Emms girls Camping

Emms girls Camping, a set on Flickr.

2010 is here

With New Year I have moved the blog to a new address to correspond with the new life.

Start of a New Decade.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year

As the year and decade comes to a close, I look back and congratulate myself on all I have achieved. Things have not all been easy, and I think the biggest and most shocking event was the Hole in the Wall – which perhaps gave me the push I needed, to make the big move.

Home hunting, took a bit of time, especially as I was searching on both sides of Europe, keeping my options open until the last. If you have ever looked at online estate agents, you will know the choice is unlimited, even overwhelming. Strange that I ended up moving in the first place I looked at. Of course that might well have been in Greece, had I ever got hold of the keys to the place on the other side of the hill!

The biggest realisation is that everything can be replaced, even improved on. This realisation has affected every aspect of my life. After a huge shopping trip, I question why did I return to Britain with four large kit bags? I’m sure I could have reduced it further, call me sentimental there were just a few things I could not part with. Why I kept so many beach sarongs I do not know.

The summer was fun, with contract work, and some free time to catch up with my family and enjoy the beaches of Thanet. For those of you that know me from my Greek life, let me tell you the beaches here in Britian are just as good, and around here, in Thanet we have nine miles of golden sand. Ok the winter is a bit different, I miss the sun and getting my washing dry, sitting having a coffee in the courtyard.

I’m still enjoying the luxuries of civilised life, running hot water, and central heating, but best of all is the heated towel rail. I’m not sure I will ever appreciate the tumble drier. I miss island community life, and have done my best to make friends here.

I got caught in snow chaos on the British railways both in February and in December, after more than nine years of the naughties commuting across Europe, major journeys and serious delays, lots of lost luggage thanks to Olympic airways, and goodness knows how many cancelled ferries and broken down hydrofoils it falls into insignificance. News of suicide bombers and increased security at airports leaves me with feelings of empathy for those who travel for a living. I do not miss the travelling at all.

So my plans and resolutions for the New Year, a new job and to be more part of the local community, and to keep up the good start that I have made at the gym oh and to curb the love of crisps.

Miss Emms is oh so cute

Miss Emms as the Virgin Mary
http://tweetphoto.com/6473560

Weather Warning for Friday

As I have thing to do that involve car driving on that day.
Please let the Met Office be wrong.

Risk of disruption
Warning
Valid
London & South East England:

Kent

Medway
Heavy Snow
Fri 18 Dec
There is a moderate risk of severe weather affecting southeastern parts of England. Snow showers, especially during the first half of the day, will give local accumulations of 5 to 10cm.
Issued at: 1105 Tue 15 Dec

Source http://www.metoffice.gov.uk

So I’m passive-aggressive

Well according to Ayanna G.

Those who rely on email are often wordy people. Those who are not, simply feel that they better express themselves through written word. "Emailers" don't necessarily hate using the phone. But there is frequently no real sense of urgency involved in their subject matter. In fact, since a response to an email usually is not immediately forthcoming, some might even argue that those who prefer email are somewhat passive-aggressive. In general, email is best for those who have lots to say, and plenty of time in which to say it.

OK ever since I was a school girl – I’ve had a lot to say

What does your preferred method of communication say about you?

Want to come for dinner?

Again I’m using up the food in the fridge. With a glass of cold wine in one hand I’m busy making Mushroom risotto for the freezer, and oh and as it smells so very good, I may just have some supper tonight.

Guessing I can freeze the kidneys as they are (-: and as to the Turkey and bacon pie, that will just have to be tomorrow’s lunch as Insult-Us are on the phone asking me to work! So it’s back to work on Thursday.

Time to draw a line under my little frustration with them, but it will be interesting to see what comes back from the job hunting exercise of today.
Two interviews lined up for the first week of the new year - not that the lolly is up to much! It might be worth going along just for the experience of it?

The goose is getting fat.

Realised that I do not have a single Christmas decoration – not that I really had a lot in Greece, I did make a bit of an effort and every year I added to the small collection of bits and bobs.

