So I made it through training

Hello my friends!!

Can possibly only make this a brief e-mail, they've only just got the Staff computer up and running so there's a fair line to get down here in the basement and use it! Yet depending on how fast I can type...we'll see what happens.

First of all, I want to say thank you for letting me know how much I can brighten your days, and indeed the comments about how it is I write my e-mail and how they seem real. You know me, I usually say it as I see it, so I'm glad I can share this with you all.

Now where I left off the other day. I never made it to the Tate Modern Museum! I got a little side tracked. I actually found myself down at Westminster making the most of the fact the lines at Westminster Abbey were quite small so I went in as this was one of the places I missed last time. And I am glad I did! It is so beautiful inside and considering the amount of people that were in there, the silence really is quite amazing. It's almost this...unwritten law that prevents more than a whisper. Found myself lost in english history again though which was a lovely feeling. Actually I found myself retelling my brush with history on my last visit...Erin was asking about the Abbey and I kind of mentioned the fact that I'd only really gone in with one intention and that was to see the tomb of Mary, Queen of Scotts. And thus went on to explain a few things and it seems that she was just as wowed as I am. She's said if I want company when I goback to visit Tutbury she's up for it, but it may end up being something I just want to do alone.

Moving on. The Theatre! I can't believe I haven't been before, I have been missing so much!! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was the most incredible thing! I have never been so entertained and laughed and wowed all at once.The acting was so fantastic and the lead was none other than Craig McLaughlan! Even the way they make the car fly is incredible!!!I was just so full of energy when I came out of the theatre, it was just spectacular. Actually, something quite spectacular was coming home after 10pm in the dark in the rain and in the thunderstorms!! It was beautiful. Only issue was that when we got back to Pax Lodge we discovered lots of issues caused by the rain, namely the fire alarm. Apparently we just missed like a heap of firemen...darn it!!

Anyhows, we were all kinda on call in the event it kept going off during what was left of the night because of water getting in and what not. So weall had clothes ready by the bed to flee outside during the night in the rain if need be.

We went to the Palladium to see the show and when we came out there were people with tents and what not setting up. We'd just assumed itwas protest or something, but I must be living in a black hole and missed probably the bigest event news in a long time! Saturday Night something called Live 8 is happening in Hyde Park. Its this huge concert for making everyone aware of poverty and like Elton John, U2, REM, Madonna and heap load of others are performing. You can't actually buy tickets, they were all won via competitions on radios and what not. Anyhows, Wednesday at 3pm they released 50,000 free ticketsfor the big screens they're putting up outside the main arena. Thus Wednesday night people were lining up already as there were only 5 venues across London giving out the tickets. Mad, Mad people. Oh Robbie Williams was another too. But they're screening it on one ofthe BBC channels, not that we'll be home to watch it!

Okay, training. Yesterday wasn't too bad. Had a full tour around the house and so I know pretty much where everything is. It's actually a lot bigger than you think! Did all the paper work and went into the World Bureau and met the Asia Pasific rep and yes, was set free at about 3:30 in the afternoon. It was a long day in the sense it was an overload of information about everything. Had my kitchen orientation and yes, it was all a bit mad.

Last night was the closing of the current session they have here. I guess not being here for the full session kind of doesn't have the same impact but I had so much fun none the less. In total there were about 54 attendees or what not. But yes, found those moments of fame that come with being a Guide from another country. Had to get dolled up in the official uniform and they all loved my hat and wanted pictures and yeah, I enjoyed every moment of it!! But they put on shows and we sang The Pax Lodge Song and a couple of others. Hearing the Promise and Taps in another language was just another friendly reminder we really are a global organisation. Its so hard to explain that feeling, although my guiding friends who have experienced it can know exactly the feeling I am talking about. Kind of like warm and fuzzy, kind of like belonging...its a mixture of a lot of things.

Second day of training was today. And this was a lot more hands on than yesterday. Bed making. Sheet folding. Washing. Drying. Ironing. Dishes. Cleaning. Office duties (I took my first phone call!!! Yay me!!!) Guest check in. Shop duties. Cash register....I can't even remember it all. Oh and this hilarious health and safety movie set up as a murder mystery who done it type of thing. Hilarious I tell you! Though corny enough to cure any insomniac!

