Merry Christmas!

The Christmas season is officially upon us!

Last week we finished up school for the holidays and it was a very Christmas filled week! On Monday evening years 3-6 put on a Carol Service at the local church to which all the parents came. I got to sing with the year 6 students and it reminded me of singing at the Christmas concerts my Conservatory Choir used to do! It was really nice. On Tuesday the entire staff put on the most hilarious pantomime called "Cheryl Cole and the 7 Teachers". Written by a few of the teachers it was a spoof based on as many fairytales as we could manage and starring the pop star Cheryl Cole, played by a year 6 teacher. I was one of the dwarf teachers and spent two hours crawling around the stage on my knees with cardboard shoes attached to my knees... ugh! The kids loved it and we all saw more than one member of the male staff in drag, including the Fairy "Oddmother", one of the ugly stepsisters, and Queen "Justina Slot" (Mr. Justin Slot to the kids!) It was one of the funniest things I've ever been a part of!

Wednesday at 130pm was our staff party and we had an entire pub to ourselves. We had Christmas crackers, secret santa presents, free drinks for the majority of the evening, and the most delicious roast turkey dinner with pecan pie for dessert. It was such a good time! Barret came to carry me home around 10pm but some people stayed on well into the night! Barret's staff went out Friday night and I met up with them in the evening which was also a good time.

I'm sure you most of you know of the "adverse weather conditions" here in the UK. It has been pretty bad by their standards. Nothing to ours, but mind you we have the infrastructure in place to cope with it, whereas here, they don't. It's such a shame it's this time of year, as it was last year. People have been stuck at the airports and told they wont make it home for Christmas, maybe not even for the New Year. The headlines in the papers say things like "Heathrow Airport - A Third World Country". We are due to fly out to Dublin tomorrow morning from Gatwick Airport, it's snowing now and there is snow in the forecast tonight, but hopefully it will be fine. I hope so because that's where I want to be!!!! Please keep your fingers crossed for us!

Thank you to everyone who sent us Christmas cards! We really appreciate the thoughtfulness of your messages and even the thought to send us one. I do apologize as it would cost me a fortune to send everyone I want to cards, but just know our thoughts, prayers, and best wishes are with you all this holiday season.

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND BEST WISHES FOR 2011!

All my love

Amy xoxo

Christmas is coming!

The past week has been incredibly Christmas-y! There was "plenty" of snow (not very much by our Canadian standards...but you know how they get over here) In fact, between Blair and Barret they had 5 snow days! It was pathetic. Even more pathetic was the fact that I didn't get to enjoy any snow days with them! My school kept trudging on. Impressive I suppose, in comparison. The south of England got smashed with snow - 18 inches in places over night! Even at home that's quite a bit over one night. You can imagine how people were not coping. People sleeping in their cars on the highway, on commuter trains that were stuck in the middle of nowhere...the city was dead because no one could get in to work! Ahh...I do love it.

On top of the snow (which by now has melted...) we decided to get a Christmas tree! Back home we have big, beautiful, full trees. Well... here it's a bit different. It's not exactly a Charlie Brown tree, but it cannot be compared to any tree I've ever had. A lot of the decorations are homemade but there are some lights and a few Christmas balls which spruce it up a bit! It's very festive however and that's all that matters! We are really looking forward to our trip to Ireland so we wont be able to enjoy our tree on Christmas, but I'm okay with that!! For obvious reasons this year we are not doing Christmas presents, however... the boys decided to buy themselves an early Christmas present on one of their shared snow days. I was working away while the two of them decided that an XBOX was required in our living room. I lose many a battle and when I am not home to defend my opinions there is no hope for me :(

I cooked my very first whole chicken last week. And it was so good! It gives me the confidence that I might actually be able to cook a turkey! Barret's favourite meal is a turkey dinner and I think I might be able to finally win him over completely if I cook one! (Haha) I am also going to be doing some Christmas baking this week. I am the only one in the house who has a serious sweet tooth...so this plan of Christmas baking for the guys might backfire and I end up eating all the cookies. Wish I could invite you all over!

Only a week and a half left of teaching until we are dismissed for the holidays! I am so excited and cannot believe how quickly this term has flown by. As a staff we are doing a pantomime which I have a role in and should be quite funny. Next Monday is the Carol Service at a local church and I am singing with the year 6 students so that should feel quite like home! All of the projects my students have been working on are coming to an end so it's fantastic to see how they're turning out. My year 6's have been doing a comparison project looking at the Venetian painter Canaletto and the Canadian painter AJ Casson of the Group of Seven. It's been great to see their interpretations of the Canadian landscape, actually it makes me feel a bit homesick to see their paintings!

Nothing much else to report - just enjoying our time here! I have a feeling it's coming to an end this summer so trying our best to take it all in now.

All my love,

Amy

It's a....!

GIRL!!!! Mika (pronouced "Micah") Amy (YEAH!!) Stewart was born a week ago (I know...I'm a bit late on the announcement...) and my sister will never be pregnant again! (So she claims!) I thought for sure it was going to be a boy, but a boy with the middle name "Amy" might get made fun of so this is definitely what was supposed to happen. Congratulations Erin, Jason and your three kids under 2 1/2 years old!!!! I am definitely proud Aunt Amy!

I haven't blogged because I have been really, really busy. We had our school's inspection this week and I had a big looming lurch of a man lurking around my art room and breathing down my back for a class... There were only 9 lessons among all sorts of other things being observed and of course, mine just happens to be one of them. But, I hope that my little lesson on Paul Gauguin aided slightly to the "Outstanding" rating (and the best our head teacher has ever seen!) our school received. It was a bit of a stressful week because on top of preparing for the inspection I have reports due tomorrow morning. They are done and signed now (literally, just before I started blogging!) but I've been working my tush off to get them done! I guess I still have time to breathe because I'm not still at school at 9pm frantically writing away. My work is pretty much done now until Christmas. I can relax. After tomorrow I have only two and half weeks before we break up for holidays and once we get into December it will all be Christmas madness!!

Oh remember that show, "Kids say the darnedest things"? Well, yes, they do... Let me tell you a little story that occurred during one of my design and technology classes. In year 3 we are designing and building our own picture frames. Before we can get messy and start building there is a lot of planning involved, of course. We were talking about making structures stable, so started talking about structures around the world. The Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China sure...then we get to the Taj Mahal. I say "house point to anyone who can tell me what religious group worships at the Taj Mahal". Hands all go up - "Christians" "Catholics" "Jews"... and on and on. Finally, I say "ok, last guess" and I choose a little boy named Alex. With a serious a face as anyone can make, Alex says..."ummmm, Lesbians?" !!!!!! My response..."well, Alex, perhaps some...but the Taj Mahal is not reserved fully for Lesbians. Okay class, that question will be your homework". OH MY GOODNESS. How do you keep your composure, you might ask... You just do.

As far as wedding plans go, well they've been put on the back burner for a little while...just until I get news on the location which will be really soon. I bought my first wedding magazine actually. It was rubbish and a waste of money. Anyway, wedding plans are in my head and that's how far they've gotten.

We've been having fun in the new flat. A putting course has developed and the other day Blairret and I played. Final score: Blair - 3, Amy - 3, and Barret - 2. I got Barret really good on the toe with a chip shot when he wasn't paying attention so I think that's worth another point, so I guess I won. As much as it's two against one in many aspects, I don't mind. Those guys make me laugh and keep me sane. They also do they dishes after I cook dinner and regular put the toilet seat down (most of the time...)

Barret bought me flowers today. It was really sweet after the mad week I've had with inspections and reports and other random stresses. He takes care of me and I'm so thankful!

I hope everyone is doing well and is happy and healthy. I miss you all and hope you're not freezing. It's gotten really chilly here so I imagine back home the temperature is dropping...

Stay warm!

All my love,

Amy

The Planning Begins!

Time sure is flying by! I have so much to think about and do that I don't even know where to start. Work is in full swing! We don't have the same sort of inspections as I went through last year (Ofsted) but we do have the equivalent...which is happening next week. Not only do we have to prepare for that, reports are due next Friday and it seems every spare moment I have is filled with other things (Christmas decorations, year 6 carols, covering classes for people who are off ill...the list goes on!) Needless to say, my work days are filled to the brim. AND somehow people still have the nerve to ask "so how's the wedding planning coming?" Sheesh!

I'm just kidding... it's starting to form and a location and date have NEARLY been picked, but I'll let you all know that when it happens. You can all count on it being a non-traditional, casual wedding with plenty of cheesy music, good food, lotsa dancing, and easy going fun! Georjean, I'd love to have a romantic wedding in Scottish castle but I don't think 99% of our family would make it! The thought did cross my mind however and it would be picturesque! All I know for sure at this point is that I want my hair out of my face.... needless to say there's a lot of other more important things I've yet to work out (or even realize they need working out!)

