Final Church Service and Another Barbeque

This morning was my final church service at Buckskin Evangelical Church. I love my church family so much. There's a great mixture of ages and it's really like having an extra-big family. I felt totally at home from my first service and I'm going to miss them.

I asked my friend, Sharon, to snap a few photos for me and record a video clip of Emma playing her clarinet. I love watching her play - she gets so into the music and plays everything by ear.

A video clip of Emma getting into her groove.
(That's me on keyboard.)

Ian was in charge of announcements this morning and had me come up and give a brief explanation about why I'm going home. He also asked a couple of people to come up and pray for me and Emma and Rachel were promptly at my side. Ian was sure I'd break down but I didn't shed a tear all morning.

This afternoon, Emma and Matthew hosted their house group barbeque and I was invited to crash the party. There was no way I was going to turn down free food and great company!

After stuffing ourselves with food and visiting for a while, the Wii came out. Paul and Rachel brought along their controllers so four people could compete at once.

Today I finally remembered to pull out my camera and record some video clips of Hannah and Lottie. Enjoy my beloved cuties!

Lottie chatting and Hannah jumping in with an original composition:
I am Hannah I only do things with my Barbie to be things,
With my friends to be barbeque,
Everything is always Amanda,
Everything is always good,
Sometimes it's always good.

There is something ridiculously entertaining about hearing a three year old sing the alphabet. Throw in an English accent and it's extra-adorable.

I love it when Hannah uses the word, "lot", as in, "What are you lot up to?" (she uses it when speaking to children, adults, and even her toys "say" it). I wanted her to say the line on video so Emma and I rehearsed it with her a couple of times. She seemed clear on the concept, but when I turned on the camera and pointed at her, the cue for her to say the line, she froze and then answered the question she was supposed to ask.

Hannah answering, "What are you lot up to?"

Lottie conquering her very own Everest.

House Group Barbeque

The church house group I'm a member held their summer barbeque tonight. As this is my final church event, the leaders invited a few extra people who aren't officially members of our group but who I've become good friends with. The company was great, the food delicious, and the weather perfect.

Emma and David.
One of the first times I chatted with David I asked him a question and he responded with a sassy, "Stupid girl!" and I gave him a piece of my mind. He explained that it's a "joke" based on a line from an English television show where the line is, "Stupid boy!" I laughed about it but was still a little offended.

Steve and Sandra are great friends and are credited with being the first people to take me to a traditional English pub for lunch.

Lottie enjoying a cheese stick.

Matthew taking some time out with his girls.

Lottie with a pile of bottles to blow bubbles.

Hannah surveying her domain.

When I first met Lottie she was still crawling and now she can run across the yard!

Sue and Sharon - always good for hugs, stories, and laughter.

One of the conversations I found highly amusing was when everyone started sharing train ride anecdotes. People find it shocking when they discover that in Canada we don't use trains for public transportation like they do here. There were plenty of stories about drunk guys, missed connections, and people pulling pranks. A great one was when the doors kept opening and closing at a station so a man stuck his head out to see what was going on but the doors began to close again. He tried to pull his head in but the doors closed just over his glasses, ripping them off his face onto the platform floor. The doors failed to open again and the train pulled out of the station.

One of the yummy puddings!
The English sure know how to give a good sugar rush.

Key, Camera, Cheese, and Snacks

(Click here for a post about my return to Canada.)

Key
When I lived in Bolivia I loved the medieval Spanish style of architecture - narrow, cobblestone streets lined with high outer walls of two-story homes with interior courtyards. Large, locked gates led into each courtyard with a smaller door cut into the gates. One afternoon I saw a woman open her handbag and pull out a key-ring with a collection of small, modern keys and one huge, old skeleton key to open her "front door". I was intrigued by the mix of old and new, a common combination in South America. I later stopped by a tiny antiques shop to purchase an old key as a remembrance of my time in Bolivia.

In a previous post, I mentioned that one of the items I wanted to buy as a remembrance of my time in England is a quirky door-knocker. I've yet to see anything close to what I want, so I recently reconsidered that idea and decided to buy an old key instead. I've been fascinated by doors and anything attached to them for quite some time and this obsession reached a new level during my time in England. Since I already have an old key from my first life-changing, long-term stay abroad, another key seems a fitting remembrance of this trip.


