Ashley ran a marathon

Ashley ran the London Marathon on Sunday, and did incredibly well! I was soooo proud of her! Mish and I went to the 24 mile mark and spent a couple hours in the rain cheering on random people (who mostly seemed to be named Dave, Chris, Steve (with Steve-o being a popular variation) and Mike. We were at risk of being blocked from seeing the road by rude umbrella lady (who insisted it was pouring even when the rain had stopped) but in the nick-of-time we saw our Ashley go running past...claiming she was going to die. We, being the supporting friends we are said "No you're not. Just keep running". See, years of counselling training have clearly paid off. At any rate, apparently she hit the wall at mile 18, but she still looked pretty good to us! The last time I saw her (Sunday night after a great pub dinner with her parents and a few friends) she was displaying the proud marks of a marathon runner - an agonizing looking hobble, and the "backwards down the stairs" manoevre we've all heard so much about. I'll leave out the details of Monday's report of how her toenails looked, but just to say I have even more respect for her now! I wish I had pictures. I was doing the video and Mish was doing pictures, but she came upon us with such speed that no pictures were taken and the video consists mostly of her back and me saying "Wow - we almost missed her"

Oh yes, and I saw James Cracknell too!

All this has inspired me to get running again...once my knee's better. But I had an appointment this morning and the physiotherapist said he doesn't need to see me for another two weeks now, and he said I should be up and running again in about 3-4 weeks (as long as I keep doing my exercises and tape my knee the first times out again) Yaaaaayyyyyy!!!!!!

One of my friends...

..ran a "find" over my blog and was shocked to see her name was only mentioned four times, considering we speak pretty much every day and hang out regularly. I won't mention any names.

Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley Ashley

I assure all of you that times mentioned is not indicative of the degree you're appreciated... :)

Oh, what a sap I am!

I decided that if I want Annual Leave time this year at Christmas (having worked the last two) I'd better be super keen and get my request in now...

So, booking early for the couple weeks before Christmas was only £441. I haven't booked it yet (better make sure mom and dad want me) but I got "I'll be home for Christmas" going through the brain and I got all teary - oh I can feel it happening again! I'm going to see snow (I hope) and experience proper cold weather (I'm becoming soft over here) and eat mommy's Grandma S's stew recipe...and decorate german biscuits and see the Christmas Tree decorations we all made when we were little and hear mom singing "here comes Santa Clause" and have a Christmas beer with dad and have Sarah and Matt arrive home on perfectly coordinated time schedules into Belleville and go pick them up at some insanely early hour from the train and have Sarah make wondeful Turkey Soup with the leftovers and have Matt bring his Cheapass Board games home and then go up to camp for New Years (well, perhaps...don't mean to invite myself, Zoic) and it will be sooooo nice! I was excited to the point of just having sent an email to my parents, I then sent one to my manager and signed it "Love, J"

But it's only April.

In other news, Easter this past weekend was amazing! My dear friend Patrik came to visit from Sweden. It was grand to see him again! We chatted and wandered and sang (My favourite is when he sings me "Give me Hope Johanna"...never mind that it's actually an anti-apartheid song!) and I was introduced to the world of Quorn, and he was introduced to the world of Borough Market (and even the "feathers and fur" section, bless him). Ashley and Anna came around for Easter Lunch (and Patrik and I turned about 20 minutes of conversation into a musical and I think poor Ashley was about to kill us...but we all know how I wish life could be a musical...we made it rhyme and everything!), I added more Swedish to my vocabulary: "here", "there", "What?" "Is my Swedish really that bad" and "Six salmon in a salmon box" and we sang Beatles songs (with a brief tribute to Simon and Garfunkle) all the way to the airport on Monday. I wish I could post videos (I must figure that out) so that you all could witness a performance of Give me Hope... but these photos below will have to do for now... (and Ashley, I'm sorry I don't have a picture of you to post here, but you featured in the videos instead!)



Lunch at the National Gallery


A night out with the Flatmate and Sigrid



A Whiz with the guitar...

How does one recover?

I've just heard the unimaginable...

I was plugging away at my end of year report listening to CBC2 (which is the same type of station as BBC3, to put it into context for some of you) and somehow, Andrea Ritouski (the announcer) got her words all mixed up and out popped the bad word to end all bad words...the one you'd never hear on CBC, or BBC...or anywhere else really. I was shocked and wondering how she'd recover, but in calm CBC style she said "I'm sorry - I meant 'The final cut of the ninth'"

There's CBC elegance for you.

