The Lion King

The other night I went with the parents to see The Lion King at the theatre in London. It's one of those films you think they could never get right on the stage ... well they hit the jackpot!!! It was completely awesome - I recommend it to you so strongly. They followed with the film pretty well and did all the songs fantastically. I don't go to the theatre often, so I was quite impressed when the stage started falling, rising, tilting etc!!! The best actor must have been Rafiki (which means 'friend' in Swahili) and the guy who did Zazu was brilliant as well. It's fairly expensive, but so worth it - so get booking your tickets and enjoy.

The Gardener

Some years ago, a man, travelling in Sicily,
came across a house with a beautifully kept garden.
It was in Palermo and was known by the locals as 'the English garden'.
Working away in a corner was the gardener.
They got talking and the traveller asked him,
'How long have you worked here?''Forty years.
''Is the owner about?''He's away but he'll be back.
'When?''I don't know.''How long is it since you last saw him?
''I've never seen him.''What an amazing thing!
You've worked here for forty years without seeing the owner and
you don't know when he's coming back.
Why, this place is kept so beautifully.
You'd think you were expecting him tomorrow.
''Today, sir. Today.'

We should be prepared and expecting the owner to return today...let's get weeding!

My LORD

"The LORD is my rock,

my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold." (Psalm 18:2)

Wahoo, yeah!

Austria Rocks!!!

Well, where to start?...We set off at 11:30am on Friday 10th of February. There were about 20 Monktonians going, but our coach picked up about 25 from Godolphin (all girls) school an hour or two in. We then drove all the way to Austria by coach, catching the tunnel.
Half way through the journey I got a text message from my Dad, who said that it was headline news in England that a coach carrying school pupils on their half term to go skiing in Austria had crashed and rolled over in Germany on the exact route, time, situation that we were in. He was just checking that we were alright. Now, I just saw this as a great opportunity to have a laugh, and so I texted back saying "A broken collar bone and three ribs smashed, but the nurses are very nice", I hasten to add that I also said at the end of the same text "Only joking, we're fine". This got through to one other concerned parent (Mrs Naseman, who I don't think laughed much) and another (a member of staff at school) who didn't just not laugh but got a bit angry with me. If you a parent I upset, then I'm very sorry, but I just thought I was texting my Dad - not a dozen anxious parents! In my defence - wait a while and you'll see the funny side. It could have been worse - if I'd sent a text saying "11/02/06 12:11, Your message could not be delivered. This phone is either switched off or has been crushed in a horendous bus accident". If I had done that then I expect the teacher concerned might have lynched me.
After a joyous 28 hour journey we hired our equipment and settled down in our very nice 4 star hotel.
Then followed a week of beautiful, powdery, beautiful snowboarding with a group of Monktonians (except one) (see picture, left). My boarding improved a lot and I managed to do some fantastic off-piste with Mr and Mrs Miller (a couple of staff from Monkton). In the evenings we had various activities such as sledging, ice-go cart driving, watching professional skiers and snowboarders doing tricks and going to a sing along music restaurant (or apres-ski).
Here comes a funny story...when in this apres-ski the waitress brought me a nice hot chocolate and I was just sinking my nose into the cream when I looked across the room and saw my best friend from primary school, George Pickup (see the picture, right). So we had a chat a caught up a little. Really, the chances of meeting a friend you haven't seen for six years in Austria, at a particular resort, on a particular slope, at a particular restuarant, and at the same time...are rather small!!!
We had some beautiful weather during the week, which meant I could get some of these brilliant photos. One day, just to slip it in, I was doing a lovely carving turn (when you get low to the ground) and didn't realise that another run joined the one I was on from the side and so I perfectly took out the legs of a skier. I had gone first and so the rest of my group were watching and their laughter didn't help me as I tried to apologise. She wasn't hurt, but her initial groans of pain made me think I might be in trouble.
One night me a three other guys jumped into the 80 fahrenheit sauna and enjoyed that for a while before jumping into the snow outside -15 degrees C in our swimming shorts - I won't do it again.
The journey back (20 hours) didn't seem nearly as bad as the one there - I suppose we were pros by then.
We arrived back in the quad at Monkton at 6:30am on Sunday 19th. It took a while to catch up on sleep and work, but it was all worth it for what was up there with the best holidays of my life...ever, ever.

My Brother Andy

Just a quick note to say (because I'm really proud) that my brother Andy has been appointed the new physics teacher at King Edward's School in Cheltenham! He starts in September...

Hockey

This year I'm in the 3rds hockey again. It's fantastic fun! I'm playing in defence - normally centre back.
Last Saturday (14th Jan) we beat Sherborne 4:2, which was great. Unfortunately today (21st) we lost 1:0 to Kingswood.

This isn't a bad result though as last year we lost to the same team 5:1. It was very close and we had a few chances to equalize, but in the end they probably played better.
Next week we play King Edward's, which will be another challenging game, but we are very good for a 3rds.
Wish us luck, will post the result next Saturday.

(P.S. The photos aren't of Monkton people or anyone I know)

Where's Wally?

Where's Wally was fantastic! The drawer just liked drawing crowds to begin with, then everyone enjoyed trying to find this character Wally, who appears in all of his crowd pictures, so much that he has made loads of money out of it.

