Very Quickly

Heya!

I have been meaning to sit down and write you an e-mail but it has been pretty crazy here.

The saga that has been the Today Show! My goodness! We spent close to two hours walking the length of the Thames River from Big Ben to Tower Bridge and didn't find where they were!! BUT we are going again tonight because now I know exactly where they are! Four of us are going and we've signs to put up...he he he, we'll see how it goes.

I have been reading your e-mails with great interest, I love them so much! They make me laugh. Yeah and coming home on the coach hearing 'In the Ghetto' did bring back memories looking out over the lake after dark...Erin tells me I am insane for being at work after dark. I keep reminding her I wasn't the only one that was there...

So I officially start in the office here on the 4th of November. Which means I reach the shores of Oz again sometime in the second week of November next year. Gosh that seems such a long time away. Actually I had a family thing to go to (not that I know many here, only had met the one person!) on Monday night and I was walking back in the rain with my brolly and my nice pants and my boots and this lady asked me for directions and I knew exactly where to tell her to go. I sort of walked on a bit further and went, wholly shit, I am like living in London. Like I know where things are, I'm walking the streets at night and I kinda sorta have a life out of Pax Lodge. I tell you it was the freakiest thing. And try as I might, I couldn't remember what it FELT like living in Melbourne. I mean I know what I did every day...but I can't remember how it felt, if you can kinda get what I mean. It's a little weird you know..

So can't believe you only have 8 weeks left...gosh that's gone so quickly. Keep your chin up as your in the home stretch, you go girl!! Hope your dinner didn't burn and I'll be sending through an 'update' e-mail in the next couple of days.
Take care chica and talk soon,

Rachael :-)

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 :-)

Hello Again!

Hello my dear!

For starters -don't keep saying thank you!! I know I don't have to do any of the things I do, but I do it because I want to and no thanks is needed. You're my pal and don't ever forget that. We find lots of ways to be strong. Believe it or not there will come a day where you won't sms me, and a week will go by and you still won't. That's okay because believe it or not you'll get back into normal life and won't need the security of Pax Lodge so much. That's not saying I'll stop bugging you, because you know I always will!! But yeah, you will eventually be okay.

Erin hasn't cried yet from what I know, but she's quite close to crashing. We've both been very clingy lately which is a little odd, we seem to be really dwelling on the Erin leaving part. Slowly slowly she's talking to me about things. I know Erin will do what she feels she needs to in her own time. Unlike you I can't bully her into talking to me. It was a case of needing to with you!! But yeah, Erin, I think for the most part is doing okay. I told her I can be there to catch her when she falls.

My "family" were here for two days, both of which I was working so only ever really got to spend time with them in the evening, both of which Erin S seemed to hustle in on. Either way. Then they left quite abruptly yesterday morning thus I am standing out the from of Pax Lodge before flag almost in tears, right as Heather Doreen and Dixon come back from their walk...good lord.

Monique ended up coming with us to take Dixon and Doreen taught us Scottish football songs the whole way back to Pax. Consequently it was a car sing a long. Quite amusing, especially when we then continued it through lunch...

Yesterday arvo I pulled my room to pieces and pulled everything off the walls. Gave Erin a heart failure -six times!! But it's slowly getting back to homely, not so many home photos up anymore. I figure the 14 months seems long enough as it is, too many reminders up only makes it harder. Went for a walk in the Heath yesterday arvo, was gone for nearly two and a half hours and missed dinner. Believe it or not, both erin and I were in there at the same time but didn't cross paths once.

Today I went out for breakfast at lunchtime with Sally and Janet, the three of us then trotted off to Oxford street to do some shopping. It's been an odd two days I tell you. Erin and I did the clingy thing again this arvo and dinner was darn bangers and mash plus the weird conversations with Kat. Trust me, you're in the better place....

I'm glad to hear you're getting back into the swing of things with Guides, having a focus on something like that will help you re-adjust. Yes, Pax Lodge did you wonders my dear and I am so happy you can realise that!! This is such wonderful news!

Janet is slowly back on the mend although it was scary last night because Rebecca did her night shift for her, we nearly dropped dead when we found out.

Okay I have to go, Priyanka wants the computer. Will talk soon and trust me, good things are on their way to you, I promise :-)
Rachael :-)

Howaye from Ireland!

Hello!!!

Aww my darling, I am so proud of you! Seriously, you have lots to be proud of because yes you did achieve a hell of a lot this summer. Apparently I've said Sweet Jesus far too many times to day which is weird because it's not like I picked it up from you because I didn't really say it a lot before you left. So that has kinda freaked a few people out.

Truth be told, you leaving didn't hit Erin until later this afternoon, I don't think she's had a lot of time to think about it. I told her she had to sit down and have a cry because it'll make her feel better. I know this from experience. It was so weird, I went up to my room after working an hour over and sat in my room and just bawled my eyes out. It was crazy. Its crazy to think how much of a difference not having someone here makes. Erin and I were sitting there this arvo in break and talked about you leaving. Not that I want to depress you more or anything...And I am sorry I couldn't stick around for your phone call. Erin came in and I was like 'she's gone?' and she said yeah and I kinda was a bit disapointed.

Janet is pretty sick at the moment, she didn't come down for flag this morning and has been laid up in bed for half of the day. So Monique and I did a run down the road at lunch and brought her flowers. She didn't find them till this evening and I sware to god it sounded like she was on the verge of tears. I am worried about her, but you know me I worry about everyone. I know I know I need to look after me!! I know!

The first week or so back home will be the hardest because you'll need to adjust back to normal life.

I'll keep this short because I am sitting here on Erin S's laptop and I am having a few issues typing, it's just not the same as a normal keyboard.

Take care my dear and I am off to pester our Erin, I tell you that girl worries me sometimes. I think it'll be another late one.

Take super super care and you 'll hear from me soon.

Luv Rachael

Time Flies, right?

Hey Hey!

No wait, that should be 'Hola' or 'Namaste' Everyone!!!

There you go, that's my cultural input for today. Hey I figure it's my day off, I don't need to be cultural or worldly. I don't need to be anywhere or do anything. Well nothing over important anyway. So I realised its been almost two weeks since I sent everyone 'back home' mail and despite actually planning to make contact on my last set of days off, I got a little side tracked by puppets...but I'll get to that later on.

There are actually a few new people added to my mailing list here, the HA's farewells continued for a day or so after I last e-mailed, so a few of them now get my 'Adventures of Rachael' (Yes Allie I too rely on bulk e-mailing where possible). The day after my last installment I went on a big shopping spree in Oxford Circus and spent a fairly damaging amount of money. By most accounts it's probably not that bad but when you consider I'm now staying a little longer it probably wasn't the wisest thing. Regardless, I now have a functioning English mobile phone number. Got to get the important things sorted, right? It was a good day though, me, the footpath and I think about seven different bags by day's end.

I did the sort of homesickness but not kind of gig for a while there. It wasn't sad or emotional or anything, it was more a sense of missing the small things, like routine and things I would see each day. Like driving to work as the city woke up. Seeing the sunset over Albert Park Lake. Being able to just get in my car and drive. The vibe of Friday night football. Curling up in bed on a Wednesday night for Blue Healers. Thursday night Netball. Monday night 'free food'. Just routine. But then I realised I've sort of picked up a new routine here and I now enjoy watching the squirrel each day at around 4:30 go and bury food for winter in the front garden. Walking after dinner duties even if it is pitch black. Going to flag on my days off. Little things which for routine. And keep my kinda busy I guess.

Had a spur of the moment 'lets go to the WalkAbout' moment the other Saturday night and got there to discover a poster for live coverage of the AFL Grand Final. Amazingly I've got the gift of the gab to switch my rota for the right day so I'm getting up at 4am to go to a pub to watch a football game and then come back here to start work at 8:45 the first day of the World Board! I must be on my best behaviour! So anyhows, the WalkAbout was kinda lame and pretty freaky by the time we left because this guy tried to take Eri (Japanese HA)! We sort of turned around and she was gone. So Monique, Erin S and I go like Body guard Style and find her and this guy (she's not got great English) and like fly out of the building, but he started to follow us!! Anyhows, Monique told him to um...go away, so to speak, and eventually he did.

We had another small session in, this one called Castles and Palaces and it was only a small number, but a great one because we got to do more! So some late night evening programs and card games (oh my gosh we played Spoons!!!) and late night talking...not much sleep was achieved in there! Plus I got to see We Will Rock You for a second time which I loved just as much as the first!! Yay!

Ventured down to Hampton Court Palace with Ruth, Eri, Erin G and had a long day down there! But I loved it, some of the gardens were simply stunning. The building itself was quite delightful as well. It took a while to get there, I think we may have gone the long way round, but I actually worked out that I can get a National Rail train direct from Hampstead to West Ham so I've managed to talk Erin S into going to a soccer game with me. He he he, I have this image of us sitting in the stadium in mittens while its snowing...

On a mundane level we had the meat freezer die on us -twice. Sarcasm has become the choice tone of everyone and Erin and I often find ourselves still up at 1am and seemingly ending up on the subject of food we miss at home. We both had this great desire for Nachos so on our last day off we went up the hill for dinner and got them -NEVER AGAIN! I sware to you, our mouths were still burning the next day. They were horrible. What I wouldn't give for a good meal at Taco Bills in South Melborune...mmm...Mexican....

One of our Long Term Residents (LTR) Kat (not sure if I have mentioned her before) had her mother send her violin. Not a great idea. She's on the floor above and over a bit and I can still hear her playing and she's not that crash hot!!! Plus she sings Opera! My ears are damaged for life!!

Now the puppets. Yesterday (and there is one today but I am off) we had what's called an International Adventure Day. Basically a group of Brownies and Guides come and we 'take them round the world' for the day. Well we had 33 brownies running around and I tell you I was in my element!!! I miss my girls soooooo much! BUT Erin and I were given the task of doing the puppet show which sort of tells them about the the four world centres (for non guide people, I work at Pax Lodge which is a world centre. There are four around the world). We pulled out the materials used last year and nearly died. So we binned it all and started form scratch. Made new puppets, clothes, rewrote the script made a new puppet stage thing. The works. We spent both of our last days off plus all our non working hours since pulling the show together. We even walked all the way back from Finchly carrying a piece or ply board because it wouldn't fit into Doreen's car. Now that's dedication. Regardless, the show was a huge success and the girls loved it, the staff loved it and the leaders loved it. The best bit was seeing the girls sneak back into the room and do the show themselves!!! It was soooo cute!!! I loved yesterday. I've gotten contact details and am hopefully going to visit the unit on a regular basis, plus we've all been invited (if not working) to their Carols Round the Campfire on the 11th of December. Yay! Janet said she hadn't seen me smile so much in a long time. I was just so excited to have little ones running around!

