Memories

Just wanted to put some pictures of my wedding out there. Cant believe its been nearly a year!

Some big news!

Ok, ok, I know its been waaay too long since I last updated, but here's the thing. I've kinda gone and gotten myself engaged! And its to a Savage no less! His name is Peter, I'm sure you all know him, or know of him, and he's really not all that savage, its just his surname.
But there you go, that is my pitiful excuse for not updating sooner, and I hope you will all forgive me, and be very understanding in a long suffering way. I cant promise that I'll be updating more now, life seems to have gone into busy overdrive... (which I am not complaining about, merely stating the case!)

So tis with a fond farewell that I bid this blog "adieu", unless y'all can persuade me to keep it on. The only thing is, there will probably have to be a change in the web address somewhere along the line!

The beast that threw me off its back!

( And if you want to know what exactly happened one day as we were horseriding in South Africa, then you'll just have to say so won't you. Mwah ha ha ha, my brilliant ways of blackmail are genius really! You can comment at ze bottom of ze post.)

HAPPY ST. GEORGE'S DAY!

I felt that a change of colour was a good idea!

I like to be patriotic, in my own, weird little way. I do love England, this is a cert, but I'm in no denial of its bad ways, and the increasingly quick decrease of general morality within it.

But enough of that, because today, is my national day, so I'm gonna sing the full praises of this fine kingdom of mine, to all you faithful readers!

Actually, I don't have any time to write anything so I'll just sum up by using another persons words, as I thought they were quite adequate!

"England
The finest place on this earth.

England - Love it or leave it."

And Here is the link to the page I got it from, as the rest of the site is pretty entertaining, and jolly in the main.



Oh, before I forget though, click Here, if you want to improve you brain capacity, learn something new today or just wanna find out more about the Myth surrounding the man!

Pictures of my travels (or should I say "picture".

They are on the way, I promise! So far I've tried and failed with several attempts to put all of my pictures on here, but never the less, I shall continue my efforts in an undefeated and enthusiastic manner. If you have a facebook you can check them out on my page there!

(Yes, I went against my cardinal rule, an gotta facebook, shock horror!)

In the meantime, here's a good'un that I took, on our last day! It just epitomises the essence of a township, and the way of life in Africa.

TIA, eh!

A view from "God's Window". Absolutely stunning.

The adventurer has returned! I'm back in England, and its raining. Its brilliant. But wait, what am I doing talking about the weather?! Idiot!

Gee golly gosh, what a trip! I don't know where to start actually, there are so many things that Ive experienced. Some things that particularly stand out and that Ive just gotta get down before I forget are;

• four way stops - crazy junctions, and all traffic light stops turn into that when the electricity goes off, which on average happens twice every day.
• Unusually short twilight's- it gets dark in Africa in about 2 seconds, leaving you wondering what your doing sitting by the pool under the stars. I mean, I could have sworn that it was sunny a sec ago!
• Shower heads in the toilet (in Dubai, not SA.) -Somebody, anybody, please, please explain this to me. I just cannot work it out, there seems to be no logic?!
• Bling - whilst buying some trinkets I remembered this quote and it made it so much cooler to actually say it in Africa. "You know, over in America its bling bling, but over here its bling bang, eh!"

But that's just a few things, I'll never be able to fit everything into one post, and there is no way that I'm gonna try to load all my thousands of pictures onto here. Hehe, even I'm not that stupid. We'll figure something out for that though, cause pictures make everything much more interesting.

But for now, I'll just write up something I wrote on the plane, on the way to SA. I was sitting on the plane, and the only things I could think of doing was writing, so I did. Its a jumbled mess of the thoughts going through my head at the time, but it was so nice to do, for I was travelling alone and I really needed to talk to someone. Being quite for hours on end doesn't sit well with me. Anyway, here it is. Enjoy, and please comment!

"I'm sitting on the plane. It is approximately 17.47 and I am decidedly not sleepy. After spending the last half an hour desperately trying to persuade my brain into a less awake state (and failing miserably in doing so), I just had to start writing.

I've watched two movies, an episode of Friends, read 5 chapters of persuasion, avoided eating a rather dodgy looking curry and an even more dodgy looking cherry and mint dessert thingy. Everything is dark in the cabin now cause the hostess's have gotten bored of us and are now trying to force us into slumber. Well, I'm not going to comply. My light is on, flooding me in a pool of light, probably rather annoying for the people around me. Actually, they don't seem to care too much, the girl on one side is well and truly absorbed in a Jackie Chan movie, and the guy on the other side keep sniggering at a boxing match! I can't see anything funny about boxing! Brutal sport for meanies, in my humble opinion.

Ow, my head hurts. I don't know why this headache has come on, the one I often get. Grr, I need more water I suppose.

