mchobson

Rwanda: Gorilla Trek - Part 1

2009-06-03T18:22:32Z

I knew Eva and I would make great travelling companions when I phoned her the night before we were due to fly out and discovered we shared the same sense of humour and the same capacity to faff. Indeed we spent most of the holiday laughing and faffing! If I hadn't lost or forgotten something, Eva had. Eva would remind me to take my malaria tablet every evening and I would remind her to take hers every morning as we could remember each others more than our own. The Wednesday before our departure we compared our concerns about missing the Brussel-Kigali connection because Eva only had an hour and 40 minutes to transfer and I had 55 minutes! We concocted a plan whereby we would check in online and ensure we were sitting next to each other so could instantly tell if one of us hadn't made the plane. Eva also promised to text me our gate number when she arrived so I would know where to run to. In the end, we needn't have worried as we both made the second flight without any problems - or pas de prob as would be our catchphrase throughout the trip.

We only got one film which we could hardly see as there was only one screen that we could see and that was at an awkward angle. Luckily I wasn't too bothered about the film as it was Marley and Me and not something I'd been desperate to see. The main meal was ok and the ice cream snack part way through was a great surprise. The sandwiches we were given last, however, were disgusting. After about 5 hours the flight began to pall, particularly as the light had faded.

Kigali is like Bradford at night. When looking out of the aeroplane window after touch down, I couldn't work out at first what the pinpricks of light were that stretched across the horizon in a thick band. It didn't look right for buildings or stars. Turns out it was the lights of Kigali spread out across the hills, much like the lights of Bradford as seen from Clayton Heights.

Kigali International Airport is tiny with the only direct flights available to Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Burundi and Brussels. In fact, to reach her conference in Tunisia, Frances had to change planes in Paris. When we saw the Rwandan groundstaff walking towards the plane pulling a trolley, we surmised we'd have a long wait for our suitcases. After disembarking we walked to the main terminal to receive a stamp in our passports.

Laurie was waiting for us as Frances had been sent to a conference in Tunisia at the last minute and wouldn't be back until Sunday. She had set up a range of friends to look after us, including Laurie who would house us until Frances returned and booked our gorilla trek so we could complete that in the meantime. Laurie brandished a sign with our names as our facebook profile pictures were not adequate for recognition purposes - mine being a cartoon of the scarecrow.

Laurie lives in a British Embassy house as her job is to monitor the relationship between the UK and Rwanda to ensure our aid is spent appropriately. An interesting job when the row over MPs' expenses has reached Rwanda. Apparently the UK has a large aid interest in Rwanda but we never hear about it due to the current economic crisis and the mixed opinions of some Britons towards foreign aid. The British government is still committted to providing this aid despite the credit crunch as this is affecting Africa too.

While Laurie lives in a large house at the top of the hill, the pooer people live further down. The rich-poor continuum is mapped out on the hills from the US Ambassador's residence at the top to the poorest shacks at the bottom. Most of the roads have no street names and the houses have no numbers, therefore, providing accurate directions to destinations using local landmarks is very important, if difficult. Frances lives in a new housing estate which does have road names and numbers and is built in a cohesive style meaning it stands out amongst the buildings of Kigali. The estate was built as part of the Vision 2020 which showcases hoe the government wants all housing to be like in Kigali in 2020.

We were a little spoilt but the embassy house which was huge. Eva and I each had our own bedroom and bathroom, there was mesh covering the windows and mosquito nets attached above the beds. There was a large dining room and lounge and these were replicated outside on the veranda. There was a also a big garden with a lawn, flowers, banana trees, rabbits and chickens.

On Friday morning Laurie was going to a tailor to have a dress made for a wedding using local fabric. Eva and I jumped at the chance to have dresses made too especially as it meant we could get our first view of Kigali by day.

The city is full of low rise one storey small shops, lots of building work, people sitting and moving about and bump roads. It is very busy and bustling. To buy the fabric we went to a suite of one room shops situated together while piles of brightly coloured and highly decorated fabrics were laid in piles and displayed on doors and walls. It took ages to decide on fabric to take into consideration what we could get away with wearing in England. Finally Eva plumped for a brown leaf design, Laurie a green circular pattern and I a green and purple combo.

We looked for the tailor down a side street - essentially an unmade dirt track but the tailor had moved and one of the locals kindly took us to his new shop on the main street - indicating he'd moved up in the world. We showed him our fabrics and then describe what we wanted using an example dress in Eva's case, a picture in a magazine in mine and both accompanied by Laurie's explanations in French. Then we were measured. The dresses take one week to make and cost about £15.

After a lunch of bread and cheese on Laurie's veranda, we went to meet Kassim, the driver Frances had engaged to take us to the gorillas. Kassim had lost most of his family in the genocide while he was at university in Kenya. He left his studies to come back to Rwanda after the genocide to support his younger siblings.

The ride to Ruhengeri took about 3 hours as we had to stop to change money and get petrol and the road was full of potholes requiring Kassim to drive sometimes at 90 angles across the road to avoid them. Driving is interesting in Rwanda. When overtooking, the vehicle you are overtaking signals right to show they've seen you, the vehicle overtaking beeps when driving passed to show they are passing. People do often overtake near bends or regardless of whether they can see, which can be frequent considering the number of hills. Ironically after commenting that the Rwandan driving was pretty good in comparison to other countries we had been to, we nearly crashed into a car overtaking a lorry round a bend. I think it helps that there aren't many vehicles on the road as the majority of the population is car-less. For ages I couldn't work out what was odd as we journeyed around the country and then I realised it was the volume of pedestrians walking alongside all of the roads.

Eva and I were so absorbed by the scenery: rolling green hills (forested or laid out on terraces); people carrying an assortment of paraphernalia on their heads, including bamboo, tools like hoes; children wrapped onto their parent's backs; people staring at us as Mzungos (or white people) are an uncommon sight; children waving at us and Genocide memorials, that we barely spoke leading Kassim to think I was from a religious family.

