Writing from my room!

Good Evening!!

Well I suppose you might not get this until the morning. Hmmm...never mind, you get my drift.

Okay, so the pantomime was kinda lame but good. Slow at times, really, really slow, but it was something to go and see and the only cost was my train fare out there so i shouldn't complain. We didn't spend any time with the brownies, we sat separate from Sally and her group which was a little disappointing, but we were talking to her at one point and they meet every Wednesday at 5pm. It's something to think about when I have days off on Wednesday, whenever that will be.

Maria in the kitchen comes into the dining room this morning to declare that the Euro lotto is going for something like 107 million euro which when converted is about 70 million pounds. Seven of us put in some money to get a syndicate ticket, can you imagine if we won that amount of money and it was split between the seven of us?!! Goodness. I mean the likely hood of even just winning our money back is slim, but it was a good laugh regardless. We started to think about what we'd do with that amount of money. I converted it and nearly passed out. That's more money than I ever dreamed of having.

Some time back we were talking about the 15th Anniversary one afternoon. Heather was telling me about this thought she had about having somewhere set up where people could have their photo taken and we could e-mail it to them, you know like a commemorative thing. She had said that I could be the photographer. Doreen pokes her head out and says to Heather that she shouldn't delegate jobs until everyone has been consulted. I find out today from Breanne that she and I have been given specific jobs, in fact we were requested to work -for Maria. Yep, you read right, Pax Lodge will celebrate it's 15th Anniversary and I'll be in the gosh darn kitchen all day cooking and cleaning and whatever else. I nearly screamed when she told me. Apparently Maria was adamant that it had to be Breanne and I or she wasn't willing to even attempt to get through the day. Can I cry??

Shanna wants to go out tomorrow, for lunch and then wander around the Natural History Museum. I want to, but I don't. I'm in two minds. I know I need to rest but on the same token I also want to go out and do things. Grr. And I'm hating being around both her and Erin at the same time because all they do is go on about Phillip and Allen and I just feel so left out.

Well that just about does it for another e-mail, this one got a bit long, I'm sorry if it takes a while to get through, I just kind of started talking. I don't need to go to Camden to get the phonecard, I got it from the Vic, the little shop next to the George. Tomorrow I want to go to the post office, I didn't end up posting your parcel the other day.

It's time for me to turn out the light. At least tonight I don't have to come up the stairs from the basement and my bed is warm already.

Seriously, I am going now, this is far too long!!

Rachael :-)

Its now later . . .

Good Evening,

So we've just come back from Stomp and it's rather cold out!! What did I think of it? Well, I'm glad I've seen it but I don't think I'd want to see it again! Its not my thing, an hour and a half of noises made on stage just doesn't cut it for me. However, I do have an appreciation of the fact it took a lot of creativity to pull it off and a lot of practice and in that regard, it's pure brilliance! Yet, that's enough Stomp for me.

Now, the whole last Friday night saga with the cameras. When I spoke to you last night, we only knew that the two hooded people came and messed with the camera. We now discover they spent a total of 12 minutes on the property of Pax Lodge and the Bureau between 8:52pm and 9:04pm, right around the time we were locking up for the night. Plus, Patsy was next door working still. The guys came in and thanks to camera footage of both the Bureau and us, we've discovered they actually tried to break into the Bureau via the back door, literally pulling on the door with great force. They then moved back around the side, tried the delivery door, came along the front of the bureau and tried the front door, then down near the doors of Pax Lodge before continuing past the dining room and over the fence into the street.

Yours truly was given the job to note down everything they did in those 12 minutes and it took me close to an hour and a half to do because I had to work out when they left with only certain camera angles at my disposal. I felt like I was working for Vic Pol again!!We've got the local police involved and everything. No one spotted these guys. We've part face angles on them but nothing fantastic. Anyhows, at about 5:25 Doreen comes in (I'm in her office in her chair using her computer!) and says 'You're coming with me' and next thing I know we're trotting over to Air Studios and in we go. Glen, the security guy who gave us the tour, has spotted a guy this morning in a hood walking past Pax Lodge twice and having a serious look at the place, like he was 'casing the joint' as criminals do. So we've pulled a security photo of their system (which kicks ass!!) and yeah, I went back to see if I could make a match between the guy today and the two the other night. There are similar traits, but it's not the same person.

That was my excitement for the day, I seriously felt like I was back in my early old job at the crime department, it was great!

Coming back past the George we looked at the signs they have up for Australia Day and it spans over three nights, plus if I take my Passport, they'll give me a free drink!! Check that! So I think I deserve that at the least as some form of celebration!! My phone hasn't stopped since I turned it on after leaving the theatre.

For now I say goodnight.

Rachael :-)

Just Hours Away

Hello,

Well I've just eaten dinner and the last of my Arby's Honey Mustard sauce...mmm it was good. Sad that it's over, but good none the less! I did indeed sleep, for like 2 and a bit hours! I was pretty tired and feel a little groggy still, although that's probably because I'm still a little sleepy from my nap, conversation at dinner no longer requires a lot of energy. To night we recapped things that went on at the meal table, like Monique spitting custard at Doreen and Erin S flicking a rubber band which hit one of the Trefoil Ladies in the cheek. He he he.

On the mention of Monique, we were coming back from Camden on the 168 today and we passed a Hummer Limo!! I cracked up laughing coz all I can think about is that coach to Startford with Ruth and Monique behind us and Monique so excited about the Hummer Limo and they just wouldn't shut up!

I haven't seen garden State. For a brief moment there I thought I had but then I realised I was thinking of another movie which I can't remember the name of right now. But it has Jim Carey and Kate Winslet and her hair is always changing colour. Something about a Spotless Mind I think. That was an...Interesting...movie from what I remember. But I'll keep Garden State in mind.

My mum is having issues finding these disks I want her to send over. It would help if she looked in the right place to begin with. How 'The Bottom of my wardrobe in a box' sounds like 'in a cupboard behind my door' is beyond me. It'll require a call I think. I'll do that tonight before I pick Ruth up. I don't think I have to leave until 9, so I can call at about 8:30 as long as I'm ready to walk out the door when I get off the phone. Which isn't likely, all things considered!

I'm now a little nervous about Ruth coming. More than anything I am scared it'll backfire a bit. Must see Sally before I leave too. Damn I was gonna clean my sink as well.

Sunday evening around 8pm we are going to see Geisha. Okay I should be off, I still have to let Janet know Ruth is crashing on my floor Sunday and Monday night, plus a list of other things...gee, where did today go, I'd planned on getting so much sorted out! Ruth and I will talk for a while, maybe go get a crepe (man I haven't done that in such a long time!!!) and yet still I think I'll be in bed at midnight. I may get tired and she may be tired too. Plus we have until Tuesday to catch up and tomorrow afternoon after Camden...plenty of time.

Rachael :-)

P.S Kat leaves on the 25th, yay!

Day Five is Finally over!

Good Evening,

Finally day five is over and done with, I sware that the last hour of today just dragged. I am looking forward to three days off, even if seemingly they have things happening each day! Indeed I am looking forward to Ruth coming, I don't think we'll rip each other apart or anything, that only tends to happen when the three of us are together! Typical!

So today by most accounts was eventful to some degree. I had Eri crying in the kitchen again and Maria pulling me in while she's talking to her and saying she's scared to hug Eri because people might think, her being and older woman and all, that she was trying to pick Eri up -so to speak. This somehow lead onto the whole Jennifer saga and how she doesn't want Eri to report her or something. I think I felt as confused as Eri did at the time.

I answered the phone today and talked to a woman called Beverly in Bowling Green. Yep, if I remember rightly, I went 'Oh Puppet People' and proceeded to ask if she was in Kentucky. Nope, a little north, Ohio. So I was talking to her on the phone for quite some time really, dealing with her booking and chit chatting away. She asked if I was American. I don't know what's up with that! Anyhows, she was a really nice lady and is coming here for the 15th Anniversary, in fact most people coming are Americans!! They were given priority apparently. While on the subject of the 15th Anniversary, all hell has broken lose. When coming up with the logo for it all, Maria Plaza, along with Heather's help, designed it according to all the stipulations put out by WAGGGS for this whole new image thing. Well, somehow Sonja next door (she was there for the Sheree Day) got wind and there were last minute meetings yesterday and for a couple of hours today. Everything has to come to a grinding halt because apparently it doesn't meet the criteria. Its not been approved. Heather and Maria don't know what their problem is, so there's more of an 'us' and 'them' type atmosphere than normal. Mind you, I hear this second hand from Breanne who gets called into a meeting with Heather, Doreen and Maria Plaza. Yep I feel in the loop!