Oh and I set a new record. I made 24 beds and had the rooms ready for check in between end of breakfast (9:30) and Break (11am). I am a legend!! Oh my gosh it was soooo funny! I kept going 'I'm going to do this' and I did. Stupid little challenges like that make the day go quicker. Or something. Mind you I then ended up deep cleaning a room in the afternoon because I had not a lot to do!! And all those beds were for Australians! Yep, we've just about had a house full of Aussies!! Further to that, the 24 beds we all for students and teachers from Ivanhoe Grammar! Not overly impressed with their attitude, they were quite rude at times and I mean come on, this is a hostel not the god damn Hilton! Anyhows, they left this morning. The remaining Aussies are hear for the World Centres committee. Yep, we're going to end up with all the world centre managers here. And you know what? HA's at Sangam (in India) don't do house chores! They are there purely for program! Dang I'm at the wrong world centre!!

Hmm...this got long again, I was trying to keep it relatively short for a change, didn't happen. It has been freezing here. It's not even winter yet, it's still summer. Let me rephrase that. The wind has been really cold and for me to be saying it's cold, then you know for most of you it would be freezing. Mind you, if I actually wore something with long sleeves....and if I close my window at night...okay I am off! Phone calls to make, arrangement to make. Seven of us are heading down to the Thames this evening, this weekend is the Thames River Festival and there's a huge fireworks display on.

Hope everyone is doing well and I shall write again soon (maybe!!).

Take care,

Rachael :-)

Hello

Hey!!

You know there haven't been many e-mails from you, but they tend to rock up at the right time when they do get here! It's now after midnight and I've been talking to Erin for the past two hours.

It's likely that in the next couple of days you'll get a letter arrive in your post box. I can't help myself sometimes. Indeed how I'm feeling now is vastly different to how I was feeling when I wrote the letter, that said I'm yet to question if I made the right choice or not. I know at some stage I will, but now is not the time.

This afternoon at around 4:40 I was in the dining room having just started my afternoon K2 shift. I had one of those moments that comes right out of the blue and so unexpected it left me speechless and kinda feeling like I'm not sure where to look. I was opening the window or something and turn around to find 50 odd year old Chef Maria standing there with half her jacket off, bra and boob and all complaining about the pain in her shoulder and showing me the needle marks they'd put in!! I tell you I could have fallen over. This isn't aimed at you but if people are going to start making a habit of doing this, I want a bit of notice!!

My biggest issue right now is that I've had very little contact with anyone from home in the past three weeks. Aside from you and my mother, I've received one e-mail and a text message. I feel so disconnected. This was one of my fears coming here, reaching a point where it's like I have dropped off the face of the planet and don't exist. In my letter (the long one) I say something about this being the biggest form of self isolation I've put myself through. To be honest, it feels like I hit the nail dead on the head.

I'm not expecting weekly e-mails from people, I know they all have a life. But I'd say that about 90% of people that told me I had to stay in contact with I haven't heard from since I left. It really sucks.

That aside I am having a good time. Our current session is a whole of three people. We've other guests in too, but it means I may end up going to see We Will Rock You again tomorrow night...well I guess technically it's tonight...but tomorrow I am off and I'm going on a London walk (like what we did but during the day) and on Wednesday Ruth, Erin and I are going out to Hampton Court Palace for the day.

Oh and guess what? The WalkAbout is screening the AFL Grand Final, live so it's on at like 5am in the morning!!! I'm working that day, but I'm trying to see if I can switch shifts with Monique so I can get an 8:45am shift start. Which means if the stream starts at 5am I have until 8am to see it all, should be over in three hours right? Mind you I could be pushing my luck, it's the first day of the World Board and apparently this place runs like the army while it's on. We'll see. I might go talk to Janet.

I have three days off again this month by default. I'm thinking of going up to Birmingham to stay with Ruth (who came to the TRS function in feb?) as she's now back in the UK and called me the other night. She's bringing her brownies to Pax Lodge in Feb to stay!! But yeah, other than that, no major plans.

And as for my bonsai plant, I think it's dead. Well maybe not dead. Maybe it's supposed to look like it does. I water it and feed it that stuff Sally got so maybe I'm just not talking nice enough to it. Perhaps it keeps hearing me swear under my breath. That's another thing I've been doing more of lately.

Oh I brought a CD the other day and the song from kill Bill is on there!!

I was talking to a lady on the Tube the other day who had a Siamese cat with her!! A little bit darker than Candy, but sounded exactly the same!! She's actually moving back to Sydney so had to send the cat first as it had to go through quarantine and all. I looked in the box and smiled. I miss cat's in general here. No one to sit on my lap and pur or chase my finger or cover my clothes in hair...

Right I should be off because I need sleep and I've probably just stolen your lunch break again. Sorry. Just remember, we used to spend hours yakking all the time. I can't do that now. So I have to somehow compensate this way. It's not the same, but you know...

Okay I'm going! Take care and hope the broken nose gets fixed!
Rachael :-)

Home in Canada

Heya!!

Glad to hear you got home safely, Janet had mentioned you'd had a brief delay at the airport in her homeland!! But to be home is good. I'd imagine at this point in time you'd have started back at school again? A strike of luck with both the bags and the booze -indeed it was you're lucky day.

Nothing much changes at Pax, same ol same ol really. Evening Program tonight and a planning meeting today that went for over half an hour! Keren and Marie both had their send off last night, followed by a drink at The George. Being in 'House' today I actually watched Keren walk down the drive and out onto the road when she was leaving. It was an odd feeling. Suddenly people who have been here with me this whole time are leaving! This shouldn't be happening!

All the senior staff are strangely happy at the moment. Like more than usual. Doreen was even poking Monique in the dining room when she was sitting at the table...it's freaky mate. Erin G had her first day as K3 and somehow managed to get away with not wearing the 'funny trousers'.

Monique's addy is (deleted) but if you are having issues trying to e-mail her it may be because she's over her storage limit. She was complaining about that yesterday.

Well my dear I must be off, thank god the day is partly over. Still a long evening a head (we've more brownies here!) but I guess it could be worse...somehow. Oh hell it's payday. That's it I am off to see Janet! Oh my gosh I went on a shopping spree yesterday in Regent Street and Oxford Circus and Covent Garden...the ol credit card got a good work out...it'll take a while before I can do that again!

Take care and talk soon,
Rachael :-)

Re: Some may need to take a seat

Heya,

I think by that time I'll be long overdue to come home!! I know I am crazy but then aside form deciding to come here, this has been the biggest decision I've made thinking only of me.

I'm well aware that the oppertunities I had waiting for me when I got home -yes International was one of those things. But this will be a great resource for me. And Erin pointed out that there are Brownie groups in the area here which would likely be more than happy to have an internaional guest come and run part if not all of a program. Not sure how I'd do that, but I do miss my girls. We had a group of brownies here today and sitting with them at lunch made me realise how much I miss my girls at Dalburn. Little people make life so much more simpler....sighs, I'll live I guess.

Keep on dancing and come January/February, you may need to remind me that staying was a great idea....

Take care, it's late here and we've had two farewells today so it's been kind of emotional. We've another tomorrow and two more in the days that follow. I'll have at least another 12 months of this ahead of me....

Rachael :-)

Some may need to take a seat

Hi There Everyone!!

So what's been happening with you all? My inbox has been eerily silent this past week or so, have you all vanished off the face of the planet??

Well the world of Pax Lodge. What can I say? Hetic as usual! Actually its nice to be winding down for the summer, it's a little odd at the moment because we're all so used to being flat out that right now we have only 20 guests in house, most of which don't eat with us, so we're kind of scrapping for things to do! One extreme to the other! But it also means that all the quarterly jobs get done, one of which is deep cleaning and pretty much you clean one room at a time from top to bottom! Like Monday for example. I went into room 1 (Australia!!) and it's a three bed bedroom. I got in there at 10 am and come 3pm I only just finished. Man that room shines!!

As Monday was a bank holiday, we all sat down for the last half hour of work and had an ice-cream party which was kinda nice as it has been rather warm here today! Lovely sunny weather which I'm trying to make the most of while it lasts, I know come end of November daylight will be gone at 4:30 in the afternoon. That is going to be so weird...

We've had two new HA's arrive! Eri from Japan and Rebecca from New Zealand. Eri's arrival was a huge mix up and a disaster on my part, well not that it was my fault, but I'll get into that later on when I let you guys know what I've been up to. So yes, we gain two HA's but lose four plus the HAC (House Assistant Co-ordinator) within the next three days. So that's a fair chunk of people to be leaving!

And it's odd too. I mean I only just arrived as Caro and Claudia were leaving so it wasn't too much of a big deal. But this time round it's kind of like, wait a moment, these guys have been here with me the whole time...they can't leave!! It's the strangest thing. We spend literally 24 hours a day together and can't wait to get away, but on the same token, you can't help but feel sad because people are actually leaving the world of Pax Lodge.

But since I last e-mailed we've all decided to re-live our childhood. Yeah okay, so we're not that old...but we went down to the local video store and hired a stack of Disney movies and spent like three nights running watching them. The classics mind you. Snow White. Sleeping Beauty. Lady and the Tramp. Aladdin. Even Janet came to join us which was great fun! Somewhere in there we also started a quotes board in our corridoor, it's been filled twice already! It's kind of a hoot! We had the WCM (World Centre Manager) walk past and question a few ofthem!

Both cooks haven't been in for over a week now so it's been left up to us to cook. Thankfully because it's so quiet, there has only been the staff plus one of our long term residents who has just moved in. Her name is Kat and she's from the States and she's here going to school. Today is her first day. She's an odd one. For those of you who went toPaco, she reminds me very much of Kim. Like, mirror image, vampires and all. So anyways, one of the nights Jung-Hwa cooked Korean food for us and it was simply delicious! The North American's got together and made breakfast for dinner which was pancakes and all sorts of delightful things. Needless to say the Aussie has yet to cook anything, purely because I don't really think there are meals we have that are distinctly Australian. If you get what I mean. Not only that, I'm not exactly the worlds best cook. So the last two days I had off we ate out two nights running at two of the local eateries. The first was called the Giraffe which was nice but a little pricy. Mind you, wouldn't expect much else in Hampstead, right? The second night we ate in a run down little place next to the ice-cream shop we go to. I tell you that was the best meal I have had in a very long time and it was very cheap! So we came back and raved and we're going to go back again!