In the past my trees (no fir trees on small Greek island which is little more than rock) so one year I cut down branches of olive tree, another’s a large rosemary bush, pruned to the shape of a tree. Alternative smell came from the lemons and bitter oranges that were tied with ribbons and hung as bubals.

Visiting the local super store last night I am totally overwhelmed with amount of glittery lovely things available in the shops. Just the choice of angels for the top of the tree is huge. All a bit different from the cone of paper with a scrunched up ball for a head, and painted on face, hair made from curly ribbon and tin foil wings.

I find the whole materialism totally sickening. Making the decorations was in the past part of the fun. Christmas is more than flashing lights and tinsel. Laughed about the time I tried to make my own raisins by drying the grapes in the sun – all got was rats on the terrace, and I had to borrow a cat to get rid of them.

Surprise, surprise, I got to the checkout with nothing other than a mixing bowl for making the pudding and mind full of mixed feelings and some arty idea about making my own.

Pink Party

With little nieces the Christmas party is going to have a lot of Pink, Auntie Lisa, thinks pink is a good idea.

Kinky Pink

1/4 raspberry vodka
1/3 cranberry juice
2 measurements Archers Peach Schnapps

With the archers add the cranberry juice with ice and mix, leave for a wile then add the raspberry vodka the drink will turn pink. Serve chilled with any sexy accessories.

Ho Hummm

OK - I got the date wrong on Monday!

November 17,

Bored at work, and just noticed the date 17th Nov, wonder how many of my friends can tell me what’s special about that?


For some it’s a day off school, but for others it is Greek terrorist organization responsible for deaths of American, British and Turkish diplomats.

Symi-Photos

Symi-Photos

Oh now that makes me homesick..

Creative Art

The only problem with making my own Christmas cards is the time it takes. Still I have start and have at least come up with a theme (Matthew 1:20-25) for this year’s model and started collecting materials to make the cards with. This afternoon I took a quick look around the craft shop. I’m horrified by the prices of ready to stick on bits of card, for goodness sake.

PLEEZE!

When stuck on a tiny island with NO shops bursting with glittery stuff, and selection of readymade cards limited, I was always quite creative in finding something or other to make the Christmas cards with. Always a concern was post leaving the island, (or not), and normally I would get on with the task as soon as the Panormitis festival was over which due to work commitments over December, is a habit I’m happy to continue with.

Returned home, raided the cupboards, and draws, for Sparkly stuff, card, string ect., not easy when I have not long moved in. The draws are still tidy and don’t have bits and bobs to rummage through. Still the creative me, made a small start. :-)

Here in the UK we already have started to see jolly faced red men in big red coats singing ho ho ho.. or Jingle Bells. The shops are bursting with party stuff, with everything from roasting tins, and foil, to brightly coloured wrapping paper and decorations everywhere you look. The cafe at ASDA is already selling Christmas Dinner for a few quid, hum ... dread to think what it tastes like. I'm not having any mince pies till at least the 1st December.

It’s all so very different from Christmas on Symi, where a few lights which appear mid- December.

Exploring Thanet

It’s amazing that what you find, on your doorstep (apart from cabbage) when you walk, local foot paths. Just some of the things I discovered in walking yesterday afternoon.

Drapers Mill
Crampton Tower (virtual tour)
Dickens Inspired Mosaics

I'll have to come back and do on another day. St Peters village a fascinating place, needs more time.

Feeling Fit

Twelve degrees and the sun is shining here in Margate, I feel better and have finally shifted the cold. I’ve been to the gym, done the household chores showered, changed all before 10am not bad for a Saturday morning. Just waiting now, for the time delay which keeps the washing machine door locked to open, so that I can hang stuff up before I go out. I’m heading off to Broadstairs on the Turner and Dickens walk, I’ve done parts of it, but didn’t take the guide, guess it helps if you know what you are looking at! Making the most of the good weather, as I’m back to work on Monday:-(

Lazy Days

Guy Fawkes and fireworks is something about the British culture that I enjoy, yet I really couldn’t be bothered to go out into the cold to watch the display.
For the first time I have spent twenty four hours without leaving the door. Had my windows been facing the other direction I would have been able to watch from the comfort of indoors, I'm next door to Dreamland where I understand the town council were holding the local display so this is nothing more than lazy.

