November

Alright, so nearly 2 months since a blog seems like a cause for concern, one might say. However, things happen quite slowly in this country and in 2 months not a whole heck of a lot has happened! The only thing that has happened quickly is the departure of both the Principal of the whole school and the Head of Primary. They were dropping like flies for awhile but things seem to be under control now.

We’ve made it through the first half term somehow and were able to enjoy a great holiday away in Oman. We’ve just returned and are back to work today – but only 6 weeks until Christmas holidays! We had some fantastic experiences in Oman and felt very lucky to get out of this dust swept abyss of Qatar. Even though Oman is not far from Qatar at all and is a Middle Eastern country we were shocked with the difference. The Omani people were incredibly kind and even had a sense of humour about them – something we have yet to see in Qatar. The country is also very beautiful with plenty of mountains, trees, and desert to keep anyone occupied. The 4 of us, Jen, Aaron, Barret and I stayed with some friends of Aaron’s parents in Muscat for a few nights. They took great care of us! They took us out on their boat where we could really get a taste of the good life Oman has to offer. From Muscat we drove south in our rental car and stayed in a really cool Dive Lodge. We got to sleep in these great little huts, surrounded by mountains and the sea. From there we headed to the desert! We had an Omani pick us up in a 4 wheel drive and drive us 45 minutes deep into the Wahiba Sands desert where we stayed in Bedouin style tents for two nights. Aside from the tents smelling like the camels wandering around, it was awesome! We had a relaxing two days playing on the sand dunes, playing games, and yes, riding camels. It was one of the things to do on my “bucket list” and now it’s been checked off. 10 minutes on one of those animals and I wondered why I ever wanted to do it in the first place… talk about discomfort! Anyway, it was a wonderful and well deserved holiday. I felt very lucky to spend it with my good friends and husband (it still seems crazy to call him that!)

I never thought I would, but I’ve taken up golfing. A bunch of us from school have been going for lessons throughout the week and it’s starting to become fun because I am actually hitting the ball. Ha! It’s not only the fun of playing, but to go to the golf course is a pleasure in itself. The landscape is beautiful, the grass is soft and green, the people are normal, and I somehow find myself having visions of retiring in Myrtle Beach as a leathery old lady driving a golf cart and dragging around some pink golf clubs. We’d better start saving I guess! Just outside Doha is an interesting course – it’s a sand course and where I played my very first 9 holes on Saturday. I even got par on the last hole! One of the main reasons I didn’t do as badly as one would expect, is because Barret was an unbelievably supportive husband and kept telling me I was doing well, even when I hit the ball in the water and got the golf cart stuck. What a gem. The possibility that I might actually get half decent at this game is fantastic - so much to look forward to wherever we go.

My birthday passed just before our holidays - 28 years old. Barret made sure I had all the DQ ice cream cake I could eat and organized thai food and bowling with our school friends so it was a lovely day - thanks again, B. Funny, I never noticed the time passing as a child, or hardly even as a teenager. I always looked to the future, not back at the past. But, somehow now I have all of these memories that seem so close, as if they only happened yesterday. One of my friends from the first cruiseship I worked on is happily married and pregnant, living in Abu Dhabi. When I think of her I think it was only a short time ago we met and were having a crazy time in the Caribbean - but it was over 7 years ago. I guess living each day to the fullest and taking every opportunity you are given is the most important thing to remember. I have much to be thankful for and as unclear as the future is I know it will be exciting. And it will include golf.

As much as living in the present is important, I can't help but think of where we might be in 6 weeks time. We have been looking into trips and will need to book something soon. Sri Lanka might have the best weather out of the places we've been looking. We don't have enough clothes to last us a week somewhere cold so we're going to stay away from Europe and keep our eyes east, likely somewhere in South East Asia. It would be great to visit some other countries where we might consider moving for work BEFORE we get jobs there. There is some excitement in going in blindly, like we did with Qatar, but I think it would be better knowing where what we are getting ourselves into before hand!

Well, I've updated you as much as possible as to what has happened in the last two months, sure not as much as the excitement we had in England, but it's good to be a bit more relaxed I suppose. I hope you are happy and healthy and are looking forward to the holiday season. I will truly miss Christmas adverts on TV, decorations in malls, and just the overall feel Christmas brings. I might miss the snow for 1/2 an hour, but that's it :)

My love to you all,

Amy

Our experience so far...

Yes, time for a new blog! Over the past few weeks things have all of a sudden become very busy. We went from lying in wait for something, anything to happen… and now we are overwhelmed with the amount of things we must do and try to squeeze in the things we want to do! We are into our 3^rd week of work and 2^nd week of having students – I have plenty to tell you!

When we first arrived and lied in wait for 2 ½ weeks during Ramadan in the +50 heat we truly thought we might shrivel up and die. The heat is exhausting and pretty well unbearable. Generally speaking I do enjoy the heat, I really do, but in Qatar my vital signs and bodily organs just want to take a vacation. They don’t cope very well. However the worst of it is over - it’s getting better day by day and I think we hover around +40 now. Another month and we’ll be laughing!

I have had some truly “unique” Middle Eastern experiences. Cultural experiences, if you will. One of these was being hauled off at 5am from a day of work to wait outside in a queue of hundreds of screaming women and children pushing and shoving at the government medical centre for a medical check up that I never got because I wasn’t registered as a teacher with the school and was told I would have to endure the experience all over again...I say that’s a “cultural experience” because nowhere in the western world would that have been tolerated. All I am thankful for is that Barret did not have to go through what us “women folk” went through, otherwise, I’m sure I’d be telling you this story in person!

Having said all that, I will say that I have had a wonderful experience at a private hospital on a personal level. Two weeks ago I was in a right state… I will not get into detail in order to remain dignified… but let’s just say food was not the first thing on my mind. Barret was starting to lose it and was getting very worried about me (such a good husband!) so he spoke with the principal of the school who arranged for a driver to come collect me and bring me to a private clinic. I had excellent treatment and had all my medications paid for. It was definitely reassuring after the fiasco I had experienced only days before!

So, school. Leaving Canada I was under the impression that I would be teaching grade 2. When I arrived in Doha one of the Heads of Kindergarten told me that’s what I would be teaching. However, a few days before school began the Vice Principal of the school and the Head of Primary knocked on our door, sat on our sofa, and asked if I’d like to teach PE on a full time basis. They said my resume jumped out to them… not because of any of my experience over the last two years in England, but because of my “sporty” personal life, experience teaching swimming, and camp involvement. I was slightly hesitant, but just said I would do it. And I am so glad! I have a fantastic, fun department and have a lot of freedom teaching. I get to teach swimming nearly every day of the week and can wear SHORTS and a TSHIRT to work everyday! That HAS to be the best part! Occasionally I teach a few lessons outside and boy, if I were wearing longer pants and shirts I would pass out. I am so very lucky and not taking my new position for granted. It sure is a change from last yea r though!

