I've had a truly brilliant day.
Saturdays mean a whole lot more when you're working office hours the rest of the week. Today felt really long, which was nice.
The sun was shining and it was warm, which isn't that normal for up here, whatever the locals tell you...
I was with family friends and had a quiet morning watching Everybody loves Raymond (which i... love...) and enjoying not being at work really early!
And then I decided to discover the METRO CENTRE...
Now, if you have been doing some research, or reading these posts carefully, you will know that Newcastle is very fond of the word "Metro".
Its underground trains are called the Metro, there is the Metro music venue, the Metro Centre, and probably a dodgy pizza place called "Metropizza" as well.
But anyway, the Metro Centre is a large shopping centre (the biggest in the North East, England, Europe, the galaxy... take your pick) and is actually in GATESHEAD. So I made a mistake above.
People in Gateshead are understandably keen to point out that many of the newly built attractions - the Sage concert theatre, the Baltic (a modern art gallery) and the Metro Centre, are all in Gateshead, and not Newcastle.
This place is indeed massive - red zone, blue zone, green zone, yellow zone, central arcade. All on two levels - and loads of shops.
I bought a few small things - some nice pens and a holder to brighten my desk, and a very swish bedside light. It really is very nice. Very nice. I like it. :-)
And then I came out into more sunshine and warmth to watch football on the tele.
Newcastle were playing, live on BBC 1 - which was exciting. And as a new Newcastler, I was supporting them - they drew sadly, and were wearing a horrendous yellow striped shirt. It really is awful.
I also enjoyed a lovely piece of salmon, and homemade chips, and watched Total Wipeout.
Total Wipeout is a programme I don't think I'll find funny every time I watch it, but I do. Its just brilliant!
So, a lovely day, and now off to sleep. :-)
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Longbarn life
Before I talk about Longbarn life, I'm listening to a programme on Radio 4 about MI6 - or the SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) as they are formally called - and its quite sobering.
It seems to be pretty different to Spooks and James Bond, some of it must be quite dull and office-like I think. The programme is talking about 'moles' in the service as well, which sounds awful (unless they were moles in the KGB...)
So anyway, Longbarn. What a great camp it was again.
What really struck me this time was seeing children changing as the week went on.
Every night we had 'S.T.E.P' (singing, thinking, exploring, praying) when these 50 children heard a Bible story, along with great songs (with me singing too which was fun).
Children who seemed very uninterested at the beginning of the week were singing and listening enthusiastically by the end of it. It really made me think about why I do it and encourage me that it makes such a difference.
This year was also great with the leaders! We had a lot of laughs, about everything from playing Top Trumps, to falling over in the mud, to losing at handball (6-2 on one day!).
It was so much fun.
But now I'm back in newCASTLE.
And I like it here. I'm getting to know places and enjoying exploring the area.
Work is good too, and I'm enjoying being paid a lot too!! (I'm enjoying it a lot, I'm not being paid a lot, well more than when I was at Essentials...)
It seems to be pretty different to Spooks and James Bond, some of it must be quite dull and office-like I think. The programme is talking about 'moles' in the service as well, which sounds awful (unless they were moles in the KGB...)
So anyway, Longbarn. What a great camp it was again.
What really struck me this time was seeing children changing as the week went on.
Every night we had 'S.T.E.P' (singing, thinking, exploring, praying) when these 50 children heard a Bible story, along with great songs (with me singing too which was fun).
Children who seemed very uninterested at the beginning of the week were singing and listening enthusiastically by the end of it. It really made me think about why I do it and encourage me that it makes such a difference.
This year was also great with the leaders! We had a lot of laughs, about everything from playing Top Trumps, to falling over in the mud, to losing at handball (6-2 on one day!).
It was so much fun.
But now I'm back in newCASTLE.
And I like it here. I'm getting to know places and enjoying exploring the area.
Work is good too, and I'm enjoying being paid a lot too!! (I'm enjoying it a lot, I'm not being paid a lot, well more than when I was at Essentials...)
Monday, 20 July 2009
Green grass
Coming home from work today I decided not to go all the way back on the Metro, so I walked.
And you'd think walking from one part of Newcastle to another I would pass concrete block after concrete block.
Well, thankfully, Newcastle isn't like that!
It seems to have lots of public parks, large open spaces of green loveliness.
So it was really great walking back through Jesmond Dene and Heaton Park.
Fresh air, trees, space and the outside.
Lovely, and unusual for a big city which is known for it industrial heritage.
And you'd think walking from one part of Newcastle to another I would pass concrete block after concrete block.
Well, thankfully, Newcastle isn't like that!
It seems to have lots of public parks, large open spaces of green loveliness.
So it was really great walking back through Jesmond Dene and Heaton Park.
Fresh air, trees, space and the outside.
Lovely, and unusual for a big city which is known for it industrial heritage.
Saturday, 18 July 2009
Shopping centres, weather, and other things that British people like to talk about.
Well, I haven't written on this blog for some time.
So Newcastle life is going well, it is not as hot as some parts of the country, in fact yesterday it rained ALL DAY! Not just spitting rain, massive buckets of water from the sky. Today is better weather wise, a lot brighter.
Josh came up to Newcastle last week. We went to the the city centre, and into a rather large shopping centre - eldon place or something - and it did the thing that all shopping centres do: make you feel like you're in any city in a any county, SOMEWHERE in the UK.
It is very strange how this happens, and it might be something to do with the shops all being the same in the whole country, but it really did feel like I could be in Reading, or London, or Scotland.
So we attempted to make our way out, and then spent about 20 minutes wandering round this vast bright shopping centre unable to find the exit! At one point we could see the street from above but couldn't get out, it was weird!
So Newcastle life is going well, it is not as hot as some parts of the country, in fact yesterday it rained ALL DAY! Not just spitting rain, massive buckets of water from the sky. Today is better weather wise, a lot brighter.
Josh came up to Newcastle last week. We went to the the city centre, and into a rather large shopping centre - eldon place or something - and it did the thing that all shopping centres do: make you feel like you're in any city in a any county, SOMEWHERE in the UK.
It is very strange how this happens, and it might be something to do with the shops all being the same in the whole country, but it really did feel like I could be in Reading, or London, or Scotland.
So we attempted to make our way out, and then spent about 20 minutes wandering round this vast bright shopping centre unable to find the exit! At one point we could see the street from above but couldn't get out, it was weird!
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Website curiosity
Just seen the front page of www.kent.ac.uk - my old uni website and had to laugh.
They have a link for "Canterbury open day" above the link for "Swine flu update".
Probably not the kind of welcome they were going for...
You're a what?
I haven't written on this for AGES...
Well, "from a final year to the world" is this blog's tagline, and I'm going to have to change that, because I am now officially a graduand. What's that? Umm, Google...? Its a person who's finished their degree, but has not actually graduated. So I will be a graduand for a matter of days, I'm going to enjoy it!
The good news is that I have a 2:1, and the other good news is that I've now moved to Newcastle for a job up here.
For people reading this who are not British (or indeed, know only the south of England...), Newcastle is nearly 300 miles from London, and on the River Tyne. It is famous for its football team (recently relegated), its ale, coal, and recent rejuvenation.
Its a great place, and this blog I'm sure will soon be full of the differences between my former home of Whitstable and Newcastle.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)