'm SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woke up to something that really excited me though, I had an email off 2 of my kids in Colombia. It was really sweet what they wrote. One 9 year old wrote:

Hello Suzane, I remember you with much love. Thankyou for teaching me English. God bles you and help you every day. I am learning many things. I hope you write to me and tell me how you are. I love you very much.

Another 7 year old wrote:

Suzanne, thankyou for being so loving with everyone and with Roger and I. I want to say that I hope you are happy in England. Thankyou for loving Roger and I so much. I love you very much.

That made me happy! These are 2 kids who mean so much to me, they love me and I love them back equally. So I'll write back to them now. Funny thing is, I did write to them yesterday but the email bounced back, so now I have a proper adress I can write to them!

I need sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppppppppppp!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess who might have a job....

2006-05-18T16:37:00.000Z

ME!!!!

Someone actually wants to hire me for 9 weeks! Full time, working in a fish and chip restaurant. Wouldn't be my first choice of work, but at £5.20 an hour, 35 hours a week, who's complaining! They're so short on staff they're willing to take me on temporarily and they asked me to go for an interview tomorrow morning.

YAY!!

I may never want to eat fish and chips again after this.

Oh, good news, uniform is provided. Lucky me.

Strange photos of some strange people....do I know them?

2006-05-16T15:37:00.000Z

This is Jenny, my brothers girlfriend, and Matthew, dancing at the pub on Sunday afternoon.

Then my brother saw them.

And then proceeded to try and kill him.

This is honest truth.

My friends are weird.

This lot of ugly mugs is the reason we were all at the pub that afternoon. Yes, this is TheTempted. Matthew, Andy and Daniel. Absolutely bloody mint they are. So proud of you all! I love you!!!!!! *Suz starts the whole screaming chick act, tears streaming, hands flapping, fainting......* (they wish)

Money and food...what more could I want?? TO BE HIRED!!!

2006-05-16T15:28:00.000Z

This week is a blessing. People from church are showing interest in what I did for 6 months, and I get money.

I went for lunch with a lady from church last week and we talked about Colombia for 2 hours, and then today I went round for lunch at the house of a couple from church and again, talked for 2 hours. Tomorrow night I'm going out round for tea at another house, and Thursday night another couple has invited me round. So I get to sit and tell people about what I love so much and all that goes with it, and show photos (if I remember them!! Oops!), and people get to sit and listen to me chat on and on and on about it all. I know so much, and it's amazing how long for or how many times I'm willing to talk about it and repeat myself, just so people know. So, thankyou to those who are kind enough to show interest in what means so much to me!

And I get money. Had my job seekers allowance appointment today, so that was great, no problems there! That's about all for that. Still no job....anyone want to hire me for 2 months?

I am having distinct problems typing today. I should count how many times I've had to use the backspace key. FAR too many. At least one per sentence. Not good.

Looking forward to uni!

A little bit of Colombia

2006-05-15T14:08:00.000Z

So this is a couple pics of me in Colombia. The one with several kids is really cute - you know what game where you cover someones eyes and make them guess who it is? Well the little kids were playing that game. Except they'd jump up and say 'My turn my turn!!', cover my eyes, and say 'who is it?' so ofcourse I'm not supposed to know who it is! I played along, I'm nice.

The second pic is of one little boy who is very cute and lovely. The big boys were playing games of stealing each others shoes, which was fine for them. But then this little boy got his shoe taken off and he was SO upset, so I had to get his shoe back, give him lots of hugs and kisses and make him laugh again. I suceeded! Well done me!

This is just a little bit that shows how much I love these kids and how much they gave me.

Don't want to put other pics on here, only fair to keep the kids lives private and not make it too public! But there's just a few pics.

Man I miss them!

Bowling and Spoons

2006-05-13T15:17:00.000Z

So last night we went bowling for Alan's birthday. I've put some photos on, which are further down the page...and yet again I forgot to put them in reverse order, so look from the last one up. Not that it really matters, but thats the order they actually go in.

Spoons IS a mental card game. It's such a stress! SO much fun. Wish I'd remembered to teach the kids the game in Colombia. Next time!

2006-05-13T15:16:00.000Z

And then we played Spoons...mental card game. Good if you want a heart attack. The blur is my brother.

2006-05-13T15:15:00.000Z

My really cool white bowling shoes (which come with velcro....what do they take me for?!?!?) and Jenny's *not quite as cool as mine* red ones.

2006-05-13T15:14:00.000Z

Gotta love those blue slushy things....what are they called? Oh yeh....blue slush

2006-05-13T15:13:00.000Z

Injured, not stupid! I CAN bowl but have a dodgy hand. Didn't do too badly though!!

2006-05-13T15:11:00.000Z

Me and my lovely ladies, Jenny and Sarah

2006-05-13T15:09:00.000Z

Me and Alan - bowling for his birthday. For some reason, we think he looks camp in every photo of me and him together....not entirely sure why.....coz he isn't....

Things in the news are myth...I wish

2006-05-10T21:25:00.000Z

Sat and watched Middlesborough lose tonight. 4-0. Man I hope England don't play like that. I will support them to their death....please play good!

Got awoken this morning at 7:35am by what I thought was someone slamming my bedroom door. Why someone would be doing that at that time, I have no idea. But I figured it wasn't worth worrying about so went back to sleep. When I did get up though a few hours later, my dad told me that there was an explosion. A house just down the road was left as a shell. An 80 year old woman died and her husband was, is, in intensive care. I couldn't believe it. Still cant. They think it was a domestic gas explosion but they are still investigating. The whole neighbourhood was cordened off all day with policemen everywhere. Things like that don't really happen in your neighbourhood. They always happen in someone elses. Very strange. It's all a myth. It doesn't really happen. The news makes it all up. Until you feel your room shake because of it. Then it's real. Unbelievable.

Late at night, under the stars....

2006-05-09T22:33:00.000Z

Stars? What stars. I wish there were stars. I'm sat up, doing nothing. Would be more exciting if I could see the stars. I don't want to go to bed. I spent the evening watching the Simpsons, Along Came Polly, and Lost. Now I feel like I should be doing something interesting. Nothing is going on. Everyone is in bed. But I guess the sooner I go to bed, the sooner tomorrow will come. And the sooner tomorrow comes, it'll be a new day with a new tomorrow. Which will bring me closer to when I leave. Man I miss them. I dreamt about them last night. About the kids. About the kids who changed my life. Sounds soppy I know. But true. And true is good, yeh?

Phoned for Job Seekers Allowance today. They're phoning me back on Friday for more info. might be getting some money. That'll be lovely.

Still just sat up, waiting. What for? Who knows.

Going for fish and chips tomorrow. How English is that? A lady from church, who is going to Colombia this summer, is taking me out so she can hear all about it. Fab.

Ok, I'll go to bed. Only sensible really. My mind is dangerous at this time of night. It runs a million miles in front of me and I can't quite catch up. Wish I could write it all down. But like I said, I'm too far behind.

A tale of addictions

2006-05-08T19:19:00.000Z

You know when you give up something that has been one of the most important things in your life for 4 years? Like a boyfriend? I know I did the right thing for me at this time, but it still sucks. It is hard and is gonna be hard. But I knows its what I need. I've changed as me and haven't been able to discover it by myself. Given time, things will be better for both of us. I know it. Just at the moment, it sucks.

Life is plodding along. I'm going to see if I can get job seekers allowance tomorrow because I cant do the next 2 1/2 months without getting any money! And I am job seeking, its just difficult! By the time I've paid for flights back to Colombia, paid for the insurance, paid for the board and lodge, I will have £0 in my bank account. Not good. Especially for starting uni. Not good. But I know its what I have to do! I am SO going back to Colombia - couldn't do without it. 10 weeks till I get there. I miss them so much. There are some kids I can't get out of my head. They really get under your skin. Like an addiction.

Another addiction - moving around. New places, new faces. The 'curse' of being brought up as an MK - missionary kid. Every couple years I was moving around. After so long, I start itching to be somewhere new and different with new names and experiences and new way of life. I came home and am itching to move on again. I know its coming soon - 10 weeks till I'll be back in Colombia, and only about 4 months till I'll be in Glasgow. With all new faces except 2. Can't wait. Actually don't know how I'll make it. Nothing is happening here. I love the unknown - some people can stay in the same place their whole lives with the same people and the same streets and the same...everything! I am not one of those people - I need change.

I love my life, honestly! I know it doesn't sound like it. But I do. Just need a bit of change.

Suz who? Oh yeh....

2006-05-04T22:37:00.000Z

It's been months, I know. Nearly 7 months I think. But I was in Colombia and internet wasn't entirely easy. Now I'm back in England, where internet access is far too easy and I seem to be spending too much time here, again.

I spent 6 months and 3 days in Bogota, Colombia, working in a Children's home. Was it worth it? Hell yeh it was. I fell in love with the whole thing. With the kids, with the work, with the passion, with the dream. I'm going back in the summer for 4 weeks. The term 'gap year' is technically how you would describe this year - a gap from 'reality', right? I don't think it entirely applies to this, because this is what I want my reality to be. Yeh it won't be for atleast another 6 years, but, after uni, I really want to move back there and work there. I realised that after having been there about 3 weeks, and throughout the following 5 months, I never lost the dream. I am SO going back there!

For the moment, I'm being quite lazy, staying up too late, getting up too late. might have a job soon though, working in a local theatre.

And then in September I'm heading off to Glasgow to go to uni, studying nursing. What a stress that was. If I learned anything while being abroad, it was this - DON'T APPLY TO UNI FROM A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. I wasn't in control of any of it and it stressed me out no end. But I made it in the end, and everything is sorted. I don't think I could have applied more blindly though - haven't seen the city, haven't seen the uni, haven't seen the accomodation, don't know a great deal about the course - but, everything worked so it must be a God-thing, and my dream is to work in the Children's Vision International Clinic as a nurse. And I can't do that without this 4 (or 3) year nursing degree. So it's gotta be right.

That's about it for now folks! Really, I'm just staying up coz I'm buying a t-shirt off Ebay. And the thing doesn't finish for another 29 minutes. So I'll hang out here. What fun!

Desperate v. Selfish?

2005-10-19T09:48:00.000Z

This is my sixth day away from home and already I'm facing a dilema. How often should I contact home? If I were to email every day or every other day, would that seem desperate and like I'm not getting on with life and enjoying myself and all I can focus on is getting home? I dont want that. If I send out an email to everyone more than once a week (or two weeks) will people get bored of what I'm writing? Will they get annoyed if I dont write every week? Do I write seperately to everyone a lot, a little, just send out block emails that are slightly more impersonal? Where do you draw the line between being desperate and being selfish and not writing? I know I've got loads of time to sort this out. Maybe its coz I'm still on h0liday and dont have anything to do so I've been in contact with home a lot. I'm assuming that will change next week when I'm actually in Colombia!

I did yoga yesterday. I enjoyed it. It was tough on my stomach muscles but I like excercising, I wish I had the discipline to do it more! I used to be really healthy and active and then England happened and that all went down the drain. Maybe I'll set myself a few targets while I'm away:

1. Make sure I read my Bible EVERY day. I'm hopeless at doing it, and then wonder why I feel distant from God at times. Theres a simple solution - give up the battle inside to not read it and just do it!

2. Excercise reguarly - I'm sure living with 100 kids will give me some excercise and my arm muscles will probably improve from picking up lots of small children.

