Just Me

This afternoon I managed to shoot a decent photo of my new haircut for those who are curious. I decided to try shooting some self-portraits - a first for me. Shooting self-portraits is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be! I finally gave up trying to get my DSLR to focus at the correct length and just used my automatic point-and-shoot. It was an interesting way to spend some time on a quiet, rainy afternoon. Probably seems like a really self-absorbed thing to do, but my brain went into photographer mode and I stopped seeing my face in the photos... it just turned into an odd, solo version of one of my usual portrait sessions.

The new haircut... I'm getting used to it, but I don't think I want to go this short again.

At one point I got a little nutty and shot this one for my brother, Jonathan. He knows what it means.
Come on Jonny-Boy... admit it... you know you miss me.
I miss you!

A Day at the Track

Foxy, one of the two horses Natasha rides.

I thought I was going to a back country horse race today but it turns out that it was a lesson on doing the jumps used in back country racing. I was still looking forward to just having a day out wandering around on the trails and doing photography. It was frigid cold and I discovered that having my hair so short makes it a lot more difficult to stay warm! I think I need to go scarf shopping. I saw one in a fabulous shade of blue yesterday but resisted buying it... now I have a reason to go back and buy it... if I can remember where I saw it...

Abigail.

Ann brought her little dog Abigail along and the three of us walked as Natasha and two other riders took a lesson. We spent about two or three hours at the track and my toes were numb the whole time. It was a misty, cold, gray day where the light never changes from dawn until dusk. It's taking a while to warm up, but I'm getting close. (I'm curled up in bed with a hot water bottle on my feet and I'm still wearing my toque.)


During the quieter moments I walked around the edge of the field to capture anything that caught my eye. I find it incredibly relaxing to just let my mind wander as I do photography. Formal portrait sessions can be fun, but when I shoot nature shots or candids I just get to react to the moments and not try to create them.






I grabbed the shot below while I was holding the reins as Natasha got Foxy ready for the trip back home. Held the reins with my left hand, set the lens to wide angle, and clicked about three or four shots with my right hand. This one is my favourite.


After we returned to the place where Natasha boards her horse, Ann and I headed back to Hook. Along the way, Ann took a detour to show me the tiny village where she grew up. There are beautiful homes and an old church nestled together in the countryside. I've heard stories about this place so it was great to see it in person.

An old bench in the churchyard.

Joy, Serious Bob, Horse Race

Joy
I learned a new phrase today that really confused me and reminded me of my confusion with the question, "You alright?"

I went to an employment agency this afternoon to complete registration (the eleventh agency in one city - I'm done with Basingstoke). I met the rep on Wednesday, so when I arrived today, one of his first questions was a cheerful, "Had any joy since Wednesday?"

"Any what?"

My mind went in a million directions but none of the options I could think of made sense with the context and the way he asked.

Turns out that "Had any joy?" is like asking, "Had any luck?" so he was asking if I'd had any luck with my job searching. Is it just my imagination, or do they use way more slang and confusing terms in Britain? Are British people this confused when they travel in Canada?

Serious Bob
I've been needing a haircut for a while and I've been putting it off. I've mostly been stalling as I tried to decide whether to grow it out a bit or keep it short. I finally decided to keep it short. But not this short! I'm usually really careful to discuss what I want with the stylist and make sure it's clear. Wow. My description of a longer, inverted bob with layers turned out to be a really short inverted bob with some shaping layers. A really, really short bob. I think this is the shortest it's ever been at the back and I'm kind of shocked. I'm not mad because I realize the areas where our descriptions got confused, but I'll spend twice the time explaining what I want next time I get my hair cut. I think it's a good cut for what it is, but it's not at all what I wanted. I'm so thankful my hair grows quickly!

I know, half of you are screaming for a picture. I really don't like the way the stylist did my hair (I look like I'm ten years old) so I'll post a picture in the next day or two when I've had a chance to figure out what to do with it. I'm afraid that the way she styled my hair is the only way to style this cut. I may cry if that's the case.

Horse Race
Tomorrow I'm going to a horse race with Ann (the woman I live with) and her niece, Natasha (she's the same age as me - my first time meeting her). Natasha rides and she needs Ann to come along and help with the trailer. I'm tagging along to take photos and get a new experience.