When we arrived at the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge after a bumpy ride down an unmade track which saw us almost thrown around the back of the minibus, I checked in while Eva was a) asked if she'd like a cup of coffee by the hotel staff and b) accosted by Kassim asking if we would check out at the same time as checking in so we could leave straight after the trek. This we weren't keen to do as we'd want showers and had paid for full board, plus this was not the agreed arrangement. I finished checking in just as Eva's coffee was ready. There had been a delay while the staff located some powdered milk. This meant Eva found herself walking across the park to our lodge, rucksack on her back and coffee cup and saucer in hand which inevitably ended up with her slopping coffee into her saucer and the ground. I wasn't offered a hot drink but was quite thankful for that after watching Eva's progress.

Rwanda doesn't get many tourists as the country is small so there isn't as much to do as in neighbouring countries, such as Tanzania and Uganda. Plus flights are expensive and many people have an ignorant percpetion of what the country is like now. If people come they tend to leave after they have trekked the gorillas. Rwandans themselves either can't afford holidays or, if they live in cities, spend their free time returning to their home villages and families. As a result, hotel staff are trying to cater for an audience they don't really understand. Most of the time you can appreciate what they're attempting to do but they get a little wrong. For example, they clearly thought they should offer their guests a hot drink upon arrival at the lodge but hadn't considered the logistics of doing this. Similarly, when we were in the restaurant for dinner, the waiter insisted on reading out the menu, even though we had to keep asking him to repeat things and could see he had the menu written English in front of him. Some of the dishes had fancy titles, such as Gorilla Salad and Chef's Special Salad but no indication was given as to what they comprised. Eva was adventurous and chose the Gorilla Salad which turned out to be avocado and tomato, rather than an endangered primate. I had soup. We both had beef strogonoff for main as we'd been told you can't get good chicken here. The Crepe Suzette for dessert came with chocolate sauce. After the meal we were brought chunks of sugar cane that we weren't quite sure how to eat. Our tactic of trying to watch other people's attempts was unsuccessful so we resorted to asking. You chew on them to release a sugary liquid without biting or swallowing pieces. The fibres themselves are quite firm and woody.

The hotel consisted of a number of lodges dotted around the landscape. The lodge had one large room with two beds and a slightly lowered sitting area (that I kept tripping into) and an adjoining bathroom. Someone came to light the fire for us as it was much cooler there than Kigali due to the altitude. Later we were provided with hot water bottles which were so scorching we had to wrap them in towels and clothing. They were still hot in the morning!

Unlike elsewhere we had stayed, there was no insect protection, possibly they were deemed unnecessary by the hotel staff due to the altitude. However, Eva and I wanted protection from the range of insects, flies and moths that were inhabiting our room. I'd brought my mosquito net with me but Eva had left hers so we spent some time insect spraying the curtains, removing insects in cups and splatting the rest with flip flops. I had to find a creative solution to the problem of where to hang my mosquito net without hooks and after losing the nail provided by Boots for the purpose down the back of the bed. In the end I used the string and tied it to the lamp above the bed. Fortunately, the beds were quite large so Eva was able to share my bed to have the safety of the net also.

Leeds

2009-03-31T19:28:21Z

If you’d have told me that when I went to Leeds for the weekend to see my aunt’s art exhibition, I would:

a) spend Friday evening stalking the newsreader Peter Levy

b) spend Saturday night dancing to Chesney Hawkes live, grasp his hand and develop a crush on him

c) not actually see my aunt’s art exhibition,

I would have said “don’t be daft” but that is what happened! Surely this is not normal?

Emma and I arrived in Leeds early and returned to the train station to meet Arasi at 9.30pm. Arasi greeted us with an obscure look on her face and exclaimed that she thought she had just seen Peter Levy! She put her avid Agatha Christie reading to good use by giving a full description of his clothing and movements. She had considered going to talk to him but what could she say as she had never actually seen the programme and besides he went to a cash point and it always looks a little dodgy approaching someone in that area.

As he had spent some time looking at the departure boards we surmised that he was either waiting for a train to Hull or waiting for someone to arrive from Hull so we somehow ended up spending about an hour hanging around the station in case he came back. I know it sounds rather stalky and a sad way to spend a Friday night but as I said to my companions at the time, we were putting our critical analysis and observation skills to the test while having a catch up so we may as well have stood there as in a bar or café, particularly as it was fairly mild. The hour flew by and as soon as the Hull train left, so did we, having not seen him which was probably a blessing in disguise as it may have looked a tad dodgy.

We are pretty certain it was him as Arasi is apparently very good at remembering faces and I showed her my badge for comparative purposes and she said it was definitely him. Thank goodness I carry it around with me!

On Saturday we went to Kirkstall Abbey and Museum getting back to Leeds at around 4pm. My aunt’s art exhibition finished at 5pm so I thought that instead of rushing round it we ought to go for tea and cake at the Tiled Hall Café nearby instead and go to the art exhibition the following day – not realising that the exhibition was not open on Sunday. Not sure I’m going to undo the Otter-Camera damage with this.

While partaking of the comestibles, Arasi suggested that we check out the cinema listings to see if there was an early showing of something before we went out for the evening. There wasn’t. But there was a leaflet advertising Chesney Hawkes at TigerTiger. When I suggested we go, I was fully expecting the suggestion to be shot down by Emma and Arasi but surprisingly, Emma was all for it. Arasi was less keen but when I pointed out that the alternative was spending the evening at the West Yorkshire Playhouse as Peter Levy is known to go there, she begrudgingly agreed that this was the more preferable option.

We spent the lead up to the night out playing the Amish game Dutch Blitz while Emma reminded Arasi of the wonders of The One and Only on her Ipod and then having a meal at Café Rouge.

At TigerTiger we spied out where we thought he might be appearing and set up camp just to the side of the stage where there was a ledge and because, at that point, we were not fans, just ironic bystanders. About 15 minutes before he came on, some girls stood their ground right in front of the stage holding their cameras firmly in their hands and I said to Emma and Arasi “How sad are they? They are real fans!”

