It gets better... right?

I’m in one of those weeks that never seems to end. How is it that there is a direct correlation between how crappy you feel and how slow time passes. Why can’t time slow down when life is good and speed past the not so good bits?

It’s like driving in fog. No matter how far you go, you never seem to come out of it. You may think the fog has lifted but its just an illusion. I’m trying to keep busy, but the second I stop, that weight comes crashing back down again. I guess time is like many things – completely in the eye of the beholder.

I’ve always been a believer that things work themselves out in the end. But my question is – Why does everything turn go wrong all at once? Is it Karma? All I could really use is for something to go right this week.

But I guess that’s hoping for too much.

on accents...

So, I was listening to the Babylon podcast earlier on - the interviewee was Claudia Christian. On the show, her accent was a a neutral American accent, despite her character being Russian. She grew up with a German-accented mother and and Irish-accented father. And now she speaks with a noticeable English accent. The Americans running the show found this quite 'odd' to say the least.

The Americans, in my experience struggle with accent recognition, and yet are immensely fascinated when faced with someone who speaks different to themselves. There is no 'one' American accent, it varies by area as it does here and elsewhere. But the fact remains, someone who talks different is going to be noticed.

Perhaps it is their lack of exposure to foreign media, movies and TV? Most Americans I know only seem ever to have heard of Monty Python and Blackadder Whereas most of the television I watch and enjoy are products from across the Atlantic.

We are more attuned to different accents in this country not only because a large proportion of our population now comes from overseas in their first, second, third generations, and some considerably more than that. Add into that we are still a Commonwealth of 53 diverse nations, with soldiers from these nations still swearing their allegiance to the Queen and settling into the economic life of this country.

And I cannot discount the European influence on our appreciation of accents. Being a member of the European Union has made it easier for travel and trade to happen across borders, and we think very little of hopping on a plane to the ski slopes of Austria, or the Spanish Costa's, or the Beer halls of Germany. Once there we are exposed to a multitude of people and cultures and languages. Hearing a foreign accent has become of second nature to us. We call our bank and we are as likely to talk to someone in India as we are to someone at home. It has become a feature of everyday life.

The more you are exposed to something, the less of an impact it has. And if you live in a country where people are less likely to travel outside their own borders and few tourists ever visit. A foreign accent is going to stand out like a sore thumb.

Whats your (guilty) pleasure?

Each of us has our guilty pleasures, whether we admit it or not. Those things we know we should not like, but for some inexplicable reason, we are drawn to like a moth to a flame.

I have to admit it – my guilty pleasure is Grey’s Anatomy.

In a nutshell, Grey’s Anatomy follows the lives and loves of the interns (and doctors) of Seattle Grace Hospital as they complete their surgical internships. Grey’s Anatomy has become immensely popular in the US, even beating long running and established shows like CSI in the ratings war. At only 3 seasons old, Grey’s is a relative infant, but it has taken the US by storm.

So the question arises – what has made Grey’s Anatomy so popular? And why is it a guilty pleasure?

Today’s answer comes from the part of me that indulges in the guilty pleasure of Greys Anatomy:

Greys Anatomy is so addictive because it is character centred. All the relationships that are so fleeting in other shows are allowed to develop and grow on Grey’s Anatomy. Why wait for 6 years waiting for Grissom and Sara to get together on CSI, only to find out that it did happen, and what’s worse, it all happened off air. In Grey’s Anatomy, we get to see it all. Feelings dictate actions, not the other way around. It is what CSI started with Sara Sidle, but those who were opposed to character-in-CSI hated to see. Whereas from the first Grey’s Anatomy episode, we knew that the long-running ‘will they won’t they’ between Meredith and Derek was going to be important. It’s a soap set in a hospital at the end of the day. And that’s what makes it a ‘guilty pleasure’ – soaps are meant to do that. You shouldn’t want to be nosy. And I think that’s why Grey’s Anatomy will be a success. Because it’s the way that who has ever wanted two characters on TV show to get together would like TV to be, and at least we can enjoy it on Grey’s Anatomy. On Grey’s Anatomy no one is perfect and there isn’t always a happy ending but the voiceovers at the beginning and end of the show have become a trademark of sorts, and highlighted the more serious character developments and issues. And most importantly, they make you think.

All I ask is a blank piece of paper and a pen to write with…

I was reading the other day that Blogging is becoming more and more popular, with thousands of Blog’s starting up everyday. And I can see why.

