Immersed in a different culture....

something....
Well this blog post is for a competition by http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/

The brief is pretty wide - write a post about a trip I've taken where I got to know another culture.
For me this was probably many years ago, when I did a "round the world" trip as a student. We went to many places, but the one that stands out is our trip to Indonesia.

At the time we were 3 girls in our early 20s travelling on a tight budget. We visited lots of fantastic places, but as we had very little money, we stayed in local hostels, and ate in local restaurants, and avoided most of the tourist areas. In those days there was much less tourism in Indonesia any way, and Bali was far less comercialised.
Our trip to ubud was incredible, staying in bamboo huts, with balck tea and fresh fruit for breakfast, amidst rain forests and the amazing ntural stone swimming pools.

We also took a trip up a volcanic mountain at sunrise - something I'll never forget - we did have donkeys to help us on the steeper parts, but starting in the early hours in the darkness, and climbing through down to watch the sun rise at the summit was quite somthing...

Our trip took us through rural areas, and in one village we passed a school. The children spotted us through the window, and having probably never seen blonde, blue eyed people before in real life (my fellow travellers, not me!), came running outside, chasing us, and calling "Mister, Mister...!!"

The food was pretty special too, and I've never tasted peanut and noodle dishes with quite as much flavour since. We did get ill on a couple ofoccasions though, probably just not used to the different types of food available. The fruit there was juicy, tasty, and HUGE - I remember the papaya and lychees being available at the roadside for next to no money.

All in all it was a fantasticexperience, and one I'd like to repeat someday, though I suspect things have changed a lot in the last 25 years....

the floods....

So last week it rained, and rained, and rained......
It was pretty wild outside for a couple of days, and then came the floods.
In York we're always at risk of flooding, and the river Ouse flows past our village. So it was with increasing unease that we watched the river rise, and eventually burst it's banks. Luckily we're not close enough to the river for our house to be at risk, but the road around the village was blocked by flood water, and several homes were looking precarious, with sand bags at the ready....

Further in towards York there was more flooding - Skeldergate was under water, and what is usually a meadow for cows  to graze (and a cycle path for us to get to work) looked more like a huge lake. We even spotted a hovercraft on the Knavesmire racecourse!

Here's a few photos of the flood - it's a serious concern for those with riverside homes, though luckily the flood waters didn't breach the flood defences (maximum river height was 5.06 m above Summer averages, and the flood defences can contain up to 5.5 metres)

The flooding in the village

Definitely no way through this road!

A view of the Minster across the floods

Cycling to work not an option today....

Looking towards the village across the floods

Further into York, and the flood defences hold - just!

It's hard to tell where the river starts and finishes.....

A busy week.....

Last week was a busy week for everyone! Sam had his 8th birthday, so he had a "lazer quest" party, and we went out for a meal as a family - he had a great weekend, what with presents, food, games!

Then Joe was off for a residential trip with the whole of his school year, in South Yorkshire. The centre was run by Kingswood, and activities included abseiling, fencing, the "leap of faith" (!!!???!!!) and obstacle courses. the emphasis was on team work and co-operation with others, and it certainly sounds like that was what happened. We were kept up to date by tweets from the teachers, including photos (more were posted on the school website) - and the kids did a daily blog, so we could see what theyd been up to! Joe's blog pretty much just listed the food he'd eaten (lots of it...) but it was lovely that we could keep in touch.




Anyway, he returned home yesterday - hoarse from shouting, dirty and exhausted, but telling us he'd had the best time ever - so I guess the residential trip is going to be the highlight of his school year!

Next week we're going to be busy again, as the hunt for a Secondary school starts, with open evenings to attend, and then eventually the application form to fill in!

Brilliant Galtres Festival!

This weekend we went to Galtres Festival - a small-to-medium family-friendly festival in Crayke, North Yorkshire.

 

And what a wonderful weekend we had! The weather was.....errr...mixed (pretty rainy with a glimpse of sunshine on Sunday) but that couldn't put us off, as we got stuck into mud, cider, food and music! The festival's roots are as a beer festival, and there were over 100 beers and 35 ciders to choose from, so we were well catered for, and the local food on offer was far superior to other festivals I've attended.

We went with my brother and his family, camped in the convenient family field and joined thousands of others to listen to music, eat and drink well, and generally chill out.



The festival is very good for families, with lots of things for children of all ages, from Bollywood dancing to drum workshops, movie making to talent shows, and a really safe and friendly feel to the whole affair - we were happy to let our 10 and 11 yr olds roam freely, knowing they'd be able to find us easily if necessary. Our plan was to secure a sofa (yes, a sofa...) for the family in the brilliant Arts Barge tent - a large marquee just like a living room, complete with sofas, standard lamps and a really homely feel. The fact that it had tea and cakes at one end, and bacon butties / curries at the other end of the tent was a real bonus - and to top it off, fantastic music from midday to midnight and beyond. We loved it, somewhere to relax, and a base for the festival. 

That's not to say we didn't venture out and enjoy the other offerings though - the Firkin tent was home to great acoustic acts, whereas the 2 main stages hosted folk to punk, through rock and pop.