The Big Update

Sorry to all of you who have been emailing me asking where my updates are. They're all in my brain, I'm afraid. Had I internet access they'd be here, but as per Feb 14th's post, the internet is something I have to wait patiently for.

The past few weeks have been busy. In life, at work, etc, etc, etc. As the writers among you will know, business and (dare I say, for fear that the Parental Unit will worry) stress leads to non-updates. No worries though - the stress will subside once we are back to being full staffed at work, and my reports are in and funding is applied for (and even better still, obtained!) Hey, I'd still think I'd prefer this to trading fruit and vegetables!

The NLC concert on Saturday was great (according to my little group of loyal fans who came - bless them!) and next week we're full-on into Mozart's Requiem - I'm really excited by this one! My dear little Swedish Brother is coming down for Easter Weekend (note Patrik: with Bilar, if you please!) and I'm really looking forward to the weekend with him. My Swedish is rusty though, so I'd better practice up a bit! Danni and I are (hopefully) off to France for a day so that I can try out my Residents Permit in my passport and that's about it really...

What else can I say? I had a profound thought about one of the tracks on a Massive Attack Album, but I've since forgot what it was, and I'm saving up for my splurge of the month - the new Zutons is coming out soon. Hooray!

So, that's it. I promise to write all witty thoughts etc in my Moleskine for ease of transfer in the future....

How anticlimactic was this one, eh chaps?

Until later...

Joanna

PS I know someone who has a Moleskine but doesn't use it because he can't find anything important enough to put into it. I thought that was tragic...

Rite of Spring

No, I won't sing Stravinsky at you all!

I needed a bit of a pick-up over the weekend, so I went out and took pictures of spring. Here are a few (I'll add more when I have the time and/or inclination)












Spring is so wonderful in this country!

Almost Famous!

Tomorrow photographers from the Guardian are coming to take pictures of our Centre and our carers for a feature they're doing in a couple months. Guess who has the day off though.

AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!! I can't believe I'll miss it!

Oh well, a lie-in and nice breakfast are more valuable to me at this time than my face splashed all over the National Press - hee hee!

And I Will Remain!!!!

The Flatmate isn't in at work today, but I needed to phone to ask her a couple of things. While we were on the phone the doorbell rang and it was the postman with a recorded delivery package for me...from the Home Office...with my passport inside and a lovely letter that says that my application for Limited Leave to Remain has been approved.

She said my passport looks very impressive - there's a new page with my glossy picture and a hologram thingie overtop of it with an embossed stamp of the Home Office and that the page says (something to the effect of) "Residence Permit - Limited Leave to Remain - No Recourse to Public Funds - Can seek employment as permitted by Home Secretary" (or something). How exciting!

Saturday Morning Concert Series

I keep meaning to invite you all to the Saturday Morning Concert Series:

Artist: Janis of Finchley. (Janis is known flat-upstairs wide for her Soulful Renditions of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Leaving on a Jetplane", "Dream, Dream, Dream" and my personal favourite "Bridge Over Troubled Water")

Venue: The Parish Lockup

Price: Free (please note, the view is restricted by a floor that may obstruct the view of her living room)

Time: Sometime between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. She commences sort of as the spirit leads her...we suppose...

My first solo half-pint experience

Today was one of those days whereby I had to get out of the office for lunch or I'd scream, but due to a bit of a staff shortage, I only had half an hour. Coffee Republic was too far and I had a couple of cards I wanted to write, so I decided to pop to the pub next door for a quick half. It was lovely! They had lovely mellow music playing and I sat at a table by the window in the sunshine and had a lovely half pint and got my cards written. I think I might do that more often. I'd never done the solo-beer thing before...22 months on and I'm still having British firsts!

Danni's School of Speech Therapy

Scene: Monday night, watching Top of the Pops at Danni's

Danni: I think that announcer has a speech impediment

Me: I think that's an American accent actually

Danni: Oh yeah, you're right.

An ecologically sound way to ruin the environment

Today I was walking up the street and witnessed some neighbours struggling to back their oversized SUV out of their driveway onto the tiny car-lined street on which we live. As I was grumbling my usual anti-SUV thoughts to myself I noticed their eco-friendly hybrid car was charging in their driveway.

I've noticed the monster and the hybrid sitting, like two strips of parallel bacon, side by each in the driveway before and it makes me wonder each time.

