When I went home this summer I felt a bit out of touch with the youth/young adult culture because it seemed a recent film and it's success had managed to influence EVERYONE. I saw shirts all over West Ed that said "vote for Pedro", people were quoting lines like wild fire and here I was, little ol' Canadian me not having a clue! So I decided that if I ever wanted to feel like I was a Canadian again I'd better watch this film so that I could relate with my people. Sadly I never got a chance while I was in Canada but when I got back to England I spotted it at Blockbuster on the previously viewed film shelf and made a snap purchase. I didn't actually get to watch it until last Thursday and I wasn't sure what to expect. I had heard so much about it, that it was hilarious but not the norm. I brought it to one of our youth group socials and we ended up watching it and I loved it!! Seriously, I thought it was brilliant. The first half hour I was cringing a bit inside because it's pretty slow and very random and I was thinking that everyone was going to criticize me for a bad movie choice but they all thought it was great too. The best part has got to be the dancing at the end, if nothing else the whole movie is worth watching for that one part.
In conclusion I give Napoleon Dynamite 3 thumbs up!
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Monday, October 24, 2005
Espionage
Monday morning and it's still raining here in Morpeth, but it's England and people keep asking me what else I expect!
It's been raining all weekend and it's been a fairly quiet weekend as well. Tim, Anna and the girls left Saturday afternoon to spend half term break in the Lake District. For the non-English readers there are 4 terms every school year and every half term the students get a week off of school. With the Hatch's gone I spent the weekend on my own in the house and it was pretty quiet...not much excitement. I did go for a run on Saturday in the late afternoon and a nasty driver decided it would be fun to hit a puddle going 60 miles/hour as he drove by and it completely drenched me! It was like a tidal wave that went right over my head. I wasn't too upset since it was already raining and I was already pretty wet, but still where is common courtesy on the road these days?
Oh! There was ixth hour last night in Newcastle which is always pretty good. They usually have a guest come on the stage and share a testimony for a few minutes and last night they had Fabiano Martell who is an actor from Sheffield. He acted in Tomb Raider 2 and said next he'll start working on a film called Night Vision. He shared how he became a Christian and it was really neat to here this person who's in the acting industry and he was so down to earth and talking about how the people who really have it together are not actors and Holly Wood but people who know Jesus. I was really excited.
But today, I participated in a bit of espionage. It was very exciting!
I had to run an errand to the bank to pay in some cheques. I arrived pretty soggy because of the rain, joined the queue and started filling in a pay in slip. While I was filling in my slip another person joined the queue behind me and since I was taking a bit with the slip he kind of was inching past me so I just turned to him and said "go ahead, I'll be a few minutes."
"Are you sure?" He asked me.
I was completely taken by surprise because the words that came out of his mouth were in a foreign accent, a North American Accent to be exact! This man wasn't from England and my how he stood out! Then I began to think...this is what i must've sounded like to people when I first arrived...wait a minute...this is how I still sound to people when I first talk to them! How weird! Over the year and a bit that I've been here the English accent has become my "normal"
During my wait in the queue I overheard his conversation with the bank teller and it all sounded so familiar. He wasn't sure what he needed to do with his card to get a pin number, he hadn't realized he needed a pay in slip to put cash into his account, he wasn't sure how his statements were going to work etc. All questions and issues I had to deal with when I first arrived in England and was learning how to adjust to life over here. It was so bizarre to listen now that I had become accustomed to it all.
Above all I really wanted to know why he was in morpeth of all places and where exactly he was from. Morpeth is not the most well known town in England. It's crazy how I ended up in this little place on this Island, another story really for another rainy day.