We also had some Japanese guests stay who treated us to a traditional Japanese Tea ceremony which was simply delightful. They had these sweets in these beautiful little boxes and I managed to get one! It's so pretty.

Last Wednesday we had the closing of our last large session for the summer, London Experience V. And I did my closing thought as usual, only this time Ruth was my back up music as she wanted to play the keyboard. She sort of crept up to me and said 'I know the thought is your turf, but I've always wanted to play as a part of one of the ceremonies and haven't yet, do you mind if I play for you?'. Well that was it, we did it! And she did so well! I think I was nervous for her too!! But it went very smoothly.

Last Friday Eri was supposed to arrive from Japan. Because it was my day off it fell onto me to be the one to pick her up from Heathrow. No biggie really. Until you understand that I had to be at the airport at 7am! Which meant me leaving Pax Lodge at 5:25am and walking to the Tube station, getting the first tube through Belsize Park which got meto Heathrow at 6:55am! Which is fine really. Until I stood there for three hours in the arrivals hall watching all the tearful reunions, calling Pax twice to see if she'd called. So upon checking at theflight desk, I discover the flight got in at 5:30 instead of 6am and the plane was empty by 6:05 and almost everyone should have passed through customs by now (9:15am). But the man said because she had come from Japan, maybe they were giving her a medical blah blah blah. Which is fine. Then at 9:55am I get a phone call from Pax. There was an e-mail saying she wasn't getting in until Saturday evening. Well I hung up the phone on the person who called. There are issues with her at the moment. The e-mail had come through Thursday night. She failed to check until she rang me Friday morning. Logically speaking, you have a HA arriving the crack of dawn and you're sending a staff member out to pick her up. Would you not check for last minute changes before going to bed? I'm not at all bitter or anything...So I left Pax at5:25am and returned at 11:55am. I got every delay running coming home. I think I had every right to be pissed. But moving on...

We've also endured the Notting Hill Festival (which I didn't go to as I was working) plus a small fair in the Heath which we went to Monday night and we all suffered from injuries from the dodgem cars. It wasn't nice...

But my big news. Despite what some of you may believe at this stage, I am NOT getting married! He he he, sorry to disapoint you! But just over a week ago I was officially offered a longer job working here atPax Lodge. So I spent a week giving it all some hard thought and went and saw the WCM on Monday to give her my answer. So I was initially coming home in January 06, it now seems the earliest I will be back is October 06. It's all going to depend on when the position starts and if they need to find a replacement HA for me. So I'm here for at least another 12 months. Yep, pure madness I know!! But on the same token, I think I'm a bit excited. Who knows. It is an office job, indeed I shall become the voice of Pax Lodge and handle bookings and phone calls that come through. And e-mail and all sorts of things. But until I get a better break down of what exactly it is I'll be doing, I can't tell you much more. I'll work five days on with three off and my wage goes up a little bit plus I move upstairs to a bigger room. It's all happening, right?!

So yeah, that's about it for the moment really. Hopefully not too many of you are on the floor. Some of you I had wanted to call but I just ran out of time and phone cards and some of you are uncontactable at this point in time. Pax Lodge will be home for a bit longer now andI'll end up seeing another summer of sessions...at least I won't be cleaning up after them though...

Until next time,
Rachael :-)

Is August really almost over?!

Hey Everyone!!

Yeah I know it has been a while since I sat down and wrote you all a ne-mail. Sorry to say it has been a complete mad house here going from session to session and I've been trying to take care of me too!!

So I believe I last left off at Oxford. That was the day I decided I needed to just get away from everyone and everything. The days that followed were long work days and long hours into the night talking until the wee hours of the morning. Seems like 'Dr Rachael's' Office hours are extending, people don't even make an appointment anymore, they just darn well drop in! Regardless of the hour!

The 10th found me receiving a late birthday present, standing in reception bursting into tears and found a number of staff walking around singing the Essendon Theme song in the days to follow. T'was quite amusing really. That same day I had the first of two girls from my District rock up at Pax Lodge, Jillian who came on the 10th was somewhat out of the blue. The following day Rosemary arrived and was lucky enough to have me as a tour guide round the house!! Go the Aussie Guides from Hume District!

Thursday found the opening of London Experience IV, the on set of myErin's terrible bout of illness and me sitting and watching The Bill only to discover I barely knew any of the actors!! It was crazy.

Friday the 12th was my refuge day and crazy because of the big BA strike. We had guests not have flights home, it was a nightmare. For a while there I wasn't sure if I'd get out of Pax Lodge in time to get my train, I was working and we had after dinner duties as always. Amazingly everyone pulled together on my behalf (some did my work for me) and they got me out of there by 7:10pm. I could have cried, although that would have been twice in the one day and that's not great. Yep, Friday it just all got the better of me and I stood in the laundry bawling my eyes out because Ruth yelled at me. If Pax Lodge was going to implode on itself, I swear to you that was the day it would happen. The tension in the place was through the roof.

Thus my last set of days off (13th & 14th) I went far from everyone here at Pax Lodge and was pretty much left to my own devices for two days in a quaint little town called Goring-By-Sea. I can assure you now it was delightful! Instead of sirens and cars zooming by, it was almost silence and seagulls. I just loved it. Thank goodness for Janet and her lovely flat! Otherwise I would have been no use to anyone. It was the first time in nearly two months that I spent time with just me and no one from Pax Lodge about. Spending 24 hours a day with people takes it's toll and I came back looking 100% better and feeling it too. It sounds the most simplest thing, but for two mornings running I sat in my PJs and had breakfast. I didn't have to worry about guests, or keeping up appearances for guests. I didn't have to worry about knocks on my door nor lines for the shower. It was just me and it was delightful. Actually Sally was with me on the Saturday, we spent the morning at Janet's flat then went into a seaside town called Worthing and shopped and ate and stood in the rain! It was fantastic!! Sunday I did nothing. And I mean nothing. I had aimed to get the 4:22pm train back to London but come 4pm I was still sitting there in my PJs...so I decided to wait till 5:22!! But it was such a wonderful day and it was just me, the book and some lovely sunshine coming through the windows. Delightful.

I came back to Pax Lodge that night with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. What followed was an hour long conversation with Janet, among other things, working at Pax Lodge came up. Since then my mind has been a spin, but what else is new, right?

Then straight back into work, working five days straight with one day off (yesterday) then working three more and finally three days off. Then the rota gets back to normal.

Somewhere in there we had the closing of LE IV and my sudden new found fame because suddenly everyone thinks I'm amazing. My closing thoughts seem to be hitting the right notes, we've had people fax and request signed copies of them!! It is complete and utter madness!! I so can't believe it!

Last Monday found all the HA's in a meeting which started at 11am and finished around 2;30 that afternoon! It was a long one! We talked about all sorts of things. But it was good because it gave us a chance to get things out in the air and we've all decided we have three main issues we need to work on. Communication, motivation and understanding. You can interpret those any way you wish!

Tuesday was a great day. Worked our buts off during the day for a huge lunch, like having a dinner at lunchtime and the clean up was astronomical. Since we didn't have any guests for dinner that night (full house but none were relying on us for a meal) all the HA's as a joke decided we were having a pizza night and we were eating off napkins and drinking from cans. NO Dishes were allowed! Blow and behold, later that arvo Janet comes around and asked who was organising the pizza. And then what followed was a discussion about ice-cream and cans from the cold store here at Pax. And the best part-we didn't pay for a cent of it!! So we're not entirely sure who did pay, but we were all treated to pizza, ice-cream and drinks! It was great! Our dinner went for an hour and no dishes! Yay!! Later that night Priyanka put a somewhat large henna design on my arm and I still have it. It took her close to half hour to do, and I took a photo so I'll stick it in one of the albums at some point.

Wednesday brought the onset of the current session, the last London Experience (v) for the Summer. They're half Canadian and half American. Overall they're a great group too. I was out with them on Thursday, we did The Globe and St.Paul's (yes I went up the 530 steps again!) and came back to Pax for High Tea! Yay! Friday night everyone left me alone which was good as I'd just done five days and was tired. So I read and then about 10ish we headed down to the George for a drink only to discover it was cocktail night! So that was nice I guess.

Saturday part of the group went to Brighton and the rest went to Paris. Now there was an extra ticket floating around which was offered to me. I declined it. Yes, madness I know!! But the Paris day starts at 4:30am and sees them back about 11pm that night. It was my only day off and there was no way in the world I could do it and then work three more days. So I went to Brighton instead.

I loved Brighton. The pier is just amazing, amusement arcades and all rides down the far end! Even roller coasters! And the weather was simply fantastic! So did a tour around the Royal Pavilion, then did lunch at a cute little cafe, followed by more shopping, exploring the pier and then onto the beach! Okay, so it's all pebbles, but it's 'the beach'! I got sun burnt again! I'm kind of counting my lucky stars I didn't go to Paris. We got back from Brighton around 7:30 so I ducked down the road and got some dinner, came back and told the others I was going to pass on the clubbing idea. I was tired and wasn't really in the mood. Anyhows, Erin, Ruth and I were sitting in the HAs corridor and Doreen comes out at about 10:30 and says the session is stuck at some place I didn't recognise. Turns out the Eurostar had some brake problems and thus at 10:30pm at night they were still in France! The replacement train didn't arrive till 12:30am and so they didn't get back to London until about 3am. Then they couldn't get into Waterloo and ended up getting to Victoria, then Eurostar gave them a luxury coach to get home!! So they didn't get back here till around 4am!! Can you imagine if I went? I'd be passed out by now! Needless to say, breakfast wasn't till 10am for them!! They're in Greenwich this arvo and the day is kinda cut shorter for them, they're gonna be so tired!

As for me I start back at work at 4:30pm, which is an hour and a half away. Two more days to go and I'm off! For three days! I am soooo looking forward to it! Erin and I are thinking of going camping inWales. Why Wales? Well, it sounded good I guess!! We'll see what happens.

After all that, I'm about to sign out and go and do something. Not too sure what....

Hope you are all well and enjoying the lovely Melbourne weather. Today is nice and humid here. Sunny too. I'm telling you, bring on winter!!

Take care and until next time,
Rachael :-)

Hey There!

Heya,

Well I said I was gonna e-mail you, I didn't think it would be so soon, but no time like the present, ay?!