When he walked on I acted as a groupie with cheering while thinking he still looked about 12. Then he came to the front and started playing. I’m not quite sure when and how it happened but at some stage I went from pretending to be a fan to striving to show in my eyes, dance moves and arm waving that I understood and respected his talent and loved him. I think it was when he started talking about there being lots of hen night girls I found I wanted to call out “I’m single Chesney” that I realised a fundamental change had occurred. When he started slapping people’s hands I found myself thinking “oh my God he is slapping people’s hands, I want to grasp his hand”. Funnily enough, on his second round of slapping, he grasped my hand. It was amazing and I felt there was a bond there. However, in the cold light of a Monday morning, I wondered if he did in fact initiate the grasping. It seems slightly odd that he only slapped everyone else’s hand but grabbed mine, particularly when I had just been stood thinking “I want to grasp his hand”. I am a little worried that it was me who in fact grasped his hand when everyone else was content with a slap. Oops. Though it definitely became two way.

I don’t understand what has happened to me as I thought there was no danger of me developing a crush on Chesser or in fact enjoying listening to the rest of his music. Perhaps I just got caught up in the moment and carried away.

It was the Vengaboys at Shag all over again!

Look North

2009-03-31T19:21:03Z

I can’t believe how surreal my life has become since January. First of all there was meeting my heroes off the BBC Look North Lincolnshire news programme. I was in Lincolnshire for the weekend for my godmother’s birthday and heard on Friday’s edition of the show that Peter (newsreader) and Paul (weatherman) would be appearing in Scunthorpe at lunchtime on the Saturday. I hadn’t anything planned and have always wanted to see them so managed to convince my mum that this was a good idea (though I didn’t manage to convince her to actually come with me – she made my Dad go instead.

I arrived at Scunthorpe’s Market Hall and joined the queue …
I would have been happy just to see them in the distance opening something but then I realised they were signing photos.
I would have been happy just to get a signed photo but then I realised they were talking to people.
I would have been happy just to talk to them but then they ended up interviewing me.
I would have been happy just to be interviewed but then the interview was shown on Saturday night’s news.
I would have been happy just to be on the programme but then Peter Levy sent me the DVD.
I would have been happy just with the DVD but then Peter and I struck up a multiple daily email correspondence over the week.
I would have been happy just with the emailing but Peter said he found me funny and invited up to the studios.
Goodness knows what will happen if I go!

The reasons I love the programme can be summed up in my three favourite moments from the show:
1)      When a couple emailed in from their wedding reception to tell Paul that he had got the weather wrong for their wedding and he responded along the lines of “well if you are emailing me during your wedding reception, I don’t think your marriage will last long”. He then realised what he’d said and spent the rest of the weather report trying to back track. Hilarious.
2)      When the top story was announcing the start of the pea harvest and people across the region were filmed saying what their favourite type of pea was. Brilliant.
3)      The episode where there was actually no news at all. The stories were as follows:

- There was nearly a train crash in Lincolnshire … but there wasn’t

- A new type of speed camera may be introduced to the region’s roads … but it might not be.

- A Lincolnshire post office might close … but it might not.

I could tell that the two presenters share my sense of humour and attitude to life and meeting them proved I was right. We got on so well. I spoke to the weatherman first and told him that their signed photos would replace the unsigned ones I have by my desk and that I watch the programme in my lunch hour and the next thing I know, Paul has called Peter over saying “’Ere Peter come and listen to this”, then Peter and I have a chat about my work while Paul calls the cameraman over and we are being filmed. They chatted about who should do the interview, Paul began it, fluffed it and I quipped to Peter “you wouldn’t think he did this everyday” – we both chuckled!

It was the best day of my life. I asked my Dad to get signed photos for Lindsay (my Lincolnshire friend who works at the Natural History Museum), he queued behind me but I was so excited I almost forgot he was with me and walked off without him. I also shook hands with the Mayor of Scunthorpe but that was a total non-event in comparison.

Not even in my wildest dreams did I think I would appear on Look North, be interviewed by both of them and strike up email correspondence with Peter Levy – my dreams just aren’t that wild!

January 2009 reading

2009-02-03T20:48:22Z

Shake Hands with the Devil: the failure of humanity in Rwanda - Lgen Romeo Dallaire
The Ghost Writer - John Harwood
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher or the Murder at Road Hill House Murder - Kate Summerscale
Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi
Clouds of Witness - Dorothy L. Sayers

mchobson @ 2008-11-02T19:08:00

2008-11-02T19:11:08Z

Yesterday a family friend came round and said she is being recruited to sell Body Shop products at home. My mum's response was "Oh I don't see you selling beauty products. If it was dog food - yes".

Luckily she took it quite well. Don't think me rolling on the floor with laughter helped.

10 Good Things About Yesterday

2008-10-14T08:29:16Z

Post 10 things that are going right in your life right now. I don't care how small. You're happy with your cup of coffee. You saw a flock of geese flying over. ANYTHING. Things that make you happy. Things that make you smile. No pressure.

It's small and it's simplistic, but maybe for the time you are compiling your list, you'll forget about the bad going on and focus on something good.

1. It was a mild autumnal morning. I did not need to wear a ganzy and was able to walk along in the sunshine, kicking the leaves and admiring the red tree on the green.
2. Got into work to find Sarah had sent me a ballet video of You Tube which was a delightful and calming way to start the week.
3. Due to aforementioned video whetting our appetites, the Doomers and I are organising a ballet trip.
4. Andrew baked homemade apple pie and brought it into the team meeting. It was delicious and a lovely surprise.
5. Alex thanked me for the work I did for her while she was away.
6. I met my parents after work for a meal at Prezzo.
7. I got a lift home rather than having to negotiate the tubes and trains.
8. I got home in perfect timing for the first two episodes of Coronation Street's murder week and managed to finish watching Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing.
9. Made plans with Ches for this week's IT Crowd recording and discovered that the journey isn't going to be as hellish as I thought.
10. I played a game of Rummikub with my Dad and beat him which is a rare occurance.

Science Night

2008-10-13T20:07:01Z

I worked my first Science Night sleepover on Saturday. 470 children aged between 8-12 slept over in various galleries in the museum and I was one of the evening ushers. I got there early as I was paranoid about being late and helped set up some stands and then enjoyed chatting to other helpers from different departments whom I don't normally get to see. I caught up with someone off my Leicester course who is now an explainer at the museum; met someone from documentation; collections and events.