There we go, I'm gonna get off my lazy arse and start doing things. I just have discipline and motivation and initiative to do anything - I know fine well what I should be doing, I'm just hopeless at actually doing!

No alcohol for 6 months? I can do it, I know I can! How much do I sound like I need an AA meeting? Fact is I dont. But I do like to have a drink. I'm glad I cant get drunk for a long time, only good can come from that! But a cold beer at the end of a day is nice. We all know it!

Crazy travels? Yes.

2005-10-18T10:58:00.000Z

It's been a hell of a week. In a good way though. I had one of the most exhausting emotional days that lasted 25 hours (with still time to sleep after that) - basically I woke up at 3:30am last Friday, left my family, boyfriend and best friend behind at Newcastle Airport, flew to Heathrow and then to New York City (and this is still only 2pm due to time difference), decided it would be best to try and kick jet lag as soon as possible so stayed up till about 11:30pm, which was 4:30am English time. So I was up for 25 hours and there was still a full nights sleep after that...bizzarre!! I had a manic day in New York City and we missed our train to Philadelphia and almost missed the second train. Its all good!

If you want to see a beautiful sunrise, get on an aeroplane at 6am and make sure you're sat next to a window facing which ever way the sun rises (I cant remember now...must be East right?)

I spent 3 hours in New York City and I bought an NYPD jumper. I love it.

I'm having a lot of fun with Julie at her uni, while shes at classes I'm hanging around doing not a lot but its good.

I've got a bad cough/cold thing - the illness I am plagued with every October and have always had to take a week off school - I should have known better than to plan a trip across the world!

It's amazing how excited Americans get over the fact that I am English and have a different accent to them - I never knew England was so exciting! I always knew it was great, but didn't know people could gush so much over meeting someone from England!

Julie is far to nice to people - we went and visited 2 of her friends last night, Bob and Joe, and they did have one of the messiest rooms I've seen in a long time. And she cleaned it! She set to and picked up everything, sorted everything. I think she's insane! And gullable because they let her do it :-) But we love her anyway! I told them they're lucky to have Julie as their friend instead of me coz I would never do something like that for them, I have enough trouble trying to clean my own room!

I'm definetly ready to get to Colombia. I want to see it, meet the kids, smell the smells, hear the sounds, sense the culture. I'm enjoying this week and its nice to have a break, but I'm ready to get there. I've been waiting for so long, and now its just 4 days away! I'm so excited.

Lost

2005-10-10T13:07:00.000Z

I love the series Lost. It's slightly far-fetched, but I love it. Partly because of one certain actor who is in the cast, but thats not the main reason :-p I've watched most of it in the last 2 weeks, since I bought it on dvd because I was gonna be away for most of it, I think they're only up to episode 10 or something on tv here, so I bought it. How convenient though, that it was the people who crashed who did crash! I said to a mate the other day that I was only getting on the plane to Colombia if there was a hunter, a doctor, a fisherman, a construction person, people who know how to shoot guns, an Iraqi soldier who knows all about interrogating and technical stuff like transmitters, a few muderers (just to spice it up a bit) and a Dominic Monaghan. Then I know I'll be fine on the island, if we happen to crash. You've gotta look out for these things. Haha.

4 days till I leave...so much to do....scary...

To be 4 again

2005-09-26T18:06:00.000Z

I got asked a fabulous question today by a 4 year old, Sim, who I babysit each day after school. "Where is somewhere?" I thought it was genius. Also last week he asked his mum:

Q:"When you go into space, and you're getting nearer to the sun, why does it get darker?"

A: "Ask your dad."

I wish I was 4 again. When you can genuinly get ecstatic about about the fact you had sausages and gravy for lunch. I think thats amazing. When you're younger, everything is so much more exciting. Today while walking up the stairs to Sim's house (he lives on the 3rd floor so theres a lot of stairs) he made me wait until the light went off so he could show me his 'really special shoes with the flashing lights which scare the monsters away.' Man I wish I could get excited about things like my special shoes and delicious sausages.

One big tangle of worry

2005-09-20T15:10:00.000Z

So I realised its been about a week since I posted anything. The problem is, my life is so totally uneventful that theres nothing to post about generally! Or if something eventful does happen, its not something I'm wanting to remember, so dont really want to blog about it. Now I bet you're thinking 'what has she done recently that she doesn't want anyone to know about?' Honest answer is, not a lot. So I'm back to square one! However, I realised the other night that I'm far more nervous about leaving than I thought I was. And the problem with that is that I dont like worrying. Of any description. I dont like people worrying about me, I dont like worrying about other people so I generally dont - I figure they'll be ok and be looked after ad get sorted, or they'll just work through their mistakes and come out on top at the end. I've seen it a hundred times. So I dont like worrying, but I am worrying (although I'm not entirely sure what about), so I worry about the fact that I'm worrying and end up in one big mess. Just one big tangle of knots. Its something that I'm finding quite difficult to cope with. I told my mum, and she said that I have every right to be worrying because I'm only 18, am leaving home for the first time and that is to the other side of the world. But that didn't really make me feel better. So, on Sunday afternoon I had 2 options. To lay on my bed for an hour and probably get no where and end up in a bigger mess than I'm already in, or get the bus down the road to the beach for an hour. So I did that. It was great. I walked up the beach (its quite a long beach, which you can tell by its very imaginative name -Long Sands) and then I walked back down the beach, and then sat for 20 minutes watching kids playing and people surfing and laughing to myself when they fell off their boards, but gave them credit when they got back on again and tried again. So I spent about an hour thinking and praying and I think getting a little further than if I stayed at home. I think I'm just bored of waiting. I have so much to do and so little time and no motivation and no interest in any of it. I just want to get to Colombia. Thats what I've been waiting for since April, and now its 1 month tomorrow till I arrive there, which isn't long but is also a really long time, if you get what I mean! So, I guess I'll just have to keep praying and waiting and figuring out how to see everyone I love evenly so that I dont hurt anyone, because thats already happened and I didn't feel to great about it after.

That wasp after that night out

2005-09-14T13:15:00.000Z

You know that feeling of going on a night out, maybe having a bit too much to drink, sit and watch your mate who is celebrating his 21st birthday vomit into a pint glass, then be the only one brave enough (of drunk enough) to dispose of said vomit, then get the bus home, then collapse on your bed and listen to some damn good music for what is probably over an hour (Stereophonics - Language Violance Sex Other?) then eventually fall asleep, then a mere 5 hours later get woken up by that wasp that has flown through the very small gap that is your open window? Well that was what happened this morning. But it gets worse! Instead of exiting via that same small gap, it finds a different small gap. The one that leads into my bedroom through the curtains!!! I was not gonna let this little thing ruin my only chances of being vaguely human when I would have to later make contact with the world again. So, when the wasp very kindly lands on my curtains, I reach over and grab the quite funky retro mug thing and the box of that damn good music I was listehing to earlier and trap the wasp in between them. Then I had to slide the cd box, wasp and mug down the curtain. Its probably an easier thing to do when you're not hung over. But I won, the wasp lost, all is good, I managed to get a few hours more sleep...well it was more like laying and listening to the radio and about 4 hours while dosing, but life is beautiful again!

1 month today till I leave!

Check out this video clip on this website - it is absolutely hilarious. www.gnee.co.uk/frame.php?request_video=535

A bit of this and that

2005-09-12T13:33:00.000Z

I have a visa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I got the message yesterday that it had been granted, I kind of went skipping downstairs and told whoever was around. So now everything is in place for me leaving. All I need to do now is...leave. Fairly straightforward, I should think. I wish.

I love listening to music in a car. There's just something about driving along really fast with really loud music. I'm sure I would enjoy it more if I could drive! In my car it's all a bit crap, the speakers are for some odd reason much nearer to my feet than my head and pointing more towards the front of the car than in my general direction. It's ridiculous! Anyway...

I've been thinking recently about what part of my life would God be happy with. I dont read my Bible nearly as much as I should, I dont pray nearly as much as I should. I feel like a bit of a mess really, but I'm not sure why. I've just spent 5 minutes untangling a load of hair bobbles, and thinking 'I wish it was this simple, I wish someone could spend 5 mniutes untangling me and then I'd be ok.' Maybe its all because I'm not really doing anything at the moment, and I know I'm leaving soon. I think I'm more nervous about leaving than I let myself believe. I hate feeling scared. I hate the fact that people are gonna be worrying about me. Thats one thing I really cant stand - people worrying about me. I often wish, when I'm out on a Friday night with my mates and I get that phone call "Where are you, are you ok, when are you coming home?" that it didn't have to be like that. I feel that I should be able to be my person, that I need to be my own person - make my own decisions, do things for myself. Dont get me wrong, I love my family very much. But maybe sometimes I feel a little suffocated by them. Oh, I dont know. See, this is one of the things I need to be bringing to God, but I dont know how. This is why I feel a bit of a mess.

But, this all said, life is good. Strange, ay? What have I really got to complain about?

Don't stop moving to the funky 'arvest beat

2005-08-30T20:58:00.000Z

Today I returned from Harvest, which is a Christian camp, in similar fashion to Soul Survivor but its up north near a fairly small place called Bishop Aukland, fairly near Durham. Harvest was on from Thursday till Tuesday but due to work on Saturday, I could only get there on Saturday afternoon, but then I stayed till the end. What an interesting weekend it was! It started out fairly normally, just hanging out around the tents, me and Alan played pass with a tennis ball over the table and then me and Sarah went for a walk, then we went to the evening meeting. Normal Harvest stuff! (My sister has just arrived and has attached herself to me 'limpet' style around my neck...) Anyway, so Saturday was pretty normal. Sunday morning is when it started to get interesting! At previous Harvest's I've experienced lots of coldness, rain, mud, and more coldness but never the excess windspeed that was there this time. It was quite nerve-wrecking sitting in a huge marquee tent and all you can hear behind the voice of the speaker is the loud rattling of the metal bars above your head that is keeping the tent up. During the morning meeting, the Stewards had gone round taking down tents that were looking like they were gonna blow away. Its like in the Adrian Plass Diary Aged 37 1/2 - he has gone to a Christian camp called 'Let God Spring into Royal Acts of Harvest Growth' and he says:

"Anne and Gerald and I erected our new 'Tornado-Tough' frame tent in no time, despite high winds and sheeting rain. After checking out the toilets, we walked up to the shop. Passed our magnificent new tent, standing tall and proud in the face of the gale. A little further on, our magnificent new tent passed us, flying through the air like a huge, loony, red and blue sail. Caught it eventually, just outside Richard and Doreen Cook's 'Super'Safari-complete-Comfort-Vacation-Van'. Could see Richard inside, drinking tea and reading a bible in the warm. He nodded and smiled and mouthed the words 'Praise the Lord' at me, as I wrestled with my horrible pile of soggy canvas. Mouthed something back." (The last bit wasn't needed in the story, I just think its funny :-p )

Anyway, so the stewards were going around making sure that wasn't happening to our tents by taking them down for us. They took down Michaels tent, which was very kind of them :-s By mid-afternoon, it was decided that our main tent which slept 3 people and kept all the food in it had to come down, because the pole at the front which was meant to curve outwards was infact bending the same angle but inwards. The small cupboard which housed the food such as breakfast cereal was blown over, despite it being in the middle of the tent. I know it housed cereal because someone that morning had neglected to close the box so there was cocoa pops everywhere and I had to scoop them all up! So, since Michaels tent was down and him and Chris were sleeping in that, and the main tent was down which Alan, Matt, Mike and the food were sleeping in, we were short of 5 sleeping spaces and a food store. In the end, Alan and Mike squashed in the 2-man tent with Tim that Tim had been in by himself, Matt slept in the boot of his car (which is quite large thankfully!) and from somewhere an extra 2-man tent was found for Chris and Michael. And the food was stored under Chris's mammoth BBQ table with tarpaulin sheets over in that were pegged down in strategic places. Taking tents down in strong winds is tough! In order to fold them, you had one person folding and about 3 people laying along the edges of it so they dont blow away. Absolute insanity! By tea-time the winds had died down a lot, and stayed that way. Until we were all woken up at 2:30am by the same howling winds. (Luckily we got no rain with it....imagine the hell that would have caused!) So since we were all up checking our tents were pegged down and were all quite awake and aware that sleep was not an option for the time-being, we all got wrapped up in our sleeping bags and sat under the stars for an hour. Due to the winds, there was quite a clear sky above! Very beautiful. Until the stewards came round telling us that if we weren't faffing on with our tents we should go back in them and go back to sleep. Somehow we all managed. I didn't make the wake-up prayers that morning.