I was as happy to stay home, snuggled up onto the sofa.
Years of Greek uncomfortable furniture, it still feels a true luxury to have a sofa!

Here is a message for my Swedish friend Catharina Soderhielm, who saw my excitement over an IKEA sofa at The Sweediko Bakery in Rhodes.

See here is my sofa, just the same, (-: and
Absolutely LOVE IT.

Lazy Days continued....

Expect she is still there some how

Lemsip is not the same as freshly squeezed lemons, picked from the tree in next doors yard, with a couple of spoons of local thyme blossom honey.


Wherever you are in the world, a cold is a cold and you feel lousy.
Some fresh air does one good, and a walk along Margate, beech in the wind didn’t really make me feel any better!

Food Glorious Food

I’ve always had a thing about Indian Food (absolutely love it)

Now here on my very own door step, a chance to learn + six courses of excellent food at the Indian Princess to eat. So long as I have got rid of this cold, and there are still places, Sunday the 8th November, count me in I’ll be there.

Now thats a diffrent way to celebrate Panormitis festival, and I have no doubt that the food will be better.

It still looks charming!

Thanks to Jordan for the photo of today’s weather on Symi.
Margate doesn’t look much cop either, so I’m not venturing out with the camera but going back to bed with laptop and hot lemsip!

Home sweet home

Still in my pyjamas, and its lunch time! Oh the joy of a weekend at home, good humour on the radio.

No Parade for me this year

28th October will not be the same without independence day parades.

Aρνί με πατάτες στο φούρνο, pronounced ahr-NEE meh pah-TAH-tes sto FOOR-no
for tea tonight

Sorry for Myself

Short notice work booking came in so here I am once again in Cambridge. It’s very different from being snowed in after a 48hour nightmare journey on Olympic Airways, and snuggled into a warm bed absolutely exhausted, the company is certainly not so much fun, all work and no play it is not good.

Long crappy hours and whatever they throw at me is ok when out-side of the window it looks cold and grey, nothing like the picture of Cambridge here. One of the pain in the arse thing about agency work, especially emergency jobs, is I have no idea how long I’m going to be here, although I was asked if I was available until my next booking on the 9th of Nov, it hasn’t been confirmed yet.

I would like to go home at some point, as looking in my diary I only have four or five days off between now and Christmas.

Plans are being made for Christmas all around me, and I have no time to party -so feeling sorry for myself.

Margate to Cambridge

Margate to Cambridge - in three hours and three minutes, this morning.

Blooming amazing but of course it helped that I was on the fast train for part of the way, and that I knew my way around Kings Cross, and had the prior knowledge that the Cambridge train leaves from platform 9a or 9b which for those of you who do not know is in the Harry Potter end of the station.

I’m working so not getting an extra hour in bed. Hectic start, things can only get better.

Thank God for High Speed.

On route to work and even the internet access (via vodafone) works..

Reading Materials

Being a bit premature, started on the Christmas pressie’s, and added another three and some fancy wrapping paper to Auntie Lisa’s hidden stash.

Ideas for a theme for this year’s card’s, are not forth coming, and I need to come up with something excellent to follow last year’s spectacular effort, themed around frankincense and bringing gifts from afar. It was fun pressing the leaf of the Boswellia species, between the pages of my lonely planet guide when travelling in the summer and the cards were designed around those with perfumed soap rubbed onto the paper and dried leaf creating the picture. Complete with biblical message, and quotation, along with short bio about the historic use of frankincense.

Maybe it is time to get the bible out, and look for some inspiration.

For now I’m reading “A Parrot in the Pepper Tree” by Chris Stewart

OH shit work agency just phoned, "Can I be in Cambridge tomorrow morning?"
Better get organised.. I’ll have to get on the very early train, I only came home north of watford last night after a few days catching up with friends. At least the money is good.
:-)

Sunday Moringing, Bathrooms and Heating

Today I had a lie-in, snuggled up in bed cosy and warm. The temperature here has dropped suddenly and this morning to a cool eight degrees, the central heating kicked in automatically to warm the flat – oh what a luxury.

