Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Flattery beyond my wildest dreams.
Well maybe not, but check me out, got asked for ID when buying a bottle of wine in Tescos in Felixstowe on Saturday. I am 25! I sincerely hope I do look 17 or under!
Confessions of an Environmental Conscience:
I was gratified to read in March’s The Strad magazine (the voice of the string music world since 1890- read by all manner of violin enthusiasts!) about the arrival of some 500 violins, violas and cellos in Brazil, which had escaped their undignified fate of rotting on a Kent council dump. Apparently, the instruments had been demoted to this demise since they were beyond economic repair in England and their new purpose would be for use in the Amazon Youth Cello choir and help children whose parents could not otherwise afford instruments after being repaired by luthiers in Brazil. Music is a really important learning device and an output for creativity, as well as worship and I imagine there are many in Brazil to whom this is an amazing gift!
I am often dismayed by how the cost of new items is often significantly lower than repairing something old and so many things do end up on the scrap heap because their repair would be uneconomical. I appreciate quality craftsmanship but it’s a shame when things come so much cheaper from elsewhere (often China, where much ‘slave-labour’ is rife and people exploited), encouraging our disposable society. For example, I unfortunately have quite a severe tread problem, where I constantly wear down the backs of shoes (and often at a slant)- obviously it is not good for both me and the shoes. I was shocked at exactly how much I had worn down the soles of the back of my sheepskin boots (from much loving use) and went to enquire at a chain shoe-menders, how much it might be likely to mend these. The details were not exactly known, but basically I was told that they would need to be sent away and entirely resoled at a minimum cost of around £40. Now since, the boots themselves cost this (a lucky bargain), in a past-time I might have been tempted to buy a new pair, and either chuck the old pair or put them in one of those charity boxes/bags, consoling myself that I was ‘helping charity’ (though why a charity would want a very worn-out and rather unglamorous old pair of sheepskin boots I do not know!). However, despite the cost, I feel I should pay out the amount in order to mend the old: they are perfectly good in every other way: and they were made for comfort not attractive appearance (I have size 8.5 feet- though I don’t mind, very little looks attractive on such stompers!). One more sheep will live! How about, next time we think we want to chuck something away and buy a replica of the first item, we consider God’s creation and how just because there is always a new model on the market, we don’t just follow the other sheep (forgive the pun!) and mindlessly chuck it away and reach for the new, but to think first, and where possible, try and mend the old? Remember, many drops make an ocean!
I am often dismayed by how the cost of new items is often significantly lower than repairing something old and so many things do end up on the scrap heap because their repair would be uneconomical. I appreciate quality craftsmanship but it’s a shame when things come so much cheaper from elsewhere (often China, where much ‘slave-labour’ is rife and people exploited), encouraging our disposable society. For example, I unfortunately have quite a severe tread problem, where I constantly wear down the backs of shoes (and often at a slant)- obviously it is not good for both me and the shoes. I was shocked at exactly how much I had worn down the soles of the back of my sheepskin boots (from much loving use) and went to enquire at a chain shoe-menders, how much it might be likely to mend these. The details were not exactly known, but basically I was told that they would need to be sent away and entirely resoled at a minimum cost of around £40. Now since, the boots themselves cost this (a lucky bargain), in a past-time I might have been tempted to buy a new pair, and either chuck the old pair or put them in one of those charity boxes/bags, consoling myself that I was ‘helping charity’ (though why a charity would want a very worn-out and rather unglamorous old pair of sheepskin boots I do not know!). However, despite the cost, I feel I should pay out the amount in order to mend the old: they are perfectly good in every other way: and they were made for comfort not attractive appearance (I have size 8.5 feet- though I don’t mind, very little looks attractive on such stompers!). One more sheep will live! How about, next time we think we want to chuck something away and buy a replica of the first item, we consider God’s creation and how just because there is always a new model on the market, we don’t just follow the other sheep (forgive the pun!) and mindlessly chuck it away and reach for the new, but to think first, and where possible, try and mend the old? Remember, many drops make an ocean!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Mars bar v eat natural.
I wanted a mars (or a 'Believe' as they would have us believe -ho ho ho)- I went for the healthier option at double the price. I still was unsatisfied and wanted the mars after the eat natural.
Liz is right, don’t do things by halves. Full monty or none at all!
Liz is right, don’t do things by halves. Full monty or none at all!
Monday, May 22, 2006
Random e-mail addresses
Some people have really weird e-mail addresses. I wonder if the type of e-mail address you have is a real reflection on your personality?
Sometimes we are saddled with a work/school/uni one (dss157@cam.ac.uk or something dalekish and impersonal like that?)
If you just have your name i.e fredddblogs@hotmail.com does that make you a boring person? Does it mean you are very business like? Does it mean that you just don't want to inflict your interests or hobbies onto another person? Has Hotmail/Yahoo/AOL inflicted it onto you?