Now this piece of work I mentioned. It'll take some time to get here. But pretty much I started it in a very confused point in my life. Like with most of my writing, it was a way of making an insane thought seem real. It involved my character, Manchester in her police job, ya-da ya-da ya-da but brings into play a character who has a slightly different dress sense and perhaps a little more lively in the social scene. Remember though, I started writing it like three years ago, going on four. I actually started it when I was last in the UK, I can even highlight the paragraph that started it, one lazy afternoon in a tent in the sun! It sort of reminds me in some regards of the book I am reading at the moment. There's not too much of a story line to it at this point in time, it ended up becoming more of a character interaction.

Today I achieved one exciting thing and I'll attach a photo to this e-mail for you to see. I gather since you won't read this at home, you'll be able to pull up the photo, I'm sure it will give you a laugh. I'll leave it at that and say nothing because the photo explains it all really!!

For the moment that just about does me, I want to go do some laundry and perhaps go chat things over with Janet. Don't know. What do you think?

Rachael :-)

Night Capers

Good Evening,

So I had the three new HAs invade my room. It was a weird feeling. We were talking about beds with Maria Plaza and they had no idea what sort of beds we were talking about. Up they came to my room and stayed for like 20 minutes talking, asking all about my photos and the summer and a few other bits and pieces. It was odd. Then they left and Shanna came back later on to watch Oceans 11 with me, for like 20 minutes until Philip called and she vanished downstairs, but passed Louise on the way in my door! Good grief!

Louise the Aussie wants to go to the Ministry of Sound Club in South London. While I'm not a hard core clubber, I know enough to know that Ministry of Sound is one of the biggest Music 'movements' in the world, especially in the club scene. Issue is it opens at 11pm and closes at 7am. She asks me if she can break curfew!! I told her to go talk to Janet, which I ended up going with her to do because she was so chicken. I told her better Janet than Doreen. We've just left about ten minutes ago and here I am talking to you!! She didn't get permission to break curfew, and is kinda pisses about it. She'll get over it I guess.

Everyone is their own separate identity. Point being, I probably will tell you things from time to time and its not because I feel you want to ask them. Its just that I feel like telling them.

You know I was actually looking up the real estate website this evening, checking out what's available at the moment. Found a place I liked, had what I wanted. Now I just prey the tenants move out come December, January next year!!! Then it's mine!! Nah, I just like to have an idea of what to expect, that's all. I even went as far as thinking about furniture which is a little scary. Purely because I actually don't own anything other than a small set of shelves and a pine desk and chair. I don't even own a bed!!

By all regards, I am normal. Just a little slow on my old days, that's all. And considering the physical nature of Pax, I've only had two old days since June which is an amazing thing!!

But the rest of my day has been pretty much nothing other than a visit from the HAs and going to Janet's flat. After I am done here I am off to bed for an hour or so of reading! Yay! I really do like the book, thank you. Oh I know what else I've done, I finished Eri's book! Closed it and went, yep, that's the end of a good era at Pax Lodge.

By the sounds of it Mexican Food is on the agenda for Saturday. Sunday is Speakers Corner, and in the evening we're going to see Memoirs of a Geisha. We've got Shanna, Eri, Maria Patricanan, Louise, Me and Ruth, plus I think Janet is thinking about coming too! Yay!! So I am looking forward to that too. Sally is off on Friday and wants me to go gallivanting with her to Covent Garden and a few other places, we'll see how that goes and how I am doing.

I think I need a hug. For the moment I have a book. And Eton, though its not quite the same.

Rachael :-)

No Geisha Tonight

Greetings !

So first thing is first. I rang the doctor and wait for it.....It all came back normal!! Morons!! I so know it's not! I don't know what else to do now. Stupid stupid stupid.

Today was another day in the office. All three of us were working which made things interesting. Had many many bookings come through and have got a woman who continuously e-mails asking me questions. Goodness me. I got a card in the mail from Rebecca today, I opened it up and it had like 10 chocolate freddo frogs in it!! Gosh! They look different to Aussie ones too. So that was pretty much my excitement for the day. I had gone downstairs at like 8:15am for the sole purpose of e-mailing people but we're having big issues with the basement computer and it just wouldn't log onto the server. I was just about in tears. Thus I went down later in the morning and sent the quick e-mail through. I felt like such a criminal! But it was a good rush.

All the HAs minus Shanna are going to the cinema tonight to see Memoirs of a Geisha. I've decided to pass on that one and will go at a later stage with Shanna who is Rover and in the office until 9pm. I like Shanna, despite the fact that she can be god damn annoying at times. Partly she reminds me of "The South" of America, like being back in Kentucky with her 'Y'all' every so often. I think Janet is feeling a little off key too because she barely knows these girls. They still come to me asking things and just out of habit I answer. It happened in the morning meeting this morning, even Doreen asked me ahead of asking Janet and I kind of felt bad about that. Almost like I have taken that from her and I don't really wish that to happen.

I wrote the article for the Our World News today. I kinda like it. A combination of the short piece I sent home and my testimonial as it so far stands. I don't know if Georgina will put it in though, apparently Heather says they are picky and have a bad habit of editing a lot of the stuff they publish. That bugs me because usually they pull out a line that makes the whole thing seem great! The whole point of it!

The Australian Open started a couple of days ago, it takes place in Melbourne and can make transport in the area a living nightmare. You should watch a little and look out for the shots of Melbourne they do, give you a sneak peak of the city I've lived my life in.

I expect that things will start to get busy for you. You write when you can, I know you don't always have access to a computer, it's okay.

For now I am off, I want to run down the road to grab a few things, envelopes mainly!

I'll talk to you when I do,

Rachael :-)

The Evening is Here

Good Evening,

Your letter arrived in the mail today. As did my credit card, which I am very thankful for. Your letter that is, the card was just a bonus!! I actually plan to sit down and write you a letter tonight, maybe spread it over a few nights. Don't know, depends on how much I end up writing, if any at all. Depends on how engrossed I become in my book :-) Am very determined to finish it within the next week, here's to hoping!

It hasn't been too bad today. First day back in the office and Pax Lodge lost power for about two hours. No work :-) Spent nearly an hour with Janet going over things which had been done and just in general how the house assistants are doing and who I thought should stay on for an extra month we now have vacant. She only works half days at the moment. But other than that, I was in the office which was kind of sucky but it's something to do I guess.

Not sure what went on with the HAs today. There were 2 Rovers and a House. There were 14 rooms to be cleaned (left over from yesterday) and when I went up at like 2pm, only 6 had been cleaned and none vacuumed. Good grief. Apparently Erin had said she'd been busy with laundry, so what were the other two doing? Anyhows, Doreen fired them up. They did more in an hour than they'd done all day.

Meal times have become interesting. It's now the Detox people on one table and the non detox on the other. Tonight we (non detox) sat there and laughed ourselves stupid. It was like being at the table with Monique again! There were some injokes being thrown around accompanied by some rather curious facial expressions. I am now filled in on the happening over Christmas. Apparently Kristina and her Boyfriend 'christened' her room and Doreen heard, making the comment that you could put a duvet along the wall to muffle the sound...yep, good job Kristina!! I have never seen her more red in her life!

Breanne is back from Rome and Sally is rather excited to have her back.

Shanna, Ruth and I are going to Speakers Corner on Sunday which I am looking forward to. And we're going to see Memoirs of A Geisha tomorrow night -if I feel up to it.

Anyhows, no doubt I'll come back down to the basement later on, I usually do around 10pm before I crawl into bed with my book. Sometimes at 10:30, just depends on how I am doing.

Hope this find you well and at least smiling a little.

Things will get better over time, I know that.

Rachael :-)

Heya

Heya!

Do you know I had a chocolate in the US called Ruthie....it was quite nice actually!