I determined that I was going to find these questions out so half distracted I fumbled my way through my conversation with the bank teller and then went to leave so I could catch him. Unfortunately he hadn't left the bank yet and had engaged a conversation with another employee as to how to change his pin and I was at a bit of a loss what I should do. I fumbled with my umbrella a bit trying to waste some time but that only lasted a couple seconds. I couldn't just stand around staring at him so I plunked myself down in front of a personal banker and asked a random question about my account. He asked for my card and began to look up the information I'd asked about. Meanwhile this foreigner had finished with his pin and was about to leave the bank and the personal banker I was talking to kept waffling on about my credit and the amount I would need to gain an overdraft on my account. The man left and my conversation continued for another good 5 minutes. Finally the personal banker made his point and I was quite relieved to get up and leave, saying a polite thank you and good bye of course. I hopped out the door of the bank and looked left and right to see where this man had gone and I couldn't see him anywhere so I just started walking, not actually thinking about what I was doing. Suddenly I spotted him! He was up near Woolworths with his black and white umbrella and just crossing the street. With my eyes on his umbrella I began to make my way up the street. He then turned into the Back Riggs shopping centre and was lost from my sight while I had to wait to cross the street. It then hit me what I was actually doing...."Oh my goodness, I'm stalking a complete stranger...I'm following them through town! What am I going to say when I catch up with him..hey I heard your accent in the bank and I'm a nosy Canadian who wanted to know where you're from!" The light turned green and the signal to cross began to beep and I walked across the street. "well, even if I don't actually talk to him, this is still kind of fun, I feel like I'm from the CSA or in a James Bond Movie, lets just go with the flow and see what happens!" I mean I figured I blended into the crowd with my black umbrella and my brown coat and I run errands around the high street all the time.
I entered the Back Riggs shopping centre and there was no sign of the man, I walked by the Health Food Store, The Post Office...I couldn't see him anywhere. The Bus Station! He must be going to get a bus! I hurried through the courtyard to the Bus Station thinking that if I missed him I would never know where he was from and my life would...well continue on the same but it didn't matter! I got to the bus station and there was no sign of him. I'd lost him! I was quite disappointed. As quickly as my espionage started it was over. I quickly came to my senses, realized I was traipsing around in the rain, getting wet and should get back to the office and do some work.
Honestly I don't know what came over me. Perhaps my overactive imagination from my childhood decided to make a reappearance, maybe it was the broody mood the weather was creating, maybe it was because I've read too many John Grisham books lately, who knows! It did make for an interesting Monday, that's for sure. I just hope that when I start making Death By Chocolate for the youth alpha tomorrow I don't start to imagine myself creating a weapon for mass destruction or anything like that, I would like it to be edible!
It's been raining all weekend and it's been a fairly quiet weekend as well. Tim, Anna and the girls left Saturday afternoon to spend half term break in the Lake District. For the non-English readers there are 4 terms every school year and every half term the students get a week off of school. With the Hatch's gone I spent the weekend on my own in the house and it was pretty quiet...not much excitement. I did go for a run on Saturday in the late afternoon and a nasty driver decided it would be fun to hit a puddle going 60 miles/hour as he drove by and it completely drenched me! It was like a tidal wave that went right over my head. I wasn't too upset since it was already raining and I was already pretty wet, but still where is common courtesy on the road these days?
Oh! There was ixth hour last night in Newcastle which is always pretty good. They usually have a guest come on the stage and share a testimony for a few minutes and last night they had Fabiano Martell who is an actor from Sheffield. He acted in Tomb Raider 2 and said next he'll start working on a film called Night Vision. He shared how he became a Christian and it was really neat to here this person who's in the acting industry and he was so down to earth and talking about how the people who really have it together are not actors and Holly Wood but people who know Jesus. I was really excited.
But today, I participated in a bit of espionage. It was very exciting!
I had to run an errand to the bank to pay in some cheques. I arrived pretty soggy because of the rain, joined the queue and started filling in a pay in slip. While I was filling in my slip another person joined the queue behind me and since I was taking a bit with the slip he kind of was inching past me so I just turned to him and said "go ahead, I'll be a few minutes."
"Are you sure?" He asked me.
