Monday, March 30, 2009
Amaryllis... Hippeastrum
Ann planted the bulb last November and it started a show about a week or two ago. It's nearing the end of it's dramatic life but I thought some of you might enjoy some pics. They call it an amaryllis both here and back home, but when I looked it up online, it's actually called a hippeastrum. Learn something new every day!
Northington Grange
This morning Ann asked me if I wanted to accompany her to the auction house where she's dropping off two ivory figures for appraisal. I'm always up for a road trip and opportunity to see more of the Hampshire countryside so I said I'd be happy to go along. She grew up in this area so she's great with explaining the history and she always ends up taking me along back roads to show me quaint towns or homes where people in her family have lived (today I saw the home where her grandparents lived and a thatch-roofed cottage that she wanted to buy many years ago - her dad advised her against it).
As we drove along, Ann told me about a nearby home referred to as "The Grange", a derelict estate now used for operas. Her mother attended a party there as a young woman. We saw a little side road with a speed limit sign but nothing to indicate that it was private property so we decided to explore it. We passed some smaller homes and horses in fields, old brick barn buildings, and stopped at a gate. We weren't sure if we would be entering private property by passing through the gate so Ann pulled over and we decided to continue our exploration on foot. I told her if anyone questioned us, she could blame me because people tend to go lighter on foreigners.
We could see a large home in the distance, off to the right, and assumed it was The Grange. The dirt road eventually came to the driveway and there was nothing to indicate it was private property so we continued along. It turns out that the property is owned by the English Heritage Society, a government-run organization to preserve heritage buildings.
The house was huge and beautiful. There were a couple of workmen and the text on the side of their van indicated that they were traditional craftsmen. I went inside the building and the workmen didn't tell us to leave - they actually came up and started chatting with us and explaining what they're working on. A girl from an art school was there and she quietly told us she had called English Heritage and they told her she couldn't access the interior of the building because it was dangerous. I started walking around and figured I'd continue exploring until I was told to get out. The workmen apparently don't care about insurance because they let us explore the accessible areas - a limited portion of the first floor. The floors for the upper levels had rotted or been removed so the eaves could be viewed from the ground floor. The mess in the rooms was from the workmen repairing and replacing the beautiful sweeping staircase. The original staircase was removed years ago and purchased at an auction for £50. The buyer donated the materials back recently so the staircase could be reinstalled.
The house has a huge conservatory which has been remodeled for use by an opera company. The chandeliers are in place as the ground floor of the building is used to serve dinner to the opera company.
A large side entrance room with a wall painting and fireplace surround left by a movie company who filmed here a while ago. The fabric canopy protects people below from falling debris as the building continually falls apart.
A side room with chandeliers and little else.
The central hallway leading off the entrance styled to look like a temple (at the right in the first photo). The staircase at the end sweeps up and to both the right and left, wrapping around to a large landing above. This is the staircase the workmen are painstakingly reinstalling.
Details that still remain as the building crumbles.
As we drove along, Ann told me about a nearby home referred to as "The Grange", a derelict estate now used for operas. Her mother attended a party there as a young woman. We saw a little side road with a speed limit sign but nothing to indicate that it was private property so we decided to explore it. We passed some smaller homes and horses in fields, old brick barn buildings, and stopped at a gate. We weren't sure if we would be entering private property by passing through the gate so Ann pulled over and we decided to continue our exploration on foot. I told her if anyone questioned us, she could blame me because people tend to go lighter on foreigners.
We could see a large home in the distance, off to the right, and assumed it was The Grange. The dirt road eventually came to the driveway and there was nothing to indicate it was private property so we continued along. It turns out that the property is owned by the English Heritage Society, a government-run organization to preserve heritage buildings.
The house was huge and beautiful. There were a couple of workmen and the text on the side of their van indicated that they were traditional craftsmen. I went inside the building and the workmen didn't tell us to leave - they actually came up and started chatting with us and explaining what they're working on. A girl from an art school was there and she quietly told us she had called English Heritage and they told her she couldn't access the interior of the building because it was dangerous. I started walking around and figured I'd continue exploring until I was told to get out. The workmen apparently don't care about insurance because they let us explore the accessible areas - a limited portion of the first floor. The floors for the upper levels had rotted or been removed so the eaves could be viewed from the ground floor. The mess in the rooms was from the workmen repairing and replacing the beautiful sweeping staircase. The original staircase was removed years ago and purchased at an auction for £50. The buyer donated the materials back recently so the staircase could be reinstalled.
The house has a huge conservatory which has been remodeled for use by an opera company. The chandeliers are in place as the ground floor of the building is used to serve dinner to the opera company.
A large side entrance room with a wall painting and fireplace surround left by a movie company who filmed here a while ago. The fabric canopy protects people below from falling debris as the building continually falls apart.