Crepes most definitely but I hate to break it to you, apparently Hagan Das Closed down over Christmas, I haven't seen it myself but yeah, sorry to disappoint you mate.

Free stuff is definitely good! I am on a budget myself, I need to start saving for my airfare so I can buy it in like April and get a descent price, especially now I want to go back to Australia via the States. I want to look for some beads too, I found two places in the seven dials which weren't open on Saturday so I am going down on Friday to check it out.

The other thing is that on Sunday at some point, Shanna wants to head out to Speakers Corner in Hyde Park and I'd like to go with her. I told her you would be here and she's all for you coming as well! So that might be the morning or something and then perhaps afterwards we can go to like the Science Museum or something. I've been there before, it's okay, and I'll go again. Other than that, I have no idea!

And I am sure we can pick up a descent meal around here for that price, probably the good omlette place up the hill or even eat at the milkshake place where the meals are huge and we could get one between us and still have plenty of food!

Now you do realise I have to work like Monday and Tuesday right? I don't finish until 6pm. So Monday night I can try get out of dinner and we can eat out that night or something or go and do something? Tuesday I can't go anywhere because I'm on Nights again (like tonight!) but you go home on Tuesday anyways, right?

So Sunday is a little planned out. Saturday we could do the Heath and Camden or stuff around here, up to you. We should make Sunday our Central London day. Or we could go in both days, either way. Hey you know what we should, if you are interested, we should go on one of those London Walks...I like those. They even do local ones here in Hampstead and it's not bad for £5...either way not fussed.

Okay, back to work Rachael! Yes, I am excited you are coming too! It'll be nice to have a familiar face around!! Oh and just so you know, I might leave you to your own devices on Saturday night from about 9pm onwards, maybe. See it's free calls to Australia this month and I can only really call from about 8pm onward. It depends if we decide to go and do something. If we have plans that's cool, but if not I'd like to do that if that's okay with you.

Okay, am going for real this time! I'll see you at Finchley on Friday night,
CheerioRachael :-)

Photos!

Greetings All!!

I finally have some photos up for you guys to see. It's the same link I sent a few months back, you just have to look for the album titled 'The US of A' and there are 48 photos from my trip to Kentucky. Indeed this isn't all of them, in fact I took nearly three times as many as there are here!! But I do have limits on what I can put up.

I will eventually get some more of Pax put up, some before and some since I came back. We've had a small sprinkling of snow on my first day back at work, which just happened to be a 7am start after getting home the day before!! It was an interesting day really, well the first week was! I was very sleep deprived, unwell and just wanted to be left alone. Come on not here!!

Nah, it's okay, I'm slowly getting over it. Had a visit to the doc's and the damn vampires took 4 quite large vials of blood! Ouch! Then had a visit to the nurse because I was a new patient at the Doc's surgery. Which is good. Seven months here and it was my first visit, very impressive when you consider the track record Pax has had lately!!

Mum will probably be aware of this, but had plans not changed, I would have arrived back home in Melbourne some seven hours ago!! It's a little scary really. Still have 10 months to go. I am actually looking forward to another summer. Well actually I just want some descent daylight.

The three new HAs have arrived! Xenia from Germany, Louise from Oz and Shanna from the USA. Yep, at their welcome ceremonies the other night, I realised I now have to share the Aussie flag with someone!! It was kinda nice though, she says lots of words I haven't heard in a long time. They seem to have settled in well enough. They kinda freaked out a bit when they found out tomorrow we've 51 beds filled!! That hasn't happened in such a long time! I mean the most we've had is about 10 people in. You should have seen their faces when I told them that 51 in a day was nothing out of the ordinary during summer. He he he, it's what I call a 'Real House Assistant Day!' all right!! No, that just excites me because despite how crazy they were, change over days were my fav.

Went to the cinema the other night and saw Brokeback Mountain. It's now been labelled the Gay Cowboy Movie and is kind of a running joke amongst the HAs. They weren't too impressed. Kristina and I cried our eyes out. We're a pair of sobs!! So the next movie is on the 17th which is Memoirs of a Geisha which I am looking forward to.

Excitement for the week is the news that Ruth is coming to Pax next weekend!! I actually wasn't supposed to know, she was just going to rock up as a surprise. She'd been conspiring with Sally and Breanne. However, considering how "Emotionally Disturbed" I am, she thought better and decided to give me a bit of notice. Kind nice really!! It will be good to have a familiar face around, might lift my spirits a little.

Hope you are all well, there's probably a dozen more things I could tell you all about, but I can't think too much right now, brain strain hurts too much!

Take care and I am sure we shall talk soon!
Must get back to it!
Rachael :-)

Just some further reading

Good Morning!

So the good news is Janet is coming back tomorrow night, and will start on Monday doing part time work, but knowing Janet to what degree part time means will vary slightly to what everyone else considers to be part time! This is good news. I am glad she'll be back.

I am trying to write my HA testimonial at the moment in between doing Janet work and keeping HAs under control. Tomorrow will be very interesting and I am kind of glad I am not working. Yep you guessed it, the three new ones are working and it's a 51 bed arrival day!! Shanna saw the list for tomorrow and nearly freaked out. I said 'Welcome to a real House Assistant Day' and I promise you, she was ready to pass out. Trying to get her to comprehend that we did this regularly in summer was a little too much for that Southern Texan mind to handle!

There is an evening program tonight and guests for lunch so by comparison to how it has been, Pax Lodge is buzzing a little for the newbies. It's good, perhaps they'll get a little bit more of an understanding as to what goes on. I'm tired of them saying "I'm board" when there are still many things to be done. Things like daily jobs and deep cleaning. Hello, just because these aren't on your daily jobs list (Which technically they are) they still need to be done.

It's Maria Plaza's birthday today. She wants everyone to go salsa dancing tonight. I don't think so. I don't dance at the best of times, I am not salsa dancing!! I can't dance! But that said, I don't know what the plan of action is. Perhaps I could just go to socialise. Actually I'd rather just stay here, I only had one day off, then one more tomorrow and have to work five and then Ruth arrives. I need to get better and be rested and patient enough to deal with Ruth. Don't get me wrong, it will be really nice to have someone back and someone to go out with. It is something. And something is better than nothing at the moment.

The other thing is that HAs are planing to go to the movies again, back to the O2 Centre in Finchley and I've been invited in advance! I feel kinda privileged. Unless they go on Sunday night which I can't do coz I am on nights. However, they are going to see Memoirs of a Geisha which looks kinda interesting. No more gay cowboy movies thank you.

I have to admit, I am feeling a little better today. My mind is kept busier than it has been. And I really think that sleeping most of the night through without waking is helping. Perhaps it is that Badger balm, it's keeping me asleep long enough. I'm finding if I turn the light out about midnight and doze off shortly after that, I wake at about 5am and then sleep again until my alarm goes off at 8am. So I'm averaging about 7 hours of sleep a night. I'm surprised I'm sleeping through considering the duress I am under!

Hmm this got kinda long and I don't even know why I started it. I've been adding to it bit by bit coz I can save it as a draft and come back to it without leaving the screen up which is a great thing! Janet's office has been kind of busy today, lots of work will be done before the day is over. Now I know she's coming back so soon, I just want to double check and make sure there is as little as possible that she needs to do. If I can deal with it, I will. That way it's only the really important Deputy stuff that needs to be done.

We got a thank you letter from the Japanese family who stayed in August, the ones who left the candy and gave us the Green Tea Ceremony. There are some photos in there too, a good one of you taking the tea. I'm going to try scan them or get some copies made at Jessops. Then I can send them to you. There is a group shot out by the flag pole. The new ones can't believe how green and pretty the place looks. Better than dreary winter by far!

Hope classes go well today, Friday the 13th...
Rachael :-)

An Hour and a Half to go

Hello,

I've spent most of the day sitting at Janet's desk trying to wade through the truckload of e-mails which came in over the festive season. Answering questions about HA positions is starting to get a little old. Still preferable to the front office though so I shouldn't complain. I am resting, mostly. I intend to spend the evening quietly to myself. I know going to the movies and the Walkabout (that part not planned) wasn't the worlds greatest idea, but I am trying to figure out where my place is here. I am trying to keep as involved with the HAs as possible. I need to feel like I am still a part of something because I feel lonely enough as it is. If I isolate myself too much it will be a bad thing. I've already missed out on a stack of 'bonding' with these guys. They laugh about things which happened while I was gone and I feel left out. I don't want that to happen too much. Yeah, it wasn't a smart idea all things considered. But I rugged up. If that's any consolation.