So, I haven't even mentioned any of the Christian side of the weekend so far! I think I'll do that another time. I'm really tired and cant quite think straight about the important things like what God did (other than give us unexpected team-work experience).

The cat is still alive!

2005-08-25T12:35:00.000Z

Man, housesitting is awesome. As much as I love living at home, there's definetly something to be said for independence. Going to Morrisons and wandering round the shop with my trolley thinking 'what do I need to survive?' (answer: orange juice, yoghurt, milk and chicken drumsticks, with the odd bit of salad thrown in.) Apart from sometimes forgetting to look after the cat properly, I'm doing a pretty good job! I've managed to eat almost every day, I've remembered to do my washing so I haven't run out of clothes, I've been washing the dishes...well the dishwasher has...but still, I've remembered to do them! I'm quite enjoying myself.

I stayed up till about 3am last night, watching my new favourite propgramme Lost, this very bizarre film called Empire Records, then (slightly sad, I know) watching the cast commentary for Lord of the Rings. Great fun. Shame we had no beer in the house, that would have topped it all off nicely.

I had a marvelous day in Scotland yesterday, visiting my newly married friends Helen and Michael who live on a campsite. Not in a tent - that would get cold! Micahel's parents own the campsite, Michael runs it. It is quite handy to have your friends house labelled on the national map and from the motorway - makes for easy finding! We got a tour of the campsite, then walked to the tiny village shop to discover they dont sell charcoal, so drove the 20 minute drive to the nearest town where we did find charcoal (and marshmallows...can you guess what we had for tea?) Ofcourse, as it does most of the time when we have a barbeque, it rained during the cooking of so the men were huddled around the BBQ with their jackets and umbrellas. Unfortunatly because it was a few hours drive home, we missed the bonfire, which was an old stattic caravan they were gonna burn - how fab would that have been?!? Huge! But we did get lovely BBQ food, marshmallows, guateaux and guinness with a gorgeous view of some gorgeous mountains - can it get much better than that?!?

So, its only 7 weeks till I leave for Colombia. Still no visa, gonna go down to London in 2 weeks with my Dad, then stay on for a few days and visit my friend, come home and apply to uni! Thats what I need to do this afternoon, is look on the UCAS website, find websites of unis and see when they can have me for a visit before I depart from the UK. So I guess I better be off!

Results, uni and a cat

2005-08-20T17:40:00.000Z

Last year I applied to Lancaster Uni to do a music degree. On Thursday as many people know was results day for the A-levels. I nervously headed down to school to pick them up. I got to the hall and very nervously opened my envelope, to discover that my results were

Music - C
English Language - C
Biology - C (?!)

I was very pleased with these results. A bit gutted that I was only 4 marks off a B in music, but ecstatic that I got a C in Biology! And it was enough to get into my uni! So, as any crazy person might do, I promptly phoned them up and cancelled my application. Insane? Yes. But with good reason. I applied to music knowing I was pretty good at it, I enjoyed it, and didn't know what else to do. In the last 2 months, I've found what I do want to do. Nursing! Quite a difference, yes. So I'm gonna apply to do a nursing degree. I'm not sure which uni to go to, but I'll figure that out soon hopefully! Some choices are Liverpool, Manchester, Lancaster, or Northumbria, which is in Newcastle. I want to go away though. The good thing about a nursing degree is that its NHS bursary, so I get my fees paid for me. Thats very nice of them isn't it! So we'll see what happens.

Still no visa for Colombia. I'm going to London in a few weeks and so will go to the embassy and get one there. That'll mean I dont have to send my passport in the post, and I will be able to leave London with a visa (hopefully!) I'd really appreciate prayers for this, because its been really stressing me out recently. A visa is a very important thing when you want to go to a country for more than 90 days.

Me and my brother have been house/cat sitting for my uncle the last week. hasn't been bad, its quite fun having a short time of independence. I've discovered that I really need to learn how to cook, because for the first 4 days I didn't eat very well at all! Partly coz the bread was mouldy which didn't help, but I still had no imagination to come up with anything else.

So, that's all for now! I'm gonna go clean church and then finish watching the rest of the Lord of the Rings trilogy which we started yesterday, got half way through, so are gonna hopefully finish it tonight!

Little joke

2005-08-05T22:39:00.000Z

Do you think infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

I saw this is in a shop of the fish quay near my house. It was an old fashioned fish shop with loads of carved wooden signs with random sayings on. Most of them were pretty funny. I can't remember any others off the top of my head though! So that one will have to do for now.

I went to work tonight, it was pretty busy. I don't like the Friday evening shift! Thankfully its not my normal shift, I was just covering for someone on holiday.

I started painting my room today, it is Indian White (to make it you add orange and black to white. Curious...) and I've done one wall so far. The last 3 days we've had strange men wandering round our house fitting windows. They were just some guys off the street, fancied smashing some glass, so we invited them in! Hehehe. The house is looking slightly more normal house, they're coming back tomorrow to hopefully finish off! Thankfully I'll be at work in the morning (how often do I say that?) so hopefully I'll avoid the work (I do say that one a lot.)

I'm off to bed now, so tired. Work tomorrow, then probably more painting. Joy!

A few rambles to keep me sane

2005-07-31T23:05:00.000Z

I have no idea what to write, I just have a desire to write, even though I need my bed and would benefit much more tomorrow from going to bed now rather than writing. I'm going out for the day tomorrow with Michael, my brother Dan and his girlfriend Jenny, and our newly engaged friends Alan and Sarah, to a place called Warkworth. Warkworth has a castle, quite a complete one, which I studied for my GCSE history coursework in year 10 (I can tell you ALL about it...not that I'm going to), and it also has a river, which has boats on it. Nice rowing boats which we are going to attempt to control. That'll be a laugh!

This past week has been so easy for me, yet so hellish for several of my friends. I wonder why. It doesn't seem fair somehow. How many people say that? It's like I'm wanting something to go wrong in my life, so I can feel the same pain as my friends, so I can help them. Except I dont want anything to go wrong, I just want to be able to understand them and so help them.

I finally got to see Pirates of the Caribbean tonight. I have, of course, seen it before, but I've had a strong desire to watch it again all week, and finally got to see it tonight! It was, of course, as good as I remembered, and Johnny Depp, who is the new 'love' of my life was, of course, as 'delicious' in that film as I'd remembered.

How great are the Beatles? Gotta love them. I was listening to them in the shop today. The other lass I work with brought in some CD's, and the Beatles was one of them. I think it was a Best Of Album, I think I have it. Its a great album, and then 'Yellow Submarine' happened. Shame.

I got offered a house sitting job for my aunty and uncle last night, for 2 weeks in 2 weeks time. I'll get paid (pitiful hourly rate!!) and I have free reign of the house...as long as I feed the cat and clean up after myself. Not bad! Maybe Leonard Thynn will come round to borrow the cat.

How many other girls out there drink guinness and whisky? Not together...

I ordered a CD today - Oasis "(What's the Story) Morning Glory". It has some classics - Wonderwall, She's Electric, Don't Look Back in Anger. Cant wait to get it.

Do I feel slightly more sane now? I still have a desire to write, but it's less than what it was, and I am getting tired now and have a much stronger desire to get into my bed right now than to keep rambling.

Catch up

2005-07-24T14:18:00.000Z

It's been a while really since I've been here. I cant say that I've ben far too busy to blog. I haven't. Not at all. I'm lazy and have been 'busy' enjoying my holiday. Last week, after recovering from a night out, I went to play mini golf (at which I came 2nd) then bought chips and ice-cream. Lovely. I had a fund raiser for my gap year, which raised me nearly £300 towards what I need, which is fab.

I've decided to reapply to uni, changing course and university. I'm not 100% sure of the course I want to do yet or where I want to go, but I know I dont want to go to Lancaster to study music. So I need to research that this summer and reapply asap when school re-opens in September. I realised though that I'll need to see the universities before I leave for Colombia, which might mean my dad driving me around the country a lot which I'm sure he'll be thrilled at! So I need to decide in the next few weeks which courses/unis I want to apply to so I can go to any open days that happen in August. Fun fun fun!

Last night I watched the film 'Finding Neverland'. Such a good film, Johnny Depp is awesome in it, as ever. Someone said to me last week in a conversation about Johnny Depp that he is an actor, not a character. Every part he plays is tres good but very different from each other. Shame there isn't more people like that! I've also recently watched '28 Days', which I really liked as well, not only because it has two of my favourite actors, Viggo Mortensen and Sandra Bullock in it. I can recommend either one if you're looking for a good film!

Not long till results day! Quite nerve-wrecking, but I'm also relieved because I dont have the stress of that being the day I know I've got onto my course or not, because as of yet I dont have a course! It means that I can apply to a uni course already knowing my A-level results, which will make the process so much easier because if I apply with results they want, I'll get unconditional offers from all my choices, so then its up to me to decide which uni I want to go to!

I was supposed to go round to Michaels house today to paint his dining room, but he hasn't phoned me yet. I think I'll give him a ring and see whats happening.

My parents 25th wedding anniversary tomorrow! Congratulations to them!!

How to...

2005-07-12T20:40:00.000Z

I've recently been reading a book called, for some undiscovered reason, "Never Hit a Jellyfish with a Spade" by Guy Browning. It is the ultimate book of 'how to', covering such topics as 'how to use a knife and fork', how to appear taller', 'how to be bald' and 'how to be religious'. In the latter, it says "Once you pick a religion that claims to be the best, you are obliged to think less of other people's religions. This gives rise to all sorts of hatred and unpleasantness, which fortunately religion allows you to be forgiven for." It is full of the questions of life's smaller challenges that people rarely talk about, such as 'how do you establish a queue when you are the first one in it?' It is a rather humourous book. You will never be in doubt of 'how to' anything, including waiting, pottering, using a communal changing room, wearing a hat...the list goes on and on, helping you with all of lifes little challenges!