So it's just before midnight, will likely be after by the time I'm through with this, but I'm not much up to sleeping which is bad, because I'll end up where I was some three/four days ago. Pretty much everything kinda caught up on me. I was so tired, I've been crook with the flu, we're working at full pace because it's almost end of summer and the sessions have been huge. Only one more to go and the entire body of staff is tired too. So the tension is pretty high here. Bottom line is I was in the running for a complete break down.

The novelty has worn off and its now down to hard work to the bone. Which is fine, it's not like hard work scares me, but the toll of being away from the familiarity zone has taken it's toll and I wasn't in a good way. So Janet (kinda like our mother hen) sent me down to her flat for the weekend, not even her housemate was there. Either way I was in a quaint little British Sea Side town and enjoyed every moment of it. I relaxed and chilled and walked along the beach and the pier and thought about everything that's been playing on my mind. Work, Guides, family, Guys, you name it, I was thinking it.

I came back Sunday night ready to take on the world, I looked a lot better, I got some descent sleep and I was feeling far better. I went up to Janet to return the keys, an hour later I emerged with an opportunity which would require a hell of a lot of thinking, only I'm not sure what kind of thinking time frames I'm allowed.

There is a 12 month volunteer position about to open up. It may start as early as the 1st of September, so if I decide to take it, I won't be home before September next year. It's been offered on a plate to me. And okay admittedly I was thinking that staying in the UK wasn't a bad idea. But that was thinking, that wasn't actually doing. Probably a whole lot of hot air. But now that there is an option -I'm terrified. I mean there is so much that I'll need to take into account if I do decided, yeah I want to give it a go. And yeah, top of the list is my job at the crime department. I don't even know how to approach Toni about this. I mean, the job prospect I have sitting there waiting for me is unbelievable. Getting a VPS 3 wage is quite beyond anything I'd expected as a young one straight out of high school with no quals. And I know I am onto a good thing. I'm not stupid. But I just don't know what to do or what options I have. I'm going crazy.

But yeah, in a nut shell that's pretty much what's going on. Other than you, I've told one other person and that's it. I need to try find out more about this job here before I go start making ripples which might land me in strife with people. I don't' know. Its crazy. I have at least till Wednesday which is when Doreen is back who is the person I have to speak to this about. But by the sounds of it they're going to want an answer asap if they want to maybe start it on the 1st of September. It doesn't really give me a lot of time. I can see me having a phone call in the middle of the night just to catch Toni at a good time, if I can catch her at all. I don't think e-mail is going to work well with the kind of time frame I'm facing. On top of that I've got so much more to consider. Argh, there's too much swimming around in my head.

Anyhows, I dribble too much. How is it all going in there? I want to know all about it!! I think of you often, wondering when you'll do the guns and what not. It's all kind of exciting I guess. But how are you handling it? Is it what you expected? Better? Worse? Harder? You can be honest, I mean it's me you're talking to here!

Anyhows, I should probably try get some sleep, I've a 7am start tomorrow with 58 people for breakfast, oh joy. Half hour to prepare too...he he he despite the complaining, I do enjoy what I am doing -most of the time.

Take care mate and look forward to hearing from you!!
Rachael :-)

Erm Well . . .

Hi,

Well I have a feeling you may have expected an e-mail of similar content to what will follow, but I think maybe you wouldn't have expected it so soon. I can tell you, I didn't see it coming!!!

So I've been away for the weekend, finally got some well needed 'me' time. When I came back tonight, I went to take in Janet's keys (as I stayed at her flat) and an hour later I walked out with some choices to make.

Thus when I come and open your e-mail, I find your last line somewhat ironic really. Now this isn't confirmed yet and other than Janet and the World Centre Manager, this isn't public knowledge. But there is a twelve month volunteer position being re-created and apparently my name was mentioned when the discussion took place over the weekend. It may start as early as the 1st of September or as late as December, which means if I take it, then I could be here for at least another year.

Please get up off the floor! I can tell you if I do decide to take it on, J is going to need someone to give her CPR, she's going to flip. But yeah, I'll need to give them an answer I'd imagine within the next couple of weeks so I've a lot of thinking to do. Doreen (World Centre Manager) is off at the moment so I have to wait for her to come back so I can get all the details...*sighs* dear me this is a big call. I can only begin to imagine the amount of people who are going to flip about this.

Oi, what a Sunday! But yeah, for the moment this has to stay between you, me and the computer screen. Not even little hints to anyone. There's a lot to take into account on my part, so guess who is gonna have her thinking cap on...

Catch you when I do, and as usual, any input is very welcome!!!
Rachael :-)

Greetings my Friends!

Heya Dudes!!

What's been happening in the world of TRS?? It seems like forever since I had a chat with you guys! Its just not the same with the people here, they take everything just a tad too seriously. And they don't drink.

Yep I've gained a huge taste for Snake bites and endulged in a shotglass card game the other night. It's official, I believe I have now been 'hammered' as such. Or pissed. Or quite simply, drunk. Surprisingly though I felt fine the next morning when you consider it was vodka, rum, tequila (yay) and some other quite potant drink from Trinidad & Tobago which was so stong it'd burn the hair in your nose. Okay, not a good image.

Well it's about to hit 1am and I'm not working tomorrow, yay! I sware to you, four days here feels like four weeks. It's physically draining, like all the time. But I'm having fun. Erin and I are heading down to Regent Park tomorrow for the open air theatre to see 12th night which will be okay. Tuesday I'm going to St.Pauls, The Globe and Tate Modern Museum, plus we want to head back to The Globe in the evening to catch a show.

So a question. A few of the girls here want to go out clubbing and don't really know where is a good place to go, both atmosphere wise and cost wise. They went somewhere in Leicester Square the other night and paid a 12 pound door charge. Ouch! So yeah, you lived here, any suggestions??

I'm going to start checking out good places to go to and on the cheap. I want to go visit a few places now that I feel okay with London.

But there's really nothing amazing going on. Still single but what else is new right? Oh and I've now officially been a non-smoker for a whole month!! Yay me! Nearly had a moment of weakness but I thought about the things I wanted to achieve when I got back and I broke the ciggie in half and threw it on the ground. I'm so proud of me. Slight issue is the drinking, but we can work on that too!

Anyhows, just thought I'd throw a bit of chatter your way. Stay safe and enjoy,

Rachael :-)
P.S Crasher, are you guys married yet or what?!!

Where did the days go??

Howdy!

Sorry, I'm in a real corny mood at the moment, I missed the second half of my lunch because I had a house tour arrive, so I am taking my last 20 minutes now in which I shall start this and finish it later on this evening after all my dinner duties. Speaking of which, I impressed everyone with my washing up skills last night! As I am rostered on with Program and because of various things, last night was the first time I was washing up after dinner. My gosh you should have seen me, half hour flat, if that! I am dish washing QUEEN!! Go me! Hehe he.

Righty-o, all the happenings since I last wrote. Where do I begin?? Okay well I left off with the visit from Sheree Blair. We were talking about that for DAYS afterwards and how the woman in charge of The World Bureau thinks Ghana is a part of the Arab Region...hmmm and how Sheree had lipstick on her teeth, and me sounding like I know Mrs Howard personally. I dread to think how the photos turned out. And since I'm the one that apparently looks 'like a dork' in the Pax Lodge staff photos because my uniform is so formal, I actually turned out to be the really well dressed one. Minus my hat. I really didn't think it was necissary.

The weekend bought the arrival of the most adorable little Brownies. They arrived Friday night (22nd) and walked into reception where I was sitting waiting for the others to head down to the George. Regardless, they came in all giggles and laughter and cuteness which has almost reduced me to tears because I am sitting there going 'Oh my gosh they're like my girls! I miss my girls!!' he he he, so Julie you better go hug them all for me!! Needless to say my weekend was delightful and better still when we had to run an evening program for them, it was just like Monday nights at Guides! Minus the dinner stop on the way home of course..mmmm mushroom risotto...yummmmm.....

At some stage during the day on Sunday I realised I'd officially been living at Pax Lodge for a whole month and do you know what? It was such a scary thought! I can't believe I made it through the first month. It was a bit hairy for a while there, but you know ('you know'....argh Erin says that all the time and now I am saying it!!) it's all good now. Late Sunday night, around 10ish I guess, Monique and I decided at the last minute it was an occasion worth celebrating so we did a mad rush down to The George (no I am not becoming an alcoholic...mind you after last nights effort....) because it closes at 10:30 on a Sunday night. Several drinks later we were walking back with Marie, her mum and aunt plus a bag of ice (don't ask). They were singing and yeah it was hilarious because they'd had one too many. 'Grown Ups' are hilarious sometimes!!

Monday saw the departure of the Brownies (no I didn't cry but we did the whole sad wave off thing) and the arrival of a new HA. Yes, another Erin and yes she's from America too!! So I'm in an Erin sandwich (I have one either side of my room). My issue with her at this stage is that she's the kind of person you can only take in small doses. I mean even old Erin was saying 'bloody American' and that's got to be saying something!! Also that day Monique came down quite ill with symptoms similar to what I had a week or more back. Which was worrying. But she was fine the next day and wasn't half as bad as I was and for her sake I'm glad!! We had a group of New Zealanders check in as well who actually turned out to be the New Zealand contingent attending SWING!! For those non Guiding people, SWING is an International camp being held here in the UK which one of the girls in my region is attending. The group may call into Pax Lodge after camp. And then came Rebecca, a HA to be who starts at the end of August. She's about to bus through Europe before coming to work here. She seems nice, sweet and quiet. We'll fix that :-) Actually you want to know something. No one, and I mean no one, believes me when I tell them I'm kinda quiet and reserved back home. They think I'm joking around with them!! They don't believe I'm a nice level headed, responsible, introverted stress head...

At some stage in the evening I had four people crammed into my room which is pretty amazing when you consider how big it is!! But it was kinda nice. One thing I have noticed here is that no one really mixes unless we go out for a drink. Even then you only go because you happen to be walking past when the initial idea was talked about. No one mixes. There's like a gap between the HAs and the other staff. Even between some of the HAs. Erin and I are now on a mission to get people to socialise a bit more. So yes, the four of us were in my room talking for like two hours! It really was nice. But wait for it, even later in the night Erin came in and some three hours later, close to 1am, she left! I've found someone to have interesting, deep, serious conversations with!! Yay!! We are actually very similar people. We plan too much. We dwell too much on things we can't change (I can hear at least two of you passing comment). We're both workaholics, though she's not as bad as me (and again I'm hearing comments, if not lectures!!).