Since softball has been done for a few months now, a couple guys from our softball team have gotten us involved in another sport - dodgeball! Alright, well the last time I played dodgeball I was in elementary school and I was wearing sweatpants that were inside out and backwards... I'm a bit rusty I suppose and the competition is a lot steeper than my days in gym class! However, we are currently tied for first place among quite a few teams so that's a good thing! We play Thursday nights and have a really great time. Speaking of sporting activities, Blairret are out watching a football game tonight (in the horrible cold...) so I have the flat to myself. It's quite nice to have control of the tv and just eat soup and sandwiches while doing my school work in peace and quiet. I love having them around but I take advantage of "amy time"!

I'm still waiting to blog about a new little niece or nephew. I think my sister is nearly a week late for baby #3 which I'm not really surprised about since he/she is just following the trend of her previous two! Sorry Erin, I hope that things happen soon!!

Thanks to everyone for their lovely comments and congratulations. We are very thankful and couldn't be happier - will keep you posted on the confirmation of the location and date - FYI it will likely be in Ontario and the last weekend in July/first week of August of next summer. Keep it open until I give you all further details!

All my love,

amy

What a week!

I know I’ve been back from holiday for a few days, but I have had neither the time nor the internet to get an appropriate blog out for you all to read! Some of my most loyal readers (heh hem…Mallory) have made it clear a blog is long past due. So, I am writing this one at work while I am supposed to be doing reports, but it can’t wait any longer!

I’ll tell you the happenings as of late in reverse chronological order since I want to save the best for last. Last night despite being exhausted, cranky, not unpacked from the move, AND there being a tube strike, Barret took me to see Mamma Mia on stage for my birthday. I loved it! My favourite stage presentation has to be Les Miserables, but Mamma Mia is a very close second, nearly tied for first! I even think Barret enjoyed himself because he didn’t fall asleep and I felt his toes tapping the whole way through. Thank you for taking me B (oh, and don’t worry as soon as we have our internet up and running I will be downloading ALL the ABBA songs so you can sing along!).

The reason Barret got tickets for last night rather than Tuesday, my actual birthday, was because of the move from the ghetto to our new flat. I had to work Tuesday afternoon, Blair had to work the whole day, and we didn’t get our keys until 10am, so guess who did most of the work, carrying bags on the tube…Barret. We moved as much as we could together and while I was at work he moved even more AND cleaned our old flat! Vacuumed, dusted, cleaned the kitchen, just went all out! I am so impressed by him and thankful for his hard work and I want him to know how sweet he is. Thank you Barret. The new flat is nowhere near unpacked still – all of us have been working or singing ABBA songs that we haven’t gotten to it yet. Tonight we are going to play dodgeball with some people from our softball team, so again, nothing is going to get done! This weekend is dedicated to unpacking!

Sunday night we made it back from our AMAZING trip to the Canary Islands. Barely, however, as our flight into Madrid from Tenerife was delayed and our connecting flight was due to take off 15 minutes after we landed and we still had to go through passport control… but shockingly, Iberia Airlines figured out a system to get all the Brits back to London by having the planes next to each other at the gates and setting up passport control right there! We were so thankful for that…otherwise we would have likely spent the night in Madrid and with the hectic week we’ve already had that was the last thing we needed. Anyway, our trip was fantastic! It was incredibly relaxing. The scenery was stunning, the weather was beautiful, and the company was ideal. I have never had a vacation that was so posh! We didn’t do too much, other than getting a massage at the spa, swimming, reading in the sun, playing Frisbee, going for walks, bike riding, or just enjoying our posh hotel! I really didn’t know what Tenerife looked like and to be honest I was expecting something quite like the Caribbean. Most definitely not – Tenerife is based on a dormant volcano so it’s quite rocky and very mountainous. The sand on the beaches blows in across the sea from the Sahara desert and mixes with the volcanic sand. That dormant volcano is located in Teide National Park and I really wanted to go up! We had missed out on tours; however, we decided that renting a car was a good option. Well – I know Barret is a good driver, but I trusted my life in his hands while we were driving up those steep, narrow, windy roads with cliff edges dropping off the side! It was quite scary to be honest – but somehow we made it to the top without an accident or without me barfing! (which I thought was imminent!). When we got as far as we could by car we took a cable car up to the top of the volcano and got to get out and walk around. I have never seen anything like that on earth in my entire life! I felt like I was either on Mars or in Mordor (from the Lord of the Rings). It was so crazy! Also, the temperature at our resort on the water was 27 degrees, however, up 3700 meters the temperature had dropped considerably to 5 degrees! I wouldn’t have been surprised to see snow. I froze my self nearly to death and a nice French lady let me borrow her scarf. I felt like the most unseasoned tourist known to man… live and learn I guess.

I guess that covers just about everything over the last week or so! Oh wait… one more thing I nearly forgot to tell you all.

BARRET PROPOSED!

The answer was YES! I could write an entire blog about this but I know I don’t have the time…so I will just do my best to give you the romantic details! Firstly, Barret booked the whole trip himself through an agent so that everything went smoothly (which it did!) and had been planning it for two months! Even the girl from the travel agency knew… Anyway, I’d sort of recognized that his head was in the clouds all day on ithe second day of our trip. He seemed very distracted but I thought he was just tired of laying around reading and relaxing (which is very possible since I think he has ADD sometimes). He wanted to go for a walk around sunset, maybe find somewhere nice to eat. As the sun was setting we went out onto a rocky pier and he told me how much I meant to him and he got down on one knee and opened a beautiful box with a STUNNING diamond ring inside! I don’t think I answered properly at all; I was too excited and shaky! He didn’t put the ring on my finger because we were both shaking too much it likely would have fallen to the sea through the rocks and we’d spend the rest of our vacation snorkeling…! However, we got off the pier and I slipped on the perfectly fitting 1.22 karat diamond ring and off we went – newly engaged! WELL – that little sneak – he has had that ring since we left Canada! We had sort of been looking in NB and he took me to a shop that custom makes rings and saw all kinds of beautiful, unique rings. I saw one immediately that I loved, but could picture it with a few adjustments. We left the shop never to return, but I had a glimmer of hope he might have been listening to me and would go back to get it. WELL – again, that little sneak – once we had left NB and were in Halifax about to fly back to London he said something about me never finding a ring I liked and how I’d be impossible to please – I looked at him and said “whaaaaaaat? But, that ring…that we saw…at that shop…you know the one…” and he said “what shop? Really? You liked that one? Oh Amy, I’m sorry…I didn’t know you liked it that much”. On the outside I had played it cool – on the inside I though “you IDIOT! Was I supposed to write it on your forehead!?” Look who the idiot is now! Anyway, well played Barret. Another sneaky move was the way he got it back to London without me having the SLIGHTEST clue. His great Aunt and Uncle had picked up the ring for him on the day before we left. They had WRAPPED it in a box in Christmas paper saying we couldn’t open it until Christmas day! I was so excited for a Christmas present… I had NO CLUE. Completely and utterly clueless. Again, well played Barret.

We are hoping we can have this wedding next August – but obviously that is so dependent on the venue. THAT is the problem. Barret being from New Brunswick and me being from Ontario doesn’t really help for picking a place that’s convenient for everyone and since we don’t really have a lot of history in Canada we don’t have any places that are special…SO - any ideas are welcome!!

Well, since I’ve spent my report writing time on blogging I’d better get going! Thanks to all of you who already know for the congrats and good wishes – we appreciate it so much!

My love to you all

Amy (future surname: Williams)

It's the final countdown!

One week until I'll be in the heat! I can't wait for my trip with Barret to the Canary Islands! To be honest, it hasn't been all that grey here lately - the sun has been shining, but the temperature certainly is dropping. Still, can't wait for the sun and sand!

Speaking of travelling, over the weekend there was a travel show that the guys and I went to. There were tons of good deals on all kinds of trips across Europe and elsewhere. Barret and I booked our Christmas holiday! Last year was great having my sister Ali here and spending time with family friends, but this year I think will be just as memorable but totally different. Barret and I are doing a week long tour in Ireland over the Christmas holidays! I have always wanted to go there and I can't wait to be singing Christmas carols all over that country! There is a special cosy (leprechaun!) pub on the west coast near Dingle that we will be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at where we will have a lovely 5 course Christmas dinner with wine and everyone else on our tour. Also, apparently there is a tradition to go swimming in the peninsula Christmas day...we'll see about that one! I am REALLY excited!!!