Prague

2005-07-10T19:06:00.000Z

So, I'm in Prague. It's an interesting city. It contains a lot of old buildings, a river, some more old buildings, and a lot of cafes, restaurants, and foreign people! It must be one of the only places in the worldwhere English is not commonly known by the locals. I hate being the ignorant foreigner, but who is gonna learn Czech other than the Czechs? Not a lot of people! I've been here several days, we arrived last Tuesday 5th and are leaving in 2 days, Tuesday 12th. I think I've enjoyed myself. I've been extrememly tired due to the incredibly noisy traffic that is very constant outside the bedroom window, and due to the heat of the room. Which is strange because the rest of the time I'm quite cold, but at night I'm boiling! We have done fun stuff, like peddle boats on the river, going to the zoo,going up the funicular railway to a park ontop of a hill. Oh and not quite understanding the ticket system for the trams/metros etc and getting fined today ten quid between the 2 of us. Which isn't bad I guess! Ohwell. It was a time where we could play the ignorant foreigner. If only I spoke a lesser known language than English. So anyway....we almost got caught in a hu-owge storm today, but thankfully reached a sheltered cafe just as the rain and thunder properly started. It lasted a long time! We stayed relatively dry though, which was good. I dont often see rain like that these days. Reminded me on the rainy season in PNG. I think this will do for now. I'm very hungry so I'll go find Michael and I guess we'll go find another restaurant to eat in...this must the only youth hostel in the world that doesn't have a kitchen to cook your own food in. Shame, could've saved some money! Ahwell, tis life. Oh and yeh, before all this happened I did my exams, they went ok. I think. Who knows? I'll jsut have to wait till August 19th (?) to get my results!

2005-06-21T13:16:00.002Z

Right, I know my holiday in South Africa was a few months ago, but I just got the pictures recently and haven't got round to putting them on here. They're in the right order of how they happened, starting in Cape Town and ending in Durban at God's Golden Acre, the orphanage where my brother Dan worked for 7 months.

2005-06-21T13:16:00.001Z

On a boat to see some seals. Before the sunburn!

2005-06-21T13:16:00.000Z

Me eating a most disgustingly beautiful ice cream sundae, next to the ocean and a white beach and glorious sunshine - the one that made me look something like the next photo.

2005-06-21T13:15:00.002Z

Me sunburnt on the wine tour...who drinks wine at 10am?

2005-06-21T13:15:00.001Z

Later on in the wine tour, me and Dan infront of some AMAZING scenery.

2005-06-21T13:15:00.000Z

This is at the orphanage now where Dan worked. This is 3 of the lads doing gumboot dancing (notice the welly boots)

2005-06-21T13:14:00.000Z

5am - we went for a gorgeous sunrise walk, through all the snake infested grass. This must have the only time on the whole holiday where I was a bit cold!

2005-06-21T13:12:00.000Z

Me and Xolo (pronounced with a click of the tongue) at GGA, outside the clinic.

2005-06-20T16:43:00.000Z

This is me yesterday in a huge rain, thunder and lightning storm. I thought it looked fun, and I was right! I went out in the back yard and within minutes I was completely drenched through, but thoroughly enjoyed myself and aren't any worse for wear today! I also at one point sat on the shed roof to watch it all, we've got a cracking view of a huge portion of sky from my shed roof!

Long live Bob Geldof

2005-06-19T14:44:00.000Z

Last night I watched a documentary about the lead up to Live Aid, that absolutely mint concert that I would have loved to have been at on July 13th 1985 (I wasn't even alive then!) Bob Geldof is my hero. He is the most amazing man, and one of the most important men on this planet. Yeh, he's rude, he swears, people are scared of him. But to be honest, he has got more done for poverty that anyone. HE GETS THINGS DONE. He can talk anybody into doing anything, and if it takes being rude and swearing to do that, then go for it. If only there were more Christians with the guts he's got, with the anger he's got towards the poverty in this world. He has spent years working against it. Man, I wish I were more like him. I wish everyone was. If more people did half the stuff he did, instead of sitting around just letting him (and Bono) do the dirty work, this world would be so much better off.

We are doing this course at Church called the Forty Days of Purpose. Ok, so I haven't been reading the book we're meant to (exams have kind of got in the way!) but I've been to the Bible studies and the Church services. 2 out of 3 isn't bad. And the theme of this past week was about worship. About giving yourself as a living sacrifice to God. About giving everything you've got into worshipping Him. And from that of course, leads onto this whole poverty thing. Love one another. "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40) What am I doing for them? Nothing. Yet. I will be soon. For now I'm doing exams which I'm not sure how are going to help me in life. I pray I'll find a way they can. Who knows what I'll be doing next year? Or in 20 years? I have no clue. But I pray I'll be helping those who need it.

I wish I was going to Live 8. That would be absolutely fantastically brilliantly wonderfully amazing. But I didn't get tickets. Instead I'll be sat in a house in Cwmbran in Wales, not doing a lot really. Shame. If its on the tv live, I'll be glued to the tv all day. Except maybe when Maria Carey is on. I know someone who got tickets. He'll be there, I'll be jealous.

Long live Bobg Geldof. Or atleast people with his guts, anger, courage and love.

2005-06-09T12:27:00.000Z

I booked my gap year flights yesterday. I am now £999.40 in debt to my parents. Hmmm. However, this £999.40 gets me from Newcastle to London, London to New York City for a week, NYC to Miami, Miami to Bogota, 6 months later Bogota to Miami to London to Newcastle. And I've paid the taxes. And I've got insurance which covers me for everything including hostage. Which might be useful in Colombia, because obviously I'm gonna get kidnapped or something (so people keep telling me!) So I'm gonna have a great week with a lovely friend of mine, which will be lovely, and I might get to stay for the weekend in NYC before going to Philadelphia to stay with my lovely friend. Qujite exciting really!

I'm technically skipping English right now. It is the last lesson though, and it was a 'drop in' lesson where we could go if we wanted. I didn't want. So I went to the library, sat for half an hour revising homeostasis for biology, and now am in the common room here. Listening to lots of people talk, listen to music and theres a group of lads next to me playing a facinating and rather fun game called '10 point ball'. They actually use rolled up balls of paper, and throw them across the room towards a rather suspect hole in the corner of a desk. Whoever gets their ball nearest the hole gets the point. Its a good game. A lot of fun.

This keyboard isn't the best ever. It's quite frustrating.

Today, as I leave school tomorrow, is the last CU of this year. So we're gonna have a party. I've bought a cake (Sainsbury's special) and play some games. Should be fun! I can't believe I leave school tomorrow. I'll be finished! I do have 6 exams after that though, but my days of going to lessons will be over. Shame! Quite sad actually. We're having an assembly tomorrow morning, our leavers assembly. The posters for it say 'Year 13 - You've All Been Framed'. Is that supposed to be an incentive to go? I think they're gonna show our rather embarrassing year 9 pictures with some sort of caption under it. Funny I guess!

Our new car arrives today.

Anyway, as much fun as this has been, I'm going now.

Just a small donation....?!?!?

2005-06-04T20:52:00.000Z

Before my brother went to South Africa, he visited a guitar shop that is down the street from me and was chatting to the guy, Morris, who owns the shop. They got on the topic of South Africa, and he offered Daniel a few guitars, for free, to donate to the orphanage. He kept his word, except it ended up being 13 guitars plus cases, all a donation. Pretty amazing stuff. I must point out this guy is not a Christian, this was no word from the Lord. Daniel sent us a photo from South Africa of him and the kids with the guitars. We gave a copy of the photo to Morris, who put it up in his shop. The rep of the company Morris buys his guitars from was in the shop the other day and saw the photo. He asked 'would Daniel like some more guitars?' Morris replied, 'I dont know, I'll ask him because he's back in town.' So Daniel went into the shop this morning and was asked if he needed more guitars. The answer was no, because he's not there anymore and they dont need more guitars. However, he did point out that I was going to Colombia to do similar work in a few months. 'So,' Morris asks, 'would I like some guitars donated?' 'Yes, of course.' I've never even met Morris and he's going to donate some guitars, plus maybe some other instruments!! How insane is that. He has such a heart, I wish he were a man of God! I couldn't believe it when Daniel told me that this afternoon after I got home from work.

I got there in the end!

2005-05-25T16:26:00.000Z

I'm feeling slightly more confident about my exams. Which is a dangerous thing to say! Exam numero uno is tomorrow - music harmony. Basically I sit for 3 hours at a computer, with a soprano line and I have to harmonise it with the alto, tenor and bass parts and follow a-gazzilion rules in order to do that. I actually kind of enjoy doing it, it makes me feel good afterwards, knowing that I solved the 'puzzle'! I wish that it was a really nasty exam that was gonna be out the way, not the only one I 'want' to do! But its good coz it means I have more time (like a month) to prepare for all the other exams - all my other music, my English language and Biology (!!!!!!) exams.

The house is doing good...on Thursday night and for several days I think I will have no bedroom, as a wall in being knocked down - it will be rebuilt eventually - but its to give me more room in my bedroom, I'm nicking some of my sisters room space in order to have breathing space in my room! Still as granny-ish as when we moved in, but I'm getting used to it!

I'm SO looking forward to the summer. June 27th....getting-very-drunk-at-pub night! Or should I say, end of exams. And then I'll have the search in the thousands of boxes that contain all my worldly goods for those school books which they've very kindly given me this last 2 years, but I have to give back and cant officially leave school until I do so. Thats'll be a pain in the arse if ever I've come across one! And I'm excited about going to Prague. I've always wanted to see more of Europe. And I'll get to see 'that' church...the Church of Bones. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, type "church bones+prague" into google images and you'll see. Quite fantastic. Apparantly its holy land of some description, and everyone wanted to be buried there. In the end there were too many people so they started just piling up the bodies, which decayed, and they were left with thousands of bones. Quite fantastic and a bit sick of someones imagination to see what they did with them! But anyway the holiday will be good.

This whole time I've been typing, its to waste time to see if I can remember what I was actually going to post about. But I have no idea still.

But while I'm sat here, I'll give you some puzzles to do:

Which is the odd one out?

A mire

A minister

A cove

A vent

A verse

Dr. Watson and Sherlock holmes are in a cab on their way to investigate another mystery when Holmes turns to Watson, who is about to doze off, and asks him this simple question: Which three consecutive letters of the alphabet can be placed in front of the four letters TARY in alphabetical order to spell a simple English word?

By what name is Anton Fepuni the well-known writer better known?

Anyway, I still don't have a clue what I was gonna type so I'll be off. I'll give the answers at some point! If I remember...if I don't, that's too bad really!

Ha I've just remembered. I'll just put it very briefly. You know how if someone says they understand physics, they quite clearly don't? Well I think its the same with God. I was talking to someone last week who said that they thought they knew everything about God and completely understood Him. That made me quite sad...for starters, this person didn't know the basics about Christianity because they rarely read the Bible etc. but they still thought they knew it all. Hmmmm.... And it made me think 'I wouldn't want to know all about God. If I did know, there'd be no reason for me to keep going with this Christianity and trying to live each day for God. Where would the awesome mystery of God be?'

I now live at...

2005-05-21T17:38:00.000Z

Well I'm not actually gonna say on t'internet where I live. But for the record, its not at the same place as where I last posted from. yes, we finally moved house. It's big, it's granny-ish and it's covered in boxes. Sounds appealing, I know. Apparently we have a lot of stuff! It took about 8 hours of solid carrying boxes to get us moved. Ridiculous. It's granny-ish because we bought the house off an old lady who has gone into a rest home, so it has classic granny carpets and wallpaper. So it needs a lo-o-ot of work doing to it. Oh goody! But I do like it. And it's conveniently situated about 100 yards from: a pub (obviously top of the list), a chip/pizza/kebab shop, a newsagent, a chinese takeaway, a police station and of course (the reason we moved here), my church! So see from that info if you can work out where I live. I'm sure someone somewhere is sad eno...I mean clever enough to be able to figure it out from the given information. Granted you only know the country that I'm in!