I'm slowly getting to know all the other house assistants. Sally from South Africa, I love her to death! She's just this bright bubble ball of energy, always smiling and laughing (shares my twisted humour). In fact we've made an agreement that we're going to cheer for one anothers country in various sports when our own country isn't playing. Which brings me to Saturday night. Picked up a magazine (similar in some respects to the MX) called TNT and it listed all the sports being shown (either live or reply) at the various Walk Abouts (aussie kinda pubs) in London. Spotted the Essendon game that's on this weekend but they're showing it at 6pm on Monday and I'll either still be working,or have after dinner duties :-( BUT I know I'm not really a NRL fan...okay so I know very little about the game despite meeting almost all of the Melbourne Storm...Saturday night at 10:30 they're playing a Storm game, so it started off with just Sally and I going, but now like nearly all the HA's are coming too!! Yay! The bonus is because I'm not working Sunday I don't have to be home until 4am...yeah likethat's going to happen! I don't do late nights...well...

Caro from Germany leaves on Sunday, so she's doing a German night forus HAs tonight which will be really great. She's baking pretzel's and buying cheep beer for us to drink later this evening. Hmm...let me explain a little. While alcohol consumption is not allowed here, it's implied that in our Staff corrodoor (pretty much seperate from the rest of the house) and because we're all 'adults' behind closed doors no one will really know as long as it's done sensibly. So yes, tonight from what I can gather is going to be like one of those 'sleep overs' but without the hair doing and clothes trying on and the oh my gosh type of thing...Caro is very crazy, but a wonderful girl. Quite comfortable being her own person which is great. Yeah, very crazy.

Janet who is the dep World Centre Manager shares my love of Michael Connelly books too!! Part way trough my training yesterday we had this big discussion about him the the books he's written. I like Janet, I was a little unsure to begin with but I like her. It's funny she came into the staff meeting this morning (done before breakfast but after colours and all staff on that day are to attend) and she was like 'The Office is full!'. Usually there's only about five or six people in there but we had twelve today!! Getting back to what I was going to say, she said something about 'Look at all my children' and I watched everyone else laugh and call her 'mother' which is kind of cute. I guess in that regard, Janet is the person we go to for everything, be it good or bad.

Marie and Breanne came back from Dublin -at 3am this morning! They're sooo tired! Marie kind of thinks that it wasn't worth the trouble, they had a few issues at the airport, but I think once she's had a bit of sleep she'll be fine. Breanne had to start work at 7am and Marie not till 8:30, I do believe both will sleep well tonight.

Monique from South Africa arrived yesterday too. Get along great with her as well, indeed it's nice to have someone else all very new at this too!!! Actually, I think Monqiue and I will end up like Breanne and Marie because we're both here until December. Sometimes we have a bit of trouble understanding each other, yet we talk so much!! Jackie(ex HA also from South Africa) has invited Monique to some sort of BBQ (well the equivelent here) and told Monique she could bring someone with her, so I've been asked. I told her as long as I was free, I'd love to.

A few of you have told me places to visit on your behalf, I shall try and get there when I can. It may not be fore a while, but I'll add it all on my to do list. I found an internet cafe the other day which would allow me to hook my camera up to the computer and download some photos. So at some stage soon I hope to do that. I'm kind of house bound for a while till my £s start coming through, the whole spending money from the bank account just isn't working for me!! Everything works out to be far too expensive!!

So we've got a few famous people heading our way. Next door we have avery popular recording studio, with the likes of Phil Collins, Robbie Williams and a big list of A list singers who come and record there. The next big list name is none other than Sir Paul McCartney (I don't know if I spelt that right!) and I believe he's coming around the15th...unless I got my lines crossed about the date....and then the other big name we found out about yesterday is coming to Pax Lodge to do an interview, because of the big anniversay of Scouting/Guiding (a part of the lead up to it in 2007 I think). What happens is, the media is trying to get some big names who have been a part of the movement to kind of get involved with it all. So around the 26th of July we have none other than Mrs Prime Minister coming here! Yep, Cheree Blair! How cool is that? Hey okay so it may not be impressive to some, but I haven't had many encounters with famous people!!

Hmmm...well this one got long again. Hope you are all doing well and there are a few birthdays coming up too, so if I don't get a chance to call or e-mail or SMS then HAPPY BIRTHDAY in advance.

On that note, there are still people I am adding to my e-mail list so for those that have been added on this time around, I'm so sorry it's taken so long!!

For the moment that's about it. I need to go upstairs and finally finish my own washing, it's been building up since I left and when you consider how humid Singapore was, you can imagine it's a little smelly...okay you probably didn't need to know that!!!

Tomorrow is my first real working day!

Take care and much love to all,

Rachael :-)