I have always enjoyed writing. There is something about the creative process, of transferring thoughts and idea into prose and narrative. I always thought that the best use of my love of the written word would be writing fiction, but having discovered Blogging, I realise that perhaps it isn’t. Most of my fiction remains unfinished, the muse having disappeared. I have a collection of beginnings, middles, endings, dialogues and outline ideas, but very little finished work. Most of it will never see the light of day.

In Blogging I have found a natural expression, a way of transferring my thoughts and ideas in whatever way I choose. Short or long, one sided or an in depth piece, it is mine to mould as I see fit. I may not post everyday, but I write everyday. It may be an essay on politics or a scribbled note on a scrap of paper but the thoughts and ideas are my own. I have nothing to prove and nothing to gain.

And I find in this form of expression that I can finish what I start.

watching and waiting...

Inspiration is a funny thing. You can sit for hours waiting for it to come with no success, and then, when you least expect it – it comes from nowhere and often at the most inconvenient time.

I’ve spent ages trying to write fiction, but when I set time aside to write, I am usually left with a blank page. I do my best work late at night when I really should be asleep and when I was young and at school, I always did my best work when I was supposed to be concentrating on other classes. I have come to realise that inspiration cannot be forced, and that it can come from the most unlikely of sources. In any creative activity it is outside stimuli that act as the point of inspiration, whether this is personal knowledge, an overheard conversation, or a newspaper headline. After all the use of imagination is what makes the world go round. All inventions are based on inspiration and imagination in some guise. I have learned that you just need to keep your mind open.

A little inspiration can go a long way. Just hang on in there. That little inspiration will hit, and you probably won’t see it coming. But when it does it will open up a world of possibilities.

If you truly seek inspiration, it is definitely worth the wait.

seeing is believing

Watching CSI last night I watched the episode “Turn of the Screws”, which involves rollercoaster’s. At the end Grissom is talking to the guy who maintains the rollercoaster, and they talk about great ‘coasters. Right at the end they mention ‘The Beast’ and ‘Son of Beast’, two of the ‘coasters at Kings Island, Cincinnati, OH.

I have ridden both of those ‘coasters (before Son of Beast was involved in an accident that hurt a bunch of people about a week after I rode it). The Beast was a really cool ride. It was fast, wooden, and really quite cool. Son of Beast on the other hand was too big, too fast, and too furious. I felt like my brain had been bounced around inside of my head when I got off. John had hurt his knees. I think we all felt pretty battered. Maybe a trip in a washing machine would have been more comfortable. But the park was really quite cool. It was definitely an experience to remember with lots of different rides (which really were quite different not the same on a theme like some parks.

I think the main thing about my trip was the variety of things I did. Much more than I would have done back home in the same amount of time! I went to places I have seen on TV, and I now here them talk about on shows. How cool is that?! Same sort of thing with New York and Chicago – I now see those places on TV and in movies.

moments in time...

Firey Sunset,
originally uploaded by moonshine037.

There is something about the sky that fascinates me. Not just the science behind it (although that is interesting), but the 'fluidity'. I've been taking photos of skies for a while and something about them has been bugging me.

A photo of the sky is like a snapshot of time, like moments, they can only come once, and will never be the same again. The sky moves, it is always alive. If you take a photo of the sky, its liek you are preserving that moment, to share it with people not lucky enough to share that single moment in time. Time is fleeting, and as I get older, it seems to go quickly, even on a really slow day it is soon past. Every time I see a stunning sky I am reminded to treasure every moment, because it can never come again.

Plus - skies are just really cool!

opportunities and ideas

While I was working in America, every morning at breakfast, somebody had a big idea for the day. The idea is to inspire the boys, to give them something to think about as they start the day. I gave a big idea once a week. It is something I really do believe in.

I’ll tell you my big idea for today…

“My big idea is… ‘To take advantage of every opportunity’.

At Camp – to do merit badges and other fun activities

Through Scouts – to do fun things, see places, and grow as a person

In life – seize new challenges and experiences and make the most of them

So take advantage of every opportunity and you never know where you’ll end up!”

I did the same big idea each week for each new group of boys. I always did it on a Wednesday, in the (probably futile) hope that it would inspire just one boy to come to my presentation on the UK that evening. What I didn’t realise was quite how much of an impact it had on the other staff members. I guess I noticed that a couple of people started saying “take advantage of every opportunity” in a very ‘English’ accent for a couple of weeks but in the last week I was lucky enough to have my Big Idea stolen and given to the entire breakfast sitting in an ‘English’ accent.

It seems that my idea really did get remembered. Maybe because I have a different accent to everyone else, or maybe because it is actually a really great piece of advice.

