And... I saw all these animals, too

A few more photos from last weekend's safari. For some reason, every time I tried to upload these vertical photos from the laptop I was using in Joburg, they either came out sideways or crashed the computer!

So... they're a bit late, but I hope you enjoy them.

Yes, I really saw all these on Saturday!

What a fantastic treat - not only to be in South Africa, but to visit a game park. A friend took me to Pilanesberg National Park on Saturday. The painful bit was leaving at 5.00am (ouch) - but it was worth every minute of missed sleep. These photos were all taken by my friend during the visit on Saturday - and are just a few of the animals and birds we saw. Isn't God's creation brilliant!!

Brothers and sisters in Christ

I have just had a fantastic time with the students from Johannesburg Bible College (JBC). They start each day of teaching with a morning devotional. What a delight to pray, sing and read the Bible with brothers and sisters in Christ. The fact that I had flown for ten hours to the bottom of Africa to meet them made no difference - we were all part of God's one family. It was very moving to be with them.

Most of the guys in this morning's session are not directly involved in children's work. (I tried to encourage them to do some, of course!) So we looked at ways that they can make a difference to the children in their church. How can they help parents to take up their responsibility for the spiritual education of their children? How can they support and equip children's workers in their crucial role as Bible teachers? And of course we discussed my favourite proposition:

'Teaching the Bible to children is the same as teaching it to adults - but harder!'

They didn't all agree with me (I didn't expect them to) but we had a great discussion, and hopefuly it raised their awareness of the importance of children's work, and encouraged them to see children's leaders as Bible teachers.

On Thursday I'll be spending the morning with the members of the Women's and Children's Work course. After the fab time this morning, I can't wait to be with them! I'm also hoping to meet up with a few individual children's workers while I'm here. I'm hoping that I can be of encouragement to them - but also anticipating that they will have much to say to me that will prompt my thinking, and stimulate my own ideas on teaching the Bible to children. What a joy, that we all share the privilege of teaching God's living Word to children.

The funnest thing you can do on water?

Yesterday was easily the funnest day of my trip! After an early meeting (not the fun bit!), my god-daughter and I caught a train (I love the Sydney double-decker trains!) down to Circular Quay and went jet-boating. Lots of screaming. Lots of being thrown around. Lots of getting wet. It was the funnest, coolest, wettest joyride you can imagine. :D

After a lazy lunch, overlooking the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, we then mosied on to the cinema, for a lazy afternoon with the Fantastic Four, lounging on the most comfortable cinema seats I've ever met. Then we wandered back home, for a special meal with some very good friends (accompanied by some very, very good Shiraz.) :D

I head home tomorrow - and I'm still really looking forward to being home - but it's been lovely to have such a yummy day at the end of my trip. :D

My mystery bird

Here it is - it's an Australian White Ibis, and they're BIG. I was excited to see such an exotic-looking bird on my travels - but apparently they're a bit of a pest. As are possums, even ones that have just alighted from the Parramatta train. They're still cool, though!

Snatched time and growling playgrounds

It was back to my beloved trees today - Australian ones this time, rather than Canadian. Having worked extra hours yesterday, I unexpectedly had free time this afternoon. There's something delightful about snatched time - freedom when you weren't expecting it - that makes you walk tall and breathe deep. Bliss! My walk took me to the depths of Flat Rock Creek, scrambling over rocks to reach the bottom of the gully. At one point I veered off the path, through the undergrowth, to reach a spot of dappled sunlight I hoped would photograph well. Suddenly, I remembered this was Aussie undergrowth I was invading, and that most of the creatures in it could probably kill me. I still took my photo, but didn't hang around for too long afterwards...

On my way back from the creek, I explored a delightful children's park. It had slides built into the rocks, mini roadways and bridges, a water pump to create your own creek and rocks carved into the shapes of jungle animals, which growled as you passed them. How cool is that! It made me want to borrow someone's toddler so that I had an excuse to do it all again. In a field next to the park, there was a large wading bird digging for its afternoon tea. (It was wading in the grass, not the water.) It had a white body, black tail, and a small black head with extremely long, curved bill for filleting out tasty morsels. I've no idea what it was - maybe the twitcher I met in New York could tell me. At the same time, two red and green parrots were circling and squawking overhead. Not a sight I see regularly in Surbiton!

Which reminds me - two days ago, while walking back from the station, I followed a possum along the pavement. I think he'd just got off the 17.54 to Parramatta. This is a great country!