As you can see, Monday was a big day.

Tuesday was my day off. So Erin, Erin and I headed into London and went to one of the greatest places on earth. HAMLEY'S!!!! Oh my gosh, this is heaven for the big kid in all of us. It's on Regent Street and is a massive toy store, seven floors of toys!! It's incredible! We spent three hours in there!!! We only went in to get Marie's birthday present! So the two highlights of Hamley's. First is the trivial fact that it's the 25th anniversary of the Rubicks cube. So there was a big party happening in there and they had the Champions of the UK and Australia in there showing how quickly they can solve a Rubicks cube. Now I've tried those things in the past and anything other than peeling the stickers off or using a screw driver takes far too long. These people, they were solving them in about 20-30 seconds flat. I have it on video! It was just mind blowing. I mean the cubes were coming from members of the public so they weren't fixed or anything. It truly was amazing. The aussie Janelle stood there and explained the method of how she solves them (apparently its in the the number of twists and clicks or whatever) but we just couldn't comprehend it! We literally stood there with our mouths open!

Second highlight was just so cute!! I had no intentions of buying one, but I had to in the end...we went into the Hamley's Teddy Bear Factory. You can make a bear pretty much from scratch. You pick out the bear, you then stuff it and you even get to choose how much stuffing you want in there. Like floppy, or cuddley or pudgey. Then it gets stiched up and you put a red heart in there with a wish, you're given an ID card to fill in to create the identity and then you're sent off to what can only be described as the most oddest form of clothes shopping. Bear Style! I am serious, there is just rack after rack of suits and shoes and hats and shirts and shorts and bags and glasses. I took me twenty minutes to settle on the outfit my lovely fellow (George...) was to wear!! But oh my gosh! Teddy lovers heaven!! I made my own Teddy!! And its so much more special because you really are almost creating a life! Identity and all!!

Following on from my momentary lapse into Childhood, we decided it was time for food. I'm telling you, they have a warped idea of what a baked potato is over here. All I'm going to say is that at least the cutlery was cool enough for me bring back here!! Don't freak out, it'splastic I didn't steal it, but bright green and hard and yeah, just really snazzy stuff. Good enough for a dilly bag. From there we had the wanders and found ourselves in a place called Carnaby Street. Wellme being the bright spark I was couldn't figure out why 'Carnaby' was ringing bells in my head. D'uh hellO!! When I actually figured out what the significance was, I felt so dumb. But I've been to Carnaby Street!! Yay!

We then let the new girl go explore the Maritime Museum (I don't care if it is free, it doesn't interest me...) so Erin and I decided quite spur of the moment style (and so unlike us!!!) to get tickets for our big adventure which took place on Wednesday. Thus I found myself back at Waterloo train station (memories......) and a little freaked out when I hear a woman telling a police office she'd seen one of the men on the wanted posters for the bombings. So quite quickly we moved away and darted into the ticket office, I guess if we couldn't hear it, we didn't think about it. Much. After getting our tickets we headed back to Pax Lodge and not long after we were back the session group came back from Brownsea Island. I promise you not one of those girls smiled as they got off the bus. They all looked so tired! From what I hear they were all so glad to have showers and be in a dry place!

That night Erin and I started off sitting in the HA corridoor by ourselves. Monique came out shortly after, followed by new Erin at which point Monique offered to go make us hot chocolate. She returned, old Erin chucked some microwave popcorn in and I broke out my last pack of Guide buscuits (which Monique ate most of!) and within the next 20 minutes we aquired some seven more people! We got eleven of us sitting in the corridoor on the carpet talking like you wouldn't believe!! Success!! Erin tells me it took my initiative to start it, but I say we both played an equal role. It was just nice to all sit and talk socially and not have to worry about the guests or dishes or any number of other things.

Wednesday morning was quite hilarious really. Whenever Erin and I bumped into each other, we'd do an excitable clapping of the hands and say really excitably 'We're going to Stonehenge' ...and thus you have it, the big day out to Salisbury and Stonehenge. Of course in great British style it rained. But that's okay because it only rained lightly and didn't get heavy until later in the afternoon. Amused ourselves on the train by talking for the first hour, and then pulled out a deck of cards for the next half hour. A fellow commutor at one point jumped in on our conversation and corrected us on things we were talking about back home. How dare she...but that's okay, because 'We were going to Stonehenge!!'. This continued on through the day, even after we'd been there, only it changed slightly.

The train edges closer to Salisbury. The fields are misty, there is still some light drizzle happening. The air has become some what cooler. Into the platform we pull, and quickly get off the carriage and feel the sudden drop in temperature. Yeah, we're in England all right. Out we trot, through the puddles, hunched under hoods and jackets and scarves. We're going to Stonehenge!! Onto the bus we get, a tour bus at that and a double decker. Through the winding roads of Salisbury, past the medievil houses and shops, gazing wonderously at the Salisbury Cathedral and it's slightly leaning (29 degrees west) 404 foot high spire. And still it drizzles. The winds blow. And stop. Soon buildings fall away and we head out to the highway. Our tour guide fills us in on all the local information. Out past more fields, wet sheep, burial mounds. The mist lingers. The drizzle returns. Finally the heater kicks in. Up one hill, and down another. Then the last and highest hill, over the next crest we shall see the wonderous Stonehenge, the pilgrimage at equinox. Up we go. The drizzle stops. The clouds have lifted a little. Erin and I give each other one last excited look. We're going to Stonehenge. The road levels out. Around the next bend. I hold my breath. We descend into the vally, the moment has arrived. The bus is silent. We're at Stonehenge!! We're at...isTHAT it???

Yep you guessed it, and I'll admit it, I was slightly disapointed. Erin frowned at me, 'you're not that disapointed are you?'. I'd been told you couldn't get too close, so I was okay with that, I was prepared for that. But I was somewhat dishearted by three things. 1). The fact that it's so close to the highway 2) The number of people and buses that were there and 3) The actual size of it. I was kinda expecting the rocks to be bigger. Okay logically I know the poor souls who built it were having enough trouble as it was, but seriously, you'd think with all the effort they'd put in, they'd at least use bigger stones!!! But it was okay. It didn't rain and we took some good photos. Got to stay about an hour before it was time to leave and when you think about it, it was kinda cold and other than look at the stones themselves, there's not a heck of a lot to do out there. Apart from wonder what would happen if we decided to make our own crop circle. We then thought the better of it and realised that getting a criminal record wasn't on our list of things to do. So back on the bus we got and headed back to Salisbury. Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic to say I've been to Stonehenge and yeah, you do kind of get all tingly. I just thought it would be bigger that's all. It gets a big work up and all the pictures make it look so grand...I've been to Stonehenge!! Yay!

After sitting and eating lunch in the drizzle (which had follwed us back through the valley past Sting's house) we went into the cathedral. Some two and a half hours later we emerged!! Oh my gosh it was incredible!! I saw some of the most amazing stained glass windows. And the lady who took us on a tour, she was so quaint and cute and British!!! I know, I sound so silly saying that, but even now little things still make me stop and go 'dude you're living in England!!' I get excited easy...She told us about a poisoning story and an 800 year old rat who became the proof that the knight in question was actually poisoned. That was kind of cool.

From the Cathedral we wandered back up through the medievil part of Salisbury and into the haunted gift shop (I know I'm asking for trouble) but no ghosties to tell off. Next stop was a small church off the main street which has the Judgement Day mural painted across the ceiling. I know, morbid, but I sware it was the rain. At that point it had started to rain very heavily. Have I ever told you I don't own an umberella? Well I do now!! Since the weather had taken a turn for the worst, we decided it was good enough reason to go back to the pancake cafe and have a little early evening delight. And man was it delightful! Erin and I ordered a hot chocolate and I personally got a banana and butterscotch pancake. Ohh just the thing on a wet day. We sat upstairs by the window and the fireplace, looking out at the cold day, sipping on our hot chocolates that were in cups bigger than my hands!! But itwas so good! And as I sat there, that crazy little thought came back to my head. I'm in England. Here I was, sitting inside away from the cold and wet in a quiant little cafe in a quaint little medievil town with a great new friend and a lovely warm belly full of pancakes. The day couldn't get any better.

And it was a good day all things considered. I truly had a wonderful time! Tooks loads of photos, and we talked the whole way back home on the train. Saw a fox and everything. Wrote our postcards (for peopleback at Pax Lodge, it's a tradition) and didn't end up with time to pull out the deck of cards. By the time we stopped and got pizza for dinner, yeah healthy I know, but better than McDonalds, it was gone 9:30pm before we got back. I am really enjoying my day trips. Okay I know I've really only done two, but we've plans for many more, indeed we plan to do one each set of days we have off all August!! Aside from one as Erin and Jewel are going up to Edinburgh (as they've three days off) so I've decided I might make the journey back to Tutbury.

Yesterday was back to work but it was my first day out with a session. It rained in the morning as well. So after stopping at the UK GirlGuide HQ for about an hour, and walking past the bell hop at the Rubens Hotel twice (three if you count the one on the way home!!), we went to Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace. Yes, again I got inside the gates!! No camera's at all this time though...and by this stage the sun had come out and we stood there roasting. Kind of like Melbourne really. And the band played music from Phamtom of the Opera which puts a whole new spin on things!! From there it was lunch in St.James park with the pigeons and squirrals (man they were sooo funny!!) then back on the train to the Tower of London. I actually went in this time. But I've decided I want to go back on my day off and do an actualy tour and hear all the stories. That was supposed to happen but we had an issue with a very rude Beefeater and I was tempted to go back and kick him in the shin, just to be mean. He really was horribly rude when there was no need to be. So the group sort of split and we went our own ways. Managed to catch the tail end of a reinactment of the beheading of Mary Queen of Scotts (minus the axe) and went in to see the Crown Jewels...Wow. That's some pretty shiny bling bling!!! Then went into the gift shop to stare at all the lovely things I can't afford!! I mean come on, £30 for a letter opener, that's like $90!!! Indeed it was nice, but still...

Sometime later a very tired session and Pax Lodge Staff (two of us) trotted back to have dinner. But no it didn't end there. Its at this point I became dishwashing Queen!! I tell you I wasn't going to dawdle and let dishes last an hour, no way. I was tired I wanted my room and I had a splitting headache. Half hour later we were already on mopping the floors! Go me!! Marie was very impressed. I think part of it was I wasn't going to let Keren push in like last time and take over. Grrr she really gets under my skin sometimes and drives me mad...Marie said I had my elbows poked out from my sides like I was protecting my turf. I was!! I am not a push over, I refuse to let that girl think she can play head honcho. I wouldn't mind if she did her own job properly, but she doesn't!! Okay, my gripes over.