The students are very different from ones I have taught in the past. Most of these children are incredibly wealthy and they know it. At the primary level this is not really a problem, but the kids Barret deals with get more pocket money from their parents to spend at the shop than we do working our butts off! In my classes I have yet to meet any truly naughty children. The young ones are generally not poorly behaved but can be very high strung and their listening is not the greatest, not because they are bad, but because they are excited. However, the older the boys get the more they refuse to listen, especially to women. I was covering a class for a colleague and chubby boy said to me “Miss Amy, I am not going to play your games. I will sit here” and he refused to join. Had he been in my own class I would have dealt with it differently, however, I just told him “you are lazy. And rude”. And I walked away and left him in the corner. I don’t have time to be dealing with that! As these kids grow their respect for a)women b) foreigners dwindles day by day. They have all the money in the world and can’t justify in their minds why they need an education. Motivating these kids will be our biggest challenge. My second biggest challenge will be learning all their names! Last year I had 220 names that I learned within the first few weeks at school. This year I have about 320 and all of the names are the SAME!!!! Mohammed, Abdulla, Abdulrahman, Fatima, Al-Anoud, Lolwa, Noora… There are about 20 boys names and 20 girls names. That’s it. When I am taking attendance I sometimes I have to go through to their 3^rd name to find out who they are. Then I forget. I forget these names SO easily… it’s very strange. I can’t pronounce half of them either! The worst part is that they ALL know my name, even if I don’t teach them! They chase me down in the playground and say “hello Miss Amy!” and I just say “Hiiii…” back. It’s awful and I feel badly, but my brain is not wired for this, yet.

We’ve met some really fantastic people since we’ve been here. Jen and Aaron are a married couple that live above us and we spend a good amount of our free time with them. They are about our age and we have a lot of similar interests. Aaron is from New Zealand and teaches year 6 boys in the school. Jen from Philly and is an interior designer who is looking for work, for her sake I hope something comes through or the poor girl will lose her mind! We are very thankful to have them to relate to and to relax with. There are plenty of other people we see a lot at school and at home (since everybody lives on the compound) who we really like. A couple Canadians, a few Americans, a handful of Irish, Kiwi’s and Aussie’s and a whole truckload of South Africans!

Everyday we are learning new things about this culture and our ability to adapt to it. Patience is key in this country and it is being practiced on a daily basis in every place we go. Getting run over by an Arabic woman with her grocery cart is normal. We don’t get upset about it anymore, it just happens.

I hope this is enough of an update for now -

As always - all my love,

Amy

The new adventure has begun!

So here it is - the inaugural blog of my new life!

After an exciting last few weeks in London filled with good times and good byes it was off to Canada for wedding preparation and visiting family and friends. It was then to southern Ontario for our wonderful wedding, followed by a drive out to Fredericton and now here we are, in the middle of the hot, sandy desert in Doha, Qatar. To say it's been a whirlwind of summer is a gross understatement!

Our wedding was wonderful. It was too quick but was really fantastic! We had such a wonderful time - thanks to everyone who helped make that day special, we are so very thankful. We cannot wait to get some more photographs and will be posting any we can online. If you were there you know Ben was taking plenty of photographs and video and is making a wedding video for us. Once it's done I will be sure to post the link on here so you all can watch!

We left for Qatar unsure of many things. Unsure what to do with our documents to make sure they were valid, visas, our accommodation, what we would be teaching, clothes to wear, and how we would be getting around the city. There were so many things we didn't know it was impossible to even get our heads around it. We certainly knew less than more, if that makes sense! After an incredibly long flight, sitting apart, hot and sweaty - we arrived to a dark, hot place. Thankfully, our apprehension was soon alleviated as two wonderful staff members from our school met us at the airport with massive signs in hand! We both got welcome packs filled with information, including a pre paid SIM card for our phone as a gift from the school. We met some fellow Canadians and soon felt much better. We were dropped off at our compound (which, amazingly, is right beside our school) and found our apartment. We were shocked! The accommodations are HUGE! We have three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a king size bed. The kitchen is not perfect, but it's pretty darn good for being free. We have all the basics and will slowly work to collect other things to make our place homey. We haven't fully unpacked yet but we are working on it!

We've had two tours of the city on a bus so far and are starting to get our bearings. It's a funny place. Everything is sandy and dusty, there are tiny patches of grass scattered throughout the city, but it's not common. The Qatari people have so much money that they just build places. Look up on google images the Doha skyline. These buildings are beautiful and the architecture is quite advanced. You'd be shocked to know that most of them are empty. The people here are anticipating growth and for good reason. Within the last few years the population has grown 9%. The vast majority of the population is expatriate, mostly being from India. The local people are easily recognizable with the women wearing traditional black covering from head to toe, some even covering their entire face with a black veil. The men wear a white covering from neck to ankle with a headdress that has several variations - I am in the process of finding out with the different things mean. It's very interesting. These men, however, do think they are better than the rest of the world. And definitely better than women. An Irish girl we've become friends with kept getting shoved to the back of the queue by Qatari men while trying to exchange money. However, so far I have not had any problems.

We had our first meeting at the school today. We received a lot of information and got to have a tour. It is an amazing facility! Huge indoor pool, gym, and everything a school needs. The best part is that we only have to walk through a gate to get to school! I still don't know what exactly I will be teaching. I was told it would likely be grade 2 and upon arrival I was told kindergarten. At the meeting today I asked for some clarification and now I've been told "no one knows for sure". Haha. So I will have to wait and see. I don't mind either way! There is a new principal and plenty of new heads of departments and whatnot - new, fresh ideas and determination - I think we will have a good time and will have our ideas listened to. I am truly looking forward to work!

Right now is near the end of the Holy month of Ramadan. The time of the year when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. We are not Muslim and are not fasting, however we must respect the culture and not eat or drink anything in public during daylight hours. Including water and chewing gum. It's very important for us to respect this for any hope of successfully blending in! The sun has nearly set so we are off to find some food nearby and get some other shopping done. Speaking of shopping - ANYTHING you want - you can get here! All American franchises are here:McDonalds, Subway, Burger King, Dairy Queen (that store wasn't even in London!) Ponderosa, Applebee's, Chili's... the list goes on! Anyway - I hope that's enough of an update for now - I will surely have plenty more to share as the days go on! I will likely blog again soon since we have a lot of time until school begins and cannot leave the country...

All my love,

Amy

2 weeks and counting!

Nearly 2 years have passed and I am fairly sure this will be my last blog from the UK. I fly home in exactly two weeks to the day and I have plenty to keep me busy until then.

