I've just finished a long weekend with my friends Graham and Christine. It was a great weekend. I got of lot of rest in. Friday night, I spent just relaxing and catching up on correspondence. Saturday was lovely. After a nice leisurely morning , Christine and I headed to her mum's house to drop some things off, then ended up being joined by her as we headed to Oswaldtwistle Mills. It is an old cotton mill that has been converted into a shopping center... I guess, as I'm in England I should call it a centre. :) The mill is just outside Blackburn. It was great! We had a nice girlie day, wandering up an down aisles, browsing through racks and shelves. Lovely. We had lunch there as well.
Sunday after a great church service, I spent a lot of time just relaxing in my room, watching TV online. In the evening, I went with Graham to pick up his son-in-law, then to get Dr. Bob. We went to a little church in a place called Kearsley. Dr. Bob is a pastor I know from the US and was speaking at this church. It was a great meeting. Afterward, we dropped Dr. Bob off at his hotel, then went out for a Curry. Oh. My. Gosh! So good! It was blissful... Incidentally, I have had the best food on this trip...
Monday was a day of rest. Bobby the dog and I bonded. I sat on the floor and he sat with his adorable, fluffy head in my lap. It was great! :)
Tuesday morning I spent getting all of my things together, packing, and hauling my suitcases down the stairs. At quarter to 2, we headed to the station. Graham and I had a lively chat about raccoons and dolphins on the way. hahaha. It was a fun ride. :)
On the train again... The sweetest little old lady sat across from me. She told me all about her trips to China and the US. The first person to talk to me on a train trip, and a good one to talk to on top of it! When I arrived in Chesterfield, I found that I "got" to haul my suitcase down a flight of stairs, only to get to haul it up anther flight. Sigh... Fortunately, half way up, I spotted my friend Ben and his dad smiling and waving at me. Ben ran down and helped me drag it up the rest of the way.
We had a lovely ride to their house. Ben's dad, Steve, played tour guide. He pointed out all the unique things about the area, such as, speed bumps, puddles, schools, and the like. It was amusing! :) When we arrived at the house, I was greeted by Ben's mum, Mairi. She and I have spoken on skype on several occasions, and we facebook a lot, so we were quite pleased to finally meet face to face. we both agreed that the other looked just like their pictures, only less flat. I was informed that I was a lot taller than she thought... It was fun! A while later, I met Ben's brother, Keir... We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the living room talking and catching up. At 6:30, the guys and I headed to their weekly youth meeting. All the kids were really friendly. One girl in particular, was rather excited to meet me. She said she loves America, but she has never been there. Apparently she loves it because, "It's just so big and everything." :) She was a sweetheart... When we returned home, we ate an amazing dinner. We had Haggis with mashed potatoes and turnips... I had never had haggis before. It was so delicious! I cleaned my plate... Then we had Bread & Butter Pudding... There are no words. The only thing I can say is that it was so good, I nearly cried... After dinner, and before and during I suppose, we watched TV and we all had our laptops out... The rest of the evening was spent in pleasant conversation.
All in all, a quiet, restful, GREAT weekend, and a very pleasant first afternoon/evening in Derbyshire. :)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Castles and Geese
Yesterday was my last day in Wales. I woke to a rather fine morning. It wasn't raining! So our plan to see a castle or two could move forward. I got ready, finished packing, and hauled all my stuff downstairs. After breakfast, I watched a little T.V. Around the time that Alys expected to be back, I decided to move my things out to the conservatory, so they would be easy to get to the car. Disaster. Upon opening the door to the conservatory, I heard it... The sound of rain hammering on the glass roof. Not a bit of rain, floods of rain. My heart sank, then I had a little conversation with God... Well, Alys got stuck in traffic. When she finally made it home, the rain stopped! Thank you God!
We wedged my giant suitcase into the cute little car and headed out. As the traffic jam had eaten up and hour of our time, we decided to go to just one castle, the bigger and older of the two. So we made our way to Caerphilly Castle...
It was breathtaking. Building on it began in 1268, and boy did they build. It was huge. It had a big moat filled with geese and the occasional swan, and parts of it were ruinous. To see pictures of the castle, as well as pictures from the rest of my Wales trip, click HERE.
Unfortunately, several of the pictures I wanted to include in the album, wouldn't upload :(
We hiked all over. There were tight spiraling, very steep staircases everywhere. We climbed every one. We walked out on the walls and ramparts, visited the hall where Alys's friend Myra gt married (married in the castle!) and walked around the ruined bits. It was fantastic. We got one or two little sprinkles of rain, but stayed dry on the whole. We had a blast! My favorite part of the castle was the tipped tower. It had been undermined, meaning enemy forces had dug underneath it to destabilize it and gain access. So it leans at 10 degree angle and has jagged edges where it pulled away from the rest of the castle. Seeing something so large, so heavy tipping toward you, is amazing. It has been sitting at that precarious angle for hundreds of years... I got a bit f a kick out of what look, at first glance, like big boulders strewn about, but are really big hunks of the castle that fell, probably while it was under siege, and got left there.
Originally near this spot was a Roman fort. Built first around AD 40. There isn't much left and you can't see it. The man who had the castle built also had the extensive moat dug out and added an extra wall for protection. These castles really are amazing. The engineering and design that went into them is astounding. And like visiting Roman ruins, you can't help but think of all the slaves who hauled all the rocks from all around, and built it up, piece by piece... Well, I can't help but think of it anyway. :)
After we'd seen every corner of the castle we headed back to the car. Alys almost got attacked by a goose, and we nearly lost it on some extremely slippery mud. But we got back eventually. Then we headed to Abergavenny, where I was catching the train, to get some lunch. We hadn't traveled two streets when suddenly, the clouds exploded with rain. It was like all the rain had been being held back behind a door and the door had suddenly opened. Thank you God! Great timing!
