Pre-Scotland Haggis!

I am off to Scotland tomorrow! In preparation for my trip my housemate insisted on cooking me haggis, serving me a fine single malt whiskey, and playing a cassette tape of bagpipes to make it all authentic! Along with his son the three of us enjoyed a traditional haggis meal served with mashed potatoes and mashed turnip. Hear it from the the horse's mouth folks, haggis ain't bad! Honestly, my stomach was in my throat for most of the day knowing what was coming in the evening, but when it came down to it, it's actually really tasty! I think the mash and turnip are necessary accompaniments, however.  The next delicacy I've been told to watch out for is a deep fried mars bar! Apparently some northern town in Scotland has the lowest life expectancy rate in the UK at about 45 years or something like that...well, more than one deep fried mars bar will do that to you I think! 

As some of you know, my older sister Erin is expecting her second child in less than a month now! Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to being in England, and not being able to see my new niece or nephew when she or he is born is definitely one of them! If it is a girl, which I think it will be, I will let you all know now in case her ranting has not gotten through, Erin hates pink. A lot of people buy pink for little girls. Please do not do this! There Erin, I've stood on my soapbox for you! 

Good news about my class - I was supposed to start something new after I got back from Scotland, but the school I was at has requested me back and they are trying to make sure I get a full time position for the remainder of the school year. I will let you know what happens, but as for the rest of the term - I am set! Woohoo! 

Today I had the day off - it has been wonderful! I spent the day down on Oxford St. as I am on the lookout for a new camera - the one I have just decided to stop working altogether. GREAT timing - right before my trip! Diana has already said we can share hers so thankfully I will be able to have some pictures! As I decided to give up on my search and head back home via Oxford Circus Tube Station I was met by ambulances, police cars, the British Transport Police, and a "get the hell out of the way!!" to all who were attempting to access the station alongside me. I ended up having to walk to a different station and tube line, but all for good reason. I heard an announcement that said "service between Liverpool St. and Oxford Circus has been suspended due to a person under the train". Eek. I guess it's a popular way to go around here... instantaneous one would hope? Awful for that tube driver, however. 

I will often turn my tv on just for some extra noise, but don't typically spend enough time at home to actually watch a program, however, the other day I had a flashback from something I remembered on my visit to the National Gallery that I had meant to share a long while ago! If you have seen the Mr. Bean movie where Bean is some sort of gallery attendee and gets sent to the US as a representative of National Gallery - you will appreciate this! There is a scene near the beginning of the film where Bean is sitting on the chair in the gallery and starts to nod off, falls completely asleep, and slips right out of his chair... WELL - it's true - that ACTUALLY happens!!! I witnessed an attendee slumped over in the corner, breathing heavily, head down, shoulders slowly rising, and feet slipping out from underneath him! "YA RIGHT!!!! WAKE UP!!!!" I thought! It kept me laughing for the majority of the day! 

Alright well I wont be posting again until after my trip so I will have lots to tell you! I hope you all enjoy your week! 

Lotsa love!

~amy

Normalcy!

No excuses this time for not posting... merely my lack of desire to sit inside when I could be doing something else! That's not to say I don't want to keep everyone up to speed as there is always something new and exciting going on! 

Well, pub job out the window! It served it's purpose. It allowed me to meet people while making money rather than spending it, and it kept me busy, very busy! However, now that I'm a little bit more established I want my weekends to to do other things! Last Saturday was my last shift and I have already been taking advantage of my newfound time, like going to Canterbury for a Canadian Thanksgiving! Last Sunday I went to a teacher's house who I had never met before but had been put in touch with. I had a wonderful time and met some Canadians as well as some Brits, as well as enjoyed the biggest spread of Thanksgiving food I've ever seen in my life (It rivaled those at the farm!) I didn't have much time to explore the town, but it is definitely on my list of places to return to! Last night straight after I work I went to Russell Square to a German Opera with a friend of Anthony's! It was a really enjoyable night and I kept thinking to myself, "oh darn...I could be pulling pints instead!" Haha! 

I LOVE my job. I have had such a good experience at this school. The people I work with are fantastic and the children are wonderful, they are so affectionate! I have set a routine for myself which makes the most sense for my day to day experiences in the classroom. I do not shower in the morning or right before I go to bed. As soon as I walk in the door I go straight to the washroom and (loo/toilet I'm getting used to saying...lol) clean off all the grime I end up covered in daily. Honestly, I have slimy hands in my hair and touching my face, paint splattered clothing, clay crusted blouses, playdough stuck to the bottom of every pair of shoes, snot on my sleeves (and not my own!), and probably every kind of cold virus lurking on my hands that they are now dry and cracked like sandpaper from constant washing!! So, needless to say, what I wear to class and what I look like in the morning really doesn't matter. I usually end up in dress-up clothes for the majority of the day anyway!