Finally my fourth day of training is over. One more standard day and that's it. One day off, One day of training, one day off and then five again. I can do it....I probably should rest. I'll read a book. Hey I might even start Bleak House!!

Okay going now!!!

Rachael :-)

The House Assistant Experience

(article for Communicating, Guides Vic Mag)

Have you ever had a moment when you wished you could be someone else, in some place anywhere other than where you are? It was within one of those moments that I took a giant leap of faith and made the choice to uproot my life and move halfway around the world to play housemaid. In a moment of insanity, I decided to volunteer myself for five months to do one of the craziest jobs I have known to date.

The location - Pax Lodge, one of the Four World Centres. Pax Lodge in one of the busiest cities in the world -London. Pax Lodge, the place where strangers soon are friends. Yet as I sit here now, nearly seven months later, I know that the staff here are more than friends. They have become family.

I spent my English summer cleaning up after 100s of guests from all around the world, all of them sisters in Guiding and Scouting. But the experience of being a House Assistant goes beyond bed making, beyond dishwashing, beyond house tours. It is about the people you meet, the things you learn and the memories you create. Yes, there were days where the workload seemed impossible. But right there next to you are some of the most amazing people you’ll ever meet. There to help you. There to support you. That is what the Guiding Movement is about. The People.

So when I was offered a further twelve months at Pax Lodge as the Booking Assistant, I jumped at the opportunity. There are days I find it hard to be so far away from family and friends. And yet on the flip side I know this is an opportunity unlike any other and an experience I will never forget.


Rachael M
Booking Assistant

North Metro Region

I'm not a stalker, honest!

Hello There,

I know I know, I just can't help myself. I feel very lonely. It's not helping that Sally is all lovey dovey about her new fella whom we all met an hour or so ago. He's 31, totally the opposite looks wise as to Sally's previous choices. But good on her, he makes her happy and seriously, more so than either of the guys she'd dated here previously. So yeah, she's all cute and what not about him. Talking about him over lunch and I'm sitting there going "stupid lunch conversations".

The new house assistants are okay. My fellow Aussie is nice but it'll take a while to get used to having another Aussie about. She uses words I haven't heard in seven months, its incredible but disturbing at the same time. Shanna, your fellow American is all about Texas! Man, I kinda feel sometimes like I am back in Kentucky, in Arby's or somewhere like that. She reminds me of Nadine, my old housemate. Xenia is a little quiet and I've picked up that her understanding of English is good, but not great. Collectively they like to drink and go out, seems like all they've done. Not a bad bunch. Work wise Shanna and Louise both get things done quickly which is always a good thing. I don't know. Maybe I just don't like the fact that there are new HAs around. And Xenia moved into my room. Not sure how I feel about that one.

Snow this morning kept falling until after breakfast which was kinda nice. Almost till 10am. Heavy snowflakes at times, dusting's at others. Still not enough to cover the ground, however, when I took Shanna and Louise out to do flag training, we ended up making snowballs and throwing them at each other. We kinda collected all we could off Doreen's car. Man my hands were freezing! I took a photo at flag and one after.

My rota has been changed now that Janet isn't coming back. I do four days of training (starting today) then have one normal working day, one day off, one day of training, one day off and then work five starting with being on nights. The bonus out of all that is that now I have the 26th off, yep I have Australia Day off which is great. Not sure what I am gonna do but hey, I could start looking now!! I think I might be tired pretty soon though, I mean more than I am at the moment. Rest assured, I am going to the Doctors on Thursday, but I'll need to get a letter from Doreen who isn't back from Greece until the 11th.

Everyone is going to the Walk About tonight. I'm staying in. Can't deal with big crowds and loud music right now. I think I shall sleep. Sally has offered to sit with me while I watch my video's from home if I choose to and if I want her to. I'm not sure how I feel about that either. Everyone is different. Or talking to me different. Or maybe it's just me making it up. But Erin M has talked to me differently, as has Sally and Maria Plaza. Like they're talking at me, not to me if that makes sense.

I should probably get back to work, go check up on my trainees.

Rachael :-)

(who really doesn't feel like a ray of sunshine right now)

Time in the US of A

Happy New Year Everyone!!

So the challenge is to see how much I can write in an e-mail now I've had dinner and am feeling a little sleepy. Yes Erin, I know I told you I was gonna have a nap, but what's en extra hour or so without sleep now I've been going, what say, 36 hours??

What I want to emphasise is that yes I had a bit of drama getting to the States and a few hiccups at the end BUT I had a truly fantastic time and saw lots, as you are soon to find out. Just know that I may dwell on the bad bits because they make the drama in my story! You know what I am like, can't help myself. Plus if I remember, at some point I'll even put some photos online for you guys to check out.

Quite obviously this finds me saying hi in yet another new year and safely back at Pax Lodge. There's a few mixed feelings about that, but I am sure that'll sort itself out.

My story begins on December 24th at 2am in the morning. Well technically it was earlier because I was paranoid about sleeping through my alarm. Purely because I think from the word go I had just assumed something was going to go wrong and I wasn't actually going to make it into the States. Stupid passport paranoia...The taxi driver was late but when you compare that to his driving, I think I'd have liked another driver! Aside from the coughing fits which seems to physically shake through him, the whole driving in two lanes and shooting out in front of a speeding emergency vehicle was enough to make me fear for my life. That was nothing. The clincher was going through the tunnel at Heathrow which is a 30 mile an hour zone and he's cruising along at 50...I had images of my life coming to an end just like Dodi and Dianna. But I made it to the terminal, stopped just short of kissing the ground. I arrived at 3:30am just like I should have, three hours before take off. That's great, but the stupid check in desk didn't open until 4:30am at which point came the issue where my bag was able to be checked in but I couldn't. The system was throwing a hissy and the entire flight to Amsterdam wasn't able to be checked in. At the very least my bag would arrive in Cincinnati without me! All things sorted, I get my boarding pass and then have to wait until 5:30am until the departure lounges open, how dumb is that? Anyhows it all runs smoothly and I get on my BMI flight to Paris.

I want to let you all know now, Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris is horrible. I hate it, hands down it wins. I made it to Paris. I was even thrilled to get off the plane and have a french dude say good morning and welcome to France in French. Yep, small things amuse small minds. Until those small minds realise that most of the signs I need are in French and anything past baguettes and croissants has me lost. I decide if I follow numbers it'll be fine, I'll get to an information desk. I clear passport control with not much more than a look and what I considered to be a grilling, maybe three or four questions. I know I don't have to get my bag because it's been tagged to Cincinnati. My challenge is to find terminal 2E. Sounds simple enough. Five people later after realising if I start with Bonjure people actually pay attention to me, I found my way to the Air France desk to get my boarding pass. Or so I think. DeGaulle airport is about six different buildings, all miles apart. I don't know this. I had a two hour stop over and at that point I was doing great. I managed to establish I have to get the shuttle bus to 2E and have to go out gate 22 to get on the bus. I do that. It's not until the bus starts to head away from the airport that I realise maybe I'd gotten on the wrong bus. Which I had. Trying to talk to the driver was yet another fun thing and a friendly reminder that I was way out of my depth. He tells me I need to switch buses because this one wasn't going not 2E. I get off at the next stop. Half an hour later, two number 2 buses and two number 4 buses have gone by. No number 1. At this stage it's now just before 10am. I still need to check in for my 11:10am flight. Its' official. I am freaking out. Knowing I'm not going to make my flight. The next number 4 bus arrives and I try talking to this driver to discover the number 1 bus doesn't actually stop at that particular stop. Oh Great. He tells me to get on and switch at the next stop. The next stop was exactly where I'd started. Good Grief. On the bus I get, stressing about the time and we hit a traffic jam. Not what I wanted at 10:10am knowing that half hour before the flight takes off they'll re-sell my ticket if I haven't checked in.