Temping and Christmas

I've been keeping Ann and Jon appraised of my job-hunting situation; they're aware that it's tough to find work as a temporary employee in an office due to stiff competition. At dinner tonight, Ann mentioned two more large companies going bankrupt and the thousands of people who will be laid off. Jon soberly said, "Yeah, and they're all temps."

I received word from a couple of temp agencies that they're already sending my CV out to companies... hopefully I get an offer soon!

Quite a few people have asked me about my Christmas plans. Most people assume I'll be heading home, but it's too expensive and I'll be going home in February for the wedding anyway. This is the first Christmas that one of the Piechnik kids will be missing on Christmas morning (queue my mom's tears). I'm not sure how I'll handle it. I've been away from home on my birthday, Easter and Thanksgiving, but Christmas is a big deal in my family and I love all the decorating, baking, piano playing, and shopping that goes along with it. I imagine there will be some tough moments being away from family traditions, but I'm curious to see how people here celebrate Christmas. I was so excited today to receive an invitation to spend Christmas with a friend near Eastbourne - and there will be kids too! (I think I'll need the distraction that comes from playing with kids.) I've never met the family before, but I'm told it'll be a "mad house" - those of you who know my family know a description like that is music to my ears.

My favourite Christmas photo.
Christmas morning with the Piechnik family - 2005.

L-R Back: Adam, Me, David, Jonathan, Dad, and Mom
Seated: Lisa and Yukiko (our Japanese exchange student)

Our neighbours two houses away told us later that the screaming was so loud as we ran around shooting at each other (windows and doors closed) that they almost came over to check on us.

Job Hunting

My plan is to work through the winter until I return to Canada for David and Keri's wedding in February, then do a bunch of travelling through the spring. Now comes the fun of looking for work. Not only do I get the joy of job hunting, I get to do it in a country where the "Credit Crunch" is continually in the news. I probably wouldn't have much trouble finding a full-time, permanent position, but I want the flexibility to travel next year so I need to find temporary positions.

My brother and my soon-to-be little sister!

I've registered online with about five different agencies, applied for six specific jobs online, and today I visited about six or seven different agencies. A bit of an exhausting day but I made some good contacts. Some agencies tell me the jobs have dried up, other agencies say it only seems that way because there are so many more people looking for jobs. I was told several times that I have a great set of marketable skills so hopefully I'll have a decent chance of getting work.

The rep who offered the most help has such a great name. I live in Hampshire, the home county of Jane Austen, and my rep's name is Jane Austen. I just thought that was way too perfect.

One of the jobs I applied for online was done mostly for fun and on a whim. The website said they even provide a uniform, I mean, costume. I decided to apply for a job as one of those elves who help out at the Santa photo place at the mall. Figured even if the job were horrible, it would provide great stories for my blog! I stopped by the location today to check it out. Painfully cheesy so I won't be following up on that one! But I told my parents about my application and word got out and I received this email from a friend yesterday. It took me a while to stop laughing.

deer santa's elf,
i think it is too soon to rite to santa so i hope it is ok to rite to you. wood you pleeze let santa no that all i rilly want for chrismas is a liddle kitty cat all my own.
thank you.

Thick Fog

Sometimes you have one of those days where your brain is frozen and it feels like you're in a thick fog. Today was one of those days. I surfed the internet aimlessly. I didn't accomplish a whole lot of anything. I couldn't focus. I prayed a lot.

Usually the first thing I do after crawling out of bed in the morning is check my email. This morning I received a message from my Dad. It was just a short email, but I stared at my screen and read the two lines over and over, not wanting to believe it was true.

The husband of a couple my parents have come to know quite well over the past year or two died unexpectedly on Sunday morning. I say "unexpectedly" only because his death was a shock to us, but not to his Saviour. He was a big teddy bear of a man who was adored by his wife. I once saw them on an evening when I was wearing no makeup and my hair was nasty after a long day and he said I was pretty. I didn't really believe him, but I'll never forget it.

Today I cried - mostly for the wife and her loss; I have yet to lose a close family member and I can't imagine the pain. We were created for paradise; death is not something we were intended to experience.

I think my tears were also partially shed over the prospect of knowing my family and friends could be taken in a heartbeat as well. Part of me immediately wanted to run back to Canada, as though being near to those I love would keep them with me. The first instinct is to say, "They're all I have!" but I know it's not true. Part of my desire in moving here was to rely on God more fully in the day-to-day living. I wanted to be forced to seek my Saviour in every situation and not rely on the indepenence found in having a secure job, a car, a supportive family, and familiar surroundings. Being hit with the reality of a life being taken in the blink of an eye makes me realize even more fully the importance of ensuring that God is the strength of my life.