We are also talking about maybe doing a "sail Croatia" tour in the new year sometime. I know, I know...my seasickness might be the veto... but we are still considering it. Apparently Croatia is one of the most beautiful places with an amazing coast, so we want to go check it out! There was also this train that took you ALL over Asia, through many stops in Russia and everywhere south - appropriately named the "Vodka Train". I think my motion sickness might also veto that one, plus the name makes me nauseous already. Anyway, there were tons of good deals at that show and I'm glad we went. If only the bank accounts matched the plans!

Mallory was here again Sunday after her trip to Paris. Poor girl - she had some serious bad luck on her trip! Her and her boyfriend Brent planned on going to see Vimy Ridge and any other war places they could, but if you've been watching international news, you know that there are mass transit strikes going on in France right now. Well, Mal and Brent planned on taking the train out to Vimy... obviously that idea was shut down. They tried to rent a car as well, but they were all sold out, and even if they could it was going to cost them 300 euros or something ridiculous for one day. Well, Mallory - that just means you have to come back and try again! Anyway, she left yesterday morning and is safely back in Sault Ste. Marie after her trip - it was SO good to have her here! Love you Mal!

I realized I have to start packing this week! We come back from our trip the evening of Sunday Oct 31 and we move the morning of Tuesday November 2, both of us working Monday. That doesn't really leave a whole lot of time to pack between the trip and move-in day! It will be good to go through the stuff I have accumulated whilst living here. There is a massive clothes/goods donation bin not too far from home so I am hoping to fill it with clothes I've wrecked at work (I thought teaching nursery was bad, being covered in gunk from school... well...being an art teacher is 100 times worse!) I'm getting so excited! I walk by our new flat every day when I get on the tube from the gym... I just keep thinking...aw...I'd be home already! Even as a newcomer Blair has already realized what a crack pot we currently live in and how upbeat and fresh our new location is. The move in day shouldn't be too bad, but there is rumour of yet another tube strike that day. If that's the case, things won't be that easy and we may have to get cabs (no way on God's green earth could we take the bus!) I have to work in the afternoon of the moving day, but both of the guys have taken the day off so we will get it done somehow. It's not too far from where we are so we should be able to figure something out!

I'm going to toot my own horn just a little bit right now. Yesterday while I was doing some planning I watched a cooking show (30 minute meals by Jamie Oliver!) and was inspired to do steak, roast potatoes, carrots, yorkshire pudding, and homemade gravy for the guys and I. I bought expensive steaks (that were on sale - 1/2 off - so totally justifiable!) and doubled Jamie's time (actually just under an hour, but really only because I had to wait for an egg from the grocery store). Lo and behold...I DIDN'T SCREW IT UP! It was actually really, really, good! One of my best of anything so far! SO, Dad, my days of poisoning people with Greek Souvlaki are OVER! HA!

Anyway, I have planning and other things to get done so I better be going. Have a lovely week everyone and if I don't blog again before my trip I will definitely do so upon arrival back in the UK.

Love,

amy

We're off to see the wizard!

Two weeks without blogging. So what.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you back in Canada enjoying a turkey dinner - Barret is exceedingly envious of all of you and the only way to get him a turkey here was to go to a farm and pick and pluck it myself. Sorry B - maybe next time.

Anyway, it's been a great and busy two weeks! Work has been insane, but in such a good way! I was able to take my year 5's to the Tate Modern to see an exhibit on the French painter Gauguin. I had to forewarn them about the possibility of seeing some paintings portraying some, ahem, females au natural... needless to say, as far as 10 and 11 year old boys go, they were very mature and made sure to snicker whilst not in my view or ear shot! It was great to take the kids to a gallery and watch how well they behaved in public (something new in my experience!)

Friday night I was prepared for my friend Mallory's arrival from home. However, Air Canada intervened and said we were not destined to meet until a day later. After some plane troubles she arrived in one piece yesterday morning. She came with a 2kg jar of Kraft peanut butter (THANK YOU MOM!!!) and a few other lovely things from home, including some maple leafs and a picture lovingly coloured by my 2 year old nephew Gabe. Thanks for all of those things Mom, Erin, and to Mallory for delivering! After Mal got settled and had a good nap, hot shower, and good meal we all headed out to see the "Best West End Show" of Wicked. And yeah, it was wicked! It's the story of the witches in the Wizard of Oz and how they got to be the way they did, as well as the lion, the scarecrow, and the tin man. It was so interesting and a fabulous show! We, the girls, loved it. The boys, however, did not fall asleep, so that means it was at least decent! When I say boys I mean Barret and our new flatmate Blair from my year at teacher's college. Now, I knew that Barret and Blair would get along... but it's kind of scary. Let me just put it this way - I've nicknamed them "Blairret".

Today the 4 of us went out to Windsor and Eton Riverside and paid a visit to Windsor Castle. I learned so much today. I was first excited because I thought the Queen was in because the Union Jack was flying high - however - that is only the case at Buckingham Palace. At the Queen's residence if the Royal Standard flag is flying then she is in, otherwise, she is elsewhere. We enjoyed the town as well and Mallory and Blair had their first traditional Sunday Roast. It was fantastic! I suppose it was as close to Thanksgiving dinner as we are going to get in this country and so it was good enough.

So, back to Blairret for a second. I have enjoyed having Blair around and I know that Barret is more than happy to have someone to talk to about sports. They've taken over the living room and it's finally persuaded me to buy a gym membership. So, all good things are coming out of this arrangement! We are scheduled to move into the new flat on November 2nd (I swear I wont let them make me carry any heavy boxes on my birthday!) and I can't wait. It should be a really good place for us all and I am happy to be getting out of the ghetto. I have made it about 9 months here and hopefully I will survive the mere 3 weeks I have left. Which, really, wont be that long because two weeks Tuesday we will be in the Canary Islands! Yeeehaw!

Well, that's the update for now.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home - our love to you all!

amy

Thanks to my family for telling to keep blogging - I am glad to know this thing, after a whole year, still gets read! I suppose all of these blogs will now be forever etched in internet history and will be like a virtual diary for my future kids to laugh at when they get old enough!

Well I've settled into my new job fairly seamlessly. It's a whole other world at this school... I think back to the experiences I had during my first year teaching. Chasing children across a field trying to bring them back to class, being bitten, being ignored, being appalled by behaviour... all of these things are just a figment of my imagination now (yet burned in my memory...) Of course the children I teach now have their own special issues, the biggest problem being that they are loved and spoiled TOO much which make some of them detestable. However, I could think of much worse things to deal with on daily basis.

We've been looking for a new flat. My friend from Teacher's College is moving here on Tuesday and he, Barret, and I have decided to find a flat to accommodate the three of us. We've got one nearly secured - just still waiting on references and other sorts of things to come through. It's actually been really stressful. I really hope we get it though, because I am absolutely SICK of living where I live. It gets scarier every day... I wont get into too much detail so that you all can sleep at night - but it's just not good. The new place we've (nearly) got is even closer to my work (awe-some!) and is in a young, hip part of the south west called Clapham. Much safer, more fun, and way closer to everything we enjoy. If we do get the flat and everything works out move in date is Nov 2nd (yay...great birthday plans...moving!). Will let you know how things pan out!

Even though we have just settled in from our trip to Canada this summer, we have another adventure coming up at the end of October. Barret has been an absolute gem and worked tirelessly to plan us a 6 day trip to the Canary Islands. These islands belong to Spain but are off the west coast of Africa. We are going to the popular island of Tenerife and during our time there it will be about 28 degrees. Ahh... I can't wait to enjoy it in our private POOL!!! (Yeah, Barret pulled out all the stops this time!) So excited!

Barret and I have been thinking about different things to do around London to keep ourselves active, learning, and making the most out of our potential final year here. Today we bought a joint membership that allows us unlimited access to the Tower of London, Hampton Court, Kew Palace, Kensington Palace, and the Banqueting House in central London. All of these palaces hold so much history and the membership was unbelievable value! We went off today to Hampton court where we got to see King Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine Parr - his 6th and final wife. Today we decided just to go for a few hours, since now we have unlimited access to the palace and don't have to get sick of it all in one go! We also checked out the most famous maze in history - the Hampton Palace Maze. It was pretty cool, but not really that hard... It was a good day!

Anyway, just a quick update - will let you know about the new flat!

Love and miss you all

amy

Back to the grind!

First off, this has definitely been my longest hiatus from blogging... but since I'm back to a regular routine I'll hopefully get back into this as well... I am however, toying with the idea of facebook...after 4 years I may cave...any thoughts? I wont have both though!