So there you go – take advantage of every opportunity and you never know where you’ll end up!

hehe

My pirate name is:

Mad Anne Kidd

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

1701

Ok, so I spotted this on Wikipedia, and the first thing that I noticed was the resolution number.

Thats right 1701 is...

...the registry number from the Starship Enterprise!

It actually seems quite apt that a resolution aimed at bringing an end to the hostilities in the Middle East is representitive of the Enterprise. I only hope that as the Enterprise was a ship of peace promoting unity and non-aggression, that the resolution bearing her number has the same impact on such a troubled region.

Well, here's hoping...

the news today...

Today the news has been filled with the attempted terrorist plot to detonate bombs on flights from the UK to the US. It has caused massive disruption and I'm sure you've heard.

What gets me, is the people who complain about the security measures that have been brought in (see this site for the measures) Yes, these measures are incredibly restrictive, and it will cause difficulties for some people, but at the end of the day, if I were traveling, I would rather have the inconvenience of using a plastic bag that getting blown up. People don't really have perspective in these situations - they just see the immediate effect on themselves.

A few days ago this could have affected me. A lot of flights were cancelled today because of the same security alert. People were stranded all over the world as flights were delayed or cancelled. If you get to the airport, and the line is out of the door do you a) join the line, or b) cut your losses and go home, or c) find another route? What make me laugh is that people actually join the line! I suppose if you are in another country its a bit different, but if its because you're going on your summer holiday, its already effectively been over-shadowed and most cases ruined by that point... So really, what is the point. If I'd still been in New York, I'd have headed back to Illinois - 800 miles the wrong way!

Anyway, I think that's probably enough for now...

America – from the Air…

Baseball fields – and lots of them

Straight lines – fields, streets, to the point where wonky lines look odd (and you can easily spot rivers!)

Urban developments that look like the house grew in the middle of a field (sometimes combined with wonky lines)

It’s all so different. There is so much space. It’s not like home where we are all trying to cram in a finite amount of space. Although it’s not limitless, it is vast enough that new developments are not quite as bad

And those long straight lines that I would love to drive a fast car on!

The above were my initial thoughts on the flight over the US for the first time, over two months ago. On the way back the same things came to mind.

America is, for the most part, purpose built for the modern world, and modern transport. The roads are wide and straight, suited to cars and trucks not horse and cart as a lot of the UK roads are. Fields are divided in straight lines, there aren't really hedges to act as boundaries, and the fields are big. Huge in fact. And in Illinois, with corn growing in them, they seem to go for miles in both width, length, and also in height.

Its actually quite neat. I liked it. It made sense and fitted into my sense of order in the Universe.

That'll do for now I think!

Outlining the Adventure

Two months ago I set off on my ‘great adventure’. I must admit I was nervous to begin with, and once I got there I did wonder if I’d bitten off more than I could chew. But a few days in, work projects, songs, lesson plans were sorted. I had received training in running COPE games (team-building games), learnt how to look after Scout Troops from arrival through to departure (Commissioning), and all too soon the first Troops were at the gates and the Camp season has officially begun.

Five weeks of Boy Scout camps, two Cub Scout adventure sessions, and one parent and pal camp later, it was all over. Cleaning up and putting things away was the oder of business, and we all headed our separate ways, some locally, some to national events, and some to places a little further away.

So after visits to Chicago and New York, on the 8^th August I landed in back home in sunny (actually it was quite nice) Bristol. And the real world beckons. But the adventure is far from over. In fact, life is the great adventure and it only goes on.

I’ve written a lot of the entries that I want to post… and some that maybe I don’t… which I will post over the next few days and weeks. A lot of stuff happened; some of it will mean nothing to anyone but… well… me. Anyway I’ll keep the stuff coming as long as: a) I have stories to tell, and b) people find it interesting.

Hope you enjoy

It been a really busy time over here at Camp Drake, but I'm having a great time. I miss home a lot now though, and Camp food and Fast food is beginning to get a bit wearing!

I've written loads of entries for this blog, but never seem to have them with me when I can get to a computer. Also around 900 photos at the moment, and still another 3 weeks.

3 weeks isn't that long though, the time has simply flown by. Its been hard work but so worth it. But it will be really good to get back to normality, and thats not too far away.

I've had tha chance to do lots of fun things, but I still haven't been on a float trip yet - which will have to happen next week, because I won't get the opportunity again.

Smalltown USA

Most tourists never get to see how a culture really works. They see the sights and thats about all it there is to them. Smalltown USA is how it really is, day to day, for so many people. Where I went you can leave your home unlocked all day and not worry, and the worst crime to report is driving too fast. There is an immense patriotism, complete openness, they will take you into their homes willingly and you feel immediatly welcome. As much at home as you can be in a foreign country anyway.

