round-up of my week

I had a lovely week off. It was so relaxed I didn't even blog. Shocking! I went to work on Monday. On Tuesday it was my birthday and Ant and I went to the Formula One exhibition at the Design Museum--my choice! It was really neat to read about the history of the cars and how their design has evolved. Designing an F1 car now is a huge business with a big team of engineers.



This is Michael Schumacher's 2004 Ferarri car.

To get to the Design Museum we walked along by Tower Bridge and through some quaint back streets.




I stayed Tuesday night with Naomi and Rhona, which was fantastic. We made a delicious dinner (well, the girls made it and I watched) and chatted most of the night about weddings and the like.

On Wednesday Justin and I took ourselves off to Oxford.



Unfortunately it was wet and cold there, but we did see some lovely buildings. Justin had not been before, so it was well worth it.

We visited Christ Church College, which was stunning. The quad is huge and the buildings are gorgeous. The cathedral was open and a service was just starting as we went in. So we were two of four congregants for a short communion service from the Book of Common Prayer. It was lovely to sit and hear the words in a beautiful building.



In Oxford we made sure to stop and see the Einstein blackboard at the Museum of the History of Science.


I believe this says something about the rate of expansion of the universe (D) and the density of the universe (rho). It's from a lecture he gave at Oxford.

After my day of wet and cold walking I was exhausted. On Thursday I lay about the house and relaxed. I surfed the web and watched TV and general loafed around while Ant was away. I cooked myself a prawn pasta sauce since Ant wasn't around to pretend gag at me.

I met up with Owen, a colleague from last year for coffee and then lunch. We chatted about maths and our situations. I got lots of good ideas from him, as usual.

And yesterday Ant and I went out to see April's band, The Fly By Nights. They were brilliant and the other two bands that played were good as well, most notably a Blondie tribute band called The Parallel Lines. The gig was in a studio in Hackney (North London). We were typical London partiers: a drink at the smoky club around the corner first, practically stuck together in the tiny studio, a tube ride home, and a kebab picked up on the way at a little shop by the bus stop.

answers to some questions

I've been a bit confused about the violence in Budapest lately. it's been only partly covered by our news media, so I never seem to get the full picture sorted out. Here's a BBC FAQ about the whole thing that helped a bit.

news to me

Apparently one internet user in ten has a blog now. Are you one? Or do you enjoy your surfing time by reading others' writings? Why not leave me a comment to say you have been? I see from the map on the sidebar that I have quite a few more visitors than make their voices known. So even a little peep would be a pleasure to hear. :)

Click on the comments link (at the end of this post on the right) and let me know you're here. You don't have to be a Blogger member. When you get to the comments page, click on "Other" if you'd like to leave me your name, or "Anonymous" if you'd prefer not to. Let me ask some questions to get you started. (Thanks to Sonya for the idea.) Please choose one or more to answer.

1. What's a good film (or TV show) you've seen recently?

2. What's your favourite fruit and why? If you could describe yourself as a fruit which one would it be? :)

3. What are you reading at the moment?

4. Do you think that a messy desk/room means a tidy mind? Or would you prefer to leave me an anti-clutter tip?

"it's not immediately clear"

NewScientist reports that a working cloaking device has been produced in the US. It cloaks an object from microwaves, and so far only in 2D. It's the size of a movie reel and it cloaks a copper ring from one specific frequency of microwaves. Scientists say that building a cloaking device for visible light frequencies is currenly beyond nanotechnology possiblilties.

"It's not yet clear that you're going to get the invisibility that everyone thinks about with Harry Potter's cloak or the Star Trek cloaking device," says David Smith of Duke University.

religious clothing debate

Recently in the news we have been hearing about a British Airways employee who has been asked to hide her cross necklace under her uniform. She is threatening to sue the company. They allow hijab and turbans, and they are discriminating against Christians in their request. Have a look at the debate on the BBC website. Many people have commented, including Muslims showing support for her. One has pointed out that many Christians think it is Muslims who are against their religious expression, but the commenter believes it is the atheists that are driving the anti-religious feeling. The employee has stated that she feels a particularly anti-Christian sentiment at work, not simply anti-religious.

modern conveniences

I wanted to dry my hair today. I think because it is a bit colder now and having wet hair gives me the chills. But our flat is converted from an old house and there are not plugs everywhere you want them, particularly near the mirror. But that wouldn't stop me, oh no! Being a modern woman, I turned on my web cam and dried my hair at my desk!

congratulations!

