So while I have been here almost 3 months and have failed to write another entry since my 1st one here, I will.
It will have to be brief because the keyboard I'm writing on wobbles and I'm not in my own cottage and I have to go do laundry soon! I am currently less battered, bruised and beaten then ususal, but only because I haven't actually been working in my own class the last 2 days, I've been helping in other classes.
The weather here is ABSOLUTLY rididculous! They think it's going to SNOW tonight!! SNOW!!! I was told Elngland was LUCKY to see a little snow....in January...but this is November!! Its getting to AT LEAST -5 degrees each night if not lower and the heating system in our 400+ old cottage is radiators...which break regularly!
I'm still enjoying the work as much as I ever did...which is surprisingly a lot, and I've found my very own soap opera to watch everyday at 6:30...Hollyoaks...so I'm happy! I am actaully imagining missing this place when I have to leave next August! I know I'm really going to miss the girls.
Katie-Ann...Shes the actress!
Michelle...Shes from Toronto/The BVI's...very independent!
Maria...Shes in her room...a lot!
Anne...A very sporty German!Love her!
Katie...Shes the quite girl from the Island.
Annika...Shes the youngest not including me ( I am officially the youngest...by about 8 months!)
AND...best for last
Sonja...Shes my roommate, and is totally and completly awsome...and were the same size!! YES!!
I'm finding myself getting really attached to the kids, and I'm going to miss them so much more when I leave then anyone else! They have been through sooo much in their lives and just the fact that they even let me in a little makes them braver then I could EVER be! I actually admire them.
The staff here are soo cool, and really funny, especially a paticular few, who I can really joke around with and they are soo funny!
Well I got to go do my laundry now...ahhh the joys of living too far away to take my laundry home!
In England and getting settled in
Well I'm here, and while I'm just geting used to keyboards over here, be patient. Most of the keys are the same except now I can do a £ symbol much easier now! The @ is where the " should be, the £ is above the 3 where there should be a @ and the " is above the two....whats above that again...I can't even remeber!!!OMG I must really be settling in! Finally the ~ and # are on the same key....but are over beside the enter key, and `, ¬, ¦ are all on the same key in the top left!.....I don't even know what this ¬ is???
Other signs that I'm making myself at home here are as follows:
~I got over jetlag, and was getting really annoyed at the fact that I had to wait till 5 in the ~evening to call my mom, when for her it was only 9:00 in the morning!
~I've gotten used to people smoking EVERYWHERE....outside, inside, in the bathroom!
~I actually look the 'correct' way when crossing the road! (which is right btw!)
~I'm used to the cold, and jsut put a sweater on.
~I think really hard about going out to Witney for the day....4 miles away! (but OMG its a half hour bus trip!!!)
News about me is currently quite limited... I've been going out some nights and fully taking advantage of the fact that I'm legal here! On nights that I'm staying in Standlake I usually end up going to the local pub. You know your life is sad when you walk into the local and your drink is already sitting on the bar. Life is not even worth living when the bar tender says " See you tommorrow!" when you leave. I think I'm falling into a bit of a rut here....but I love it! At home I would watch TV almost every evening....now at least I'm getting out!
Never fear though...I do get out..and I do mean OUT out!
For example last weekend I went to Oxford for touristy things one day, and out to a club another day.
Last night we went to Witney, and really did get Witney night life at its FINEST!!...we were home by 12!...LOL
Tonight we're going out to Oxford to another club. it should be quite fun!...can't wait!
I would like to make a point though...going out to the local hasn't been all bad...far from it!
One of the first night we all (8 girls) went out to the local ( "The Black Horse" btw) we spotted a good looking guy behind the bar. At that point we were all DESPERATE for a guy! We all like the way he looked! I was however the only one who kept it up!
I decided I wanted him lol....crude...but true! Since I have no-one back home who offered to "pine" for me whilst I was away I went for it... I haven't got him yet...but damn close!
I wore low cut hirts...flirted...the works!! The only set-back so far is the ugly bartender is more confident and made the moves first...but I fairly skillfully shut that one down!
well I'll keep y'all posted on that one....right now I'm wrking on being away for 2 nights and then going back and seeing how that works...but he going to India for 5 months on October 25th, so if this doesn't work i'll jsut talk strait up!...Wish me luck!
The kids here are actually great...it's difficult to describe them....what thet do, how they act, and what they say to you....without making them sound absolutely INSANE!!! But they're not really! They can be sweet and kind, and hug you, and tell you your the best! The next minute they're on the floor screaming at you. Calling you a whore bitch without a mother! A litle later on in the your giving them a High-5 for a good goal in football! They're emotions change faster then the weather here, but in each of them, every once in a while you see an amazing glimmer of hope in their eyes. They have been through amsolutly horrible things in their lives, and most of them don't even know their parents. Just the fact taht they can get up in the mornings amazes me....let alone allow them selves to be so vunerable as to give you a hug, or let you help them with a math problem! They are sooo great, and I already anticipate it being difficult for me to leave next August.