At 6.30 I joined the other two ushers in charge of the Purple Astronaut group and got ready to meet the arrivals. We helped the groups put their snacks in a trolley and then showed them their sleeping area. Most of the groups were there for birthday parties. We had a Cub group and they were by far the best organised. When I asked for their snacks, they handed me a ready made cool bag full. I asked if their water bottles were in there and was told they had another cool box full of drinks. I said "oh I knew the Scouts would be prepared". Unfortunately, this came out as a cringey pun. I didn't mean "Be Prepared" just "be prepared" but I think the Scouters were unimpressed and I felt v embarrassed.

Next there was a sleeping mat crisis. We seemed to have run out but we still had a group of 12 without any. I had other adults coming up to me and slyly pointing out that some people had taken two. I went to investigate, found some people had two and some elderly women had three. I felt terrible taking some away from them but the group without any were getting cross. In the end I left them with two and said I would replace them if I could. Then I came across three lads who had 10 between them! They took it in good part. They seemed to realise they were being cheeky but had felt that it was worth a try. Fair play to them. I spent the rest of the evening feeling guilty about the elderly women remembering how I had to take some cushions off old ladies at Wimbledon and ruined their day to the point that they left early. Thankfully, I found a couple of extra mats by the end of the evening and could sleep easy that night.

My job was to help ferry the children to and from the various activities. After the Health and Safety talk, they had a trail in Making the Modern World, before learning about and making snot and then watching a show called It Takes Guts where we saw a film of inside someone's digestive system which made me want to throw up. One child did throw up early in the night before snack time and any of the activities so goodness knows how he fared afterwards!

At my break time we were treated to a buffet and I drank too much apple juice.

The two ushers I was working with were great. The girl and I laughed our way through. The guy was really competent having done loads of these before and was really chilled out about the whole thing so we followed his lead as both of us were inexperienced.

One group of 8 children had 8 adults with them despite not having any disabilities of Special Educational Needs. As soon as we saw this on the chart we knew they would be a problem group. Any adult who thinks that ratio is necessary is bound to have issues and we were right. They kept coming up asking stupid questions and wanting to know everything, despite having been sent loads of prep info. The children were fine though.

In a way I was sorry to leave at 11.30 as I had just got into it and to know the people, however, wouldn't have got any sleep if I had and besides I am staying on the next one. I was lucky enough to get a paid for taxi home all to myself as no one else lives near me. I was very excited about the taxi home and made sure I stayed awake throughout to relish the moment. It only took half an hour - I wish it did during my commute.

The next science night is a Brownie and Guide one and I am very excited about it. According to the guy usher in my team, the Guiding and Scouting groups are always the best behaved. I am thinking of wearing my Promise badge on the night to indicate to the leaders that I understand Guiding, however, this depends on me being able to find m badge tab!

Lesvos

2008-10-11T07:23:16Z

Just got back from a very successful holiday on the Greek island of Lesvos. Giles and I couldn't believe our luck. On the way out we waltzed through check in without any queues, had time for a breakfast at the airport, had plenty of room on the half empty flight, no delays, transfer from the airport in Mytilene was painfree and the hotel amazing. As Giles and I lay on our sun loungers on the Thursday afternoon, we were concerned that there was some catch and maybe the hotel was included in the price after all! Our room had an en suite bathroom and a balcony with a view over Turkey.

The hotel was well decorated, modern and clean. It was so nice having our own room for the whole week having spent my last two holidays in youth hostels. The food was great as it was so fresh and both breakfast and dinner were buffets. For breakfast I had a roll with feta cheese and another type of cheese, tomatoes and followed this up with a selection of mini pastries - namely mini croissants, mini chocolate chip cookies and a sesame seed covered thing.

Having had a lazy afternoon around the pool on the first day, we spent the second at the nearby village of Molyvos. We went round the castle (which was free entry another example of our good luck) in gale force winds and admired the views; had lunch of meze in the harbour surrounded by colourful boats and octapus tentacles hanging out to dry. Molyvos is a medival town of colourful buildings and a World Heritage Site as all the houses have to built in the same style. It is built on a hillside with the castle at the top. Tiny cobbled streets
run everywhere, including the covered market.

Saturday saw us on the Wild West tour which included the Leimonas Monastery; the 20 million year old petrified forest which was created when a volcano covered the sub tropical forest during the time when the continents were joined meaning that red wood trees now only found in California are also preserved in the forest; the birthplace of Sappho where Giles and I swam in the sea surrounded by tavernas on stilts and had coffee in a traditional village.

On Sunday we walked to Eftalou and experienced the thermal spa. The water was over 40C and quite painful at first. I could barely put a toe in. After about 20 minutes I managed to get in but I could only stayed in for 2 minutes. They recommend that you don't stay in for longer than 5 minutes at any time without taking a break. Once we'd been in, we plunged into the sea and then tried again. After 45 minutes we had to get out as is advised.

We then took the local bus to the village the other side of Molyvos called Petra. We had lunch in a covered market and then climbed up the rock to look round the church on the top. The wind was so strong that the waves crashed over the road. We then walked the 5 km back to Molyvos.

Monday we had a lazy day around the pool and played a game of tennis.

On Tuesday we walked passed the village of Eftalou continuing down the dirt track along the coast into the middle of nowhere. When we returned to the hotel, we had a swim and read around the pool.

Our last day saw us on the beach at Molyvos, swimming in the sea and looking round the covered market. We had our last meal in Molyvos harbour before preparing for home.

We were the last holiday of the season and many of the hotels and restaurants were closing as we left. We felt sorry for the only couple left in the hotel once the rest of us left on Thursday because the staff seemed to pack up as soon as we finished breakfast. Even the holiday reps flew back home with us!

If holidays are as relaxing and enjoyable as this, I quite fancy having another!

Sunny Sunday

2008-09-21T19:36:51Z

Had a productive day. Washed the car as was very embarrassed to discover there was a cobweb on it the other day. I have washed it loads recently and can't believe how dirty it gets in such a short space of time considering it just stands in the drive most of the time. Have done a clothes wash, washed up, done ironing, emptied Tessa's tray, tidied my room and started my packing for Greece. Can't wait for my parents to get back as forgotten how much is involved in running a house.