Anyway - general life. Dan is doing good. Has had to get settled in fast due to us moving house 2 days after he came home. Work is good, tiring to stand for hours but I know how to do everything now and its all pretty simple and straightforward! School is finished in 3 weeks (half term in the middle so I only have 2 more weeks at school) and then I'm on study leave, and then in 6 weeks time it'll all be over - oh the beauty of it! And then my glorious months of summer holidays begin, starting with my friends wedding (no prom for me :-( ), then Prague for a week, then who knows what! Maybe a bit of travelling around the country. Whatever I do, it'll be good. I'll make sure of it. Oh yeah and I got my dates for Colombia - 21st October till 10th April (in time for my Church holiday which is 13th-17th April). So I'll be there just short of 6 months. But I might be going to America first to visit a tres good friend o' mine! Which will make it very nearly 6 months that I'll be gone.

The penalty shootout between Man U and Arsenal is on the tv so I'm off!

2005-05-15T18:38:00.000Z

I don't have long to write, as I have a really solid synoptic essay on 'photosynthesis and its effect on the ecyosystem' due in tomorrow. But it's been a fab day - Daniel came home! My family is complete again :-D It's awesome seeing him again, even though its been less than 3 months since I did last see him. I cant imagine how my family or his girlfriend or any of our friends are feeling, who haven't seen him for 7 months. Crazy! He arrived this morning at 10:45, and we said all our hellos at the airport (then got told off byMr. Grumpy Policeman for being too noisy, as we were leaving...ooops!!! Lol) and then went to Church for half an hour where there were more people waiting to see his pretty little face and give him a big kiss n cuddle, and then we came back home for lunch along with Gran and Jenny, his girlfriend. It was a lovely lunch, fairly crowded but fun and tasty :-) So tonight about 20 people are crashing on our small house that is even smaller due to all the boxes in it, and we're having Chinese food. Unlucky for the takeaway! but he's been pining Chinese food since he left - not a lot of it in South Africa! At least not in Durban. So hat'll be a right laugh. Gotta go now, homework is calling. Bye!!!! :-D :-D :-D :-D

Things that annoy Suzanne...and then the mood changes slightly as she gets mushy, and then starts laughing at people.

2005-05-12T21:55:00.000Z

I've discovered recently that there are several things which really do my head in. They are (in no particular order):

1. The cigarette packets being backwards in the shop on their stand.

2. Sitting on the backwards seats on the metro.

3. When the bedsheet sort of scrumples up under me on my bed.

4. The fact that I live in one of the coldest places in Britain, thanks to the North Sea 'breeze' (more like a flipping gale most of the time!)

5. Not sitting on the end of the row during windband.

6. The fact that half of my friends, be them in this country or elsewhere, have finished school and have none of this exam pressure!

7. When people sign things annonomously (is that how its even spelled?)

8. The fact that all these things annoy me.

9. MY SISTERS TASTE IN MUSIC!!!! Crappy pop stuff. Give me Led Zepellin any day!

10. The fact that it isn't spelled 'Led Zepellin' but infact is spelled 'Led Zeppelin' and I can never remember that.

11. The fact that I'm sure there is another thing that does me 'ead in and I cant remember it!

12. When I want a guiness and have to do revision instead. (Could this be the main one?)

It's quite sad really that things so pathetic like that really wind me up. AAAUUUGGGHHHH!!!!! There we go, some stress is relieved.

It's a shame I'm moving house next week. One thing I love about my house at the minute is that the computer is in the conservatory. And at night we get some fantastic views of some gorgeous skies. To my right there is an awful lot of sky showing and its a gorgeous mixture of dusty pink with purple streaky clouds going into a faint yellow then a faint blue. And out the other window I can just see above the houses a gorgeous blue sky, the silhouette of the tree brances in my back garden and a bright thumbnail moon through the branches. Its gorgeous. "The dust beneath his feet" is how those faint pink clouds were described in a book. Thats fab. God has been walking around and left a dusty pink trail.

However, through these gorgeous clouds there are the left over trails of aeroplane. Makes me laugh at the thought that so many people have been sat up there in discomfort for at least 1 hour. And makes me glad that its my friends and not me who will be sat on those planes for many hours over the next few days. I can think of atleast 4 people who will be sat in that discomfort between now and Monday. It brings a smile to my face :-) Dont worry, I've been there loads of times as well and will be facing it during the summer and in October when I go to Colombia, so you can all laugh at me then. Enjoy! Love you all, even if you do get to go nice places :-p

"I'm happy with my figure" she stated. Shame we'll all know.

2005-05-11T19:05:00.000Z

Last week Sarah Cockings, who used to go to my school, won £3million on the lottery. So what is she doing with her money? She's, obviously, putting it to the great use of buying her two sisters, Alex (who used to be in my class) and Emma boob jobs. How sweet is she!! So yesterday, all over the Sun newspaper (the word "classy" springs to mind...) there was her huge picture in the centre wearing a tres revealing dress, with photos of herself, Alex and Emma looking all tarted up and smiling 'beautifully' during their photo shoot in London. With the headline somewhere along the lines of "I'm paying for my sisters boobs to be as big as mine." Its a shame that anyone who sees either of them now will go "Hahaha shes fake!" Why would you want to publically announce that sort of thing? And lets face it, the Sun is very public! You almost didn't need the page 3 girls with her picture. Not that I'm a regular reader of the Sun, but there was a copy floating around the common room at school as everyone knows who Alex is. It provided us with so much entertainment. So thankyou Sarah, Alex and Emma for being so proud of the figure God gave you, and wanting to waste all your money on plastic boobs. At least Sarah is happy with her figure. And how nice of her to be so willing to shell out £5000 for her sisters...she obviously has a lot of respect for them. I wonder what she'll do with the rest of the money? If you're sensible sunshine, buy a house. Or buy a caterpillar....thats about as useful.

The one that could have been...

2005-05-08T20:12:00.000Z

Life can be full of 'what ifs' cant it. My latest 'what if' is "what if love actually happened like it does in the movies." Man, its just so simple there. They never have to work at love. They just meet and fall in love. They can spend about 2 days with each other and 'know' that they have met the person they want to spend forever with. If that was the case there would be a lot more serial polygamists about. Over the years I've met guys who I've fell 'truly madly deeply' in love with, and then woke up to myself and realised that I was being ridiculous and that I was actually 'truly madly deeply' in love with someone else. Sound familiar? I've just finished watching a film with such a story. Its called 'Chasing Liberty' and would be a really naff film with the same old cheesy storyline (girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, boy eventually (after a few more hours of his life) falls in love with girl, boy turns out to be an arse, girl gets angry and runs off, boy turns out to be nice so girl is kicking herself, boy and girl meet again, boy and girl kiss and after that line ('lets get out of here', 'i might shoot you if you dont kiss me', you know the type!) they spend a blissful eternity (as they lead us to believe because we don't know anything else that happens in the story) kissing) if it weren't for the quite sexy Brit who has such a great sense of humour he really brings down the cheese factor. But they just met and fell in love. So simple. So what if it really happened like that? Would be kind of boring I think. Everything would be guaranteed.

Why do I keep finding rivers in the wrong places?

2005-05-03T22:39:00.000Z

Someone went swimming at school today. For those of you who have been lucky enough to go to or have attended a school which is rich enough to afford a swimming pool, this might not be quite so strange. However, when its break time at 11:10am and that someone is swimming in what once could be described as a path connecting one building to the next because someone offered him £2.50 (he could have at least done it for a tenner-what a pillock!) it could be seen be slightly abnomal. Yes, it rained today. I mean properly rained! Actually, it was hailing at one point. Yes it is May. We get some crackin weather up here like! (Slightly Geordie-esque that was. I'm back to normal now.) Anyway, it was absolutey bucketing it, slightly monsoon-ish for a few minutes, and then turned into a normal English downpour for quite a while. But you wouldn't think that the school would have 8 inches of water over the path, or that it would be coming into the school from the roof so that half of the main hall was blocked off because it was covered in water. Or that the building site on school would actually look like a lake! Or that the road leading into the school was flooded. Or that the path leading from the road into the school had a river running down it. Man I go to a good school. Thankfully all of my lessons this morning meant that I could stay in A-block, which thankfully consists of the cantene and common room as well so I didn't have to leave my dry haven until after lunch when it had stopped raining. Actually the sun was shining again and the swimming pool had dissapeared. What a shame I didn't have to wade through all that to get to music! And its raining again now. I think I may go to school with slightly more waterproof feet tomorrow.

2005-04-30T14:03:00.000Z

Well last time I changed the colour. So I thought I'd keep the theme of 'change' and go with a new font. My oh my things are getting pretty crazy! I just got in from work. It's good to be able to say that! I can't be accused of being lazy anymore. I spent all morning working the Lottery machine. I feel slightly guilty for encouraging people to gamble and smoke. For instance, if we hadn't been working this morning, no one would have been able to waste money on that machine that I could now work with my eyes closed. One guy came in and spent £30 on the lottery - every week I think! What a waste! He could spend that on much better things, like alcoh...oops I mean...never mind, it's just not worth it. But aside from having slightly painful legs from standing for 4 hours straight, its not bad. And I'm earning money. My dad asked me if I'd sneaked a couple chocolate bars into my bag while no one was looking. Thankfully I understand my dads sense of humour so I knew he was kidding, so I just said 'no.' He said 'oh Suzanne, you should be getting the perks of having a job.' To which I replied 'I am, I'm getting payed.' Thats perky enough for me!

Well, 2 weeks till Dan comes home. Thats my brother, hes in South Africa working at an AIDS orphange/childrens home and has been there 7 months. I saw him about 2 months ago but nonoe of my family or friends has. Just me. I feel quite privilidged. I would feel slightly more privilidged if someone had paid my way there. But thanks to my fab brother, I didn't pay hardly anything while I was there coz he's just so kind! (I hope Dan that you'll buy me a drink when you get back since I'm being so nice now. A pint of guiness will do nicely! Thanks, you're mint :-) ) Anyway enough about him. You know what I did just before? Slightly stupid, but my excuse is its been a really long week. When I was writing AIDS orphanage/childrens home, I actually wrote AIDS orphange/slash childrens home. Ok, so its more stupid than 'slightly stupid.' But it has been a LONG week. I've been getting my music coursework finished this week and so on Thursday I spent about 8 hours doing my coursework, 6 of those at school and 2 at home. I left school finally at about 6pm. And on Friday I spent 5 hours in the music department finishing it off. as well as having other lessons and doing a choir concert in the evening. And thankfully now it's finished! Well I just have to record them. But that won't take too long.

Don't you hate it when you're typing and you accidently hit the 'insert' key on your keyboard so it starts deleting what you've written if you try to add anything into where you've already typed? I did it just now, and I did it yesterday while doing my coursework, which was slightly frustrating! So anyway, I've just got 2 months left of this whole school thing and then I'll be done. My goodness how beautiful will that be! Must be off now, to give away my Dubai-ish money (to get English money in return hopefully!) and to clean Church. What fun Saturdays have turned into...

They wanted me!