Right, that's enough of that! I'M SO HEPPY, AND EXITED. I'm on my way to Africa. WOW, lets just say that one more time. Africa. One of the most beautiful countries in the world, apart from England that is. I'm on a wonderful plane, with my own TV, ipod at the ready, a brilliant book, and the prospect of seeing Christie in a few hours. I'm so lucky to be travelling like this. I was thinking earlier, about how if I had been born a couple of hundred years before our time, I would probably never leave England. I'd have to be content with sitting around, embroidering things, and housekeeping, and lots of other unutterably boring things! All I can say is thank goodness for the suffragettes!

Well, well life is good. And I can tell by the loud roar of lions, and the trumpeting of elephants and the hissing of snakes reaching my ears that this is certainly gonna be a jolly spiffing rocking rollercoastering fluffernutter of a trip!"

So this is the beginning of a lot, a lot of posts about my time. I will try to do it justice although I am loath to say that sometimes words just aren't enough.

Dorit and I at Christie and Loui's Wedding, And beneath, just about to go for a ride.

And so the weather worsens...

Yes, that is correct! I am going to write about the weather, and not just because I cant think of anything more amicable to talk about, but because its inspiring.

These are just a few pictures of the effect the weather has had on this little island over the last few weeks. The wind has been fiercely scouring the coast, whipping up the sea into a frenzied battering ram, and rushing across the whole country in sporadic bursts!

As I sit here, typing this, I look out my window. It is grey, ferociously cold and smatterings of rain are falling rapidly.

I have only this to say really! If the English weather has a gender, it is most certainly female! How else could it be so incredibly undecided?

Someone obviously aspiring to be Mary Poppins.

Hahaha, this shot was NOT SET UP! Can you imagine the wind being that strong that it literally sweeps you off your feet?

Happy 50th Birthday, Dad!

Hmph.

Meh meh... I don't have much to say really.

Today I am locked out of my house. I went to work with only my phone , stupid girl, and upon returning home, realised that every single door, window, padlock and keyhole, were firmly locked. I considered my many options of what to do. I could go and visit someone, although I'm really not in a very sociable mood, as I've just got back from stocktaking in Germany, (which I must just quickly say, was a brilliant week, and I loved it all) but now my body clock is feeling very much in turmoil, and more than a little confused. The result is a bally headache that's lasted the last twenty-four hours, aching bones and a constant stream of yawns. "Oh, I am not complaining. Merely stating the case."

I love that phrase, cause it so true for me. It may sound like I'm complaining, but really I'm not, I'm just saying what's happening, teehee.



But nuff of that, back to my present predicament. So visiting someone was out of the question as I was likely to lop their head of with the fire poker at the slightest provocation, so I then considered slowly wasting away in the garden until someone found me, and either buried my remains or amputated half of my vital parts due to the frostbite I would have attained.
So, actually after visiting my Aunt and Uncle's house across the road, who usually have a spare key, but on this occasion didn't, I've slowly made my way here, to the local library, which may come to be my haunt for the next few days!

OK, that was yesterday early afternoon. I took a break and today, remembered the half written post, and decided to finish it. The end of the story really isn't all that interesting. Dorit, my saviour rang me whilst I was in said library. (I put that in specially to annoy you Nicky;)
You know what its like when your phone goes of in the library? Everyone gives you extremely frustrated glares, and look as if their gonna throw whatever is at hand in your general direction!

I had to whisper "hello, ring me back in a sec" whilst running for my life from the book devotees, and exiting the building with all possible haste. I proceeded home with the same haste, where upon me and Dorit missed each other by walking up and down Foxhall Road an infinite amount of times. When we finally found each other, we walked to Sarah D's and partook of tea and toast, as there was no key to be found. I rang my Dad yet again, and luckily he was back in half an hour, being my second hero of the day! Well, I did tell you it wasn't all that remarkable!

Anyway, to finish of this post on a satirical note, I have observed many different traits at my current work place, all of them highly amusing, and mostly to do with the way people speak.

The best conversation I have yet observed was held over the phone, by one of my colleges. I have to improvise, cause I obviously didn't hear what the person on the other end was saying, but I'm sure it went something like this ... by the way, see if you can spot the drastically overused word ...

Si: Alright mate. You alright?
Mate: Yeah mate, I'm alright. You alright?
Si: Yeah, I'm alright, mate.
Mate: So, didja watch the football at the weekend?
Si: Yeh, I did. It was alright actually wasn't it?
Mate: It was alright, yeah. Good weather as well!
Si: Yeah, that was a bit of alright, alright! Alrighty then, lets all use our right hands to write alright as much as we rightly can!

OK, I made up that last bit, but you catch my drift? Anyway, everything is so much funnier if you've been up from six in the morning. So Hmphh!

More caves.

Yes, I know what your thinking. I to am very impressed with the amount of updating thats been going on recently. If only I could throw as much enthusiasm into finding a proper job. That said, I did buy the jobs newspaper today, the one my Mum is always telling me to get, and that is a small kind of accomplishment, I suppose.