Other notes:
~My roommate is awsome, and I should really clean up the room befroe she gets back from London ( she when this weekend and I made it a mess!)
~One of the other girls I live with is German and a clean freak...she's really nice soem days, and crying because the stairs have dust on the the next day....I'm working through that. She's absolutely adorable thoguh...I jsut wnat to pick her up and put on the top shelf so she doesn't get broken!
~The 3rd person I live with is from the Island and is pretty cool....she's sensible and cool, and has great taste in music and movies.
All the girls are great, and its terrific I have other people here who are going through the same thing as me...homesickness...dealing with the kids...living on our own for the first time! this year already makes me feel like I'm ahead of my friends in some aspects of life. I'm living on my own...working....cooking for myself....doing my own laundry...and dealing with people I just PUT with..and making it all work. Sure some people have gone to University, and they could e doing all that still, but they're not really working they at school ( lucky fools!) and moving out is hard, but another country is seeming impossible!
Well I wish the best of luck to all my friends who are changing their lives right now(hopefully for the best lol) and keep in touch!
Lots of Love
ANNA
P.S. I apoligise for the horribe typing. I was going to go through and proof read it, but I have to go to dinner. Sorry...Lots of love though!
Other signs that I'm making myself at home here are as follows:
~I got over jetlag, and was getting really annoyed at the fact that I had to wait till 5 in the ~evening to call my mom, when for her it was only 9:00 in the morning!
~I've gotten used to people smoking EVERYWHERE....outside, inside, in the bathroom!
~I actually look the 'correct' way when crossing the road! (which is right btw!)
~I'm used to the cold, and jsut put a sweater on.
~I think really hard about going out to Witney for the day....4 miles away! (but OMG its a half hour bus trip!!!)
News about me is currently quite limited... I've been going out some nights and fully taking advantage of the fact that I'm legal here! On nights that I'm staying in Standlake I usually end up going to the local pub. You know your life is sad when you walk into the local and your drink is already sitting on the bar. Life is not even worth living when the bar tender says " See you tommorrow!" when you leave. I think I'm falling into a bit of a rut here....but I love it! At home I would watch TV almost every evening....now at least I'm getting out!
Never fear though...I do get out..and I do mean OUT out!
For example last weekend I went to Oxford for touristy things one day, and out to a club another day.
Last night we went to Witney, and really did get Witney night life at its FINEST!!...we were home by 12!...LOL
Tonight we're going out to Oxford to another club. it should be quite fun!...can't wait!
I would like to make a point though...going out to the local hasn't been all bad...far from it!
One of the first night we all (8 girls) went out to the local ( "The Black Horse" btw) we spotted a good looking guy behind the bar. At that point we were all DESPERATE for a guy! We all like the way he looked! I was however the only one who kept it up!
I decided I wanted him lol....crude...but true! Since I have no-one back home who offered to "pine" for me whilst I was away I went for it... I haven't got him yet...but damn close!
I wore low cut hirts...flirted...the works!! The only set-back so far is the ugly bartender is more confident and made the moves first...but I fairly skillfully shut that one down!
well I'll keep y'all posted on that one....right now I'm wrking on being away for 2 nights and then going back and seeing how that works...but he going to India for 5 months on October 25th, so if this doesn't work i'll jsut talk strait up!...Wish me luck!
The kids here are actually great...it's difficult to describe them....what thet do, how they act, and what they say to you....without making them sound absolutely INSANE!!! But they're not really! They can be sweet and kind, and hug you, and tell you your the best! The next minute they're on the floor screaming at you. Calling you a whore bitch without a mother! A litle later on in the your giving them a High-5 for a good goal in football! They're emotions change faster then the weather here, but in each of them, every once in a while you see an amazing glimmer of hope in their eyes. They have been through amsolutly horrible things in their lives, and most of them don't even know their parents. Just the fact taht they can get up in the mornings amazes me....let alone allow them selves to be so vunerable as to give you a hug, or let you help them with a math problem! They are sooo great, and I already anticipate it being difficult for me to leave next August.
Other notes:
~My roommate is awsome, and I should really clean up the room befroe she gets back from London ( she when this weekend and I made it a mess!)
~One of the other girls I live with is German and a clean freak...she's really nice soem days, and crying because the stairs have dust on the the next day....I'm working through that. She's absolutely adorable thoguh...I jsut wnat to pick her up and put on the top shelf so she doesn't get broken!