Things at work have been very successful. All 220 reports have been signed and proof read, the art exhibtion is up and has been admired by doting parents, and I can nearly say "my work here is done". I spent all of yesterday on a ladder hanging things from the ceiling or hanging pieces of art on the wall. It was 32 degrees and no air conditioning! It was a completely exhuasting day but yesterday was all worth it. I have only 6 1/2 more teaching days at the best school in the world before I have to say goodbye - I am dreading it. I hate goodbyes and would rather just slip out the backdoor in this case. I hate the idea that I might cry in front of the children in assembly as well! I guess it will just show how much I loved my time here and how much they will be missed.

Admist all the work things going on there is also plenty of parties to plan/attend. This weekend is my "hen" night here in London. My great friend Jane from work is doing all the planning and really knows how to throw a party - I am very excited! I will likely be dressed up in pink feathers and a crown, but I think I'll accept that! I have no idea what she is planning but Barret knows and thinks I will truly enjoy it. Friday night is Canada Day (duh) and the big party in Trafalgar Square will be in full swing again. Blue rodeo is headlining this year so that's very exciting! I will be escaping work at soon as it's possible and heading down to the festivities. There will be Tim Horton's donuts and last year I didn't get any, so I'm on it this time!

Two weekends ago Barret and I had a nice weekend away in a place called the New Forest. It should be called the Old Forest, since we stayed in Charles II's old hunting home, built well over 400 years ago. It was unreal! Such an amazing hotel! It was quintessentially English with big leather chairs, massive fireplaces, afternoon tea, and a tartan rug. The hotel also had a beautiful spa that we could enjoy and we spent a good chunk of time there. It's a good thing because we spent the weekend biking in the cold pouring rain and needed a good warm up!

This past weekend Barret took me to see Glee Live in concert. Alright, laugh if you must, but it was AMAZING! It was possibly one of the best concerts I have ever been to! It was really entertaining and the music was fantastic. The cast was really excited to be in London as well, so it was a great atmosphere. Barret was worried he was going to be surrounded by screaming teenage girls, instead we were sitting with other couples our age! Poor suckers who were dragged by their girlfriends, fiancee's, or wives. I don't care what any of them say - they secretly LOVED every minute of it.

Between Barret taking me away for the weekend, attending the Year 6 play, taking me to see Glee Live, and coming to show his support at the Summer Art Exhibtion - he's been a real gem! Grumbling about it all inside I'm sure, but still there with a smile on his face for ME. Thank you Barret for being as sweet as humanly possible lately and really trying. I love you for it! So glad I'm marrying YOU!

Well, for now I think this will be it. I have so very much to do in the coming weeks I'm sure I wont have all the time in the world for blogging. I cannot wait to see everyone at home and I hope you've all enjoyed reading. Until Amy's Awesome Adventures - Part 3 - Life in Qatar begins, you'll have to pop round my mum's for a cup of tea and scones and we can chat face to face! From July 16th until August 3rd I will be there!

Much love,
Amy

Even MORE to do now!

London's pace is one of the quickest but somehow it seems to have hastened! I have so much on the go and literally days left here before I head home (33 to be exact!). The rush is on and even after an amazing holiday in Croatia I do not feel relaxed.

Croatia is a stunning country. It's still quite untouched and not being part of the European Union it feels quite foreign. We had fantastic weather, although it thunder stormed most evenings, which after a hot day was welcomed. We made some really great friends and saw some really remote islands. The highlights of the trip were pretty clear to me. When we first arrived in Zadar we took a ferry across to an island called Uglian where we hiked up to the highest point where the remains of a 14th century Venetian fort stands - it was an amazing view and really great exercise! After two nights in Zadar we hired a car and drove the new highway at 150 kph (only 20 over!) to Split then took the coastal road to Dubrovnik where we met our ship, the "Kneza". One of our first stops was an island called Mljet, a fairly remote and undiscovered place. In the middle of the island is a lake where we went swimming in the middle of the night. It was incredible! There was some kind of phosphorus element that made the water glow when you swam in it. It was incredible! The stars were shining so brightly in the sky and it felt like I was swimming in them too! As we sailed up the coast we stopped at an island called Korcula, where little did I know, Marco Polo was born! The whole trip was amazing - we saw such gorgeous scenery, had beautiful weather, enjoyed the company of good friends, AND most importantly - I didn't barf ONCE! I came close a few times, but didn't! Success!

So here I am again, supposed to be writing reports but begin distracted by my blog (or anything really at this point!). I have less than two weeks to get over 150 done and less than two weeks to sort everything for the Summer Art Exhibtion. I am not panicking yet but I probably should be. I cannot believe 4 weeks today is the LAST day I will spend with these children. I'm in shock it's gone by so quickly. Such exciting things to come though!

I have my final dress fitting on Saturday which I am very excited about - hopefully I can just get that out of the way and know it's all ready to go. Just about all of the big important things are sorted for the wedding! All of the small things I am leaving till the last minute when I get home where I have friends and family to help! Yes yes you will all be employed one way or another...lol.

I have to run to go teach a design class - sorry this update is rather short!

All my love,
Amy

So much to do, so little time!

The only reason I am not writing reports is because the only computer I could find for 1/2 an hour while I'm waiting for paint to dry does not have the report program installed - hence the few minutes I have to blog!

This week years 4, 5, and 6 are all out on school journeys across the UK and Europe. You'd think with the bulk of my classes being in those year groups I would have an easy week, with lots of time to write reports and get everything sorted that I need to. Well, not the case! Year 6 have a school play which they need the backdrop painted for (to be done by yours truly) however with the head of year 6 in Scotland and not agreeing with any ideas that have been come up with here, I'm sitting between a rock and hard place, just waiting for someone to say "paint!". I've covered the scene that was on there before and am now waiting for the okay and for what's there to dry. I hope the okay comes sooner rather than later! Since the whole upper school is out of classes there is space to paint, otherwise come Monday, I will be working outside and I'm sure it will be raining!

I am also teaching all of year 3's English lessons this week because their teacher has gone on a school trip. It's good practice for the fall I suppose - I've been blinded to what being an actual classroom teacher is like since I muck around in paint all day :) On top of a backdrop waiting to be painted, extra classes, reports looming, the school puts on what's known as the Summer Exhibition - an art exhibition that takes over the school for an entire week which features all of the work the students have done in Design and Technology and Art. The lady I work with, Helen, and I will be working our behinds off making sure everything is in presentable order and ready to be shown off come the week of June 27th. I know that's over a month away - but when you will be dealing with at least 1000 pieces of student work, you need to give yourself time!