What an amazing, whirlwind summer I've had! Barret and I had an amazing trip home together - filled with traveling, meeting new people, and just getting to know each other that much better. We started off in Toronto for a visit with Hannah (I miss my best friend so much - but I do not miss that city!) and then headed up to the Sault with Aunt Eunice. My parents spoiled us and we got to spend time with Ali, (Brandon), Erin (Jason, Gabe, and FINALLY little Dani!) and whole plethora of relatives, including cousins from Australia, and my friends Erin and Mallory, plus half their relatives... I tell you, since Barret survived meeting that lot people practically all at once, and didn't high tail it outta there, he passes the test :) Well Done B. We only spent about 8 days home in the Sault, but during that time spent a good chunk visiting Erin and her brood. It was fantastic to see Dani - she is really a funny baby! She laughs and smiles a lot, and gives you disapproving looks when she thinks you're being an idiot. It was really quite comical! Gabe has grown so much since the last time I saw him and he's really turned into a little boy. I brought him a team England mini football (soccerball) from London and I think I may have won him over with it! All I know is that when baby #3 comes along my sister is going to be one busy lady!

I have to apologize to those people who I didn't get to see while I was home - Aunt Lynne and company - wish we could have worked it out, but the time just seemed to disappear under my nose! I hope you've had a lovely summer nonetheless. Anyone else I missed who is reading this, Mrs. Fitton perhaps, thanks for offer to come out to Goulais, just couldn't squeeze it in! Next time we are home we will come out and climb the bluffs! Anyone else I missed, my profuse apologies. But, thanks to everyone who made an effort to come visit and meet Barret - it was great to see you all and if anyone is headed across the pond - please let me know! Thanks to my mom and granparents as well for helping us get back to Toronto in time for the Jays vs Red Sox game the day we left! I know the goodbye was rushed, but thank you for all your efforts! We love you all.

So, after we spent a nice week and a bit at home, it was back to Toronto to watch Boston play Toronto at the Roger's Centre. my mom and granparents were headed up north to Kapuskasing so drove us half way to Sudbury, where we rushed to get on the bus in the nick of time! After a quiet bus ride to Toronto, Aunt Eunice collected us from the station and brought us to Hannah's. Thanks again for that Aunt Eun - it's so nice to be able to count on you! Hannah, Hannah's boyfriend Ben, Ben's dad, Barret, and I had a pizza dinner together and then all went downtown to watch the ball game. I was so thankful everything played out like it did and we made it to that game. Barret has always wanted to watch his favourite team play (Boston!) and it meant a lot to both us that we made it, despite complications getting to Toronto. It was a good game and for the majority of the time I was cheering for the Jays...sitting in the Red sox section. Whoops.

The next day we got a ride to the airport from Hannah and were off to Fredericton, New Brunswick! This was my first time out east and as we decended into the capital of the province all I saw were trees. New Brunswick is ALL FOREST! Fredericton is quite a small city, but it is quite charming with many old beautiful homes and gorgeous university campus. At the airport we were met by many members of Barret's family which was so nice to see! The time we spent in NB we stayed mostly with Sherry, Kenny and Owen, Barret's older sister, her husband and their son. We had a lot of really great dinners and fun times there with them. Poor Sherry though - the poor girl was near 9 months pregnant and ready to burst the whole time we were there! In fact, just on Saturday, she finally gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Jorja! It's too bad we couldn't have stayed just a little longer.

During our trip out east we spent 4 days camping on PEI. What a cool island! Barret took me to see Anne of Green Gables the musical - before you all groan, it was amazing! It was so funny! We also ate Cow's Ice Cream to our heart's content. I ate a lobster dinner (darn near took me two hours, but I did it!) and got to see the red cliffs of the island, which were so amazing! Not only did we visit PEI, but we went to Magic Mountain Waterpark and Magnetic Hill in Moncton, St. Andrew's by the Sea, the Bay of Fundy, AAAAAAAAAAAND Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia!! I have always wanted to go to Peggy's Cove. It was absolutely amazing. In fact, everything we did was amazing! We spent 3 hours up in the trees doing this adventure zip line tree climb thing called "treego" just outside Fredericton, it was awesome! Barret's mom did it and I was so proud of her! It's definitely not easy.

Meeting Barret's family was awesome. They spoiled us and I just felt so at home with them. His mom, sisters Brittany and Sherry, plus Kenny and Owen, great Aunt Bessie and Uncle Vaughn, his nana, his cousin Andrea, his dad, and his old boss Bart, all made me feel so welcome in their homes. I am so excited to see them all again! It was really good to see where Barret grew up and went to school - to imagine that he lived in such a small, isolated pocket in Atlantic Canada and we met in one of the busiest cities in the whole world... the irony! It was a fantastic summer and I feel so lucky to be who I am, where I am, and who I am with!

Anyway - back on England soil now for just over a week. I've started my new job and am SO happy in it! The people I work with are amazing and the kids are generally really well behaved and an absolute pleasure to teach. I have a ton of freedom with my curriculum and am able to do what I please with the work, following a very broad outline. I am also doing an after school art club with the younger ones which I start this week - so that will also be fun! I love being so close to work as well...the fact that it takes me about 15 min door to door I do NOT take for granted!I will keep you posted on my work as things progress, but so far, so good!

I hope that gets you all up to speed on my summer and where I'm at now!

Lots of love,
amy

The light at the end of the tunnel!

Okay, I know. Over two weeks since a blog. Fine. Sorry.

I can't even remember what I've been doing. Time has been a blurry mess that's zipping by me! However, there are a few really great things I can share with you. Firstly, I got a job for the fall. Not just any job, THE job.

I will not be chasing children down narrow streets trying to bring them back to school

I will not be breaking up fights

I will not dread going to work

I won't cry on the way home

I won't have to travel 1 1/2 hours just to get there

I won't be sworn at, or disrespected

I won't have my heart broken on daily basis because of the horrible lives my students live

I won't even have to pack a lunch.

I will however, get to teach just art on a full time basis

I will have a studio art room to teach in

I will look forward to work and not be in a hurry to go home

I will instead see the rich lives my students lead and the love from their parents they deserve

I will get to eat meals by the school's nutritionist which I wont have to pay a penny for!

I will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in my career

I have landed a job at a private preparatory school and will be the art specialist for years 5 and 6. I know I put in my dues this past years and nothing could make me appreciate the job to come in the fall more. The school is absolutely lovely - based in an old century Victorian school with brand new facilities inside. I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!!!! I have complete control over my curriculum as well, I have been given ideas to follow, but can do whatever I please! Lemme tell you, when I cover textiles, we are going to be making moccasins! I am so excited!!!

So, home in two weeks on Friday!!!!! I can't believe nearly a year has passed...It is so scary how the time flew by. I'm very excited to go home and see everyone. I am also MORE than excited to inform you I have only 7 teaching days (after today) left. The kids are off the wall and so am I by this point.

Before that though, one of my best friends Mel from Barrie and her boyfriend are going to be here visiting, and another friend from teacher's college is also passing through. It will be great to see some familiar faces!

Anyway, I'm off - I know this blog is short and lame, but I took the morning off to go see an eye doctor... I don't know if I'm just ALWAYS tired, or I need glasses, but I have to get this sorted!

Love you all and see you very soon!

Ps. My sister's coy way of getting me to blog/email yielded no results in finding out if she is having a boy or a girl! It was a ploy to get me to send her an email, but the baby was not cooperating so she doesn't know either!!! Erin, I will try to email you more soon. Even if I don't manage it, I will see you in two weeks!

God Save our Gracious Team...

...from getting their backsides kicked in when they return to England from South Africa! Because unfortunately, it's a little too late to save the England team from being bumped out of the World Cup. In a disastrous match against Germany that started out quite well but ended in disgrace has left the England team out of the coveted World Cup, again. It's been football fever over here for the last few weeks, but alas, the English could not keep it together so I am assuming things will die down, although it has been exciting!

Erin, thank you for the "gentle reminder" to blog. I know I have been slacking, but I always have an excuse. Whether or not it is a good one is debatable!

It has been an exciting couple of weeks here. Between the football and the highlight of seeing Rod Stewart, I got to go see Bon Jovi! That was a phenomenal concert! It took me back to the days of the "crossroads" album that my friend Kyle gave me when we were in grade 8. Those were the days I listened to Livin' on Prayer, Bed Medicine, and Wanted Dead or Alive, over and over again... I had no idea that one day I would be able to hear those songs played by the man himself in London! It was truly fantastic. Thanks to BW for taking me!!

Softball has been in full swing, although I suffered my first injury last week. I am used to getting knocked in the shins by a ball that I manage to miss, or a pulled leg muscle because I was too lazy to stretch, but last week during our league game I was the recipient of an injury that was not my fault. I hit the ball to short stop (ok, so maybe if I was a better hitter and it went OVER the short stop's head, I wouldn't have been in this situation, so it possibly could be my fault..) Anyway, hit the ball, ran to first base, and a rogue throw to the first baseman was missed and clocked me in the back of the noggin as I crossed the base! I went down like a ton of bricks and was seeing stars! Luckily, a bystander went to the nearest pub and got some ice for me which helped. I don't think I'm concussed, but it's unlikely I'd know the difference! Anyway, that's my latest softball story. My team is top of our division right now and we hope to keep it up!

