Excitedly anticipating Nerea home from Malaysia

We’re off to Heathrow this weekend to collect Nerea after a month in Malaysia.  It sounds as if she and the rest of the team have had a wonderful time in Borneo, climbing Mt Kinabalu, scuba diving, working on a rainforest protection programme, helping in a school and latterly enduring the deprivations of shopping in cosmopolitan Kuala Lumpur and Penang.  It seems as if she’s coped admirably with jungle spiders and has only had 4 leeches to deal with!! As a cultural experience, it’s been unlike anything she’s experienced before. Andy and I can’t wait to hear about her adventures.

Theater Titanick

Friday evening saw a spectacular open air event in the atmospheric grounds of Carlisle Castle.  Performed by Theater Titanick, the story of the ill-fated Titanic was depicted using music, fire and water. The unmistakable sounds of metal-working accompanied the construction of the ship’s framework before a blaze of fireworks indicated the collision with the iceberg. Jets of water played over the crew, valiantly attempting to stop the onslaught while the first class passengers enjoyed a luxury feast on deck.  The inevitable climax of the breathtaking performance saw the ship collapsing as it slowly sank.  It was a stunning theatrical experience

Photo courtesy of CN newspapers

Edinburgh

There’s a real positive energy about Edinburgh.  Although I’ve visited several times before, recently it’s always been for work so there’s never been time to savour the delights of its bloody, ancient history.  But last week we visited as fully fledged  tourists with Richard and Mavis.  We explored the Castle which was preparing for the Tattoo before wandering along the Royal Mile.  We learned of the street’s grisly past by following a geocache trail to Holyrood and the new Scottish Parliament before returning to the centre via Princes Street and homemade ice-creams!!  A great day out was had by all!

House Guests

We’re having a visitor coming to stay this week. Although she’s quite particular in many ways, bringing her own bed and eating utensils, she’s a relatively undemanding house guest who’ll provide entertaining company for Molly when we’re at work.  Despite this, her vacation may not be a welcome one for all the household members, especially those of a feline nature, as she’s not terribly used to cats.  She enjoys exercise so it’s likely she’ll be up and about for early morning constitutionals with Andy and Molly before enjoying a light breakfast with the later risers in the family.  Welcome Misty!

Skype and Mt Kinabalu

My technological ability has improved so much that yesterday, Andy and I Skyped wth Nerea in Borneo.  She looked happy, fit and tanned as she told us of her experiences in the jungle and on climbing Mt Kinabalu.  We’re very proud of her and the rest of the team as the mountain is over 4000m high and looks very steep in places.  They’re off to the rain forest today so we’ll not hear from her again until she returns.  They’re planting trees to replace those destroyed through logging  with the aim of ensuring the continued survival of the Borneo orang-u-tans

Tempus Fugit

Tonight, Andy and I went to an “Arts Evening” at school.  As I nibbled canapés (black olives, grapes, celery and feta cheese; delicious) in the art room, I pondered on
a) The extraordinary talent of the students in the fields of photography, painting, music and drama and
b) just how quickly the event has come round again.  Can it really be a year since I was eating olives and thinking “Is it really a year since…..”? At the risk of sounding like, or worse, turning into my mother, Tempus Fugit is very much at the front of my mind

Technology

Technology is a wonderful thing.  It’s meant we’ve been able to contact our globetrotting daughter from deepest, darkest Borneo via email, expedition blog and FB.  On the few occasions when the team are wi-fi enabled, there’s also the opportunity to Skype at scheduled times. We don’t have a camera or microphone on our computer so further kit and software are needed if we decide to participate.  By all accounts, Nerea’s having an amazing time, enjoying new cultural experiences with the excitement of the much anticipated rain forest adventures still to come.  From tomorrow, Deet will need to be applied liberally!

The Case of the Vanishing Cheese

Now that Nerea has been away for several days, our suspicions that it is she who is the SOLE perpetrator of several heinous crimes in our family are strengthening.  Take “The Case of the Vanishing Cheese”.  A large, tempting wedge of Wensleydale has been residing in our (genuine) Tupperware cheese box since Friday and there’s absolutely no evidence of half pound “slivers” inexplicably disappearing. . The lasting presence of cheese and Nerea’s absence cannot be coincidental. Despite crumbs in her bedroom and her previous strenuous denials to the contrary, I’m now certain that she is indeed the mysterious cheese thief.

Dr Who

Well, the last Dr Who episode of the series certainly lived up to expectations. It was action packed, emotional, amusing and touching in equal measures. Most importantly there were sufficient teasers to leave us wanting more from the next series.  The personalities of the Dr, his companions and helpers have really developed, creating a cast of interesting, 3-dimensional characters. It was a huge risk to launch a new script writer and a new Dr in the same series but the gamble has definitely paid off.  We are already waiting with anticipation for Christmas when the next special episode will be screened.

Nerea the Borneo Babe!

Nerea's off to Borneo today for a month and although I'm feeling excited for her, I'm apprehensive too. She's never been away for this length of time before and certainly never to such a remote part of the world.  We're lightweight travellers so she shouldn't be overloaded but I keep remembering things that would be useful. Knowing Nerea, the trip will develop her appetite for future travel! It's been quite a financial commitment for us but actually a small price to experience the opportunity of a lifetime.  It's left Andy and me wishing we were off travelling again too