A side room with chandeliers and little else.
The central hallway leading off the entrance styled to look like a temple (at the right in the first photo). The staircase at the end sweeps up and to both the right and left, wrapping around to a large landing above. This is the staircase the workmen are painstakingly reinstalling.
Details that still remain as the building crumbles.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Good morning, Church!
When I attended Buckskin Evangelical Church for the first time last November, a woman was called on to make a special announcement and as she quickly walked to the front of the church she called out a rousing and cheerful, "Good morning, church!" and everyone called back, "Good morning, Emma!" At that moment I knew she must work with kids a lot and I knew I'd like her. She's one of those people that make you think, "Every church needs to have somebody like that," yet some churches are sadly lacking in Emmas. They're the people who show their love on their shirt sleeves, are passionate about Jesus, and aren't afraid of what people think of the flare with which they live life. She says, "Good morning, gorgeous!" to everyone and calls her daughters "cheeky monkeys". She plays clarinet for congregational singing - I love listening to her improvisations and I love watching her play. I don't think she uses music at all - she plays with her eyes closed half the time.
Emma booked me for lunch a couple of weeks ago and today I enjoyed her husband Matthew's excellent cooking (never seen such fluffy Yorkshire Pudding!), got my butt kicked playing Mario Kart against Emma on the Wii, and tried Guitar Hero for the first time. Every time a Mario Kart race ended, Hannah, age three, would come right up into my face and say, "You lost," with an attitude of superiority. Little kids crack me up! She was obviously so proud of her mom for coming in first so I would just nod and say, "Yeah, I know, but at least I wasn't all the way last," and she would glance at the screen and repeat, "Yeah, but you lost." So funny. I was also introduced to Peppa Pig and her little brother George, an English cartoon about a pig family.
Emma rocking out with Guitar Hero.
A screen shot of one of the guys in the Guitar Hero band.
I cracked up when close-ups were shown of the band members.
Me having a try at Guitar Hero. So fun! I think it should go on Jonathan's wish list for Christmas '09.
Lottie (Charlotte).
Matthew and Hannah.
She doesn't like the sound of Guitar Hero so she listened to music on Matthew's laptop or just walked around with the headset on to muffle the sounds around her.
Emma booked me for lunch a couple of weeks ago and today I enjoyed her husband Matthew's excellent cooking (never seen such fluffy Yorkshire Pudding!), got my butt kicked playing Mario Kart against Emma on the Wii, and tried Guitar Hero for the first time. Every time a Mario Kart race ended, Hannah, age three, would come right up into my face and say, "You lost," with an attitude of superiority. Little kids crack me up! She was obviously so proud of her mom for coming in first so I would just nod and say, "Yeah, I know, but at least I wasn't all the way last," and she would glance at the screen and repeat, "Yeah, but you lost." So funny. I was also introduced to Peppa Pig and her little brother George, an English cartoon about a pig family.
Emma rocking out with Guitar Hero.
A screen shot of one of the guys in the Guitar Hero band.I cracked up when close-ups were shown of the band members.
Me having a try at Guitar Hero. So fun! I think it should go on Jonathan's wish list for Christmas '09.
Lottie (Charlotte).
Matthew and Hannah.She doesn't like the sound of Guitar Hero so she listened to music on Matthew's laptop or just walked around with the headset on to muffle the sounds around her.
My favourite Hannah moments:
- She asked me to read a book and she pointed to one of the characters, obviously the bad guy based on his appearance, and said, "He does naughty things."
- She went upstairs for a few minutes and on her way back down she looked over the railing at me and Emma visiting in the living room and called out, "What are you lot doing?"
- She asked me to read a book and she pointed to one of the characters, obviously the bad guy based on his appearance, and said, "He does naughty things."
- She went upstairs for a few minutes and on her way back down she looked over the railing at me and Emma visiting in the living room and called out, "What are you lot doing?"
Saturday, March 28, 2009
More Plans!
Some people seem to think I'm staying here for a full two years no matter what, but my bank account isn't bottomless. This summer one of two things will happen:
There's no point in looking for a job until after my parents visit me, so I figure I might as well continue filling my time with travel. I don't want to return to Canada wishing I had taken better advantage of the freedom to explore this part of the world. Over the past week I've made plans for April 3 - 22 and yesterday I made plans to visit a family in Cornwall from April 24 - 28. I'll be staying with a family I met in Switzerland; the dad was the speaker each evening. A friend from Canada will be stopping in London for a couple of days as she travels around Europe so I'll spend a day with her on April 29 or 30. I love having a full calendar! I still need to come up with plans for the first two weeks of May... I'm sure I'll come up with something, but feel free to make suggestions!
...drum roll please...