It's an exciting week here! Canada Day is fast approaching and in London the ex-pats get together in Trafalgar Square for a massive celebration! There will be a ball hockey tournament, Native Canadian dancing, as well as traditional Canadian food (like poutine!). Canadian songstress Sarah Harmer will be performing and Canadian beer will be imported from back home so those away on our nation's birthday can celebrate Canadian style! Although most people have to work (myself included), hoards will be rushing out of their offices as soon as possible to join in the fun. I think I might just have "an appointment" at the end of the day! The softball team is also hosting a Canada Day/Independence Day Party on the weekend as well, which I am sure will be a blast! I am so glad that even though I am so far from home, I am still surrounded by my countrymen!

Well, I think that's it for now. Just about a month and I will be home.

I can't wait to see you all and I hope you are all doing well!

Lots of love,

Amy

Homeward Bound!

For a visit, anyway!

The last few weeks have been relaxing and hectic all at the same time. Between day trips to the coast and Oxford and softball games, the decision has been made about next school year - going to give teaching here another go! As much as the children here are nutty enough to drive anyone mad, I feel like right now this is the only certain teaching job I'll have, but, I can almost guarantee this will be the last year. My visa will be up and I will have two solid years of experience, but until then, I will remain in the asylum of London schools. And that means it's time for a visit home! I will be landing in Toronto on July 30th with Barret and will be up in the Sault for about two weeks before heading out east to Fredericton for a visit to his family. I can't wait to be home. As much as London is fabulous and exciting and vibrant, nothing beats home. I hope to show Barret all that is wonderful about Sault Ste. Marie and Northern Ontario (haha so thank goodness this visit is coming in peak weather time!) I also can't wait to see my little nephew and meet my niece! I can't believe she is 8 months old and I haven't met her yet... I'm so glad to be going home to visit, for so many reasons.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I took a day trip with Diana to Oxford. What an amazing experience! It was during exam time and students were walking about to and from their exams dressed up in full regalia! The city itself is quite small and nearly everything is accessible by foot. Many famous literary figures, such as Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland), TS Eliot, CS Lewis, Oscar Wilde, and Dr. Seuss, as well as political figures such as David Cameron (newly appointed Prime Minister of the UK), former US president Bill Clinton as well as former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and also the world famous architect Christopher Wren (St. Paul's Cathedral) have all studied at Oxford. However, I was most excited when I learned one of my favourite childhood characters also roamed the grand buildings during his studies. I laughed picturing Rowan Atkinson as his ridiculous character Mr. Bean shifting about through the ancient buildings causing mischief! Also, there is SO much of Harry Potter that is filmed at Oxford! I have certainly seen a lot of those movie scenes around here...!

Barret and I took a day trip out to the east coast of England to a place called Broadstairs. From here we hiked along white, 100 foot cliffs with beautiful bays tucked alongside. We hiked about 13km all the way to Margate just taking in the sun and the scenery. Sometimes we forget how beautiful and accessible the rest of England is when we are always thinking about going elsewhere in Europe. Speaking of which, I think I might be planning another visit to the family friends my sister and I spent Christmas with before I head back for summer holidays. Between weekend softball tournaments, concerts, and sorting my life out, I will definitely have to pencil that in!

Well, I think that is just about it. Only 1.5 months and I will be back on Canadian soil for the first time in just short of a year (wow...) It's scary how fast the time is passing, but I am constantly trying to live it to the fullest!

All my love,

Amy

If you want my body...

...and you think I'm sexy! - Rod Stewart

Provocative title, sure, but on Saturday night Barret and I got to see him live in concert, along with thousands of 50 something cougars reliving their teenage fantasies. Apparently Rod Stewart is a massive Celtics fan (football/soccer) and so during the second half of the show spent time singing and kicking footballs out to the crowd. They were huge kicks too! I didn't know the old bloke could put 'em out there like he did!

June is a month of concerts! With Rod Stewart down, two more big names to come within the following weeks. Jack Johnson will round off the end of the month, but on the 17th, Barret and I are headed to see the one and only Jon Bon Jovi! Again, I'm sure the crowd will be slightly similar to the Rod Stewart event, but I am sure it will be one heck of a show!! I am really looking forward to both concerts and will let you know all about them!

It's another week off here. Since we are still recovering from our last travel fiasco, we've decided to stay in England for the time. We have a few day trips planned and kicked off the holiday week with a softball bbq last night at the coach's place, a roof top terrace over looking London. Today, being a holiday for everyone else, the weather is crap, so we're sticking around London and going to putter around a bit. Tomorrow I am heading up to Oxford with Diana (I'm sure we can handle a day trip without getting ourselves turned around too much!) Wednesday Barret and I and maybe a few others are headed to a place called Botany Bay, a seaside place to explore and (hopefully) enjoy the weather. Thursday is an administrative day for both of us, then Friday we are back to Slough for another camping/softball weekend. The last one was a ton of fun, despite the weather, so we are hoping for a bit of sunshine and it should be perfect!

I can't believe the school year is nearly done... 7 weeks to go after this week off. Then what... yeah, who knows. Could be bigger, better things that include plenty of sunshine! OR plenty of darkness and snow... still all in the air!

Just a quick update - hope all is well!

Love,

Amy

Heat Wave!

London is notorious for it's rubbish weather. However, the past few days have been scorching hot without a cloud in the sky! Sunburns and heat stroke all around! During my last blog I wrote about camping out in what felt like the bleak midwinter to play in a weekend softball tournament, but THIS weekend we played in the hottest temperatures I've felt yet since moving to London. We played 10 games of softball over two days in a tournament just outside the city in the borough of Richmond Upon Thames - certainly one of the most beautiful places in London. We went 6-1 in the round robbin play, then went on to win two more games which put us into the final cup at about 5.30pm last night. It was a nail biter! The sweat was pouring and exhaustion had certainly set in. We played a bit of an insane Japanese team called the Godzillas (clever, I know!) and squeaked out a win with one run in extra innings, leaving the final score at 11-10. We won a trophy and some shirts, but bragging rights most importantly. Woo hoo! My left arm is a noodle right now and my elbow was causing me some serious discomfort... (Mom, I might get it looked at if it keeps happening). A great weekend all around!

So, back to work this morning absolutely knackered, but the sun is still shining and people are in a good mood. During my journey today I had to get off the bus early and walk part of the way home because I was going to be sick. The bus was SO hot and sardine can packed with people, and with the roadworks movement is not really smooth... so I got off. It was a good judgement call.

One more week of work and then it's off for one final week before the last 6 weeks of term. I can't believe I've been here for nearly an entire school year...it feels so strange! Barret and I haven't made any major plans for this coming week's holiday as we still recovering from our last vacation ordeal! We are planning a few day trips around England though because there is so much we have yet to see and as long as we are in the UK, no volcano can keep us from getting back!

Well, spending entire weekends playing ball games doesn't give me a whole lot to write about! I hope all is well back home and you are all enjoying some lovely weather as well. I will write again when I have something a little more interesting to report, although I am very proud of the team for the huge win this weekend!!!

Oh, and last week at work I got stung by a wasp.

Love,

Amy

Softball and trolls!

England does not boast a single baseball diamond. Yet, plenty of softball teams, mostly comprised of Americans and Canadians, can be found playing throughout the spring and summer in any field they can find that is flat! Last weekend there was a softball tournament in a place called Slough. Anyone local would look at me in disgust when I told them where I was heading to camp and play ball at for the weekend... I had no idea of the reputation this place had, until I read the poem written by Sir John Betjeman in 1937; here is an excerpt:

Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough!
It isn't fit for humans now,
There isn't grass to graze a cow.
Swarm over, Death!

Well, I didn't let that stop me. Thank goodness! 41 teams took part in a huge softball tournament and I got a lot of practice with a really great team. I'm still quite the beginner, since elementary school recess doesn't exactly count for much experience, but the people I've met have been fabulous, patient, and really helpful. The weekend was the worst as far as weather goes... rainy, cold, windy... the only thing missing was hail. The first night I froze nearly to death and just prayed for the morning to come! The second night wasn't as bad, but we didn't see the sun once the entire time (Maybe Slough's reputation exists for a reason!!) I had been borrowing a glove for the weekend, since I'm a rare lefty and certainly did not pack my primary school mitt when I moved in August, Buuut... wont be needing to borrow since I got a very nice surprise this week! To help me get even better at the game, Barret bought me a new softball glove! I was giving him heck for not helping with dinner, but during that time he had been seeking out the perfect glove for me online. What a guy! (The things he does to get out of cooking! ... kidding...haha)

I have recently realized how quickly my niece and nephew are growing. I can't believe I am missing so many exciting things in their lives. I haven't even met my nearly 6 month old niece and am sort of feeling a little homesick because of it... I am trying to get home at the end of July/beginning of August but will keep you all posted on that as soon as I know.