Trying to find Wally is fun and extremely satisfying...but sometimes, particularly with those later on in the book, quite difficult and frustrating. God is just like this; it can be really difficult to find him and very annoying when we don't really think he's there or that he's ignoring us. But keep cracking on because, as you'll remember, it's so satisfying when you find him - even more so with God!!!

My Christmas...

…has been fantastic! I came home with two History essays, tiredness and an appetite. I sorted the last two, but managed to tell my self “what do you mean history work – that doesn’t exist” up until the other day – so my holiday wasn’t spoilt, until now! This year we had Gran with us and all us ‘kids’ were together. This is the last Christmas that we’ll all be together like this though, as Mike and Andy are getting married in the summer; the end of an era…but the beginning of a new one. We did the whole ‘Tufnell Christmas’ thing, which means biscuits and board games regularly interrupted with tea – lovely jubbly! My Christmas day went: stockings, Church, long and gluttonous lunch, Queen’s speech, pressies, relaxing whilst several courses digested and laughing at ‘The Bunny Book of Suicides’ (see below), rummikub, supper (slightly smaller than usual), listening to my new Jack Johnson CD (recommend it), sleep! My Christmas routine has been essentially the same the last sixteen times as well, but I love it! Anyway now I just have to finish off work before the long slog of next term…but snowboarding at half-term! Wooppee!!!

Karl+Susan4EVER!!!

For those of you who, like me, always watch Neighbours you may well be thinking now about the future of Karl and Susan Kennedy! Yes, it's quite sad that I'm blogging about it, but I know there are more people out there that are interested than let on. Is that you? Susan had recently agreed to marry Alex, who had not told her that he had lymphoma and was at death's door. Karl, being Alex's doctor, knew this and when he found out the connection between him and Susan he obviously wanted to tell Susan. In the end he did and so broke his patient-doctor confidentiality thing. Now that Susan has found out that when Alex proposed it wasn't just because he loved her, but because he wanted to secure a mother for his children after he died she has called off the engagement. So...what will happen next? I reckon (and I haven't checked the site or anything quite that sad) that Alex will kick the bucket, Susan will realise that Karl must really love her to have risked his job, they'll get back together and either they'll look after Alex's children, or Alex's children will leave the show to live with some aunt or something. Whatever happens, Susan and Karl will get back together in the end...just you watch and see! Oh, and leave a comment!

Go On...Oh Go On!

The Long Silence

At the end of time, billions of people were seated on a great plain before God's throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly, not cringing with shame - but with belligerence. "Can God judge us? How can He know about suffering?", snapped a pert young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. "We endured terror ... beatings ... torture ... death!" In another group a Negro boy lowered his collar. "What about this?" he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. "Lynched, for no crime but being black !" In another crowd there was a pregnant schoolgirl with sullen eyes: "Why should I suffer?" she murmured. "It wasn't my fault." Far out across the plain were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for the evil and suffering He had permitted in His world. How lucky God was to live in Heaven, where all was sweetness and light. Where there was no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred. What did God know of all that man had been forced to endure in this world? For God leads a pretty sheltered life, they said. So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he had suffered the most. A Jew, a negro, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly deformed arthritic, a thalidomide child. In the centre of the vast plain, they consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their case. It was rather clever.Before God could be qualified to be their judge, He must endure what they had endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth as a man. Let him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Give him a work so difficult that even his family will think him out of his mind. Let him be betrayed by his closest friends. Let him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced jury and convicted by a cowardly judge. Let him be tortured.At the last, let him see what it means to be terribly alone. Then let him die so there can be no doubt he died. Let there be a great host of witnesses to verify it.As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the throng of people assembled. When the last had finished pronouncing sentence, there was a long silence. No one uttered a word. No one moved. For suddenly, all knew that God had already served His sentence.

Don't Miss a Chance for a Laugh!

Hee Hee!

Snowboarding is the Business

If you have never been skiing or snowboarding (like I hadn't until last Easter) then you have to! It is totally sensational! I went with Ben Naseman, my bro Mike, my sis Catherine and a whole load of other people with Oak Hall last Easter and it was unforgetable. This at the top is me ontop of a mountain called the Schiltorn (where they filmed part of James Bond 'Her Majesty's secret service') with mountains as far as you can see. I'm going again with Monkton CCF in half term (Feb 10th)!!! Can't wait! As well as the snowboarding being incredible fun and the adreneline out of this world, it also is amazing to think that God in person actually tore up the ground into the mountains you can see on the right! It's so impressive! Praise him!

The Bunny Book of Suicides

For Christmas I was given by my bro Andy and his fiancé Claire 'The Bunny Book of Suicides'. It's full of crazy ways that bunnies try to kill themselves when they've had enough of life. I totally recommend it to you it's fantastic...here's one of the pics from it!

As Close as a Lift of a Finger!

This is a picture of 'The Creation of Adam' painted by Michelangelo and is on the roof of the Cistine Chapel in Rome. It shows God stretched out straining with every muscle of his body to reach Adam - this shows how desperate he is to know mankind...you! Yet Adam is relaxed and is rather feebly lifting a hand in God's direction, all it would take for the gap between God and Adam to be breached is for Adam to gently lift his finger...it is up to Adam. It's the same with us, God is only a prayer away, he has done everything he can to reach us, the ball is in our court! One critic described this painting as "one timeless moment" that we're inside - that means it's up to us just as it was to Adam. God is closer than you think...as close as a lift of a finger!

Freedom!!!

My brother Andy gave me this...