My parents just booked their flights to visit me! My mom will arrive on May 16 and we'll have a week of girls-only fun and get her over her jet lag before my dad joins us the following weekend. We'll then travel around for three weeks and they'll return to Canada on June 14. I'm so excited! When I was nineteen I lived in Bolivia, South America for five months but nobody in my family was able to visit and see firsthand the place where I lived or meet the people I knew. I'm so thrilled that my parents will be able to meet my friends here, see where I've been living, and get a taste of life over here. They're going to love it! Now we begin the fun of planning the trip and deciding what to see and where to go!
1. I'll find a full-time job, hopefully a one year contract, enabling me to remain in the country a little longer.
2. I won't be able to find a job and I'll return to Canada, resulting in this being the longest vacation of my life.
2. I won't be able to find a job and I'll return to Canada, resulting in this being the longest vacation of my life.
There's no point in looking for a job until after my parents visit me, so I figure I might as well continue filling my time with travel. I don't want to return to Canada wishing I had taken better advantage of the freedom to explore this part of the world. Over the past week I've made plans for April 3 - 22 and yesterday I made plans to visit a family in Cornwall from April 24 - 28. I'll be staying with a family I met in Switzerland; the dad was the speaker each evening. A friend from Canada will be stopping in London for a couple of days as she travels around Europe so I'll spend a day with her on April 29 or 30. I love having a full calendar! I still need to come up with plans for the first two weeks of May... I'm sure I'll come up with something, but feel free to make suggestions!
...drum roll please...
My parents just booked their flights to visit me! My mom will arrive on May 16 and we'll have a week of girls-only fun and get her over her jet lag before my dad joins us the following weekend. We'll then travel around for three weeks and they'll return to Canada on June 14. I'm so excited! When I was nineteen I lived in Bolivia, South America for five months but nobody in my family was able to visit and see firsthand the place where I lived or meet the people I knew. I'm so thrilled that my parents will be able to meet my friends here, see where I've been living, and get a taste of life over here. They're going to love it! Now we begin the fun of planning the trip and deciding what to see and where to go!
Friday, March 27, 2009
My Favourite British Words
I've been in the UK for almost six month and during that time I've come to love a selection of British words that I think are funny or clever. I've heard all of these words in conversations and I decided to preserve the list in writing before I'm here so long that they blend into the language and I stop noticing them. The words "brilliant" and "rubbish" have crossed my lips a few times, but I don't generally use the words on this list.
For your amusement, here's a random list of...
Brilliant: used in reference to something being fabulous rather than in reference to intelligence.
Lovely: anything pleasant or attractive (particularly adorable when used by small children).
Shattered: utterly exhausted.
Chuffed: to be pleased about something (I'm still getting used to this one as the sound of the word makes me think the person is upset about something).
Snog: to make out (my parents call it "necking", over here they call it "snogging").
Naff: something that isn't cool (this one still makes me pause and think because the word sounds like it's referring to something that is cool).
Pants: if something is complete rubbish, it's pants (connected to the fact that most areas of the UK refer to underwear as "pants").
Rubbish: used in reference to pretty much anything that's said, done, or seen that's ridiculous or unpleasant.
Cheeky-monkey: a name for someone acting sassy or silly, normally used for children.
Fit: an attractive person is referred to as being "fit".
On-trend: something stylish.
Gutted: to be upset or disappointed about something.
Scrummy: a word to describe delicious food.
Blimey: an exclamation of surprise (supposedly short for "God blind me").
Knackered: exhausted (supposedly it originally had a sexual connotation).
Sorted: figuring something out, "Is your holiday sorted?"
Bird: woman (don't hear it much, but I find it amusing when I do hear it).
Cheers: works for a variety of things, including "you're welcome", "thank you", and "goodbye" (I don't even attempt to say it as it sounds insanely stupid with a North American accent).
For your amusement, here's a random list of...
My Favourite British Words:
Brilliant: used in reference to something being fabulous rather than in reference to intelligence.
Lovely: anything pleasant or attractive (particularly adorable when used by small children).
Shattered: utterly exhausted.
Chuffed: to be pleased about something (I'm still getting used to this one as the sound of the word makes me think the person is upset about something).
Snog: to make out (my parents call it "necking", over here they call it "snogging").
Naff: something that isn't cool (this one still makes me pause and think because the word sounds like it's referring to something that is cool).
Pants: if something is complete rubbish, it's pants (connected to the fact that most areas of the UK refer to underwear as "pants").
Rubbish: used in reference to pretty much anything that's said, done, or seen that's ridiculous or unpleasant.
Cheeky-monkey: a name for someone acting sassy or silly, normally used for children.
Fit: an attractive person is referred to as being "fit".
On-trend: something stylish.
Gutted: to be upset or disappointed about something.
Scrummy: a word to describe delicious food.