There was even a "G factor" talent contest for young people from 9 - 19 on the Satiurday, with the winner playing the Duke stage on Sunday. My older son was performing in this - both as a solo act and as part of a band, and loved it, even though he didn't win. What a chance, to perform at a festival aged 10!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWG-ZxVmFGU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdcX41OuO9o

My favourite act of the weekend was Martin Stephenson of the Daintees (apart from my son, of course!)  - he did a brilliant acoustic set and had us all in fits of laughter with his ad libbing and random observations! Billy Bragg and Adam Ant were also true professionals, entertaining and drawing the crowds. Other highlights were the Arts Barge collaboration on main stage and in the Arts Barge Tent, and Sophie Mac doing an open mike session.

We'll definitely be back next year, in fact I'm booking my "early bird ticket" as we speak....

 

http://www.galtresfestival.org.uk/shop/products.cfm?ProductTypeID=220&Open=0

Weight loss - I wish!

So I checked my BMI - sadly I'm firmly in the "overweight" category - not great.....

Losing weight would be a really good idea for me, especially as I have arthritis, so maybe I should give it a go? I came across this website - Jenny Craig UK - which offers to deliver healthy meals and give advice to those trying to slim.

What's more they have a competition to win a months subscription (and money towards a bike!) at the moment - just ask a nutrition question for them to answer!

So here's my question:

How to I combine weight loss or maintenance of a healthy weight with cooking family meals when the boys have very different nutritional requirements to me?

Here's the link to the competition:

http://www.jennycraig.co.uk/tips-blog/blog-home.aspx

Here's hoping I win a chance to lose some weight!

Capture The Colour....

http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/holidays/capture-the-colour/

Travel supermarket have a photo competition at the moment entitled "Capture The Colour" - so here's my entry!
The five colours are white, green, yellow, blue and red, and the photos should demonstrate these colours - there are loads of good (and very professional) entries so far, and as I'm very much someone who takes photos for fun and to capture family life, I doubt I'll win - but the winners of each colour category get an ipad, and the overall winner £2000 to spend on travel, so it's worth a go!

White:

This photo was taken from our chalet bedroom whilst on holiday in Austria earlier this year, soon after sunrise. There had been loads of fresh snow, but the day dawned bright, and I was so excited as I looked out of the window and saw all the fresh powder...I couldn't wait to get out skiing!

Green:

This photo was actually taken more than 10 years ago on our honeymoon in South Africa - and I had to scan it into my computer, as it was taken on good old fashioned film! I love this photo of a cheetar, gazing at me through the surprisingly green undergrowth. it was taken with a zoom lens, though if I'm being honest, it was not a completely wild cheetar, as the photo was taken in a compound....

Yellow:

This photo was taken in Southwold, in Suffolk, one of our favourite holiday spots (see previous posts!). This beach hut nestles cheekily amongst other tasteful, pastel painted, maritime coloured huts - a shout-out to individuality, painted dark brown and bright yellow, and appropriately named "Go Bananas"!
Of course the typical British storm clouds in the background just add to the atmosphere...


Blue:

Of course I had to have a sunset photo in somewhere, and this is the lovely St Vincent and the Grenadines, with a fishing boat floating serenely on an ink blue sea, and silhouetted against a multi-coloured sky. A peaceful and relaxing photo!

Red:

This colour was a little more challenging, but in the end I decided on this photo - a trip to Wembley to see our beloved "Reds", York City, get promoted back into the football league! The photo just shows our happiness and relief at finally returning to the league - a wonderful day!

As part of the cometition I have to link to 5 other bloggers - this could be tricky as I don't actually know any other bloggers! Still, there are a few that I follow, so I'll add some links...

http://fun-as-a-gran.blogspot.co.uk/

http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

http://giventodistractingothers.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.thestylerawr.com/

http://www.superlucky.co.uk/

Not sure what to say....

I found out this morning that two of the British climbers killed in the avalanche in France yesterday were from our village. Two men, raising money for charity, with wives/partners, and children at the same school as my kids - acquaintances of mine, Steve and John.

Shocking really, but for me nothing compared to the grief of the families. The school run was quiet - voices muted, no usual shouts from children, no casual chats, just lowered voices and sad discussions. The media was everywhere - on the village green, in the streets, yet all commenting on the community spirit that was the strength of the village, as well as the tragedy of the loss.

As I reflect on today's events my heart goes out to those left behind - so difficult for them and how can you explain to a child that their Dad is never coming home? My older son is in the same year as two of the children involved - he came home subdued and sad, saying "I can't imagine if Dad never came home, where is he, will he be home soon?" He understood only too well how his fellow pupils might feel, especially as another of his friends who lost his own father a few years ago had to be collected from school as he was so upset by the day's events.

So what to do now? Support the families remaining, for sure, and not just in the next few days, but in the weeks and months to come, when it's too easy to forget and assume things have moved on....

Anyone who would like to donate to the charity they were supporting when they died, please do feel free to add donations to:

http://www.justgiving.com/stevebarber

I'm not sure what this post is about really - a sense of loss within the community, a realisation of the fragility of our lives, and a wish to comfort and help those most affected - but feeling very helpless at the moment.....