Had a break in the middle of the day to see the Open House properties in the local area. It was such a lovely day to walk in the sunshine around the local area. Visited a 17th century newly restored chapel, some almshouses I didn't even know existed, the Manor House Ice House and then climbed Hither Green tower. I think the Open House scheme is great as these are places I have passed so many times and never really known their history or visited. Climbing the tower was no mean feat. I climbed a scary metal ladder which was fixed straight against the wall with only a metal frame on the higher parts. Moving from the ladder to the platform was challenging. I kept thinking that at any moment I could go plummeting to the ground and probably die. It was only when I completed the escapade that I realised that there was an easier way to get up and down which, although you had to crawl under a water tank, was no where near as dangerous. The view was great though. I can see this tower from my house so it was cool to finally ascend it. It is in the middle of a really plush set of apartments. I wish I could live in them.

I even managed to lie out in the garden for a couple of hours. I can't believe that summer is almost over having never really begun. Feel very cheated.

Am now enjoying watching the TV. Seen David's Suchet Who do you think you are?, Strictly Come Dancing, Wife Swap, After You've Gone and am looking forward to Poirot, although it clashes with Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Damn. It is scary that it is Strictly time again. I feel like this time last year was when my life really started as I was finally out of education and living by myself in Lincolnshire so felt a little more like an adult. As a result, I think that this last year is more vivid than perhaps the others. It is the only way I can explain why those three months between Sept - Dec last year stand out so much. I wonder how these will pan out.

Bletchey Park

2008-09-21T15:32:24Z

After going into work for a couple of hours to ensure the external contractor was set up ok, I trundled to Euston to meet Xanthe for our jaunt to Bletchley Park. I have wanted to go there for years, ever since I first heard about it. I have been reading Station X at the moment so was more than ready to see the place and soak up the atmosphere.

It was a gloriously warm sunny day so Xanthe and I began in the best way possible by having a pack up by the lake. We then wandered around the big house, admiring the library and regretting the fact that a wedding was taking place so we couldn't explore further. It does strike me as a slightly odd place to have a wedding though also quite cool.

We got collared in the 1940s post office by an old man who talked to us about a Vulcan and then his hero who was in B Block and had bailed out of a burning plane. We were slightly concerned we would have to spend our whole visit in that room talking to him, interesting as it was. I love old people, particularly this generation which achieved so many remarkable things in the worst of times. One of the families we crossed paths with later appeared to have an elderly grandmother in tow who, from the snippet of conversation we overheard, worked at BP.

We looked round one of the hutsand saw the Pigeons at War exhibition which talked about this surprising contribution. Like many places there was too much to see in one visit, particularly as the whole place was rather text heavy, so I shall want another trip at some point. It was amazing to see the machines and references to the people I have been reading so much about.

I saw their innovative text system where you text a word to a number and then you are meant to access information about it when you get home that I had heard so much about in the museum world. Unfortunately, the explanation of what was meant to happen was not clear so I assumed I would get a text there and then with more info so I didn't have to read the panel. I was disappointed when I discovered you only received the text when you got home but am even more disappointed now that I am still yet to receive the reply text. Think I should get time off in lieu for the time I spent looking at this device and trying it out as we are beginning to try out mobile technology in the Science Museum.

Eye Appointment

2008-09-19T20:22:07Z

Drove to Bromley for my eye appointment on Wednesday. Was dubious about doing so as I have never driven into Bromley before and had no idea where The Glades' car park was. Then I had a genius idea. I zoomed in on Google map satellite view to the point where I could see the road markings so I could work out which lanes to be in when and the location of the car park. I then managed to get there despite getting stuck behind a tractor (much to my disbelief) and negotiating a lorry that was blocking the left lane. I also managed a multi storey car park for the first time. I was too far away from the machine on the way in and had to get out to press the button but was perfect distance on the way out.

Eye appointment was a bit wierd. Neither of the pre test machines were working so I hope I don't have glaucoma as I won't find out for another 2 years. The optician was a bit wierd. He kept saying "your the boss" when I told him which options I could see better, talking to himself saying "yeah we'll carry on with this" and didn't seem to know what he was doing. I was pleased I didn't "oh you've replaced that basic torch in the eye procedure with this new machine" because he used the torch-eye method later. I was very proud that I didn't laugh through that bit because I normally laugh continually through that bit. He said he hadn't seen anything nasty but didn't say it in a way that he was convinced.

The optician got the Natural History Museum and Science Museum mixed up. I had thought better of someone in a scientific profession. I let it go when he said he loved the gems best but had to step in when he mentioned the dinosaurs.

I am very excited about getting my new glasses. The woman was great. She chose lots of options and decided whether they suited me. Then she played about with the camera so I could see myself from all sorts of angles before making my decision. It was BOGOF so I have a green one and an orange one.

Holiday

2008-09-19T20:09:59Z

Although I was alarmed and upset on Sunday to discover that Giles and I were meant to be flying to Greece with the bankrupted airline, Excel, the situation is not so bad as it first appeared. We booked through a tour operator so were ATOL protected and now we have a new holiday with the same hotel and same dates and only £15 more expensive. It was good I was working on home on Wednesday to take the phonecall or it would have been far worse. The girl on the phone actually couldn't believe our luck. So our holiday is back on and I've got to remember to a) pack and b) leave on the right day!

cold

2008-09-17T19:45:49Z

I think I have a cold coming. I have a sore throat and my head feels heavy. I do not want a cold. I have had LOADS of colds and illnesses this year and am worried my work think I am a hypochondriac. I also don't want to be ill and miss my second Guide meeting as they will think I don't want to come back and am using the cold as an excuse because I am too embarrassed to say!

Democracy

2008-09-17T19:43:39Z

I've just had a very strange phonecall. It was a recorded message from Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats asking me to choose, with my telephone keypad, the issues I thought were most important, what I thought of his proposal relating to that area and then how I would vote in the general election if it were held tomorrow. I quite like this MP asking my opinion trend that seems to be forming. We had a questionnaire from Bridget Prentice a while ago. I felt like this is how democracy should be (even if they simply use the info to line the waste paper basket, it is a start).

The only issue with the telephone thing was that the message took a few seconds to cut in so we kept talking over each other and then I felt very silly because I ended up talking to a machine. I hope there weren't ppl listening in and laughing at the other end.

