Helen Monkton

The Conversion

I know, I know, long time no post.

My excuse...

I have joined the dark (or light, depending on your pespective!) side of life and got myself a shiny new Mac.

Ohhh, it's so shiny and pretty...

The Apple Store in Southampton were lovely. I booked a personal shopping appointment and it was well worth it, as they spent 1 1/2 hours taking me through the features of the operating system and programs before even showing me the machines themselves. Customer service is very high on my 'will I buy from you or not' list, and they won through. I was impressed. Let's see if the live up to that when I take back the .mac that i really didn't need!

I know some of you will now be feeling a sense of betrayal at my conversion, but fear not, I am the same person. Some may even offer their congratulations. (Carla was stupidly excited as I opened the box for the first time!) Now as Charlotte, Carla and I sit adoring the dining table or couch we can match!

I could go on about their prettiness, sleek design, blah, blah but suffice to say, so far, we are very happy together!

Period Drama

I have been thorough surrounded by period drama in a variety of forms in the last few days. I have gone from Dikensian London to stately granduer finally rounded off by Austen's Country. I am thoroughly cultured.

Baking Days

Dried fruit...check

almonds...check

cherries... check

apples... err, mum can you pick some up?!

The Debating Chamber

i just got back from cell where I think we covered about as broad a specutrum of topics as you could imagine. I'm not quite sure how we traversed from a love languages quiz to whether Britain was still a christian county, via Polish immigrants and school nativity plays. In our brains it worked!

It was actually really interesting to gather thoughts and bash out ideas together, something I don't always get to do very often and yet something that I really enjoy.

This all was after we had organised the most important finer details about where we were going for each course of our Christmas meal safari. I think we were rather restrained in only opting for 4 courses, carla and i were up for between course palate cleansers...we were out voted! 

Tis the Season.

It's officially the run up to Christmas. For me, as well as the opening of the advent calendar (which I incedently don't have!) Christmas has truely arrived when I get to put up the decorations at the theatre. It's a sort of annual ritual that is approached in earnest the Sunday before the Christmas Concerts begin. I think it's the sheer scale of them that makes it fun. It's slightly grander to decorate an 8 metre tree freshly cut from the Goodwood Estate that a plastic one that's been gathering dust in a box for a year.

Last year we got new, lethal looking star decorations (lethal if they happen to 'accidently' descend from the sky onto the unsuspecting/grouchy patron) They are very pretty, but have to be assembled by us and attached by men who have qualifications allowing them to ascent ladders (Honestly, health and safety!) They do let us on ladders to put the lametta in the tree however, and the picture is just to prove that Did do some work!

They didn't let me put my cheesy christmas CD on though. I'll have to play it a few extra times whilst making the cake and mincemeat to make up for it!

Photos

I've uploaded some photos from my trip. They are a representative sample of hundreds and give an overview of things that transpired. I've included ones that I could tell stories about, so they may not be the best photographically speaking, but they remind me of things that happened or I saw!

Hope you enjoy peeking at them. If you want me to elaborate, just drop me a line.

First thoughts

 

I've been kind of stunned since I got back. I don't know what to think half the time, let alone what to write. I decided a good place to start was  at the beginning...

From my journal of my first day;

Poverty...

                                                                hot...

        detatched as I speed by in a 4x4...

                                               daunted by the persistent sellers...

white...

                       western...

                                            different...

                                                              flat...

      

intimidated by lack of cutlural awareness...

Where's it going to go?!

As I finish off my packing, I'm looking at a huge pile of generously donated gifts that I have somehow got to cram into my baggage! The children and parents at my school are sending me off with supplies for the school that we are hoping to visit and form a link with while we're there. It's much needed basics, but I'm going to have to travel with no clothes! Still, I guess that leaves plenty of room for souvenirs on the way back!

It's a small world.

Quietly watching a movie was I. 'Mission without Permission', a kids movie that my mum had just bought. An OK movie made better when I started hearing the sound of a tune I knew. As the children escaped from robbing a bank (long story!) I sat listening to the track I usually use before I swim in races.

Andy Hunter's track 'GO' was the backdrop to the police chase as these wayward teenagers drove their go kart around the city. I almost forgot the action on the screen, so amazed (and pleased) that I was hearing the music that is so familiar to my ears. I did a litlle bit of research and it seems tbat this is by no means the first forray into the movie world for Mr Hunter. Movies, video games and all sorts of stuff is adorned with the sounds of his tunes. Brilliant.

I also feel kind of proud, in a strange way.This is a guy who, although i don't know him personally, I am connected with in the small christian world that we inhabit. I know people, who know people etc etc you get the idea. I feel a bit like a proud parent whose child has just done well at something or won an award. A little daft maybe, but oh well, we all have our exentricities!

Too busy to...

I just looked back over some of my former posts. I got into the habit of blogging about the small things. Things I noticed, heard and felt. Things that made my heart joyful. I need to notice things like that again.

I seem to have put my head inside a cloud of fog, created by worry, busyness and blinkered vision. I rush and forget to ponder,I worry and fail to remember that my burden is light. I forget to notice the ant that crawls across my path, noticing instead the elephant who tramples noisily and makes themself unmissable. 

My prayer as I prepare to travel to Africa is that I can prepare in peace and clear my vision to notice the wonders that are around me.