We've been playing a lot of softball lately, well it seems like a lot! Each of us play at least once a week and try to go watch each other. Barret has also been umpiring other games to make a few extra £...we can take all the money we can get! Thanks for working so hard for us, Barret! I have a game tonight right near my school, so instead of going home I'm just going to camp out here and paint, write reports or do anything I might be able to get out of the way! Tomorrow night we don't play but we're going to some comedy show so still a night out!

Oh I have a request from ANY ONE! For the wedding we need to find some kind of something rather to show where we are supposed to stand and have the ceremony, ie - an arch, flower pots, something... Does anyone have any ideas? Anything lying around in your backyards? I am totally open to suggestions! As for the rest of the wedding plans, well, things are coming along. I made a list and so much of the stuff I have to worry about when I get back to Canada, so thankfully I can procrastinate! It will be crunch time when I get home, but it will all be fun!

I think we are going to Brighton this weekend. We've never been and it's definitely a place you have to visit if near London. It's a beautiful sea side town with quaint shops and lovely places to afternoon tea and watch the world go by. We were originally planning on going down to Dorset to see our family friends, the Rouse's, but that couple moves quicker than we do! They are all booked up for any free weekends that we have, so we are not able to go down, which is really too bad because we all wanted to meet up! I told them that not to worry as I was sure our paths would cross again (Barret and I plan on being in London for the 2012 Olympics and are waiting to find out which events we got tickets for!)

Only a week and half until we are off to Croatia! I cannot WAIT! I don't know why I feel like I need a break... I shouldn't! But knowing this is coming up the anticipation is really growing! I am looking forward to just lying around, taking in the sights, swimming in the clear blue waters, and loving time spent with good friends. Plus no work! (I get to leave early on the Friday as well to catch our plane!)

Speaking of planes... LESS than 2 months and I will be home!!!!!!!! I just got my itinerary - it's starting to sink in, but like the title of this blog says... so much to do, so little time!

Anyway, just a quick update, I've got to run - year 3 English calling my name!

Don't forget to leave a comment if you have an idea for something we can use for the top of the aisle!

Lots of love,
Amy

3 months until "I do"!

Slacker. Procrastinator. Lazy. Call me what you wish, blogging has clearly not been my priority lately! However, I have a few minutes now and would love to inform you of the latest happenings!

Our trip to Cornwall was BEAUTIFUL. I cannot believe I have been in England nearly two years and this was my first (and probably last) trip out there. It was AMAZING! The little towns in the county of Cornwall are what you picture the English countryside/seaside to look like: quaint, picturesque, and historic. We went to so many different places and travelled all around the coast, stopping at places like Mount St. Michael, Land's End, and St. Ives. Mount St. Michael was one of our favourite places and somewhere Barret wanted to go for a really long time. Its a beautiful castle high up on an island where when the tide is in is only accessible by boat. However, when the tide starts to sink away you can walk across a stone road that appears as the water receeds. It was SO cool! We did a lot of hikes and spent plenty of time outdoors. I have to give Barret's Great Aunt Bessie credit - she did almost as much hiking and climbing as the rest of us! She sure didn't slow us down and I hope I'm just as spritely and spirited at her age! The whole trip was made better because of the gorgeous weather we had - the Easter break was unreal for weather - constant sunshine and mid 20's in temperature. Easter weekend England had the best weather in all of Europe and even beat Miami! When we finished in Cornwall we spent a few more days in London and visited the London Eye and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. I've wanted to go there for ages but Barret said there was no way he was going in... well I guess I got my way! I also think Brittany and Bessie enjoyed the wax museum as well - who could not? It was so interesting - and a bit creepy. Barret still says he just wants to light a match to the whole place! Anyway, I think Bess and Brit's trip was a success and we were so happy to have them visit! Hopefully they'll be as keen to come visit us in Qatar...!

At the tail end of the Easter break was the Royal Wedding, of course you know that! Over 1 million people crowded the streets and parks of central London to get a glimpse of the newlyweds - including us! The night before we thought we'd grab our sleeping bags and camp outside Buckingham Palace so that we'd be up close the next day! What an experience... we were there for 14 hours but were able to get some great pictures, see the whole royal family in the flesh, and be able to say "I was there!" I got interviewed by CTV but it never got aired (booooooo!) It was a fantastic experience and I'm so glad we did it - the whole city and country was celebrating! It was amazing to see everyone in party mode and having such a good time together. And we were there :)

As the title of this blog indicates, three months until our wedding! Ive so far managed to botch the invitations by putting the wrong DAY but the right date... FRIDAY August 5th...not Saturday. I had to go through them all, OPEN the sealed envelopes and WRITE the right day in! How pathetic, sigh. I'm trying not to get worked up about anything with the wedding because it's pointless. My current concern are bridesmaid dresses. With my bridesmaids all over Canada and me on another continent, I've not quite worked it out! There are a few things brewing but with me not being able to physically touch or see a dress, how am I supposed to know?! So, if they end up being rather unexciting... (I'll look even better?!) Just kidding - I want everyone to look beautiful and I know they will!

It's been back to school for a week now, however only 3 more weeks until half term! The rest of this year is going to FLY BY! There is so much happening at work that the days just zip by! I am really excited for the next break because we are going on a sailing trip to Croatia. I know, I know... I'll probably barf - but it will be worth it! I will take plenty of pills and BE FINE! (If I keep telling myself maybe it will happen...) The weather should be beautiful and Croatia the same!

Well I better get back to doing some actual work - I hope the winter has finally started to give up back home! Miss and love you all,

Amy

ALRIGHT!!!!

Two reasons why I have not blogged. First reason - my computer keyboard decided it was DONE working. It was out of commission for 5 days, but good news, I brought it into the Mac store where some mac "genius" looked at it, figured out what was wrong, replaced my whole keyboard, trackpad, clicker thing, screen and covers FOR FREE! (Ya - I'm that good) Second reason - I don't exactly have free time at the moment to blog. Barret and I have some of his family visiting from Canada so I'm not being a lazy - just playing tour guide. Prior to that was end of term and complete mayhem at work. So - here are some updates in a nutshell:

• We are taking our guests to the west country tomorrow - Devon and Cornwall. Undoubtedly the most beautiful part of the UK! Doing some hiking and sightseeing for 4 days - will definitely be taking pictures!
• Got to dress up in 80's fashion again for my staff party a few weeks ago. GREAT fun!
• Bought my wedding shoes! White shoes are NOT "in" this year... just so you know. I had to find them now though because I need to have them for my fitting on April 28th.
• On the second to last day of school a year 3 put the moves on me. In church. Did the old "yawn and reach around my shoulder" whilst a prayer was being said. Holy camoli - Barret has an 8 year old competitor!!!
• aaaaannnnnnnd...............we are MOVING TO THE MIDDLE EAST! - officially moving to Doha, Qatar for two years. Our flights will be between August 15-20th of this year! Details will follow properly in my next blog.