After dishes was the closing ceremony of the session. I tell you it has been the best one yet. The groups mixed really really well and we were all given gifts and everything. It's the first group that has, I guess, made it more personal. Actaully, the reading I did at the last closing made an appearance again. Jewel asked if she could do the reading, but failed to do anything about it until yesterday afternoon at which point she's wanting to know where mine is so she can read it. I can't really say no. So I heard someone else read it (to different music) and while I know I would have paced it, lowered or spoke louder to emphasise, it wasn't all that bad. Didn't hold as much meaning, but it was okay. Then came evaluation and the prospect of dessert, which I passed on.

Bed, as I was soon to discover, was no where near being close. Admittedly I could have said no, but I was the one who was all for us socialising. Lets just say that Allison moved into her new room so she was having a 'Room Warming Party' which involved a deck of cards and some....um...beverages, sounds so much nicer. Mind you the glasses could have been a bit bigger...I soon realised I wasn't good at the card game. Five little glasses is not a good way to head, especially when they're different types of beverages...so the game changed to 'I have never'...and yeah, I don't really rememer things clearly after that. I mean I can remember things, but it's all a bit hazy. I think there was about six of us with the same issue, only Monique suffered badly!!

The HA's corridoor reaked this morning. The silly girl had so much to drink that she'd thrown up during the night but failed to clean it up....wasn't a great thing. Considering what I consumed, the worst I had was feeling a bit tired when I woke up. That's it. No sign of what I believe is known as a hangover. This is all such new language to me! So yes, Monique was on the recieving end of a lot of jokes today. I guess the bonus is that whatever they did learn about me that they didn't know before, they're not likely to remember!!

I'm hoping to have a few more photos up within the next couple of days, so when that's done I'll stick the link in an e-mail again and you can go have a look see. At this stage my next adventure is out to Oxford. Beyond that I've quit planning, I tend to do too much of that and it's nice not to know what's going on more than a few days in advance. Although I am hoping to miraculously have my days off in October occur at the begining of the month, or at least a day, so I can have a right old chin wag and catch up with my lovely daughter and the rest of the Hoath tribe!! And for those who have no idea, no I've never given birth and no I don't mean tribe as in wild people...well....nah! One of the Guiding families in the district is heading this way and staying here, I better make sure I do my job well!!

Other than that, there's not much more to tell!!! I know these get very long, but I don't know I get talking and I don't shut up. I guess I'm not used to not being able to talk to you all yet. It's funny how having a simple conversation with someone can be taken for granted too easily. *Sighs* that's okay, I think I'll go find Erin.

Hope you are all well and are staying safe and having fun.

For now I'm signing off and I'll catch you all next time I drop in for a chat.
Big hugs and smiles,
Rachael :-)

Well Hello!

Hi There Everyone!

Well what an exhausting four days of work it has been!! Thank goodness I've had two days off, although I have to admit Thursday was another long one, but fun and not really work related. Kind of.

Last Thursday I made mention of the rumour to go to Kareoke. Well that actually became fact when Breanne, Marie and I tottled off to Finchly.The pub itself is on three levels and has a set up similar to The Carron in Spencer Street. To begin with it was rather quiet, maybe 10 people in there, but by the time the comp had began I'd say we'd creeped up to 35. Not the busiest place around, yet served it's purpose. Oh my gosh this one guy got up and he was really, really, really bad. I mean I know I'm not crash hot, though I'd imagine there would be no telling this guy!! I don't do public singing. Normally. But I'd found another pub which serves Snake Bites (Andrea you're an evil woman, I am hooked now) and well, lets just say B52s Loveshack will always be a fond favourite of mine....BUT Breanne entered the actual comp they have going. In a space of two days I learnt she could play the guitar and sing, both brilliantly well. So Marie and I persuade her to enter. And blow and behold, she's through to the Semi's!! And she is really good! So that's on the agenda soon enough, back we'll go and we're trying to get all the HA's to come.

And while I'm on that thought, I'll explain a few things because in the past two days I've had several comments from several people informing me I 'slip into the lingo' and manage to lose people. So I'm going to try explain myself. HA's is short for House Assistants, whichI am one of nine that we currently have. That will drop to six in the winter. There are four main shifts. K1, K2, House and Program. In the last month you are here, you have the chance to do an additional shift known as K3, but if you choose to do that, then it's the only shift you do. It's pretty much all cooking (well assisting) and you tend not to go into the dish washing pit. Oscar is our garbage disposal and Tilly is the industrial diswasher we have. Dixon is the resident dog. When I refer to a Session or Session Participants, these are groups that come here for a specific program. These can run from 8-10 days. Aside from that I don't think I refer to too many other things...if I do, let me know!

Friday night we had the 'Friends Banquet'. Basically, we have a volunteer group who help raise money for Pax Lodge and you can become a member and what not. You are then known as a 'Friend of Pax Lodge'. And every so often they have dinners. Of course if you're a member from another country it's hard to attend...but you get my drift. Thankfully we didn't have to cook or serve. In fact we were invited to attend. But here we are, nine lovely young ladies mixed with about 40 rather, mature aged women. It was rather odd. Then the added bonus was we all had to do the washing up afterwards!! It was eat and run! But see there was wine on the table. So two glasses of wine and then a mad rush to get dishes done is quite an interesting experience, especially when you've got 11 people in the kitchen!! Record time, a huge mountain of dishes unlike I've ever seen was done in 50 minutes. The issue was I was so hyped up that I had a huge amount of energy I had to burn otherwise I wouldn't sleep. So I declared I was going for a walk! Yes at 11pm or later at night in the dark town of Hampstead I wanted to go for a walk...next thing I know, five others are coming with me! So in the end we went up the hill to check out the line for Harry Potter...it was kinda long and there's a photo on my photo page...but the issue was, when I meant I wanted to go for a walk, I meant a fast brisk burn up energy kind of walk. These people just dawdle!!! In the end, I ended up running (yeah I RAN!! Everyone has just passed out) like a block ahead of them, running back and I did this five or six times and the blocks here aren't your conventional block size!! Needless to say I slept really well that night...

Saturday and Sunday were my first two days off work, slightly complicated by my bout of food poisoning. I'll tell you now for those that have never had it -You Don't Want It!! It is horrible! Started about 1am on the Saturday morning and come 7am start time, I was in agony! I sware to you, it was an image worthy of a hangover! I am on the floor of the loo literally doubled over, he he he. While I didn't think so at the time, it's quite amusing really. So my big Saturday night out was actually a little night in. And in essence that wasn't too bad really. Thankfully the first three of my four days were program and since we don't have a session in, it was mainly office duties, although I did get called to do other things which I'll get into later on.

Sunday night (as I was rostered in Program), my evening didn't finish until about 9:15pm. This is because the groups we had in had requested what's known as an evening program. Basically, it's an opional extra when you stay here. We can put together activities with a theme if you wish. Usually it's a Pax Lodge or International Theme. And it goes for about an hour and a half. Generally has an opening, a bit of a rundown on the HA positions, The Pax Lodge Song, followed by a series of activities (as the rostered on HA's help out) and then its Taps and the Friendship squeeze. Of course I've never even been a part of evening program, so I wasn't sure exactly what it was I was supposed to do!! But it did run quite well and it was actually quite enjoyable.

Monday was the day from hell. I tell you, it was a mad house. We were having about 47 guests stay that night, with 30 currently checked in and the remainder to check in during the day. So two big things happened. The first was the water tanks were being drained and cleaned. A process that was supposed to start at 9:30am and be done by 2pm. We'd planned on that. We'd worked around all our loads of washing (and when you have 59 odd beds in a place, each with a fitted sheet, doona cover, two pillow cases plus all the towels you can ever imagine) you'd come to understand there's a constant flow of washing in this place. And ironing, oh my gosh. But back to the water. It eventually went off just before 11am and come back on around 3:30pm. So if you had a call of nature, tough luck! Thankfully all our guests were out for the day, we'd told them upon checking in what was happening and they'd planned around it. Of course we said it'd be done by 2pm, but when they started to wander back around 3pm we were still without water. In that regard it was fine really, they weren't too fussed. The biggest issue were the matresses.

Every five years we get new guest matresses (can I just say the tanks get done every 8 so I managed to score both on the same day!!). As I said before, we have 59 guest beds. Now again this was all fine because we knew it was happening and we'd prepared. You'd think that when the guys rocked up at 9am the day would run smoothly. No. Ha no way in the world. You'd also think it was logical to replace an old matress with a new one as they were removing them, or do them room by room. Wrong again. They decided to take all our matresses (well they could take all but around 20) and come back with the new ones, then take the remainder of the old ones away. So where does the issue lay? Well put it this way, 47 guests that night all had a bed which needed to be made up from scratch, including the matress protectors which were being washed when and where possible (remember the no water part). We ended up with an extra hour for lunch but working an hour later to allow all the help possible to make beds. And the problem? The new matresses didn't rock up until 4pm!!! Even if we went and got the old ones from the drive way, we'd still be 27 short!! We had people checking in and everything!! Marie was freaking out!! Which is understandable!!

What followed was one amazing feet. We got those matresses pointed in the right direction quick smart, making 47 beds in just under an hour!! That was three of us working our asses off!! Or was it four?? It was four. Keep in mind we were needed to take the plastic off and get matress protectors on, plus keep washing going and iron the sheets before they went on!! Argh!!!!!!!!! Needless to say it was a very long day and we were so tired at the dinner table, but still had all the evening work to go!!

Plus Monday night marked my first rosta of Night Duty. Yeah all sounds very impressive ay?!! Basically I'm in charge!! Nah, I have to secure the whole building, doors and windows and all, then I have a phone and the door beeper with me. That's my job for the night. I'm the oncall person if something goes wrong. If the phone rings at some horrible hour of the night, I have to answer it. Which it rang just after 11pm with a 'wrong number' and that was it, that was the only call. The excitement came in the form of a lovers tiff which went on for an hour!! Oh my gosh, who needs daytime soapies!! It was just after I got the wrong number and as I'm at the front of the house with my window open, I kinda heard it coming. Initially I thought it was in the grounds of Pax Lodge, but because the roads here are narrow, lined with tall trees and tallish homes, there's an echo that goes along the street. Now I poke my head out to discover it actually not in the grounds and not on the driveway and no it's not our guests. But as I'm watching it gets even louder and next thing I know the guy has pushed this chick onto the ground!! Keeping into account it's just after11pm, the pubs had just closed and yeah, he'd had a fair bit to drink- indeed they both looked like they had. Now I'm thinking do I keep watching in case he hurts her or what? It goes on and he's 'so sorry babe' and he ends up sitting in the gutter crying. It continues as they go further up the hill, but again because of the echo I can still hear it, it's him running after her.

