La de da
Not much to report.
Christmas was good but eventless. Too much food and too little Jesus. For my taste anyway. We had a nice time on Christmas Eve (the traditional German main celebration), exchanged a few gifts and ate some food and drank some wine. Very sedate and grown-up. I met with my bestest friend Nina yesterday and caught up with her and her kids and hubby, which was nice.
Tomorrow will be devoted to shopping. All the stuff I can't get in England, but want. Let's see:
- Hard, dry-cured salami
- Liquorice (or however you spell that)
- A 'lead cast' set - this is a New Year's tradition in Germany, highly unsuitable for budding vicars: you melt lead in a teaspoon, pour it into cold water, and according to the shape it takes in the cold water, you can get predictions for the New Year. A bit of fun, but not taken seriously!!
- My special brand mascara (well you can get it in England but it's cheaper here)
- Underwear (Kaufhof beats M&S hands down!)
- Chocolate!!
Back to England on Thursday - two essays await me! Hoo-rah...
Home sweet home
So here I am, back in Germany for the Christmas holidays. It's like stepping back in time. I get my old room (well, flat), see my old friends, and do all the stuff I used to do. Shopping, eating, arguing with my parents. It's like being a teenager again.
Seriously, though. It's great being home. I can sleep as long as I like, get great food and can catch up with all my old mates, neighbours and relatives (not that many of them around...). Add to all that the festive cheer, and you have a nice holiday. It's amazing how much into the *real* Christmas people here in Germany still are. Somehow a lot more than in England. They are a lot more open and interested about the fact that Christmas is essentially about Jesus, which is reflected in the newspaper articles and the stuff they show on telly. But church is so much still a part of the fabric of life here (meaning part of the pattern of days, rather than real conviction and Christianity) that it's probably not surprising. However, despite all that the churches are dead. A sprinkling of pensioners and the obligatory gaggle of teenagers (for their confirmation classes - don't ask!) is all you'll ever find in church on a usual Sunday.
Maths problem
May I just point out that I am not blonde - apparently my hair is strawberry coloured... :-D
Fun Update
Well let's see how I've done in the fun department: I spent most of the day reading a trashy novel (not done that in ages - reading seems to be a goal-oriented activity these days), eating way too much chocolate, having two Birds Eye 100% beef burger patties for dinner, getting all the reading required for the Missions essay (Hudson Taylor) out of the library. I know I know but I couldn't resist it - at least I know now I have all the stuff here and I can write the essay if the spirit so moves me.
On my way to the library I encountered the fabulous Liz, who was up to her arms in Christmas decorations (and decorated quite liberally herself, with lots of glitter all over her), looking thoroughly fed up. So I made her stop and have a cup of tea with me in the common room.
I then read some more trashy novel, et some more chocolate, talked to a few lovely people on the phone and now am starting to consider going to bed - it's only 9.30 in the evening but that's the luxury of college holidays - there's nothing to do with hardly anyone around, and I can catch up on sleep.
Oh I also managed to spend some time with God - very important for budding vicars (some might not agree but hey). He's got a lot to say at the moment which is not a little disturbing for me so I'd value your prayers. Oh btw, just in case Mad Dog is reading this: yes, it's disturbing, but I know it's also good. It's frightening, but it's also blessing. It's unsettling but it's also reassuring and peace - bringing. Go figure.
Xmas Parties and End of Term
Thursday night was Christmas party time here at college - everyone dressed up in glad rags and the social team excelled themselves and decorated the entrance and everything in a Narnia theme - complete with street lamp, white curtains, snowflakes all over the place and so on. It was magical.
The dinner that night was Christmas dinner, cooked fantastically - all the trimmings included. Then we moved to the chapel which was decked out as a party hall, and had some live music to begin with and then a DJ. Here you were treated to a bunch of wannabe vicars standing in a circle and doing the actions to 'YMCA'. Glad the press wasn't there! :-)
So today is the first day of the Christmas break. To treat myself, I slept til ten past ten, aided by a couple of mugs of Winter Pimms with Apple juice (hot). Loooovely. I have decided to have fun today (not sure how to do that yet, though!) and not worry about essays or anything (oops, I said it). So I shall have a leisurely breakfast, some quality time with God, go for a walk or something and play with my new digital camera. The weather outside is glorious - lovely sunshine, and not a cloud anywhere to be seen.
Guess where...
...I went yesterday. And to give you a clue:
Yes - this was courtesy of the fabulous Mike. He took a friend of mine and myself to Bradford, fed us Pizza, and then we went to see Delirious - first concert of the "Paint the Town" tour. The album (Mission Bell) is fantastic - I can recommend it.
So let's hear it for Mike - I had a fantastic time all thanks to him!
