Hey ! Veterans !
Since that guy guessed my age as 56 people seem to be queuing up to tell me that I look older than I really am, or whatever. I think it's a conspiracy - and before you respond just let me point out that even paranoid people are sometimes the victims of plots...
Meanwhile we have had a visit from Jean-Marc, the under-head-honcho of the mission, flying from Swindon to see Fiona, us and the Griffins. He reminded us of one of two workers going through hard times - at least one of whom is in the departure-room for this sad, old world. His visit reminded me of the comments of one hard-pressed stalwart, "It takes 10 years to feel really at home and useful in your new country."
Well after 3 years things feel a lot better than they did before, though lots of things are still a struggle. The only way is up, I guess. :)
Family-wise, we are going to look for a student or someone else who can give Gwilym (and Catrin ?) a bit of help with their French. They're doing great, but a helping hand would not come amiss.
Pat is moving ever upward and has developed a severe loathing for our freezer - it's a chest freezer (lovely in very hot weather - we all hang over the edge and freeze our chests) - because it was while delving in the depths that her disc slipped. I feel that it is precipitate to blame the freezer when her back is simply one big disc waiting to slip. Anyway she would like to see the chest freezer exchanged for an upright. But then we could not bulk stock Lidl blue-box ice-cream. (To try it is to love it. I wonder if they put illicit substances in it we long for it so much...) The next long-awaited big step is when Pat resumes driving.
Meanwhile on the music front I am battling with this trombone a bit, though now there are more ensembles than I can shake a stick at. Well, there's a fortnightly brass ensemble and a weekly orchestra, but my stick is busy, OK ?
I think one of the things you learn from learning ( be it languages, instruments, sport, whatever ) is that from time to time it's all a bit hard, but you keep going until you get through that barrier, past that plateau...
Anyway, a much nicer slant on all this came from Jim at Missionary Blogs.
It turns out that we are veterans !
Imagine that !
Meanwhile we have had a visit from Jean-Marc, the under-head-honcho of the mission, flying from Swindon to see Fiona, us and the Griffins. He reminded us of one of two workers going through hard times - at least one of whom is in the departure-room for this sad, old world. His visit reminded me of the comments of one hard-pressed stalwart, "It takes 10 years to feel really at home and useful in your new country."
Well after 3 years things feel a lot better than they did before, though lots of things are still a struggle. The only way is up, I guess. :)
Family-wise, we are going to look for a student or someone else who can give Gwilym (and Catrin ?) a bit of help with their French. They're doing great, but a helping hand would not come amiss.
Pat is moving ever upward and has developed a severe loathing for our freezer - it's a chest freezer (lovely in very hot weather - we all hang over the edge and freeze our chests) - because it was while delving in the depths that her disc slipped. I feel that it is precipitate to blame the freezer when her back is simply one big disc waiting to slip. Anyway she would like to see the chest freezer exchanged for an upright. But then we could not bulk stock Lidl blue-box ice-cream. (To try it is to love it. I wonder if they put illicit substances in it we long for it so much...) The next long-awaited big step is when Pat resumes driving.
Meanwhile on the music front I am battling with this trombone a bit, though now there are more ensembles than I can shake a stick at. Well, there's a fortnightly brass ensemble and a weekly orchestra, but my stick is busy, OK ?
I think one of the things you learn from learning ( be it languages, instruments, sport, whatever ) is that from time to time it's all a bit hard, but you keep going until you get through that barrier, past that plateau...
Anyway, a much nicer slant on all this came from Jim at Missionary Blogs.
It turns out that we are veterans !
Imagine that !
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