What does it say if you have your name plus a word connected to you: for instance carolineflutesss@hotmail.com . Does this make you any different a person?
One popular formats, is an animal plus an adjective/colour/verb: I've known musical polarbears, blue eskimos, super snails... my pal Emily, who prompted this blog (a purple Kangaroo herself) tells me that she is acquainted with blue sheep, a tiny calm tortoise, a giant furry panda, a frowning frog and a paranoid ocelot!! I used to get told off for my kezzie-and-her-singing-lobsters occasionally! (Before Hotmail cold-bloodedly DELETED me!3 years on and I'm not at all resentful!)
Then there are the random ones, that you puzzle at? dolphin-love@... or the-taste-of-ink@... for anyone?
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE E-MAIL ADDRESS YOU HAVE?
Sometimes we are saddled with a work/school/uni one (dss157@cam.ac.uk or something dalekish and impersonal like that?)
If you just have your name i.e fredddblogs@hotmail.com does that make you a boring person? Does it mean you are very business like? Does it mean that you just don't want to inflict your interests or hobbies onto another person? Has Hotmail/Yahoo/AOL inflicted it onto you?
What does it say if you have your name plus a word connected to you: for instance carolineflutesss@hotmail.com . Does this make you any different a person?
One popular formats, is an animal plus an adjective/colour/verb: I've known musical polarbears, blue eskimos, super snails... my pal Emily, who prompted this blog (a purple Kangaroo herself) tells me that she is acquainted with blue sheep, a tiny calm tortoise, a giant furry panda, a frowning frog and a paranoid ocelot!! I used to get told off for my kezzie-and-her-singing-lobsters occasionally! (Before Hotmail cold-bloodedly DELETED me!3 years on and I'm not at all resentful!)
Then there are the random ones, that you puzzle at? dolphin-love@... or the-taste-of-ink@... for anyone?
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE E-MAIL ADDRESS YOU HAVE?
Friday, May 19, 2006
A little Story
I decided to spend my entire lunchtime eating and reading in the lovely glade by the canal in the park. It all started well; I put my mat and food out under a tree a little up from the canal and began reading. After a little while, the wind began to blow quite rampantly, and little yellow furry burrs began to dance a-liltingly towards me, gradually it whipped up and I was attacked on all fronts by furry-burries trying to get into my salad. I clasped the salad defensively to my chest and faced away from the tree, yet they kept coming! I then picked up the mat (which had very large bugs attempting to hitch-hike upon (eek!) ) and moved further away, except by then I was covered in burrs (in bag, in hair, down back of t-shirt etc etc). I sat down in a place where the burrs weren’t quite so unbridled and continued to eat (mat and magazine held down by bag and bottles of water. Hearing movement, I turned to the right and got hit in the eye by a burr. I blinked furiously to get it out whilst various bits of tree fell on me (sounds more dramatic than it was- just couple of twigs and leaves).
Dinner eventually completed despite the complications, I folded my wares and walked down to the canal edge, where I noticed for the first time, a mini waterfall, which merrily burbled a generous greeting. I then got out the spare piece of bread from lunch and threw a small piece to the so-I-thought solitary coot in the water. He gently picked up piece of it up in his mouth and swam quickly to what I had previously thought was just a big pile of twigs and muck in the water. On top of it was a mummy-Coot, who gently received the bread from the mouth of her spouse, shuffled to reveal FOUR TINY BABIES under her, to whom she gave each a little morsel of bread. Each further piece of bread thrown was processed in the same gentle and loving style. I was completely smitten. I kept a small portion of the bread as I made my reluctant trek back to the park exit, but as I passed over the bridge on the main road, I glanced into the water to see another coot family at play, with Mummy diving for tasty morsels for her slightly bigger and more independent offspring. I broke a small piece of bread off and threw it down to Mummy who grabbed it but then tenderly broke off small crumbs and fed them to her pride-and-joy. The remaining piece, I threw to one of the little ones, who had an almighty wrestle trying to break bits off, and finally triumphantly returned to the nest, to tweet proudly before digging in.
It was an enchanted young lady that made her way back to work…
Dinner eventually completed despite the complications, I folded my wares and walked down to the canal edge, where I noticed for the first time, a mini waterfall, which merrily burbled a generous greeting. I then got out the spare piece of bread from lunch and threw a small piece to the so-I-thought solitary coot in the water. He gently picked up piece of it up in his mouth and swam quickly to what I had previously thought was just a big pile of twigs and muck in the water. On top of it was a mummy-Coot, who gently received the bread from the mouth of her spouse, shuffled to reveal FOUR TINY BABIES under her, to whom she gave each a little morsel of bread. Each further piece of bread thrown was processed in the same gentle and loving style. I was completely smitten. I kept a small portion of the bread as I made my reluctant trek back to the park exit, but as I passed over the bridge on the main road, I glanced into the water to see another coot family at play, with Mummy diving for tasty morsels for her slightly bigger and more independent offspring. I broke a small piece of bread off and threw it down to Mummy who grabbed it but then tenderly broke off small crumbs and fed them to her pride-and-joy. The remaining piece, I threw to one of the little ones, who had an almighty wrestle trying to break bits off, and finally triumphantly returned to the nest, to tweet proudly before digging in.