1st Guide Meeting

2008-09-13T16:28:16Z

I have had my first Guide meeting with hopefully my new unit. Both the leaders and the girls seemed nice. They have about 14 Guides and during the 1st meeting they were very friendly and, although a couple of them were the self confessed "loud ones", they seemed to be loud in a cheerful, exuberant way, rather than the mardy, rude way some of the Leicester Guides adopted. I was impressed with their behaviour, particularly since it was quite a boring but essential form filling, patrol sorting type of a meeting. The leaders seem quite desperate for me to return and I am eager to do so, so hopefully I have found my new unit. YAY! The only downside is they do church parades. I will miss the first two due to pre-arrangements but suppose I will have to go to the November one. It was brilliant in Leicester because, although they met in a catholic church, they didn't do church parades. I will have to master parking before then because I guess the car park will be crowded with cars and busy with people so the pressure will be on.

I was very proud that I was able to drive there and back on Thursday, even though I didn't realise that when turning right at the junction, I would have to wait in the middle or that the road the church entrance is on is one way. Fortunately, I spotted in time before embarrassing myself in front of my new leader colleagues. This time, when I got home, I did not hit anything in the drive.

Domestic Chores

2008-09-13T16:16:32Z

I have had a very domestic day today. I made some rosemary bread this morning (which I think I have eaten a little too much of now). I have emptied Tessa's tray, done washing up and removed the layer of flour from the kitchen, then I set about cleaning and hoovering the inside of my car. I think some car mats are needed - I have spotted some Hello Kitty ones on the Halfords' website. I certainly want some pink ones if possible. I have picked up a parcel for my mum from the post office, put my coat into the dry cleaners ready for winter, bought some milk, returned a library book and made an eye appointment. I also had a go at my Pump It Up DVD, which is distinctly less fun without Jo, and had a little nap. I am now watching Memoirs of a Geisha while waiting for Giles to arrive. I even sat outside on a sun lounger for a bit reading enjoying being able to do so for only about the second time this summer and probably the last.

Driving 1st

2008-09-12T19:42:41Z

I have finally driven my car by myself for the first time. I thought I would just take it around the block to simply get a feel for what it is like to be in the car by myself but, once I had done that, I wasn't satisfied so ventured further. I was going to try to go to Sainsbury's but cars were blocking the road so thought I would try to get to the church where I have just started Guides to I could see if I could drive myself there ready for the first meeting. I had done most of the route before with my Dad and quite recently so it wasn't too bad but when I got to the church I realised I couldn't go back the way I had come so had to go on some new roads and using my sense of direction. I think I managed quite well, especially as I didn't panic too much, although I was scared I would end up in the centre of Lewisham with its large, scary roads, roundabouts and crowded roads. I was almost home when I phoned Xanthe to double check where I was to ensure I was not Lewisham bound. Got home and reversed into our wheeliebins and knocked my wing mirror as I had never reversed into the drive before but I managed to put them back with no harm done. I must say I was quite chuffed with myself. The next night I managed to drive to and from Guides without incident. Hooray! I am getting there slowly. Am still a way off from being able to drive anywhere by myself but it is a step closer.

Breadmaking

2008-09-09T19:19:04Z

I made bread rolls yesterday - all by myself. Am v proud of myself although the kitchen is now covered in flour and I have burnt my finger. Kneeding was hard work but I perservered for the obligatory 10 minutes. The rolls seemed to taste ok - quite like scones, in fact more like scones than the actual scones I made last year. I had one warm out the oven then I took them into work where they were greeted appreciatively. Rachel spent about 15 minutes going on about how good they were and she has baked bread lots herself. Hooray for baking. I was hoping that, while I was baking, someone would call me so I could say "I've got a bun in the oven" but sadly no one did. Am going to attempt a rosemary and onion bread next. Am getting ambitious.

Laughing + Phone = Bad Combination

2008-09-09T19:14:05Z

Had an "unfortunate" day at work today. For some reason, that I can't even recall, Rachel and I got the giggles. Sadly this coincided with me getting a phonecall, I stupidly answered, laughed down the phone and then could not speak. It was the IT ppl who I have been ringing for ages trying to get the printer fixed and attempting to come across stern, professional and potentially scary to try to spur them into action. I'm not sure this helped me create that image. I passed the phone over to Rachel who explained that I was "laughing too hard to speak" and then promptly followed suit with the laughing-phone combo. Thankfully Teresa then came to the rescue and managed to have a sensible conversation with the IT people.

A while later Rachel tried to leave an answerphone message on someone's phone, burst into laughter part way through and had to hang up with the message incomplete.

After that, my phone rang, I picked it up laughing and decided I couldn't cope with a repeat performance of earlier so hung up without saying a thing!

Oh dear.

August Reading

2008-09-07T15:59:12Z

Julian Barnes - Arthur and George
Daphne Du Maurier - The Parasites
Arthur Conan Doyle - Study in Scarlet
Philip Ardagh - The Silly Side of Sherlock Holmes
G. K. Chesterton - The Adventures of Father Brown
Agatha Christie - Poirot's Early Cases
Margaret Cezair - The Pirate's Daughter
William Shakespeare - Timon of Athens
Kate Harrison - Brown Owl's Guide to Life
Victoria Hislop - The Island
Tourneur? - The Revenger's Tragedy
Ellen Matson - Snow

Psycho Buildings

2008-08-09T08:08:50Z

Ann, Alice and I went to the Hayward Gallery to see this exhibition on Friday evening after work - hooray for late night openings. Also hooray for getting in free for working at the Science Museum - at least there are some benefits of working in an industry with low pay and a lack of career progression.

We went into a tent like enclosure with holes in and what the artist termed "tits" hanging down which were filled with herbs to create a multi sensory experience. Unfortuately, we were not allowed to touch what was a very tactile exhibit. Some people got told off for doing so which upset the start of their visit.

Next there was a doll's house of an apartment block with a Korean house style doll's house crashing into the side to show the clash of cultures for the Korean artist living in America. It was an interesting way to show the two cultures side by side. Everything was done to a scale of 5 x the size and the realism and thought that had gone into it was impressive.

I wasn't too keen on the paper and mesh exhibit which was basically mesh crates covered in different coloured tissue paper with random holes and random lights in. You could walk around the outside and then within to see a decorating table. It was rubbish.