Eventually I get to 2E. Just before I line up, a fellow checks my passport and asks me to stand to one side. I don't have the time for this. Well, then Miss French Nazi herself comes over and I get the third degree unlike I have ever had before. She wanted to know everything. I even had to pull out the letter from Pax Lodge which was meant to get my back into the UK coming back, not to try get me out of Paris to get to the US. As you can imagine, she's got a strong french accent, and I'm traumatised enough by now to start shaking. I end up getting to the check in counter at 10:25am. Get my boarding pass and then try find my way to the gate. I hit passport control first for yet another round of questions, this one not so bad. Get past that and finally get to gate 72 at 10:40am. Well lets just chuck another passport check in there for good measure. The third degree all over again. I just was having a horrible time and getting worse at answering questions as I go along because I am now fully convinced I am going to spend Christmas in Paris airport in a horrible living nightmare. That woman lets me go and I make it to the gate desk. The lady looks at my passport, another co-worker looks as well and says 'Oh you're from Melbourne'. So I just jump on board and explain my life story basically telling him everything I've told everyone else. To which he replied 'Oh that's nice'. He was genuinely just commenting on where I was from...onto another bus (says Brussels) which takes me out to the plane, I board and am greeted by a friendly American accent saying welcome aboard. I have never been so happy to hear an American voice! I make my way to the seat and the captains now talking, he's going on about getting to Northern Kentucky International Airport, Cincinnati and I just burst into tears. It was all a bit too much.

The flight was like half full so I had three seats to myself which was great, I got a bit of sleep quite comfortably which was great considering how sleep deprived I was. There were a few random bursts of tears (I am serious, the entire ordeal was horrid) but overall am doing great. We land in Cincinnati and I've got all my paperwork ready to answer any question they want to throw at me, even have the plea speech ready incase for some reason they don't want to let me in. Line up and wait and wait and wait, get to the desk, the woman scans my passport, takes my photo and my fingerprints, asks two questions and wishes me a Merry Christmas. I could have hugged her. So off I walk to the baggage claim, am slightly confused as to which carousel I need to look on so I just take a look at all of them. And suddenly panic rises in me. None of these are my bag. Well that's it, I am ready to just give up at this point. Am standing there with tears streaming down my faces and the woman tells me I need to report it to the baggage office. Not that I know where that is. Go through customs and tell the guys don't' bother as I don't have a bag to check. One makes a wise crack about me being an Aussie travelling from the UK via Paris and how I should have known better. I wasn't amused. Out I go through a metal detector, shoes and all removed and wander down a long long hallway to what I assume was the arrivals terminal. Nope, somehow I have managed to find a departure lounge...So I follow a guy who also looks lost and end up out in the arrivals hall, going up an escalator looking at Erin and trying not to burst into tears. It wasn't great and probably not the reunion she'd hoped for. In the baggage office I'm told if they find my bag they'll deliver it. Doesn't much help. I only had one set of descent clothes and two days of underwear in my cabin bag (Kathy you are very wise, I'll never forget that travel advice!). All the Christmas presents I had unopened and to give were all in there. The charges for my camera and phone. Argh!

Walking out to the car park I am ranting to Erin, still not having said 'Oh Hi how are you, great to be here' when I spot one of the most trivial sights. Yep, snow. Well that was it, that just made things seem really okay for a moment. Apparently not snow by most standards, but when you're an aussie from Melbourne who has never touched snow in her life, it's a lot of snow! I don't much remember lots about the two hour drive back to Richmond, just know that at some point I realised the car was on the wrong side of the road and I didn't have a steering wheel in front of me. I also have a few issues reading signs. I know I asked about lots of different restaurant signs and what each was but can only vaguely recall some you can go to after church and some you shouldn't. There was probably some rational chain of through there, but at that time I couldn't find it!

Christmas and New Years were quiet but very nice and family like. It's always interesting to see how other families celebrate the festive season. Christmas day I had a great time despite the dark cloud of missing presents. I can't ever recall having pasta for Christmas lunch, but I've now done that! Plus I got some fruit in my stocking too. You ought to see the neat colouring book I got!! Crayons too!! Aww man I am such a big kid. I got some lovely things, lots of reading to do as well now. That night we drove up to the Kentucky Horse Park and saw FOUR MILES of Christmas light, mate I tell you it was great!! I have never seen so many lights in my life and some moved and had themes. There was even a radio station feed as you drove along which played Christmas Carols!!

Boxing Day found me hugging a suitcase for the first time in history. Yep, two days later the case arrives with the biggest violation ever. It didn't bother me so much that a padlock had been cut from my bags by customs (they put a note in) and you know what, it's not so bad they rummaged around in my clothes. But why open my Christmas presents for me?! I'm the big kid, remember?! I know I know, it's one of those things they have to do, but still...and it was also the day I was introduced to fast food Italian. Fazoli's is a brand new world, I mean baked Spaghetti and meat balls take away style with a very rich chocolate cake and milk too!! We ate with Mary and Martha, a mother and daughter in Erin's Girl scout Troop. Despite Erin being paranoid that Mary spoke too much, I quite enjoyed it, and learnt that Possums there (spelt Opossum) are actually rat like creatures! Ekk! Also at some point something came up about Trailer Parks and yep, you guessed it, yours truly asked to drive through one. Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! He he he. Kind of reminded me of Broadmeadows...I also ventured into the universe known as WalMart. Aww Man I tell you that place is HUGE. A wonder all in itself.

I got to meet a few Girl Scout Troop members, one family with a huge collection of cats! They had this black Siamese called Casper who was so huge!! But so lovely! At one point we were at the Gow Household and there's a knock at the front door and it's another mother and daughter dropping of a Christmas present for me. They made me a Squirrel feeder!! Now I just have to talk Doreen into letting me put it up...

Food was quite a new experience for me on all levels at all meals. The oddest by far would be cereal known as Lucky Charms. It's just so wrong to have marshmallow floating around with your wheat puff things in milk. Wrong. Still, didn't stop me eating them two days running for brekkie. Arby's provides the most delish curly fries you'll ever eat!! Wendy's has REAL hamburgers. Dairy Queen does great ice cream. I've had corn dogs and hush puppies and root beer floats. Three Musketeer Bars. Honey Dipped Doughnuts which were sooo yum! Real Southern Food at a place called Cracker Barrel which is just the sort of hearty meal you want on a cold winter's night. Proper Mexican food.

Lexington is the home of University of Kentucky. Erin gave me the tour of the complex which boosts her education and I was wowed, the place was huge. Learnt about Frats and Sororities, plus the library had these huge bookcases which moved when you pressed a button! And there were a million squirrels running around talking to each other. The campus even has it's own police cars which is cool. Also in Lexington was a library with a huge pendulum swinging from the roof. Saw two police horses wearing Santa hats which was a great novelty.

Lots of trivial things amused me as always. Lots of Southern Accents, even if I did have trouble understanding them. The highlight was 'have a good day Y'all' he he he. American flags everywhere. Servo's which remind you to pay. Self serv check outs. Eighteen different types of Ben & Jerry's in the freezer (I took a photo!). The little red flags on the side of your postbox has a purpose!! You put out going mail in there, raise the flag and the mail man takes it away when he goes past or delivers your mail! Hows that!! I just had to post postcards for the sake of it! Drive Through everything...ATMS & Banks (one of which we walked through), Pharmacy's, restaurants where waitresses come out on roller skates...

The weather was an interesting thing too. Had two storms, the first of which we were at home for and initially was pretty exciting when Erin declares it's Tornado weather, but then that little voice kicks in which makes me ask 'What happens if it is a tornado...' and the second storm we were driving in and it was like being in a fish bowl and had some of the most incredible lightening I have ever seen! It was brilliant!!

Saw the Chronicles of Narnia movie and was rather on the disappointed side. There are just some stories Hollywood should leave alone. Also made a visit to the little town of Berea and looked at Berea College. It's all so pretty. Wouldn't be too much of a bad place to study at I guess. Not far from there was a placed called Indian Fort Theatre which was kind of like a big wandering around in the wilderness thing accompanied by two dogs who just happened to be in the neighbourhood. Weird. But great scenery. Found the worst public toilet ever in a McDonald's, ekk it was horrid.

