The Adventures of Jessie's First Weekend About Town
Oh em gee it's been such a long time between posts (three days) that I can't quite remember what I've done.
It's been beautifully sunny this weekend. Makes one quite glad to be in England (bc it's so mild in the middle of the day) but terribly homesick all the same.
On Friday I learnt sooo many student names that I can now, with a bit of help, address at least several kids from each class without fault.
I was taken thoroughly by surprise when the staff opened a bottle of wine before final period Friday, proving "Friday afternoon drinks" is quite a literal thing here and doesn't wait on the yardarm (or perhaps since the sun's so low anyway no one thinks it matters).
I went home briefly after school but headed back off down to the pub for staff drinks (staff being me and most of the geography/history department) where I told such tales about Australian bravado wrestling crocodiles (God bless you, Steve) and lighting of BBQs in cyclonic conditions that it was only natural I finished it all off with calamari and chipples and another pint.
Saturday I spent four hours in Saffron Walden looking for a toothbrush and spending too many £s on a diary for school. For some reason the one I was issued with doesn't have any dates in it. I thought perhaps this might be a Joke at the Expense of the New Teacher but, no, it's just how they work here. Strange English ways.
sort of...
with a dire warning to the archeologically keen...
and some terribly random medieval graves...
and the many coloured houses of Saffron Walden...
Sunday saw mass at Newport St Mary's Church. Beautiful building. It is, as Barbara warned me, liturgically a tad low church (due to long term interregnum lay ministry when the parish was between priests) but it's still an enthusiastic, friendly congregation and from what I saw they're slowly altering their habits. I believe they were doing a few things that were contrary to Diocesan expectations so that's probably a good thing. Also, as far as I'm concerned, there's always room for more high church tradition : P
Then, after skyping in back home I pottered off down to school for musical rehearsal with the kids. These kids can (thank heavens) actually sing (and act) which only counts as a bonus in a school musical where neither skill is necessarily essential. They're doing Anything Goes and, I believe in this instance, it may actually being a Very Good Thing That Goes afterall.
Think I move into my cottage next week sometime *touch wood*.
Have quite a sore throat and am praying (please pray with me!) that it's not Barbara's flu.
Also think Newport's lining me up to direct a Mystery play come Corpus Christi...
*headdesk*
click on this one and look close close closely...
It's been beautifully sunny this weekend. Makes one quite glad to be in England (bc it's so mild in the middle of the day) but terribly homesick all the same.
On Friday I learnt sooo many student names that I can now, with a bit of help, address at least several kids from each class without fault.
I was taken thoroughly by surprise when the staff opened a bottle of wine before final period Friday, proving "Friday afternoon drinks" is quite a literal thing here and doesn't wait on the yardarm (or perhaps since the sun's so low anyway no one thinks it matters).
I went home briefly after school but headed back off down to the pub for staff drinks (staff being me and most of the geography/history department) where I told such tales about Australian bravado wrestling crocodiles (God bless you, Steve) and lighting of BBQs in cyclonic conditions that it was only natural I finished it all off with calamari and chipples and another pint.
Saturday I spent four hours in Saffron Walden looking for a toothbrush and spending too many £s on a diary for school. For some reason the one I was issued with doesn't have any dates in it. I thought perhaps this might be a Joke at the Expense of the New Teacher but, no, it's just how they work here. Strange English ways.
sort of...
with a dire warning to the archeologically keen...
and some terribly random medieval graves...
and the many coloured houses of Saffron Walden...
Sunday saw mass at Newport St Mary's Church. Beautiful building. It is, as Barbara warned me, liturgically a tad low church (due to long term interregnum lay ministry when the parish was between priests) but it's still an enthusiastic, friendly congregation and from what I saw they're slowly altering their habits. I believe they were doing a few things that were contrary to Diocesan expectations so that's probably a good thing. Also, as far as I'm concerned, there's always room for more high church tradition : P
Then, after skyping in back home I pottered off down to school for musical rehearsal with the kids. These kids can (thank heavens) actually sing (and act) which only counts as a bonus in a school musical where neither skill is necessarily essential. They're doing Anything Goes and, I believe in this instance, it may actually being a Very Good Thing That Goes afterall.
Think I move into my cottage next week sometime *touch wood*.
Have quite a sore throat and am praying (please pray with me!) that it's not Barbara's flu.
Also think Newport's lining me up to direct a Mystery play come Corpus Christi...
*headdesk*
click on this one and look close close closely...