Off school until May 3rd. Company leaving April 23rd so will have time to write a proper blog between those dates! I am sorry to those of you who rely on these blogs for entertainment purposes, but I am only one woman! Will get you properly up to date as soon as I can.

Love,

Amy

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Having just spent a week exploring the whole of Ireland I certainly feel a bit more able to relate to the meaning of this holiday as more than just green beer and leprachauns. Actually, I lucked (haha must be the Irish in me...baha) out today and held my termly school assembly this morning, of course, lecturing the little children on the history of the patron Saint of Ireland, the meaning of the celtic cross, and converting Druids to christianity. Poor sods!

After a busy start to this term we only have a few weeks before we have another break! April 7th is the start of a nearly month long, let's say, hiatus from school. With the Easter Break and the Royal Wedding our holidays have been extended. As much as many of you will say, "oh how lucky!" it's not exactly the case. I do love not going to work, but not as much as I love getting paid. I am still in the world where I only get paid when I work, so it will be a tight month and with a wedding (our wedding!) on the horizon it's no time to be broke (I don't suppose there is any time to be broke!) No trips have been planned yet because it's just not in the budget! However, this does mean I will be in London for the Royal Wedding and I'm sure this will be the only one worth being around for in my lifetime!

Since the break we've not gotten up to a whole lot... Softball practice and a few visitors staying with us, but not a whole lot. School has been a bit mad with parents night and all the other things that go on here, but it's all wonderful and I am still enjoying every moment I spend in this place. I have been out and about with class trips here and there - two weeks ago I got to go to a taping of a BBC children's show with the year 6 class - it was really interesting to see the behind the scene going ons and the children were very excited as they will all be on TV (not the staff, thank goodness!)

Last week was Jane's Come Dine with Me and it was a lovely Italian inspired evening with Opera playing in the background, meatballs and marinara, panna cotta and tirimisu, and wine tasting to boot! While she did go all out, she made everyone come in "formal evening wear" so I had to be careful sipping my vino and eating my meatballs! It was a great night of girly chat, enjoying each other's company and Jane's cooking.

We've been offered jobs in Abu Dhabi. We are not sure about it yet, however. We have still have some unanswered questions and are a bit apprehensive about the school and the culture. We are almost daily looking into opportunities but not having too many bites! I continually send our resumes out into cyber space with the hope that something comes back - if the right opportunity comes along, I'm sure we will recognize it. Until then, we will keep working! I can't believe how fast time is going... I know I keep saying this! Only 4 months and I will be home! Then getting married a few weeks later! Ahhh!! It's all so exciting, but it would be more exciting if we knew what we were going to be doing in September!

I haven't been feeling very well this week - I've finally gotten a bit of a cold (first time really in over a year) but it hasn't stopped me from working. Barret was very sweet yesterday and bought some good old vicks vapo rub! That stuff works wonders as today I'm feeling almost fully better! I need to get back into the gym and get on my pre-wedding work out as soon as possible, so I'm very happy I'm starting to feel a bit better and might be able to get on that. No extra flab for this bride to be!!!!!

Anyway I hope you are doing well and I will be certain to let you know if we secure a position for the fall!

Much Love,
Amy

Eirinn Go Bragh!

...means "Ireland Forever" and something I will never forget! What an amazing country with such a dark and troubled past - and present. On Sunday we got back from an incredible trip with some great memories and fantastic photographs. We spent 8 days in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland - what a difference between the two. I'll do my best to briefly fill you in on what we learned and experienced. I know I'm going to miss something out, but I'll try my best to remember it all!

First off, of course you all remember how our trip was postponed from Christmas - well the tour company that we went with, Paddywagon, sure didn't! They had no recollection of us whatsoever, although had all our money. At first we were a bit panicky, but it all got sorted and everything turned out fine - we realized it is just how the Irish do things. No stress, it'll all be figured out! And it was and we ended up with three free nights in the hostel before and after our trip - so we're not complaining one bit! Our tour started off in Dublin and we headed straight up to Belfast where so much of the problems between the Catholics and the Protestants are still happening. I think it's easy to say that a lot of people imagine the troubles in northern Ireland are long gone - including myself and Barret - how wrong we are. Only 2 months ago there was a bombing! There is STILL a wall that seperates the Catholics and the Protestants - with a massive gates that closes nightly at 11pm and if you are stuck on the wrong side - you're in big trouble. We learned about the hunger strikes and the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher who let those political prisoners die for no reason, the "English Hero" of the 1600's Oliver Cromwell - aka the spawn of Satan, and the IRA. It all really boils my blood - and I'm not even properly Irish! After spending some time in Belfast we moved up to Derry, the scene of Bloody Sunday. The killings happened over 30 years ago and recently after an investigation it was announced that the 26 unarmed civilian protesters killed in Derry by the British Army in January of 1972 was "unjust". OF COURSE IT WAS - it took 39 years to figure that out?! Anyway, finally the families of those who lost their lives have been the smallest amount of justice. We had our own experience of how unhappy people still are in Derry - while on a walking tour with our very patriotic Irish guide some crazy (Protestant) man approached us saying (and excuse the language)... "F-ing foreigners - Think you f-ing know everything..." and with his arms outstretched said "SHE'S OUR QUEEN AND WE FIGHT FOR HER!!!" I wanted to get in his face but I thought better of it and ran away instead...!

After our experience in Northern Ireland we were happy to move on to the Republic, with two new tour guides and more random people on our bus! We met Stevie our bus driver who was on his VERY FIRST TOUR and Colm the guy who was training him. Well, it was a laugh a minute with those two! Everything from Stevie's driving (mostly his driving) and Colm's Irish accent and having to say the word "three" or "tree" as they say we were always in hysterics! We were able to drive along the west coast of the country and saw some really fantastic landscape. It's really like nothing I've ever seen before. We went to a few famous places, like the Cliffs of Moher and Giants Causeway, did some walking and got some fabulous pictures (which I will get up on FB asap!) Our trip was a mishmash of people coming and going, however. We were on a 6 day all Ireland trip and with different 3 day, 1 day, 10 day trips all going at once during a seriously busy week we had a bunch of people coming and going. On one such day we had to pick up some passengers Limmerick who had missed the bus in the morning - so we waited at the bus station and 4 people came walking our way. 2 guys and 2 girls, not together. The girls were from Denmark and Germany and the boys from Canada. Obviously we ask where they are from - they say Ontario - oh yeah, whereabouts, "oh, an 8 hour drive north of Toronto" whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? YES - those two guys that joined our tour in Limmerick, Ireland were from Sault Ste. Marie! What are the chances... anyway it made it easy for Barret to be friends with them since they were from the Sault (Basil's boys, however...)