We had lunch in a very nice pub, then went to the station to wait for my train. After good byes I jumped aboard and headed out. It was a pretty uneventful trip, except for the gorgeous rainbow that was visible for a while... We got into Manchester/Piccadilly a little ahead of schedule. I followed the signs out and waited for mt ride... Christine and her friend, Mary picked me up. We had a bit of fun nearly getting lost, but eventually made it home. I am now temporarily established in the Wilkinson home :)
We wedged my giant suitcase into the cute little car and headed out. As the traffic jam had eaten up and hour of our time, we decided to go to just one castle, the bigger and older of the two. So we made our way to Caerphilly Castle...
It was breathtaking. Building on it began in 1268, and boy did they build. It was huge. It had a big moat filled with geese and the occasional swan, and parts of it were ruinous. To see pictures of the castle, as well as pictures from the rest of my Wales trip, click HERE.
Unfortunately, several of the pictures I wanted to include in the album, wouldn't upload :(
We hiked all over. There were tight spiraling, very steep staircases everywhere. We climbed every one. We walked out on the walls and ramparts, visited the hall where Alys's friend Myra gt married (married in the castle!) and walked around the ruined bits. It was fantastic. We got one or two little sprinkles of rain, but stayed dry on the whole. We had a blast! My favorite part of the castle was the tipped tower. It had been undermined, meaning enemy forces had dug underneath it to destabilize it and gain access. So it leans at 10 degree angle and has jagged edges where it pulled away from the rest of the castle. Seeing something so large, so heavy tipping toward you, is amazing. It has been sitting at that precarious angle for hundreds of years... I got a bit f a kick out of what look, at first glance, like big boulders strewn about, but are really big hunks of the castle that fell, probably while it was under siege, and got left there.
Originally near this spot was a Roman fort. Built first around AD 40. There isn't much left and you can't see it. The man who had the castle built also had the extensive moat dug out and added an extra wall for protection. These castles really are amazing. The engineering and design that went into them is astounding. And like visiting Roman ruins, you can't help but think of all the slaves who hauled all the rocks from all around, and built it up, piece by piece... Well, I can't help but think of it anyway. :)
After we'd seen every corner of the castle we headed back to the car. Alys almost got attacked by a goose, and we nearly lost it on some extremely slippery mud. But we got back eventually. Then we headed to Abergavenny, where I was catching the train, to get some lunch. We hadn't traveled two streets when suddenly, the clouds exploded with rain. It was like all the rain had been being held back behind a door and the door had suddenly opened. Thank you God! Great timing!
We had lunch in a very nice pub, then went to the station to wait for my train. After good byes I jumped aboard and headed out. It was a pretty uneventful trip, except for the gorgeous rainbow that was visible for a while... We got into Manchester/Piccadilly a little ahead of schedule. I followed the signs out and waited for mt ride... Christine and her friend, Mary picked me up. We had a bit of fun nearly getting lost, but eventually made it home. I am now temporarily established in the Wilkinson home :)
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Restfully Lazy
Yesterday was a great day. Because of torrential rain, Alys and I decided not to go castle hopping. Instead, we stayed in. It was lovely. We drank tea, ate delicious food, and watched period films. What did we watch? Sense and Sensibility, Emma, and after that, a very long, very well done version of Jane Eyre. A very full day. We were exhausted at the end of it all. :) After Alys picked Gethin up from work, we set about ordering my train tickets. I got my tickets to travel to Manchester tomorrow, and to Chesterfield on Tuesday... Later in the evening, Gethin picked up dinner from the chippy. I got to have real fish and chips! I have been craving them for months. They were so good! After dinner, we played Carcassonne. I love that game, but hadn't played in ages. I did not do well. :/ It was a lot of fun though!
On the whole, yesterday was a lovely, restful, lazy day. Food, fun and friends. A winning combination for sure! :)
Today, Alys had to work. I slept in a bit. After I got up I made some breakfast, then, as it wasn't raining, decided to take a walk around the farm and the area. Ty Gwyn Farm is gorgeous. I took a load of pictures. I leaned on the fence for a while and got acquainted with the cows. They are lovely. They have bright red, curly fur, and big friendly eyes. I wanted to get to know the horses too, but they were way out in the muddy field, and I have no boots. :( One of them ventured toward me, but changed his mind. Tease. After a bit, I walked down the lane to the road and wandered up it for a while. The higher I got up the hill, the more breathtaking the view. Then I about faced and walked down the road. I found some lovely spots, including a stand of trees with a little stream meandering through it... There were birds everywhere. And the air smelled so sweet. The area is so peaceful and full of life. The air, sounds, and sights were so refreshing and filled me with happiness. What can I say? I love nature! :)
I spent the rest of the day watching movies and nibbling on snacks. Very quiet and cozy. After Alys and Gethin came home, dinner prep began. A friend of Alys's was coming over for dinner. I set the table, Alys made dinner, and Gethin made an apple crumble. Then Myra arrived. She is great. We all had a lovely chat at the table, then moved into the living room. We talked some more, then watched a short DVD by Rob Bell. I have never heard him speak before, so this was my introduction... Then we ate crumble with hot custard. SO good! I couldn't finish mine though, as I had eaten s much dinner... It was a lovely evening.
Before I wet to bed I said good bye to Gethin, as he would be leaving early for work. Tomorrow, Alys and I are going to see a couple of Castles before my train!