New Years Eve was lovely and quiet. A nice little bonding evening over board games. Don't laugh, I can hear you. We even popped Christmas Crackers after watching the Ball drop live from Times Square. Yes initially my plans to see in 2006 were to take place in Edinburgh amidst Hogmanay, but on the same token I wouldn't change how things did turn out. More than anything the one thing you do miss at Pax is the normalcy of life and family. It made a nice change to have that around.

The new year saw me introduced to the world of Kids on the Block, an educational puppeteering program which the Girl Scout Tropp performs at schools and things. Was introduced to Nam (Erin's alter ego) and Daniel (Nancy's alter ego (that's Erin's mum)) which was sheerly amazing, it was like having two new people in the room, so very entertaining and so natural. I took got drawn in by a puppet called Mike, an 11 year old red head with blue eyes and freckles. We bonded. He likes Spiderman and Chunky Monkey Ice-cream. Don't tell anyone that his 'mom' iron's his t-shirts though...it was so cool! Puppets rock, even if my experience with them has only been a recent development!

In there somewhere we also drove to Corbin, the home of the Original KFC and I even have a corny t-shirt telling everyone I ate where it all began!! We also went to Frankfurt, the capital of Kentucky and had a tour around the Capitol building which was really neat. Here we also visited a local candy company and went into the History Museum. Stupid woman at the counter didn't even know where Australia was...plus a visit to the Girl Scout Council in Lexington and probably a dozen other things which I can't quite remember at this point in time. Mind you, it's not like I haven't said enough as it is.

I did make it back to the UK in relatively one piece, disturbed by the information that somehow my credit card is caught up in a fraud investigation. Apparently I made some transactions at an ATM in London while I was in America...go figure that one out. Needless to say I am Visa-less at the moment. Not that I am too phased. Aww man, I forgot to tell you guys, I drove in America!! On real roads in a real car with traffic and everything was backwards. And yet I still manage to park the car so perfectly!! Go me!! It was a weird experience...

Hope this finds you all well and off to a great start to a New Year. I should probably get some sleep, I've a 7am start for training tomorrow and I haven't slept in many many hours. It's gonna be a long five days...

Stay Safe, take care and we'll talk soon,
Rachael

Perhaps the last Chapter in the Adventures of Rachael for 2005

Hello All,

Just me again :-)

Come on did you seriously think I'd not send another e-mail between the last one and Christmas? Admittedly my presence has been a little absent of late, but I am trying to make an effort here! So I fully moved into my room. Have been there about a week now I think, I'm not sure. If time is usually a little blurred, it's very much so at the moment. Pax Lodge can be eerily quiet at times. My room. Well it had a room warming party last Wednesday (7th) which by most standards was quite different to what we are used to here! My lovely HA compadre's while noticing my struggle to adapt to change, nicely went and brought two bottles of wine (Aussie at that!) and joined me for Lost, accompanied by crackers and cheese! Check that! Usually its shot glasses and mixed spirits...opps...This is a Girl Guide Centre...regardless, I'd moved up in the world I think, I don't know! I'd just like to note that Wednesday just gone (14th) I had them all back again for Lost, more Aussie wine and Pringles and chips and Candy Corn. Plus some German liquor which was rather interesting...just note though guys, most of the drinking was done by the others, not me!!

Saturday the 10th marked the welcome ceremonies for our newest additions where we learn about them, they learn about us and we generally make them feel, well, welcomed. Not that we hadn't all ready. I think the most interesting piece of information to surface that night wasn't about either of our two new HAs, rather the trivial piece of information about our World Centre Manager, Doreen, who told us she once had a Poodle called Flipper because her parents wouldn't buy her a dolphin...and to be honest, it doesn't at all surprise me!!

Christmas has been very well on the agenda too. A Guitar recital followed by Christmas cakes and tea on the 7th, our Volunteers Christmas Party on the 14th (which yours truly had a hand in organising) plus a Christmas Carol do on the 15th at Guide HQ here in London. Well we got a view of the Queen's back garden!! It was so big!! We explored what's known as the ICANDO Centre which is activity based and we had a ball!! While everyone is downstairs eating mulled wine and mine pies, we're up there re-living our childhood, not that we left it all that long ago...

I also spent two and a half days down at Goring-By-Sea again which was really nice and relaxing. Janet has been off on sick leave since November due to having surgery. Because of this she wasn't able to fly home to Canada and spend Christmas with her family. Back in September when she found out, I made a random joke about us coming down and singing Christmas Carols at her window. Well silly Janet didn't think too much more of it. Monique was supposed to come down with me, but in the end it turned out just to be me. Janet's flat mate Liz knew I was coming and knew what was planned. So picture me in the cold, finally getting to their block of flats, standing at their front door singing the Aussie version of Jingle Bells through their letter flap in the door. God forbid any of the neighbours came out to find out what the horrible noise was!! Well Janet was over the moon, had no idea and didn't realise I'd actually go through with such a random joke!! She'll know better for next time!! I also got to play post person with a huge stack of cards and gifts from current and past staff. So my couple of days down there were really nice.

A Pax Lodge tradition is that the ground floor has all it's doors decorated. We get to pull the name of a door out of a hat and we (with limits) get to do what we like with it. I somehow scored the Men's Toilets!! Typical!! Anyhows, Rebecca from new Zealand won the decorating competition with her sheep and Santa standing on the fence. Only issue was most people thought he was peeing on the fence...I'll send a photo of my door at some stage, nothing overly arty or spectacular, but I liked it!!

Other than that, life still goes on at Pax Lodge. We shut down on December 23rd and re-open on the 4th of January. In that time I think there are about four staff members here and that's it! Everyone else seems to be going away!! Including myself, although my plans have now changed and are really part of the reason why I am e-mailing you all. As things stood, I was supposed to spend Christmas on the Canal in Gnosall with The Witts Family who hosted me a couple of years back. I was very much looking forward to a) a white Christmas or just b) a Christmas very different to what I am used to!! Now by some crazy twist of fate and a quite amazing Christmas Miracle, Christmas won't see me in the UK, indeed not even in Europe. And no, before you all get excited, I'm not coming home to Oz!! The postman delivered some airline tickets with my name on them this morning, Christmas and New Years will be quite different to what I had planned! Saturday December 24th at 6:40am (Argh!) sees me depart London and fly to France where I wait for two hours before flying on to Cincinnati. Yep you read right, this little Girl Guide will be spending close to two weeks in the United States of America!! Goodness me!! Indeed all very last minute (obviously) and all very exciting. I'm spending Christmas with Erin and her family in their hometown of Richmond, Kentucky. I'll return to the UK on Friday January 6th 2006 to start work the following day. I am really, really, really excited!! So I know a few of you wanted to call...save you're money because I won't be here!

So that said, I don't believe I'll have another chance between now and then to e-mail you all as a group. So this time for sure, I do wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. If you want to send Christmas Greetings or still want to get a hold of me by phone, my mobile will be on and I'll be contactable that way. Just keep in mind that if you call me, I have to pay for it too!! Enjoy a safe festive season and if not before hand, I will speak to you all in the New Year!

Stay safe and be happy, signing out for one last group time in 2005, (raising a glass) here's to a fab New Year for all!!

Rachael :-)

Your Favourite Wandering Aussie...

Rachael's Own E-card . . . DIY Style!

Hi Guys!!

Just a really quite note. Christmas has come to Pax Lodge, we've now got Christmas Lights and freaky snowmen, plus the offical REAL Christmas Tree was picked out this afternoon, hence everyone kinda stopped work and decorated it. The Christmas Carols are wearing thin already!!

I've been posting cards each day, some may not arrive until after Christmas, especailly the bunch that will get posted tomorrow. Thus, I've got a photo taken about two hours ago and put a nice Christmas Message on there and is a form of my own E-Greeting card! Didn't cost me a cent! Hope you guys can open it.

Hope you are all well and enjoy a safe and happy Festive Season.

Take Care and until next time,

Rachael :-)

Hiya

Hi,

How am I doing? Well it depends on the time of the day!! Evenings are the worst, as are mornings when I wake up. Other than that it's all under control. I think. I dont know. I still have moments where I well up. I don't say this to sound horrible and in no way is this meant in a horrible way towards you. But life without Erin is a lot harder than life without Ruth. I guess we had that extra two months at the end and I dunno, it's just really hard to adjust.