Jayme and Donald were married last weekend in Miramichi, NB. What a beautiful wedding it was, at least it looks it in the pictures. I wish them so much happiness as they start out together in Canada.

thanksgiving

Ant and I managed to pull off a little Thanksgiving dinner last night. Ant was the impetus for it, buying us a little roasting chicken with sage stuffing. We made roast potatoes, roast parsnips, boiled potatoes, honey glazed carrots, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and gravy. With the help of a store-bought pastry I made a pumpkin pie. We were so pleased about having pulled it all off! This was the first Thanksgiving that I have managed to celebrate away from home. It was well worth the trouble. And I took leftovers and pie to school today. Everyone in the staffroom who tried some pie liked it.

baking muffins

My dad is a famous muffin maker. He has so many muffin cookbooks that he has an index book to help him find the muffin recipe he wants. I, however, have only one muffin recipe. I use it for everything. I like it because (a) it has hardly any sugar, (b) it has hardly any oil, (c) it contains lots of oats--and I make it even healthier by putting in oats and bran, (d) it only requires one mixing bowl, speeding up both the preparation and the washing up. Here it is. It's from the More with Less cookbook.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Mix together in large bowl:
1 1/2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1 T baking powder

Stir in:
1 c oats
1 c chocolate chips (or 1/2 c raisins or anything else that you fancy)

Add:
3 T oil
1 egg, beaten
1 c milk

Stir only until combined. Fill muffin cups and bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes.

working on the weekend

Last weekend I didn't do any school work. My Monday was horrendous. I have vowed never to let it happen again. Sadly, that now means my Saturday morning is boring and work-ish. Blech. What did I expect? I hope it's worth it.

book club

I have joined a book club. I found it through the Canada Network after I went to the Canada Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square. I joined the mailing list and found out when the next meeting was. Then I went out and bought the book they were reading for the October meeting: Two Lives by Vikram Seth. I managed to read 400 of the 500 pages before the meeting this Wednesday.


We met at a little wine bar and restaurant called the Cork and Bottle in Leiscester Square. I knew the street it was on, but couldn't see it anywhere. I even asked a kebab vendor on the street about it but he didn't recognise the name. After a few more minutes of seaching, I located its tiny shop front--right next door to the kebab shop! I don't know how the vendor didn't know it and I'm surprised I missed it too when I asked him.

The group was quite small, and I'm told it usually averages around 8 people. We ordered a bottle of wine and I got a plateful of salads (yum; mozzarella, tomato, and basil; Greek with huge feta pieces; and chickpea and roast vegetables). The discussion ranged over numerous topics, using the book as a jumping off point several times.

The memoir focuses on Vikram's Uncle Shanti and Aunt Henny. They met in Berlin in the early thirties after Shanti moved there to study. He boarded at Henny's mother's house. Henny emigrated to England before the war, and Shanti, now qualified as a dentist, joined the British army. They met again when Shanti settled down in London and started a practice, even though he had lost an arm in the war. They didn't marry until they were forty.

We talked about whether their marriage was based on companionship more than passionate love. We sympathised with Shanti who lived a heart-broken nine years after Henny died. We were intrigued by the way both of them cut ties with their home country. To a group of Canadian women in London that seemed especially poignant.

Our next book is Booker prize-winning The Sea by John Banville. So I'll be out this weekend picking up my copy.

new for October

1. Chilly weather in the morning. I am not cycling in shorts anymore.
2. Ant's bike has been stolen (again). So he is less mobile.
3. The marking pile is tightening its grip on me. Its cobra-like qualities never cease to amaze me.
4. I am glad now that I bought cycle lights in the summer. Although it's not dark yet, but dusky on my way home.
5. I realised (in advance this year!) that Thanksgiving is coming up next week. What to do, what to do?

Canada gathering

Yesterday Justin hosted a small Canadian social party. The food was imported by him or obtained from the Canada Shop in Covent Garden. I had a delicious glass of Canada Dry and this lovely Oreo cookie milkshake. The European Oreo box declares that it is the "World's Number One Biscuit!"