On the whole, yesterday was a lovely, restful, lazy day. Food, fun and friends. A winning combination for sure! :)
Today, Alys had to work. I slept in a bit. After I got up I made some breakfast, then, as it wasn't raining, decided to take a walk around the farm and the area. Ty Gwyn Farm is gorgeous. I took a load of pictures. I leaned on the fence for a while and got acquainted with the cows. They are lovely. They have bright red, curly fur, and big friendly eyes. I wanted to get to know the horses too, but they were way out in the muddy field, and I have no boots. :( One of them ventured toward me, but changed his mind. Tease. After a bit, I walked down the lane to the road and wandered up it for a while. The higher I got up the hill, the more breathtaking the view. Then I about faced and walked down the road. I found some lovely spots, including a stand of trees with a little stream meandering through it... There were birds everywhere. And the air smelled so sweet. The area is so peaceful and full of life. The air, sounds, and sights were so refreshing and filled me with happiness. What can I say? I love nature! :)
I spent the rest of the day watching movies and nibbling on snacks. Very quiet and cozy. After Alys and Gethin came home, dinner prep began. A friend of Alys's was coming over for dinner. I set the table, Alys made dinner, and Gethin made an apple crumble. Then Myra arrived. She is great. We all had a lovely chat at the table, then moved into the living room. We talked some more, then watched a short DVD by Rob Bell. I have never heard him speak before, so this was my introduction... Then we ate crumble with hot custard. SO good! I couldn't finish mine though, as I had eaten s much dinner... It was a lovely evening.
Before I wet to bed I said good bye to Gethin, as he would be leaving early for work. Tomorrow, Alys and I are going to see a couple of Castles before my train!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Stuff Of Dreams
Lots to tell!
It was a truly remarkable day. One that I know will be alive in my memory for the rest of my life. I feel so blessed. Thank you God for blessing me! And thank you Alys for helping my dream come true!
My train journey was lovely yesterday. It was so restful and comfortable. I definitely recommend train travel whenever it is possible... I arrived in Cardiff and was met by my wonderful friend Alys. She is such a sweetheart! After the initial “How have you been?” conversation, Alys asked if I was interested in seeing The Welsh Heritage Museum, as we had a couple hours before we needed to get her husband from work... Naturally, I said, “Yes!”
It was a beautiful museum. It is full of buildings from Welsh history, spanning many centuries. All of them have been moved to the museum from their original property. It was such a neat look into the lives of the people. We wandered in and around, laughing at the bleating sheep, and ducking to enter some of the oldest buildings.
After we finished up there, we drove over to pick up Gethin, Alys's husband, and headed to the farm. Alys and Gethin live on Gethin's family farm, Ty Gwyn Farm. It is beautiful. It sits on a little hill looking out over the valley. They live in the oldest section of the house, which was originally made from stone. The walls are over 2 feet thick!.. They showed me to my room, where I found a package of Haribo, a package of Welsh Cakes, a 5 pack of Dairy Milk, a box of tea, and a beautiful bouquet of the national flower, Daffodils. :)
Next we went to The Angel. My first real British Pub! The atmosphere is amazing! And the food... Words fail me. I ate a Steak, Mushroom, and Guinness Pie... I nearly died it was so good. That has to have been one of the best meals I have ever eaten... EVER. The portions were huge too. I was so stuffed at the end, but it looked like I had hardly touched the food. Believe me, that wasn't the case... We came home after and watched some T.V. And chatted. It was a lovely first afternoon and evening in Wales. :)
This morning we were up early. We dropped Gethin off at work and headed for... BATH!!!!! I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan. My favorite Austen, Persuasion takes place in large part in Bath, as does another Austen called Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen herself spent several years of her life there. For years I have been reading about Bath and seeing street names and building names, wondering if I would ever get to see them... Today, I did!!! Such a dram come true...
We parked a little way out of the city at a park and ride. The bus, my VERY FIRST British bus, picked us up and we headed into town. I was bouncing in my seat! It dropped us off on none other than Milsom Street!!! OK, you may not know what that is... It is a main road in Bath that a lot of Austen's characters walked and shopped. No doubt, Austen herself walked there. I was ecstatic. The buildings and streets are breathtaking. Despite the modern clothes, signs, and occasional car, it really is like stepping into the past or into a book. You feel transported, and the happiness is almost too much... You wonder, "Why do I get to have a dream come true? Why do I get to be this lucky?" I wondered that ALL day. Every step I took revealed a new wonder. Every building I saw or entered increased my joy to the point I thought I might explode!.. We wandered a bit, taking in Milsom Street and pointing out other street and building names that we recognized from the books. Then we decided to see some specific things... We thought we'd go to the Baths first...
When we got to the Baths, we found they were right next door to the Bath Abbey. We went in there first. It was stunning, and a bit sobering. I had been in old British churches before, so I wasn't surprised that the entire floor was made up of grave stones. Nor did the sight of them covering the walls catch me off guard... It was more the fact that this church had been standing in this spot since the mid 600s. And that for all the names and dates we could read on the stones, there were many older stones which time had removed the names from. A church that has been there that long has a weight to it. The happy times of weddings and christenings, the sad times so pointedly marked by the gravestones... A lot to take in... But it was beautiful. The stained glass alone would be worth a trip across the world!
After we finished in the Abbey, we went to... The Roman Baths and Pump Rooms!! Not only were they places I have read about for eons, but I LOVE Roman history... You know that feeling I was describing before? The one I had when I realized a dream was coming true? I had it once before... When I went on a mission trip to Bulgaria in 2007, I got to see my first Roman ruins, an amphitheater. I was brought to tears... So the idea of seeing more Roman artifacts, of seeing another Roman structure, had me all giddy... It was phenomenal. There aren't enough words to describe it, so I won't try... We spent quite a while there, poking our noses everywhere we could get away with poking them... I really don't know what else to say!