Things that Make Me Smile

The weather.
Sure, I'm not a fan of being cold and there's really no point in doing much with my hair when I go outside since it gets blown apart in two seconds, but I love the feeling of bundling up against the cold (I'm a bit of a scarf addict - those who have yet to discover the joy of colourful, soft scarves are seriously missing out). Call me crazy, but I love using umbrellas and I love walking in the rain.

The friendliness of the people.
All the people I've visited or stayed with have been friendly and welcoming... I've even had a couple of hugs! Almost every time I've asked for directions I've been met with a friendly response. I'e asked strangers in trains, shopping centres, on the street, or in shops and I've never felt like I'm imposing. I've asked train conductors, ticket agents, and bus drivers and they've all been great. (Hmmm... that makes it sound like I get lost a lot.)

The landscape.
Sure, people love to complain about the rain, same as back home, but it keeps everything green and there are plenty of trees to remind me of home. The land here seems peaceful somehow and I love watching it roll by when I'm travelling around.

The trains.
Trains make me happy. Not sure why. Even when they're jammed full of people and I have to stand in the aisle for an hour, I still love riding in them.

Their accents.
Sorry, I just can't leave it alone. I love listening to people here speak. Everything sounds more interesting with an accent - they can say almost anything and it sounds fabulous.

My accent.
Sarah and Ruth were right - you're just not appreciated in your own country!

Things that Confuse Me

The high level of resistance to cold in British women.
I figure I have a pretty decent pain tolerance but I don't have anything on these British women. The climate here is really similar to where I grew up but it's true what people say about the weather here - it feels colder and it eats into your bones. At train stations you wait outside but it's typically in a covered area that offers shelter from the rain and a bit of protection from the wind... but it's still cold! I love the station in Basingstoke because it has an enclosed, heated waiting room for a couple of platforms. If I have to wait outside, I'd rather stand than sit on the frigid metal benches. I'm usually wearing mittens and a scarf with my jacket done up and my arms often crossed to keep as warm as possible. I keep a toque in my bag to wear on the way home. I see numerous women walk past me with their cute little jackets and bare legs with ballet flats. Are they insane or are they just impervious to the cold? I'm so confused.

The Bobby hats/helmets.
I like them; they make me smile because they scream "You're in Britain!" but I'm really confused about their purpose, other than the fact that they've been wearing them for years, so why stop now. Tradition seems to figure greatly into life here.

The tax system in regards to charitable donations.
People here don't get a tax break for making donations to charities. Seriously. They simply do it out of the goodness of their hearts. I mean, I make donations because I want to support people or organizations, but the tax break is certainly a nice perk! Over here, only the charity gets a tax break, but if you make a charitable donation you also have to fill out paperwork with your taxes. Does this make sense to anyone?

Split Faucets vs. Blended
Why do so many homes here, even new ones, have split taps with cold and hot water coming out separately? Why would someone choose to install that style in a new home? Is it really so difficult to blend them? Marijka, my Canadian friend in London, said she has a blended faucet at her flat but it's scalding hot on one side of the stream of water and freezing cold on the other. I occasionally see blended taps, but it's rare enough that I notice them when I use them. If I meet a plumber over here, I think that will be my first question.
"Hi - nice to meet you. So, what's with the split faucets in this country, eh?"

The variety of accents in the UK
I think this will always be fascinating to me. People here know where somebody is from based on their accent. They also seem to pick up new accents quite easily - people get a mixture of accents depending on where they were born, where they were educated, and where they live as an adult. I met a man who's Irish (he's married... I know you were wondering) but he had an indistinguishable accent because he lives in England, works in the Middle East, and has also lived in other places. Something that always cracks me up is hearing people imitate the accents of other areas - a posh London accent, a nasal Birmingham, a bit of cockney. I've heard so many times, "Ah, just wait until you hear a Liverpool accent or a northern accent!" There also seems to be a great deal of pride associated with people's accents and where they come from. The opening scene in My Fair Lady makes far more sense now.

