How quickly I forget! Days have passed and I haven't typed a word. To be fair, they have been busy and lovely days and I wouldn't have taken time from any of them to sit here and blog. However, I'm sorry I didn't compose a Christmas greeting or recount these events sooner.
Even now I don't have time to go through everything in detail because this afternoon I'm heading out West (Bristol -ish) with my 'housies' (housemates) to visit their extended family, and we get back on New Year's Eve. I'll just say that I had a lovely time with Housito's (male house mate? or something?) family on Christmas Day after church, and a lovely time with Housita's family yesterday. I was able to Skype my Mum's side of the family late Christmas night - or early Boxing Day morning - which was fantastic. No snow! But apparently it's more likely in January or February anyhow.
This morning I sent off an application to transfer to a Bachelor of Education (Primary) through UNE, so hopefully I will hear back sometime in the new year I'm guessing and get myself enrolled. A friend has offered to loan her first year textbooks which is fabulous, and if anyone else has anything that could help, let me know!
Better finish packing. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Friday, 27 December 2013
Friday, 20 December 2013
Friday, 29 November 2013
What happens when I don't have a post plan
I know, that last post was disappointingly short. Oh, the irony.
Perhaps I will dwell on the weather, or my latest TV interests. Whinge about the fact that it is only snowing on the ad breaks, and for the happy families of Tesco customers. Britain loves Christmas! So unashamedly! Maybe it's just my family, but I always thought everyone felt that carols, Santa, trees, and fake snow were hateful things that could only be (barely) tolerated in December. OK that's an exaggeration. But maybe it's because it's home to the white Christmas (is it?). And Charles Dickens. Anyway, I'm with the right people in order to do the proper English thing. Even carol singing! Perhaps I should buy a white hand muff.
Needless to say, it's cold here. Not bitterly. And I like my coat. But the afternoons! They are four hours long. Then it's dark. That's right, close the curtains and turn on the lights. After you've seen the squirrel climb up the house to chill in the loft. Squirrels have this speedy but graceful way of swimming along the ground. Kind of like a mermaid would, but with more bounce and a bushier tail. I still haven't seen a badger or a hedgehog. But I have seen foxes.
And Facebook has taken over a bit, as I knew it would. But if it means I can keep up with even a few of my much loved friends back home, then I don't care.
I am so happy here. I feel like I've been back much longer than a week. I don't love the job hunting process, but it's just one of those things.
This might not come as much of a surprise, though it is a shame. Since my big update I haven't come very far with God. I haven't had one quiet time or done anything out of the ordinary except sing. But I just keep asking God to help me. I know I need to just knuckle down and get into it, instead of sit around waiting for a big enormous indescribable feeling or a shiny cloud to show me what I need to know (which is what I've been doing for years). But the devil still has so much power over my thoughts. "You're just wanting to be Christian again for security. You still don't believe in God, but you want to because your favourite people do." And now I can't bring any other lies to mind, is that him shutting them off so I can't fight them? Or is it true, am I fake? Is God real?
I've had this thing lately where I want to get myself sorted and work through my whole life and deal with all the issues I've got by writing everything down, and so become a well-rounded all-figured-out person, with no baggage and no complexes... HELLO! Is that not the dumbest thing you've ever read? As if I could do that. As if I could recall all the crap one experiences and resolve it on my own and get on with life with no regrets or burdens. It's a nice thought, that I could be totally weightless in order to help others and give infinitely, and make the perfect friend and maybe even wife one day...
...All my Christian friends be like: "Um, Jess? Have you forgotten everything you learnt in church? Jesus does that FOR us! Bit by bit, of course, and we won't be perfect until we reach heaven, but you know that you ought to just lay it all before him and he'll sort it!"
Oh yeah. Man, God must be mighty patient.
Perhaps I will dwell on the weather, or my latest TV interests. Whinge about the fact that it is only snowing on the ad breaks, and for the happy families of Tesco customers. Britain loves Christmas! So unashamedly! Maybe it's just my family, but I always thought everyone felt that carols, Santa, trees, and fake snow were hateful things that could only be (barely) tolerated in December. OK that's an exaggeration. But maybe it's because it's home to the white Christmas (is it?). And Charles Dickens. Anyway, I'm with the right people in order to do the proper English thing. Even carol singing! Perhaps I should buy a white hand muff.
Needless to say, it's cold here. Not bitterly. And I like my coat. But the afternoons! They are four hours long. Then it's dark. That's right, close the curtains and turn on the lights. After you've seen the squirrel climb up the house to chill in the loft. Squirrels have this speedy but graceful way of swimming along the ground. Kind of like a mermaid would, but with more bounce and a bushier tail. I still haven't seen a badger or a hedgehog. But I have seen foxes.
And Facebook has taken over a bit, as I knew it would. But if it means I can keep up with even a few of my much loved friends back home, then I don't care.
I am so happy here. I feel like I've been back much longer than a week. I don't love the job hunting process, but it's just one of those things.