After the Baths and Pump Room, we walked up to The Circus... No, there was no tent, no ringmaster, and definitely no elephants. The Circus is a perfect ring of connected Georgian houses, well, connected in sections. In the center is a circular green with a few trees. It is truly marvelous. from there we walked to The Royal Crescent. The Crescent is like The Circus only... Crescent. It looks out over a large green and has views of the city. Now The Circus and The Crescent were, in Georgian times THE place to live. Only the wealthiest most powerful people could even dream of living there. It's hard to get from pictures, but if you see it, you understand. It is outstanding, and yes, they are mentioned in the books. ;)
It was a truly remarkable day. One that I know will be alive in my memory for the rest of my life. I feel so blessed. Thank you God for blessing me! And thank you Alys for helping my dream come true!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Train Travel
1. If you are new to train travel, and don't really know the ins and outs, people will glare.
2. Do NOT accidentally touch the seat opposite with your shoe, the ticket checker lady will not like it.
3. Train travel is SO comfortable
4. Do not let the other people at the station hear you naming a pigeon.
5. Traveling through the UK on a train will show you an amazing amount of beauty.
6. In addition to beautiful scenery, you will also see, 12 male Pheasants, 3 female Pheasants, 2 hawks, dozens of ducks, hundreds of magpies and crows, a flock of swans, sparrows, and an adorable little black bird with a bright orange beak... I am determined to find out its proper name!
7. There will be one very crazy lady who will talk very loudly and attempt to kiss a stranger's kids on the head, while said parent tries to politely freeze said loony out.
8. The crazy person will leave after 15 minutes.
9. There is a comfortable amount of legroom on a train.
10. The Shropshire Hills are GORGEOUS!!!
11. The green hills of the UK are a completely different green to than similar hills in the U.S.
12. The rocking motion of the train will make you rather drowsy.
13. Despite having a lot to keep you busy on the 3 1/2 hour trip, you won't do one. The country side, and towns are too interesting.
14. And finally, once you travel by train, you will never want to fly or drive anywhere ever again...
2. Do NOT accidentally touch the seat opposite with your shoe, the ticket checker lady will not like it.
3. Train travel is SO comfortable
4. Do not let the other people at the station hear you naming a pigeon.
5. Traveling through the UK on a train will show you an amazing amount of beauty.
6. In addition to beautiful scenery, you will also see, 12 male Pheasants, 3 female Pheasants, 2 hawks, dozens of ducks, hundreds of magpies and crows, a flock of swans, sparrows, and an adorable little black bird with a bright orange beak... I am determined to find out its proper name!
7. There will be one very crazy lady who will talk very loudly and attempt to kiss a stranger's kids on the head, while said parent tries to politely freeze said loony out.
8. The crazy person will leave after 15 minutes.
9. There is a comfortable amount of legroom on a train.
10. The Shropshire Hills are GORGEOUS!!!
11. The green hills of the UK are a completely different green to than similar hills in the U.S.
12. The rocking motion of the train will make you rather drowsy.
13. Despite having a lot to keep you busy on the 3 1/2 hour trip, you won't do one. The country side, and towns are too interesting.
14. And finally, once you travel by train, you will never want to fly or drive anywhere ever again...
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Final Days With Some Great Friends
Yesterday was... Different. The morning started out quite relaxed. I had a leisurely breakfast, then Steve and Rita's granddaughter Sophie came over. We watched movies, or as they are called here, films. A very nice way to spend the morning, sipping tea and spending time with and adorable little redhead... Then it all went nuts...
At abut 12:15, people started showing up. Once a month, all the Sri Lankan folks, and a few other members of Steve and Rita's church come to their house. The men go on a long walk, and the women and children all stay here... ALL day. They are all wonderful people, but... That many people in a small house, with a bazillion kids, all really full of energy... Well, it's... Different... It's astonishing how much energy those kids have, and how long the energy lasts. The noise... Wow. It was very overwhelming. I visited a bit, but after a while the level of activity actually made me feel very stressed. I developed a headache. I feel horrible about it, but I really didn't feel well after a while. I spent a lot of the day in my room. I came down periodically to say hi to everyone, because they are lovely people, but even hearing how loud is was from behind a closed door was hard. I think they need to figure out how the kids can maintain that level of energy for so many hours. Then they need to sell the secret for billions of dollars, or pounds rather. They could not only repair their church building, they build a new spectacular one. In spite of my headache, I was very impressed the kids. :) Talk about culture shock! I didn't think that would be much of a problem in England!
When things quieted down, I came and said good bye to those who were left, got a bite to eat, and went back to bed... At 7:30. I was exhausted! Exhausted from sitting on my butt just hearing the activity! Crazy! Needless to say, Steve, Rita, and Harold were wiped out. (I'm not sure if I told you about Harold. He's Steve's dad and lives here with them. He is the sweetest old man. He's 89 and still quite active. He loves animals as much as I do. He spent 5 1/2 years in the British Navy during WWII as signal man. He was responsible for using torches and flags to signal other ships and ports. So cool! I got him to tell me some of his stories last night!) Tired as I was, it took ages to fall asleep :p
This morning was church. Steve and Rita's church is called New Life Church Radcliffe. It is so full full of life and love. You feel, walking in, as if everyone got up and came to church, specifically to see you. It's awesome. I got to see my new Sri Lankan friends, a couple of people who had come t my church for our conference, and several new faces. Everyone was so welcoming and genuinely interested in everyone else's life. It was remarkable. I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to visit, and hope I can make it back again soon.
After church, we took the long way back home. I got to see some lovely green fields and hills, full of sheep and horses. It was breathtaking... The afternoon has been quiet. Rita's sister is here chatting with her and Harold, Steve is working in his office. I have some laundry in so I can pack tonight. I got to sit and have a glass of rum with my buddy the retired sailor. :) I am quite sad that my time with Rita and Steve is nearly over. They are my extended family. Bu tomorrow brings new adventures...
I just remembered a funny conversation I had with Steve the other day...
Steve: "If it wasn't misty, you could see the Welsh mountains over there."
Me: "Mountains? Really?" (I was thinking that was odd, I didn't remember there being mountains in the UK.)
Me: "When you say 'mountains' do you mean 'mountains' as I understand them, or...?"
