It ain't grim up north!

Well, I'm here!
After ~5.5hrs on the road, including a stop for coffee & a lovely lunch at The Poacher's Barn pub in Osgodby, we got to my new house.


My new housemates (Kirsty, Kaye & Amy) are lovely and friendly. There's a lot of pink/sparkly stuff around, but I can cope with that!
The house is nice too, with lots of space. The kitchen's got loads of cupboards, but the freezer's pretty small, which could cause a few problems, but so far it's been ok.
At the moment, I'm sitting in the armchair by the window...


I've had a few issues with the "accent-barrier" so far, but I've met lots of nice people on my course and everyone's very friendly. In some ways, this place seems like another country/planet

I spent Saturday evening getting unpacked, etc. and on the Sunday, Michael came over and we went for a very nice (& cheap!) carvery lunch in the Leeds Hotel to celebrate 6 months together and then went for an exploratory wander around Scarborough.

Since then, I've been on campus everyday. Monday was intro lectures, etc. in the morning and registration in the afternoon (1.5 hours in the queue!). Tuesday was introduction to placement procedures & admin stuff, plus an ICT (computers) induction, followed by an introduction to the play workshop that we're now doing until Fri morning. It's a group presentation based on/following on from the book "Bear's Adventure". I'm working on an activity book as a follow on activity, with textured pages, lift-the-flap bits and velcro stick-on bits! I've spent the afternoon cutting out shapes and painting simple pictures of beach stuff (red bucket, green spade, purple ball, yellow sun, blue towel...). So, yeah, so far it's been loads of fun.

I start on placement on Nov 8th, although I have a few visits before. I found out today that my first placement is in St George's RC Primary. On a direct bus route from the stop that I can virtually reach whilst still touching our front gate! Not bad. :o)

Anyway, I ought to go to get some dinner. Kirsty & Amy are going to Scarborough Fair tonight (yes, really!), and I might go with them. I do have to be on campus at 9am again though... Not sure. Mince & beans on jacket potato for tea. :o)

Hope all is going well in the rest of the world!

Off to the seaside...

I've been on school placement for the past 2.5 weeks, shadowing teachers at Wheatfields Infant School. I've spent time in Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 (ages 4-7), plus an afternoon in the nursery. It's been a bit stressful and hard work, but I've really enjoyed it and I do think I've made the right choice doing this course/job. There have been cute moments ("It's ok 'A', I'll look after you" - said by 4yr-old when child was crying when his mum left), difficult/frustrating moments (6yr-old having a tantrum and refusing to do anything), amusing moments (tail is now spelt 'tayow' and one child had visited Scarborough when she went on holiday to Devon!?), rewarding moments (child 'getting' adding for the first time) and times when I've felt really good about something that's happened (I've given out 2 stickers over my time there to kids who'd been working reeeally hard - and they looked so proud). :o)

But now I'm done. Tomorrow morning, I (once again!) have to pack my life into boxes, load it all into the car and move it all into a new place. I've posted pictures of my room already. I have 3 housemates; all girls and all education undergrads (I think). I'm feeling quite nervous, but it should be ok. And I should get to see Michael on Sunday, for the first time in a month (woot!). :o)
The house has wireless broadband, so I should be online some of the time, but I'm in lectures 9am-4:15pm every day, and when I'm on placement I'll be busy even more. I'll try and keep this updated quite regularly, and i'll try to put some things on Hat Mitre when I can.

My stuff needs to be in the car between 8:30 & 9:00 tomorrow morning, so we can be in Scarborough for lunch. M&D have arranged to hire a car so that they can both come up and see where I'm going to be, etc, as I couldn't get all my stuff in either of their cars and still have 3 seats available. And on that note, I better go and start packing!

