New Session

Clearly September passed in a blur.  Honestly, I'm still thinking it is summer!  I was driving down the highway the other day and started to wonder why the leaves were changing so early this year, and then I realized!  It isn't early anymore!

I have made some changes to my schedule to try to keep it a little more balanced.  I still have the three jobs, but effective October, I'm only working 8 hours a month at the gym.  From July-September, I was teaching two ESL classes as well, and I've needed to drop my evening class.  Between my office job and grad school, I just couldn't keep teaching two classes as well.  9 a.m. to 9 p.m. days, plus homework and lesson planning time, were starting to take their toll on me.  I still teach one class in the morning, but thankfully another teacher could take my evening class!

New friends have been overwhelming me with kindness this summer and fall.  I have been blessed with so many dear people giving me fresh fruit and veggies.  I learned how to make a really yummy tomato pasta sauce, thanks to plentiful gifts of home grown tomatoes.  Just this past weekend, I also made my own applesauce!

Today was the first day of a new term for my ESL class, and once again, I am reminded of why I love teaching ESL.  I have some returning students and some new students, and all are special people.  I was also the recipient of some physical gifts from my students!

One of my returning students gave me veggies from her garden, including a Chinese cucumber, as well as some traditional soda crackers and rice treats. 

Two new students from Egypt also gave me a beautiful papyrus from Egypt.  It was wonderful to be able to chat with them.  I knew their neighborhood in Cairo!  

October promises to be another busy but fun month! 

Lazy Last Saturday in London

After my late dinner last night, I was desperate for a lay in and as such, I woke up at 8, and then again at 10.  :)  I love getting to go back to sleep.

Once I was awake, Laura came into my room to see if I was ready to make pancakes.  She and Joanne and I had pancakes for breakfast and sat chatting for a little while.  They made me close my eyes and handed me a parcel.  They made a calendar for me with pictures of our times together.  The captions are full of jokes we've made and beautiful quotes.  I love it.

Laura and I got ready for the day and on the spur of the moment, headed into central London for a leisurely wander through the city.  We made our way to the Museum of London, and I'm so glad we did.

The Museum of London is not far from St. Paul's, and it tells the story of London.  I've never been before.  It is a small museum, but definitely worth the visit.  I learned that by 1714, London had more than 500 coffee houses.  Good heavens, how many does London have now????  I also learned that Caesar had a camp where London Heathrow stands.  The London Wall was built around 200 AD, parts of which can still be seen today.  London was first called Londinium by the Romans, who conquered in 54 AD (I think that's the right year!).

Laus and I were very entertained by the museum but also by a young couple walking through the museum.  The girl was very stylish and.... for lack of a better description, blonde.  The bloke was fairly average, but he could really have used some fashion tips from the girl, considering his trousers were a few inches too short.  He seemed quite knowledgeable about the history of London and the girl...well she seemed bored.  We are guessing it was a first date and they probably won't have a second!  At one point, she was on her phone, speaking to friends.  I'm guessing she isn't a London native, considering she didn't understand that there would not be mobile phone reception on the Underground.  Overall, I think she didn't really appreciate the Museum of London.

Then we set off on a rather long walk, intending to go to the Petrie Museum of Egyptology.  (Sir Petrie was an Egyptologist who excavated the Great Pyramid outside of Cairo in 1880.)  Sadly, we didn't plan our time accordingly, and didn't make it before closing.  However, the walk was a beautiful one.  Well worth it!

I particularly love the last picture.  This city is truly beautiful.  We stopped for a hot drink near the Petrie Museum, because although we couldn't see the artifacts, we needed to warm up!  We went to Carluccio's.  Laura got a hot chocolate and I (gasp)... got a mint tea rather than coffee.  I know.  It's shocking.  

After we were sufficiently warmed, we made our way home, stopping to get the ingredients for paneer korma for dinner.  We made dinner and settled in to watch Johnny English, a movie that I hadn't seen yet.  I laughed so very much.  It probably was bad to combine a full meal and lots of giggles, but it made for a lovely night.  

Egyptology!

The tour on Wednesday had a great God-organized series of events.  I'm so excited!

Val and I did the tour together, meaning we alternated who spoke.  Early on in the tour, a woman joined us.  We often have strangers hear the tour and just join in.  Often they just assume we work for the museum.  

By about the fifth stop on the tour, after I shared about Tiglath Pilesar III, she came over to me and commented on the tour.  "I feel like I hit the jackpot!  I'm an Egyptologist and I just decided to wander through the museum after my interview here, and now you are telling me about the Assyrians and the Babylonians."  

Pause.  Rewind.  "Wait, you're an Egyptologist?  That's incredible!"  Cue Hope getting very excited.  In response to a question, she told me she is Catholic.  She seemed a bit hesitant to say so, but she had also mentioned that she's encountered a lot of academic scepticism in regards to the Bible.  

We started chatting in between artifacts.  It turns out she just had an interview for a position at the British Museum! When we got to our detour to the Rosetta Stone, I asked her to explain it the group.  Honestly, I just couldn't bear to stumble through my explanation of hieroglyphs with an Egyptologist listening!  

Before we went to the second level of the Museum, J had to leave us.  She and I chatted a bit to say goodbye and exchanged numbers.  She's offered to share some information with me in the future!  When I asked where she lives, J told me.  Would you believe she lives less than two miles from my house?  Wow.  As she saved my number, she commented, "God works in mysterious ways, indeed."  Indeed, my friend.  I'm so excited to get together sometime and talk about Egyptology!  I'll let you know what I learn...