Blimey: an exclamation of surprise (supposedly short for "God blind me").
Knackered: exhausted (supposedly it originally had a sexual connotation).
Sorted: figuring something out, "Is your holiday sorted?"
Bird: woman (don't hear it much, but I find it amusing when I do hear it).
Cheers: works for a variety of things, including "you're welcome", "thank you", and "goodbye" (I don't even attempt to say it as it sounds insanely stupid with a North American accent).
Thursday, March 26, 2009
My Week
This has been a pretty quiet week. Spent Wednesday morning helping out with administrative tasks at my church office. It felt really strange to sit behind a desk - I haven't been employed in over six months so simply picking up a mouse was an odd feeling.
I stopped by a tourism office and asked for ideas of places to explore in the surrounding area... now I just need to sort through the pile of brochures and decide where to go first.
Three weeks of travel in April have been sorted out! Beginning on April 3 I'll spend about five days helping out with lambing at the farm where I went for Christmas, then off to Poland for just over a week, then back to the farm to visit friends in Eastbourne and Brighton and maybe pull on some wellies for a bit more farm work.
People have been commenting recently on how strange it will be for me to return to a normal life some day. Full-time work. Far less travel. I know... I'm trying not to think about it... but I'm also very aware that my life right now isn't normal and won't last forever.
I stopped by a tourism office and asked for ideas of places to explore in the surrounding area... now I just need to sort through the pile of brochures and decide where to go first.
Three weeks of travel in April have been sorted out! Beginning on April 3 I'll spend about five days helping out with lambing at the farm where I went for Christmas, then off to Poland for just over a week, then back to the farm to visit friends in Eastbourne and Brighton and maybe pull on some wellies for a bit more farm work.
People have been commenting recently on how strange it will be for me to return to a normal life some day. Full-time work. Far less travel. I know... I'm trying not to think about it... but I'm also very aware that my life right now isn't normal and won't last forever.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
I'm Going to Poland!
While I was in Switzerland I chatted with Robyn about travelling and she asked if I wanted to join her and her roommate Madelein on a trip to Poland for Easter. I just about choked. I'm half Polish and have wanted to visit Poland for many years. It's not that I know a lot about the country, I just wanted to at least stick my toe over the border so I could say I've been there. To suddenly be offered the opportunity to travel there with friends was an amazing surprise and an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
My flights are booked and I'll be in Poland from April 9 to 17, spending the first four days with Robyn and Madelein and the rest visiting family.
I've been in touch with some extended family members - distant cousins, although I'm not entirely certain about their connection (I think they're descendents of my paternal grandmother's uncle). It seems a bit odd to contact random relatives I've never heard of to ask if I can visit them, but they live close to Krakow, the city I'm visiting with Robyn and Madelein, so I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to meet some family members and see more of the country. I just spoke with my cousin, Ela, and I've been invited to spend as much time as I want with their family. It sounds like I might end up getting passed around between various family members. Thankfully some of them speak English!
Is it sad that one of the things I'm most looking forward to is the food? ...pierogi, gołąbki, borscht, kiełbasa with sauerkraut. I may sound crazy, but it's serious comfort food in my mind as those are the foods my babcia and ciocias (grandma and aunts) made for Christmas and Easter dinner when I was growing up.
(Background on my connection to Robyn and Madelein: Henry, the friend who invited me to spend Christmas with his family last year, has two girls living at the cottage with him, Robyn and Madelein. The girls spent the holidays with their families in South Africa so I wasn't able to meet them when I was in Eastbourne for Christmas. Robyn went on the trip to Switzerland last week so we spent some time getting to know each other and I'll meet Madelein when I return to the farm for lambing next month.)
My flights are booked and I'll be in Poland from April 9 to 17, spending the first four days with Robyn and Madelein and the rest visiting family.
I've been in touch with some extended family members - distant cousins, although I'm not entirely certain about their connection (I think they're descendents of my paternal grandmother's uncle). It seems a bit odd to contact random relatives I've never heard of to ask if I can visit them, but they live close to Krakow, the city I'm visiting with Robyn and Madelein, so I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to meet some family members and see more of the country. I just spoke with my cousin, Ela, and I've been invited to spend as much time as I want with their family. It sounds like I might end up getting passed around between various family members. Thankfully some of them speak English!
Is it sad that one of the things I'm most looking forward to is the food? ...pierogi, gołąbki, borscht, kiełbasa with sauerkraut. I may sound crazy, but it's serious comfort food in my mind as those are the foods my babcia and ciocias (grandma and aunts) made for Christmas and Easter dinner when I was growing up.
