Thursday, February 5, 2009

oh my..what a whirlwind

As I sit here eating porridge and its nearing midnight I know that I really don't want to start this blog because there is so much that I need to put in..and so much that ive done and new places Ive been that I am a little worried that this post may run on forever and you may get a little tired of reading the latest happenings (some that will be not so recent as I havent updated in forever) of my life..But I have started and already feel as if I am rambling as my fingers run over the keys..so I will continue and hope the rambling ceases and things are put into precise sentences that make sense..and not jibber jabber..

The last few weeks have been an amazing whirlwinf and dream-like that I can't say I remember many exact things that happened..But I'll try..The most exciting thing that has happened was that about 2 weeks ago my mum came to visit me in this amazing town of Gillingham..I must say the day that she was supposed to arrive I didnt do much work..I tried to focus in the office but I couldnt and kept peering out the window with my boss saying with a knowing tone 'oh jess why would you be looking out the window so much? are you expecting someone?!' haha and then i heard a clatter at the front door downstairs..me and the whole team went thumping down, only to find that it was one of the young people we work with..I must say i felt bad that i looked so dissapointed to see him (i think i may have said OH MAN, groaned and then slumped down ont he stairs) for which i apologised later..but then behind him pulled up a white van which held MY MUM...haha it was like a movie scene..me running up to the van with my arms open and enveloping her in a massive hug..haha to which the crowds gathered on the street clapped and cheered..wel they didnt really but how cool would that have been?! haha
But after that we pretty much hung out as much as we could..and it made me realise how much I actually missed her!!..It was so weird my two worlds colliding though..like my home life and this life..

HIGHLIGHTS OF HER VISIT

-We went to london for a long weekend and stayed in this hotel that had the rudest french people working there...It was too funny because me and mum just had to laugh at how rude they were to us.. mum asks 'oh excuse me are there phones in the rooms?' and the guy at the reception just laughed and said 'madame even the worst hotels have phones in the rooms' in a patronising tone..to which we just laughed all the way to our room..

-Trying to find our way around London was also quite a laugh..I'm not a good person to have around when directions are needed..and neither is she..and in a big city this is really unhelpful..haha but i must say i managed to zoom us around everywhere and decipher the tube maps..and manged to get us to Buck palace in time for changing of the guards..to which mum climbed up on the fence and swung off it to see over everyones heads..ahhhaha oh my word i had to laugh otherwise I probably would have died from embarrasment

-Going to Harrods department store in London... A little over my price range..try £1000 pounds for a pot of caviar..I bet it wasnt even that nice..and for all you New Zealanders..thats like $3000..oh my word..some people have far too much money

-We also went on this hilarious bus tour that was so crammed and was stuck in traffic so we didnt see ANYTHING...and everyone was hopping off and catching the tubes instead lol it was so tragic..but funny..and we did go on an amazing river cruise..it was so cool!!

-Madame Tusaauds wax museum..all the famous celebrities models made out of wax..It was so epic..I couldnt believe how life like they were..not that ive ever seen any of the celebrities in real life but i can imagine..There were some there that were a tad poorly done which must be the b-list celebrities..But apparently once a celebrity loses popularity they melt their model down and make another one haha how bad would you feel.

-We went to the seaside..Its not like a sandy beach..But it was actually sunny (i know what a miracle) and the beach is all pebbly and cute..with these colourful beach huts along it..and an amazing little seaside town..It was too cute..Ive got heaps of photos of it all on facebook.

-Also ROME..we went to Rome which was the ABSOLUTE highlight of it all..It was so surreal and beautiful..and I think it deserves a post all to itself..so I'll leave it at that..until the next post..

It was so amazing having my mum here and she got to meet the amazing kids I work with..And got to hangout with them and laugh and joke with them..and actually see why I would love these kids so much and why I would give a year out to hangout with them..And with her seeing how amazing they were it made me realise the even greater need just to love these kids and NO MATTER WHAT, no matter what theyve done, how annoying they can be sometimes, whether Im tired, just invest time in them, see how they are, talk to them and just hangout..because if Jesus was here in person thats what he would be doing..and I know that he looks down on the kids and the drop ins and smiles.
And it is so obvious he is just doing some amazing things in their lives. whether they know it or not. and whether they acknowledge it or not. And I love that my mum got to see that.

love to all
Ill tell you all of my adventures in rome soon
x

4 comments:

chrissybizzle said...

it sounds flippin flippin amazing.
can't wait til the rome post.
you figured out how to put a picture in the header!!
love you millions.

(i thought about you ALOT at parachute, it was actually the most angst free one yet, which is why it was good i think. but i missed you)

Anonymous said...

Jess, you are an inspiration. it is so awesome to see how you are going, and growing over there! I hope you bring it back and infect (in a good way) us all with your passion! Keep blogging, and I personally enjoy reading the long blogs, so don't worry about a little rambling here or there. You are awesome and are in my prayers! P.S. I haven't read much about you going to the gym... ;)

Anonymous said...

You were amazing at getting us from one place to another.Understanding that underground system is a mission- still wouldn't be able to manage it!!!!! Poor you with your mother running after you from tube to tube, snapping photos en route!!! WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME LOVE. Thank you so much. Miss you and the laughs we had.

Anonymous said...

And I've got to say I loved the kids you work with too. Still think about them and their lives and what they're into- made me appreciate what you're doing there in Gillingham. Well done you!!