A limey down under

Greetings from Down Under - where we're about to be lashed with gale-force winds. Anyone who thinks Australia is the land of never-ending sun should have been here for the past four days. Perpetual rain would be nearer the mark...

It's great to be here, though. I fell in love with Sydney six years ago, and it's still my favourite city. Today I took a day off (from preparing training material for Saturday) and hopped onto one of Sydney's fab double-decker trains. I ended up at Darling harbour ('all those boats, darling') and the Maritime Museum. I clambered over, under and through four ships (wishing I was a foot shorter) which bobbed ever more gamely as the impending gales drew nearer.

The replica of Cook's Endeavor is fascinating. They built in an extra floor to accommodate civilian scientists, with the result that you stoop through a four-foot-high deck reminiscent of the mezzanine floor in 'Being John Malkovich'. I also enjoyed a 19th century 3-masted barque, a naval destroyer and a sub (sadly, not yellow). I expected the sub to be the most cramped - but the Endeavor wins that battle with ease.

And why am I a limey? The title comes from the habit in the 19th century of British sailors being given lime juice to combat scurvey. On the Endeavor, they used sauerkraut for the same purpose. So, which would you rather be named? A limey (green and sharp) or sauerkraut (green and sour). What a sweet choice...

PS
If you're still wondering why one of my Thursdays went missing - see the comments on my previous blog. It's something to do with 80 days' worth of fairy dust!

One of my Thursdays is missing...

Yesterday was my last full day in Vancouver, mostly spent at Granville Island, as shown in the photo (meeting M, the nephew of a family friend).

Today, I jump on a plane to Sydney. I leave on Wednesday afternoon, nip over the date line, and land on Friday morning. But where's Thursday?

My trip lasts for 41 days - from Sun 27th May, to Fri 6th July. But I'm only going to experience 40 days. One of my Thursdays is missing! Has it gone for a picnic? Did it join Wallace & Gromit on the moon? Is it sulking somewhere? Is there an International Thursday Convention this week?

I know I've had the same number of hours, minutes, seconds as everyone else - but there's something solid and satisfying about experiencing a full day. I unaccountably feel cheated...

Giving in to temptation

Yesterday I wrote about one of my passions - trees. My guess is that a number of you agreed my views on that one.

Today, I gave in to another passion - but suspect you'll be less convinced...

I met up this morning with the nephew of an old friend of the family. He happens to live at Granville Island, in Vancouver. When I was here two years ago, Granville Island was my top priority for a visit. Was it for the famous market? No. Was it the craft shops? No. Was it the waterfront and views? No. It was...

Granville Island Model Trains Museum!

I'm sorry. I know most of you now have me cast off as a hopeless, sad member of the human race - but I have to confess that one of my passions is model railways. So when I found I had an hour to spare, I gave in to temptation, and went back to see the trains. It was a delight! :) And I found myself yet again wandering if I can somehow squeeze a layout into my small flat...

For those of you who are unimpressed - sorry - hopefully you'll find my next blog rather more erudite.
For anyone who is a fellow enthusiast - you can find out more here.

Being surreal in Connecticut

It's fun being in the States. SO many new experiences:

* Staying in a Condominium (with my delightful hosts)
* Going to a clambake (clam chowder, followed by swashbuckling swordfish)
* Baking in the 90+ heat of the day
* Baking even more under the stage lights for our concert rehearsal
* Spotting wild turkeys (big) and chipmunks (small)

BUT my abiding memory will be the clambake, in a small hall on the beach, surrounded by windows. We were treated to a fantastic storm, with lightning flashes all round. Two choirs together, after a couple of hours of munching and drinking, inevitably started a sing-song. Hence I found myself standing in an open doorway, with the rain on my face, the lightning dazzling me from all sides, while behind me came a succession of rousing show tunes! Surreal...

Why is my head in the cupboard?

I could make today's blog an NY travelogue:
* The subway (fun)
* Staten Island ferry (glide past the Statue of Liberty, for FREE!!!)
* Times Square (not square at all)
* Grand Central Station (oh, so grand)
* Rockefeller Tower (stupendous views from the top)
* Fifth Avenue (window-shopping at Tiffany's)
* Metropolitan Opera House (for ballet, not opera - Puck was outrageously athletic)
And all this in one day.

BUT, what you all want to know is...
why was my head in the cupboard???