Last Day in Cambridge

I checked my options again for my last day of site-seeing in Cambridge and I decided to just do a final long walk and take an earlier train back to Hook to avoid rush hour in London. I walked to the centre of town to ditch my big backpack at a storage place and then followed a footpath near the River Cam along the backs (the area behind the big colleges). Most of the leaves had fallen, but it was still beautiful.

A house at the edge of the River Cam.

I discovered that although I appreciated the old buildings and history, I loved wandering through the trees and parkland even more. I think I just found Cambridge to be too pretentious and I couldn't relate to the formality of the place. I kept thinking of the first time I went into a courtroom when a coworker was called to the bar in Alberta. It was a surreal experience full of pomp and fancy robes and "your honour" and me feeling really small. It was a good thing to experience and a privilege to attend the ceremony, but I wouldn't want that feeling for long.

Engraved over the entryway at a smaller college.

I think I was also overwhelmed with the age of everything. How unbelievable is it to stand in a chapel commissioned by King Henry VI in 1444? To climb a tower built in 1608? When will this stuff seem real? I know it'll be even more incredible in a place like Italy so I'm trying to get used to it.

Cambridge is a beautiful place and I'm really glad I went there, but it didn't sweep me off my feet. Give me the wilds of Harlech Castle any day over the formal surroundings at Cambridge.

Cambridge Tours

This afternoon I walked past a really old man working at one of the churches and he sarcastically asked, "So, have you absorbed all the information today?" and I laughed and said, "Not even close."

Historical figures, dates, locations, connections - all fascinating, but I'll never remember it all. I'm piecing history together bit by bit - living in England is like having an expensive history lesson. I finally figured out why over 30 colleges are on the map but Cambridge University is absent. I've been confused about that since I got here and this morning I finally heard a detailed explanation of the collegiate system that made sense.

After a full English breakfast I skipped the bus and instead walked for about half an hour to get into town. I've discovered that walking provides plenty of opportunities for people-watching and you figure out the layout of a city much faster... mistakes take a long time to correct.

I went straight to the Tourist Information Centre and purchased a package deal for a two-hour walking tour and a 45-minute punting trip down the River Cam (it's a tour in one of those boats like they use in Venice). I figure it's better to get a tour guide rather than wander on my own trying to read a guidebook. I found a website where walking tours can be purchased as MP3 files to play on an iPod - I want to try one of those sometime. Anne-Marie and I got completely lost when we tried using a driving tour at Gettysburg, but maybe a walking tour would be easier.

The walking tour came first - lots of good information and stories with access to some key sites, including King's College grounds and Chapel, Trinity College grounds and Chapel, and the Wren Library at Trinity College.

Although I don't wear t.shirts with Disney characters, I have been known to quote Winnie-the-Pooh on occasion so I was quite excited to see a first-edition copy at the Wren Library as well as a hand-written manuscript, both books open to the same page so viewers could read the type-written page next to the original. I thought that was pretty fun. Yes, I was at a prestigious college surrounded by ancient books in a room that prohibited photos or talking above a whisper and I was enjoying Winnie-the-Pooh. I also viewed a book from the 16th century with a hand-written copy of the four gospels written on animal skin "paper" and I found that to be an incredible sight too.

Courtyard at Trinity College.

The colleges have high walls facing the streets and you enter the grounds through gateways. Walking on the grass is reserved for only the highest levels of staff - college fellows and basically the college presidents (can't remember what they call them). I asked our tour guide what would happen if I started walking on the grass and she said if a staff member saw me I would get a firm talking-to and if I persisted in walking on the grass, our entire group would be evicted. This applies to the grass within the inner courtyards as well as the lawns behind the colleges around the River Cam.

Wren Library at Trinity College.

View of the River Cam through a window in the stairwell leading up to Wren Library.

Approaching King's College Chapel.

I decided to scrap aesthetics and just snap a shot of the average street in the part of Cambridge where the colleges are located - it's a beautiful place and the old buildings are quite overwhelming.

Bridges over the River Cam.

I lucked out and got an adorable guy as my tour guide on the river and the weather was kind of miserable so I had the punt to myself. I partly felt spoiled and partly felt very alone... so I chatted with the cute tour guide and we became little-while-friends (I decided to avoid the decidedly chick-like move of trying to sneak a photo of him). We were photographed numerous times - I'm apparently going to end up in the photo collections of many Asian tourists. He occasionally filled me in about what I was seeing and for the rest of the trip we just chatted about Cambridge, the culture here, the history, and the pretentious attidudes of so many people here. He said when he tries to chat with girls they usually ask what he's studying and the conversation promptly ends when he says he's becoming a stunt man.