I was completely taken by surprise because the words that came out of his mouth were in a foreign accent, a North American Accent to be exact! This man wasn't from England and my how he stood out! Then I began to think...this is what i must've sounded like to people when I first arrived...wait a minute...this is how I still sound to people when I first talk to them! How weird! Over the year and a bit that I've been here the English accent has become my "normal"
During my wait in the queue I overheard his conversation with the bank teller and it all sounded so familiar. He wasn't sure what he needed to do with his card to get a pin number, he hadn't realized he needed a pay in slip to put cash into his account, he wasn't sure how his statements were going to work etc. All questions and issues I had to deal with when I first arrived in England and was learning how to adjust to life over here. It was so bizarre to listen now that I had become accustomed to it all.
Above all I really wanted to know why he was in morpeth of all places and where exactly he was from. Morpeth is not the most well known town in England. It's crazy how I ended up in this little place on this Island, another story really for another rainy day.
I determined that I was going to find these questions out so half distracted I fumbled my way through my conversation with the bank teller and then went to leave so I could catch him. Unfortunately he hadn't left the bank yet and had engaged a conversation with another employee as to how to change his pin and I was at a bit of a loss what I should do. I fumbled with my umbrella a bit trying to waste some time but that only lasted a couple seconds. I couldn't just stand around staring at him so I plunked myself down in front of a personal banker and asked a random question about my account. He asked for my card and began to look up the information I'd asked about. Meanwhile this foreigner had finished with his pin and was about to leave the bank and the personal banker I was talking to kept waffling on about my credit and the amount I would need to gain an overdraft on my account. The man left and my conversation continued for another good 5 minutes. Finally the personal banker made his point and I was quite relieved to get up and leave, saying a polite thank you and good bye of course. I hopped out the door of the bank and looked left and right to see where this man had gone and I couldn't see him anywhere so I just started walking, not actually thinking about what I was doing. Suddenly I spotted him! He was up near Woolworths with his black and white umbrella and just crossing the street. With my eyes on his umbrella I began to make my way up the street. He then turned into the Back Riggs shopping centre and was lost from my sight while I had to wait to cross the street. It then hit me what I was actually doing...."Oh my goodness, I'm stalking a complete stranger...I'm following them through town! What am I going to say when I catch up with him..hey I heard your accent in the bank and I'm a nosy Canadian who wanted to know where you're from!" The light turned green and the signal to cross began to beep and I walked across the street. "well, even if I don't actually talk to him, this is still kind of fun, I feel like I'm from the CSA or in a James Bond Movie, lets just go with the flow and see what happens!" I mean I figured I blended into the crowd with my black umbrella and my brown coat and I run errands around the high street all the time.
I entered the Back Riggs shopping centre and there was no sign of the man, I walked by the Health Food Store, The Post Office...I couldn't see him anywhere. The Bus Station! He must be going to get a bus! I hurried through the courtyard to the Bus Station thinking that if I missed him I would never know where he was from and my life would...well continue on the same but it didn't matter! I got to the bus station and there was no sign of him. I'd lost him! I was quite disappointed. As quickly as my espionage started it was over. I quickly came to my senses, realized I was traipsing around in the rain, getting wet and should get back to the office and do some work.
Honestly I don't know what came over me. Perhaps my overactive imagination from my childhood decided to make a reappearance, maybe it was the broody mood the weather was creating, maybe it was because I've read too many John Grisham books lately, who knows! It did make for an interesting Monday, that's for sure. I just hope that when I start making Death By Chocolate for the youth alpha tomorrow I don't start to imagine myself creating a weapon for mass destruction or anything like that, I would like it to be edible!
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Fall
Fall is my favourite season.
I love Fall.
I love the colours that the leaves turn, I love the crispness that's in the air, I love wearing sweaters and scarves and mittens but not having to wear a winter coat.
I love that when I'm walking outside I can feel the wind nipping at my cheeks and I know that when I get home and get inside they'll be bright and rosy.
I love the feeling of the world changing around me and being able to see the change as it takes place.
I love that Thanksgiving is in the Fall and that it leads into my next favourite holiday of Christmas.
I love getting home on a Fall day and curling up beside a window and reading a good book, it's just not the same in the summer.
I love drinking Chai Tea Lates in the Fall.
I love the piles of leaves on the roads and being able to run through them sending them flying everywhere.