To connect the different floors you could walk through an artwork which was a hollow metal container which made you walk through at different heights and slopes.

I think my favourite was the empty doll's houses with no objects or people within, just lights on to recreate a nightscape. The room was dark and you were surrounded by all these houses. Ann and I chose which we would like to live in.

We didn't queue for the boats as the queue was 40mins long and was only 2 per boat. Instead we looked at the exhibit which was a cloth red staircase suspended in the middle of the room. They had positioned well because as you looked upwards you could see one of the gallery's ceiling lights which looked like it could by a light on the landing the staircase supposedly led up to.

I thought the way the next exhibit incorporated the gallery's stairs was very clever. It was meant to be a series of rooms in a film set that a beast had just destroyed and then left.  A structure had been built over the staircase with a trap door open over the top of the stairs as if to show where the beast had been released from.

Outside we went into an observatory where you had to take your shoes off and walked on silver plastic. It was meant to be like walking in a cloud but I didn't really feel it. It probably didn't help that the top part was closed so you couldn't see people bouncing above you.

There was another structure on the roof that had been turned into a cinema and was showing a series of films on artworks. We saw one on a Partially Buried Shed. Someone had piled earth on top of a woodshed until the main beam had cracked and then left it there, not understanding why the US university campus it was situated on did not recognise the true value of the work. The video actually got more interesting as it went on. Apparently there were some students were shot by police during a demonstration on campus in the 1970s and because someone then grafittied the date on the woodshed, it took on political significance. It was quite interesting to hear what was happening to the shed over time as I could relate it to the museo-archaeological concepts of object life cycles. After a fire and a demolition, only the base structure remains and it is covered by trees.

After our cultural visit, Ann, Alice and I headed for La Tasca (via a couple of queues at other eateries) and enjoyed some tapas.

The Edge of Love

2008-08-09T07:43:14Z

I had wanted to see this film for ages, having had to walk passed the adverts on the tube everyday. They said "if you loved Atonement, you will love this" so I found the only cinema in London with it still on, recruited Arasi to the cause and went to see it on Tues. It was wierd. All I seem to remember it was about was people having baths with each other. As someone who hasn't had a bath with a friend since she was about 3, I found it most odd. I can't really say if I enjoyed the film or not - baths aside. The topic itself was odd perhaps, rather than the film. When Ann was doing her film internship at Capitol, she saw the first cut and she asked it if I was moved at all by it and I can't say that I was. Certainly, not to the extent that I was moved by Atonement. Having said that, I do feel a sense of satisfaction now I've seen it as those adverts were starting to bug me and plus I got to see Arasi which is always good and we have arranged to see The Mousetrap next week.

Summer Holiday

2008-08-07T18:40:22Z

Friday 25th July: Went to a My Pretender (and other bands) gig at The Astoria 2 with Ann, Alice, Satdeep and Susan as Ann and Alice are friends with the band's leader. Their turn was very dramatic and made a welcome change from men with long hair singing. The music afforded good leggy dancing potential and some new moves were sampled. I found that getting rid of cramp in my foot could have been interpreted as a new dance genre. Stayed over at The Posh House to avoid solitary late night ramblings.

Saturday 26th July: Left The Posh House early to meet Giles in Brighton. Had a frustrating journey as queued for ages for the ticket machine only to find when two places from the front that it wasn't accepting cards. Then packed onto an overcrowded train because some bright spark thought putting on 4 carriages to Brighton on a sunny Saturday on the first weekend of the school holidays on the route to Gatwick was a good idea. Got stuck behind a man who kept forgetting I was there and standing on me. Giles and I had a relaxing day on the beach with sausage and chips on the front. I had a swim in the cold sea but had to give up when the salt content got too much for my eyes. I must have looked silly lying on the beach under my towel and pashmina to avoid getting sun burnt but needs must. Unfortunately, we didn't have chance to play Crazy Golf.

Sunday 27th July: I set off to Lincolnshire to meet my parents who had gone up ahead of me. They met me at Grantham and we spent the afternoon at Belton House. We had a picnic and went around the house, church and gardens.   I drove my car to Spilsby. Almost as soon as we got home, I spotted the Gunsons up the garden and we got invited round to theirs for the evening where we battled with a Lincolnshire People Quiz.

Monday 28th July: Apart from a touch of shopping, I spent most of the time reading.

Tuesday 29th July: I drove us all the way to Yorkshire, including over the Humber Bridge. We spent the day looking around my Grandad's old village of Coxwold and finding Aunty Kathleen's windmill that she lived in as a girl.  I had a scary experience driving down a country lane that my mum thought looked good for a picnic.  It was only wide enough for one car, had grass a metre high in the middle which hit the inside of the bonnet, turned into a mud track, then a farmyard and I had to deal with meeting a truck coming the other way. On top of that, the lane was no good for picnicking after all! In the end I parked at Byland Abbey and accidentally drove into the wall because I can't see the end of the bonnet from the driver's seat and I forgot quite how much of it there was. Thankfully, it was only a minor bump as I was parking so there was no scratch. We picnicked on the grass verge overlooking the abbey. Once we had wandered around Coxwold and the churchyard, we set off for Ullerskelf to find the windmill we had heard so much about. It doesn't seem to be lived in at the moment but we managed to gain entry into the garden and have a wander around. We found the old glass top still around the back - it had to be taken off the top during the war - and was then used as a glasshouse. There was a lot of rubbish in a shed, including chimney sweeping apparatus.