~The 3rd person I live with is from the Island and is pretty cool....she's sensible and cool, and has great taste in music and movies.
All the girls are great, and its terrific I have other people here who are going through the same thing as me...homesickness...dealing with the kids...living on our own for the first time! this year already makes me feel like I'm ahead of my friends in some aspects of life. I'm living on my own...working....cooking for myself....doing my own laundry...and dealing with people I just PUT with..and making it all work. Sure some people have gone to University, and they could e doing all that still, but they're not really working they at school ( lucky fools!) and moving out is hard, but another country is seeming impossible!
Well I wish the best of luck to all my friends who are changing their lives right now(hopefully for the best lol) and keep in touch!
Lots of Love
ANNA
P.S. I apoligise for the horribe typing. I was going to go through and proof read it, but I have to go to dinner. Sorry...Lots of love though!
Getting ready to go
I'm getting ready to go now. I'm packing a little more into my suitcase each day. I'm looking at the sthings I'll miss. I already sadi good bye to my dad's dog Skye. She, lucky dog (no pun intendid, it jsut sodta worked out that way), is currently living the life on a sailboat with some of my dad's friends. I'm woking my way up to saying goodbye to everyone. I'll start with Harry my dog...he's too dumb to know what's happening. Then I'll go to Katie, the other dog, but she's smart she knows somethings happening! She's old too, she might not be here when I get back, God forbid!
Then I'll work my way up throught family and freidns and jsut keep reminding my self that it's only a year.
I know my current problems are no where near those who are suffering through Katrina right now, and my thought and prayres are with them. Well when I go to church my prayres will be with them. I got to do that before I go....pray for a safe flight.
I know the experience I'm walking into is going to be amazing and unreal. I can see this being te best year of my life! Everyone keeps telling me:
"It's good to travel when you're young!"
"I wish there had been something like that for me!"
"If only my kids had known about that!"
"That's going to be the experience of a lifetime!"
"That's and amazing oppertunity!"
I'd like to thank everyone who gave me such support and encouragment. Even if you didn't know it, you strenghtened my belief that this was the right choice.
To those I'll miss....I'll miss you so much! Be there when I come back and you'll be a friend for life!
Lots of Love to everyone!
PS: Still got the recap of both parties to come!
ANNA
Then I'll work my way up throught family and freidns and jsut keep reminding my self that it's only a year.
I know my current problems are no where near those who are suffering through Katrina right now, and my thought and prayres are with them. Well when I go to church my prayres will be with them. I got to do that before I go....pray for a safe flight.
I know the experience I'm walking into is going to be amazing and unreal. I can see this being te best year of my life! Everyone keeps telling me:
"It's good to travel when you're young!"
"I wish there had been something like that for me!"
"If only my kids had known about that!"
"That's going to be the experience of a lifetime!"
"That's and amazing oppertunity!"
I'd like to thank everyone who gave me such support and encouragment. Even if you didn't know it, you strenghtened my belief that this was the right choice.
To those I'll miss....I'll miss you so much! Be there when I come back and you'll be a friend for life!
Lots of Love to everyone!
PS: Still got the recap of both parties to come!
ANNA
Alex
My brother just got back from army camp. He's different! Oh, don't worry he always been different! Jsut to give you an idea:
He is currently sitting in the living room, with a giant box over him, doing....something....on his computer! Huge box, just covering him...it's a really big box, I mean he's 6"3' ish and I can just see a little of him through the edges. He's little in your face....litereally, and always smiling...yes that is a smile ( or at least building up to one, or in the middle of saying something unbelievable rude to me, or my friends.) He has this thing where he'll say "Your a .........(fill in noun here) " My mom hates it but I think it's great. Alex has things that he does and says, that are so origianally him, he could come up behind me anywhere in the world and say something that only he would say and I would know it was him! I would never think he was kidnapper, but I'd probably pretend I thought he was just so I could kick his ass and scream for help, maybe get him in trouble with 'officers of the law' from another country!! Well he is defiantly one of those people I'm going to miss my year away...he always make me feel better about my-self....'cause it's him!
Love you Alex!
BYE to all... ( 9 more days)
P.S.
Word of the Day for Saturday August 27, 2005
descant \DES-kant\, noun:
1. (Music) (a) A melody or counterpoint sung above the plain song of the tenor. (b) The upper voice in part music.
2. A discourse or discussion on a theme.
\DES-kant; des-KANT; dis-\, intransitive verb:
1. (a) To sing or play a descant. (b) To sing.
2. To comment freely; to discourse at length.
That describes him a little too!