Not a great picture, but you get the idea. I also had a mug of Tim's English toffee cappuccino, carrot cake, and a mountain of carrot sticks with dip, all not in that order.

new season, new shows

Heehee. I have grown to like British TV, and September means a new raft of shows to enjoy. I am actually quite excited by this. :) The best show on TV at the moment is a BBC drama about MI5 called Spooks. Ant and I both also enjoy watching You Are What You Eat, which I have blogged about before. CSI is always a favourite of mine; I watched an episode tonight. Ant loves watching house selling shows, or property development shows, or house makeover shows. He jokes that he will know everything about buying a house by the time we come to do it. We watch some personal makeover shows as well, and I have just learned that Ladette to Lady is returning this year: a show where they take a group of rough, unlady-like young women and send them to a traditional finishing school where they have to learn to talk properly, cross their ankles, arrange flowers, learn to sew and cook, and behave like a proper English lady. As you may already know, I am only 56% lady, so I have lots to learn from this show!

overworked?

My dad thinks I have been working too hard. He's probably right. Ant thinks so too, and on his urging I've set up a daily alarm to remind me to go to bed at a reasonable time. It's come to that! I am working really hard, but on things that directly impact my teaching, so I don't begrudge the time I'm spending. Part of the problem is that I'm just not a fast thinker when it comes to having creative teaching ideas. I need time to ruminate. But instead the days fly by and I feel as though I am frequently on the back foot. Ah, well. I will continue to work on my work-life balance.

In other news, I was reading two BBC articles tonight: teaching maths in England may be getting a bit easier soon, and a church in Glasgow has paid the price for having an open door.

news flash

I have discovered this week that I like teaching. Shocking, I know! On Tuesday I came home in a really good mood. I enjoyed my day: a bit of teaching, a bit of lesson planning, a few laughs, a bit of exercise... the whole day seemed about right. I didn't come home depressed or annoyed that I had a job. What a turning point. I didn't really realise until this week how I could regain my sense of enjoying my job. Until now I was feeling mostly relief at the beginning of the new year, but now I find that I actually like being a teacher! I can hear my parents laughing now.... I suppose they knew all along that I would like it.

On the other hand, I am tired all the time. In fact, I am exhausted by my regime. I am sleeping very soundly at nights! I leave school at 6:00 each evening. Fortunately, I would say, they lock the building and close the gates then, so I have to get out by six. They start ringing warning bells in the school at 5:45 to remind me to get out before it's too late! Cycling is proving tiring as well (again, shocking, I know), but in a funny way it also energises me. Some evenings when I'm sitting at my desk I think I won't be able to make it home, but once I get going I seem to arrive in due course.

This afternoon I went up to the fitness suite for 45 minutes. Some of the other young teachers were there as well. I didn't do too much, not wanting to go crazy and then have to cycle home. I did some arm and abs exercises and left it at that. No legs, not ever again. My legs are in enough pain. They are getting stronger!

success!

Here's a picture from before school started of the big sign I made for my room. I laminated it and put it up above the board. I really want to give a positive feeling to the room and I think this sign makes a difference. It's so cheerful looking as well.

new cycling gear

On Friday it was raining when I left for work. By the time I was halfway there it was tipping down in sheets. I was soaked through and quite miserable when I arrived. Fortunately for me, I ordered a cycling jacket earlier this week which arrived on Saturday. It's waterproof and windproof and, perhaps obviously from the picture, good for visibility. It's fantastic.

why do you blog?

Find out the answer! I took a little quiz about the type of blogger I am. Ha! I think I knew already that I blog to share with my friends and stay in touch with people.

You Are a Social Blogger!

Your blog is more of a semi-private affair for your friends. It's how you keep in touch... sharing stories, jokes, and pics.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

ha!

You Are 56% Lady

You're part lady, part modern woman. Etiquette is important to you, but you brush aside rules that are outdated or silly.

