Time for a new adventure

So it's almost four years since I moved to Coventry. I've just found out I'll be starting a new job in Thailand in August. Perhaps time to resurrect the old blog.

Here's a photo from a recent reunion back in Carlisle.

Cov

Last night, just before 1am, I awoke to the grumblings of what seemed to be an earthquake. I live in a house which shakes a lot. Too much. We live with a huge train line literally in our back yard, fortunately I live at the front of the house but even then my little rickety single bed shudders as the freight trains hurtle by during the night.

Of course the occurrence of an earthquake was more than a little strange with it being the West Midlands of England but anyway it happened, it was exciting, everyone chatted about it.

A funny thing before I went to bed last night I had decided I must write on my blog again, possibly for the last time as I’m considering deleting it for eternity what with the onset of my teaching career I’m not so sure pictures of me drunk, warbling away at Paradise karaoke should be available on the internet for all to see. So of course whilst considering my blog I thought of Japan and all the details of my experience that are slowly slipping away and no longer etched so strongly in my memory and then there was the earthquake last night. In everyone’s excitement today I could only sit back and think about the earthquakes when I first arrived in Japan. Stood in Gooday supermarket in Ohka as the bottles of Aquarius fell off the fridge shelves, as the people ran and the inevitable irashaimasen (which incidentally I had completely forgotten how to write) from the checkout once the ordeal was over. Then three hours later sat in my bed as my new, little apartment swayed around me, not running to hide under the door frame or the nearest table (table? As if I owned a table more than 6 inches off the floor?). Just sitting. Wondering. Realising I actually was in the land of the rising sun …. and earthquakes … and typhoons …. and general insanity.

Then everyday for the next two years promising myself I’d organise an earthquake pack, tomorrow, it was always tomorrow. See I'd forgotten about that until last night.

I find myself so far removed from most of what Japan was for me. My life is now consumed by a different insane world. The insanity of secondary school teaching. When I was thinking I should update my blog I’m sure I considered lots of things to write about but none of it seems very interesting or relevant now. My enthusiasm I think is rather knocked by my rather foul mood today. One of those days where everything builds up and I end up cracking in a completely inappropriate place – the travel claims office – really Helen get a grip but I'll give it a go anyway ...

My training course is made up of two main school placements with sometime in university inbetween. Since Christmas, in the main, we’ve been in university but this period is drawing to a close, from next week I’ll be in school full time until July. It’s a funny time; pondering what our second placements will hold for us, saying goodbye to our university friends, applying for jobs and in my case made worse by wondering where on earth to apply for jobs. Of course as ever I have not made this stressful, transitional time any easier by as per usual getting myself into a ridiculous personal situation (as I am choosing to call it).

This year has been difficult, not least because of my horrid, grotty, old, student house the university so kindly placed me in with the most unsuitable housemates. Spunky is definitely the main problem and cause of woe as she skulks around the house shooting horrid glances as the horrendous bad mood cloud that surrounds her infects everyone it comes into contact with.

(She also sings gospel songs and hoovers at, like, 8am on a Saturday?! Oh and cooks the most disgusting food which fills every room in the house with it's stench)

Then, simply, it’s so difficult to make friends. How on earth do you make friends when you’re older? When nobody is in the same position as you? When everyone already has friends? I have friends, fortunately lots of them, unfortunately they just all live hundreds if not 1000s of miles away. If I was in Carlisle I know for a fact I wouldn’t want to make any new friends, I’m not even that fond of speaking to other people, making conversation seems a pretty pointless exercise when you have amazing friends you can be speaking to and I guess most people are in that position - so why should anyone want to make friends with me here? They already have friends. I think my expectations have been a little too high though, I have made some lovely, wonderful friends and it was hardly as if I was going to stumble across the greatest ready made group of companions! I guess I just miss people a LOT.

Then there’s Coventry, I’ve hated it since the moment I arrived back in September, that is until recently. I’m actually starting to like it, I think there’s some really interesting things about it, some cool places (not an adequate number for a place of it’s size but still) I just need to meet more people to go to these places with. But hey the Enemy are from Coventry and they’re a great band so there must be cool people here, right? It's grotty and outdated but hey I kind of like that. I'm never going to be the cosmopolitan London girl - have I ever even been to London ;)

The fence at the bottom of yard - the only thing between us and the trains

Street wanderings

Westwood Rd

Next door

Strange Times

So here I am a year on from leaving old Mie-ken. Seems like a lifetime ago. I know I lived in Japan but it feels like it happened to someone else, it’s probably taken quite a considerable amount of time to fit back in and in some ways this year has been as equally challenging, all be it in a different way, to a year in Japan.