He is currently sitting in the living room, with a giant box over him, doing....something....on his computer! Huge box, just covering him...it's a really big box, I mean he's 6"3' ish and I can just see a little of him through the edges. He's little in your face....litereally, and always smiling...yes that is a smile ( or at least building up to one, or in the middle of saying something unbelievable rude to me, or my friends.) He has this thing where he'll say "Your a .........(fill in noun here) " My mom hates it but I think it's great. Alex has things that he does and says, that are so origianally him, he could come up behind me anywhere in the world and say something that only he would say and I would know it was him! I would never think he was kidnapper, but I'd probably pretend I thought he was just so I could kick his ass and scream for help, maybe get him in trouble with 'officers of the law' from another country!! Well he is defiantly one of those people I'm going to miss my year away...he always make me feel better about my-self....'cause it's him!
Love you Alex!
BYE to all... ( 9 more days)
P.S.
Word of the Day for Saturday August 27, 2005
descant \DES-kant\, noun:
1. (Music) (a) A melody or counterpoint sung above the plain song of the tenor. (b) The upper voice in part music.
2. A discourse or discussion on a theme.
\DES-kant; des-KANT; dis-\, intransitive verb:
1. (a) To sing or play a descant. (b) To sing.
2. To comment freely; to discourse at length.
That describes him a little too!
Great news?
I was in conversation with my Dad yesterday at a car show in the North Shore. He told me *she* is coming back to Canada. I had once wished bad things upon her, and should I feel bad now? *She* almost dyed.
The story is:
*She* had a bad furnace in her house in England and suffered through Carbon Monoxide poisening. Apperently this started about 7 months ago, poisening her little by little for 3 months. When *she* fell into a coma, they put her in hospital where *she* stayed unconciencous for 2 weeks. *She* then stayed in the hospital for an additional 4 months. When *she* got out of the hospital *she* apperently decided that *she* had enough with England, and was coming home(a.k.a. Canada.)
Well that's the story, not that I really beleive it went down like that. I can't help but find a coorilation between my leaving the country and her coming back here. *She* usually plans everything *she* does....nothing *she* does is a mistake!! Nothing that happens to her happens by acciendet. I wouldn't put it by her that she got drunk one night and and for some reason hit the hell out of her furnace. Well maybe thats a little harsh, but still possible!
Just to give you all an idea of what I'm talking about:
>> Are your parents divorced, if not you probably have no idea where I'm comng from.
>> If they are, imagine the person who caused that...getting angry yet?
>> Next imagine your own father taking this person into his home after the divorce!They didn't get married, *she* was jsut staying in his basement, wierd or what?
>>*She* stays there for a while, then completly randomly decides to go to England?? What where did that come from?? Wait a minute you don't care!! *She's* GONE!!!!
>>Then you get a trip to England, and your only honest fear is that *she* is there, in the COUNTRY, because you know *she* would find you and try to make ridiculous small talk!
>>So when *she* says *she* is coming back to Canada are you happy or not?
..On the one hand *she* is not near you, no small talk..
..But on the other hand *she* is near your Dad again and there is absolutly nothing you can do!..
Well this is me completly confused, excited, annoyed and angry! Do you think I could jam any more emotions in there??
BYE
The story is:
*She* had a bad furnace in her house in England and suffered through Carbon Monoxide poisening. Apperently this started about 7 months ago, poisening her little by little for 3 months. When *she* fell into a coma, they put her in hospital where *she* stayed unconciencous for 2 weeks. *She* then stayed in the hospital for an additional 4 months. When *she* got out of the hospital *she* apperently decided that *she* had enough with England, and was coming home(a.k.a. Canada.)
Well that's the story, not that I really beleive it went down like that. I can't help but find a coorilation between my leaving the country and her coming back here. *She* usually plans everything *she* does....nothing *she* does is a mistake!! Nothing that happens to her happens by acciendet. I wouldn't put it by her that she got drunk one night and and for some reason hit the hell out of her furnace. Well maybe thats a little harsh, but still possible!
Just to give you all an idea of what I'm talking about:
>> Are your parents divorced, if not you probably have no idea where I'm comng from.
>> If they are, imagine the person who caused that...getting angry yet?
>> Next imagine your own father taking this person into his home after the divorce!They didn't get married, *she* was jsut staying in his basement, wierd or what?
>>*She* stays there for a while, then completly randomly decides to go to England?? What where did that come from?? Wait a minute you don't care!! *She's* GONE!!!!
>>Then you get a trip to England, and your only honest fear is that *she* is there, in the COUNTRY, because you know *she* would find you and try to make ridiculous small talk!
>>So when *she* says *she* is coming back to Canada are you happy or not?
..On the one hand *she* is not near you, no small talk..
..But on the other hand *she* is near your Dad again and there is absolutly nothing you can do!..
Well this is me completly confused, excited, annoyed and angry! Do you think I could jam any more emotions in there??
BYE
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