My Great Aunt Kathleen died on Sat July after lasting a month on a drip without any food or liquids. Unfortunately her bowel had collapsed 20 years after having it operated on for bowel cancer. There was nothing that could be done as she was 96 and unlikely to survive any operation. The doctors could not believe that she still lived in her own home and did her own weekly shop via bus every week. In fact they were so surprised by this, they thought she had senile dementia! The doctors said that her heart was in tip top condition as was her blood pressure, hence her lasting so long on just a drip. I did go up to say goodbye a few weeks ago when she was first admitted to hospital and was quite surprised to find her like her old self, sitting up able to talk and have a laugh. In a way I quite enjoyed seeing and spending time with her. However, on my last visit the following day, I felt awful as soon as we reached the hospital because I knew it was the last time I would see her. I was shaking, felt sick, cold and clammy and really struggled with the strain of trying not to cry in front of her. Even as I turned and walked out of the room after saying goodbye, I couldn't stop the tears. The whole month was an emotional rollercoaster. The weekend after this, we thought Aunty Kathleen had had a miracle cure and the blockage had cleared, however, it soon transpired that we had all jumped the gun and the clearance was only temporary. At least it meant that I could spend the whole weekend of Giles' brother's wedding happy in the misplaced knowledge that Aunty Kathleen was going to recover. Aunty Kathleen's funeral was on the Wed so it seemed fitting that we went to see her old windmill. The sun was shining and bouncing off the top of the mill like a spark. In the evening we went to stay with her son and daughter-in-law. We sat outside in their large garden and had a lovely meal and a catch up, despite the sad circs.

Wednesday 30th July Aunty Kathleen's funeral. In true pathetic fallacy stylee it rained all while we were at the crematorium but the sun came out during the fish and chip meal wake. We went to Aunty Kathleen's favourite fish and chip restaurant. I sat with my second cousins: Chris and Simon Lacy and Simon's wife, Yvonne. We just found out that Chris has got engaged to be married so it was nice to have some cheery news for a change. During the funeral service, prayers were read out for the family and the vicar named Aunty Kathleen's children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Then she said "and for Marie who thought of her as a grandmother". I have never been so touched! That was it, my mum and I burst into floods of tears having just about managed to hold them off up til then. It was such a thoughtful thing for the family to do. In the eulogy, reference was also made to Aunty Kathleen enjoying her annual week long holiday with us in Spilsby and her trips to stay with us in London.

Thursday 31st July: Had a fairly restful day after the passed couple. In the afternoon I went to visit Grace, an elderly neighbour. We had a long chat as she is an interesting person to talk to. In the evening my mum and I went to the Italian Restaurant in Spilsby with Aunty Pat, her daughter Julie, Julie's mother in law Chris and a friend of all, Dawn. The food was horrible so I hope we don't go there again. I drove my mum and I up and it was the first time I had driven without a driver next to me. I was petrified even though it was only around the corner. I was shaking, my thighs got really tight and my heart was racing. When the others arrived, I explained this to them and they thought I meant I had driven up from London all by myself, not just round the corner. I then spend the rest of the evening worrying about trying to get out of the bay by myself as I have never learnt how to do bay parks properly. In the end it wasn't too bad and I was even able to drop Aunty Pat off at her house in the dark and the rain. Later I pulled into our narrow sloped drive with my Dad's help.

Friday 1st August: The Gunsons, my parents and I went to find the Skendleby abbey cell that had recently been excavated. We scrambled over stiles and a bumpy field covering the remains of the lost medieval village, only find we couldn't access the correct field from there. Jack has diabetes and had forgotten to bring any sweets, my mum has osteo-arthritis in her knee and needed a leg up so, as I said to them, I felt like I was on a day out with Help the Aged. When we did find the site, the Gunsons gave up in disgust as the remains were no longer really visible as they had been covered back over. I scrambled about and found evidence from the stones and the excavation map where the walls would have been. As I was doing this, the owner of the field drove up and confirmed my thoughts. He seemed quite chuffed that I had studied archaeology and was interested in his site. Although a millionaire, he drove a clapped out car and when my mum asked for a lift to save having to clamber over more gates, he had to move a load of junk from the front seat.

Saturday 2nd August: I did my Pass Plus today and drove for 6 hours on dual carriageways and motorways. I couldn't believe how easy motorways are as they are straight roads which are such a rariety in England. I even managed to get some "exceeds" reached competences so I was very chuffed. In the evening we went for a drink with Aunty Pat and Uncle Ray.

Sunday 3rd August: We went to Revesby Show and saw the chickens and show jumping. I've never seen show jumping before and, as it was a novice class, it was very exciting to see the horses getting spooked, crashing into fences and people falling off. In fact when we got a straight run of about 4 clear rounds, it started to get a bit dull after the more exciting eliminations of earlier. Thankfully no one was hurt. Driving there was difficult as I had to drive for ages along the bumpy field to park. I then drove to Grantham and got the train back to London.

June and July Reading

2008-08-01T14:09:29Z

June Reading
Dorothy Sayers - Gaudy Night
Mark Gatiss - The Devil in Amber
Sarah Challis - That Summer Affair
Alexander McCall Smith - The Miracle at Speedy Motors

July Reading
Robert Harris - The Ghost
Daphne Du Maurier - The Flight of the Falcon
Kate Morton - The Forgotten Garden
Richmal Crompton - William and the Brains Trust
Alexander McCall Smith - The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
Stella Gibbons - Cold Comfort Farm
Dorothy Sayers - Strong Poison
Skendleby History Society - The Mystery of the Chapel of St James, Skendleby
John Ketteringham - Lincolnshire People
Dorothy Sayers - The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

fraud

2008-07-28T15:17:18Z

What a palaver! Have been trying to book Giles and I a holiday to Greece. Couldn't at first because I had to wait for Giles' bank transfer to clear which took longer than the bank made out. Then tried to book online (after seeing that the money had come through) and card was declined. Tried again. Declined. Phoned up to book over the phone and to check payment had not sneakily gone through. Card declined again. Dashed to the bank feeling thankful that I am in Spilsby where there is a bank a few minutes walk to. Got to the bank at 3.33 to discover the bank closes at 3.30. Cursed the fact that I was in Spilsby where everything closes early if it bothers to open at all. Came back home feeling stressed. Phoned HSBC and was on hold for ages which meant I was forced to listen to a depressing warning advert telling me that "you do not know what is around the corner - you could lose your job, have an accident, develop an illness ..." which really cheered me up. Eventually a man came on the line to tell me that there is a distinct possibility that someone has copied the details of my card from a website and is trying to commit fraud with it. Jolly good. They are going to cancel the card and send me a new one. They got stroppy when I asked why they hadn't bothered to tell me and I had to find out the hard way. At least the holiday is now book as they let me keep the card open until I finished the purchase. Am pleased am on annual leave to sort this out.