The summer holidays are upon us now, so that’s it, my job has finished, mixed feelings about that too. It’s certainly been the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, but I’ve survived and enjoyed it too. Living in a small city I almost still have the celebrity status you ‘enjoy’ in a small Japanese town, any trip into town I can hear ‘Alright Miss Vincent’ or ‘Vinny’ (past trying to explain to them that it’s inappropriate to call your teacher Vinny) coming from every direction.

I’m off to Edinburgh for my hols next week so am really looking forward to that and then it’s my friend’s daughter’s christening and believe it or not but I’m going to be the god-mother. Then I only have a week before I leave Carlisle –for good?!

Further mixed feelings... I love living in Carlisle and I think at some point I definitely want to return and I’ve been so lucky that I’ve had such an amazing, close group of friends even after returning from Japan and I realise that’s never going to be the same again. BUT I need to leave Carlisle, it’s impossible to meet new people, everyone knows what you’re doing, everyone knows each other, you see the same people ALL the time. All of this doesn’t do anything to curb my dramatic tendencies!! I’ve had a lot of fun, more than I could possibly explain, but feeling recently like I really need to grow up especially when I see some of my other friends and the points they are at in their lives. Whereas I’m at home nursing a broken wrist after falling on the dance floor last week and seem to constantly be in trouble with various different people!!

Definitely time to leave but wondering what the next chapter will be like and feeling really nervous about moving away, living with strangers, meeting people, going somewhere where I don’t know a single individual. It’s daunting but I just have to remind myself I moved to Japan when I was a 21 years old with much less confidence than I have now.

“sure it’ll be grand…”

Been a while ...

Can you believe the time has come when it would be over a month since I last posted?! Now I know why ... thought I'd upload some pics and it just didn't work and even when it does choose to work it takes about forever!! So my heart may have been taken by facebook; quick, easy, interactive and less self indulgent!! But yes, Ryan, you were right I have now received my first spam in my gmail account - shoganai.

Anyway so this is going to be a dull post with the lack of photos ... so it's still over two weeks until the start of the summer holidays. This has been the longest term EVER. It should be over.

Even when the holidays arrive I can't afford to jet off anywhere so instead just going to Edinburgh for the festival, but am still very excited.

The weather is terrible, the rain is relentless and it's also still so cold. I still wear 'winter' clothes to work everyday.

Today was very productive; I've reserved a new laptop, organised my accommodation for September and also my initial school placement before my course starts. Exciting stuff?!! Hey would have posted a picture of the house if blogger ever decided to stop annoying me.

Six reasons to be happy but one particularly great reason ....

1. I got into Warwick to do teacher training next year!! I didn't tell people about the interview after the disaster that was my last one. I'm so relieved, excited, happy etc etc. I've not only got on the course I want to do but at one of the best universities in the country.

2. It's the half-term, it's so nice to be off and lots of opportunities to celebrate reason number one!!

3. I got paid on Friday - which is great because it funds the celebrating of reason number one.

4. Friends - Beccy came up to visit this weekend - it was amazing to see here and can't believe we'd left it so long!! Also have three other friend back at home visiting over the next week and my friend Laura is back from her trip to America so lots of people to celebrate reason number one with!!

5. I am loving work at the moment! Weird eh?!

6. Last night I worked at the restaurant for the first time in ages which was fun and great to catch up with everyone.

So incase you hadn't gathered I'm irritatingly genki at the moment!!!!

Edinburgh

We headed to Edinburgh this weekend to stay with our friend Vicky ('we' being me and my 'husband' Sue). We went for dinner with Jenny and then Nick came to meet us for cocktails. It was a nice quiet evening though as most of us were feeling very tired from our separate Friday night adventures.

On Sunday we went to the coast and then spent all afternoon chatting, eating, drinking gin and tonics at Vicky's flat.

I love living in Carlisle but it was so lovely to get away for the weekend. Carlisle is a little claustrophobic (the same as Mie I guess) at times!! Nice to go out and not be known by everyone!! It makes me excited to think I'm moving away in Autumn.

Nick, Sue, Vicky and Jenny
Nick and me
Sue and Nick
Nick, Sue and Vicky

Blue Skies

Last week I was in quite a grotty mood for a number of different reasons.

This week I've been trying to be positive about lots of things - especially work and have been thinking about all the good things instead of the bad. Plus I think this has been helped by the weather - it's amazing, perfect, beautiful weather. Just look at this picture of the sky I took this afternoon... I live in the dreary most Northern part of England and look at that blue.

Plus this weekend it's a Bank Holiday weekend - we're off to Edinburgh - I can't wait!!!