My housing situation is still working out very nicely! It is so affordable and comfortable and my Scottish housemate cracks me up! Last night when I came in around midnight he was up and we drank some wine and enjoyed some music until 3am. Please don't think this is weird. Well, nevermind, I guess it is weird. I can't really explain it, but we have so much in common and he has the most interesting stories! I just learned that he was friends with Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid from Harry Potter!) and Hagrid, obviously, knows Brad Pitt. Really, this could be my opportunity! They say between everyone is 6 degrees of separation - but that's only 3! 

My sister Ali has booked her flight for Christmas! I am SO excited she is coming here! I am beginning to compile a list of FREE things to do, as well as another list with cheaper things we should do while she is here. The free list has to be the longer one, however! It will be really nice to show someone around and see a family member! As much as I am independent I LOVE the idea of people coming to visit from home! 

Scotland in a week! Still...no solid plans have come to fruition...merely our beginning and ending points and an idea of what is in between! John (Scottish housemate) is planning on cooking me haggis this week so I am prepared. I will get the entire scoop from him! But, really, this is how I like to do things. Diana is on the same page as I am so we know it is going to be a fantastic, spontaneous, and random adventure! (She hasn't left any students at the swimming pool or elsewhere lately either, so she is doing well!)

Well I hope this post finds everyone enjoying a crisp autumn day back home. You can be rest assured that is what I am "enjoying" here! You can even tack the word "wet" on that phrase! 

I am very well and very happy! I hope you all are too! 

All my love, 

~amy

The Good Life

I know it has been awhile since I posted last! I haven't forgotten at all - but I have been so incredibly busy and my internet wasn't working for 8 days! But, all has changed since my last post! Firstly, I have moved! My new place is only a 5 minute walk from my old one - I love this neighbourhood so much that I didn't want to part with it! My new housemate is a 50 year old Scottish guy! He is a university art professor and his house is so darn cool! He has an art studio in the loft and pottery, photographs, and books everywhere! I think he will be good for my career as well! Finally for the first time since I have moved I feel like my house is officially my home! Not to mention I am saving about $240 Canadian dollars a month by living here! PLUS my internet works steadily! 

Secondly, I have my own classroom! At least until half term that is! I have a whole whack of adorable 3/4 year olds and we sing and play and make a mess all day long! The school is also only two train stops away which is amazing! I can leave the house at 7:40am and get there for FREE. I had taught there last week and I guess when this opened they remembered me and requested to have me teach! I am very happy about this! I love the people I work with and the school has a fantastic atmosphere. I am so thankful this has happened. Last week I was starting to lose my mind...probably the worst part was when the head teacher (principal) walked in on me standing on a chair banging a tambourine as hard as I could to try to get the attention of a WILD year 3 class throwing wooden blocks and wrestling each other... thankfully she just laughed at me, but took care of them. I was embarrassed and it was ridiculous. However, not as ridiculous as something Diana did. She takes the cake for last week! I may have had an out of hand classroom, but she left 2 of her students at the SWIMMING POOL and returned with the rest to the school! When I am having a bad day, I just think, it's not as a bad Diana's! 

Speaking of my friend Diana, our trip to Scotland is quickly arriving! Just about 2.5 weeks until we head up to Glasgow to stay with some of my long lost relatives (Georjean is expecting us, Aunt Lynne!), visit some castles, seek out the Loch Ness Monster, and see the highlands, among a plethora of other things! We are very excited! Not even having taken that trip yet, we are also planning another trip! In November we are planning on taking a ski trip to - no, not to the Swiss Alps, not even the Italian Alps. But towards east block Europe - Slovenia, former Yugoslavia, here we come! I can honestly say that Slovenia hasn't been on the top of my list for world renowned skiing, but Diana and I met some really great Slovenian people in London who have convinced us to come! 

I am also thinking about quitting the pub job. Now that things are steady for me with teaching and I am exhausted all the time, I think I might just throw in the towel at the Greenwich Park Bar & Grill. I also want to experience London and Europe for all that it is and I can't do that if I am working every weekend and teaching every weekday. I may keep one shift a week or ask to be called in if I am needed. My boss understands and has already told me to do what I need to do and that there would be no hard feelings. I will see how this week teaching goes and will make a decision based on that. 

I hope all is well for everyone! Again, sorry for the delay in this blog! 

all my love to all back home!

~amy~