Steve: "No, they're hills."
Me: "Ah!"
hehehehehe!
To see all the pictures from this leg of my trip, visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128242&id=652229566&l=31d55d3144
At abut 12:15, people started showing up. Once a month, all the Sri Lankan folks, and a few other members of Steve and Rita's church come to their house. The men go on a long walk, and the women and children all stay here... ALL day. They are all wonderful people, but... That many people in a small house, with a bazillion kids, all really full of energy... Well, it's... Different... It's astonishing how much energy those kids have, and how long the energy lasts. The noise... Wow. It was very overwhelming. I visited a bit, but after a while the level of activity actually made me feel very stressed. I developed a headache. I feel horrible about it, but I really didn't feel well after a while. I spent a lot of the day in my room. I came down periodically to say hi to everyone, because they are lovely people, but even hearing how loud is was from behind a closed door was hard. I think they need to figure out how the kids can maintain that level of energy for so many hours. Then they need to sell the secret for billions of dollars, or pounds rather. They could not only repair their church building, they build a new spectacular one. In spite of my headache, I was very impressed the kids. :) Talk about culture shock! I didn't think that would be much of a problem in England!
When things quieted down, I came and said good bye to those who were left, got a bite to eat, and went back to bed... At 7:30. I was exhausted! Exhausted from sitting on my butt just hearing the activity! Crazy! Needless to say, Steve, Rita, and Harold were wiped out. (I'm not sure if I told you about Harold. He's Steve's dad and lives here with them. He is the sweetest old man. He's 89 and still quite active. He loves animals as much as I do. He spent 5 1/2 years in the British Navy during WWII as signal man. He was responsible for using torches and flags to signal other ships and ports. So cool! I got him to tell me some of his stories last night!) Tired as I was, it took ages to fall asleep :p
This morning was church. Steve and Rita's church is called New Life Church Radcliffe. It is so full full of life and love. You feel, walking in, as if everyone got up and came to church, specifically to see you. It's awesome. I got to see my new Sri Lankan friends, a couple of people who had come t my church for our conference, and several new faces. Everyone was so welcoming and genuinely interested in everyone else's life. It was remarkable. I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to visit, and hope I can make it back again soon.
After church, we took the long way back home. I got to see some lovely green fields and hills, full of sheep and horses. It was breathtaking... The afternoon has been quiet. Rita's sister is here chatting with her and Harold, Steve is working in his office. I have some laundry in so I can pack tonight. I got to sit and have a glass of rum with my buddy the retired sailor. :) I am quite sad that my time with Rita and Steve is nearly over. They are my extended family. Bu tomorrow brings new adventures...
I just remembered a funny conversation I had with Steve the other day...
Steve: "If it wasn't misty, you could see the Welsh mountains over there."
Me: "Mountains? Really?" (I was thinking that was odd, I didn't remember there being mountains in the UK.)
Me: "When you say 'mountains' do you mean 'mountains' as I understand them, or...?"
Steve: "No, they're hills."
Me: "Ah!"
hehehehehe!
To see all the pictures from this leg of my trip, visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128242&id=652229566&l=31d55d3144
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Church... Sri Lankan Style
Sorry I didn't bolg yesterday, I spent most of the day reading and relaxing. We did something in the evening, but got back so late, any words I typed would have been completely incomprehensible...
Steve and Rita, who I am staying with at the moment, are pastors of a local church. Their church has quite a few members who are first generation immigrants from Sri Lanka. (For those of you who don't know, Sri Lanka is a small island country, just off the southern tip of India.) Apparently, most of these people fled to England to escape. Sri Lanka is a war-zone at the moment. Some have been here quite a few years, others are new arrivals. Some escaped, but couldn't get ther families out with them, others had no family left alive to bring with them... On Friday nights, they all gather at one of the families' homes for a little church service.
When I arrived with Steve and Rita, I was very warmly welcomed. Hugs and kisses all around. The kids stared at me with huge eyes. It was amazing, in the course of the evening, to see how passionate they are about God. To feel their hunger for Him in every word they spoke... I feel privileged to have gotten an opportunity to be a part of their community, even for a little while. And it really is a community. They all look out for each other and each other's kids... When the meeting ended, we were invited to eat. Such an abundant spread of delicious Indian food! They are so giving. Every time I turned around, they were trying to fill my plate, my glass. During the meal time, I had a conversation with one of the ladies. I got a glimpse into her world, what she left behind her, what she had to deal with after arriving here. What an awesome, strong woman!
I left the house all aglow. My heart has been touched.
Steve and Rita, who I am staying with at the moment, are pastors of a local church. Their church has quite a few members who are first generation immigrants from Sri Lanka. (For those of you who don't know, Sri Lanka is a small island country, just off the southern tip of India.) Apparently, most of these people fled to England to escape. Sri Lanka is a war-zone at the moment. Some have been here quite a few years, others are new arrivals. Some escaped, but couldn't get ther families out with them, others had no family left alive to bring with them... On Friday nights, they all gather at one of the families' homes for a little church service.
When I arrived with Steve and Rita, I was very warmly welcomed. Hugs and kisses all around. The kids stared at me with huge eyes. It was amazing, in the course of the evening, to see how passionate they are about God. To feel their hunger for Him in every word they spoke... I feel privileged to have gotten an opportunity to be a part of their community, even for a little while. And it really is a community. They all look out for each other and each other's kids... When the meeting ended, we were invited to eat. Such an abundant spread of delicious Indian food! They are so giving. Every time I turned around, they were trying to fill my plate, my glass. During the meal time, I had a conversation with one of the ladies. I got a glimpse into her world, what she left behind her, what she had to deal with after arriving here. What an awesome, strong woman!
I left the house all aglow. My heart has been touched.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Random Encounters
Hello! How are you all?... Ok, moving on...
