Misfortunes

On 21th, that's two days ago, I was supposed to take a plane at 16:55. Due to the poor weather conditions my flight was cancelled and I had to return home from Gatwick. I was waiting for a long time because they delayed my flight twice and I had to be waiting about three hours from my expected departure hour. I barely slept 5 or 6 hours because I got up early to get another flight before than other people.

Theorically I was lucky 'cause I found a new one in the same day. So I did my packing again and took the train to Luton. As the traing went further I realized the amount of snow was increasing gradually...But I tried to keep positive thoughts. I arrive 4 hours before my gate closes, plenty of time for nothing because as I arrived they told me in the information counter my flight was cancelled. Funnily the information screen was wrong and then I came back home again.

Below, some snowmen in the exit. Some sarcasm...

Fortunately I could see a wonderful sunset when returning home in the train.

There're few double-decker buses in Gillingham... The adventures have not ended yet, I have to walk around 15 minutes until aproach my house, and all the streets' ground were covered in a thick icy layer, so most people were walking on the road. Really dangerous but the unique solution to avoid fall down and break your teeth.

A great day

It has been more than I could have expected in my best dreams and I don't know how to show you my gratitude. The food has been delicious (better said yummy) and I was deeply surprised with all that wonderful presents.

I'm going to miss all of you so much although I know I'm going to see you soon.

I've tried some new things such as Minced pies with raisins inside, Abbie and Paige don't like them at all and they were fooling about, but in my personal view they are nice. Funnily, I thought it was made of meat and not fruits.

They have given me a fluffy and cosy robe, a lovely cuddle teddy bear, a pyjamas so cool (Graham family), and a pair of sox, some sweetes, a box with assorted bathroom stuff (Gregory family). I was open-mouthed when I've seen the huge carton bag in front of my eyes.

Afterwards, Abbie and Paige have been singing and dancing to me four songs, it's been a nice detail. They have sung the last one song without any music and it has been lovely. But I'm afraid it's going to rain heavily tomorrow...Probably...

They have liked my Spanish omelette and I hope they haven't thrown it away because it supposed to be my dinner...

THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH

On a side note, I'd like to add that they liked their presents, the clock is on the chimney in the living room and abbie has painted her fingernails.

Minced Pie

Never say goodbye

Dreamy multi-colured palette of the Earth,
a skilled faceless painter makes the leaves
change their colour magically and paints
the chimney-pots in a pure white tone.

The bells of the old church are pealing loudly
while the raindrops are slidin' in my window
slowly, gracefully, tuneful, like dancers in a icy
wonderland of illusions.
A farewall is arriving, silently...

IT'S SNOWING !!!!!!

A winter's tale Yesterday the fields were
only grey with scattered snow,
And now the longest grass-leaves
hardly emerge; Yet her deep footsteps
mark the snow, and go On towards
the pines at the hills’ white verge.

Rochester's historic catalpa tree

Rochester's Catalpa forever heels at the foot of England's second oldest Cathedral, founded in 640AD by Bishop Justus. Under the twisted and time-wrought boughs of this beautiful tree one has the sense of being embraced in a living history. From Dickens to D-Day, the tree has seen it all.

"I think it looks like a big friendly spider waiting to climb

the Cathedral." Sasha Patel, Aged 6

"I remember being a very young child when we got caught in torrential rain on the way back from the market. We headed for shelter under the Catalpa and I can still recall the feeling of being safe - looking up into the gnarled branches and wondering if the tree could talk! As an adult, there's still a certain magic and mystery that surrounds this tree and I'll always consider it a friend."Miss. T. Ree

"It makes me sad when I see the tree because the wooden pole looks like a walking stick. It's a very old tree and we should help it."