2005-04-26T16:20:00.000Z

I kind of got hired today! Meaning that I'm on trial for 2 weeks and then if they want me and I want them, I'll properly have a job. It's just at a rubbish little newsagent in Monkseaton, where I live (typical that I'm moving to a house 3 miles away from it just as I get a job which is 10 minutes walk from my current house), but they are the only people so far who have offered me anything, so I'm going with it! Unfortunatly, seen as I'm not 18 yet, I don't qualify for minimum wage. But I'll still make a fair bit, and it'll go towards my gap year. Which is a great thing!Hopefully I'll still be able to do all my summer plans...the wedding in Wales, Prague, London, camping with my family, I'd love to do Soul Survivor or something but thats very doubtful coz I'm already doing too much! But for now I don't care about that. I'll worry about that when I know for definite if I have to job! So for now I just have to worry about not making huge mistakes like losing the bloke laods of money on the cash point or lottery machine!

I thought I'd try a new font colour...you know, live a little, be a little adventurous and crazy! Or something like that. What d'ya think?

Speaking of my gap year (well it was vauely mentioned before) I'm meeting Richard, who is the Dad of the orphanage I'm looking at in Colombia, tonight I think. Which is fab! So we'll see how it goes. This place, Childrens Vision International in Bogota seems so right and really like God has shown me this place and He wants me to go there for my 6 months. So I'm praying that tonight will go well. If not, I'll end up working in Tesco or somewhere for the whole year which is not quite the 'service' I want to give back to God!

I'll let you know how it all goes when I know! Until home, (one or two of you might know what I mean by that!) God Bless x x x

2005-04-23T19:20:00.000Z

This is the 'young people' who went away with my church to the Lake District. That's Matthew in the back being awkward...

2005-04-23T19:17:00.000Z

This is me hugging (it doesn't happen too often!) my fab sister Michelle. If we look slightly windswept, its because we'd been hiking for about 2 hours.

2005-04-21T20:49:00.000Z

Well I wrote out a whole post this afternoon and then lost it. I seem to remember I started out saying that I was thankful for technology because of all the communication I am able to have with all my gorgeous friends! However, now I dont like it. I still like the communication though. And my friends are still gorgeous. I can't remember hardly any of what I was saying so this will be short I reckon!

But it does amaze me how lucky I am to be in such regular contact with so many people. I've got friends in England, America, Holland, India, South Africa, Kosova, PNG who I've been able to keep in contact with by the wonders of technology (when the friggin thing works!) And I've been in contact with a lot of these people since I was about 13. How many 13 year olds get to keep their friends till they're 17 and onward? It does make me wonder why I want to continue putting myself into situations where I have to say goodbye. It hurts. Why would I want to hurt myself? I've spent the last 5 years loving too many people in too many places. And I've often thought and wished that all these people could be in one place, and that place would be a mixture several loved places. I hope you follow! But I guess if God gave us everything we wanted and we had it all, what would we have to trust him about? If we knew that God would give us everything on silver platter when we asked for it, we wouldn't need to ask and trust him to provide. So that's what I'm trying to do. Trust God that He will provide the oppurtunity to see them again! It's been so awesome, if not slightly surreal, to have my PNG friends 'integrated' with my England friends as they meet. I'm just glad I don't live 100 years ago. Or more. Because I'd have hardly any contact with anyone! I'd have 1 lot of friends, apart from the letter that would arrive every 6 months or so. So I can complain all I want about missing my friends, but I've got it so much better than a lot of poeple! So anyway, this was gonna be short. I haven't quite mastered the art yet of writing in short. Hmmm....

Anyway, I'm hoping to get a more recent picture of me up soon so you can all look at my pretty face. I have several very un-posed photos of me (I think I'm the only one who went to the Lakes who could manage to not pose, despite what I got accused of!) and so when I get them scanned in to a computer (something I can't do here due to lack of working scanner) you can see a more recent me. See ya later!

Just a few updates

2005-04-19T14:34:00.000Z

I was just looking over my previous posts and realised I'd mentioned a few things which, thanks-be-to-God, have got sorted! Or are definetly on their way to being sorted.

First, our house that we put up for sale. Within 3 days of it being on the market, some people came round to view the house (this was the first lot of people who came). The next morning, they put an offer in for the full asking price. 6 days after that, we put an offer in on a house that is 2 minutes walk away from Church (exactly where we want it) and that was accepted. So that all went fast. Now its just waiting for all the solicitor-type stuff to get sorted! But hopefully within the next month we'll get moved.

Secondly is my gap year. I think I've (finally) found the place God wants me to go. Its an orphanage in Bogata, Colombia, called Children's Vision International and it is home to 103 street kids. It is completely Christian run and looks awesome. I wont be by myself either! In fact, it looks as though I wont be by myself at all hardly during the whole 6 months, except when I'm dreaming! So soon hopefully I'll be in the process of applying.

I think they were the 2 main things that needed up-dating. If I think of anything else, I'll just make a new post. Anyway, I've been off school the last 2 days with a virus of some kind, I'm nackered and bored out of my mind. And this writing business is stressing me out because I cant type properly today. So I'm gonna go! See ya x x x

The time of year is upon me again

2005-04-13T21:07:00.000Z

When I think of the saying: 'the time of year is upon us again', I would like to be able to think of good, happy, maybe exciting things...Christmas, my birthday, summer, Easter...however, this 'time of year that is most definetly upon me now' is the time of exams. I have officially started revision, I officially have a lot less life than I did, say, last week! Such a drag! And this is the 3rd year in a row that I've come off my Easter holidays, gone back to school and feel that pressure definetly on me, to do my reivison, to do ALL my homework, I'm sure you all know how it goes! Thankfully I get a break next year, what a blissful year that will be! And then to uni...where who knows how many 'that time of year' stresses I'll get. Anyway, enough complaining about exams and stuff. Plenty of time for that.

Don't you hate it when something good reminds of you something good, so you dont like it? I'm purposely trying to be as vague as possible here, because certian parties involved in this might be reading and I don't want them to know! So my most sincere appologies. Say, for example, you have a place you used to go with someone who was special, you enjoyed the place for it being it and for the company involved, and then you don't have that person anymore so you don't like the place. Or a tv show that you used to watch with somone who was special, and now you don't have that person, so you don't like the tv show because it reminds you of when things were good? These are all hypothetical situations, I'm not gonna comment on what my actual situation is! I found a quote that I really like so I'm going to share it. "O soul, He only who created you can satisfy you. If you ask for anything else, it is your misfortune, for He alone who created you in His image can satisfy you." -St. Augustine. I think that's my problem. I look for too much to satisfy me. I have on-going battles with God and myself for not being in situations I would have liked to find myself in. I need to get back to the *simple* 'let God satisfy me' and then maybe I'll be satisfied with every situation and every person I get given. Tough though, isn't it? It's just a matter of praying. I need to learn that more. To come to God with everything, thank God for everything, know that God is in control of everything. Of course I know and believe all this, its just engraving it into myself that is the hard part!

Stress!!!!

2005-04-11T18:50:00.000Z

So I know I only posted yesterday and that was a really long one. So I'll make this shorter. I'm just stressing a bit! The kids next door are SO noisy, and are outside screaming their heads off while I'm inside trying to do A2 biology coursework that is due in tomorrow. And the sun is blinding me, because the blinds over the window wont go where I want them to and the very bright sun is peeking through them just enough to distract me!

Why do some parents let their kids be quite so noisy and horrible? I saw a really heart-warming thing today. I was sat on the metro and on the seats in front of me was a mum with her 2 little girls. A lot of parents I see would be bitchy and telling their kids off for not-a-lot, so kids scream and grow up to be horrible disturbed people. A bit stereotypical of me, I know, but we'll move on from that. This mum was sat playing 'I spy with my little eye' with her kids, and they seemed such sweet kids. It was such a nice change to see a parent being nice to her children!

I went job hunting today. Oh what fun. I traipsed around North Shields (about 4 miles from home where I'm moving to soon) and around Whitley Bay (1 mile from home) going around the shops, many saying that they didn't have any vacancies, and some taking a CV or giving me an application form or phone number. Hopefully it'll work out and I'll be working soon. Because I have a lot to raise money for, namely my gap year (which I'm not sure what its gonna be but I know I'll need a lot of money for it!) But I also want to be able to go down south to see some friends after my exams, and I'll need money for that. The problem is, I want to do far too much this summer for the amount of time I'll get off. But thats something to work out in the future! For now I just need a job and to pass my exams. Which wont get done if I keep writing here. So back to biology for me.

Please pray for me - I need as much of it as possible to be able to get the results I need (BBC) for my 1st choice uni - Lancaster to study music. And I have no inspiration. That always seems to be the problem though. Although I think I have even less time round because I did so much revision for my last exam and got a 34/90 for it - not a pass. So I'm resitting it, alongside doing all my other exams. Stress!!!!

Hope you've got a couple hours...

2005-04-10T22:21:00.000Z

As I prophesised in my last post, I am very nackered at the end of my holidays. Not entirely my fault though - more the tres funny and interesting motorbiking diaries of Ewan McGreggor and Charlie Boorman, 'Long Way Round'. And we had to finish watching them before Phil went home, so it ended up being a bit of a late night, and unfortunatly an early morning due to Church - 5 hours sleep is enough, right?

It's been a pretty full week. Phil arrived on Sunday, nice to see him again! He met some of my crazy friends and then we went to the pub. Late night no.1!

Monday we got up early to go to the Lake District for 4 days with my church. A 2 hour car journey, which somehow I managed to sit in the front seat and let 3 big lads squash in the back! Lucky me. This journey was the start of rudness and crudness that filled the rest of the week...what less could we expect? And being the only girl (over 16) I spent a lot of time becoming immune to the ways of young men. Got to the Lake District around lunch time. Went for a walk up a mountain through a forest (with the 4 lads I was *lucky* enough to spend the week with). This consisted of playing on the swings, having some completely un-posed photos taken (yeah right!) and 2 of said lads half stripping off in the middle of the forest...nothing to worry about there...too much! We did get some rather strange photos though. (I will put in right here that this was a CHURCH holiday, they are actually nice, good Christian boys :-) ) We got to the manor (yes I am rather cultured and classy when I want to be!) where we were gonna be staying and after unpacking the masses of cheese and ham from the car and finding our rooms, we went up to the games room and played a game of table tennis which started out as a nice, gentle 'hitting a little plastic ball across the table' but ended in a 'just slam the damn thing anywhere, try and dodge it as it flys towards your face and try to hit it in the most awkward direction for your opponent and avoid the game of pool that is going on in the same room.' Good fun, I must say! Then we played some games of Cheat, a nice Christian card game. Until, that is, someone accidently instead of just saying 'cheat' turns and swears VERY loudly at you accidently (said again for emphasis). Tea time, didn't eat much, did the dishes (and the floor washing due to someone very rudely throwing bubbles in my face, so I retaliated and it ended in, well, tears, you might say! Then had devotions led by my father on one of the Psalms but I dont remember which one, it was good I know that much! And then sat around chatting and drinking hot chocolate. Late night no.2!

Got up before 8 next morning, had breakfast, made my lunch, got dressed, then while hanging around waiting for the days trip to begin we found Twister, so me Phil and James started playing. Very painful, but it was all worth it because I had the satisfaction of winning. Go me! Eventually we set of on our walk which ended up being a 6 mile walk around a lake. A very beautiful lake, but non-the-less, a lake. It was pretty much just big and wet and tiring for us poor folk to walk around. We found the elusive bog (a documentary was started on this journey about the bogs of the world. The type that dont flush, that is.) and eventually got the even more elusive ferry. We knew it was there somewhere, but it took us about 4 hours to find it! A wonderful day. Went back to the manor, played cards, read, ate tea, had devotions, had a prayer meeting and then me and the lads watched some Norman Wisdom. Never seen it before, didn't quite know what to expect, but it was pretty funny. "Right right left left right left left sandwhiches for lunch!" (Only to be understood if you've seen it, ofcourse!) Then eventually to bed...late night no.3! I think I should actually be calling these early mornings rather than late nights...