This post is about the youth conference in england, which was a couple of weeks ago now and was an absolutly brillaint time, in every way.
I'm really not used to having a camera yet, so of course, I forgot to charge the battery and therefor I dont have many good pictures from the time, but thats ok I suppose, cause I cant really squeeze many into this blog of mine!

Verity, enjoyin some fine english cuisine. So nice to have her back from uni for a bit!
Hmph... charming.Hannah and Elizabeth, sisterly consolation.

Aww, Olivia Sanders. She is just soo lovely.

At this point, I think I should explain that on the Saturday afternoon, we all split up to do different activities of our choice. Here's some pics of the caving/ pot-holing that I did.

"WHAT" I hear you scream, are you doing putting yourself through that kind of torture. Well, I have to say, that I was a little nervous, as watching "The Desent" before hand did not do me and Dorit any favours in the jumpy department, and I kinda remembered that I was ever so slightly chlostrophobic, once I was down there. Well, anyway, det gikk bra and there were no cave collapses, and thankfully no one died, and I overcame a phobia! Good trip really!

Here's me and Dorit after just hauling ourselves out of the caves once and for all. Tired but happy!
No idea how you spell his name, but anyway, here's the ever cheerfull Aiden who was our guide.
And also Rob Honeyman, looking distinctly like a mole.
The entrepid explorers!
Well, that jus speaks for itself, doesnt it!

Puu -erly random!

One friday night, after and extra good youth meeting, the challenge set us by that weeks group leaders was....
"Kree-ata som theeng, usinga exces-seeva amounts ofa buiskuits, an all manner of other things, lioke icinga suga ana jaffa cake-ah". Ok, excepting the fact that they didnt quite say that, as that was my rubbish attempt at writing with an italian accent, cause the word "create" just has those kinda italian assosiations for me, they did actually say "Just make anything you like, using all these materials!"
The results are as follows, as I say, they are purely random!

One half of my team decided to make a rocket, as you can see, it was quite good, although they are responsible for the wasting of at least one whole tree, as they used an entire roll of paper towels as their shape base. How terrible!

This groups design was apparently inspired by a hindu temple. Hmmm.

Me and Abby decided not to go with the rocket and like true ex-alagers, we set about building our very own brunstad. Yes, it was back to front, and the torch was bigger than the meeting hall, but hey, its the effort that counts, right. And it bought back many memories, of the good old days.

The winning team, made a confectionary paradise.

Emily Jacobs, pulling her trademark face.

Nay and Dorit, doing what comes most naturally to them ... laughing their bu..., ahem, heads off.

Aunty Abi who is ever so proud of her new nephew, Leo.

Me and Alexander Turner, who is such a cuteypie!

Kate the brilliant musician, playing her beloved trumpet.

Masquerade ... Plastic faces on parade!

Yep, these are pictures from our first activities group of the term. So much fun. Me and Esther arrange for a group of six girls, and I must say, so far, its not hard work AT ALL.

In these pictures, we are applying face masks, and making smooothies.

I can't say much about them, except, hehehe, they make me laugh...

Eeew. Yes I know its just a face mask, but still, it jus looks nasty!

Twenty girls together....

We had an evening with most of the girls in Didcot a few weeks ago. It was so much fun, and just really nice to be all together, even if it was all in one house. Well, put it this way, none of us were gonna get chilly ;) But yeh, another oppourtunity to try out my camera and for everyone else to pay the price, heh heh heh.

Miri and Trisha. Both such sweeties :)
As it was a girls evening, the furry socks were out in force. Also, someone was experimenting with the colour swapper on my camera. The result was alot alot of quite strange photos!
The babes, jus chillin. Andreas and Leo.
Minus Lucy and me, yup, thats about all of us.MILES of SMILES!
Neomi, a really lovely lass from Hungary.
Ems and Leo. Hehehe, he looks a little bemused.

Down under.

Few days after Christmas, after Jill, Sam and Celina had gone home again, what was left of our family decided to take a trip to some caves Ma had heard about. It was amazing. I didnt go expecting much, but basically they took a whole set of caves and decorated them with the most amazing Christmas displays, all fairy lights, and presents and old, jazzy christmas songs blaring out. Their weren't many people there either, so we ambled around at our own place and had a real ball of a time! The pictures can't really show how beautiful it all was, but I thought I might as well put them on as not.
So ere we go!

I took two shots for this picture, and in both of them Ma is telling Pa to take of his hat as it makes him look like an old codger, but I thought I'd just bung it on here anyway, cause I really like the bricked tunnel affect.

I think Mum is still goin on about that flippin hat, lol!

Naomi being a plonker.

Twice!!

In fact Nay was a big plonker that day, but, you know, thats what we love her for!

Some of the decor in the caves.








I took this shot on self timer and I really love it.
Aw, dis 'n mooie!
Annnnnd, then it got silly....

And then we got tired out!

OK, more updates are on the way.

And guys if you want more updates you'll have to comment more :-)