Well, I suppose they're trying to do their bit.

Happy Friendaversary!!!!

Yesterday I was looking though some files at work and realised that my friend Drew and I had met each other one whole year ago in the oddest of places.

Never, as I walked into a session on Advocacy Training at Carers UK feeling tired and suffering with flu-remains, did I imagine I'd meet someone who worked for a different branch of the same little-known charity and who would go on to become one of the topsest friends one could ask for!

Three cheers for Drew!



Drew, the King of Camberwell!

More Roma

And they continue...

We were delighted to find these toilets on the roof of the Basillica. We felt even more delighful singing "The Throne in Rome stays mainly on the Dome" in the cold, pouring rain!






Despite the blatant act of vandalism, we thought the "Carla ti amor" on the green bridge (not as noticeable in the picture here) was very romantic. I wonder how Carla felt when she saw it from the top of the Dome of St Peter's! (Note to annomymous web admirer- and I know there must be one somewhere - I am not impressed by vandalism!)

That beautiful famous bridge in Florence. I had always imagined it would have lots of stores that sold chocoate and wooden things, but sadly it was all jewellry. Oh well...next time perhaps!

The beautiful hills of the Chianti region (beautiful weather too, eh?) and St Peter's in the distance at night. I lost patience with trying to make this page work properly!!!





I think I'll leave the commentary and picture posting there for now, as blogger's doing my head in!

Roma Remembered

As promised...the pictures...with commentary... ah, there had to be a catch!


My dad as Julius Ceasar (playing dead at the location in Ceasar's forum where he was killed) You see...it runs in the family (acting...not dying...)


A small part of Ceasar's Forum


Dad and Anna patiently queuing at The Vatican (I think we were the most annoyingly happy queuers ever!)



Dad and I refreshing ourselves at one of Rome's many wonderful springwater fountains at the bottom of the steps to our hotel




St Peter's Basillica



A self-portrait of three happy tourists after a day of roaming in Rome!

St Peter's Square from the top of St Peter's Dome...

Blogger is being disagreeable today, so I'll have to put the rest of them in another post I think (might help...who knows!)

Unfortunately, some roads lead out again...

On our last night in Rome I discovered why it is that I've heeded my father's (yes, and mother's) warning and have been faithfully keeping my valuables in my money belt this whole trip. Just as I was thinking to myself about how Lauren and I hadn't witnessed any pickpocketers this trip (despite several warnings) and had been quite lucky, some Italian lady on the sidewalk behind us hollered and we turned around to witness her slapping some kid and shouting at him, only to discover she had foiled some kid's attempt at pickpocketing Lauren. Stupid kid. Anyways, Lauren didn't have any valuables in that bit of her purse and she had actually felt something and was about to look, but we were both surprised at how quickly these things can happen and how young the kids start their chosen career. So, as silly as it may seem sometime, it really doesn't hurt to sport the trendy 2006 model of the belt! The kid would have gotten away with zippo (save maybe a bit of used kleenex) if he had dipped his grimey fingers into my bag!

We had a lovely trip back from Florence. We didn't make any friends on the way home, but I cried over a Dickens novel for much of the trip (who knew it would be so sad!) We've explored the Trastavere area this evening and had dinner at a lovely place at Piazza Novena (or whatever it's called...tourist fatique is beginning to set in!)

Actually, I felt very proud of myself this evening when I realized that I had a bit of a conversation with a man in Italian without even thinking about it. It was very small, but at least my intial reaction wasn't English!

We're attempting a hostel again for our last night, although we both wonder if we're getting too old for them. Despite having to wait for 40 mins for our room to be ready (at 3:00 pm) today it seems OK. And we're on the 4th floor, so hopefully the loud obnoxious music coming from the bar on the ground floor won't keep us up too late. Gosh, we really are old. Or maybe just really tired. Or maybe both.

At any rate, just as all roads lead to Rome, sadly, there are a few that lead out of it too, and I'm afraid I'll be on one of them. It's been great though! Pictures will be up when I've returned and have my ducks in a row enough to get them on!