(Background on my connection to Robyn and Madelein: Henry, the friend who invited me to spend Christmas with his family last year, has two girls living at the cottage with him, Robyn and Madelein. The girls spent the holidays with their families in South Africa so I wasn't able to meet them when I was in Eastbourne for Christmas. Robyn went on the trip to Switzerland last week so we spent some time getting to know each other and I'll meet Madelein when I return to the farm for lambing next month.)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Chawton - Jane Austen's Hampshire
I've been told my preferred reading material is a bit odd. When I was younger I tried reading novels but I just couldn't get into them. I get bored because the characters aren't real so it seems pointless to read about their lives. I'm happy with a good biography or a solid teaching book that will challenge me to look at life differently and grow in my relationship with Christ. Oh... and if I'm on vacation then my vice is picking up a copy of InStyle (a fashion magazine).
I enjoy the movies based on Jane Austen's books, mostly because of her clever dialogue and commentary or mockery of society's expectations, but I've never read any of her books... I tried reading Pride and Prejudice but I got bored. I know, go ahead and gasp. I find it really amusing to visit with people here and listen to them casually mention locations from Jane Austen's writings as though it's totally normal. Yesterday somebody mentioned a hike up Box Hill and I gasped and said, "Like from Emma?" and she looked at me like I was crazy and said she had no idea what I was talking about.
Jane Austen spent most of the last eight years of her life living in Chawton, which is a small village about twenty minutes away. Ama borrowed a book of walking routes in Hampshire from a coworker and we chose a five mile walk in the countryside around Chawton. I think some of the route markers mentioned in the book have changed because we ended up getting quite lost, but we managed to find our way out of the fields and back to our car.
The home where Jane Austen lived and wrote or edited her books from 1809 - 1817.
One of the things I love most about spring is the sight of daffodils blooming. When my dad was a child, his father purchased about five acres of land near Victoria and the land had previously been used as a daffodil farm. The previous owners tried to clear out all the daffodil bulbs, but many were left behind. After my grandfather passed away, my parents got married, and my grandma moved downtown, my family lived on the farm for a couple of years. I was about five years old, but I still remember wandering the fields, picking daffodils under the fruit trees. It's a memory I treasure - the freedom of not having a care in the world as I tramped through the tall grass, looking for the sunny yellow flowers.
A window in the church entryway in Farringdon, a town we went through during our walk.
The book's instructions were insanely confusing at certain points, but we found our way eventually.
I enjoy the movies based on Jane Austen's books, mostly because of her clever dialogue and commentary or mockery of society's expectations, but I've never read any of her books... I tried reading Pride and Prejudice but I got bored. I know, go ahead and gasp. I find it really amusing to visit with people here and listen to them casually mention locations from Jane Austen's writings as though it's totally normal. Yesterday somebody mentioned a hike up Box Hill and I gasped and said, "Like from Emma?" and she looked at me like I was crazy and said she had no idea what I was talking about.
Jane Austen spent most of the last eight years of her life living in Chawton, which is a small village about twenty minutes away. Ama borrowed a book of walking routes in Hampshire from a coworker and we chose a five mile walk in the countryside around Chawton. I think some of the route markers mentioned in the book have changed because we ended up getting quite lost, but we managed to find our way out of the fields and back to our car.
The home where Jane Austen lived and wrote or edited her books from 1809 - 1817.
One of the things I love most about spring is the sight of daffodils blooming. When my dad was a child, his father purchased about five acres of land near Victoria and the land had previously been used as a daffodil farm. The previous owners tried to clear out all the daffodil bulbs, but many were left behind. After my grandfather passed away, my parents got married, and my grandma moved downtown, my family lived on the farm for a couple of years. I was about five years old, but I still remember wandering the fields, picking daffodils under the fruit trees. It's a memory I treasure - the freedom of not having a care in the world as I tramped through the tall grass, looking for the sunny yellow flowers.
A window in the church entryway in Farringdon, a town we went through during our walk.
The book's instructions were insanely confusing at certain points, but we found our way eventually.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Watership Down
Ama, a friend from church, booked this week off work a while ago but didn't have any plans for how to spend her time. I suggested we do some kind of road trip but due to her recovering from a recent bout with the flu, a normally busy life, and a distaste for road trips (I've discovered that it's quite common for people here to cringe about driving even just a couple of hours), she decided to just stay in town. I'm going to stay with her for a couple of days and we'll just do day-trips in the surrounding area.
I met her and another one of her friends in Basingstoke today (about ten minutes from where I live in Hook) and we went for a downland walk (a "down" refers to a hill) in the area where the book, Watership Down, is set. The walk took us along a hill with sweeping views of the surrounding area.
Ama enjoying our pre-walk picnic in the warm sunshine.
A comical basset hound in the parking lot.