Stevie is from an area known as the ring of Kerry - and he took our bus around there and on the coast took us through a muddy, rocky field to a rock that was standing straight up. This is known as the fertility stone. If you want to get pregnant it's a good idea if you rub yourself up on this rock... so after Stevie did a demonstration (HA!) we all went ahead and took turns rubbing the fertility stone! It was hilarious. THEN Colm tells me it only lasts for 6 months! Well, we will have to go back if we need to I guess! Stevie also told us this story of "Fungi" the Dolphin who apparently had gone into a harbour in Dingle with his group of Dolphins about 30 years ago and when the rest of them left, Fungi stayed. Apparently, you can see him in the harbour still! Tourists pay 12 euro to see this dolphin. We settled for a picture of the bronze statue.

Somewhere along the way our bus of 30 people stopped to play Gaelic Football, which is sort of a mix of soccer, volleyball, and rugby. It was hilarious! Except for the part where I got tackled by a French Italian Idiot who dropped his shoulder and properly hit me... after I sort of pulled myself up off the ground he looked at me smiling and said "haha its okay ya?" and walked away! I still can't lift my arm over my head!!! I wasn't the only girl playing by the way, there were more girls than guys! Using our numbers we ganged up on him and three of tackled him and got the ball! Inspired by our own match, on our return to Dublin we went to watch a proper game of Gaelic Football between Dublin and Kerry and realized... oh, that's what it's supposed to look like!

We saw tons of churches and graveyards, including the largest Celtic cross in the whole world. We also learned how the Celtic cross came to be. It represents the beliefs of the Pagans, the Celts and the Druids, who worshipped the sun (the circle) and Christianity (the cross) coming together. Now you know too! We went on a horse and cart tour in Kilarney (or as Stevie with his Irish accent says an "arse and cat" tour) which was really nice. Our tour ended back in Dublin at the Guiness Factory where we learned why Guiness is so special (I couldn't tell you why now...plus I don't agree!) and got a free pint which I didn't even attempt. I know I know, when in Rome... but it is VILE! All in all, it was a fantastic trip and I had a great time with Barret - although I took one blurry picture that ruined it for him, (of he, Stevie, and Colm) and now I feel bad, but still - we had a great time and we're SO glad that it finally worked out for us!!!

We are back to work now and in the full swing of things - March 1 already!!! It's amazing to see the days getting longer and it just puts everyone in a better mood when the sun is shining. We've got a full on weekend ahead of us as it that epic time of year when Barret celebrates his birthday! Even more special is that it is also Blair's birthday. We've got a party planned at their favourite spot in central London so we're sure to get out and enjoy ourselves - some a bit more than others, guaranteed...!!!

I hope you've all gotten through that difficult month of February and maybe the snow is starting to melt! Spring is on the way! All of the flowers have been up for weeks here, so I hope there are small signs of life poking through the snow back home!

I'd also just like to give a public thank you to Barret for such an amazing week. Thanks for taking care of me, carrying my bag to the bus, putting up with a whole lot of girls, and making sure I always had a drink if I wanted it! I truly appreciate you and you make me so happy!

Like I said, photos to be up on FB asap!
Love,
Amy

...The one good thing about writing a blog every two weeks is that I am guaranteed to have something interesting to say! Firstly, however - if you haven't read on facebook - I bought my wedding dress!!! The massive sale I thought was going to be a nuthouse breeding bridezillas, was instead a big hotel conference room FULL of dresses organized by size, plenty of helpful people, lovely classical music, and just a handful of brides! No crazy dress snatching, hair pulling, or outrageously prices gowns! Most dresses were designer made and on huge discount! I paid £595 all in for a £2000 dress!! I ended up going on my own (please don't feel sorry for me! It was a great decision!) It's not that I don't love my friends and appreciate their opinions - but this way I knew that if I picked a dress it would be because I loved it, not because my friends said it looked beautiful on me. They say when you find the dress, you know. I DID KNOW!!! I only tried on two. Both were lovely, but the second one was the winner! I did get some pictures but I definitely can't post them on here or else someone will see! Leave me a comment if you want to see and I'll email you a pic!

I also ordered my wedding invitations. I did think about making them - but that idea is long gone! I just don't seem to have the time and besides, aside from our parents, most people will likely chuck them out!! I got a good price and since it's a small wedding I didn't order very many! Hopefully those will be ready soon and I can get on that! I know it's a bit early but the time is just going to fly by so quickly I don't want to be late!

Last week was also Lizzie's week for Come Dine with Me. It was absolutely delicious! Totally meat free, but still so good! She made one of the best soups I've ever had in the world! Pea and Pesto with Pine nuts - amazing! (Mom, you don't even taste the peas!) We had a great night in at her lovely flat and enjoyed all of her lovely cooking together. Jane's night is next week and I'm sure it's going to be wonderful! Jane is a music teacher, but is also an opera singer! Her evening is themed "A Night at the Opera" and I know wine tasting is involved! Thank goodness next Friday is the last day of school and we wont have to be too awake for it! Speaking of good dinners - Barret took me to one of London's most posh restaurants called "The OXO Tower" on Monday night! The food was delicious, the service impeccable, and the view across the Thames was incredible. We got dressed up to celebrate Valentine's Day a week early and even though it was probably too rich for our blood it was still really nice! Thanks Barret for taking me, even if it wasn't exactly your cup of tea - I had a great time with you!

I've been hitting the gym a lot and trying to get back to the fitness level I was before I moved to this lazy country. Do you know that out of all of Europe, British women are the most overweight?? Obviously Americans beat them, but still - I look around the gym and there aren't really any girls that look like they do back home. IF they do - all I have to do is look at their gym gear and see "Lululemon" to realize they are from N. America! Girls who are naturally slim, like Eastern European, Russian, or French girls are never seen at the gym - they don't have to work out!!! I'll just keep carrying on, avoiding the pub, and with spring around the corner we will be out on the common playing games in no time!

The interviews we had two weeks ago went really well. We interviewed with one lady for a bunch of different international schools that are all affiliated. We won't likely be going to Dubai, however, depending on the political situation in Egypt, we might be heading to Cairo! There is a massive school there that teaches k-12 so we would be in the same school, me teaching Primary Art and Barret teaching secondary. They've said they have a position for me, but are still working on something for Barret. We are not going to hold our breath on this one because so many things need to fall into place, but whatever happens happens and maybe it will all work out! Otherwise, we are still on the lookout for other possibilities! We've been looking into teaching in the NWT and in the middle of nowhere Canada but there is SO much red tape and things you have to go through to be considered. I was given a list of contacts who I could send my resume to - mailing addresses! I searched online for ages to try to find email addresses... you'd think being in the middle of nowhere these people would rather use electronic formats... nope - need to post it snail mail style from London. Sheesh. If anyone knows any place that we can go teach - please let me know!!!!!!!!