I have to share with all of you one of the funniest things I have heard in my life! I will start by saying this is a TRUE story and no part of it is fabricated at all!

A teaching assistant came into the staff room last week and told this story. She works one on one with an autistic boy and for the whole morning the boy had been talking about something exciting that had happened over the weekend, but that he wasn't allowed to talk about. The T.A. was starting to get a little worried, wondering if whatever happened had anything to do with his safety. So, to be sure, she spoke with the mother when she came to collect her son. The mother blushed, hung her head and agreed to tell the T.A. what has happened.... so....
The family has another son, 19, who is also severely autistic. To try to help him feel some independence they have been sending him to the corner store a few times a week to pick up a some things on his own. He is usually gone about 15 minutes, but this day he was taking longer than usual. Mom begins to get worried after about 1/2 an hour, 40 minutes. She decides to go find him. As she opens the front door, he greets her, hair a mess, clothes torn, scratches all over face, but shop bag in hand and a smile on his face. Not wanting to set him off, Mom asks, "sooo...did, um, you get everything you needed at the shop?" Son replies with, "sure did!" and sits down on the couch to watch tv. A little confused, Mom pushes it a little further, "um...well, anything else son?" Not fazed at all, the son says "well yes, I saw something else I wanted, so I took it". Mom is beyond confused now, but still wants to keep her cool, she asks "oh, well, what else did you pick up, then?" Keeping his eye on the tv, the son says "well, I saw a troll, I wanted it, so I took it". Bewildered, Mom asks, "troll, like t-r-o-l-l". Son says "yup. Saw him, chased him, caught him, and took him". Mom responds with, "oh. A troll, um, where is the troll now?" Son points out the door "in the garage". Wondering what on earth could be in her garage, Mom asks "do you mind if I go see your troll?" Son says "sure, but be careful". Nervously walking out to the garage, Mom throws open the garage door to find what her son deems a real, live troll......
.....only the rest of us would call this "troll" a dwarf, midget, or little person! The autustic boy had never seen a dwarf before and assumed it was a live, fairy tale creature, so he chased him through the park, rugby tackled him, and took him home! It certainly explained his appearance! After explaining to the poor bloke about her son's mental state, the mother asked the man, "why didn't you leave?!" and the poor, beat up, "troll" says "for f*cks sake, lady, I thought I was being kidnapped!!!!!" Thankfully, he didn't press any charges.

This is what happens on the outskirts of London!

I hope that left you with a little chuckle. I'm off to bed for now - love and miss you all!

amy

Addition to the most recent blog...

In my haste to spill all the details of my holiday I left out an incredibly important event and I cannot go on another moment without letting you all know. Most of you know me well enough to know I play the violin and have played in my share of orchestras and ensembles. Well, not only did I get to see several original Stradivarius AND Amati violins and cellos - I got to watch a renowned group play Vivaldi's Four Seasons - in Venice! Barret insisted on taking me, even though I said it was too much - he made me go and I have him to thank for that once in a lifetime opportunity. Thanks B.

While I'm here, nothing too major to report. I have fully recovered from my horrendous throat/mouth issue but suffered a good week and a bit! Soup was getting REALLY boring! On the weekend I saw some Dinosaurs at the Natural History museum and enjoyed a rained out softball tourny in a local pub! This coming weekend there is a softball tournament just outside London and I'm really looking forward to it (should be a really good time pending the weather behaves!)

I hope you are well. I appreciate the comments some of you post - it's nice to have some feedback! Also - if you post under anonymous and don't sign it - I still appreciate the comment but have no idea who posted it!

Lots of love,

Amy

Amy's Ridiculous Adventures!

Alright, fine. I know it's been nearly a month. But, for once, I have a legitimate excuse. A volcano erupted on my vacation and I couldn't get home to write a blog! Sounds totally fabricated, but you all know, it's not. I am not apologizing for the forces of mother nature (or the 3.50 euros an hour most internet cafes charge in Europe...)

Warning: I hope you have more than 5 minutes to read this.

So, where do I begin... the holiday began with Diana and I making our way to Berlin, as flawlessly as it gets with the two of us. We were able to see all kinds of things there, including the Reichstag (German parliament with a glass domed roof that shows a view all of Berlin) the Berlin wall, the Holocaust Memorial, the Victory Tower Brandenburg Gate, AlexanderPlatz plaza, Checkpoint Charlie, and some ruins from WWII. I think those were the majority of the things we saw, but the highlight of Berlin was going north of the city to Oranienburg to visit Sachsenhasuen. We went on a 6 hour tour of the Nazi concentration camp and learned so much. Unlike Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen was a concentration camp for political prisoners, not an extermination camp. Having said that, however, for the 9 years that Sachsenhasuen was under Nazi control, approximately 50,000 people died of exhaustion, starvation, or execution. I guess for most, it is ignorantly believed that gas chambers were the main way prisoners were extinguished, but it wasn't until In 1942 gas chambers were installed at Sachsenhausen which provided the Schutzstaffel Officers (or the SS as they are known) another way to kill Prisoners of War. It was a really interesting and sombre experience, being on the grounds were 50,000 people lost their lives and many more suffered horrendous conditions and treatment. I have always had great respect for the country I come from and the freedom from religious and political injustice those who came before so bravely fought for. I am so lucky. WE are so lucky.

After Berlin, Diana and I hopped on a train to Rotterdam, Netherlands. Well, it sounds easy enough, but Diana and I tend to get ourselves a little turned around and we ended up in the middle of nowhere going backwards on a train that we had already missed once because we can't read Dutch! Well, arrived safe and sound in Rotterdam, we are met by friends of Diana who she met a few years ago in the USA during a youth conference. Elise and Joanna. What AMAZING girls! It was wonderful to stay with them for 6 days and enjoy their company and see and understand a little bit more than we otherwise would have. We went to a few places to around Rotterdam, one in particular called Kinderdijk - windmills! Real, working windmills that people STILL LIVE IN! I thought that was really cool. It is amazing how much the country of Holland depended on them to keep the city dry! The country is just under sea level, so the windmills did much work displacing water elsewhere to crops while keeping it from flooding the cities. We also went and spent the day in Den Haag (or The Hague) where there is this amazing place Madurodam. I think it's mostly for kids, but we had a fantastic time exploring the entire country of the Netherlands - in miniature!!! It was SO COOL! Another place we went to was called the Keukenhof. These are the world famous tulip fields and flower gardens. This was a really relaxing day and Diana and I truly enjoyed this. The flowers were absolutely beautiful and it smelled so good!

Of course Diana and I went up to Amsterdam for a night. We waited in queue especially to see the house of Anne Frank - that was also a really somber experience. Knowing that 8 people were being hidden away in a hiding place, away from the rest of the world for 2 years...never to see the light of day... only to be betrayed and taken to concentration camps where 7 of the 8 perished, including the young Anne Frank - was shocking. If you haven't read the Diary of Anne Frank (it has other names too, The Diary of a Young Girl, or the Hiding Place) you must.

Amsterdam is an incredibly interesting city. Full of history and quite liberal views, the people of the city are very laid back, helpful, and always smiling. The city itself is completely walkable and Diana and I walked the entire thing! The canals are beautiful and bicycles certainly take over. Diana and I went on a pub crawl and got to enjoy the nightlife as well - we steered clear of the redlight district in the evening, but went through the next day on a walking tour. I asked the tour guide where the men were in the windows - she told me that someone had thought of it once and it was so popular the streets were overrun by women going to window shop! HAHA!

I said goodbye to Diana at the airport and fly into Pisa, Italy to meet up with Barret and Sandra. We went straight to see that leaning tower, and boy, is it ever leaning! I think one little shove and it's about to topple over! To be honest, there isn't a whole lot to see in Pisa other than that. So, we quickly took some pictures and off we went by train to Florence. We had an amazing hostel with a pool and nice pub area. All of Italy is incredibly rich in history, but today I believe Florence is probably most famous for housing the real Michaelangelo's sculpture of David. We made sure to get up early in the morning and go off to see that - it was pretty surreal to be standing right in front of it! We did some more sightseeing in Florence and enjoyed some really nice Italian food and Gelato, then off to Venice! What a crazy city! It is so hard to believe that it hasn't sank yet! Absolutely no cars, just canals with gondolas and other types of small boats and pavements for people to walk on. Bridges everywhere, piazzas everywhere, buildings that look the same everywhere... and a map that might as well be Times Square to guide you! We had some really funny times trying to navigate our way around and ending up in the same bloody spot we started! (then I took the map from Barret and we got home safely...) We stayed in a really crazy hostel - such a weirdo working behind the desk! I thought his mother died, really, he only lost his highlighter. Anyway, a bit of a dodgy place to stay, but everything in Venice is so expensive that we had to take what we could get! We forked out the dough for a gondola ride just to say we did it! It was really nice and relaxing though and I'm so glad we went for it! It was in Venice that we heard about the volcano in Iceland, we really weren't too worried to be honest with you. We thought it would blow over by the time our flight, 3 days later, came around. Well, hindsight is 20/20 they say for a reason!