My favourite conversation was when he mentioned that many years ago a college was taken over by Trinity College so now they're bitter rivals. I looked at him blankly and asked why they would be rivals if they had been taken over by Trinity. He repeated his previous comment, thinking I had misunderstood, but I told him it didn't make sense - why would the colleges be rivals if they were essentially the same college? He now stared at me blankly. He said they weren't the same college. I said I thought he had just said that one college had taken over another one, so doesn't that mean they're run by the same college? He burst out laughing and explained that he meant that one college had overtaken another college financially - that one college had been quite prosperous but Trinity College became wealthy and surpassed it in wealth, not that Trinity had purchased it.

"Two nations divided by a common language."

The guy who built this bridge was expecting to get paid a decent sum but he was only paid 15 pence. He promptly took a slice from one of the spheres so it would always bear witness that he was cheated.

After punting, I went to the church of St. Mary the Great to climb to the top of the tower for an aerial view of Cambridge before grabbing dinner and returning to the B&B. On the way up the stairs I peeked through the window of one of the tiny side-doorways and in the darkness I could see several massive bells. (The chimes of St. Mary the Great were used as the basis for the tones used at Westminster Abbey.) I could see a sign at the edge of a platform just inside the doorway and it said something about passing beyond that point would "result in certain death".
Hmmm... subtle.

Stairs to reach the top of the tower at St. Mary the Great.

Looking down on Cambridge.

King's College Chapel.

I have a few more hours to spend in Cambridge tomorrow and I'm not sure what I'll do. There's a free modern art exhibit but that kind of thing usually just makes me raise my eyebrows and shake my head. Admission to the Fitzwilliam Museum is free - a good option if it's raining. I think I'll maybe just go for a walk along the River Cam and take some side-trips to explore anything that catches my eye.

Christian Heritage in Cambridge

After church today, Margaret took me and Eunice, an Italian girl from church, to take part in a tour of the Christian heritage found in Cambridge. It was an interesting tour but we were really cold so it was sometimes difficult to concentrate. I'm planning to take in a longer tour on Monday and wear a toque and mittens.

I find it amusing that this is a statue of William Wilburforce and Ioan Gruffudd played him in the movie, Amazing Grace. I don't see the resemblance, but I'm not complaining about the casting choice.

We visited several churches or chapels and walked on the grounds of a couple of colleges. I'm looking forward to walking through more slowly with my camera as the fall colours and old buildings are beautiful.

Bell-ringers at St. Bene't's Church.

Our tour guide found a quiet church called St. Bene't for us to use as a place to keep warm as she gave us some of the history of the Reformation and connections to Cambridge. A few students came in and started setting things up to ring the bells. Turns out that they were going to ring the bells for about 45 minutes! There were six bells and one student pulled the rope for each bell. There are numerous different sequences so they start with one, move to another, almost like working through a songbook. Our tour guide finished, but we waited until the bells started ringing so we could see how it works. We listened to them move though a couple of sequences (there's a mathetmatical formula because it takes a certain length of time to ring each bell) and I shot a short video clip.

Ian and Margaret were incredibly hospitable over the weekend - delicious food, lots of laughter, and great conversations. Ian dropped me off at the Victoria Guest House after dinner and I'll be here for the next two nights. The place is clean and beautiful and the owners are really friendly... nothing like the Cheshire Cat.

Day-trip to Ely

I arrived in Cambridge on Friday evening, at the home of Ian and Margaret, relatives of friends in Canada. They invited me to spend a couple of days with them and do some site-seeing in the area. They both had appointments on Saturday so I was on my own for most of the day. Margaret suggested I take a train to Ely (pronounced "EEL-ee"), a nearby town, as it has a beautiful cathedral and is in The Fens. I figured it would be a good chance to see a different kind of scenery and I would still have Sunday afternoon, Monday and Tuesday to wander around Cambridge.

Ely used to be surrounded by water with lots of eels... the description I heard about quantities and former proximity to the cathedral made me think of the shrieking eels from The Princess Bride.

The cathedral as viewed from a park I walked through to get from the train to the old part of town.