Today was an interesting day. Granted, every day has been interesting lately, but today was different. This morning I went with Steve and Sophie to purchase my train ticket for Wales. Yay! :) That took a while as the lady in the booth had to keep going to handle train arrivals. Not to mention the fact that the card machine she had, kept trying to say that my debit card was expired... It expires January 2012... Anyway. I finally booked a seat on a train for Monday morning... I take the train from Horwich to Manchester/Piccadilly then switch to the train that will take me to Cardiff. I have something like twelve minutes between trains. I have never traveled by train before and am a bit nervous about the train transfer. What if I don't find the right platform in time? What if i get on the wrong train? Don't laugh! I'm worried. Please pray for me. The lady I got my tickets from assured me that if I miss one of my trains, I will not be refunded. Eek!
After that, we went into the main bit of Bolton to walk around and see what there was to see. (Incidentally, I went to an ATM and found that my card works just fine, thank you very much!) We looked at some great old buildings. One was a pub called Ye Old Man & Scythe. It was built in 1251! Rebuilt in 1636. It is where the 7th Earl of Derby passed the last few hours of his life before he was beheaded nearby in 1651. History everywhere! (Again, pictures of all these places are on facebook) We went to the Town Square thingy to see the massive Bolton Town Hall. It's beautiful! While there, we were approached by a news crew for an interview! Apparently there is going to be some big demonstration in the square. The BNP stirring up trouble between different races or something. People have been warned not to bring children around while it's on. As we had Sophie with us, they wanted our opinion on it all. I didn't have much of an opinion as I was only learning of it right then, but I stood next to Steve and Sophie while he gave an interview. They said it would air tonight, so the T.V. or "Telly" has been set to record it... I tell you, my third day here, and the press has already found me! That's the problem with fame, no privacy! Sigh...
Today was an interesting day. Granted, every day has been interesting lately, but today was different. This morning I went with Steve and Sophie to purchase my train ticket for Wales. Yay! :) That took a while as the lady in the booth had to keep going to handle train arrivals. Not to mention the fact that the card machine she had, kept trying to say that my debit card was expired... It expires January 2012... Anyway. I finally booked a seat on a train for Monday morning... I take the train from Horwich to Manchester/Piccadilly then switch to the train that will take me to Cardiff. I have something like twelve minutes between trains. I have never traveled by train before and am a bit nervous about the train transfer. What if I don't find the right platform in time? What if i get on the wrong train? Don't laugh! I'm worried. Please pray for me. The lady I got my tickets from assured me that if I miss one of my trains, I will not be refunded. Eek!
After that, we went into the main bit of Bolton to walk around and see what there was to see. (Incidentally, I went to an ATM and found that my card works just fine, thank you very much!) We looked at some great old buildings. One was a pub called Ye Old Man & Scythe. It was built in 1251! Rebuilt in 1636. It is where the 7th Earl of Derby passed the last few hours of his life before he was beheaded nearby in 1651. History everywhere! (Again, pictures of all these places are on facebook) We went to the Town Square thingy to see the massive Bolton Town Hall. It's beautiful! While there, we were approached by a news crew for an interview! Apparently there is going to be some big demonstration in the square. The BNP stirring up trouble between different races or something. People have been warned not to bring children around while it's on. As we had Sophie with us, they wanted our opinion on it all. I didn't have much of an opinion as I was only learning of it right then, but I stood next to Steve and Sophie while he gave an interview. They said it would air tonight, so the T.V. or "Telly" has been set to record it... I tell you, my third day here, and the press has already found me! That's the problem with fame, no privacy! Sigh...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Rotten Tomatoes
I'm a bit annoyed, really. I was trying to add some pictures to this post. But for reasons that God only knows, blogger is thwarting my every attempt. It doesn't seem to matter that I have done everything correctly. Grrrr! As it is, all the pics are on facebook.
Anyway, moving on. I woke up this morning after having slept for 11 hours! That is a record for me. I am relieved to discover the secret to a good night's sleep. All I have to do is stay awake for 34 hours, travel across the continent, then across the ocean, get hassled by customs agents, and drink a Guinness, and I will sleep straight through the night! I only woke once, at 6:30 am for two seconds before falling right back to sleep. I usually wake constantly. So, I may be able to sleep through the night every other night, from now on... Or, maybe not.
This morning after a quiet breakfast, the couple I'm staying with right now, Steve and Rita's daughter and granddaughters came over and we all went to shop at Asda. Asda is almost exactly like WalMart. They did grocery shopping and I bought a hair straightener. Why? I'll tell you. If I don't blow-dry and straighten my hair, it becomes a living mass of frizzy puff that attempts to swallow my entire head. It really does. A living monster... Rita's a dear and gave me an old hair dryer she didn't need any more, so when I showered yesterday, I was able to partially tame my hair, but only partially. After Asda, we stopped by a pet shop, then came back to the house. I immediately plugged in the straightener. My hair is now more subdued, thank God. I'm sure that, if left to its own devices, once it had finished off my head, it would begin attacking anybody that crossed its path.
Once my hair was sorted, we went to do a little tour of the surrounding area. We visited Horwich, Rivington, and drove through a bit of Bolton, where Steve and Rita live. First we went to a little church and had a look 'round. The building, like most in the area was hundreds of years old, and had a little graveyard with some quite old stones. Very pretty. Then we went to the Rivington Barn. This barn is a very old stone building, with a vaulted, wood beamed ceiling. The legend is that it was built out of the remains of an overturned Viking ship! So cool! My Viking blood got a bit excited to walk through it. :)
Next we went into the village of Rivington. It was about three buildings in total but quite lovely. It had a little Village Green, on which were the village stocks... Now we had already seen some stocks in Horwich. I had posed with my hands in them and everything. I was a bit surprised to see another set so close. Once we finished walking around Rivington, which, let's face it, didn't take long, we drove back toward Bolton. Steve pointed out some points of interest. He took me to see something called The Headless Cross. We just pulled up next to it as it was right on the road... And right next to it... Another set of stocks. I mean, really! We only traveled a total of a couple miles, and saw three sets of stocks. It made me wonder what kind of people I was surrounded by. The descendants of some very unscrupulous people by the look of it. And just think of the number of rotten tomatoes that must have been chucked around here. All the villagers taunting the prisoner... Deary me!