Ama is from Ghana and along the walk I asked her to sing her country's national anthem. She sang a few lines and then sang her favourite patriotic song in her mother tongue - I love listening to other languages! We started talking about anthems and she said her favourite is The Star Spangled Banner. We started singing it but the girls soon dropped out and all three of us were surprised to discover that I knew almost all the words to the first verse. Not sure how I learned it! The girls asked me to sing O Canada so I sang the first and last verses.
L-R Ama, Ayshah, and Me.
I met her and another one of her friends in Basingstoke today (about ten minutes from where I live in Hook) and we went for a downland walk (a "down" refers to a hill) in the area where the book, Watership Down, is set. The walk took us along a hill with sweeping views of the surrounding area.
Ama enjoying our pre-walk picnic in the warm sunshine.
A comical basset hound in the parking lot.
Ama is from Ghana and along the walk I asked her to sing her country's national anthem. She sang a few lines and then sang her favourite patriotic song in her mother tongue - I love listening to other languages! We started talking about anthems and she said her favourite is The Star Spangled Banner. We started singing it but the girls soon dropped out and all three of us were surprised to discover that I knew almost all the words to the first verse. Not sure how I learned it! The girls asked me to sing O Canada so I sang the first and last verses.
L-R Ama, Ayshah, and Me.Saturday, March 14, 2009
Leaving Switzerland
My week in Switzerland was fabulous. I came away with new friends, inside jokes, another stamp in my passport, the reappearance of my freckles after a long winter, and a renewed appreciation for the incredible beauty of God's creation. It was a week packed with joy and the easy friendship found in being with like-minded people.
Leaving makes me feel like a whiny little kid getting dragged away from the sandbox in the summer or from a toboggan run in the winter. I just want to keep playing!
I was incredibly blessed to room with two amazing women. We got along ridiculously well and it felt like we'd known each other for years. Go room 12! Score!
L-R Sarah, Me, and Louisa.
Leaving makes me feel like a whiny little kid getting dragged away from the sandbox in the summer or from a toboggan run in the winter. I just want to keep playing!
I was incredibly blessed to room with two amazing women. We got along ridiculously well and it felt like we'd known each other for years. Go room 12! Score!
L-R Sarah, Me, and Louisa.Friday, March 13, 2009
Final Day
The coach was scheduled to leave at 5:00 p.m. so I planned to either catch a train to explore the mountains or just stay at the chalet and build a snowman with a few friends. As I was at the breakfast buffet table I started chatting with Ben, the eleven-year-old son of our speaker. He reminded me a little of Jonathan so I enjoyed chatting with him and teasing him. I had also chatted with his parents and sister, Rebekah, a few times during the week. His mom's knee was severely injured on the first day of skiing and she was in the hospital all week, having undergone two surgeries on her knee. I heard earlier in the week that Tessa (pronounced "TEE-sa") would be released from the hospital in time to catch the coach back to England. I asked Ben how she was doing and he said she now wouldn't be discharged until Tuesday. I asked how she would be getting back home and he said his dad was on the phone with the insurance company and they were going to try to have a friend from England flown down to fly back with her as John was unable to remain in Switzerland. I found a scrap of paper and a pen, wrote a quick note indicating that I had no commitments in England and was available to remain in Switzerland to escort Tessa back to England when she was ready, and placed the note in front of John while he was on the phone. The insurance representative had to look into details as the policy only covered a family member as a non-medical escort, but they were willing to consider it as using me was an easier option than flying someone from England.
John, Ben, and Rebekah planned to travel to Interlaken to visit Tessa so John suggested I accompany them to learn the route to reach the hospital in case I was approved as an escort for Tessa. This was also Ben and Rebekah's first time visiting their mom in the hospital and Ben was particularly nervous about seeing her unwell. I was so thankful that God had me in a place to be readily available to help their family and I didn't hesitate to give up my plans for the day to accompany them. I had a great time visiting with the kids as we travelled to the hospital and John told me he was grateful for the distraction and assistance as he was so preoccupied with both his wife's health as well as health concerns with extended family back home.
The insurance company called us along the way to notify us that I had been approved as a non-medical escort but when we walked into Tessa's hospital room she announced that the doctor said she could be discharged today! We visited with her for a little while and I returned to Lauterbrunnen with the kids as John waited to escort Tessa back to the chalet later in the afternoon. John gave us money to stop at a bakery in Interlaken to spoil ourselves with some treats along the way.
The sun was shining and the mountains were glistening with snow. A beautiful final day in the Swiss Alps and I had a great time hanging out with Rebekah and Ben. John and Tessa are Americans who have been living in England for eighteen years. I've been asked to come and visit their family in Cornwall and I've been promised a big, home-made hamburger... I think I just may have to make the trip sometime.
Some shots from Rebekah's camera... not sure I was the most mature choice to bring the kids back to Lauterbrunnen but we arrived at the chalet safely and we certainly had fun along the way.