Well of course twenty minutes later they decide to come back past Pax Lodge, it's not like I haven't heard enough! But it's now a role reversal, he's leading and she's running after him and he's basically telling her to find another boyfriend because she keeps telling him he's too skinny and too pale and yeah, the low esteem list goes on. It was crazy. They've ended up coming past a third time and then just after 12 they seemed to have disapeared, I couldn't even hear them anymore. As I said, who needs daytime soapies!!

Tuesday was a nightmare all over again! Well not really, it was just another long and busy day. Complete and utter change over of guests.Our next session came in. This one is called Footsteps of the Founders and runs for ten days, six of which they're camping down on the coast on a place called Brownsea Island, where in 1907 (or there abouts) the first Scout camp happened lead by Lord Baden-Powell with 22 boys, two of which were his nephews...or there abouts. The other days they're here at Pax Lodge and we are their tour guides as per the norm.

Wednesday was day one of two off. It's really hard to keep track of days here because our working week is 'four days' thus when your two days off come it isn't always Saturday and Sunday!! I can't recall what I did...oh I did washing in the morning and went to Camden in the afternoon where I somehow managed to see the tail end of a street brawl, which was interesting. A change I guess. Not a great one, but you know, it's something.

Thursday marked my first trip out of London! The session headed off to Brownsea Island, just off the coast of Poole. Heather said we can come along too, only issue was we had to be back for work, today, Friday. Which was fine, we caught a coach home late last night. Many adventures and stories to tell from that day and the weather was glorious! You should see me, I'm sunburnt, again!! Erin came with me so we sort of decided 'when in Rome' style that we'd try fish and chips at the seaside. Never again. It was horrible!! Looked at the menu for tonight and it's Cod and Chips! Argh! No no no!! Regardless, we had a great day and I think Erin and I have a lot in common! Which is good. Someone I can relate to in a different way to Monique. For starters we're both control freaks! Though I am a little better than her, I'm not as rigid as I used to be.

The first we heard of the events back in London were via an SMS I got about the 'incidents' on TV. At which point I'm going...what incidents?? Sometime later (note we were on an island in a port which is similar to a nature reserve, we were transfixed by nature!! No technology out there really!) we found Keren who explained to us what had happened, or at least what she'd heard. Over dramatisation is a bad thing, especially when it comes to this. Soon enough we found the happy campers (as we were not working, we were free to wander) and Heather pulled us aside to talk about getting home. I just want to note that poor Heather and Ruth are stuck out there on that island with girls who have a) never camped before and b) assumed the camp was only for two days, not six!! They've had some big issues with a couple of girls in this group, big issues.

So we went back across the bay to Poole, had our dinner and find the coach terminal at which point the driver tells us he's not even sure if he can get us into London. Well that was it really, we started to freak out because we still didn't know exactly what had happened and everyone was telling us different things. The events of the day sparked a rather long and deep and thoughtful conversation between the pair of us. And it was lovely! Like to sit down and have an intelligent conversation. Be frank if we must. Be a little scared and nervous. But it was fantastic and we actually looked at the staff here at Pax Lodge as a whole and worked out what it is we all have in common, it's incredible! Sometime later at about 10:30pm we got back into London. Now the story goes the minor explosions on Tubes and again one on a bus. The thing I want to stress is that the bombs didn't go off as planned, apparently they malfunctioned. So we're like, it's two weeks to the day since the last one. Again it's a Thursday, again it's the second day of a session, again it's three train stops and a bus. Again it effected the Northern Line. We've both marked the calendar two weeks from now and if we're off, we're not going any where, just to be on the safe side...all those little details are just a little too freaky.

Anyways, we still couldn't get the Tube home and buses had only just started running again. Most parts of Tottenham Court Road and Leister Square we still blocked off. So the bus had to detour several times. We eventually got home at around 11:30 and were up talking till just after 1 am. Then I couldn't sleep. But what else is new right??!! Botton line is I wasn't actually in London at the time. So I'm fine and NO I am NOT coming home!!! I don't care if these morons do end up blowing me up, at least you guys will know I died doing what I wanted to do!! Okay, that's probably not a great line all things considered. But you get my drift. I chose to come here. I knew London in some regards was a target city. I'm not going to let this ruin my time. And dare I say it, it almost feels like you can get used to this happening. Last time it was a huge shock, okay and yes this time it is still a bit scary, but you know, I guess I'm more prepared for it this time.

Today was a big important day!!! Yay!! Remember a while back I mentioned that Sheree Blair (Mrs Prime Minister) was coming to Pax Lodge for an interview? Well, we were kinda told she was coming but you know, had to keep a distance. Well that changed! Janet tells us last night (at like 11:45 when we found our way up to her flat to reassure her we were fine) that six of us had to be in full National Uniform for like a photo shoot and stuff for the BBC promos!! Oh my gosh!!! So inevitably I met the woman and I was in photos with her AND they're going to get copies of the prints, she's going to sign them and they're going to be sent to us here at Pax Lodge! How cool! But here's the stunner. Typical Rachael Moment coming!! We're standing in line shaking hands with 'Mrs Blair' and all I can imagine is that Mr Bean episode where he meets the Queen, bows and knocks her out!!! Hehe he. Anyhows, she's going down the line and shaking hands and hearing everyone's name and we were told it was all on a tight schedual so we couldn't talk or ask questions or what not because she's a busy woman. So she gets to me. Shake hands do the 'Rachael from Austalia' thing to which she replies 'Oh I was with Mrs Howard this morning' and me, in all my dorky stupidity, as if I know Mrs Howard personally, goes 'Oh yes and how is she doing?'. It was one of those moments where you can hear yourself saying something stupid, but you can't stop it in time!! And yeah she was telling me about their meeting female youth sexual assult cases dealt with through Benado's or something similar. And I'm standing there going 'oh yes' as if I'm an expert on that!! Like hello! Dork alert! I felt so dumb!! The whole saga lasted about 15 minutes really. So we waved her off and that was it.

She was nice I guess, but I tell you, the photographer was mighty fine!! He had the most lovely eyes and smile...awww mate. Mind you I don't even remember his name!! Dork alert again!! The other thing was we had locksmiths floating around the building who had seen us ealier in the day in our Pax Lodge polo shirts and pants. And of course, one of the guys was standing at the bottom of the stairs as I came down in my official aussie get up and he's cone 'Flippin Heck, what a bloody difference!' ...yeah I'm not so sure if that was a compliment or not!!

Other than that, it's been mostly uneventful. Same old story, washing, vaccuming, dishes...same old same old. Had a staff member leave today and a new one starting next week. A couple of birthdays, no new theatre shows to talk about and Lost is premiering this week, only by the time it gets up to where I left Oz, it'll be time for me to come home!! So really I'll gain nothing. Never mind, not here to watch the box anyway.

Well that just about does it for me once again, hope I haven't eaten too much into your lunchtimes or whever you choose to read this. Hope you are all doing well and staying safe.

Take care and until next time,
Rachael :-)

Yet another chapter in the Adventures of Rachael

Hello Everyone!!

How are you all going? Actually I'm quite impressed, I don't jump in my inbox for a couple of days and suddenly every man and his dog (for the boys in Tassie you've got cows right?!) wants to send me an e-mail! Not that I am at all complaining, I love it, you're all so entertaining in vastly different ways!

And so life in London. Where to begin? Okay, well the events of last Thursday Morning sent a wave of panic through London, and all with good reason. With 52 people dead and hundreds others injured, plus all those who are still missing, its kind of understandable that everyone is on edge. Actually something really errie is going to Tube Stations and just walking along the street and seeing missing signs for those who have yet to be found. It kind of give me these horrible goosebumps. It's not all that nice. The Tube System itself is almost back to normal. Still have a heap of delays and some stations which aren't taking trains on some lines, but it's up and running again. The only noticable difference is that suddenly everyone gives everyone a second glance. You can see people eyeing you off, espeically if you have a bag. It's sort of sad to think that we feel we need to do that.

One staff member here still won't get on the Tube and we had one of the session participants have several panic attacks because she too didn't want to get the Tube. It's plastered everywhere here. Marie was at the Walk About the other night and there was a bag along one of the walls and they had the police come and everyone was evacuated. It's been happening at a lot of places. What makes it worse is that the people responsible are actually British and this has further lead to concerns that there are more people like them in Leeds. Since they were suicide bombers I guess it's almost like a cult thing, there'd be a lot of people with similar beliefs.

In general the whole thing kind of hit staff here at different times. I guess it all depends on when we gave it the time to actually sink in. And as for me, well, the main thing is that I'm still here kicking and rattling off millions of lines in every e-mail I send your way!! Nah, in all seriousness it hit me later that night when I was alone in my room, it was suddenly like terrorism was a very real thing, it wasn't on the other side of the world anymore, it wasn't in another country, it was right here and I was kinda close by!! About a mile away from one blast I believe...I don't quite know how far a mile is though...opps.

So addmittedly Friday I kinda hid in my room, did a bit of cleaning and didn't really go anywhere. Friday night I had an argument with myself and told myself to get my act together and make the most of my time off. It worked from what I can tell! I'm agreeing with myself and seem to be always smiling. And to use the words of Te'Andra Tuesday night, 'I was Pimping It'....yeah I imagine you've all just had the same raction I did. It's okay, I haven't found another way to get an income. I'll explain later.

Saturday saw me head out with the sole aim to buy a new pair of runners. And I was happy to do with the usual KMart or Big W kinda shoes.I didn't want to spend a mint on shoes, I'm not really in a position to be doing that! Following Janet's advice I went to a place called LilyWhites in Picadilly Circus. Yes I got the Tube and yes, I'll admit to holding my breath for most of the journey! So I go into Lily Whites and come out smiling. They had a sale, yay! And you know what? I actually now own a pair of brand shoes. I don't do brands (which for most of you is quite obvious) but I now own a pair of Sketchers. I am excited! I know I know, small things...but I got a great deal and they are sooo comfy and my feet are just loving them. The bonus was I converted to aussie dollars and went...yeah that's more than I'd usually spend, but then I realised the money in my wallet was my pay. It was NEVER aussie dollars, was never going to be aussie dollars thus it didn't need to be converted! No second thoughts just went 'yeah I'll have those!'. The store itself is quite amazing. Five floors of sporting goods. It really didn't look that big from the outside!!