One week tomorrow before we are off (again) to Ireland! I am really looking forward to this trip (and have been for months now...) So unless situations like a freak snowstorm, volcanic ash cloud, or an airline strike happen - nothing should stop us this time! We are looking into trips for our upcoming breaks as well. We have nearly the entire month of April off because of Easter (normally a two week holiday) and the Royal Wedding so we should be going somewhere! We are thinking about sailing along the coast of Croatia either in April or our June break. It might be the death of me, but we both really want to do it. I will take plenty of drugs with me and might end up being a zombie - as long as I'm not puking it should be fine! Everyone keeps saying "it's all in your head". Go fly a kite! We are also thinking about going to a Scandinavian country - Sweden maybe. There are so many places to go and with our time (and money!) dwindling it's a bit scary thinking we might not get it all done!

Thank goodness it's Friday - roll on the weekend!!! Barret's head of department, Kat, has a birthday party tomorrow night that we plan on going to so that should be fun. Otherwise, it's a lovely weekend of having a little sleep in, cooking, going to the gym, and hopefully if the weather is good, some frisbee on the common!

I hope all of you are happy and healthy,
All my love,
Amy

It's all coming together!

Come Dine with Me was a major success and it was fantastic to have a night in with the girls while the boys entertained themselves elsewhere. Thanks boys for vacating! We enjoyed some champagne and the southern food was a treat for the girls who'd never tasted anything like it! My key lime cake was delicious (although it was key lime/lemon as 4 grocery stores I looked at were ALL out of limes - I eventually found just one little green guy so had to substitute lemons for the rest of the recipe!) It was still great though! And now, since I was the first one of four to cook I can relax and just enjoy the meals to come! Next one is a week today at my Kiwi friend Lizzie's place. She's a vegetarian so it will be interesting, I'm sure. I hope she at least likes chocolate or sugar so that dessert is guaranteed to be satisfying! By the way, on Sunday I did make a big roast dinner (cooking AND dishes) for 6 of us as all the guys came over - so I think the trade off was worth it for the boys!

I haven't given away too many details about wedding plans yet since they've all been a work in progress. After some serious disappointment when a place quoted us something, then once we were ready to book it decided the original price they gave us was completely wrong...we've found a different place where we will be married! Horseshoe Resort near Barrie has ticked all the boxes for us! It will be on Friday August 5th since weekends were all booked up, but we are okay with that. We've decided since we know all of our families will not likely be able to make it down to Barrie we are going to have a small family/friends ceremony and celebration at Horseshoe and THEN have another party in each of our respective cities. We don't want to miss out on celebrating our marriage with any of our friends and family who think that maybe travelling/staying away is going to be too much - so if that's you - fear not! We are still going to have a couple of great parties in August!

As for other wedding stuff, it's all coming along slowly. I went to try on dresses last Friday night with some girls from work. Thank goodness for them as they can talk sense into my muddled head! Maybe it's because I've never been married or had the experience of finding the perfect wedding dress, but I tell you, I never felt so ridiculous. I tried on 5 different ones. The woman said "well Amy, you have the curse that everything looks good on you". Yes, I'll take that as a very nice compliment, but I did not agree. I looked like a dress up doll and felt so stupid! I think because none of those dresses were "the one" I felt so uncomfortable. The other thing that made me feel uncomfortable was the price! HA! £1800? Um, no thanks. That's "fairly reasonable" here (apparently). Something is telling me I'll have to leave London on this wedding dress quest! I watched a RIDICULOUS program the other night called "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding". It's all about Irish travellers (gypsies) who live in caravans and get married at 16. Their dresses were appalling. The bigger, the heavier, the puffier, the frillier - the better! The dresses weighed something like 150lbs! All putting pressure on their hips - the girls said "the more your hips bleed the better the dress". Well holy camoli thank goodness I dont live in a bloody caravan!!!!!! Haha! Oh side note - we tried to take pictures but because "the designers are afraid you'll copy the design" we weren't allowed. Yeah, LIKE I'm going to make the dress...sheesh. Another wedding dress adventure is happening on Sunday at a hotel where there is an 80% off sale - I have a feeling it's going to be one of those bridezilla warfare events!!! Wish me luck!!!

Work is going well - busy busy still - but it's all very good. I'm really getting some fantastic experience here and truly appreciate the non contact time (something I NEVER got at my old job at that CRAZY school). What I do with that non contact time is not neccessarily work (mostly blogging and writing emails) but I still get all my work done and have a bit of breathing room. Early morning running club was today - it was snowing juuuuuuuust a bit and the wind was quite fierce, but once we got moving we warmed up! Getting out the door at 630 to go running with a bunch of kids doesn't sound like everyone's cup of tea, but it is really pretty good and keeps me going for the rest of the day. Although this is the best job ever I still have to leave it... so Barret and I have interviews on Saturday morning for teaching in Dubai. We're not sure what we want to do yet, but hopefully it will give us a clearer idea if Dubai is somewhere we really want to go. Obviously, I will keep you posted.

Much love to everyone,
Amy

Come Dine with Me...

is a British television show where four strangers get together, cook each other a three course meal and judge the dinner all in hopes for the £1000 prize! Well, it wont be televised nor is there a cash prize, but three of my friends from work and I are all getting together to do our own Come Dine with Me and I kick off the event tonight! Since much of British "cuisine" (if you can call it that) is meat and potatoes, I thought I'd broaden their palettes and go for some things I experienced in the southern states of the US. Corn bread with roasted rep pepper and artichoke dip to start, Louisiana Jambalaya as the main course, and key lime cake to finish off! All of my preparation was done last night, including dessert and the dip, and tonight I just have to put it together. I'm really excited and hopefully setting the bar high for my friends! The only downfall to this situation is the fact that I'm booting the boys out and banishing them to the pub or elsewhere whilst the girls take over the flat! A bit rude perhaps - however, I will make it up to them and do a fantastic meal for them on Sunday - three courses and all! I do appreciate their cooperation by agreeing to not sit beside us and play Xbox while we eat...! These dinners are spaced out over the next few weeks and I will let you all know who comes out victorious!