I love making piles in the backyard and then jumping in them and having leaf fights and getting bits of leaf stuck up your shirt and stuck in your hair.
I love standing under a tree when the wind is blowing and having the leaves come down all around me and when the air is full of them.
I love the example that the leaves give us, that there is beauty in sacrifice.
I am so thankful for the Fall that God has given me this year, that the weather has been so mild and that I've been able to really appreciate it this year.
I am so thankful for the work that God is doing in my life and the fact that He is a part of my life and I thank Him for the gift of Fall.
Monday, October 17, 2005
My Brother The Rock Star
This blog is a tribute to my most favourite youngest brother. He is the greatest youngest brother any sister could ever have.
He is super talented, creative and has a very kind heart. He has an amazing range of weird voices and an even bigger range of ideas for coming up to use those weird voices. He is a very deep thinker and a very creative writer. He has a heart for God.
I miss the days when we would watch Snow White together and laugh at all the wierd faces the animals in the background would make.
He is an amazing bass player. This picture is of him playing the bass with Petra in Ottawa at their farewell concert.
I love you Stephen!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Blogging on a Saturday??
'Tis a thing most unheard of for me because it means that I'm in the office at work (gasp! shock!)
Actually I quickly came in to grab something I left here last night and thought that I would check my email, then one thing led to another and well here we are.
This is really going to be a quick one though and I would just like to ask that anyone who reads this before Sunday night please pray for me as I'm speaking at our monthly youth service on the topic of holiness! Yikes!
I'm pretty excited but oober nervous at the same time!!!
I wonder if my voice will still sound like a toad tomorrow...it could be amusing!
Actually I quickly came in to grab something I left here last night and thought that I would check my email, then one thing led to another and well here we are.
This is really going to be a quick one though and I would just like to ask that anyone who reads this before Sunday night please pray for me as I'm speaking at our monthly youth service on the topic of holiness! Yikes!
I'm pretty excited but oober nervous at the same time!!!
I wonder if my voice will still sound like a toad tomorrow...it could be amusing!
Friday, October 14, 2005
Friday Drivel
So it's a Friday morning, oh, wait, correction, it's a Friday afternoon (it just turned 12:00) and as like most Fridays I came into work a bit later because we have an evening youth club in Pegswood. So I've come into work this morning and done a little checking of the email and a little checking of people's blogs and a little chatting with my co-worker Lisa. The chatting is a bit challenging because I've had a sore throat lately and today my voice decided to imitate that of a dying toad. It's quite amusing to answer the phone with though.
During the checking of the blogs I discovered a link that I hadn't tried on one of Tanys' posts: sloganizer.net and I thought that I'd give it a try. It was great fun and very entertaining and I think that Jenny is a great name to stick in any slogan!
So I'm at this site and I'm coming up with all sorts of interesting slogans and it's very entertaining. Here's a few the site came up with for my name...I'll be taking votes to see which is the best one starting now, please have your pin pads ready!
«Jenny, the secret of women.»
«Jenny - go for the game.»
«It must be Jenny.»
«Everyone loves Jenny.»
«You can't beat Jenny.»
«The age of Jenny.»
«Jenny it's a kind of magic.»
«Up, up and away with Jenny.»
The list continues until I stumble upon a slogan which inspires great thought:
«Jenny, the only style»
At this slogan I start to ponder a question which has stumped me over the ages or at least the last few years. What is my style? I've talked it over with Tanys a couple times and phrases like "dressy casual" and "preppy punk" have emmerged but they didn't seem to be clear enough. So, I thought then that I might visit dictionary.com and see what it says about style there, here are a few def'ns I found:
punk (pngk)n.
Slang.
A young person, especially a member of a rebellious counterculture group.
An inexperienced young man.
Music.
Punk rock.
A punk rocker.
prep·py
A student or former student of a preparatory school.
A person whose manner and dress are deemed typical of traditional preparatory schools.
Casual
suited for everyday wear or use
Glamorous
adj : having an air of allure, romance and excitement
ret·ros
A fashion, decor, design, or style reminiscent of things past.
vintage
Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic
Rocker
a fan of rock and roll music
Mod
An unconventionally modern style of fashionable dress originating in England in the 1960s.