Camera
Rachel was my driver today to run some errands around town. First stop was the police station to turn in a digital camera I found in the middle of a busy road while walking to church last weekend (the pictures are mostly just drunk people at bars, none of them local, according to my friends here). I asked the officer at the front desk if I could turn in the camera and leave my contact information in case nobody claims it. He told me that anything containing digital data is destroyed in thirty days if it hasn't been claimed by the original owner. What followed was an awkward conversation as I was frustrated by this discovery and tried to be honest about turning in the camera, but the officer was continually evasive. He finally winked at me and said emphatically one last time, "I'm sorry, that's all I can tell you." I stared at him, stuttered a little, and finally understood his intent. I simply said, "Okay, I'm leaving now," and he just grinned at me.

A friend who heard I found a camera mentioned that hers recently stopped working. She ordered a new one online because she's going on an African safari this week and she wants a small camera to keep in her bag when it isn't convenient to carry around her big DSLR. I wasn't willing to give her the camera as I felt the right thing was to turn it in to the police. After the police officer told me to keep it, I walked out and immediately called Robyn to ask her if she wanted it. Turns out the camera she ordered was out of stock and would be delayed so she can easily cancel the order. She has had other major expenses hit her recently so the timing of being able to save this expense is amazing.

Cheese
Here's something I found at the grocery store that I think is quite amusing:

Canadian Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese

Made with unpasteurized milk to give a deep rounded, extra mature flavour.

According to Health Canada, milk must be pasteurized in order to be sold in Canada. So, how do they figure unpasteurized cheese to be Canadian?

Snacks
Before I left Canada, my friend, Lindsay, told me to make sure I check out the crazy chip flavours because foreign countries often have unique combinations. I've chatted with friends here about their bizarre flavours and they think it's hilarious that I consider flavours involving meat and chutney to be strange. At the end of our afternoon together, Rachel and I stopped by a grocery store to pick up a few items and I got side-tracked in the crisp aisle.

For several months I've been planning to return home with a selection of bizarre flavours so my family and friends can give them a try - maybe do a "quirky crisp party" or something. For those of you who won't be able to attend that epic event (whenever it may or may not be held), here are pictures and descriptions to trigger your gag reflex or make your mouth water. I'll type out some of the entertaining packaging text.

*NOTE: If any of these are sold in Canada, please let me know so I can leave them behind. Keep your fingers crossed that I manage to find a way to bring the rest home without crushing them to powder.

The Real Mcoys: Accept No Immitation
Ridge Cut, Flame Grilled Steak
McCoy's can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Have you got the balance right today?

Nik Naks
Nice 'N' Spicy
Knobbly, Freaky Sticks of Corn
NOW no artificial colours, flavours or MSG
Same great taste!

Frazzles
Crispy Bacon Flavour Corn Snacks

New (crossed out) Old!
Bigger Like They Used to Be!*
Massive Hunks of Roast Beef Flavour Baked Corn Snack
Mega Monster Munch

Monsters are here forever.
This snack is best before 24-10-09

Roast Beef: Where have you been?
"Where haven't I been you mean! As far as monsters go, they say I'm more famous than Nessie! Let me tell you, it's great to be back on pack."

Don't forget to check out Flamin' Hot and Pickled Onion!
Suitable for monsters and vegetarians.

*as in 1977

I have two comments about the snack above:
1. This is Emma's favourite.
2. I think it's odd that a snack with "massive hunks of roast beef flavour" is suitable for vegetarians.

Walkers Worcester Sauce Flavour Potato Crisps
Ingredients: Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Worcester Sauce Seasoning
Worcester Sauce Seasoning contains: wheat breadcrumbs, salt, flavouring, sugar, barley malt vinegar, mustard oil, citric acid, dried onion, dried garlic, fructose, coriander, cardamom, ground black pepper, ginger, clove, chili, rosemary, allspice, sage.

The crisps above are the most natural I've seen.

Walkers: Prawn Cocktail Flavour Potato Crisps
It's very rare that our spuds don't make perfect crisps, but if it ever happens then they're on us! If you don't think these crisps are top taters, tell us why, where you bought them, and send them back to us (with the bag).

Golden Wonder: Transform-A-Snack
Transform into a Space Hero
Spicy Flavour Corn Snacks - Baked Not Fried
Shapes May Vary
Intergalactic Guarantee: These Transform-A-Snacks should taste out of this world.

A One-Way Flight

My flight is booked! I depart from London-Gatwick at 12:25 on Friday, August 28 and arrive in Vancouver at 14:40 on the same day. Changing time zones is odd.