It was an enchanted young lady that made her way back to work…
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Can't think of a title, but...
- Saw two incredibly dirty pigeons on the High Street. They were like really really grimy! To the extent I did a double take, to survey them! What HAVE they been doing?
- Chocolate cake for Kim's birthday today, AND chocolate cake yesterday for Bimpe's birthday. YUM!
- The new batch of Export licenses blanks arrived. They have lilac backing card, this is a very pretty colour and shall make pretty cards when the license has been used!
-Only one month and nine days left at work.
- Choc-ices on a warm day= Good idea.
- My beloved Landolfi (not mine, but it is beloved to me) is out on loan again.
- Chocolate cake for Kim's birthday today, AND chocolate cake yesterday for Bimpe's birthday. YUM!
- The new batch of Export licenses blanks arrived. They have lilac backing card, this is a very pretty colour and shall make pretty cards when the license has been used!
-Only one month and nine days left at work.
- Choc-ices on a warm day= Good idea.
- My beloved Landolfi (not mine, but it is beloved to me) is out on loan again.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Weirdy woo too
Amy tagged me to do this tagging thing which is six weird fact about me. I haven't been tagged before, so lucky me, I get a new experience today! However, this is quite hard and I want to eat Thai Green Curry before Orchestra, so is likely to be quick and pants:
1. "I do not, have never, and never shall trust a mushroom. Apparently this is "weird" to some people but seems perfectly normal to me." This is what Amy wrote. Ok, how weird, I completely and utterly agree. I physically cant swallow them, they just make me wretch, and I can even sense them when they are minced up. Some kind soul suggested once that I was allergic to them, and it has stuck as a kind of 'Get out of Jail Free card'. My dear mumsie used to make 'Quorn Stroganoff' as her veggie dinner party special, which was a double fungus whammy, and used to get cross with me when I used to sit and miserably push it around the plate. Thankfully, later in life, she now believes me.
2. I like running on grass in bare feet. There's something really nice about it!
3. I haven't seen Titanic. Is that weird? I didn't think so, though it has prompted some shocked reactions in the past!
4. I really really really like the Phantom of the Opera. The musical, the book and the character. I just feel incredibly sorry for him, he had such a haunted life. And I know he was a murderer and stuff, but the way our parents treat us does have a profound effect on our lives I think. Poor Phantom... (Now, you have to admit that's a little weird)
5. I lit a match for the first time at the age of 16. (and as we know, changed a violin string at teh age of 25....)
6. I am scared of bunsen-burners, glue-guns, soldering-irons and gas-hobs, and will go to great lengths to avoid having to touch any of them.
1. "I do not, have never, and never shall trust a mushroom. Apparently this is "weird" to some people but seems perfectly normal to me." This is what Amy wrote. Ok, how weird, I completely and utterly agree. I physically cant swallow them, they just make me wretch, and I can even sense them when they are minced up. Some kind soul suggested once that I was allergic to them, and it has stuck as a kind of 'Get out of Jail Free card'. My dear mumsie used to make 'Quorn Stroganoff' as her veggie dinner party special, which was a double fungus whammy, and used to get cross with me when I used to sit and miserably push it around the plate. Thankfully, later in life, she now believes me.
2. I like running on grass in bare feet. There's something really nice about it!
3. I haven't seen Titanic. Is that weird? I didn't think so, though it has prompted some shocked reactions in the past!
4. I really really really like the Phantom of the Opera. The musical, the book and the character. I just feel incredibly sorry for him, he had such a haunted life. And I know he was a murderer and stuff, but the way our parents treat us does have a profound effect on our lives I think. Poor Phantom... (Now, you have to admit that's a little weird)
5. I lit a match for the first time at the age of 16. (and as we know, changed a violin string at teh age of 25....)
6. I am scared of bunsen-burners, glue-guns, soldering-irons and gas-hobs, and will go to great lengths to avoid having to touch any of them.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Interesting ideas
In my search for useful resources for my area of the student's MiC website, I came across this cool website and blog, which has loads of interesting things and ideas for Primary school teachers. It's great that people who are great about finding things and having ingenious ideas share them on the internet. Bit like Sarah's PGCE blog! Thank you to everyone with knowledge!
What does it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul?
Who was it that said that? We heard it at Alpha last night. So so so true...
And also, for all those times I find myself thinking "I am not sure if this is from God"...