The country is vast, the towns sprawling, the corn growing, and it is getting warmer. Especially here in Illinois.

And they have some really long trains. I'm sure I saw a train that would probably stretch the length as Bath!

Anyway, thats all I've got time for at the moment.

One week down already... 51 days until I get home.

A quick update from Camp Drake.

After about 17 hours travelling in finally arrived at Camp Drake last Tuesday. It was 10 pm local time (about 6 hours behind UK) so my body thought it was about 4am!!

It was a really cool flight over. I had a whole 3 seats to myself for the first flight, a window seat for the second, and a single seat on the last. Those Airports were huge. Newark has a train to take you between terminals, and Chicago was just huge. It took almost as long to Taxi round the Airport, as it did to fly down to Champaign.

Camp Drake is a really nice place. Its HOT here, but, when it rains, boy does it rain. I am teaching Citizenship in the World, and Communications BSA (Boy Scouts of America) merit badges. Its actually quite good now I've got used to it!

I miss all at home though, especailly J, and Mum and Dad. I have to call on this phone with a lot of interference so its a bit like talking to a fog, but it is nice to hear an English accent!

I've already visited an American Bar, a McDonalds, Fizollis (fast-food style Italian - which was an experience) - But I do miss English food - I'll never complain again I promise!!

I've got some really cool random observations to post when I get a chance, but there's no proper internet at camp so it may be a while.

and so the boredom begins...

I'm at the Airport, through security and my flight is in about an hour. My documents have been checked about half a dozen times but all that awaits now is getting on the flight (and then clearing US immigration, getting an onward boarding card, and two more flights... but not much really!).

It still doesn't really seem real. Two months, 8 weeks... its not actually that long really. As J. said, It will be a really busy time and it will fly by! It's just a bit surreal.

More than a bit surreal. In fact, decidedly odd.

Onwards and upwards.

and we're off...

The Great Adventure starts at 10:5o tomorrow!

Updates as and when!

hoops and jumping through them...

otherwise known as the US Visa process!

The process to get a US J-1 visa is a long process that involves lots of form-filling and quite a bit of expense. This is a brief outline of the process:

• On receipt of form DS-2019 (exchange visitor status), schedule an appointment at US embassy - In peak times appointments can be over a month away so apply early!
• Fill in an application form, a work history form, and if you are male, another form about your work history, education background and military service. (These must all be completed online before you get to the Embassy although there are computers there for those who have missed a specific form).
• Have a 2inch square photo taken that meets the US requirements.
  
• If you are going as an exchange visitor or on a F-type of M-type visa pay the SEVIS fee at FmjFee.com
  
• Pay £63 Visa fee in cash. This will be accepted free of charge at Barclays or at your own bank (but possibly not at Building Societies) - Make sure both receipts are stamped!

Having done all this you are now ready to appear at the US Embassy in London... Which is an adventure in itself.

Be prepared - it takes ages and you will be bored. Take a decent book, some food and some drink. And if its a busy time of year maybe even a cushion as there weren't enough seats when I was there. When you get in (as early as they will let you in would be my recommendation) you get a numbered ticket. Don't lose this! This is the point at which you become a number.

You have to go to two windows. Firstly, you go to windows 1-11 where they take all your accumulated forms, photos, and scan your fingerprints (I'd been there an hour and a half before this happened for me).

Then you sit down and wait again. This bit takes ages and you have to concentrate as the numbers are not called in order this time. You go to windows 12-25 for your 'interview'. Mine was short and sweet - basically what will I be doing and what will I be doing when I get back.


Assuming your Visa is approved, you then queue up again, this time to pay £9.50 for a secure envelope for your passport to be sent back in.

And that's it. In my case this was followed by sprint to the tube (which had massive delays that day) a sprint through two stations, and finally another sprint onto the train back. By the time I finally collapsed in my pre-booked seat having moved another person out of it, I was about ready to fall over anyway.

All in all I was at the Embassy for three and a half hours. It was boiling hot and very boring. And with hindsight, I would have taken a better book and a decent drink. And booked a later return train. But we live and learn as they say.

Its a means to an end though. My Visa was approved and my passport should be winging its way back to me this week sometime.

And then I'll be off - Not long now!

true...

There's this shop in the street where I work which always has an 'A' board up outside it with different sayings chalked up every day. Yesterdays was...

If you obey all the rules - you miss all the fun.

How true!