Me and Ben walking through Lauterbrunnen.
John, Ben, and Rebekah planned to travel to Interlaken to visit Tessa so John suggested I accompany them to learn the route to reach the hospital in case I was approved as an escort for Tessa. This was also Ben and Rebekah's first time visiting their mom in the hospital and Ben was particularly nervous about seeing her unwell. I was so thankful that God had me in a place to be readily available to help their family and I didn't hesitate to give up my plans for the day to accompany them. I had a great time visiting with the kids as we travelled to the hospital and John told me he was grateful for the distraction and assistance as he was so preoccupied with both his wife's health as well as health concerns with extended family back home.
The insurance company called us along the way to notify us that I had been approved as a non-medical escort but when we walked into Tessa's hospital room she announced that the doctor said she could be discharged today! We visited with her for a little while and I returned to Lauterbrunnen with the kids as John waited to escort Tessa back to the chalet later in the afternoon. John gave us money to stop at a bakery in Interlaken to spoil ourselves with some treats along the way.
The sun was shining and the mountains were glistening with snow. A beautiful final day in the Swiss Alps and I had a great time hanging out with Rebekah and Ben. John and Tessa are Americans who have been living in England for eighteen years. I've been asked to come and visit their family in Cornwall and I've been promised a big, home-made hamburger... I think I just may have to make the trip sometime.
Some shots from Rebekah's camera... not sure I was the most mature choice to bring the kids back to Lauterbrunnen but we arrived at the chalet safely and we certainly had fun along the way.
Me and Ben walking through Lauterbrunnen.Thursday, March 12, 2009
Final Night
After dinner everyone got ready to catch the train to Wengen to meet in a little English church for our evening session followed by curling and skating at an outdoor rink. As Sarah and I were in our room getting ready to leave, there was a popping sound as the lights went out and we heard uproarious laughter coming from the room next door. We went into the hall and Jenny stumbled out of her room surrounded by her roommates as they all laughed hysterically. It turns out that Jenny was straightening her hair and she blew a fuse when she unplugged the straightener. She flipped her head and said, "But at least my hair is straight!"
Sarah and I walked to the bus stop together (my knee was too painful to walk to the train station) and sang all the Psalty songs we could remember. Always fun to meet another Psalty fan! Sarah came to Switzerland on a getaway with her dad and at the beginning of the week I told him that if it was okay with him, I didn't want to know his real name, I just wanted to call him "Dad" because that's how I kept hearing Sarah refer to him. I told him I like to adopt family members since my family is so far away and he just smiled, pointed to a seat at the table and said, "Take a seat, daughter." At the end of the week I asked for his real name - it's Dave.
When we reached the train station we were met with two trains lined up side-by-side. We had to open the doors to the first train and walk straight through and across the centre platform to reach the Oak Hall group on the train to Wengen. Sarah pushed the button to open the door on the first train and I watched as a narrow step automatically unfolded up and out toward us. The step is supposed to make it easier to get into the train but Sarah didn't seem to notice the movement and as she stepped over the unfolding step, the bottom of her foot caught on the edge. As she stumbled I thought she would catch herself but she proceeded to stumble dramatically and crumble to the floor. The two of us burst out laughing and I opened the opposite door and turned to help her to her feet. We stumbled out of the train car, consumed by laughter. I looked up and laughed even harder as I realized half of our Oak Hall group were crammed into the facing train car ready for the trip to Wengen, their arms raised in mock congratulations as they laughed at Sarah's graceful maneuver.
After our evening session we walked to a nearby outdoor ice rink and most people either skated or curled. I'd like to try curling some day but due to my knee pain I couldn't participate so I just wandered around taking photos... it's one of my favourite things to do. Thankfully I was surrounded by photogenic friends so it was a good combination!
The reaction to Sarah's first attempt at curling.
Lots of first-time curlers sweeping desperately.
Rebekah.
Rebekah; the speaker's daughter and fellow homeschooler.
Liz; one of those people you always end up laughing with.
Rich; attempting skating for the first time and not wanting it captured in photos.
Henry; trying to ignore the camera lens aimed at him.
Hannah; the Oak Hall leader for the week. She hates photos of herself but reluctantly admitted that this one is okay.
After spending an hour in the cold, some people returned to Lauterbrunnen and some of us headed to pubs and cafes to warm up and visit. Sarah, Jenny, and I joined a group at a cozy pub with a fireplace but others started smoking so the three of us headed off to walk through Wengen to find another place to get hot chocolate. We finally found a cozy-looking hotel at the edge of town and had a great time visiting and warming up before the return to Lauterbrunnen on the 11:10 train.
The Swiss know how to make a good cup of hot chocolate.
Jenny amused by Sarah trying on Will's goggles on the train.
Me and Will - "Score!"