/out/

Filing & Teaching Practice

Last week, I spent an absurd amount of time attempting to sort out my bedroom as it was starting to overflow with stuff that I'd just never got around to throwing away. I've filled a crate & a binbag with paper & other rubbish respectively. Included in that is my 2002 UCAS directory and June 2003 bus timetables!
I've rejigged my room a bit, and I even found my desk! :o) The main prompt for this was that I had never really unpacked after moving back from Reading and given how small my room is going to be this year, I need to work out exactly what I need and not take any extra! So far, it seems to be going well. :o)

Since Thursday, I've been on teacher shadowing placement at my old primary school, as I have to have 10 days experience in Foundation Stage & Key Stage 1. I've been in Reception in the mornings (nearly 5 years old), but they go home around lunchtimes, so I've been in Year 1's in the afternoons. I've supervised painting, ICT (computers), playdough, numeracy and several other things too. And it's been a lot of fun and I'm really rather looking forward to starting my course now. Plus, Michael's & Chris' pre-course placements seem to be going well too, so all is good there as well. Woot! :o)

What a Belter!!

Greenbelt was fantastic! There were so many events and talks and seminars - most of them good, many of them thought provoking, almost all made you glad to be a Christian!
This year's Festival had the theme of 'Redemption Songs' and a lot of the talks, etc had slavery/freedom at their core.

Among the events I went to:
Sounds of Salvation - Ska Mass (Communion in the Sung Eucharist 'tradition', but ska music, rather than classical!)
Martyn Joseph - Rock, including the superb "Liberal Backslider" song.
Jibe Productions - Dark comedy/satire. Didn't really enjoy this. If you like 'League of Gentlemen', you'd enjoy this.

Jim Wallis & Stephen Timms MP - "You say tomato..." Panel discussion on UK/US politics with refreshingly little heckling and one questioner who asked a stupid/unfair question actually got boo'ed!
Nick Baines (Bishop of Croydon) - "God on our side?" - Talk about who is being prophetic/in touch with the Spirit... those who are keeping things 'traditional' or those who are being 'progressive'. Also a lot about the use of language. [hoping to blog on this at HatMitre]
Greenbelt Folk Club. Open mic, lots of fun, even if it was rather noisy because the sign-up for the speed-dating was in the same venue! :o)
Courtney Pine - Jazz. Didn't stay. Not my thang.
Taize Service - very beautiful and reflective.

Communion Service - 10,000 people sharing bread and wine together. The service had a theme of 'Redemption Songs' including prayers for the 20 million men, women & children who are slaves or, euphamistically, bonded-labourers in the world today (5 times as many as when slavery was abolished in Britain 200 years ago).
Cathy Burton - soft rock, very good. Might even buy her album (making it the first Christian album I own...)
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - fantastic fun, great songs, silly 'tricks'... just superb!
John Bell - "Whatever happened to heaven?" Reclaiming the image of heaven from 'God sitting on a cloud' and 'children skipping through pastures with Jesus' or even 'a reward for those whose lives are rubbish now' to something that's more relevant, useful... and true!
"Amazing Grace" - Trailer for the film of the story of William Wilberforce and the abolition of the slave trade in Britain. Looks excellent. Released next March (2007) to coincide with the 200th Anniversary of the passing of The Abolition Act.
Muyiwa & Riversongz - Gospel worship music. Soooo much fun, and awesome to see that many middle-aged white people jumping up and down, singing gospel with their arms in the air!! :o)
mayBe - reflective session looking at the Magnificat. Not entirely my thing, but others seemed to enjoy it.