Trendies
One who is drawn to and represents the latest trends
There are so many! Perhaps too many! Anyway just some random thoughts that arose from some internet Malarky...
...what's your style?
During the checking of the blogs I discovered a link that I hadn't tried on one of Tanys' posts: sloganizer.net and I thought that I'd give it a try. It was great fun and very entertaining and I think that Jenny is a great name to stick in any slogan!
So I'm at this site and I'm coming up with all sorts of interesting slogans and it's very entertaining. Here's a few the site came up with for my name...I'll be taking votes to see which is the best one starting now, please have your pin pads ready!
«Jenny, the secret of women.»
«Jenny - go for the game.»
«It must be Jenny.»
«Everyone loves Jenny.»
«You can't beat Jenny.»
«The age of Jenny.»
«Jenny it's a kind of magic.»
«Up, up and away with Jenny.»
The list continues until I stumble upon a slogan which inspires great thought:
«Jenny, the only style»
At this slogan I start to ponder a question which has stumped me over the ages or at least the last few years. What is my style? I've talked it over with Tanys a couple times and phrases like "dressy casual" and "preppy punk" have emmerged but they didn't seem to be clear enough. So, I thought then that I might visit dictionary.com and see what it says about style there, here are a few def'ns I found:
punk (pngk)n.
Slang.
A young person, especially a member of a rebellious counterculture group.
An inexperienced young man.
Music.
Punk rock.
A punk rocker.
prep·py
A student or former student of a preparatory school.
A person whose manner and dress are deemed typical of traditional preparatory schools.
Casual
suited for everyday wear or use
Glamorous
adj : having an air of allure, romance and excitement
ret·ros
A fashion, decor, design, or style reminiscent of things past.
vintage
Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic
Rocker
a fan of rock and roll music
Mod
An unconventionally modern style of fashionable dress originating in England in the 1960s.
Trendies
One who is drawn to and represents the latest trends
There are so many! Perhaps too many! Anyway just some random thoughts that arose from some internet Malarky...
...what's your style?
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
miscellaneous
A brief debriefing of a coupe things that are notably exciting for me:
I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving in England. Turkey!!! I had a thanksgiving meal with the family I'm living with and a few friends and...I even baked a pumpkin pie! Sophie and Francesca went out and collected some leaves for me and I made leaf chains to decorate the cubboards and I made a ring of leaves originally as a centrepiece but I ended up wearing it on my head! It was very festive and Thanksgiving-like.
Also,
I'm coming home for Christmas!! YAY!
(more details on my comings and goings soon)
I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving in England. Turkey!!! I had a thanksgiving meal with the family I'm living with and a few friends and...I even baked a pumpkin pie! Sophie and Francesca went out and collected some leaves for me and I made leaf chains to decorate the cubboards and I made a ring of leaves originally as a centrepiece but I ended up wearing it on my head! It was very festive and Thanksgiving-like.
Also,
I'm coming home for Christmas!! YAY!
(more details on my comings and goings soon)
Friday, October 07, 2005
The Hitch Hikers Guide To England
It's always the same, rarely is there any variety in the questions I get asked when people ask me about Canada. The conversations usually go something like this:
"Are you from America?"
"No, I'm from Canada actually"
"Oh where in Canada are you from?"
"Well, my family lives in Ottawa but I've spent the last few years in Saskatchewan"
"Is that on the West coast?"
"No, it's right in the middle"
"Oh I see, I've been to Canada before!"
"Really where have you been?...They are so going to say Toronto...wait for it..."
"Tornoto"
"....I told you so!"
"So what's the biggest difference between Canada and England?"
And usually at this point I have to explain that there isn't really one BIG difference between our countries but so many little ones that add up to a big difference.
Then I'm usually asked:
"Oh really? Like what?"
So I'm going to list as many as I can think of in the next 15 minutes before I have to leave for Peg-It!
