Catch Up Time

Greetings all,

Seems like forever since I last wrote, but then I look at how much time has passed and it's only been a couple of weeks yet it feels like an eternity of events have happened.

So the day after I last e-mail was day one of three off. I did completely nothing. Made a few phone calls and cooked myself dinner. Man it was good! All I had been craving for such a long time was a nice piece of steak and some veggies. Just like what I'd do for myself at home. The steak wasn't all that great and veggies here are weird, but that said it was still fantastic!

The 19th found myself and Erin (or Kenny and Eskimo as we're collectively known as) head out to Cambridge for the day. It's a very pretty place but if I had to go to school in either of them, Oxford would win. Cambridge just didn't have the same feel to it. For the most part the day was great until about an hour before we left Cambridge and I discovered my bank card wasn't working. One of those you go cold all over moments. Then I came back to Pax to several e-mails which caused a little alarm. They were to be the benchmark of my mood for the next few days. What I had established as I sat there at 1am staring at the wall was that I needed to get completely outside of the Pax Lodge bubble.

And I did. Day three marked the meeting of the first of several relatives I am to meet during my stay here. So down to Catford I trotted and met 'Aunty Olive' (Nan's sister) and found myself needing to remember that it was Olive and not Nan! It was pretty freaky! They are so alike! It was kind of a comfort too I guess. And I completely forgot about Pax Lodge for a while there, it was fantastic. The added bonus now is that when I eventually find myself venturing to Greenwich, I'll have my own tour guide! Olive said she loves to go there and when I go, I should give her a call and see if she's free.

The World Board and the World Centres Committee dominated most of the past few weeks, it was like permanently being on show and it was very draining. Very busy too. All our meal times were changed which threw us all into havoc! But I also got to meet each of the world centre manages and learn about HAs at other world centres (I feel like I've already told you guys this...) and we had a huge BBQ for like 70 people and the table out the back of Pax Lodge was HUGE! Mind you they were breaking glasses on us which wasn't all that nice...too much wine I think...

My attempts to go watch the Grand Final were dampened when I got there and saw the line. Yep 4am in the damn morning freezing my ass off and I don't get in. No tickets left by that time I got there! You should have seen the line, it was crazy!

Small mundane and funny things happened too. Ruth spitting chewy out on the photocopier, Erin and I doing the puppet show for the World Centres Committee complete with jokes not found in the Brownies International Adventure Day version, Monique spat custard at Doreen who was sitting opposite her (Doreen is the world centre manager here!) because I cracked a joke, I found myself leading the World Song several times at flag (yeah me leading singing, that's a laugh in itself!). Not so mundane is the kitchen staff issues we're having, at times its like world war 3 in there! Head chef and next down chef aren't getting along. We've all decided to just nod our heads and keep well out of it. Mind you it's still amusing.

Erin and I were supposed to go to Stratford-Upon-Avon but never made it because there were no tickets left. Instead we went to Bath which has to be one of the most beautiful cities I've seen thus far! I purely loved it, the country side was amazing and the weather was sunny and the Roman Baths were weird! But it was a great day. We both enjoyed ourselves.

The Tube station down the road was shut down too and evacuated. It was a little scary but to date we still don't know why. I mean can't have been anything too serious, otherwise something would have been said.

So I worked four days, one day off (went to Bath) worked four more with one day off (went to London zoo) then worked four more days. Needless to say that yesterday and today were days off and I have done pretty much nothing other than small walks in the heath, reading and writing letters and postcards. It's been nice. The toughest thing in there to deal with was Ruth leaving Pax Lodge. She, Erin and I kind of became like the three stooges. While trying to deal with my own emotions I was having to deal with Ruth's too. We are far too much alike!! Anyway, she left without too many hitches. Yep it was hard. There are only two people I've gotten attached to here and Ruth and Erin are it. So I'm freaking out coz Ruth is going, but then start thinking 'Oh god Erin leaves end of October' which was really the wrong thing to do. So the last few days of September there were a few tears and crazy moments. But in true Pax Lodge tradition, life goes on. You miss that person for a while, but you become so consumed by work that the world fades away.

Hmmm this is a little bit odd for an e-mail. It's really all over the place. My next big adventure is the 22-24th when Monique and I head down to the Isle of Wight for a few days. Three, but we're now coming back early on the 24th because Janet has got tickets to get into a ticket only event at Westminster Abbey. See its the 60th Anniversary ceremony/celebrations of the UN and we've got tickets to go! So we're all getting dolled up in National Uniform and making the trip down there. Everyone gets out of work. Monique and I decided it was one of those once in a lifetime things and thus are coming back early. Should be kinda cool.

Okay, I'm going to head off before I get even more all over the place. Bottom line is I am still here and still enjoying myself!! Hope everyone is well, take care

Rachael :-)