This is our little car - isn't it beautiful!!Friday, September 29, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
London and Awre
Hi all,
I've had a busy couple of weekends recently. The weekend just gone we went up to visit Dad's family - Ian and Tricia and cousins Oli and Emma, with their girl/boyfriends too.
I've had a busy couple of weekends recently. The weekend just gone we went up to visit Dad's family - Ian and Tricia and cousins Oli and Emma, with their girl/boyfriends too.
It was lovely as always to go to Awre, they live out in the country and it's such a refreshing place to be. I always really enjoy it. It was an easy drive too, around an hour and a half away - not too bad at all. We went over the Severn bridge which was quite exciting! (Nath didn't really think so). We ate a LOT of food, and also admired the puppies - 11 x 6week old lab pups, so cute. On Sunday we went for a nature walk, and picked and ate the produce as we walked along. I think that's something that the NZ wilderness lacks - not so much in the way of berries and edible things - or maybe it's just that our palates aren't accustomed to it. Anyway, lots of blackberies, elderberries, plums, sloes, apples, etc. It was a lovely day. Saturday we went for the usual walk to the pub, and the boys enjoyed Severn Sider Cider, the girls Peary (cider from pears - quite good). All in all it was very relaxing and not too much happened, just enjoyed everyone's company.
The previous weekend we met up with Mum's side: Jenny and Chris, who were in Bath for the evening, and cousin Marcus, over from Bristol. We had drinks in their very fancy hotel first, and then went out for a lovely meal, in a place called Hole in the Wall - actually most of it's under the road level! Sort of in a vault type thing. It was really nice. Again, great to catch up with family.
And on Saturday we went up to London to visit Amy (N's sister) and Jonny. A big trip for our little car, but it made it fine - though we were a little frazzled after it taking about 4hours instead of 2.5! Stupid London traffic!! I suppose we should have expected it... Lovely to see them though, before their next European adventure and then return home.Other than weekend excursions, things are going well, all in all. Work's not the most exciting I've done, but it's not too bad either. In my usual way, I seem to have taken on a whole lot of things, and am feeling that I'm spread a bit thin at the moment - what with Church, catching up with friends, Nath, and just getting to and from work, I certainly have little time to be bored! This weekend should be a pretty quiet one though so I'm looking forward to that actually.
Anyway, lots of love to ya,
Fi
Friday, September 15, 2006
Edition 2 - Grad conference
A month since I've been away already! Crazy... Things are going well. This week's been a good one at work - as I've been away on a conference for a day and a half!
We had a conference at Warwick University for grades 6-9 (the non-managers), across the whole of the company, so there were about 400 people there on the session I went to, and about 12 from my office. It was a great opportunity to get to know both the teams that I'm part of - those from Bristol who I sit with, and those from Cardiff who I work with. Basically it was a socialising thing... with an open bar!... It was trouble waiting to happen... and then a whole lot of seminars during the days. A lot of inspirational, 'don't we work for a great company' talks, and some videos with American voice overs which weren't so well received generally. Very interesting on the whole though, and nice to break up the week!
Last weekend was a pretty quiet one. Had a church ball for the youth group Nath helps with, and it was quite funny to be there boogying down with 16 and 17year olds. It was a good laugh. Otherwise didn't really do anything. Had Nathan and Pete over for Sunday lunch and generally lounged about.
Some friends - Larry, Rich, Mim
On Tuesday I checked out the local Scottish Dancing club, and that was good fun. It was a welcome evening and one of my friends came with me too. We did lots of fairly easy dances, but I think they usually split the classes into beginners and normal, and do the class seperately. Which is a different way of doing it. Think I'll keep going though, it was good fun. And there were other young people there! About 5 out of 40 or so.
The weather's been really good so far (touch wood), though I am thinking I should probably buy a raincoat soon... It's still light when I wake up though, which I'm more than happy with.
Hope everyone's well
xx
Fi
We had a conference at Warwick University for grades 6-9 (the non-managers), across the whole of the company, so there were about 400 people there on the session I went to, and about 12 from my office. It was a great opportunity to get to know both the teams that I'm part of - those from Bristol who I sit with, and those from Cardiff who I work with. Basically it was a socialising thing... with an open bar!... It was trouble waiting to happen... and then a whole lot of seminars during the days. A lot of inspirational, 'don't we work for a great company' talks, and some videos with American voice overs which weren't so well received generally. Very interesting on the whole though, and nice to break up the week!
Last weekend was a pretty quiet one. Had a church ball for the youth group Nath helps with, and it was quite funny to be there boogying down with 16 and 17year olds. It was a good laugh. Otherwise didn't really do anything. Had Nathan and Pete over for Sunday lunch and generally lounged about.