Jim Wallis - "A moral response to terrorism". How to approach terrorism without bombing the heck out of people or ignoring it. Looking at tackling it from the root causes.
Clive Stafford-Smith & Nick Yarris- "Innocence and the death penalty in the USA". Clive is a lawyer who represents people on death row in America, and also in Guantanamo Bay. Nick spent 8,057days (1981-2004) on death row in Pennsylvania before finally being proved innocent... please read his story!
Rudo Kwaramba - Living in the Margins, looking at enabling disabled people both here and in developing countries.
Dave Tomlinson - "Gut Level Religion" on Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd...)
John Bell - "God bless Adam & Steve?" on the issue of whether pastors should bless gay couples who have got a civil partnership (the UK does NOT have gay marriage). Also looking at what Biblical backing there is for 'traditional' Christian attitudes to homosexuality/heterosexuality, especially compared with other 'issues' (women in leadership, telling lies, slavery, greed...) [HatMitre might get something on this too].
Naima Bouteldja - Representations of Muslims & Islam in the media - looking at stereotypes and how Muslims are seen as Muslims first, and individuals second. (eg. "John is agressive because he's poor... Ahmed is agressive because he's a Muslim).
Muyiwa & Riversongz (again!)

And in addition to that, spent a lot of time in the Tiny Tea Tent (£1/mug!), including lunch with the Laynesmiths.

So, all-in-all, an excellent weekend, despite it being incredibly cold (and uncomfortable) overnight. Next year, I'm taking an airbed! And yes, if I can, I will be there next year. Anyone care to join me? :o)

Carrying Camping...

Well, I've managed to pack my life (or at least what I need until Tuesday) into the biggest rucksack I've ever seen, because this weekend I'm off to the Greenbelt Festival! :o)



The boots are there as a size comparison (size 6), plus they are also new and I'm rather pleased with them. They also claim to be "Rabbit" coloured, or so the box would have you believe!



Anyway, I need to get some sleep as I got 4 hours last night (3:10-7:10am) and I have to be up at 7:30am tomorrow to get to , and for the next 4 nights I'm sleeping in a tent.

Sweet dreams!

Magical Mystery Tour

Well, after Bish's post about where he's been this summer and my comment about all the places I'd been, I thought I'd work out my mileage (ignoring within town travels)...

And it looks like it's 1935miles! (plus another 200miles for Greenbelt next weekend).



Also, Chris & Rebecca have asked me to be maid-of-honor/chief bridesmaid in their wedding next July (07/07/07!), in North Baddesley. I've never been a bridesmaid before, so I'm rather excited.

A little concerned though, cos the week before is Dave & Marie's wedding (in Reading) and I'm going to that too (Michael's an usher). And in the week in between, I'm being observed for my final placement. That's going to involve a LOT of travelling and rather a lot of stress! And a lot of fun, of course!!

Long time, no see

This weekend, I headed up to Solihull for Rachel & Olly's wedding. Sadly, I have no photos to show, as I ended up without my camera for the majority of the day. One of the best men took our overnight bags to put somewhere safe & out of the way, and it wasn't until about 10 minutes later that I realised my camera was in there. So, thus, I have no pictures of that.
Overnight, Michael & I stayed over where he did his gap year in Quinton and went to St.Boniface Church on Sunday. They were very friendly and the service was really good.
Michael's parents (& Richard) then picked us up from there and dropped me in Banbury, on their way to dropping Michael & Richard in Salisbury for a choral singing course. I then caught the train back to St.Albans, which was an incredibly easy journey, with trains arriving as I got the platform at just about every point. I might be heading to Salisbury towards to end of the week if I can find anywhere to stay.

For the past 2 days, we've had some friends staying from Cheshire. They (Rosemary, Kathryn & Nicola) have stayed at ours for a few days over the summer most years for about the last fifteen! We spent most of the time talking, playing games and not much else. :o) They had my room, so I had a folding bed on the lounge, which set me thinking of all the places I've stayed over this past term (I took the start of the summer term as an arbitrary start point). I came up with 12 different beds, and that doesn't include the multitude of trains I've fallen asleep on!

And on the subject of bedrooms, I have a place to stay in Scarborough. :o) The room is very small, but since I can't take much with me, and will have to come back on the train usually, it should be fine.







I think that'll do for now.

Sorry, could you repeat that?!

Ok, I have gathered up all the little bits of paper that have been kicking around my room with quotes written on them and have presented them here for your entertainment:

Michael: I've got some working batteries - they just don't work.

