oh the joys
So many things going on! And in such random bits and pieces. Right at this moment, I am just really really happy, content and glad that I am where I am. And there is no alcohol involved in creating this feeling. Crazy. Might not be that way when I wake up...
In the interest of your time and brain cells, I shall try to just do some highlights with bullet points of the many cool things that have happened this month:
> Dim Sum! I went out for dim sum with a crew of Notre Dame students, and none other than the irrepressible Preston Benson. He and I keep getting paired up for these things, hosting students for dinner, and this is the extent of our friendship. Anyway, if you've never had dim sum, DO. Its little dumpling things stuffed with all sorts of meat/veg in various combos. You try one, pass it to a friend, and order in rounds so you get a huge variety of flavours and such. Plus we had lots of wine, hilarious American laughter, and it all went straight onto Preston's credit card. I call that a very good night...
> Went to Belfast for the Kairos Regional Weekend. I led a crew of Koinonians through the airport, we took up a whole train section, it was great fun. Travelling together really bonds you! The best part was that NOELLE was there when I turned up at the hostel. I had no idea she was even in Europe, tons of people connived to keep me in the dark. I was so shocked I screamed and then was speechless. We had a blast, the weekend was stressful for me but I still got some stuff out of it. I stayed two extra days for meetings, which were fun because we were all fried and slightly hysterical. The second day was my day off, I spent it with the Belfast girls household, who are tons of laughs. We had full Irish breakfast and everything... good times, and very relaxing after the Weekend's stress.
> I had a rather short and quiet work week after that, as it was reading week. On Sunday, the whole staff trekked down to Swanage (in Southwest England) and stayed for two days in a cottage by the sea! It was so much fun, seven of us crammed into a 3-bed house, just eating and watching movies and walking along the cliffs. Way too much fun for a staff team!
> This week was pretty crazy - we had a massive Pancake Party on Tuesday, which was about half Koi people and half new friends/contacts, which is encouraging. Wednesday we started "Five Loaves", our new evangelistic course. We have 6 new people, which is a good number and will hopefully grow. Sam was sick, so I had to give my first talk, which was on the discipline of fasting. I think it went ok. Friday was lots of staff stuff, Saturday we did a service project, and today we invited some Koinonia people to the meeting of Antioch community. That's a hectic (but with typical elements) example of a week for me.
> In travel news, I'm going to Istanbul!!! Aligatorii and her parents are going, and I suggested that rather than waste a bed space, I buy a ticket and share her hotel room. This proposal was accepted, now I just have to book. You have no idea my complete and sheer joy - Istanbul is high on my list of "Places to visit sometime in my life!" Even better, after a certain mutual declaration of affection occured (on the night the Colts won the Superbowl) the boy who this girl is not actually dating but potentially could be might also join us. I have to say of all the groups to fifth-wheel with, that's a pretty awesome one...
> In major life decisions news, I am continuing to try and stay here. I've basically decided to really try for the next four-five months, paper London with my CVs and get as many chances as possible. If I get an offer and the accompanying work permit, I will take that as a sign to stay, or at least give God one more chance to say no. Otherwise I shall move back to Ann Arbor, having tried all I could to stay and knowing God chose to send me a different way. Every week I have a new plan to stay - illegal paid-in-cash housecleaner, green card marriage (someone jokingly suggested I marry Mr. Darcy, which made me blush profusely. He is young, rich, handsome and single, he would be ideal), getting a Slovenian ancestry passport (nope, I would have to move there for a year - yes, I actually checked!), etc. These past three weeks though, three really good ones have come up. 1) Work for the American Embassy - they actually have two jobs up I could do. 2) Sell my soul to a major consulting company like Deloitte, they do work permits (and Deborah pointed out that I have spent the last two years nurturing my soul and not my pocketbook, so time for a change). Consulting here in London is often local, and less hellish than the US, so I'm up for it. 3) Do the TeachFirst program, which involves two years of teaching, getting fully qualified, then choosing whether to keep teaching or go into a pre-arranged business job. Sweet deal really, as I did consider teaching. I would have to teach ICT (communications and technology) but I think that might actually be fun. And it is a guaranteed work permit, since it is a shortage occupation. It is also a finite amount of time - I'm not committing to teach forever, but if I like it I can stay. Yes, this idea continues to grow on me. We'll see...
> As for the men in my life, Mr. Darcy has been rather absent in the last month. Although we have exchanged a random flurry of emails, and I elicited a promise that he will come round for dinner sometime (heheee... the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!). I also had a distressing moment where I felt like Elizabeth Bennett - but for a different guy. You know how Mr. Darcy saves the Bennett family by paying Wickham's debts and forcing him to marry Lydia? Well, a certain boy who I didn't think of like that arranged (and partially paid for?) my sister's trip over here, and managed to keep it really quiet. He knows Noelle, but not a ton, so I'm thinking he did it for me. That makes him a heck of a lot cuter in my eyes! Well, we shall see. I guess it all depends on if I am staying or even getting married at all...
So yes, things roll onwards quite happily. Koinonia Prayer and Fasting Week is going on, and Mara comes to visit tomorrow! Got to see a good friend today for the first time in like a month, and she and I made plans to go on a cheap short holiday to the Lake District after Easter. Just one more month of term, about 4 weeks until Istanbul. My life is flying by, and I love it!