My hotel room is a homage to the art of being compact. It has what you need - a bed, a closet, an air-conditioner (sticking out the window like all the best movies) - but little else. The restroom (spot the NY lingo) is amazingly similar in size to the one on the plane - including a shower. But my greatest delight is the sink. Like all else, this is small. No problem - sinks don't need to be large. Above the sink is a small, mirrored cupboard. Very useful, I hear you think. Mmm... yes... except...

The sink is about twelve inches deep. The cupboard above it is eight inches deep. That leaves four inches of leeway to get your head above the sink while cleaning your teeth. My head is bigger than four inches!

Can I twist my head sideways to fit? No.
Can I duck under the cupboard, while imitating Quasimodo? No.
Can I miss the sink, and dribble over my toes instead? Definitely.

Two days on, I found the solution: if I open the cupboard door, and stick my head (diagonally) into the cupboard, squeezing between two shelves, I gain almost three inches. Just enough to save my toes.

I shall have lasting memories of New York - but one of the most vivid will be sticking my head in a cupboard...

The real thing

Today, I enjoyed the best burger I have ever tasted. Courtesy of 'Big Nicks' burger bar on Broadway, made and cooked to my specifications - it was succulent, flavoursome, huge(!) and truly scrumptious. If bliss could be summed up as a burger - this one was it!

And yet... with such a treasury of delight to choose from (there were over 40 burgers on the menu) - people still go to McDonalds. Why??!!

* Is it that they've never tasted the real thing, and genuinely don't know how good a burger can be?
* Is it that they've tried both, and actually prefer a Big Mac?
* Is it that they feel comfortable among the crowds, knowing that their McDonalds cheeseburger will taste the same in any country in the world?
* Or is it - as an American suggested to me tonight - simply that McDonalds is cheap, and just round the corner?

I wonder if the same is true for Christianity? I know so many people who have never tasted genuine, biblical Christianity. They think religion is about rules, not a relationship. Their picture of God, if they think He exists at all, is either that He is grumpy and judgemental, or well-meaning but impotent. They've never tasted the real thing - the God of grace, who is truly good and wholly sovereign.

I suppose there really are some people out there who have eaten at both McDonalds and Big Nicks - and honestly prefer McDonalds. But my guess is that the majority of Bic Mac fans have simply never tasted the real thing. I suspect, sadly, that the same is true of most non-Christians.

Twitchers and Turtles

At the end of 48 hours in sticky Manhattan I've discovered that New Yorkers are friendly, and that Central Park doesn't have proper names for its lakes. I've been on my own since arriving here - and wondered how that would be in a city I've only seen in news bulletins and movies. Would I be safe? Would I get lost? (The answer to both questions is Yes!)

* Stuck at JFK, with no idea how to phone the people I should have met, an incredibly helpful staff member showed my how to buy a Sprint phone card, and even dialled the number for me. Thanks Tara!
* Having discovered the people I was meeting had gone on without me, I caught my first Yellow Cab. In the movies, cab drivers either chat non-stop, or turn out to be villains in disguise. This one preferred the ball game...
* A walk into Central Park in the morning brought me to 'The lake'. (The park also houses 'The pond', 'The pool', 'The reservoir' and 'The loch'!) Great views, and an unexpected sighting of a melee of turtles squeezed together on twin rocks. Later, I went to Belvedere Lake, which seemed a rare exception in having a proper name - only to discover that it's now called Turtle Pond. (With an absence of turtles...)
* Back at The Lake, I met a delightful bird-watcher, who was at great pains to clarify that he was NOT a 'Twitcher' as we Brits like to say, but a serious bird-watcher. I learnt how big his patch is in the park, the precise start and end times of his daily bird-watching stroll, and how to recognise an American Robin (much bigger than ours, with an orange breast and white rings round its eyes - I've met several today). This is the most I will ever want to know about bird-watching - but he was a joy to talk to.
* Later, on my way to 'The reservoir', I stopped to bask in the cool, smooth tones of a Mississippi jazz band. Their CD is my first official souvenir of my trip. Hey man! After which, a hot dog felt like the NY thing to do.
* Foot-sore, but content, I ended up in the Guggenheim Museum. This Frank Lloyd Wright marvel is swathed in scaffolding - but still a wonder to behold. I loved the building - and the art - and my Scottish genes loved the reduced entrance fee! Inside, another friendly American chatted knowledgeably about Japanese art - slightly bizarrely, we were in the Neo-Impressionist section at the time!
* After the l-o-n-g trek back to my hotel, it's now 6.15pm. But my body clock knows it's really gone 11! I hope I'll feel more awake for our first choir concert tomorrow night - or my singing may be rather random...