From Venice we headed up to Turin, or Torino, host of the 2006 Olympics. We were determined to find the Olympic grounds to check it out. Well, we found it, but what a stinking disappointment! Everything in the Village was just left to rot. Shame, shame, shame. By Saturday, knowing our flights weren't going the next day, panic started to set in a little bit. We found an internet cafe and looked up flights from anywhere near by in the near future. We found something from Milan Wednesday, just two hours east of Torino, and hoped that the flight would run. Monday morning we headed out. At this time, I'm not feeling so hot. We got to Milan, checked into our hotel, and again, tried to figure out a solution to get ourselves back to London. No trains available, no flights, no buses. Hmm. Again, panic starting to set in because the way the BBC is putting it, there is no hope that our flight would go the next day. By Wednesday morning we say screw it! We are hopping on a train, ticket or no ticket, and we are getting the heck outta Italy! (Yes, there could be worse places to be stuck...but not more expensive!) We got on a train and sat in the luggage compartment, dreading the Italian ticket man who was bound to come by and throw us off for being stoaways... But, luckily enough, the man charged us about half price and went on about his business. At this point we are thanking our lucky stars that AT LEAST we would be in Paris by midnight! Not only that, but about two hours into the 8 hour ride, we got seats. The train staff were in fact amazing and compassionate people. I am very grateful I didn't have to sit cattle class for the duration of the ride! Once we got to Paris we had to get to another station in hopes to catch a train to Calais in the morning to catch a ferry to Dover. We walked about an hour and a half northbound only to find the station was closed. We joined the throngs of others waiting for Gare-du-Nord to open in a cafe where we sat in silence for nearly 3 hours. Tired, cold, a littler bitter, we were ready to go home. We were first in a 430am when the station opened and queued up straight away for tickets. We bought some to take us to Calais and hopped on a 730am ride north. Arrived in Calais and footed it to the pier where we luckily got tickets (whose prices were jacked up, OF COURSE) and sailed across to the White Cliffs of Dover. Waited another hour and a half and caught a national express home to London. I was passing out every chance I could get and when I woke up and saw "Deptford Townhall" (an area of town I would otherwise NEVER be pleased to see) I smiled. HOME! In Victoria Station I went straight to the walk in clinic to be told I've caught some sort of viral infection in my throat and mouth. What a souvenir of my trip!!!

Anyway, it's Sunday now and I'm just starting to see my ailments subside. This entire month has been insanely busy - even this weekend! Barret and I played in a softball tournament all day yesterday and went to watch a friend run the London Marathon today. I would just really like a little bit more sleep! I am off to get that now! I hope you all managed your way through that... I feel like I didn't do any part of my experience justice, but I had to get it all out before I forgot!

I do hope you are all well,

All my love,

amy

Grease is the word!

It seems I no longer have any creative introductions to my blogs lately because I'm always opening with an apology for being a slacker - so in keeping with the routine, I apologise for my laziness.

I just came back from a nice night out with Barret - we went to see "Grease" the musical. It was amazing! Yes, some parts were changed, but definitely for the better! There was an added bit where three guys in towels came out of shower stalls, singing into shower heads dancing their fit backsides off! Barret said, "well, they definitely made this more cheesy than it had to be" I just responded, "well, they made it for women - and we're loving it!" Honestly, though, it was an excellent show and regardless of what Barret might say, I know he liked it too :)

My Mom and Aunt left a few days ago from their 9 day trip to London. It was really fantastic having them here staying with me. Although I was working during the week, they bumbled about London on their own without getting lost and we regrouped in the evening. To be quite frank, I am thoroughly impressed by the ability of those two to confidently get around this crazy city. Never once did I receive a frantic phone call (from either them or the authorities) or come home to find them still sitting in the same spot I left them because they didn't know where to go! Well Done, ladies! The two of them got up to their own mischief, but while we were together we had a few really nice dinners, saw "Sister Act" the musical, did some shopping, enjoyed a Royal Afternoon Tea at a very posh restaurant in a ritzy area of London called Mayfair, but mostly just spent time together, enjoying wine, beer, or endless fish and chips! My mother, bless her dear heart, brought me peanut butter, among a myriad of other wonderful things, I have a decent supply of Kraft PB! THANK YOU MOM for everything you brought. I was so happy to have you and Aunt Eun stay!

It's just about that time again when a vacation is coming up! I have two weeks off starting on April 2nd and I have plans to go to Germany, Amsterdam, and Northern Italy! I am going to the first two destinations with my hilarious travel partner Diana for the first week. We are not really planning a whole lot, so I will have to fill you in after the fact! I have already done the southern bit of Italy, so the second week I am meeting up with Barret, who will already be there, for a tour of the north. We will be going to Pisa, Venice, and Torino - as far as I know! Again, I know I'll see the leaning tower and likely ride in a Gondola, but other than that, I will have to fill you in upon my return! I am looking forward to some much needed time off. I will just leave it at that because if I get going on these nutters I teach I'll work up a sweat and heart palpitations.

All my best to you all!

Love,

Amy

Runaways, Visitors, and a new friend!

Today, one of my worst teaching fears came to fruition. During my year 3/4's weekly "golden time" (free time) three of my students planned a successful escape from school. I have to say that it was well-organized, thoughtful, and was executed seamlessly. I believe that two of them were the brains behind the job and the third was merely recruited for his height, as the door has a lock on the top that couldn't be reached by either of the other two. The rule goes that if you can track a rogue beast, er, a runaway student I mean, you must. If not, call the police. The escapists were, in fact, trackable and so half the staff was running amuck through the narrow streets of St. Mary Cray, South London, trying to wrangle them back to the school. The fear was, that it was nearly time to go home and that there would be a lot of traffic, but thankfully, one returned by his own accord (the tall one, who clearly didn't know what he had gotten himself into but soon realized the severity of his actions) and after some frantic phone calls the other two were found safely at home with their fathers who didn't seem to give a care that their sons were out galavanting instead of at school. Anyway, nothing surprises me anymore and I try not to let my heart rate flicker much, or else, I'd already be dead.

Tomorrow my mother and Aunt Eunice are arriving from Canada. I am so very excited to see them both and have some family come to see me. I will be working the majority of the time, but will have two weekends and all evenings with them, so it will be lovely! They've got each other to explore the city with so I wont feel so bad going off to bring home the bacon! I might actually drag them both to south London to see where I work. I can always use the extra hands and bodies (even just to barricade the door!!) Also, ironically, this Sunday happens to be Mother's Day in the UK, so what perfect timing!

Most people would agree that London is a melting pot of cultures. There are little pockets of ethnicities clinging to each other all around the city, and the Canadian population here seems to be no different. When we meet, we stick together. Well, I've met someone that I've been stuck to during most of my spare time lately! Hailing from just outside Fredericton, NB, a secondary school history and phys. ed teacher, is a fantastic guy called Barret (I sing him "Barret's Privateers" quite often, so if that's what you thought of, go for it. He loves it..*note the sarcasm) It's really nice having someone around with the same career to understand the daily grind, complain to, laugh and work out problems with. I also kick his rear end in scrabble, which gives me great pleasure! However, he holds his own and takes GREAT pleasure in beating me in just about everything else, from bowling to frisbee and everything in between. Here is a picture from his birthday last weekend!

Anyway, as always, I hope all is well back home in whatever you all may be up to. I hear it's been warm! That's fantastic!

I will try to post while my Mum and Aunt are here - until then - stay safe, lots of love,

xxx amy xxx

Oh Canada!

Before I get anywhere on this, I must point something out. If anyone reads the comments that are sometimes left on my blogs, I apologize for my sister's spelling. Erin, please. The word is "gently"... not what you put... look it up. Ok, now stop laughing! I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, dear sister, but let this be a lesson to you all. Use a dictionary. You never know where your words might take you otherwise!

Carrying on...