From there I went to Covent Garden and stopped in at the Aussie shop, then did a stop for lunch. An hour later I had a nice full belly and was ready for a kip, but walked down to Embankment, got on the Tube (yeah again!!) and got off at Tottenham Court Road and proceeded to walk the ENTIRE length of Oxford Street, on both sides!! It took me like an hour and a half!! And most of the stuff in the windows I couldn't have as it was out of my price range!! But been there, and seen it. Went into HMV (big mistake) and like have another five floors of everything music related! Oh my gosh, and they were having a sale too!! Thankfully I didn't have my card on me!! So I only brought one thing, a Bon Jovi CD. Sounds good too. And so to compensate for the lack of spending and shopping in Oxford Street, I told myself I'd go to Camden. And I did and you know what? I didn't spend a cent!! But oh my gosh. Last time I went was a Monday, it's so quiet compared to Saturday!! I couldn't believe it. Plus I found my pair of Doc Martins with the Union Jack all over them!! Actually I found two types, so when I've saved enough as so not to leave myself short, I am down there and buying them!! Yeah!!

Quite sometime later I wandered back into Pax Lodge just in time for dinner. I was rather tired and quite sunburnt! But I'm browner so I'm doing good :-) I actually can't remember what I did on Saturday night...oh yes I do, I went for a big walk in the Heath (it's okay, it wasn't too dark, I'm not that stoooopid). And pretty much went to bed after that. Yeah I know, real exciting.

Sunday marked my 21st birthday. Firstly, thank you for the cards that were sent, slowly slowly they're arriving in the mail box and now each day I have a different person come and tell me I have mail. Maria (PR) tells me I'm the popular one. I told her it's only because it was my birthday, otherwise most contact from 'home' would be via e-mail! Anyhows, it was a quiet day in most regards. Started work at 7am (oh so happy birthday to me...) and finished around 11:30am. During the clean up after breakfast, Jung Hwa told me to come outside and out the front of Pax lodge they have a floral banner which hangs there everyday. Anyhows, Sunday it was replaced by a birthday banner which was kinda nice. At lunch I got a cake (which Breanne made) and a present, despite me being so darn difficult during the week when they were asking what I wanted. Turns out I scored a neat few things, including some stuff from the Body Shop in my fav fragrance!! How much of a good pick was that?!! After lunch I went with Breanne and Sally to Camden (yes again!!) and I love Sunday's even more than Saturdays! Only the punks were kind of getting a bit violent. See I've been told that when it comes to the rather 'characteristic' people of Camden, when people take photos of them they ask for a pound. Anyway, we were walking across the bridge over the Canal and some people in front of us were taking photos (no money was exchanged) and next thing we know there is abuse and bottles being thrown over the road at the people in front of us!!

Wandered around there for a while and found a brilliant 99p shop where everything is 99p or less! So as you can imagine, it was kind of like Llandudno, Wales all over again!! Were gone for about two hours at which point I had to head back to start the second part of my shift at4:30pm and work till 9pm. At dinner, some of the guests must have asked whose birthday it was because they've gotten up to do the grace and Te'Andra was like 'oh and we're gonna sing happy birthday to Rachael' and so I've then got 50 odd Girl Scouts plus the staff of Pax Lodge Singing Happy Birthday to me in the dining room which was kinda nice. Worked till 9pm and then Allison, Keren, Monique and I went down the road to the Garden Gate and had a drink. Yep, just the one. Dodgy place really, if you don't like beer (which I don't really) then you pretty much have to have soft drink. So Allison shouted me a pint and we sat there talking until they closed at 11pm (it's going to take a while to get used to that!!). And that pretty much was my birthday in a nutshell. Simple, but nice.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were all working days and we've been working flat out because these session participants -everything that could go wrong did! My gosh! I mean it wasn't serious stuff, but from what I'm hearing they've been the most difficult group yet. But it was good because usually when we've all knocked off we go for a drink or crepes or ice cream...anyhows, they all left today, well we still have one troop here leaving in the next hour or so, but its change over day so all the rooms and beds have to be cleaned because we've got a full house again by tomorrow morning!! A full change over. Somehow I managed to get today and tomorrow off, yay!! I mean it's only four days of work, but it often feels like four weeks. And yet in some twisted kind of way it's really enjoyable. Some of the guests really are quite nice and a lot of the adults of this session would stick around after dinner (a huge task!!) and help clean up the dining room which was fantiastic.

Monday night I was hoping to get to the London Eye as the troop from Minesota offered to get tickets for the HAs for their night journey. Of course me being on K2 shift didn't finish till 9pm and they had a9:30pm trip. I wasn't going to make it which was a shame, but by the end of the night I was wiped anyway. Allison went and she said it was amazing. The sky was brilliant and it was right on dusk. I told Monique and Breanne we'd go and do our own trip!! Speaking of trips, Monique and I are going to try get our days off in September rosterted together because we were talking to a lady from the World Bureau next door and she has a holiday house on the Isle of White and she's offered it to us if we want to go down there for our two days off! Free Accomodation!! Score!! It can't be till September, but we don't care!! So I guess in that sense, that's my first trip out of London kinda, sorta planned! I mean I'll leave London before then, but it's a start! And she was telling us some of the things down there to see, so I'm looking forward to that.

Last night was the closing ceremony of the session. So I made it through my first full session and I think being there for the duration makes the world of difference. To see the girls at the start of the week (okay it was a bad start) literally stick to their own troops, but to see them last night all mixed, it was amazing. We really didn't think they'd gel like they did. Yours truly was given the task for doing the closing thought. I had a maximum of five minutes if I wanted to use it. I took two and a half minutes and decided rather than use a reading from their folder, I was going to write one myself. Haven't done that in a very, very long time. Two and a half minutes later with an instrumental piece from Moby playing softly in the background, I had people in tears!!! It was so nice!! They were like it was beautiful and how amazing it was and how talented I am (yeah the head was kinda getting mighty big!) but in all honesty, just seeing I'd moved them was enough without the thanks and praise. As odd as it sounds, it was nice to be able to write again. So now that's my job for each closing, or so I am told...

The highlight of the week by far this week will most definately have been Tuesday night, I went to the Theatre again, this time seeing 'We Will Rock You' which was fantastically bloody brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh it was so incredible and coming home I was so full of energy and I found it so hard to get to sleep!! And even better was that some of the girls, all around 15, were HUGE Queen fan's and it was just soooo odd!! I mean people look at me when I say I'm a Queen fan and I'm 21 (I can now say that!) but these guys are even younger than me! Regardless, I was sitting with them and we were singing our lungs out and in the finale everyone was up and dancing and singing and it was just so amazing! Arghhh it's probably a good thing I left my card at Pax Lodge, otherwise I would have brought everything in the shop!! He he he. And so back to the pimping story...apparently Te'Andra had said that Sally and I were pimping it. Thus we went and asked two of the adults just what exactly was meant by that term, understandably we were a little concerned. But it's all harmless, apparently pimping when used in that context can descibe having a good time, letting your hair down, in our case singing our lungs out and dancing around. So there you have it, I went to the Theatre where I was pimping it big time!! I sware I doubt I'll ever get the American Slang that goes around this place with these session people!

Today being my first of two days off has been rather restful. I am in a heatwave here, I had hoped I'd put the humidity behind me when I left Singapore -no way!! It is soooo hot here! So I spent the morning just cleaning and tidying and pretty much relaxing. Hung around to take part in the two minutes of silence at noon -yes it's been a week since the terrorist attack. It was so odd, because it was a National tribute sort of thing and usually there are sirens and traffic and all sorts but it was almost like London really went silent. Even all the buses stopped for two minutes. We did the silence, then Heather read the World Song, which when read has an entirely different meaning then when it's sang, I guess that's because you listen more to the words...I don't know. From there I stopped at Angel Tube, caught a bus to the Bank of England, walked past Liverpool station to Bishopsgate (just because I could) got on a number 8 bus (just because I could) which saw me go as far as Bethnal Green where I got off and got the bus back the way I came, I think seeing the Police cars with Riot cages on them was enough to unease me!!! From there I got off at Totten Court Road, got the equivalent of a cheeseburger (minus the cheese) from Maccers, then jumped on the Tube to come back and here I am. Very tired admittedly. And I'm yet to clear the black stuff out of my nose...not that you needed to know that!!

As the days go by I'm getting to know all of the staff here at Pax Lodge a little better and we have many, many different characters here. And it's quite amusing, because every meal time when we sit down together and eat, somehow we end up on the topics of accents and different words used in different countries. And we're all pretty open about having difficulties about understanding some of the people here. But it's not nasty and we all have a really good laugh about it! It's kind of nice really, we all just settle into this really comfortable conversation and it amuses us for ages! Like the other night, last night actually, we went to get crepes (well Ruth and I got ice cream, far too hot for crepes) and somehow we ended up sitting on some steps and I'm sitting between Ruth from Ireland and Monique who is from South Africa and I'm translating in both directions because neither of them can understand each other! It's sooo funny!

I'm slowly discovering more about Hampstead too. I've now come to understand that it's more than just what I thought was the main street between here and Belsize Park. There are actually three main streets and they all go in different directions!!! Its incredible. And Hampstead alone has three Starbucks!! Its crazy! Plus a HUGE heath which has a giant table and chair in it, and I mean GIANT, like the height of a house. Why? Well beats me, but why not?!!

Tonight there are rumours about going to a kareoke bar...no I am not singing. I don't do singing in public unless it's at the Dominion theatre during We Will Rock You.....but it'll be fun. Apparently its just down the road from the Walk About in Finchly. Allison and Monique were going to go out clubbing on Saturday night and they were going to drag me along 'because clubbing in London is an experience all of it's own'...but Allison now starts at 7am Sunday and has decided we can go another time. Phew, I get out of it for now!!

Other than that, I'm just about all typed and talked out!! Hope everyone is going well back home and enjoying the lovely weather back there! Trust me, right now I'd love some good old Melbourne weather!!

So until next time, take care and stay safe,
Rachael :-)