Winding Alleys and Cobblestone Roundabouts

So, having left Roma, the land of ruins on every corner and blue-lit public loos, we embarked on our journey to Firenzi (Florence). On the train we met a lovely group of Italians. I was sitting next to the PhD student of a group of students (and another teacher) from Sardinia who were on their way to Florence for a science trip (we were invited to join them in going to the mathematics museum, but our decision of whether or not to join them was made easy by the fact that we couldn't find it!). In an effort toward making polite conversation with a bunch of Italian scientists, I told them I was the great, great, great etc relation by marriage of Lord Kelvin. Once this information was disseminated to the group, the professor got very excited and then pulled out the digital camera and took a picture of me and said PhD student to show the rest of the people when they got back (we couldn't figure out if they were from a university or high school, and for some reason didn't ask...) It was interesting meeting them, and upon their inspection of my phrase book, learned that what the book said was the translation for "Does this car come with comprehensive insurance" was actually "Does this car come with a helmet?" Goodness knows what I've been saying to people here! He also looked through the Mystery Moleskine with me. As it turns out, our mystery friend is actually an actor (or director,or something involving the stage), and it appears as though they've been holding auditions for actresses (hence all of the one-offs with women, I suppose). It seems as though they might be good because a lot of the stages he had listed in his book are quite prominent ones. He agrees though, that our mystery friend was a bit disorganized. Also in the book was a list of to-dos, one of which was "tidy the house". How odd!

I've also discovered that witty-humour (bordering on sarcasm) does not seem to be part of Italian culture. Upon explaining to the afore mentioned PhD student (I've since named him Raffealle since we didn't learn his name) that my great, great etc relative was Kelvin, I also made sure to tell them that most of the brains in that family must have fallen out in the ocean since I have no mathematical capabilities. He proceeded to be very confused and ask how the brains could have fallen into the ocean and by the time he figured out I didn't really mean it, it was so not amusing anymore it was embarrassing. Similarly, with our hotel guy here (who we've named Leonardo) on our first night we went out to an organ concert and wanted to make sure the area (which turned out to be 5 mins from the guest house) was safe, and were assured it was. When we came back he asked if we had any problems, to which we replied that we had to beat off a large band of thugs armed with machettes and guns, but fortunately our growls and threats of hockey-style hip checks were enough to scare them off. He appeared to be very concerned (and slightly confused) and said "really? In Florence? That has never happened before". We then realized our mistake and assured him that it was all fine, and apart from being confused and probably thinking we're slightly mad, seemed relieved to know Firenzi is as safe as ever. He told us he was about to leave last night (he arrives around 7 and doesn't seem to leave until around midnight) and when I said "Oh, you don't sleep here?" he again seemed very confused and said "No, I have my own house". I have learned my lesson. Although it probably means that the Italians just say what's on their minds, and have no need for underhanded passive agressive and otherwise approaches to communication, which really is probably a good thing!

Another lesson I've learned is that unlike in Canada (and much of the UK too) cobblestones is not synomomous with "pedestrianised area" I discovered that from the middle of a roundabout by the station yesterday as cars and mopeds whizzed past us. We were happily chatting away and followed some guy into it. I don't know what his excuse was!

Let's see, we met (what we thought was probably) a future USA Senator Candidate (why else would he, after having just finished dinner with his perfect looking family would he get up and say to us in the most middle-American accent ever "Ya'll having lots of fun with this, or what?"and his perfect wife then proceeded to ask if we were there on school break (sha!) while their spoiled children whined about having to walk back to the hotel and wanted to take a taxi. We had a pleasant little chat with them, and off he went, happy to have practiced his "random chat with the constituents" skills. We also met a guy who works on news for the CBC. I saw the CBC symbol on his coat and pretty much hollered "CBC!!!!!" at him just outside the Uffizi Gallery this morning. He had been in Torino working on the games, and he gave us his last two CBC Torino pins. We were very impressed!

I have also been impressed with myself for bargaining with a street accoster (vendor who jumps out at you at every street corner) in negotiating a 5 Euro umbrella down to 3 Euros) and for small talking with lots of strangers. It's a skill I want to develop, and what better time to practice?

Yesterday we went on a tour of a winery in the hills of Tuscany. It was awesome...I learned a lot about the production of olive oil too (they make olive oil as well). It's a long story, but let me tell you: never buy anything but extra virgin olive oil (I know I won't!) I've brought back three bottles of Chiati (made with 100% San Gervese grapes) and I'm keen to tour other wine regions now too!

Today was Gallery day (the Uffizi and Academia - hence the long update to rest tired feet!). Seeing the David was truly remarkable. I had completely underestimated it, but it really does take your breath away in real life!