In the interest of your time and brain cells, I shall try to just do some highlights with bullet points of the many cool things that have happened this month:
> Dim Sum! I went out for dim sum with a crew of Notre Dame students, and none other than the irrepressible Preston Benson. He and I keep getting paired up for these things, hosting students for dinner, and this is the extent of our friendship. Anyway, if you've never had dim sum, DO. Its little dumpling things stuffed with all sorts of meat/veg in various combos. You try one, pass it to a friend, and order in rounds so you get a huge variety of flavours and such. Plus we had lots of wine, hilarious American laughter, and it all went straight onto Preston's credit card. I call that a very good night...
> Went to Belfast for the Kairos Regional Weekend. I led a crew of Koinonians through the airport, we took up a whole train section, it was great fun. Travelling together really bonds you! The best part was that NOELLE was there when I turned up at the hostel. I had no idea she was even in Europe, tons of people connived to keep me in the dark. I was so shocked I screamed and then was speechless. We had a blast, the weekend was stressful for me but I still got some stuff out of it. I stayed two extra days for meetings, which were fun because we were all fried and slightly hysterical. The second day was my day off, I spent it with the Belfast girls household, who are tons of laughs. We had full Irish breakfast and everything... good times, and very relaxing after the Weekend's stress.
> I had a rather short and quiet work week after that, as it was reading week. On Sunday, the whole staff trekked down to Swanage (in Southwest England) and stayed for two days in a cottage by the sea! It was so much fun, seven of us crammed into a 3-bed house, just eating and watching movies and walking along the cliffs. Way too much fun for a staff team!
> This week was pretty crazy - we had a massive Pancake Party on Tuesday, which was about half Koi people and half new friends/contacts, which is encouraging. Wednesday we started "Five Loaves", our new evangelistic course. We have 6 new people, which is a good number and will hopefully grow. Sam was sick, so I had to give my first talk, which was on the discipline of fasting. I think it went ok. Friday was lots of staff stuff, Saturday we did a service project, and today we invited some Koinonia people to the meeting of Antioch community. That's a hectic (but with typical elements) example of a week for me.
> In travel news, I'm going to Istanbul!!! Aligatorii and her parents are going, and I suggested that rather than waste a bed space, I buy a ticket and share her hotel room. This proposal was accepted, now I just have to book. You have no idea my complete and sheer joy - Istanbul is high on my list of "Places to visit sometime in my life!" Even better, after a certain mutual declaration of affection occured (on the night the Colts won the Superbowl) the boy who this girl is not actually dating but potentially could be might also join us. I have to say of all the groups to fifth-wheel with, that's a pretty awesome one...
> In major life decisions news, I am continuing to try and stay here. I've basically decided to really try for the next four-five months, paper London with my CVs and get as many chances as possible. If I get an offer and the accompanying work permit, I will take that as a sign to stay, or at least give God one more chance to say no. Otherwise I shall move back to Ann Arbor, having tried all I could to stay and knowing God chose to send me a different way. Every week I have a new plan to stay - illegal paid-in-cash housecleaner, green card marriage (someone jokingly suggested I marry Mr. Darcy, which made me blush profusely. He is young, rich, handsome and single, he would be ideal), getting a Slovenian ancestry passport (nope, I would have to move there for a year - yes, I actually checked!), etc. These past three weeks though, three really good ones have come up. 1) Work for the American Embassy - they actually have two jobs up I could do. 2) Sell my soul to a major consulting company like Deloitte, they do work permits (and Deborah pointed out that I have spent the last two years nurturing my soul and not my pocketbook, so time for a change). Consulting here in London is often local, and less hellish than the US, so I'm up for it. 3) Do the TeachFirst program, which involves two years of teaching, getting fully qualified, then choosing whether to keep teaching or go into a pre-arranged business job. Sweet deal really, as I did consider teaching. I would have to teach ICT (communications and technology) but I think that might actually be fun. And it is a guaranteed work permit, since it is a shortage occupation. It is also a finite amount of time - I'm not committing to teach forever, but if I like it I can stay. Yes, this idea continues to grow on me. We'll see...
> As for the men in my life, Mr. Darcy has been rather absent in the last month. Although we have exchanged a random flurry of emails, and I elicited a promise that he will come round for dinner sometime (heheee... the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!). I also had a distressing moment where I felt like Elizabeth Bennett - but for a different guy. You know how Mr. Darcy saves the Bennett family by paying Wickham's debts and forcing him to marry Lydia? Well, a certain boy who I didn't think of like that arranged (and partially paid for?) my sister's trip over here, and managed to keep it really quiet. He knows Noelle, but not a ton, so I'm thinking he did it for me. That makes him a heck of a lot cuter in my eyes! Well, we shall see. I guess it all depends on if I am staying or even getting married at all...
So yes, things roll onwards quite happily. Koinonia Prayer and Fasting Week is going on, and Mara comes to visit tomorrow! Got to see a good friend today for the first time in like a month, and she and I made plans to go on a cheap short holiday to the Lake District after Easter. Just one more month of term, about 4 weeks until Istanbul. My life is flying by, and I love it!