Jaffa Cakes

Jaffa Cakes are a popular type of cake in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Jaffa Cakes consist of three layers: a sponge cake base, a layer of orange flavoured jelly and a coating of dark chocolate

And the cause of everything is that which we call God. To know God and to live is the same thing. God is Life... What am I? A part of the infinite. It is indeed in these words that the whole problem lies. The essence of any religion lies solely in the answer to the question: why do I exist, and what is my relationship to the infinite universe that surrounds me? .. It is impossible for there to be a person with no religion (i.e. without any kind of relationship to the world) as it is for there to be a person without a heart. He may not know that he has a religion, just as a person may not know that he has a heart, but it is no more possible for a person to exist without a religion than without a heart. (Leo Tolstoy, 1879)

Victoria Sponge

The Victoria Sponge cake is eaten throughout the UK, and owes its name to a past monarch.The Victoria sponge cake was named after Queen Victoria, who favoured a slice of the sponge cake with her afternoon tea. It is often referred to simply as sponge cake, though it contains additional fat. A traditional Victoria sponge consists of jam sandwiched between two sponge cakes; the top of the cake is not iced or decorated.

Dense Fog

There's a tick foggy veil on my face
that doesn't let me see any brigthness,
my feet drag the damp autumnal leaves,

laying on the greyish ground,

in every deep step I take forwards.

Weaving delicate and fragile

spiderwebs in the deepest part of my soul
I feel the sewing needles, but
I won't look back.

Blurry silhouettes in the distance,

giant trees and huge phantoms of the past,

the rain will clear up the canvas of my life
and I'll begin a new painting at last.

Drawing with a steady hand on the

white paper a new path through the
greenish woolen fields of life,
I won't look back.

'My way will be where my feet are, where the wind takes me'

Gema

Cornish Pasty

Cornish dialect ode to a pasty
I dearly luv a pasty,
A 'ot 'n' leaky wun,
Weth taties, mayt 'n' turmit,
Purs'ly 'n' honyun,
Un crus be made with su't,
'N' shaped like 'alf a moon,
Weth crinkly hedges, freshly baked,
E always gone too soon!

The origins of the pasty are largely unknown, although it is generally accepted that the modern form of the pasty originated from Cornwall. Tradition claims that the pasty was originally made as lunch for Cornish tin miners who were unable to return to the surface to eat.



In modern Cornwall the pasty industry has become a significant earner with wide varieties of pasties being made by pasty shops all over Cornwall. The traditional recipe however remains the same potato, onion, turnip (Swede), skirt beef (pasty beef) salt and pepper, being the main filling ingredients - short crust pastry being the normal covering.

There is an old Cornish saying that ' The Devil is afraid to come into Cornwall in case he is made into a Saint or put in a pie ' (not put in a pasty as is often misquoted).
Pasties are still very popular throughout Cornwall, Devon, Wales, North East England, other parts of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Brittany. They are also popular in the northern United States. Pasties in these areas are usually hand-made and sold in bakeries or sometimes specialist pasty shops.

The word "oggy" in the popular Cornish rhyme "Oggy Oggy Oggy, Oi Oi Oi" is thought to stem from Cornish dialect "hoggan", deriving from "hogen" the Cornish (Kernewek) word for pasty. When the pasties were ready for eating, the bal maidens at the mines would shout down the shaft "Oggy Oggy Oggy" and the miners would shout "Oi Oi Oi" meaning yes, or all right.

Pasty superstitions
A popular superstition throughout Cornwall is that a crust of the pasty should be left uneaten. Cornish miners would discard this last crust in order to appease the "Knockers", the spirits of dead miners believed to haunt the tin mines. Sailors and fisherman would likewise discard a crust to appease the spirits of dead mariners. These crusts were usually snapped up by seagulls, popularly held in West Country superstition to be the souls of dead mariners

Life's short, seize the day

It's not long till I come back home...Just a few days and ¡Violá! I think I'm not gonna be able to do all things I'd like in a week, but I'll try to squash my time as much as I can. I'll be flying home on 21st (Winter solstice), I'll keep on my mind good memories about this date from this year on and wipe out bad ones forever and ever and ever. It's getting colder gradually, I hope it's snow when I'm in here...I'd be amazing! I feel good this morning, it's cold but it's sunny. I love sunny days in England!