.
I’m still marvelling at the wonder of heated towel rails – to those of you who have only ever visited Greece in the summer it may sound strange when I tell you that was the one thing I used to miss was a heated towel rail. Yes it is true, on islands where the houses are stone, and without central heating, damp towels hang around until the sun comes out. Fortunately rarely more than a couple of days, but still an annoying inconvenience when you have been drying the laundry in a matter of minutes in the great outdoors through the long summer months. Actually it’s not just the towel rail, the whole power shower, and comfortable and warm bathroom with hot running water is just heaven.

Here I don’t have a terrace to sit out in the sun; fortunately I’m still a stone’s throw away from the local beach, it’s too cold for swimming, but still good for a breath of fresh air, and the jet ski club-house isn’t far away, for sitting with a drink and watching the local ‘plonkers’. Making the most of the council tax, I’ve started to use all the facilities, local library complete with free very fast internet access amongst its many of Thanet council’s services. I have joined (full membership!) the local sports club, and have been using the gym and pool regularly. To be honest I’m not missing the stone steps of Symi, even if they did keep me fit. So far I have explored three of the local parks, there are so many within walking distance that I’m spoilt for choice.

With the company of Jean, who came to stay for a few days, we walked the coastal path to Broadstairs (about two hours and side stepping to explore things on route) Westwood Cross, the local and excellent shopping centre, twenty min’s via country lane, back route and Ramsgate yacht harbour, ferry terminal as well as the seafront and town and market place, we didn’t keep track of the time, which was a good thing as we got a bit lost entering the town.

All in all I’m enjoying it here. The sun is shining after last night’s rain, so it’s time to get my act together, get out of this fluffy dressing gown and go for a walk through the park to join my friends at the gym.

Chicken Dinner

Chicken Dinner at Indian prices, meal for two, that could have served three!

Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Jalfrezi
Onion Bhaji x 4
Pilau Rice & 2 Naan Breads


Not only was it a feast, but the total cost £4 which is less than the price of two crap coffees on Symi, all that was missing was a cold beer. Now for a cup of Darjeeling to finish it off

Wild about life

Last night’s downpour of rain has hardly made any difference to the hard soil and rather browning grass; however it did do wonders for suppressing the normal Saturday night noise from the late night revellers falling out of the Beach bars.

Awake bright and early this morning, and walking through the sunshine and fresh smell of watered grass in the park, on my way to the gym, admiring the Green Parakeets (Aratinga holochlor) that were flying between the silver leaf poplar trees, I realise that I know little about the local wildlife. There is more here than the a pacific oyster.

Communications Companies

Are they all As bad as each other?

Planet Thanet

My commute to work has never been normal, in recent years I have been travelling by boat plane and train from farthest possible point in South Eastern Europe to wherever the agency send me in the UK.

Jobs have been as far apart as Inverness to Hampshire so as you can see distance to this girl, has been no object. I’m no stranger to flight delays, cancelled ships or the delights of snow on the lines of the British railways.

Nursing agency asked me, a while ago to do a job here in Birchington, I jumped at it as my Mum lives just down the road in Minster. Strange how coincidences go, since then the client has asked for me back several times blindly unaware that I have moved back to the UK, and am now living just along the coast. Never before has travelling to work been so easy, and it all is purely by coincidence.

Journey time 30 minute slow jog across the fields – or 10 min’s on the bus..

Resting My Aching Body

All afternoon, I drift between reading my book, and watching the ships, quite a few pass through the estuary.

A glorious three master-tall ship, the normal cargo vessels and even a visit from the life boat, which I assume was patrolling the beach, while waiting for a higher tide to get back up the launch area?

Sun warm on my skin, I basked in oil, which made the golden sand, stick to the skin - rubbing it off was good exfoliation! Before taking a dip in the chilly water. Well you can’t have everything can you.

The collapsing bathroom plaster in Greece gave a different meaning to the term bathroom exfoliation, each time I took a shower it was covered in cement and brick dust. Home now showered and smelling of coconut shower gel, I don’t miss anything about Greek life except my friends.