It was also hilarious. We got there with enough time spare to walk into Bradford for some food. In the process of finding somewhere to eat, Mike chatted up two police women and two party goers (girls of course). As he was busy flirting, he didn't listen to the directions. I thought he had, so I wasn't listening either. However, we found the Italian place anyway. We had Pizza and left in order to get back to Abundant Life Church in time for the concert. We just made it - the supporting act was already going. Delirious did a great job, the place was heaving (2,500 people, I believe) and God was there too. I think He had a great time, as well.
Chav Nativity
I know the last post was a joke as well, but this is too good not to publish. I got it in an email forward. All you Brits are going to understand it - not sure about my American/Canadian friends.
A 'proper' update is going to follow soon (ish)
Chav NativityThere's this bird called Mary, yeah? She's a virgin (wossat then?)
She's not married or nuffink, but she's got this boyfriend, Joe, innit?
He does joinery an' that. Mary lives with him in a crib dahn Nazaref.
One day Mary meets this bloke Gabriel. She's like `Oo ya lookin at?'
Gabriel just goes 'You got one up the duff, you have.' Mary's totally
gobsmacked. She gives it to him large 'Stop dissin' me yeah? I ain't no
Kappa-slapper. I never bin wiv no one!'
So Mary goes and sees her cousin Liz, who's six months gone herself. Liz
is largin' it. She's filled with spirits, Barcardi Breezers an' that.
She's like 'Orright, Mary, I can feel me bay-bee in me tummy and I
reckon I'm well blessed. Think of all the extra benefits an' that we are
gonna get.' Mary goes 'Yeah, s'pose you're right'
Mary an' Joe ain't got no money so they have to ponse a donkey, an' go
dahn Bethlehem on that. They get to this pub an' Mary wants to stop,
yeah? To have her bay-bee an' that.
But there ain't no room at the inn, innit? So Mary an' Joe break an'
enter into this garridge, only it's filled wiv animals. Cahs an' sheep
an' that.
Then these three geezers turn up, looking proper bling, wiv crowns on
their heads. They're like `Respect, bay-bee Jesus', an' say they're wise
men from the East End.
Joe goes: 'If you're so wise, wotchoo doin' wiv this Frankenstein an'
myrrh? Why dincha just bring gold, Adidas and Burberry?' It's all about
to kick off when Gabriel turns up again an' sez he's got another message
from this Lord geezer.
He's like 'The police is comin an' they're killin all the bay-bees. You
better nash off to Egypt.' Joe goes 'You must be monged if you think I'm
goin' dahn Egypt on a minging donkey'
Gabriel sez 'Suit yerself, pal. But it's your look out if you stay.' So
they go dahn Egypt till they've stopped killin the first-born an' it's
safe an' that.
Then Joe and Mary and Jesus go back to Nazaref, an' Jesus turns water
into Stella.
APPY CRIMBO
15 Things
15 Things to do at Wal-Mart while your spouse/partner
is taking their sweet time:
1. Get 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts
when they aren't looking.
2. Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
3 Make a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the rest rooms.
4 Walk up to an employee and tell him/her in an official tone,
'Code 3' in housewares..... and see what happens.
5 Go the Service Desk and ask to put a bag of M&M's on lay away.
6 Move a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
7 Set up a tent in the camping department and tell other shoppers
you'll invite them in if they'll bring pillows from the bedding
department.
8 When a clerk asks if they can help you, begin to cry and ask 'Why
can't you people just leave me alone?'
9 Look right into the security camera; use it as a mirror, and pick your nose.
10 While handling guns in the hunting department, ask the clerk
if he knows where the anti- depressants are.
11 Dart around the store suspiciously loudly humming the
"Mission Impossible" theme.
12 In the auto department, practice your "Madonna look"
using different size funnels.
13 Hide in a clothing rack and when people browse through,
say "PICK ME!" "PICK ME!"
14 When an announcement comes over the loud speaker,
assume the fetal position and scream "NO! NO! It's those voices again!!!!"
( And; last, but not least!)
15 Go into a fitting room and shut the door and wait a while;
and then yell, very loudly, "There is no toilet paper in here!"
Preview
This is a pic of our two *handsome* sisters: Chalcedon and Nicea (aka Marc and Marc), minus their lovely blue and red hairdos... More pics to follow, for maximum embarrassment for the cast.
Pantomime
I know you are all waiting with baited breath for the pantomime report. I am waiting for the pantomime photos so that I can post a few choice ones on here and embarrass people unbelievably (especiallly Steve in his purple crushed velvet dress...). I try to do this before the weekend but as you can appreciate, it depends on others getting the pics onto my memory stick...
Thanks for your patience
x