This is getting pretty long isn't it?! Well no fear, theres just another 5 days or so to go! Although it got slightly less eventful after Wednesday. Which is next, by the way, in case you got lost along the way.

So, Wednesday. What an eventful day! Started out fairly normally, no twister or anything, just the usual routine of getting ready, and then we set off for Grizedale Forest. About an hours drive away from the manor. Fairly straight forward. This walk involved (no prizes for guessing correctly...) a forest, and a mountain. And a very strong wind. And a funny shaped round wooden thing. And a christmas tree. But we'll get to that soon! The walk started and went up. And then the path turned into a river. There was definite movement of water down our path, and there was a fair bit of water so it was a river. And we walked up it. Thankgoodness for waterproof shoes! This continued for a while. We took a break on a wall somewhere as the path leveled off a bit, took some photos (not too much posing, atleast not on my behalf!) and then we started off again walking. Found a bench which coinsided with some rather disturbing conversations from the lovely lads I was with. Then we got hungry so walked into a forest and ate lunch in it, for no particular reason other than it was there. So, carrying on, we found the top of the mountain which is where the really really strong winds came in. I, being quite a light-weight person (in non-alcoholic terms) was nearly blown off the top of said mountain. So I was kind of hanging on for dear life. To the cairn on the top by the way, not the actual mountain. After some photos and a short video on Phils camera, we set off towards the rather random funny shaped round wooden thing. It was big and carved and there seemed no reason for it. So i sat in it. Which was quite comfy until someone decided to sit on me. Then it was kind of hard to be comfy as I was being pushed off and was holding onto Andy, who was sat on me. So I'll cut this short because theres still so much more to tell for this day. We kept walking, took more footage of bogs (big bog, little bog and streamy bog...dammit Andy!), found a decorated Christmas tree (covered in baubles which I dont have one of in my bedroom...) and then found the end of the walk. Which we were dissapointed with, but it turned out to be really good thing. Lets see how quick I can tell this part. We sat in the cafe, my mum came and talked with us, went outside and slipped on some wet mud, cracked her head off a wooden post, was possibly knocked unconscious, some guy came and found us in the cafe, we ran outside, me Phil James and my Dad went to A and E with mum for several hours and entertained ourselves in the childrens play area. And in Tesco. Or Asda. Dont remember which. Doesn't matter! Mum was ok, nothing broken, no concussion (supposedly). Eventually got back to the manor, had fish and chips, had a Barn Dance (Scottish dancing, great fun, nice and sweaty after) and then went and played pool. Again, more disturbing conversatons and smells coming from my lovely lads. Eventually, after being on that flippng black ball for about half an hour, the other team potted it and we could go to bed at about 1am. Late night (early morning) no.4!

Thursday - get up, pack up, clean up, head out door. Took photos of us lot outside the manor (guns at the ready...we all originally lined up like for a firing squad) and then headed off. Went to a place called Watendlath. Found Gollum again (he is a sneaky devil), took some rather funny videos of Andy and Matthew, and then had lunch and hot chocolate (or ice-cream if you were crazy because it was freezing!!!) and then headed home. Slept a bit, played a very energetic (ha!) version of the yellow car game, then got back to Matthews house and learnt all about Chavs. If you dont know what a chav is you'll have to come visit and I'll point them out, or buy the book...I'm not about to explain! Got home, unpacked a bit, made some tea (so stressful!) and then Michael came round and we did something but I really dont remember what. Then everyone either left or went to bed and me and Phil stayed up and watched CSI and Vicar of Dibley. Hilarious. Laughed a lot. Late night no.5!

Friday - got to sleep in a bit. Then proceeded to do nothing all day. Until about 6pm when we (me and Phil) went for a walk to the beach. So cold. Went and got some chips for tea. Lovely. Went home, went to pub, had a few drink, had a lot of laughs, got home and watched the previously mentioned 'Long Way Round' episode no.1. Never laughed so much in my life. Not sure if it was the company, the immense lack of sleep or the alcohol or a combination of the lot, but I managed to fall off the settee. Not sure how I managed it. Eventually stumbled upstairs and collapsed asleep. Late night no.6!

Saturday was again filled with not-a-lot. Watched some more Long Way Round. Phil played squash with Michael and another friend, I cleaned church (a tres small part time job, I'm not just nice!) Got chinese food. Went out in the evening to Matthews house, watched the video from the hols and had a lorra laughs. Went home, drank some beer and watched the remaining 4 episodes of Long Way Round. That was a very late night. That is the afore-mentioned 5 hours sleep comes into it! We were both practically dead on our feet, but both managed to stay awake throughout the whole thing, until about 2:30am, and both managed to get up at 8am for Church this morning. I think we're insane. Very late night, and last night, no.7.

Sunday - as already mentioned, got up early, went to Church, came home and ate lunch, went to train station, Phil got on train, I didn't. To put it briefly! Attempted some homework. Managed a bit. Went to Bible Study at church. Watched some of AirForce1 but got fed up even though its a good film. Came here and wrote this. The end. Almost...

p.s. Hope you've enjoyed reading it, hope you managed it, hop you dont mind that you might not have understood all of it, due to not being there and me being a bit too lazy to explain all the jokes. Ta raa!

All Full of Music and Dancing

2005-03-23T11:08:00.000Z

Well its been a while since I last posted, so I figure I will. After recovering from my holiday in South Africa, I've been *busy*. With loads of school work, of course! Kind of. I spent half the weekend at the Sage (music building in Newcastle) seeing concerts, because there was a jazz festival on and as I quite like jazz and Michael is in love with jazz, we went up. I was meant to go on Sunday night as well, but was so exhausted and wanted nothing more than to spend a night in, so Michael went up by himself and met up with a friend there. So it worked out fine, except I missed the gig.

Last night was my favourite. Michael took me out for a Spanish meal in Newcastle, near the river, lovely lovely lovely! And then we went to the theatre to see Kiss Me, Kate. And yes he did score.Anyway, I loved it. Watching dancing is one of my favourite things, especially when they have great costumes and are all a swish of bright colours. I love it! Wish I could dance. I would quite happily be a dancer and be able to make a living out of that! Anyway, we were sat on the front row of the gallery, so we were miles up, but it wasn't a bad view actually which was a relief! If we leaned forward we could see the whole stage. I think going to the theatre is one of my favourite things. Love it!

Well thats all for now. I break up tomorrow for 2 weeks, and I have to do 2 weeks worth of work in 1 week because my friend is coming up to visit for the 2nd week and its my church holiday to the Lake District. So I'll be nackered by the end of the hols. So much to do! But I cant wait, so much fun over there in the Lakes. So for now, dont do anything I wouldn't do. And if you do, make sure its fun!

My month of February (plus a little bit before)

2005-03-01T21:37:00.000Z

Wow it has been such a long time since I posted, or it feels like it has been anyway! Between the last time I posted and now, SO much has happened. A biology exam, Calamity Jane (school show), flying across the world, 2 amazing weeks in South Africa, flying back across the world, sleeping a lot, house up for sale, and my gap year interview! Don't worry, I wont bore you all with the intricate details of all that, I'll just give you an overview.

Biology exam - went ok. I was ill so I got to do the exam in an office by myself in a comfy chair at a proper desk. So much better than what the rest of my piers went through in the freezing uncomfortable exam hall! No results yet, only time will tell if all my many hours of revision paid off.

Calamity Jane - all sing along, "I just blew in from the windy city, the windy city is mighty pretty..." What a laugh. Chicarrrrrgy! (As our Calam pronounced it.) I played in the orchestra on the first 2 nights of the show. Watched it the 3rd night (and could recite most of it, sing along with the words and sing along with the orchestra!) and then...

Flying across the world - was on an aeroplane for the last night of the show. Too bad! Not throwing up at this point, infact had just started the long haul from Gatwick to Dubai to Jo'burg to Cape Town. What a laugh and a half that was. Threw up 6 times in total, felt miserable, ears hurt a lot, hungry, ill, couldn't sleep...Any of this sound familiar to all you experienced travellers out there?

South Africa - seeing Daniel (or Danasour as he gets called by the pre-school kids) was so cool and great and so natural. Which then started our mad, wonderful week in Cape Town where I didn't sleep much because people kept leaving the lights on in the dorm and I was in agony from sunburn on my shoulders and back. And then after Cape Town we flew onto Durban - unbelievable earache here - where I was greeted with rain. Great first impression! Got a taxi from the airport to God's Golden Acre, about 40 minutes from Durban in a place which is unbelievable similar to PNG. And so my even madder, wonderfuller (is that a word?!?) week began with the kids of GGA. Cool kids, a lot of fun, like being tickled, like being carried around, like jumping on the volunteers, it was cool! I saw an amazing sunrise at 5:30am, saw the kids worship God in Zulu, saw some Zulu (Gumboot) dancing and drumming from the lads Daniel looks after on an evening, and then had to say goodbye to them. Man, that was horrible! And it was only a week, and I was gutted to leave them. I still find it so strange, thinking that I'll never see those kids again. The holiday finished on a bit of a bang though. We found out at the beginning of the week that South Africas biggest band, who happen to be a tres strong Christian band, Tree63, were playing in Durban on my last night. So a few of us got tickets to see them. Got lost on the way, but eventually found the place it was at. The gig was outside, we got rained on, but its all atmospheric isn't it! It was such an amazing night, they are such a good band, I recommend them. I think the album '63' is pretty great. Gutted to say goodbye to the other volunteers after the gig, even more gutted to say bye to Daniel the next day. But I'll see him in a few months time!

Flying back across the world - piece of cake! Why do people worry about flying? All that talk of earache, throwing up, feeling bored, restless and uncomfortable...nonsense! Or you get that feeling if you're completely drugged up on completely legal herbal tablets that are to relax you. Wow, they do the trick. So the flight home was, as I said, a piece of cake. No problems there!

Sleeping a lot - well you all know how that works. We sit down with every intention of just reading a book and then writing those essays in about half an hour. Then we wake up and its about 3 hours later and all our good intentions have gone out the window. So several half hours later (like 3 days worth) I eventually sat down and wrote my essay. Well done me.

House up for sale - fairly straight forward. We have a sign outside our house saying 'For Sale', people come and look, obviously will automatically want to put an offer in for it, we continue to look for a house to move into. Not too much explaining needed there I hope!

Gap Year Interview - in a few words, me and my drove for 3 hours, interview was fine, but now don't want to go to Ghana with them because they'll be sending me out by myself. With people to oversee me, but in no team of any kind, it'll just be me pretty much. So no thanks! Back to square one on the gap year front. Never-the-less, I will not worry because I know God will show me where He wants me to go for 6 months!

So thats the end of that! Thankyou for paying so much attention (if you made it this far!) :-) Feel free to comment, write to me (tvaboof_87@hotmail.com) let me know how you are doing, if I dont already know. And if I do know, let me know some more! God Bless x x x

Why don't we bother with the others?