Are You A Lady?

i have riden past Truro

By riding back and forth to work last week I covered 70 miles, or 112 kilometers. Wow! I didn't realise I had done that much already. It really hurts in my legs especially on the way there. I have a rather large hill on the way there. On Thursday afternoon, part of one of the main roads was closed and I had to walk part of the way. I am now investigating a shortcut to allow me to avoid a high street that is jam packed in the evenings. The road is so full that I can't get down alongside the cars, and the pavement is so full with pedestrians that I couldn't possibly cut along there either. So hopefully I can find a slightly different way to go to sort it out.

one couple, two laptops

From my Dad. Heehee!

first day of school

I am tired, so I won't write much. (Thinking up a comment to Sonya's baby naming blog entry took up all my time!) But today was a good day of meetings and getting to know a few people. Ant cycled down with me and I cycled home on my own. The day has left me happy and also exhausted. I am going to be so fit if I can keep this up! With all my books in my pannier bags I had to work much harder to get to school. And I'm happy because things are planned at this school! :) Tomorrow I have another day of meetings and preparation. I've made a friend in the maths department who helped me with a few things and didn't mind if I asked questions all the time. And I laminated my big "Welcome to Success" poster and put it above the board. My computer is now on my desk, but not yet working because the IT department was out of extension cords!

my bike

Here is a shot of my bike. Yesterday we took two more routes to and from school and the journey is now at 40 minutes. I expect this will be my normal time.

learning to cycle

Since buying a bike in Canada and shipping it here on the airplane, I have been relearning how to cycle. I want to cycle to work when I begin next week. It's about an 8 mile journey and Ant is helping me get ready for it. On Friday we went to Imperial College to work. Cycling there was a scary proposition for me, since we had to spend quite a bit of time on a very scary road in Kensington. We walked across a few of the biggest junctions instead of crossing traffic. We made it there in about an hour. On the way back I was much more confident, and we cut down our time dramatically to about 40 minutes. On that trip, Ant rode behind me, which allowed me to feel more protected in traffic.

Yesterday we mapped out a route to my school and set off in the early afternoon. The cycle maps provided by the city of London colour code routes that are cycle-friendly. On our way there, we took quite a bit of paths through parks and along a river. Unfortunately, this was not as pleasant as it sounded beforehand. The paths were gravelled, and would be unlit at night. The parks sections were filled with people walking their dogs or pushing prams. One park was so large that we got lost inside it and, of course, there were no signposts on the paths. The last section of the journey was excellent, since there was a wide cycle path alongside a long road, separate from both traffic and pedestrians. The whole journey took over an hour. When we arrived at the school, we stopped for a coffee at a restaurant down the street.

While at the restaurant we reviewed the map and planned a very different route home. We used the same good cycle path for the first third of the journey, but then followed medium sized roads instead of going into the parks. These roads were much better and we made great time. It took about 50 minutes to get home again. Before that trip I didn't realise that our street is actually a hill from the Sainsburys end to here--quite tiring on a bike since the gradient is small but the hill is long.

I am feeling pretty positive about cycling at the moment. Although I have a lot of pain in my backside from the hard seat and the bumps! We are going to travel to the school a few more times this week to finalise a good route for me.

fire door; keep shut

While out with Roople tonight, we stopped at a cafe on Leicester Square. Down the stairs there was this door. It's propped open with a fire extinguisher!

eggs

I demand fresh eggs. These are definitely fresh; in fact, the hen came right over to the carton and laid the last egg in it.

changes

Halifax is always changing. Each time I go there it seems familiar, yet a bit different. Ant says this is like when you use your digital camera to take a panoramic picture. The camera gives you a portion of the previous photo on the side to help you line up the next section. Returning home is like finding the overlap a bit fuzzy and not being able to quite get what you're seeing to line up with the previously taken image.

I went to a few new restaurants in Halifax this summer. One was Luxx, found in the old home of the Birmingham Bar and Grill. The food at Luxx was excellent, and Bonita and I were really pleased with the helpful service and cool plates. We enjoyed the sun on the balcony and catching up during our too short meeting. I went with my mum and dad to their new Chinese restaurant, Jeans. The portions were huge and provided us with more than one meal of leftovers. (While on our way into Jeans, we found a cell phone. My dad patiently paged through myriad contacts trying to discover to whom it belonged. Its owner phoned and came to retrieve it during the meal.) I dragged Gregg to the salad bar at Pete's Frootique, which was a stellar experience. The staff member who helped us was funny and helpful and the food was great. While in their seating area I had no trouble finding a wireless network to join and we laughed the time away. Finally, I went with Richard to Saege, a fantastic new restaurant on Spring Garden Road. Our food was delicious, the service was attentive, and the conversation was inspiring.