Dave M: Who? Who? Who? Do I have to turn into an owl? Who!?
Michael: Twit.

Steve C: There's only 4 of my aunt.

Fish: I've found a lot of girls that are less feminist than me.

Fish: I'd better leave - I have an urge to tape bananas in unusual places.

Marie: Aw, we're not having sex on Monday?

Helen: Duck-squid monsters don't have fur - they have squid!

Marie: I don't like being massacred.

Tim C: Do I look like I'm wearing twins?

Dave Burton: Being a vicar is like being socially neutered.

Tim C: I think my cheekbones are starting to bleed.

Tim C: My banana is multifunctional.
Steve L-W: I wish mine was.

Michael: Oh, I was thinking wasn't I... I forgot!

Schoolchild in motorway services: Joe, stop biting each other.

And my personal favourites of this batch...

Chris F.: I've not been there here, although I have been there somewhere else.

Steve C: She was my best friend in Year 1, but I've never met her.

Dad: You could have ground the coffee, milked a cow and got goat's milk! (!?)

Ok, what have I been up to lately...?

Well, life hasn't been dull certainly!

First was Alex & Ryoko's wedding on July 15th:



A lovely day and the most amazing international buffet ever!

That Sunday, Michael & I went to the Christchurch Parish Barbecue. Really nice people and everyone had brought strawberries... That was a lot of strawberries!!

On the Monday, we headed up to Michael's house in Macclesfield. Slightly confusing train journey - I kept falling asleep and the train was delayed, and every time I woke up there seemed to be an hour left. We did get there in the end though. :o)
Chris & Rebecca joined us on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we walked into Macclesfield and went book & food shopping. On the Thursday, we went to Tatton Park and once we'd negotiated the RHS Flower Show stuff, which we hadn't twigged was happening, we went round the mansion, had a picnic and an icecream. :o)

On the Friday, we went for a walk/ramble/hike.

We climbed Shutlingsloe and then walked through Macclesfield Forest and around Macclefield Reservoir. (About halfway through the penultimate paragraph we deviated and walked round the resevoir as well). I tried to make a map of our walk, but could get it to work.

Saturday, we took Chris & Rebecca back to Knutsford (where Tatton Park was) to meet friends who were taking them yet further north for more holiday. Other than that, not a lot happened.
Sunday, went to a Godly Play 'Story-telling Service' on the Good Samaritan, plus the normal morning service, where I ended up sitting behind someone who grew up in Harpenden and went to St.Albans Girls School. Small world...

The mornings of the second week I was there, we (Michael, me & Michael's brother Richard) helped out a local church Holiday Club for primary school age kids, helping out specifically with the under-6's. The holiday club ("Time Lords Academy"- TLA) had a Dr.Who theme and I was dreaming about daleks for a few days. But it was a lot of fun, despite the slight accent barrier, especially when bubbles/bah-bbles/bouh-bbles came to be involved...! :o) Lots of silliness and fun activities, plus Bible stories too (Jonah, Daniel, Joseph & Nehemiah). We missed the last morning though, as I had to go home because Michael was flying to Switzerland to climb a glacier for his dad's 50th birthday!? He gets back tonight.
So, I caught the train home to the Abbey station and flaked out for the weekend, before heading back to Reading to collect the rest of my stuff and give back my keys, etc. So I have now 'officially' left Reading. Kinda mixed feelings. I'm gonna miss it, and the people, but I'm looking forward to Scarborough too. :o)

So, yeah, that's it. I've also finished the nativity cross-stitch scene I was doing and also read 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' and most of 'The Handmaid's Tale', but those posts can wait for another time. :o)

Caption Competition

Hi,

I am now back in St.Albans after a 3 month absence - having been via Reading, York, Scarborough, Birmingham, Macclesfield, Buxton & Knutsford. (details will follow soon).

However, to keep you happy in the meantime, I thought I'd post this picture for you that I took at Alex & Ryoko's wedding.



Captions on a postcards/comment box, etc. :o)