Anyway, moving on. I woke up this morning after having slept for 11 hours! That is a record for me. I am relieved to discover the secret to a good night's sleep. All I have to do is stay awake for 34 hours, travel across the continent, then across the ocean, get hassled by customs agents, and drink a Guinness, and I will sleep straight through the night! I only woke once, at 6:30 am for two seconds before falling right back to sleep. I usually wake constantly. So, I may be able to sleep through the night every other night, from now on... Or, maybe not.
This morning after a quiet breakfast, the couple I'm staying with right now, Steve and Rita's daughter and granddaughters came over and we all went to shop at Asda. Asda is almost exactly like WalMart. They did grocery shopping and I bought a hair straightener. Why? I'll tell you. If I don't blow-dry and straighten my hair, it becomes a living mass of frizzy puff that attempts to swallow my entire head. It really does. A living monster... Rita's a dear and gave me an old hair dryer she didn't need any more, so when I showered yesterday, I was able to partially tame my hair, but only partially. After Asda, we stopped by a pet shop, then came back to the house. I immediately plugged in the straightener. My hair is now more subdued, thank God. I'm sure that, if left to its own devices, once it had finished off my head, it would begin attacking anybody that crossed its path.
Once my hair was sorted, we went to do a little tour of the surrounding area. We visited Horwich, Rivington, and drove through a bit of Bolton, where Steve and Rita live. First we went to a little church and had a look 'round. The building, like most in the area was hundreds of years old, and had a little graveyard with some quite old stones. Very pretty. Then we went to the Rivington Barn. This barn is a very old stone building, with a vaulted, wood beamed ceiling. The legend is that it was built out of the remains of an overturned Viking ship! So cool! My Viking blood got a bit excited to walk through it. :)
Next we went into the village of Rivington. It was about three buildings in total but quite lovely. It had a little Village Green, on which were the village stocks... Now we had already seen some stocks in Horwich. I had posed with my hands in them and everything. I was a bit surprised to see another set so close. Once we finished walking around Rivington, which, let's face it, didn't take long, we drove back toward Bolton. Steve pointed out some points of interest. He took me to see something called The Headless Cross. We just pulled up next to it as it was right on the road... And right next to it... Another set of stocks. I mean, really! We only traveled a total of a couple miles, and saw three sets of stocks. It made me wonder what kind of people I was surrounded by. The descendants of some very unscrupulous people by the look of it. And just think of the number of rotten tomatoes that must have been chucked around here. All the villagers taunting the prisoner... Deary me!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Things To Know When Traveling Alone
1) The first leg of your journey will be deceptively smooth, lulling you into a false sense of security.
2) The second leg will be hellish.
3) Your second flight will leave an hour late, despite the fact that they boarded you a good 20 minutes earlier than scheduled.
4) If you are a woman, then on your second flight, you will have strange men seated to your right, left, fore, and aft.
5) One of these men will keep shooting suspicious glances your way, as if waiting for you to try and rob him.
6) There will be a very strong head wind, to delay your already late plane.
7) Despite assurances from the flight crew, you will not be only a few minutes late.
8) When you haven't slept in too many hours to count, the customs lady will stop you and question you for longer than she questioned anyone else, all the while glaring at your passport and writing lengthy notes about everything you say.
9) Once she finally lets you through, you will be so exhausted and emotional, that you might stand at the wrong baggage carousel for 10 minutes, about to cry because you cannot find your suitcase.
10) Once you have your suitcase, you will run for the exit.
11) Upon arriving in the terminal, you will almost fall apart with joy at the sight of a friendly and familiar face, smiling at you in welcome.
12) Once in this friend's car, you will be so relieved to be away from anything to do with air travel, you will talk really fast and laugh in a giddy fashion.
13) Upon arriving at this friend's house, you will be greeted by more smiles and hugs, and feel like you are home while away from home.
14) You will then be served stupendously delicious hot tea and bacon sandwiches in the conservatory, chatting to these amazing friends and listening to the birds sing.
15) Then you will blog about it, but do so while still extremely tired, and upon reading it over realize you had to # 5s, and so have to re-number most of the post.
2) The second leg will be hellish.
3) Your second flight will leave an hour late, despite the fact that they boarded you a good 20 minutes earlier than scheduled.
4) If you are a woman, then on your second flight, you will have strange men seated to your right, left, fore, and aft.
5) One of these men will keep shooting suspicious glances your way, as if waiting for you to try and rob him.
6) There will be a very strong head wind, to delay your already late plane.
7) Despite assurances from the flight crew, you will not be only a few minutes late.
8) When you haven't slept in too many hours to count, the customs lady will stop you and question you for longer than she questioned anyone else, all the while glaring at your passport and writing lengthy notes about everything you say.
9) Once she finally lets you through, you will be so exhausted and emotional, that you might stand at the wrong baggage carousel for 10 minutes, about to cry because you cannot find your suitcase.
10) Once you have your suitcase, you will run for the exit.
11) Upon arriving in the terminal, you will almost fall apart with joy at the sight of a friendly and familiar face, smiling at you in welcome.
12) Once in this friend's car, you will be so relieved to be away from anything to do with air travel, you will talk really fast and laugh in a giddy fashion.
13) Upon arriving at this friend's house, you will be greeted by more smiles and hugs, and feel like you are home while away from home.
14) You will then be served stupendously delicious hot tea and bacon sandwiches in the conservatory, chatting to these amazing friends and listening to the birds sing.