This might not come as much of a surprise, though it is a shame. Since my big update I haven't come very far with God. I haven't had one quiet time or done anything out of the ordinary except sing. But I just keep asking God to help me. I know I need to just knuckle down and get into it, instead of sit around waiting for a big enormous indescribable feeling or a shiny cloud to show me what I need to know (which is what I've been doing for years). But the devil still has so much power over my thoughts. "You're just wanting to be Christian again for security. You still don't believe in God, but you want to because your favourite people do." And now I can't bring any other lies to mind, is that him shutting them off so I can't fight them? Or is it true, am I fake? Is God real?
I've had this thing lately where I want to get myself sorted and work through my whole life and deal with all the issues I've got by writing everything down, and so become a well-rounded all-figured-out person, with no baggage and no complexes... HELLO! Is that not the dumbest thing you've ever read? As if I could do that. As if I could recall all the crap one experiences and resolve it on my own and get on with life with no regrets or burdens. It's a nice thought, that I could be totally weightless in order to help others and give infinitely, and make the perfect friend and maybe even wife one day...
...All my Christian friends be like: "Um, Jess? Have you forgotten everything you learnt in church? Jesus does that FOR us! Bit by bit, of course, and we won't be perfect until we reach heaven, but you know that you ought to just lay it all before him and he'll sort it!"
Oh yeah. Man, God must be mighty patient.
Friday, 7 June 2013
What a great achieeevement
Tomorrow will be four weeks!
My debit card arrived in the mail today, which makes me feel like half a legitimate person. I only set up the account on Monday because I only got around to it then... but it will be nice to have a bit of plastic to pay with instead of notes and coins that I'm still not totally familiar with, and an online presence in pounds. I'm also getting registered with the health thingo - an NHS number it is. That's a good thing, I reckon. I bought me some air mail envelopes to save the post office folk some stickers, and also because I think they are doubly (if not triply) exciting with blue and red parallelograms along the edges. I tried a Daim bar thanks to my cousin Emma's recommendation and they are terrific!
We're going to Brighton for a weekend in July which should be smashing, what. I am rather excited. I always think of Pride & Prejudice when I see the name. Also, I won't be home for Christmas unfortunately. I am genuinely sad to be away from family for the first time ever on that day but I'll be in Spain watching the sun set over the ocean. Ahhh sorry I should have thought of a nicer way of putting it... No white Christmas for me, nope! Spain. How marvelous!
Well after almost a month I think I am wearing out a little. Or a lot. I may not have anything interesting to write about this weekend because I might just do a whole lot of relaxing. We're having a barbecue on Sunday and since I come from the land down under where they supposedly invented the thing, I'm to be overseeing it all to make sure they're doing it right. Pshaw, like I've ever barbecued a sausage in my life. It's a man's job! Anyway it's nice to feel important. Have I mentioned that my English family has a hills hoist (clothes line)? It's one of those silly green and yellow ones, and when I first looked at it I couldn't quite figure out what was wrong. It took two weeks for me to decide that yes, the top bit is upside down like a blown out umbrella. Not sure if I'll ever let on, but it still amuses me a little.
Time to bring down the snooze mask and zzz. I can almost lie on my right ear again! If ever you want to get your forward helix pierced, expect at least 5 months of sleeping with air between your ear and the mattress - using the pillow or your arm as a prop. Second nature now.
Righto then, goodnight!
My debit card arrived in the mail today, which makes me feel like half a legitimate person. I only set up the account on Monday because I only got around to it then... but it will be nice to have a bit of plastic to pay with instead of notes and coins that I'm still not totally familiar with, and an online presence in pounds. I'm also getting registered with the health thingo - an NHS number it is. That's a good thing, I reckon. I bought me some air mail envelopes to save the post office folk some stickers, and also because I think they are doubly (if not triply) exciting with blue and red parallelograms along the edges. I tried a Daim bar thanks to my cousin Emma's recommendation and they are terrific!
We're going to Brighton for a weekend in July which should be smashing, what. I am rather excited. I always think of Pride & Prejudice when I see the name. Also, I won't be home for Christmas unfortunately. I am genuinely sad to be away from family for the first time ever on that day but I'll be in Spain watching the sun set over the ocean. Ahhh sorry I should have thought of a nicer way of putting it... No white Christmas for me, nope! Spain. How marvelous!
Well after almost a month I think I am wearing out a little. Or a lot. I may not have anything interesting to write about this weekend because I might just do a whole lot of relaxing. We're having a barbecue on Sunday and since I come from the land down under where they supposedly invented the thing, I'm to be overseeing it all to make sure they're doing it right. Pshaw, like I've ever barbecued a sausage in my life. It's a man's job! Anyway it's nice to feel important. Have I mentioned that my English family has a hills hoist (clothes line)? It's one of those silly green and yellow ones, and when I first looked at it I couldn't quite figure out what was wrong. It took two weeks for me to decide that yes, the top bit is upside down like a blown out umbrella. Not sure if I'll ever let on, but it still amuses me a little.
Time to bring down the snooze mask and zzz. I can almost lie on my right ear again! If ever you want to get your forward helix pierced, expect at least 5 months of sleeping with air between your ear and the mattress - using the pillow or your arm as a prop. Second nature now.
Righto then, goodnight!
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