Florence is a lovely city, but the most unnavigatable in the world. It's made up of only winding streets and alleys and we seem to take a new route home each time. It's lovely though (even if people here drive like maniacs!) Some random facts: Florence has 400 000 people, and 300 000 scooters (mopeds), and they jet around like you wouldn't believe!

I think that's it for now. It's back to Roma tomorrow...

The Mystery Moleskine

Yesterday Lauren and I were crossing the road infront of Stazione Termini in Rome, when on the ground in the pouring rain I spotted a moleskine notebook (well, diary in this case). Being the moleskine collector I am, I knew that it had a space for the person's name and address etc, to return it. Except this person didn't put his details in, so we (and the Aussie in my hostel room) developed some theories:

1. He's been on an internet dating site (judging by the many names of women through it)
2. He sees a psychiatrist named Claudia the last Monday of each month (based on the fact that 18:00 Claudia has been on the last MOnday of Jan and Feb
3. He travels a lot for work (Venice, Paris and a few other places)
4. He drives a moped (taking his Viper to the mechanic was on his to-do list)
5. He was seeing a girl named Andrea and it didn't work out (she had three entries in two weeks, and then they stopped)
6. He's disorganized (he doesn't have any entries at all beyond March 8th and he didn't put his details in the front)

They went on, but I don't remember what else we came up with.

We had some light shed on this guy by some Italians we met on the train today, but that will have to wait. It's time to go eat some Florentine pasta and drink some authentic Chianti...

Ciao!

The Politics of Snoring

Last night I reentered the world of mixed-sex hostel room sharing. I'm not entirely sure I knew I was going to enter it when I registered, but there I was, so I thought it best to make the most of the experience. I shared the room with a lovely Aussie (who might meet up with us for a bit in Florence), a dutch guy and a highly illegal couple (everybody knows that 5 people in a 4 person room is soo not cool!) So, getting over having them both strip to their underwear and hop into bed, we had to deal with the guy's outrageous snoring all night. It was unbelievable. I honestly don't think I've heard anything like it in my life! The Dutch guy and Aussie girl were outraged all night (I slept through most of it), until 6:00 am when I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. The Aussie who's staying another couple of nights said that she wouldn't have minded so much...if he didn't snore. So she reported them, and they got booted out (or so it seems since when I returned from breakfast they were gone). So, if you ever decide to smuggle another person into your bed in a hostel, make sure neither of you snores!

Italia!

For some reason blogger.com is Italian in Italy, but hey, ho, it makes it an adventure!

I'm just having a bit of a "down" afternoon to recharge my batteries. My dad left this morning (boo hoo) and I'm meeting up with Lauren this evening. I thought it would be a good time to do a few postcards (my favourite is the one of Pope Jean Paul II arising Spirit-like above the Vatican. It reminded me of the part in Ghostbusters when you first see the Staypuff Marshmellow Man descending upon New York City. I'm currently in the internet room at the hostel. It's a sure step back to Steerage Class from where I have been staying. All things considered though, this is still a pretty good place.

My first few days in Italy have been fantastic. I have decided that Rome probably has the most relaxed security ever. I was waved through customs...literally...I didn't even stop walking as I waved my passport in the general direction of the man sitting behind the desk (I fart in your general direction - ha ha!) and it was so un-customs like that I didn't even realize it was customs until I was out at the luggage area. Who knew?! Annoyingly, I didn't even get a stamp. Don't the Roman authorities know that half the purpose of travelling is to get a stamp? I'll have to make my own! BYOPS Bring your own passport stamp!

My time with dad was absolutely wonderful. We roamed the streets of Rome, ate Gelato, and poor dad was "Mamma Mia!!!!"ed at by a lady in her restaurant after he failed to shut a door properly. I didn't know Italians actually said that! We wandered through the forum where dad very obligingly pretended to be dead at the place where Julius Ceasre was killed, and we wandered up and down several little streets and alleys in Centico Storico.

Gosh, I don't want this to become long and drawn out, so I'll just finish by saying that today Anna and I climbed the stairs (well, we had to take the lift part way because of my bad knee) to the dome of St Peter's and on our way out there was a loo on the roof (a true God send) and we're very excited to be able to tell our friends that we've used the loo on the roof of the biggest church in the world. And for all of you "My Fair Lady" fans, we realized that "The throne in Rome stays mainly on the dome".

More when I have pictures to go along with the commentary! Oh yes, you're excited. I can tell already!