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will".
Let it be so.
And also, for all those times I find myself thinking "I am not sure if this is from God"...
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will".
Let it be so.
Curious
There is a flautist outside my office playing a jaunty version of 'Terry and June' very beautifully. I just went out to see who was playing and it was a Russian student. How on earth does he know Terry and June?!?!
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Rain
Contrary to British public preference, I like it very much and would like some more of it!!! Pretty please!!!
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Blah blah blah
Two major panics averted today! Prayer is fab!
- Orchestra music has gone completely AWOL. I have no idea where it has gone, looked everywhere. Luckily for me, (in the case of two pieces), inspiration caused me to call the Orchestral Librarian who very generously searched for the two pieces and made me a copy of the flute parts. So at least I can play two pieces. Let's hope Ed Joliffe can send me the flute part for his piece Dunia (check out Edmund Joliffe's music by the way- it's fab!). Please pray they turn up.
- I appeared to be missing several crucial pieces of paperwork. Worried that someone had nicked them, though couldn't understand how! Today did some investigation and turns out that nothing is missing and there are reasons for the lack of paperwork!
On a different note, I did something really irritating: I left my lovely (full) lunchbag on a Central line train this morning. It had lots of yummy things in it and is a really nice bag. So if you happened to be on a westbound Central-line train after Bond Street and spotted a nice little bag full of food and you aren't homeless, please can you return the containers to me C/O RAM. It's such a simple thing, but I was very cross with myself.
Oh, and I had a close call this morning as I almost interrupted someone's exam! I was sitting at the back of the exam hall when a tiny mouse hobbled towards me!!! I was so shocked I squeaked, luckily it was not a more intrusive scream, as I like rodents.
- Orchestra music has gone completely AWOL. I have no idea where it has gone, looked everywhere. Luckily for me, (in the case of two pieces), inspiration caused me to call the Orchestral Librarian who very generously searched for the two pieces and made me a copy of the flute parts. So at least I can play two pieces. Let's hope Ed Joliffe can send me the flute part for his piece Dunia (check out Edmund Joliffe's music by the way- it's fab!). Please pray they turn up.
- I appeared to be missing several crucial pieces of paperwork. Worried that someone had nicked them, though couldn't understand how! Today did some investigation and turns out that nothing is missing and there are reasons for the lack of paperwork!
On a different note, I did something really irritating: I left my lovely (full) lunchbag on a Central line train this morning. It had lots of yummy things in it and is a really nice bag. So if you happened to be on a westbound Central-line train after Bond Street and spotted a nice little bag full of food and you aren't homeless, please can you return the containers to me C/O RAM. It's such a simple thing, but I was very cross with myself.
Oh, and I had a close call this morning as I almost interrupted someone's exam! I was sitting at the back of the exam hall when a tiny mouse hobbled towards me!!! I was so shocked I squeaked, luckily it was not a more intrusive scream, as I like rodents.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Surprises
I read about Andy Flannagan's new devotional on Chris's blog. The Sold and Lost example struck me (and has stayed with me ever since! Traumatic thoughts of my pink panther being rejected and resigned to the rubbish bin by a charity shop alla Pharisees, but I wont go into that), so I resolved to purchase it, and got around to buying it last week. One of them involved looking at old photo-albums, fantastic experiential thing. Except, in addition to the valuable learning, I got an unexpected surprise, and yes, a memory- not neccessarily a good one. Had a happy time looking through one of my Bali photo albums (made out of natural materials) from my time living there- I suspect I haven't looked at that album for at least two years, or even since it was shipped back. And so, I closed my photo album to discover the corpse of a COCKROACH on my lap, obviously discarded from the photo-album!!!! Visions in my mind of cockroaches, mosquitoes, and other bugs! And then I dreamt about my pending trip to Bali!!!!!! And bugs, and cockroaches..
Shameless Advertising
Gamelan! Notable musical ensemble in Indonesia, notably Java and Bali! One of the hottest world music areas, features in GCSE Music and A'level syllabi, many children will enjoy learning in workshops at school! Many of my acquaintances have many 'interesting' preconceives ideas about it! Do you think it's all about banging a load of saucepan lids together, do you think it is simplistic weird world music? Think I'm a little bit odd for playing it?!?!
Shatter your biases and ideas and come see and hear Lilacita perform in two fantastic concerts of Balinese music in June- details on the website, before their exciting performance on 8th July in the Bali International Arts Festival, as the first British group to be invited to play in it! You can also find some stuff about Gamelan on that website! Go on, you know you want to!
Shatter your biases and ideas and come see and hear Lilacita perform in two fantastic concerts of Balinese music in June- details on the website, before their exciting performance on 8th July in the Bali International Arts Festival, as the first British group to be invited to play in it! You can also find some stuff about Gamelan on that website! Go on, you know you want to!
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