Gotta love the fall colours!

Some detail in the cathedral.

Interior of Ely Cathedral.

Ely Cathedral is one of the few cathedrals in England which provides a sweeping view from one end to the other - most have a dividing wall in the middle.

Tiled Labyrinth.

Near the main entrance there's a tiled labyrinth which, if it were stretched out straight, is the same length as the height of the cathedral tower. Since I had plenty of time, and I'm not too proud to act like a kid, I walked through the labyrinth from start to finish. The path is the lighter area and is about 10 inches wide.

The Fens.

After wandering around in the cathedral and then taking part in a guided tour included in the admission fee, I took a walk along one of the rivers created to drain this former marshland.

A swan ignorant of its ridiculous position.

Although I enjoy having a pocket-sized point-and-shoot camera due to the convenience, I brought along my digital SLR camera on this trip to Cambridge and it's like a long-lost friend has returned. I didn't use it for a while as I didn't want to scream "Tourist!" too loudly and I figured I wouldn't need high quality photos of most of the things I was shooting... and I had forgotten the cord at home for uploading photos. Lisa brought the USB cord when she came to visit, so my friend is back. There's something fabulous about holding a camera with two hands, hearing the solid "click" of the shutter, and getting an instant response. Most of you think I'm crazy but I know there are a few who are nodding in agreement.

Trip to Cambridge

I've learned a few things on my way to Cambridge and shortly after arriving.

• The underground Tube in London truly is underground and feels that way. It's muggy and hot and reminded me of the mine I toured in Bolivia.
• If you need directions, the tour books are right: if you ask a Bobby for directions, they're friendly and helpful.
  
• It's possible for a human to move their mouth like Wallace from Wallace and Gromit. Yes, it's funny. No, I did not let myself laugh. (No, I don't know her name and she won't ever read this.)
  
• The term "cross-street" isn't used over here - as in, "What's the nearest cross-street?" when you're asking for directions. When I asked how they would ask the question, I received a blank look.

Cambridge has an odd way of making me feel stupid even though I know I'm an intelligent person. It was difficult to resist both laughing and feeling like an idiot when the following situation took place. I met two young people and their first question was, "What degree are you working on?" and when I answered, "I'm not working on one," they stared at me blankly. Then I asked them what degrees they're working on and the girl said something about a medical PhD in genetics and the guy said a PhD in history.

Oh right... I'm in Cambridge. They collect degrees around here.

Shopping

I went shopping yet again and have spent more money than I want to admit to, but I didn't bring much clothing from Canada so I really needed to do some serious shopping. I'm comfortable with the malls now - finally figuring out which stores are worth going into, but I'm still frustrated that salespeople don't help at all. They literally stand in clusters chatting away and ignore the customers unless people ask for help. Although I don't like repeatedly being asked if I want help, an offer would be nice once in a while! They act like I'm inconveniencing them by asking for help. Really quite strange. In spite of the lack of assistance in most shops, I finally finished buying enough clothes that I'm ready to look for work! Still need to find a few more things but I have enough to get started. I found a few items I really love and I finally found some boots that are nice enough for wearing to work and - hopefully - comfortable enough to walk to and from the train or bus. After I get back from Cambridge then I'll start registering with employment agencies to look for temp work.

I went into John Lewis, a rather upscale department store in Reading, a half-hour train ride from Hook. I entered near the purse area and nearly choked when I saw £400/$800CAD handbags. (For those who are curious: in Canada we use purses and wallets, but in the UK they call purses "handbags" and wallets for women are called "purses" - only men use "wallets".)

John Lewis also had so many fabulous party dresses! Makes me want to find an excuse to buy one, but I don't want to fork over the cash to get one. Oh! - and they had a whole section of formal hats and those headbands with feathers that sort of imitate a hat. So fabulous and British!

I saw a mannequin wearing some great jeans and there was a little plaque with a list of the items on display and the jeans were listed with a price of £150/$300CAD. I was curious so I found a rack of jeans that looked similar (the brand was Seven) and there were no price tags. That's never a good sign. I took a pair to a young cashier and said, "Could you tell me the price on these before I try them on and fall in love with them?" I told her about seeing the plaque and she checked the tag on the till and the price truly was £150 (she described the brand as being something Posh Spice/Victoria Beckham wears). Another cashier came over and we started chatting about the agony of shopping for jeans. I eventually decided to try the jeans on just for fun, knowing full well they would probably fit perfectly and I would always be tormented by the thought that a perfect pair of jeans existed... for a price.