The new room is okay but will always be Ruth's room. I hate the bed, I want my big HA bed back and it was lower to the floor. I had my room warming party last night, I had Erin M, Priyanka and Eri come, then Erin S came when she got back from the Theatre. Kristina was no where to be seen and Rebecca was out on Program with the Short Break ladies. We watched Lost, drank wine and ate cheese...it was nice I guess. Still, this place isn't home any more, all the people that made it home have now gone. I am seriously questioning if I want to stay another 10 months.

It was great talking to you the other night. Why? Because for the first time in two months you sounded like things were starting to settle and turn out sorta kinda how you wanted them too. You sound a lot more positive. You are starting to sound like you again and it's fantastic. I felt really good after getting off the phone, I was happy things were starting to work out for you again. And I seriously would have loved to come to Pack Holiday. If you have another in the New Year and want an extra body, please let me know. Enjoy every moment, I know you will.

Sunday afternoon is the Brownie Christmas Carols we got invited to. Monique is coming with me but we were going down to see Janet afterwards, she's now not coming. I guess that's okay. I probably need three days to myself away from Pax to try sort myself out. Other than that I am looking forward to Christmas in Stafford with my host family from a few years back. Again Monique was going to come, but isn't now.

Remember, if you win the lotto, come visit or something!! I mean you can come visit even if you don't win the lotto...any visitors would be nice. And an International Day next year, look out Ruth will be back in the building!! Just out of curiousity, when did you start as Program Assistant and how long did it go for??

While it is nice to know that two people care, the fact that one is in Ireland and one is in America doesn't much help the fact I'd like them to be here with me! And I promise, I will get to Ireland to see you!!

For now I have to get back to work.
Take care and we shall talk soon.

Rachael :-)

Just Quickly

Heya,

So I am entering Day 3 without Erin Gow at Pax Lodge. All things considered I am going well. Okay, maybe not that great, but I am getting there. I feel more than anything now, my time as a HA has long been forgotten as Monique and Erin were the last of 'my group' and yeah, the gap has become very prominent. But hey, I expected that would happen. As I said to Erin last night on the phone, I never thought I would feel lonely at Pax Lodge and yet that's exactly what has happened.

They had an International Day yesterday, had a visit by the police during lunch who decided to raid someone's car and do a search for drugs or something. Apparently they'd been following the guy and he stupidly pulled up out the front of Pax right at lunchtime as all the little brownies were in the dining room eating lunch. Apparently Heather and Sally got up quite discreetly and closed the blinds.

The two new HAs have settled in well, their training is in full swing, indeed I am training both House and K2 today thus I am e-mailing you at an hour I am usually still in bed. I haven't had a 7am start in quite some time! But yeah, welcome ceremonies on the 10th. There is a little life back in the HA corridoor again which is nice, but already new traditions have started, the quote board is no longer that, it's used for short stories. There is talk this group want to go to the Walk About most Saturday nights. It's very strange. I almost find I don't want to be here. But then I know I am just really out of sorts at the moment.

Was off yesterday and off again tomorrow, started to move rooms yesterday and will finish tomorrow. Yep, I'm taking over your old room and it is really really weird. I mean on one hand I have to get out of the HA corridoor and my room, there are far too memories there, but on the same token, I don't want to leave and as far as I am concerned, my new room will always be Ruth's room. Yep, I'm not taking things all that well.

I am going to Stafford for Christmas which will be nice. Because of lack of chance to get tickets for Hogmanay I'm now staying in London for New Years Eve. It's gonna suck really. I need to go and find something to do. And soon if I want to go somewhere descent.

Hope things are still getting better for you, and yes, I do know you are there when ever I need you.

Take care and I beeter go check on new Erin, goodness me she's such a goofy person. Sweet Jesus.

Rachael :-)

Words from the Aussie in UK

Hi Everyone!

The sad part is that I can't remember the last time I e-mailed everyone...I would like to say start of November but I can't be too sure of that. Oh gosh that's dreadful. I'm sorry guys. As crazy as it's going to sound, there are times where the Pax Lodge bubble consumes you and you're left with no concept of place or time. Wait, if I recall correctly I don't think I'd started in the office when I last wrote, so that rules out start of November...I think.

Okay, so the catch up. I remember telling you all about the Queen right?? I saw her in the flesh..yeah I do because I can remember thinking everyone is going to think I am crazy. Not that most of you didn't think that already. Right, November. Or end of October. We celebrated Halloween over the space of about four days which was pretty cool considering I've not really celebrated it before. It's that North American influence coming through...You know I love you guys!!! But yes, Halloween. Ruth from Ireland came back for that weekend which was really good and it was nice to see her again. Consequently we ended up with a corridor full of candy and I mean full, we still have some sitting there now...but did the whole bobbing for apples thing, what can only be described as pin the face on the Jack-o-lantern and lots of eating. The last night of Halloween found us all in the Guest kitchen carving "Bob" who in the end sat on the steps of Pax Lodge for many days and by the time he went to Pumpkin Heaven, had pretty much disintegrated into himself. Wasn't a pretty sight.

Start of November hmmm...Erin's family came which was kinda cool, in fact I recall taking a photo of her mum posting a letter in a red post box and getting somewhat excited. I smile fondly at this because I think I did something very similar three years ago with a post box in Buckingham Palace Road...so I could relate. The 4th found me start day 1 in the office and remember why cleaning rooms was so much more appealing than sitting in four walls. I mean at least back home on the 14th floor I had a brilliant view. Here its a small office with a white wall. I want my finance desk back!!! But in all seriousness, I made it through. It has more slow days than busy ones and considering the time of year it is I'm not at all surprised. It'll take a while to get into the swing of things. Still, I cannot help but question why I decided to stay an extra 11 months...and the adjustment from being a house assistant to not being one has been a lot more difficult than I'd anticipated. Right this very day I feel like I've fallen into the gap more than ever, but more about that later.

The 5th was Guy Faulks night. It was lame. Full stop, end of story. So much for seeing fireworks and so much for seeing bonfires. Dumbass. Okay, just a little bitter over that one. Remind me that from now on I make my own directions and make my own way somewhere. Put it this way, I was on a bus for far longer than I should have been and not my fault. Moving on. We assume that one of our cooks Jennifer has resigned. In true Pax Lodge form, lack of communication finds us assuming things because we don't get told. What else is new?

A little worry crept across my mind when Australia was put on terrorist alert. That's a bit scary really. And then when they listed the people they'd arrested and I saw the suburbs they came from, well most of them are near me! That's scary! But then come to think of it, its not at all surprising. It was around then that e-mails and letters in the post arrived about enquiries I'd made to study abroad. A few of you had quite a mixed response to that! But hey relax, it's a long way off. Even now I don't know if I want to study per say. Actually today I don't know about anything I want or feel or do...it's just not a great day in general.

The 10th & 11th saw my return to the Isle of Wight, this time with Erin Gow in tow. It was very lovely indeed! Actually saw a few things this time, Osbourne House (holiday home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) was very nice indeed and quite different to other Royal homes I've seen. By comparison it was rather homely and lived in as opposed to being like a museum. Day two saw us attempt to take a stroll to Bembridge to see the windmill but after walking for an hour and a half along the coast, we were only as far as St. Helen's and decided if we were going to make our coach home, we had to turn back. Actually at one point one of the coves reminded me of a scene in a Minette Walters Book I read a few years ago. Half expected to find a body washed up on the shore -very atmospheric!!

Some smaller sessions came in this month, namely Trefoil Special Ladies which means most of them are 50, 60, 70 + in age. Okay one was like close to 90...but a lovely bunch of ladies and made a nice change from rowdy teens. We at one point had a nice family dinner. One night it was no guests in house at all and it was very weird!! So Janet had us order in Pizza and it was just the family of staff!! It was great. Later that night about five of us did a lap of the house (all three floors) in our PJs!! Under normal circumstances, PJs are not to be worn outside of staff quarters. It was actually quite liberating!! It was also a movie night...so a big night for staff!! Seriously, such a small luxury most people take for granted. It was the first time in say four and a half months I felt like I didn't have to worry about what a guest might see or hear. It was brilliant!!