I’ve been to the gym three times in past five days, and the two weeks prior to that the job I was doing was both physical and demanding, being away from home didn’t stop me getting out and going for a run. Today a day off from it all, but I can certainly feel and see the difference already.

Not quite every muscle, in my body aching, but it feels like it. Returning to work with Peter, down on the farm, should be some good running around the cabbage patch there!

I'll be away for a couple of weeks, so I've got an early session in the Gym with Jamie (personal trainer)before setting off to work in the morning ;-(

He certainly knows how to push me to the limits!

Day Off and Feasting at home

Blown my food budget on a bottle:
Wine: 2006 Les Jamelles Cabernet Sauvignon Vin de Pays d'Oc
Type: Red
Producer: Les Jamelles
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: France
Region: Languedoc Roussillon
Appellation: Vin de Pays d'Oc

So to go with it liver and onions served with mustard mash, followed by wild blackberries (is there any other type) and apple, crumble.

Bugger the diet

I’m feasting on a budget.

It beats the crap they serve at the ‘Glaros’ bar any day, even if I do miss the Greek social life, I am enjoying the variety that the shops here afford.

World Peace Day Approaches ( 1st Sept)

I’ve had an invite ‘for a day excursion from Datcha, to the Greek Island of to Symi’, for those who may not know Datcha is on the west coast of Turkey between Bodrum and Marmaris’ and it is all a bit of a laugh as I lived on Symi for many years and am still trying to disassociate myself with all things Greek.

Sadly I can’t take up the offer, I am working in the UK on that date, I would like to go sailing on the ‘PERI’, especially as the captain Hasan fondly know as ‘Kasanaki’ which means something rather rude in Greek, is an old friend of many years.

It just so happen that I have been looking into Gullet holidays, and was planning to go at the end of Sept. Vessel unnamed as yet. Only yesterday I received an email from Sunnsea Holidays, with all the options. I’m considering the Marmaris -Datcha coast rather than the Fethye- Gockek route for the simple reason I would like to stop in Datcha to see friends but more importantly I am desperate to get my haircut! I haven’t had a decent cut anywhere else in a long time.

I know Datcha better than Gockek both are very nice places, so it is really down to my travelling companions to choose.

What is fantastic is that a British Girl and a Turk can communicate online in the Greek Language.

A Green Diet.

We are eating from the garden, freshly picked runner beans, green gages and brambly apples. A glut of green. I’m missing Tatsiki, Taramar, and Greek salad... Fed up and feeling sorry for myself especially as it is feeling quite autumnal, with a cool wind in the air, bringing the apples off the trees.

Training with the Police?

Now that I’m finding my routine the job is getting a bit easier, Mr Watson is out playing golf which gives us all a bit of a break from each other ;-) and means I can plug the broadband into my laptop so I feel connected to the rest of the world. Just for the record I have made a note to myself, never to return to a job, where I have no mobile coverage and can’t use my laptop in my room. I’m doing a job, not a confinement sentence to be cut off from society for weeks at a time.

This morning I have had help from the good old family retainer, daily, bless, but she doesn’t have a clue when it comes to lifting. Of course she has gone home now, so here I am having cooked and got Mrs Watson, in her into the sling and hoisted onto the bed for a rest after lunch, yet again I am bending all the rules and regulations of manual handling and patient lifting, really I shouldn’t be doing this alone even if it is easier to do it that way! Mr Watson is what Agency call the second carer when it comes to manual handling! ;-(

I’m looking forward to updating my CIEH Principles of manual handling training with the course on the 9th Oct perhaps it would be appropriate for him to do one too? FAT Chance..

Last night I was rather put to the test, asked if I knew what flavours Earl Grey – well of course I do, and I can answer that question with confidence. Silly old twit was just testing me out. Rather condescending really. Just for the record it now four years ago, since I was on a tea plantation in India! Private joke for Jean: Do you think I should have let him know I speak Greek better than the Cypriots in Margate?

West Kent College is now training Kent Police in manual handling, there could be some serious talent, oh did I say that I mean students.