When we returned to the chalet we grabbed yet another cup of hot chocolate, played a few rounds of Uno, and resisted going to bed because we knew it was our last night in Lauterbrunnen. Most people headed off to bed but Sarah, Henry, and I stayed up and looked at the photos on each of our cameras, talked about who-knows-what, and finally decided to play around with the snow suits awarded to the best wipe-out each day. After dinner each night, people could nominate someone to win the best wipe-out award by telling a story about someone doing something gloriously stupid or hilarious on the slopes (or "pistes" as they call them over here). The winner would have to wear the purple or bright yellow snow suit the following day.
Sarah and Henry hopping around in the wipe-out award suits.
More snow suit antics.
Sarah and Henry traded suits and I wanted to shoot a "headless" photo by pulling the huge yellow suit up over Sarah's head. Henry grabbed a styrofoam head that had appeared in the dining hall at some point during the evening and we stuffed it into the face opening. The results had us doubled over with laughter as Sarah posed and the unseeing eyes stared out at us.
Sarah playing in the suit at 1:00 a.m.
Sarah and I walked to the bus stop together (my knee was too painful to walk to the train station) and sang all the Psalty songs we could remember. Always fun to meet another Psalty fan! Sarah came to Switzerland on a getaway with her dad and at the beginning of the week I told him that if it was okay with him, I didn't want to know his real name, I just wanted to call him "Dad" because that's how I kept hearing Sarah refer to him. I told him I like to adopt family members since my family is so far away and he just smiled, pointed to a seat at the table and said, "Take a seat, daughter." At the end of the week I asked for his real name - it's Dave.
When we reached the train station we were met with two trains lined up side-by-side. We had to open the doors to the first train and walk straight through and across the centre platform to reach the Oak Hall group on the train to Wengen. Sarah pushed the button to open the door on the first train and I watched as a narrow step automatically unfolded up and out toward us. The step is supposed to make it easier to get into the train but Sarah didn't seem to notice the movement and as she stepped over the unfolding step, the bottom of her foot caught on the edge. As she stumbled I thought she would catch herself but she proceeded to stumble dramatically and crumble to the floor. The two of us burst out laughing and I opened the opposite door and turned to help her to her feet. We stumbled out of the train car, consumed by laughter. I looked up and laughed even harder as I realized half of our Oak Hall group were crammed into the facing train car ready for the trip to Wengen, their arms raised in mock congratulations as they laughed at Sarah's graceful maneuver.
After our evening session we walked to a nearby outdoor ice rink and most people either skated or curled. I'd like to try curling some day but due to my knee pain I couldn't participate so I just wandered around taking photos... it's one of my favourite things to do. Thankfully I was surrounded by photogenic friends so it was a good combination!
The reaction to Sarah's first attempt at curling.
Lots of first-time curlers sweeping desperately.
Rebekah.
Rebekah; the speaker's daughter and fellow homeschooler.
Liz; one of those people you always end up laughing with.
Rich; attempting skating for the first time and not wanting it captured in photos.
Henry; trying to ignore the camera lens aimed at him.
Hannah; the Oak Hall leader for the week. She hates photos of herself but reluctantly admitted that this one is okay.After spending an hour in the cold, some people returned to Lauterbrunnen and some of us headed to pubs and cafes to warm up and visit. Sarah, Jenny, and I joined a group at a cozy pub with a fireplace but others started smoking so the three of us headed off to walk through Wengen to find another place to get hot chocolate. We finally found a cozy-looking hotel at the edge of town and had a great time visiting and warming up before the return to Lauterbrunnen on the 11:10 train.
The Swiss know how to make a good cup of hot chocolate.
Jenny amused by Sarah trying on Will's goggles on the train.Me and Will - "Score!"When we returned to the chalet we grabbed yet another cup of hot chocolate, played a few rounds of Uno, and resisted going to bed because we knew it was our last night in Lauterbrunnen. Most people headed off to bed but Sarah, Henry, and I stayed up and looked at the photos on each of our cameras, talked about who-knows-what, and finally decided to play around with the snow suits awarded to the best wipe-out each day. After dinner each night, people could nominate someone to win the best wipe-out award by telling a story about someone doing something gloriously stupid or hilarious on the slopes (or "pistes" as they call them over here). The winner would have to wear the purple or bright yellow snow suit the following day.
Sarah and Henry hopping around in the wipe-out award suits.
More snow suit antics.Sarah and Henry traded suits and I wanted to shoot a "headless" photo by pulling the huge yellow suit up over Sarah's head. Henry grabbed a styrofoam head that had appeared in the dining hall at some point during the evening and we stuffed it into the face opening. The results had us doubled over with laughter as Sarah posed and the unseeing eyes stared out at us.
Sarah playing in the suit at 1:00 a.m.
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