Sunday 23rd November 2014

For the weekend I had my two school friends, Martin and Daishi, over to stay Daishi lives in Japan and Martin lives in Bulgaria and so it would be inconvenient to travel there and back just for the couple of days of leavout. We were all fairly tired after three weeks at school, this was shown as barely 15 minutes into the journey Daishi was asleep, about halfway through and Martin was as well! I am usually a little hesitant in having friends round for leavout as it is just a few days and I like to enjoy my ‘home time’  and have my family to myself. This time however I felt I owed it to them both as I usually put it off! We arrived and Weasel came out to see me, she was beside herself with excitement and I was just as happy to see her. The other reason I didn’t want friends round on leavout is that I like to trudge through the countryside for hours and hours through the rain and mud on dog walks and rough shooting, and I couldn’t imagine either of them wanting to join me! I needn’t have been so cynical as I didn’t even have to encourage the two to come out with me, they were eager to come and see what I got on with.  This weekend also happened to be one of the wettest it has ever been and so despite the mud and rain we managed to have a great time, they were so cool and relaxed in my home, even though my family is a bit crazy, It certainly dispelled my earlier worries and I am sure that they will come again!

Sunday 16th November, 2014

During Thursday afternoons everyone at school does an activity, some people do minor sports such as clay pigeon shooting or rackets and other people do a community service such as working in a charity shop or performing music in a retirement home. I do an activity called, “Take a Break” , it consists of looking after a child with mental disabilities for a couple of hours. Last week was the first time I met ‘my’ kid, Owen . A friend of mine, Ollie, and I went to his house to meet his parents and to find out a bit more about Owen. Previous to that we had been having training sessions which included a crash course on sign language as well as just instructing us what to do in certain situations. This Thursday Ollie and I took a taxi to Owens school and collected him there, we then went back to Rugby where we took him to a charity café that was open. We didn’t spend long there as Owen found it a bit noisy. We went back to Sheriff (my boarding house) and played some games. Owen is really quite able and so it was just like spending time with younger sibling who you are responsible for. We then went to play a bit of football, Owen was great at football, we were just passing the ball between us but he always kicked on target witch is a lot more than I can say for myself! One funny thing was that if anyone kicked the ball into the air he would run underneath it and catch it! finally we got back in the taxi, dropped him off and said goodbye until next Thursday.

Sunday 9th November, 2014

First week back from half term and the business of school was more than I thought it might have been! First day back and I managed to get by, even through double English finishing at 6 o’clock. I had a bit of a shock as when I got out of the class room heading back to house it was nearly pitch black. Now I don’t mind this at all, in fact I find it quite exciting, walking form the quod to Sheriff in the dark it makes the usually mundane walk into an adventure! The days are pretty chilly now and it is hard to believe that it can get much colder than this but as we remind the younger years, it gets so cold that you can’t have showers in the morning as if you don’t dry your hair properly it freezes on your head! The end of the week came and two friends of mine and I went to the cinema on Sunday, we took a taxi and had a great time. It is surprising how you can feel that you are not at school and are just relaxing with friends when in fact you are.

Sunday 26th October 2014

This week, Daddy and I headed up to the very north of Scotland, as you can Imagine I was very excited! However we were to stay with my Great Uncle and Aunt, Bruce and Anne. It was much interest and, I’m afraid to say a little apprehension that we set of to meet them, as I had heard that they were a wacky couple. We arrived in the evening after some 6 and a bit hours travelling. We were greeted very warmly and had a wonderful supper. They were both fascinating and interested people who had a lot of time to listen  about our family as well as to talk to us about their life and our shared family up North. Yet my information was correct and they were wacky but in an absolutely charming manner, during our second evening Bruce, without so much as an introduction recited the whole of Robert Burns’ “Tam o’ Shanter”, some  1,500 words! A little tedious you might think yet Bruce spoke it with such expression and heart that not for a moment was I bored! I might add that I only inderstood two or three of these words as the poem is written in original