For the first time in my life, I was excited to discover that a pair of jeans didn't fit me.

Tradition, Mourning, and Cambridge

Tradition
Last Saturday I was involved in my first British Christmas tradition! Ann makes Christmas pudding and fruitcake - both are foods I consider to be unfit for consumption, but the British seem to love it. I just can't handle the combination of chewy fruit, cake, and strong flavour. I haven't tried it in a long time, but there's nothing about it that appeals to me. Besides, she put nuts in the cake so I can't eat it anyway. (whew)

I helped with mixing and scooping the mixture into the bowls for baking and steaming. Ann attended boarding school as a girl and she told me that when the school made fruitcake, each girl took a turn stirring the batter. Part of the tradition is making a wish as you stir, but I forgot about this as I was stirring. As I scooped the last mound of batter into the last bowl, Ann exclaimed, "You forgot to make a wish!" So I poked the spoon around in the bowl a bit and made a wish so my participation in the tradition was complete. I told Lisa my wish while we had dinner in London and she laughed out loud and thought it was a good wish... has to do with accents... Lindsay will know.

Mourning
I received word earlier this week that Carl Klassen, a man who picked up my hitch-hiking Dad when he was 15, eventually led him to Christ, and was his mentor for over 30 years, finally met his Saviour face to face early on Monday morning. He battled various health problems for many years and we've been called to his death bed more than once, only for him to rally yet again and prove the doctors wrong. I'm so thankful that my Dad was able to spend several nights with him in the hospital during his final days - praying, reading the bible, singing - knowing the end was near, but meeting it with rejoicing instead of fear.

Me and Carl the night before I flew to England.
I was going to go to Abbotsford to visit Carl and his wife Sara, but my car broke down and my day fell apart so they came to our house for dinner instead. Always unfailingly generous.

Carl was like a grandpa to me and the loss makes my heart ache. I have never known such a faithful prayer warrior. He called regularly to see how each of us were doing and he would always end the call with prayer, mentioning each member of the family. He prayed boldly in my presence that God would give me a Godly husband and, for his sake, I wish he could have seen that day. Thankfully, he was able to know that David was engaged to a wonderful girl and I know that brought him lots of joy. He was a travelling evengelist and pastor who would show up unannounced when I was a kid, often standing outside our front door doing his immitation of a dog barking and growling; all four of us kids would go running to the door yelling, "It's Pastor Klassen!" He both terrified me and gave me courage with his stories of demonic activity. He remembered comical poems memorized in childhood and would randomly quote them when conversation reminded him of one. We'll miss having him in our family.

Cambridge
This afternoon I booked my train tickets to Cambridge. I'll be there from Friday, November 14 until Tuesday, November 18. I'll be staying with a couple until Sunday night, then I'll transfer to a B&B for two more nights (I considered a hostel but the reviews included words like "shabby", "filthy", "grotty", and "disgusting" so I decided to splurge a little). I decided that since I'm not tied down to a job yet, I might as well stay a bit longer to enjoy the city. I've heard that it's a beautiful place and deserving of a long visit so I'm looking forward to exploring and taking lots of photos.

First Visit from Family!

My sister Lisa is on her way to India to spend almost five weeks there - three weeks helping at a girls' orphanage and two weeks participating in celebrations for a friend's arranged, Indian marriage. I'm so excited for her! Such an amazing opportunity and I can't wait to see the pictures! She paid the extra to have a stop-over in London for a few days. Her friend, Sarah, a Canadian living in Nottingham, came into town to spend Friday evening and Saturday with her and I arrived Sunday morning and stayed with her until she left for the airport on Monday morning. It was so fun to see family here and I loved having a chance to just hang out and catch up and talk about life.

Me and my big sister in Trafalgar Square.

Lisa took a similar shot to the one above on her camera and during dinner she started clicking through her photos and soberly said, "We're getting old. We're not 14 anymore."

She showed me one of her photos, a close-up of us together and it was strange to view it in that light. Already getting the beginning of "fine lines" - I just attribute it to lots of laughter. Most of the photos of us together are from when we were kids growing up. Here we are now, 28 and 30, not even close to being kids. All grown up and travelling the world. Our lives haven't turned out the way we thought they would when we were little, but the freedom to travel and go off on adventures is a wonderful blessing.