(It is the end of the day so some of the list may be a tad bit exagerated :) )
1. In England they drive on the left side of the road, in Canada it's the right side.
2. The currency is pounds sterling in England, in Canada it's dollars.
3. The cottage cheese is rubbish in England, in Canada it's lush
4. Peanut butter is also sadly low quality in England, in Canada it's mint
5. In England it rains, in Canada it snows
6. On English keyboards the @ sign is where the " sign is on Canadian keyboards and visa versa
7. In England most fast food restaurants cater for vegetarians, in Canada they don't
(I'm sorry Lisa and Kerri!)
8. In England the kids at schools have to wear school uniforms, in Canada they don't
9. In England a private school means a public school and a public school means a private school, in Canada a private school means a private school and a public school means a public school. They also have state schools which is the same as a Canadian public school.
10. In England the principal is called the head master
11. In England people have an accent, in Canada they don't (although that's all realtive I'm sure)
12. In England they have castles, in Canada we have....no castles
13. England is...a bazillion years old, Canada is about 150 (I think)
14. In England everything is small, in Canada everything is big
15. England has a land mass of "very tiny" with a lot of people, Canada has a land mass of "massive" and not so many people
16. In England the pop bottles are tall and skinny, in Canada they are short and fat
17. In England the movie theatre is called the cinnema, in Canada it's the movie theatre
18. In England, when you are throwing a party and want a lot of chips (I mean crisps) you have to buy like a dozen bags in order to have the same amount you would be able to get from 3 Canadaian bags.
19. In England everyone drinks tea, in Canada everyone drinks coffee (okay that's a bit of a stero type but I do get asked if I want some tea at least 3 times a day)
20. In England the pastors all go for a pint after a good Godly service, in Canada they don't
21. In England they think that we sound the same as Americans, in Canada we know better.
22. In England football is the major sport, in Canada it's hockey (Ice Hockey to be exact!)
23. In England they play cricket, in Canada we have more sense!
24. In England they sing the hokey pokey as the hokey cokey...what is up with that?
25. In England they have a load of chippys where you can buy fish and chips, we don't in Canada.
26. In England to switch a light on you flip the switch down, in Canada you flip it up
27. In England everyone has radiators in their houses, in Canada we have furnaces
28. In England the plugs have 3 tongs, in Canada we have 2.
29. In England some of the houses have names, in Canada they are all numbers
30. In England the paper is taller and skinnier than the paper in Canada.
Right that's enough for now, really I could go on forever though!
I'm off to our youth club, where I will no doubt once again get asked by at least 1 youth where I'm from and how Canada is different to England!
Ta-Ta and Cheerio!
"Are you from America?"
"No, I'm from Canada actually"
"Oh where in Canada are you from?"
"Well, my family lives in Ottawa but I've spent the last few years in Saskatchewan"
"Is that on the West coast?"
"No, it's right in the middle"
"Oh I see, I've been to Canada before!"
"Really where have you been?...They are so going to say Toronto...wait for it..."
"Tornoto"
"....I told you so!"
"So what's the biggest difference between Canada and England?"
And usually at this point I have to explain that there isn't really one BIG difference between our countries but so many little ones that add up to a big difference.
Then I'm usually asked:
"Oh really? Like what?"
So I'm going to list as many as I can think of in the next 15 minutes before I have to leave for Peg-It!
(It is the end of the day so some of the list may be a tad bit exagerated :) )
1. In England they drive on the left side of the road, in Canada it's the right side.
2. The currency is pounds sterling in England, in Canada it's dollars.
3. The cottage cheese is rubbish in England, in Canada it's lush
4. Peanut butter is also sadly low quality in England, in Canada it's mint
5. In England it rains, in Canada it snows
6. On English keyboards the @ sign is where the " sign is on Canadian keyboards and visa versa
7. In England most fast food restaurants cater for vegetarians, in Canada they don't
(I'm sorry Lisa and Kerri!)
8. In England the kids at schools have to wear school uniforms, in Canada they don't
9. In England a private school means a public school and a public school means a private school, in Canada a private school means a private school and a public school means a public school. They also have state schools which is the same as a Canadian public school.