Some friends - Larry, Rich, Mim
On Tuesday I checked out the local Scottish Dancing club, and that was good fun. It was a welcome evening and one of my friends came with me too. We did lots of fairly easy dances, but I think they usually split the classes into beginners and normal, and do the class seperately. Which is a different way of doing it. Think I'll keep going though, it was good fun. And there were other young people there! About 5 out of 40 or so.
The weather's been really good so far (touch wood), though I am thinking I should probably buy a raincoat soon... It's still light when I wake up though, which I'm more than happy with.
Hope everyone's well
xx
Fi
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Photos
Some Photos...
The English countryside.. this is around where Nath lives. Pretty rural...
And some photo's from the party.... (these are friends from church)
This is Rich and Nick, who's party it was:
The English countryside.. this is around where Nath lives. Pretty rural...
And some photo's from the party.... (these are friends from church)This is Rich and Nick, who's party it was:
Katy and me...
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Hi there!
This is a bit strange - never had a blog before.
Things have been going well, and I feel like I'm settling in to life in the UK. There have been a lot of changes in a relatively short space of time, so it's been pretty full on. I've now been working for almost 2 weeks, and have been over here for 3. Well, what's happened?...
I've hung out with Nath, which has been great to be in the same country again! And I feel like I've got quite a support group already, with lots of 'ready made' friends of his from church, who don't make me feel like I'm tagging along at all, but have really included me and been lovely.
The important stuff has all got sorted reasonably easily: we got given a car! Which is just amazing, what a blessing! I've moved into my new flat - terraced house. And the other boring stuff like bank accounts and insurance are sorted too.
Work's going ok, a little slow to start off as my boss has been away these first 2 weeks! It's pretty different to work at home both in terms of what I'm doing, and the atmosphere is a little less social, but I'm sure I'll get to know people better soon enough. Next week I'm going to a conference at Warwick Uni, with I think about 400 others from the various FaberMaunsell offices. It sounds like it'll be mainly a social thing, with a complementary bar in the evening! Oh oh.
There's been plenty of social stuff on - too much for me! I'm already starting to have to say no, to preserve my sleep and my sanity!! Last weekend we had a wedding reception and a 21st to go to, which was great. I'll try and put some photos on. This weekend a church ball, and next weekend catching up with some family. During the week, there's lots on with small group, meeting up with people at the pub, seeing Nath, and next week am starting scottish dancing again.
Church is good, and I feel already really at home at Nathan's church, because everyone's been so welcoming. They are pretty similar in many respects to St Pauls, but have more of a community feeling and larger range of ages. The way it seems to work is everyone goes to the morning service and then the evening one is for those who want to go a bit deeper and a bit more contemplative. I've added myself to Nath's small group, which I think is where I'll stay. It's also been really nice to meet families that will have us over for Sunday lunch, it's good to be around families when you're away from home.
That's enough for now I think. Lets see if it works!
This is a bit strange - never had a blog before.
Things have been going well, and I feel like I'm settling in to life in the UK. There have been a lot of changes in a relatively short space of time, so it's been pretty full on. I've now been working for almost 2 weeks, and have been over here for 3. Well, what's happened?...
I've hung out with Nath, which has been great to be in the same country again! And I feel like I've got quite a support group already, with lots of 'ready made' friends of his from church, who don't make me feel like I'm tagging along at all, but have really included me and been lovely.
The important stuff has all got sorted reasonably easily: we got given a car! Which is just amazing, what a blessing! I've moved into my new flat - terraced house. And the other boring stuff like bank accounts and insurance are sorted too.
Work's going ok, a little slow to start off as my boss has been away these first 2 weeks! It's pretty different to work at home both in terms of what I'm doing, and the atmosphere is a little less social, but I'm sure I'll get to know people better soon enough. Next week I'm going to a conference at Warwick Uni, with I think about 400 others from the various FaberMaunsell offices. It sounds like it'll be mainly a social thing, with a complementary bar in the evening! Oh oh.
There's been plenty of social stuff on - too much for me! I'm already starting to have to say no, to preserve my sleep and my sanity!! Last weekend we had a wedding reception and a 21st to go to, which was great. I'll try and put some photos on. This weekend a church ball, and next weekend catching up with some family. During the week, there's lots on with small group, meeting up with people at the pub, seeing Nath, and next week am starting scottish dancing again.
Church is good, and I feel already really at home at Nathan's church, because everyone's been so welcoming. They are pretty similar in many respects to St Pauls, but have more of a community feeling and larger range of ages. The way it seems to work is everyone goes to the morning service and then the evening one is for those who want to go a bit deeper and a bit more contemplative. I've added myself to Nath's small group, which I think is where I'll stay. It's also been really nice to meet families that will have us over for Sunday lunch, it's good to be around families when you're away from home.
That's enough for now I think. Lets see if it works!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)