2005-01-22T20:14:00.000Z

On the TV as I write this is a live gig, the Tsunami Relief Concert. England has raised a hell of a lot of money towards the tsunami appeal, and good on them. I dont know what the rest of the world has done to help, but I know England has done a fair bit to help. But everyone is going on about how awful this disaster is, and yeh, I'll agree with them. But what is more disastrous about the amount of people who died in this event than are dying daily from AIDS, starvation, and all the other stuff going on in this world. Why don't we put so much effort into saving them? There's always places to put money to help those in need, so why doesn't the money get put in there? Why don't we care about those who are dying daily? On my wrist I'm wearing an orange ribbon, which I bought for £1 towards the tsunami appeal. Why dont we sell other coloured ribbons for all the the other crap in this world? Did you know that if every person in the Western world donated the price of a cup of tea, world poverty would be ended? Augh! "I've been to all those places, and lets try and get them back on track." Said just now by a favourite bloke of mine, Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics. Why don't we want to get Africa on track? They never were on track to get them back on track! Having said all this, I don't disagree at all with helping the tsunami appeal. Why would I? People need the help, people are giving the help, good on them. I've done my very small bit towards helping. I just dont get it, thats all, why one disaster is more 'important' to us than another. I have a lot of respect for my friends, Daniel, Alan, Sarah and Matt who have done/are doing gap years abroad helping people coz God told them to. And a lot of you have parents who have followed God to help others. And I know a lot of people who don't know God but want to help others. A lot of respect there, although it would be better if they did know God! Anyway, I've probably gone off on a bit of a tangent, probably contradicted myself a bit here and there, but thats ok! I obviously meant it all coz I wouldn't have written it if I didn't. So anyway, God Bless to each of you, whatever you're doing. Always listen to God, He knows best so listen to what He tells you.

God and Stars and Friends...all great things!

2005-01-09T14:49:00.000Z

Can anyone see, while looking at the stars (at night time obviously) the plough? It is the only constellation that I can recognise. Where ever you are in the world, you can see the plough, even if it is upside down (southern hemisphere). Someone once told me that when i see the plough, I should look at it as a promise from God that he is always with me, where ever I am. I really like that. And if your friends on the other side of the world can see the same promise, then you're really not that far away!

I was thinking about that because now 3 of my very close friends are doing their gap year abroad doing missions work. Daniel and Sarah left in October, and Alan left yesterday. And Matt also left yesterday to go back to college. I was very worried about this year, because several of my friends were leaving, and I didn't know how I would cope with that. But, God being God, has provided some new friendships, so that I'm not 'alone'! And I've still got pretty good contact with my other friends who took off to follow God. Strange, isn't it, how we worry about things but God has everything in his plan and will provide for our every need.

And so that was Christmas...

2004-12-29T17:18:00.000Z

Or so the song nearly goes! Hi hows it going? Hope you all had a fab Christmas! Mine was pretty good, but seemed to just...go. It was just a fairly normal day by my reckoning. But it was a good day, it was nice to see some relatives who I don't see much (they live about a mile away and I never see them!) I spent Christmas Day afternoon at my Gran's house, we had lunch there which was very nice. Quite un-Christmassy though because instead of having the meal in the decorated living room with the table nicely set up, which is how my Gran would normally do Christmas dinner, we had it on trays in my Great-Gran's bedroom. It was nice though, although my great-gran was sleeping most afternoon, it was important that we were with her so I don't begrudge that! She's 96, has alzheimers and is immobile after a fall last Easter where she broke her hip. She's very slowly fading, but its for the best really. So as this was probably her last Christmas, it was important to us, my Gran (who takes care of her) and my Great-Gran that we were there! So...

Christmas was good! I got some stuff that I really like, such as cowboy boots (one of my boyfriend, the other off my friend) a book about the Beatles called "Postcards from the Boys", a Jimi Hendrix biography, a 5 foot Aragorn poster, a nice dress, a nice jacket, chocolate and some other stuff! And I got a really nice Indian/South African top from my brother! Boxing Day we went to visit my Nana and other relatives in Hull for the day, that was ok! Not a great deal to mention there. And the last couple days have been spent doing *loads* of homework. I've actually got quite a bit done, but probably should have done a lot more!

School starts again next Tuesday. On Monday (I'm SO excited!!) me and some friends are having a 12 hour Lord of the Rings-a-thon watching all 3 extended editions in a row. Can't wait! I'm quite a fan, if you couldn't tell :-) So that will be a fab way to end my Christmas holiday. Then only a month of school before heading off on my proper hols to visit my brother in South Africa - so excited. Just a month of coursework, revision, then the exam (biology module), then the school play for which I'm playing flute in the orchestra, then I can go! It'll fly by, I'm sure.

Anyway, much love to all. Happy New Year!!

2004-12-22T13:11:00.000Z

This is us at the Sage. We are the ones in yellow. I'm the furthest right yellow on the front row. I'll post a photo of the actual hall another time.

The Sage Gateshead

2004-12-22T11:29:00.000Z

That is the incredible new building that is dedicated to music. To put it into one word, WOW! It is the most fabulous building, and I've had the oppurtunity of singing there on 2 occasions this last week. On Saturday the choir I'm in, Swing Bridge Singers, was singing several times at the opening, where there was so many amazing bands (etc) playing. We did 3 short concerts in Hall 3, which is pretty fantastic. We were sharing those concerts with Folkestra, a regional youth folk band, who are amazing! At these performances we sang the usual Swing Bridge repetoire, which includes madrigals, jazz, folk, African, Italian, 70s/80's pop songs, pretty much everything!

On Monday was slightly (very) different. We were performing in the first concert after the opening and it was a youth choirs concert. There was 6 youth choirs from around the region, with some very contrasted styles of singing! We all were sat on the stage together the whole concert and were conducted by the world renound American Scott Stroman who is an incredible conductor. Being a Christmas concert, we sang about 7 Christmas songs all together, some traditional carols, some (most) which I've never heard before. Each choir had their own slot. We sang 2 Christmas songs, the first being The Birthday Carol which is quite fun but quite hard! And the second was the most beautiful arrangement of Away in a Manger that you will ever hear. The harmonies are incredible. And I got to sing the second verse solo. In front of 1400 people! It was a bit nerve-wrecking but I was really excited and I loved doing it! The whole day was extrememly exhausting (we were there from about 11:30am, rehearsing all day and then had a 2 or 3 hour performance) so it was good to get home, but I'll not forget that day in a hurry! The next post is a photo of us all at the Sage on stage.

2004-12-15T22:14:00.000Z

Me about 2 months ago. I don't have a more recent picture, but this will do for now! Just so you know what I look like these days. The lad in the back is James, who is a friend from choir.

To whoever posted the comment about the magi...

2004-12-13T18:08:00.000Z

I don't know who posted it because it just says anonymous (or however it is spelt). Yes, you are right in that we don't know how many there were, so the answer would be "2 or more". However, if you read the question carefully, it says 'how many wise men visited Jesus at the MANGER.' The answer is 0, because they visited him some months later, and so he wasn't in a manger, it was at his house. Matthew 2:11 says 'On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him.' The star appeared on the night Jesus was born, and there's no way they would have reached him in the same night! Please comment again and let me know who you are :-)

...

2004-12-13T09:37:00.000Z

I should be doing English Coursework this lesson. But, I'm not. I do have 'good' reasons. In that I forgot to put my work onto a disc, my teacher isn't in and I need help and there's no computers free in the library. Although I am on a computer in the common room. Ohwell!

This is my last week of school before Christmas, I can't wait. Friday will be 'blissful', when I finally will have a gorgeous 2 weeks off. Except that I'll be run off my feet the whole holiday. This coming weekend is very busy because the choir I'm in called Swing Bridge is performing at the opening of a huge new music centre that has been built in Newcastle. We're performing there on Saturday and on Monday. And on Tuesday is my Churches Christmas party in the evening. And the next few days will be full of Christmas stuff. And I'll have loads of work to do, because I have my coursework to finish and a biology exam at the end of January for which I have loads of revison to do. But still, I wont have to come to school, so I cant complain too much!

Yesterday was great. The morning service at Church was cancelled so I got to lie in which was fab. But then instead of a morning service we had an afternoon carol singing at an old people's home where one of our members is living. And then we went back to Church for some food and then had the evening service as normal. So it ended up being a very long day, but good fun.

Not much else going on here. I'm sure I'll post again before Christmas. But before then, enjoy the build up to Christmas! (I'll wish you a merry Christmas later.) Bye for now! :-)

What have we made it?

2004-12-07T09:23:00.000Z

I'm sat in school, in the library, obviously on a computer. Me and my friend/co-leader Matthew of the school Christian Union have just planned this weeks CU. It took under 5 minutes! We're gonna do a Christmas quiz, about what the Bible says actually happened at Christmas. I'll type it out here:

Joseph was from: Bethlehem; Nazareth; Jerusalem; Egypt
How did mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem? Camel; Donkey; Truck; Don't Know
A manger is a: barn; stable; feed trough; disease dogs catch
Who saw the the 'star in the East'? Shephers; Three Kings; Brad Pitt; none of these
What did the angels sing? "Glory to God in the Highest..."; "for unto us a child is born..."; "Glory to the newborn King..."; none of these
How many wise men came to see Jesus in the manger? 3; 2; 1; 0
Who told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem? the angel; God; Caesar Augustus; King Herod
Why did Joseph take Jesus to Eqypt? To show him the pyramids; to be taxed; because he dreamed about it; he never took Jesus there.
What is frankincense? an oriental monster; a precious perfume; a precious fabric; a precious metal
What is myrrh? a spice used in burials; a soft metal; an aftershave lotion; a drink

Of course these answers can all be found in the Bible! Its amazing how we've completely made Christmas into what we want it to be, and its sort of been a 'Chinese whipers' except it shouldn't have because its all right there in the Bible!

In Newcastle, there is a shop called Fenwicks. And every year at Christmas they put a huge display in the windows, and especialy when you're little its a big deal to go and see Fenwicks window. This display is pretty much lifesize 'dolls' that move and you hear the story over loudspeakers, and Christmas music. Most years its Santa, or aliens playing footbal (?) or something like that. But this year they've put the nativity, and its beautiful. Not Biblically correct, as like I think the quiz up there proves, we don't learn what is Biblically correct. But it still shows the birth of Jesus and its amazing for that reason. So this year lots of people (and everyone who goes into Newcastle pretty much has seen this window) have been reminded of what Christmas is really about! God is fab isn't he!

And the Thunderbirds are GO!

2004-12-05T05:25:00.000Z

I'm watching 'Record of the Year 2004' on the TV and that was the winning song, its just been announced. Anyway...Hi, I'm Suz. I'm 17, live in Whitley Bay, England, I'm in my last year of high school (technically college but there ya go) and am pretty busy with work! Enjoying it though, its pretty good. Hard but good! My family consists of Mum and Dad, brother Daniel who is currently residing in South Africa, and my sister Michelle who has just got well annoyed that Busted won Record of the Year!

'be here now' is the title of a CD I like, by Oasis. And I like that name because I reckon we should take each day as it comes. All we have to do each day is live for God, which is hard to do, I'm the first to say that, but the way I see it is, we don't need to do more than that.

A little bit more about me...I grew up in England, in the same house that I'm sat in now. When I was 7 we moved to Papua New Guinea where I lived for about 5 years. And made some pretty great friends while at it, some of whom I've been fortunate enough to see again since leaving! And when I was 13 I moved back to England and have made some pretty great friends here aswell! 3 of my best friends are living away from home, slightly scattered around the world, and another is on his way pretty soon to India for 6 months.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'm sure some of you will have known a lot of what I wrote, but I thought it was good starting place! I'll write more another time. x x x