Thought I should start off by letting people know that the little girl who went for surgery came out and is doing fine as far as I know. Making cards for her has been a popular activity in both the school and the after school club.
I've started working (volunteering) at a fair trade cafe adjacent to the university campus a couple times a week. I really had to work up to calling to ask about it, but I am so glad I did! On the basic level of filling up more of my free time, it's been very helpful. It's amazing how much better I feel as a human being when I'm a bit busier. It has also been nice to be around people my own age. I feel like I'm finally starting to make some friends. Just in time, because I had realized about a week ago that I was starting to feel more comfortable around small children and middle aged folks than my peer group--frightening how adaptable we humans are. So sometimes I do the washing up (the dishes), sometimes I get to cook (today I made chili and a cous cous salad), sometimes I work the til and make drinks. I definitely can work with pounds and pence now--but the first day was a bit sketchy--I'm still not sure if I gave everyone the correct change...
Another new involvement is the art club at school--which meets after school on Tuesdays for an hour. It makes me really happy. Last week I taught them about tessellations--interlocking and repeating shapes, and showed them how to make their own. One kid made an Elvis shape, there was also a ghost, a cowboy, and a rhinoceros/mouse, among other things.
A few weeks back, the women's singing group gave a concert for the 20th anniversary of Network--a Methodist women's organization that works with tough issues like the sex trade and battered women and children. That was a wonderful event. I was easily the youngest woman in the packed out room--quite a sea of permed white hair. All of these elderly women, a bit proper, but definitely not prim. I kept thinking that these are the daughters of the original suffragettes; they know how to get things done. They were so appreciative of our singing too, which was probably mediocre at best, and they kept refering to us as girls. I'm still pretty used to that, but most of the women in the group are in their 40s and got a kick out of that. All in all, it was a life giving evening.
In other news, I'm reading Harry Potter again, British version--just the same but with all the lovely British slang and common phrases I've come to know and love. I admit--it makes me feel pretty cool knowing what they mean. Try your hand at these: jacket potato; cotton on; in nick; cling film; pudding; oh sod off; cheers; ta; alright?. Look for translations in the next post--I welcome any guesses.
Some people have asked about how world news differs here. Well, at least where I am, so close to the university and connected to socially aware people, it seems that people are quite informed on issues. I've asked some family/friends in the States what they've heard about the Burma atrocities, and it seems so minimal compared to here. There are a lot of protests and stuff in the newspapers. I checked NPR's website, and their coverage didn't even seem comparable to the Guardian's--the liberal news here. If anyone wants a good alternative to American news coverage--I think the Guardian's website is quite good. It's http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Guess that's it for now. Take care all.
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2 comments:
ugh. all i want is to be called a girl with an irish accent...why aren't there any lovely business-like irish women in goshen? hehe
ok would the jacket potato be what you call someone who has been out walking in the rain too long and is all sopping and smelly? or what you call one of those big fat envelopes that have the bubble-wrap stuck inside? or perhaps a bumble bee that is now safely and satisfactorily squished beneath your vengeful toe?
shoot, i give up. no idea.
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