10. In England the principal is called the head master
11. In England people have an accent, in Canada they don't (although that's all realtive I'm sure)
12. In England they have castles, in Canada we have....no castles
13. England is...a bazillion years old, Canada is about 150 (I think)
14. In England everything is small, in Canada everything is big
15. England has a land mass of "very tiny" with a lot of people, Canada has a land mass of "massive" and not so many people
16. In England the pop bottles are tall and skinny, in Canada they are short and fat
17. In England the movie theatre is called the cinnema, in Canada it's the movie theatre
18. In England, when you are throwing a party and want a lot of chips (I mean crisps) you have to buy like a dozen bags in order to have the same amount you would be able to get from 3 Canadaian bags.
19. In England everyone drinks tea, in Canada everyone drinks coffee (okay that's a bit of a stero type but I do get asked if I want some tea at least 3 times a day)
20. In England the pastors all go for a pint after a good Godly service, in Canada they don't
21. In England they think that we sound the same as Americans, in Canada we know better.
22. In England football is the major sport, in Canada it's hockey (Ice Hockey to be exact!)
23. In England they play cricket, in Canada we have more sense!
24. In England they sing the hokey pokey as the hokey cokey...what is up with that?
25. In England they have a load of chippys where you can buy fish and chips, we don't in Canada.
26. In England to switch a light on you flip the switch down, in Canada you flip it up
27. In England everyone has radiators in their houses, in Canada we have furnaces
28. In England the plugs have 3 tongs, in Canada we have 2.
29. In England some of the houses have names, in Canada they are all numbers
30. In England the paper is taller and skinnier than the paper in Canada.
Right that's enough for now, really I could go on forever though!
I'm off to our youth club, where I will no doubt once again get asked by at least 1 youth where I'm from and how Canada is different to England!
Ta-Ta and Cheerio!
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Pick a Career, any Career!
Lately I have been reviewing my life, a very deep and meaningful process full of the endless possibilities of options that I have before me...or not! Well, not that I don't have options, the world is my oyster after all right? (I never really did understand that metaphor...anyone care to explain?) but, that reminds me, have any of you ever taken any of those career aptitude test things? Where they ask you all about yourself and then tell you that the ideal job for you would be to become a professional lawn bowler, or in my case a choreographer. Hey! I know! I could teach people the choreography of falling down the stairs properly or in a very extravagant manner. Perfect! I could then implement it into some sort of dating service...how to attract the attention of the man/woman you fancy by nearly breaking your neck! I could make a decent chunk of cash off of that. Like I said I have endless opportunities before me.
Really though, I've been given a list of some questions to ponder about my year with The Mustard Tree Trust which I am to discuss with a Trustee in a week and they are very thought provoking. The one question that is stumping me and has really been a bit of a thorn in my side since high school is "What are your longer term career interests and ambitions?" The honest answer to that is I DON'T KNOW...but I really feel like I should.
Oh *sigh* am I really at this place again?
Really though, I've been given a list of some questions to ponder about my year with The Mustard Tree Trust which I am to discuss with a Trustee in a week and they are very thought provoking. The one question that is stumping me and has really been a bit of a thorn in my side since high school is "What are your longer term career interests and ambitions?" The honest answer to that is I DON'T KNOW...but I really feel like I should.
Oh *sigh* am I really at this place again?
Monday, October 03, 2005
The Mustard Tree Trust: Extemporaneous Extroidanaire
extemporaneous: Carried out or performed with little or no preparation; impromptu
extraordinaire: French, from Old French, from Latin extrardinrius. See extraordinary
extraordinary: Highly exceptional; remarkable: an extraordinary achievement.
(can you tell what website I went to over my lunch today?)
Last night we held our youth alpha meal. It did not go at all the way it was originally planned, in fact it was a potential disaster but it was turned around miraculously and maybe even for the better. When I got into work this morning Lisa was telling me how she'd opened her bible last night andread "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21 How very fitting for what occurred last night!