Well as the Olympics wrapped up with an amazing OT goal I couldn't be more proud to be Canadian! In a sea of people who must clarify "oh, ICE hockey, you mean" I can say I was in the presence of several proud to be Canadians to enjoy the final game. The fact that our country took the most gold medals ever in an Olympic winter games was icing on the cake, especially compared to my British counterparts who seem to be getting weaker and more obsolete with each passing of the winter games. One measly meager medal. Ok, fine, it was a gold, but still. Come on, Britain! Placing just ahead of only Estonia and Kazakhstan among the entirety of the medal winners... I suppose the coping skills, or lack of, that I witnessed earlier this year when a little bit of snow fell was foreshadowing of how this country would do when competing amongst it!

Anyway, rant over. In other news, my mom and Aunt Eunice are going to be here in 9 days! I can't believe it! I'm so excited to see them both and get some proper peanut butter! You might be laughing, but when you are stuck with what they consider to be PB here, you would understand where I'm coming from! (I made sure to say that I was excited to them first, if you noticed, however). My Aunt used to live in London for a while, so they wont be getting too lost when I'm working, thankfully! I'm really looking forward to it and I know they are too.

Volleyball is really a lot of fun! I'm going again tonight and am happy to have found a really interesting and nice group of people. It's just a social group that likes to get together and play amongst themselves and occasionally do other matches and tournaments. They also do beach and summer matches as well, so pending on what happens this summer, I'll likely be involved in that.

I've also found a really fun and crazy church! Crazy in the best way possible. It's called Hillsong and it's in the heart of central London in the theatre that houses the We Will Rock You show, so just by the venue you can imagine the sort of church it is. It's very much like a concert! Some people don't see the appeal and are in fact turned away from it completely because of it, but I think it's a really interesting approach to spreading the word. It's full of young, happy, smiling people who are on their feet dancing and praising - albeit no one can hear themselves or the person next to them sing, but, all the reason to sing louder!

Off to get some things done before volleyball tonight... I always hope the best for everyone back home, chins up - It's March now and soon the winter blues will be over and the crocuses poking out of the melting snow!!

Loads of love,

amy

Ahh Paree...!

Alright, so I know it's time to post a blog when I get a kind, "gentle reminder" from my older sister. Thanks, Erin...! What can I say - life just flies by at record pace in this city!

I'm back to work this week after a week off. I sure kept myself busy and entertained and, unfortunately, the time flew by! During the week I played badminton with this group of Asians and got my backside handed to me, I went to a redneck racetrack to see cars worth less than my last pair of shoes bumble around the course until there was nothing left of them, and then I went to Paris with Diana, her sister, and her friend.

Paris was amazing. Although, I was in a great deal of pain because badminton had been the day before we left, and unless you are an avid player, you use muscles you forgot existed and my body was refusing to cooperate when I told it to move... Nevertheless, we took the Eurostar from London to Paris and played the tourist game for a few days in France! We went to the Bastille, the Louvre, Notre Dam, L'Arc de Triomphe, climbed the Eiffel Tower, ate crepes and other such French food, as well as watched the Vancouver Olympics in a Parisian Cafe. Oh, and we attempted to go see Versailles, but I'll explain that...

The Louvre itself is an architectural marvel and I was thrilled to see the Mona Lisa, the Raft of the Medusa, Liberty Leading the People by Dealcroix, and other works by Raphael, Leonardo, Vermeer, and Carravagio... it was unreal! The Mona Lisa is rather puny in comparison to her reputation, but otherwise, it was still absolutely fantastic.

Climbing the Eiffel Tower is a feat for most people. I would say that on any given day it would be a welcomed bit of exercise for me... but the bodily harm I suffered through my day of strenuous sport prior to my trip to Paris made for an incredibly challenging climb. (Okay...I know badminton isn't exactly rugby, American football, or even a bloody stairmaster... but I thought I was knocking on death's door when I reached the top of that tower!!!) The view, however, was worth it all.

Diana really wanted to go see the Palace at Versailles and we were all in agreement. It was about 4.00pm and we were scheduled to leave on the Eurostar back to London at 8pm. Plenty of time we thought. We asked how long it would take to get there and we were told "trente minute" - 1/2 an hour - perfect! We saw a train leaving to Versailles and hopped on it. However, little did we know, there are 3 different "Versailles" destinations in Paris... about quatre-vingts (80) minutes later... we arrive in the sketchiest, dirtiest, French ghetto I could imagine. No palace in sight, sadly the only thing even remotely royal that could possibly be nearby would be a shady French version of Burger King! I guess it's a good thing Paris is just a hop away and there is a chance of seeing the real Versailles some point in the future!

I have decided that badminton really isn't a sport I want to commit to, so I've joined a volleyball league which begins tonight! Volleyball certainly is not a popular sport here, so I had to dig around for a league. Apparently there are a lot of Canadians on the team which doesn't surprise me at all. It will be a great way to meet some new people around where I'm now living. I will let you know how it all goes!

Well, loving life at the moment! It will soon be March which means the rain may start to think about ceasing... I hope all is well with you all!

Lots of love,

Amy

:) :) :) :) :)

I am getting really terrible at posting blogs, I realise this and will consciously make a stronger effort starting NOW to post more! I think I've said that before, this time, I mean it!

Where do I start?

I will first start off by saying I have never happier in my entire life. Professionally, I finally feel like I am finding my feet as a teacher, as much as I am making mistakes every single day and am continually making a spectacle of myself in front of my pupils, I feel as though I've actually learned something and am making progress. Basically, I am not as rubbish as I used to be! I have always had my independence as a person, but lately it's in full force. I have also found my cooking skills, as well as other domestic pursuits and take the time to enjoy them.

All of this has culminated from my moving house! As much as I loved my 57 year old Scottish housemate, bits of me were dying living with him! I now have as much space as I could possibly ask for, a flatmate who I get along with famously (and who is only around on weekends!) and am living only a skip away from the centre of it all. Friday night I went for a run and in 10 minutes was running along Southbank past Big Ben and Parliament! My time getting to and from work has now been cut in half and includes NO BUSES if I don't want it to! Life is just easier here!

I've also got something exciting to look forward to in July! If you are living in Sault Ste. Marie and know my family, or are part of my family, this is old news to you as my mother would have already filled you in :) A friend I met over Christmas who is in the Royal British Navy has extended an invitation to accompany him to the Queen's Garden Party. I am going to meet the Queen! I said I would and somehow it's going to happen! Big hat, gloves, and learning how to curtsey are on my ever growing to do list!

Yesterday was a great day - Georjean's (my relative in Glasgow) two kids, Kirsten and Craig and his girlfriend Jamie came down to London for the day! They were going to a concert in the evening but wanted to see some of London during the day, so I donned the tour guide hat and showed them as much of London as I could without making them cry from exhaustion! Diana met us during the day and stayed for dinner in Notting Hill. Off they went to their concert and I left them to their own devices to find their way back! It was really great to see Kirsten again and to meet Craig and Jamie. I love that I've got family in the UK!

I have next week off work and was thinking about going to Tenerife (a popular destination in the Canary Islands) but at this time of year it's just not as hot as I want it to be! I want 30 degree weather and it's about 20 degrees. So, instead, I will be working (supply teaching in another borough) for a few days and going to Paris with Diana and her sister! I think it'll be great! I will make a few extra pounds and still travel a little bit!

I think that is just about it! I hope that everyone is doing well wherever you may be.

Come on over anytime!

Lots of love,

Amy

Snow. I didn't think you would follow me here...

I am starting to lose my mind. The lack of coping skills this country has when it comes to a little dusting of the white stuff is one of the most frustrating things in the world. Over the past two weeks my school has been closed 3 times and each time I have made my way there only to be phoned 5 minutes before arriving to tell me the school was shutting. Today I traveled for 6 hours to and from work (not to actually work at all)... the traffic was appalling. It turned into a "why me" day very quickly!

Anyway, moving on. My new job. I work a zillion miles away at a little rural school and I LOVE IT. It's becoming a challenge to get there, especially in this "awful winter weather" ... baaaah... But everyone is friendly, helpful, and the kids are fairly good! All in all, I am pretty sure I will not get bit. The kids are 10-11 years old, so I get to do "real teaching" with them! As I look back at my experience in Peckham I realized, there is no deeper, darker place to teach in London, one of the toughest places to teach anywhere as it is - and I survived! I feel like now I can teach anywhere! So, that warrants the question... where will it be next?! Some ideas are mulling around in my mind...

This weather is really putting a damper on a whole lot of things, including my social life! People are SCARED to go anywhere and trains and buses don't run... their brains turn to mush and I just shake my head. Sigh. I actually don't even think it's funny or entertaining anymore. I'd rather be in Canada where they can deal with the crap than here wondering what the Mayor and his minions have been doing! The mayor was asked about the same situation last year when it snowed a little what his observations were...his response "Well, I observed that snow was falling from the sky" ...... need I say more?

A blog about the weather... my apologies!

amy