15) Then you will blog about it, but do so while still extremely tired, and upon reading it over realize you had to # 5s, and so have to re-number most of the post.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Twitchy
I am SO close to vacation! So close, but not there yet. sigh. It's making my eye twitch. Friday was a blast. I go off work at 3 pm and bid all my coworkers farewell... "See you in a month guys!" It felt great. The last time I said that, was because I was going in for major surgery and wasn't allowed to work for a month after... I prefer the vacation scenario.
I am in no practical way, ready for this trip. I have most of my laundry done, and I bought a new tube of toothpaste. Today I am finishing up the laundry and attempting to pack. I HATE packing. There are so many things I always want to take, but it just won't work. :( For instance, one of my complete sets of the Harry Potter series. I mean, what better place to read all of Harry Potter (again) than the country in which it is set. On that same line of reasoning, I want to bring my complete set of Austen novels, the collected works of William Shakespeare, some Henry James, and my book of plays by Oscar Wilde... Alas, there are limits to how much you can take on a trans-Atlantic flight. That being the case, it also SERIOUSLY limits how many pairs of shoes I can take. Plus, I want to leave space and weight available for bringing souvenirs back... Drat.
Oh well. Despite the stresses ahead of me today, I can't get too annoyed. I'm going to the UK for three and a half weeks, after all. And anyway, Tabitha will kill me if I complain!
I am in no practical way, ready for this trip. I have most of my laundry done, and I bought a new tube of toothpaste. Today I am finishing up the laundry and attempting to pack. I HATE packing. There are so many things I always want to take, but it just won't work. :( For instance, one of my complete sets of the Harry Potter series. I mean, what better place to read all of Harry Potter (again) than the country in which it is set. On that same line of reasoning, I want to bring my complete set of Austen novels, the collected works of William Shakespeare, some Henry James, and my book of plays by Oscar Wilde... Alas, there are limits to how much you can take on a trans-Atlantic flight. That being the case, it also SERIOUSLY limits how many pairs of shoes I can take. Plus, I want to leave space and weight available for bringing souvenirs back... Drat.
Oh well. Despite the stresses ahead of me today, I can't get too annoyed. I'm going to the UK for three and a half weeks, after all. And anyway, Tabitha will kill me if I complain!
Monday, March 8, 2010
7 Days & Counting
Aaahhhhhh! One more week until vacation! Eek! I can hardly stand it! I'll actually be able to be a Bellingham Yank IN the UK, for a while at least. (If I heard from school, I'd finally know if I am going to be one a bit more permanently... Sigh) This week leading up to my departure is going to be nuts. I have to get my hair cut and eyebrows sorted. I mean, I can't go to Europe looking like some kind of American ragamuffin. I mean, really. I also need to do ALL my laundry, then spread it ALL out and stare at it for a few hours, until I finally decide what to take. I need to pack the things I decide upon. I need to get my train tickets sorted out (I am taking the train between stops at friends houses). I need to attend a very important meeting on Wednesday night, and several more on the weekend. I need to go to my cousin's wedding. I want/need to spend time with my momma. I need to sort out host gifts... The list is longer, but the more I type, the more freaked out I get by all that I need to do...
The last couple of weeks have brought a new friend, Kate. She is working as a volunteer here at the center. She is from the Bath area, and is very excited that I will be spending some time around her hometown. It's been really fun talking to her. it helps me be excited instead of nervous.
Pardon? What was that?
...
Oh, why am I nervous?
Several reasons...
1. I have never traveled alone before (Except a short San Francisco trip) and it's a long, slightly intimidating trip to take alone.
2. I worry about being a bother to the friends I am staying with.
3. I'm nervous about train travel, as it's something I have never attempted.
4. I'm nervous about having the finances I need to get me through the trip and make up for the work I'll be missing.
5. I'm nervous that the rather insane airport in Paris will lose my luggage or make me miss my connection on the way home. This is something I am assured happens very frequently in the Paris airport.
6. If worry #5 happens, I'm nervous about handling it, despite some advice from reliable people who have dealt with those very things in that very airport.
So, yeah. Nervous. But as the big day approaches, the excitement is starting to overtake the nerves. I am SUPER excited to see all of my friends that I have missed so much. I am SUPER excited about meeting those friends I have yet to know face to face. I am also SO looking forward to having some fun, recharging my batteries, and having a lot of new experiences... And if my luggage is lost or a flight is missed, as my friend Tabitha says, at least it will make a REALLY good story to tell later! :D
The last couple of weeks have brought a new friend, Kate. She is working as a volunteer here at the center. She is from the Bath area, and is very excited that I will be spending some time around her hometown. It's been really fun talking to her. it helps me be excited instead of nervous.
Pardon? What was that?
...
Oh, why am I nervous?
Several reasons...
1. I have never traveled alone before (Except a short San Francisco trip) and it's a long, slightly intimidating trip to take alone.
2. I worry about being a bother to the friends I am staying with.
3. I'm nervous about train travel, as it's something I have never attempted.
4. I'm nervous about having the finances I need to get me through the trip and make up for the work I'll be missing.
5. I'm nervous that the rather insane airport in Paris will lose my luggage or make me miss my connection on the way home. This is something I am assured happens very frequently in the Paris airport.
6. If worry #5 happens, I'm nervous about handling it, despite some advice from reliable people who have dealt with those very things in that very airport.
So, yeah. Nervous. But as the big day approaches, the excitement is starting to overtake the nerves. I am SUPER excited to see all of my friends that I have missed so much. I am SUPER excited about meeting those friends I have yet to know face to face. I am also SO looking forward to having some fun, recharging my batteries, and having a lot of new experiences... And if my luggage is lost or a flight is missed, as my friend Tabitha says, at least it will make a REALLY good story to tell later! :D
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