Last Saturday I went dress shopping. If you can call it that. Obviously I have never been, so I don't know the protocol - especially in a big city. So many of the places said "you need an appointment" (said with a snobby, posh English accent). Needless to say, I only ended up trying on a few dresses at the big department stores. However, it has helped me weed out the things I don't want! For fun I tried on a £15,000 Vera Wang dress and Jimmie Choo shoes (£££). I looked ridiculous. The dress looked like an over decorated cupcake! Terrible. It had to have weighed at least 45lbs as well! I did take a few pictures but to be honest they are not great. NONE of the dresses fit me. Most sample dresses are UK Size 10 - Can size 6-ish. They were all too big so it was really hard to get the right idea. I could be complaining about worse things, however. I have an appointment at a place on Friday after school so hopefully that narrows things down a bit more. I am realizing I may have to leave London and check other smaller places to get a dress in my budget as well! Holy camoli they are expensive...

In other news - I've taken the plunge and joined facebook. It has proved pretty handy I suppose and is not stopping me from blogging. Partly because I can't be bothered to change my status or make notes about what I am up to... it's just too much. I haven't used my full name because I don't want the most random of people looking me up - so anyone reading this blog is more than welcome to be my facebook friend! Look for Amy Louise if you are interested! I think I have 50 friends and I know each and every person - so I'd like to keep it that way.

We have rebooked our Ireland trip for our February Break so I am really looking forward to it! If it snows - I might lose my mind!

Work is busier than ever - I've taken on more clubs and other things around school so I'm constantly running around. Literally - this morning at 630am I was off for early morning running club at a nearby track with 18 keen students. It's really an excellent start to the day however difficult to get out of bed! I'm also going swimming with a year 2 group on Mondays so I'm getting in some extra exercise on top of my regular business. I also have two art clubs after school. I'm definitely earning my pay I think, but I don't think I'd have it any other way.

I hope you are all doing well getting through the cold month of January - I do not envy your minus whatever temperatures. I've become a wuss but I don't mind!

All my love,
Amy

A Fit 2011

Well, January is rolling on and I am back into the swing of things, busier than ever! I hope everyone back home had a great holiday and have managed to keep any New Year’s Resolutions so far! I’ve never really made those…partly because I forget but mostly because if I realize I need to make a change in my life I just go ahead and do it, not wait for a new year to roll around! Having said that, I do realize I have a wedding in oh, about 6 months and do want to make sure I am as fit as I can be. I’ve been frequenting the gym quite often and someone else has joined me! Barret broke down and got a gym membership and the two of us have been going together. It’s so much more motivation when someone else is counting on you to go and work as hard as you can! Thanks B for finally going for it - I’m depending on you to continue being a motivation!

Last April (before the volcano fiasco) Diana and I went to the Netherlands together and we stayed with some friends of hers she met on a leadership conference in the US. They always said they would come visit us in London and last weekend they did! It was so good to see them! We did all kinds of touristy stuff (which, I might as well squeeze in now) and just had some good laughs. They speak English quite well (obviously a heck of a lot better than my Dutch!) but occasionally they make up their own words and sayings. Actually, most of the time – so my belly was aching by the end of the day with all the silly things they were saying! Joanne had to pee and instead of saying she would just hold it, she said she would just “lift it up”. I can see how the translations get a little bit muddled! Anyway, it was fantastic to see them again, but likely the last time in a long while.

Saturday is going to be a very exciting and special day for me! Two girls that I’ve become quite close with at work are taking me wedding dress shopping! Obviously, I would love to go with my mom/sisters/friends from home – but that’s not going to happen – so I will just have to have a fabulous time with two girls who cannot wait to help. I won’t be posting photos incase someone named Barret sees them, but I will be sure to take some and email them around – top secret, however! It’s sort of unfortunate I can’t buy a dress back home because I know they will be more affordable, but when I head home I’ve got about 3 weeks before the wedding and I don’t think it is enough time! Barret did suggest waiting until I got home, but I called him crazy! I think I’d likely end up having to spend a ton to get something I liked on such short notice! Good news, however, the company I am flying home with says wedding dresses are free to take onboard so that really helps! I booked my ONE WAY ticket a little while ago – July 12^th it is! I can’t believe my time here has an official expiry date already… ! Better things to come though, I know it!

Well, I’ve got a million and one things on the go today so I’d better get on my actual school work!

I hope all is well back home –

All my love,

Amy

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2011! We rang in the new year on the couch - if you don't have expectations you wont be disappointed if they're not met! It was nice actually - it allowed us to go to the parade this morning because we were capable of waking up in time! I have to say, this "globally broadcasted" London New Year's Day parade was made up of 80% USA marching bands and 20% crappy London charity floats. And 25 donkeys. Real ones.

This Christmas was nothing like we planned it to be. Our flight to Ireland got cancelled because of the weather in Dublin and after exhausted all other options such as trains, boats, buses...we gave up and accepted the fact that we were destined to spend our Christmas in London. We didn't have presents but I spent all day making a turkey dinner and I know it's Barret's favourite so I hope that made up for it. We watched his family open presents on skype so at least we were slightly involved.

As a child I have fond memories of going to see pantomimes with my family. So, when I heard that David Hasselhoff was going to be playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan, well I convinced Barret to go. I now recall why I enjoyed it as a child... but now... not so much. It was ridiculous. The Hoff really has hit a new low! It was slightly entertaining I suppose and the numerous references to other things he has been in (like Baywatch and Knightrider) kept me rolling my eyes, however when he broke out in song to "I'll Be Ready" the themesong to Baywatch I had to laugh! Anyway, the point was to say I saw the Hoff in person, so that's checked off.

The other day sirens were going crazy around here - more than usual. We looked out the window and noticed all the emergency services parked under the train bridge... so being curious and bored we put on our coats and went out to see what was going on. Apparently, a girl thought she'd end it all and jump from the overpass onto the high road. They talked her down thankfully, however even if she had jumped she would have suffered a broken leg at the worst - it wasn't very high. It was just an attention seeking action I think, but she got what she wanted as the whole of Clapham High Street was out watching in awe... Talk about your happy holidays... sheesh.

We met up with some of our softball friends for an evening of bowling a few days ago. Barret will brag and still say he beat me 4 out of 6 games, but what does that mean? That means I still beat him 2 out of 6 games. That's 1/3! I even bowled a turkey in the 10th frame to claim one of my victories! Since Barret generally beats me at everything I had to make this fact public.

I still have all my school planning to do for the spring, which isn't good. This is what happens when I have TOO much time. I waste it watching silly things on TV, sleeping in, reading well into the night...I read a 700 page book written by Dan Brown - don't pick up any of his books if you don't have a week holidays to read the entire thing front to back. At 4am I couldn't put it down! I will have to get on my planning soon as school is starting back up in a few days. Anyway, maybe I should get on that now. Blair just got home so at least we have stories of an exciting European trip to listen to, although it makes me a bit jealous.

Happy New Year Everyone - Best Wishes for 2011!

Love,

Amy