(As an aside, Lisa bought three of those scarves she's wearing and left one for me. She bought one for each of the Piechnik sisters, including Keri, soon to be the third sister!)

The Cenotaph.

The Remembrance Day celebrations are held here on the Sunday closest to November 11. We were hoping to avoid the chaos of the crowds out for the parade and ceremony and by the time we got into that area everything was over and the crowds had dispersed. It would have been fun to try to see the Queen, but not worth standing in a crowd for hours on end.

Lisa and the Parliament Buildings.

Lisa and Sarah visited Hyde Park, Portobello Road and Notting Hill, and had tea at Harrod's. Although Lisa was happy to just take it easy and visit at a cafe, she let me drag her around to see some iconic sites. I figure if you're in London for a day and you may never return, you have to get out and see the iconic sites. I basically did the same route Elizabeth took me on during my first day in London - Buckingham Palace, the Parliament Buildings, and Westminster Abbey.

The Parliament Buildings.

I got a good laugh when it started to rain and Lisa pleaded, "Can't we just find a place to go inside and wait it out?" without realizing it could take hours, days, or weeks to wait it out. It's still raining.

We attended Evensong at Westminster Abbey and got there early enough to go into the inner area and enjoy hearing the organ, the choir (men and boys), scripture readings, and a short sermon. The sun was shining just right on the stained glass on the walls facing us and we happened to sit next to a heater so Lisa was able to warm up a bit.

We headed back towards the hostel and tried to find a pub to order fish and chips for dinner (my first time ordering it in the UK!). We found a cozy-looking pub but it was full so we ended up sitting in the little restaurant area upstairs. It was empty when we arrived so we chose a little table in the corner with a view of the street below and quickly made friends with the waitress. We were curious about mushy peas so she brought us a little bowl to sample and she brought Lisa samples of some traditional British ale. Great service and we sat there for at least a couple of hours and enjoyed the chance to visit and eat yummy food. The fish and chips were delicious, but I still want to some day find a little mom-and-pop shop with "real" fish and chips. Something near the coast where the meal is served piping hot and wrapped in paper. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Some of you might remember my comment about how weird it was to see hotdog weiners in a jar at the grocery store. When we got to the hostel, I discovered this jar in our room on a desk piled with a bunch of other food obviously purchased by some guys.

It was my first time staying in a hostel and it wasn't bad. There were about 8 people in our room and I was thrilled that nobody snored. I didn't sleep well as there was a lot of noise from the street below and I think I was probably subconsiously nervous about sleeping in a room with a bunch of strangers. It's a bit of an odd experience, but at least I didn't have to see the naked guy sitting in our room. He passed us in the hall this morning and Lisa quietly murmered, "That's the naked guy I saw earlier."

This morning I tried not to think too much about Lisa leaving. I tried to just think about her trip to India and ignore the fact that I won't see family again for another three months. It's actually not that long, but Christmas is in the middle and I don't think that'll be easy.

After she left to head to the airport I decided to go to a museum - since I paid a lot to get to London, I figured I might as well stay as long as possible! I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and went through the British Galleries, Fashion, Photography (most closed due to changing exhibitions), and bits and pieces of some other areas. It's an overwhelmingly huge museum (free admission) so I'll go back and finish some other day.

Along the walk to the station I went through St. James's Park and shot some photos of the autumn colours.

When I see these lamp posts I can't help thinking about the War Drobe in the land of Spare Oom.

Carol, I thought of you when I saw this little guy as I wandered through the park.

During the train ride on the way back to Hook a guy got on and sat in the row across from me - the way the seats are aligned, he was slightly behind me. He pulled out a sketchpad and I glanced over and saw some rough pen drawings of people and buildings. He flipped to the next page and I could see him repeatedly glance up at me as he sketched away madly. It was a weird feeling - it felt a little intrusive to think a stranger was looking at me so closely, but also flattering. Do you turn and let him know you can see him? Do you ask to see the sketch when he's done? My choice was to sit still and leave him in peace. I think I'll always regret not asking to see the finished sketch. And yet, if I had asked to see it and it was a horrible drawing, I would always regret asking to see it. It's probably better left to my imagination of being somebody's muse, if only for 15 or 20 minutes.