Other changes in Halifax: more potholes (or perhpas I am more surprised by them), lots of smokers, friends with new jobs or places or circumstances (like Sara, Gregg, Carolyn, Glenn). The tree in Grammie and Grandad's front yeard seemed so much taller than I last remember it. My parents' garden and house are always changing--and the Halifax airport as well. It's been under construction of some sort since I was knee high to a grasshopper. They have renovated every area and now are doing it again!

what a cute baby

I have just returned from visiting Sonya and Kevin and their lovely little girl. She is a darling and slept the whole time I was there. She is getting lots of attention from family members and friends who have been visiting today.

congratulations are in order

Two items for celebration! First, Sonya gave birth to a girl last night at 10:22. Congratulations! Apparently Sonya fell asleep for part of the labour, after being given an epidural. Shocking! The doctors woke her up a bit later to instruct her to push. The labour was about seven hours by my calculation.

Secondly, Naomi and Andrew are now engaged. Congratulations! They have been dating since we met them at Waterloo Road Church and now it's official. They are so well suited for each other and are dear friends; we're thrilled.

hands off!

motion sensors + remote control = security for my laptop

Thorught you could fool me? I'll know if you use my laptop when I'm not looking. When I use a piece of software called iAlertU, the remote control can be used to set an alarm when I leave my laptop for a while (it chirps like a car locking). Then if anyone touches the casing, moves it, unplugs the power cord, moves their finger on the trackpad, or presses a button an alarm starts to go off. The screen flashes and the camera takes a picture of the perpatrator. Ha ha!

cleaning house and heart

Why is it that cleaning the bathroom is my chosen chore? I started doing it at home when I became disgusted by the state of our family bathroom. When the tub is gleaming and the room smells fresh I am so happy. I cleaned both bathrooms again today as my chosen participation in our house-wide clean-up. And since then, when I have gone into the bathroom I have felt the satisfaction of a job well done. I love the shiny surfaces especially. Maybe that explains it. Ant has always said that I am a magpie--drawn to things that sparkle and shine.

I will refrain from posting a picture of the shiny tub, basin, and toilet. But I'm sure you can imagine it and you can smile with me. :)

I am satisfied in a similar way when I floss my teeth. My mouth feels fresh and airy, almost. I used to say (with my friend Jon) that flossing is like asking for forgiveness. The more you do it the easier it gets. We used to say that you need to floss and confess as often as you can--every day for maximum benefit. I have found prayer difficult with my holiday schedule--or actually, the lack of schedule. I have plenty of time, so my struggle serves to reveal my laziness. I have been prompted to return to prayer again and I was disgusted with the state of my heart. Now for my own sake, I need to keep it up, cleaning out my heart regularly and aiming for a fresh new start each time. Thanks to God that he takes me as I am!

wireless mighty mouse

The title says it all!

photo booth

Here are some photos taken from my iSight camera. My cousins have been having fun with it especially!







We saw Kevin and Sonya tonight. Sonya's due date was today but she has not yet given birth. It was good to see them before their big event.

playing with the built-in camera

My new computer has a built in camera that is tiny. It's located in the screen casing. When it is about to take a picture the screen flashes white to act as a flash. Here are some pictures I have taken so far, showing my family and friends how it works.


Dad and I in black and white.


Mum using the coloured pencil effect.


Mum relaxing in her chair.


Grammie and Grandad marvelling at my computer. They also left their first blog comment on that visit.


Jonathan tries out the camera with me.


We use the mirror function to great effect!

welcome to Halifax

Ant and I arrived in Halifax today after a cramped flight with Air Transat. The food was also not great and the flight attendants were a bit rude. It was a relief to be on the ground with friendly faces!

in the city

I went into the city today to do a few things for my parents. I go into the city about once a month or so. I was on Oxford street, the street of throngs of people, and tonnes of shops. I went past Selfridges, which always has the most inventive window displays. Here are two of the windows.


I walked past the beautiful Mall, a long broad street that proceeds from Buckingham Palace.


Then I headed into St James's Park to eat my sandwiches. I thought about hiring a deck chair, but since they are priced for four hour or two hour sessions, it didn't really seem worthwhile for my 45 minute break.


I also went to the Clydesdale Bank, based in Scotland. It has a main branch in London. After I did my business there I was coming down the escalator and saw this sign. Somehow I managed to whip my camera out and take this picture. I was surprised not to be set upon by security guards and thrown out.