TV wise I started to watch Bleak House, yep, the Charles Dickens mini series. Its stars Gillian Anderson which in essense was why I started to watch it. Still have lingering effects from huge X-files obsession...but it's a great show and I'm enjoying it. Should be finishing in the next couple of weeks. I also got back into Lost. The UK have finally reached the point where I left in Oz!! It took long enough!!

I also found out that in February next year there will be THREE aussies here! Yay! Two House Assistants plus me! I can't believe it! Go the Southern Hemisphere!!

Days out included many little adventures: strolling in Hyde Park to see the Albert Memorial, visits to the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and a trip to Covent Garden which resulted in me now owning a puppet. He's very cute. He is a Fox called Cadbury who is from Durham who lived with his mother and four sisters in the same den and consequently became vegetarian and friends with squirrels. Was picked on at Fox High School because of his name and changed it to Hugo...yeah, I know, I get carried away. Still, I quite like him.

I had to go buy a pair of gloves! Gosh, to be wearing a jacket in November is so wrong not to mention gloves and a scarf! I don't even do that in July at home, not really! Not to this degree! The doctor down the road got to meet most of the staff of Pax Lodge in the space of a week, it seemed like everyone was dropping like flies. Not me, but pretty much everyone else! Janet went into hospital for her Op thus now I'm finding myself doing a somewhat HAC job. The house assistants are now referred to as being mine and I've had to train the new ones and all sorts. It's nice to be out of the office even if I was only doing my new job about two weeks!!

The 21st was an...interesting night. Yep, everyone just roll over in shock horror, I went and saw the latest Harry Potter movie in Leicester Square. I crumbled. No in all seriousness, it wasn't that bad. I keep to my strict claims to not be a Harry Potter fan on principal -but I am more open to giving the books a go. It was very weird. When you convert what I paid for the ticket I seriously questioned my state of mind...no, it was okay.

We had a woman come and stay who had applied for the Centre Manager Position as Doreen's term is up in December. Put it this way, we all hope someone else gets the posting...nothing personal against her, but yeah, most of us went 'Oh no...'. We've probably just too used to Doreen...that's going to be another weird experience, the staff change over in the next couple of months. Good grief.

Two new HAs arrived around the 25th, Erin from Canada (yes we had 3 Erin's) and Kristina from Germany. Both are really nice people and seem to have settled in okay. We needed a fresh set of blood in this place, the energy levels kind of become stagnant after a while.

Several days off at the end of the month found me visiting Camden on several occasions, Charles Dickens House in a seriously freaky weather storm, crepes on several occasions and Ice Skating at the Tower Of London which was really really cool! They've never done it there before, so it was in the moat and yeah, I ended up falling twice. The first time on my butt, the second forwards on my knees but slid and spun and ended up facing everyone as I spun, flung my arms in the air and went 'Ta-da!' to which I received laughter and applause! Wasn't great for the knees and I had two layers of clothing on plus jacket gloves and scarf. So totally wrong!!! We also celebrated Thanksgiving, ate pumpkin pie and made hand turkeys. I also went and saw the most incredible puppet show! Aww man it was brilliant! The way they made those puppets move was purely incredible!! Like I was so amazed it wasn't funny, I loved it so much, we even scored a tour back stage and the workshop where the puppets were made because I wanted to play paparazzi and take photos and yeah, the guy offered us a tour!

The end of November was kinda bad emotionally and has flowed over into December. The last of the summer HAs have left. Monique and Erin both left this place on the 1st of December. It was weird for me because had things stayed as planned, I would have left here on the 2nd, being somewhere between London and Edinbough. All ready I feel really lost and not sure of my place in the scheme of things. And as much as I never thought it could happen, I actually feel kinda lonely now. I know it's going to take time to adjust. And add to that I am half way out of moving out of my room...well you can understand the emotional turmoil I'm going through. My room holds a lot of memories for me...oh crap, the radio has just started playing a really sad song...Daniel Bellingfield or whatever his name is...I hate the radio. But yeah, lots is changing and Christmas is just around the corner and yeah...

Christmas came to London in mid November. Streets started to have official light turning on ceremonies. I would walk down Regent Street or Trafalgar Square, or along the Thames and feel almost like a magic was in the air. Like sitting there and watching Bridget Jones and seeing how Christmas is in that. Crazy as it sounds, I feel like a kid reliving Christmas all over again, there really is a magic. People rugged up against the cold. All I need is the snow to fall...

Okay now I'm just getting nostalgic if that is at all possible. I know this one got long, but as usual I can't help myself. This is only base detail too! Can you imagine what the length would be like if I went into great detail?!! Gosh! Hope you are all doing okay and survive the summer heatwave. As much as I'm not a summer person now, even just a little sunshine would be nice. Oh god, now Michael Buble has just come on with his 'Home' song...that's it I am turning the radio off!!!

For now I must be off. Take care everyone and if I don't get a chance to say so between now and then, please have a Very Merry Christmas, A Happy New Years (don't drink too much) and most of all stay safe.

Miss you guys in vastly varied ways and degrees!!

Rachael :-)

Can Help Myself

Heya,

So like it's nearly 3pm and I feel very restless. I just instinctively went up to my room at 11am this morning, walked in and went 'oh' and dejectedly came back down to Janet's desk. Old habits die hard right? Hope this find you okay, I actually wrote you a letter last night so no point telling you anything that's in there. It went in the post this morning.

It's funny you know, we go through the motions of people doing their 'lasts' of everything. Went to bed last night in a cold room. Woke with no one to go and say good morning to. Watched the flag go up the pole and sat at breakfast in silence. We don't usually comprehend doing the 'firsts' of everything without someone around. Yet that's exactly what has ended up happening. 'My first flag without Erin' etc. Made me pretty sad. Actually still does.

Janet called earlier and spent close to 40 minutes on the phone to her. Yep, she got me bawling my eyes out too. Doreen nearly did this arvo too, was in her office for a 'meeting' which was a little scary. Thought you'd be interested to know she's giving thought to intergrating K3 into the normal HA rota. The girls have evening program tonight.

Yep the 3rd of December will find me begin to move. Alex moved out today and I'm free to move upstairs. It's probably a good thing. Already I feel the absence of both you and Monqiue. After flag I stood waiting as we mostly do, but the HA's sorta bunched together and walked past me. I feel that now, I am most definately sitting in the gap. But hey, I knew it was coming so I shouldn't be all that surprised right?

Bleak House last night just wasn't the same. Eton didn't say a word and I ate all the Minter Wonderland. Then Priyanka came in during the Queens Cavalry show and made me burst into tears. After tonights show I'll let you know what's been happening. Tis exciting with just last night's episode! So when I got the wanders around 9:30 at some point I crossed Rebecca's path and yep, we opened the hair dye! Erin S did the dying, Rebecca took the photos. It's okay, relax. It didn't quite work. Other than making my hair a little lighter and with a less red tinge on certain angles, I still look relatively the same.

Have been very productive today, can't get over how much work I've gotten done. Remembered to do things I should have done yesterday or what not. Mind you it took most of the morning to get some sort of focus happening. Ruth e-mailed and said she wouldn't call until I was ready. But she's there if I need her. The others were talking at the lunch table today and something came up and your name was mentioned in passing. "...Erin Gow..." and no one really flinched. Like you've been gone for years now. Ouch. Then after the HAs left, Maria brought up a TV show she was watching on channel 4 last night about Autoerotic Asphixiation. Yep, suffocating while having sex and how it heightens the 'bodies reaction' so to speak. Well as you can guess it was weird enough with just Maria Plaza, Breanne and I. But then next thing I know, Doreen comes in, joins us at the table and jumps right in on the conversation. She then told us all to promise we wouldn't try it. I just sat there and shook my head.

Anyways, getting a little misty again so I might just leave you to it. It's okay, I know the first few days will be the hardest I know. I should imagine you've far more of an adjustment to make at your end. Hope you are okay all things considered. Know I am thinking of you and honestly do wish you were here. But I also know that you needed to go home as well.

10 months and 28 days to go!!!
Rachael :-)