The meal started at 6:30 and was being held at The Premier Chinese Restaurant in Morpeth. Lisa and I headed down to the church to print off some more forms for the youth to fill out regarding the alpha course and then made our way to the restaurant. We were running a bit late because we'd been having some technical difficulties with the printer. (GRRRRRR to technology! It's one of those things that goes down sweet but is bitter in the stomach, but I'll get on that soap box and rant on aIother pIst perhaps) We arrived at the restaurant about 10 minutes late to find a massive crowd of youth, speckled with some adults and youth leaders, standing on the street outside waiting. I quickly moved to find Mike and ask where exactly we were meant to be going and he said "nowhere! It's cancelled!" I'm pretty sure that is the exact moment a massive dose of adrenaline was released that continued flowing freely throughout the rest of the evening. In short there had been a miscommunication with booking the restaurant. They thought we meant the 2nd Sunday in October and we had said Sunday, October 2nd, therefore they were not prepared to feed us!
In a flash the youth were directed to New Life and crowded the sanctuary as we took our plan of action from there. I am so grateful for all the help we had. We would not have been able to work everything out had it not been for the amazing youth leaders and adults we had show up to support the meal. We ended up taking orders for fish and chips and ordered in a truck load of pizzas and the youth were as happy as could be. There were a few odd complaints but the majority of them were in great spirits and had great attitudes and managed to have a great time. The evening went as planned with Mike, Lisa and I sharing our testimonies about how Christianity has impacted our lives and Jesus has made a different and we had a good number say that they would be returning to attend the course on Tuesday evenings.
It went really well. It was one of those situations where God says "I'm just going to remind you who's actually in control of things here" not in a rude way, but just in the Sovereign way that God works.
Anyway that's my tale for today. That, and the fact that my pens keep disappearing! It's very frustrating! I think that there must be a pen gobbler that works in cahoots with washing machines that steel socks!
extraordinaire: French, from Old French, from Latin extrardinrius. See extraordinary
extraordinary: Highly exceptional; remarkable: an extraordinary achievement.
(can you tell what website I went to over my lunch today?)
Last night we held our youth alpha meal. It did not go at all the way it was originally planned, in fact it was a potential disaster but it was turned around miraculously and maybe even for the better. When I got into work this morning Lisa was telling me how she'd opened her bible last night andread "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21 How very fitting for what occurred last night!
The meal started at 6:30 and was being held at The Premier Chinese Restaurant in Morpeth. Lisa and I headed down to the church to print off some more forms for the youth to fill out regarding the alpha course and then made our way to the restaurant. We were running a bit late because we'd been having some technical difficulties with the printer. (GRRRRRR to technology! It's one of those things that goes down sweet but is bitter in the stomach, but I'll get on that soap box and rant on aIother pIst perhaps) We arrived at the restaurant about 10 minutes late to find a massive crowd of youth, speckled with some adults and youth leaders, standing on the street outside waiting. I quickly moved to find Mike and ask where exactly we were meant to be going and he said "nowhere! It's cancelled!" I'm pretty sure that is the exact moment a massive dose of adrenaline was released that continued flowing freely throughout the rest of the evening. In short there had been a miscommunication with booking the restaurant. They thought we meant the 2nd Sunday in October and we had said Sunday, October 2nd, therefore they were not prepared to feed us!
In a flash the youth were directed to New Life and crowded the sanctuary as we took our plan of action from there. I am so grateful for all the help we had. We would not have been able to work everything out had it not been for the amazing youth leaders and adults we had show up to support the meal. We ended up taking orders for fish and chips and ordered in a truck load of pizzas and the youth were as happy as could be. There were a few odd complaints but the majority of them were in great spirits and had great attitudes and managed to have a great time. The evening went as planned with Mike, Lisa and I sharing our testimonies about how Christianity has impacted our lives and Jesus has made a different and we had a good number say that they would be returning to attend the course on Tuesday evenings.
It went really well. It was one of those situations where God says "I'm just going to remind you who's actually in control of things here" not in a rude way, but just in the Sovereign way that God works.
Anyway that's my tale for today. That, and the fact that my pens keep disappearing! It's very frustrating! I think that there must be a pen gobbler that works in cahoots with washing machines that steel socks!
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