And to think I used to want to do this

I have just been even more affirmed in my decision to teach in secondary school. Primary schools could do that to anyone I think.

'She said that CBeebies was babyish and I watch it.'

'He knocked into me and I hurt my hand.'

'I can't find my pencil.'

'She hurt my feelings.'

Neither are there any emergency blue trousers with secondary students (thankfully the others were just ripped and not weed on). But why are the emergency trousers always really obvious looking?

On the plus side however:

-they are quite cute

-the marking is gifted

-you don't get Gerrard the Tortoise coming in for show and tell in GCSE History classes. 

Genius.

I still have an iPod! And my ears pierced!

A quick check today revealed that today is myPod's birthday! Two years together (and since I got my ears pierced)! So in a fit of celebration I thought I'd share my Top 25 Most Played.

25. Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire (the first song I ever downloaded on iTunes, 68 plays)

24. Let Me Go - Three Doors Down (Truly don't know how this got here but it has 69 plays)

23. Consuming Fire - Third Day (Reminds me of walking round the Lake, 70 plays)

22. Stop Crying Your Heart Out - Oasis (I love this song, surprisingly this is the only Oasis song on the Top 25 but it's not my favourite of theirs,  71 plays)

21. Never Went to Church - The Streets (I downloaded this after their Live Lounge, 72 plays)

20. It's a Great Day to Be Alive - Travis Tritt (the first country song, but not the last! 73 plays)

18. You and Me - Lifehouse (this reminds me of the summer, 75 plays)

18. Move Along - The All-American Rejects (this was another early download, 75 plays)

17. Make a Move On Me - Joey Negro (on the Running playlist, 76 plays)

16. Life is a Highway - Rascal Flatts (I actually prefer this to the original! 77 plays)

14. Naive - Kooks (I would walk past them on the street even though this song has 80 plays)

14. Praise You in this Storm - Casting Crowns (my US church used to sing this a lot, 80 plays)

13.What Hurts the Most - Rascal Flatts (another Rascal Flatts song, 81 plays)

12. My Deliver - Rich Mullins (reminds me of driving from Greenville,  83 plays)

11. Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray (this song came out first when I was in America, 85 plays)

10. Bless the Broken Road - Rascal Flatts (I like them! 86 plays)

9. The Long Way Round - Dixie Chicks (this is my theme song! 87 plays)

8. No Tomorrow - Orson (have they had other songs? 91 plays)

7. She's in Love With the Boy - Trisha Yearwood (a former number 1 on my Top 25, 93 plays)

6. Nature's Law - Embrace (Great song, 94 plays)

5. First Time - Sunblock (another Running song, I actually think I ran round the Lake with this too, 101 plays)

4. Standing Outside the Fire - Garth Brooks (how he only has one song on my Top 25 is a mystery, 102 plays)

3. In the Light - DC Talk (an oldie but a goodie, 104 plays)

2. Cowboy Take Me Away - Dixie Chicks (this could well have been the only song I listened to driving home from Washington, DC, 114 plays)

1. I've Always Loved You - Third Day (I woke up to this song on the radio one Easter Saturday and sang it all the live long day so it's no surprise it's number one with 121 plays)

I have just worked out I have listened to about 3 of these songs every day since I got myPod! That's scary! But encourages me that it was money well spent.

So there you go, 2 dance songs, 5 Christian and 8 country songs amongest others. But the number one was not country. Who'd have thunk it?!

Seriously, who buys this crap?!

It won't have escaped your notice that I got a fair few flights recently. And what does flying mean?!

Sky Mall!

So here we go with another round of crap!

Are you kidding me? As if the prospect of moose head on your wall wasn't bad enough! You're supposed to put up a dinosaur head! Nobody will believe you killed it you know (unless you're Jeff Goldblum...maybe).

No, now you're kidding me. A sumo wrestler garden sculpture?

This, quite frankly, is taking the piss.

If you had this with this you really would look quite the nobbit.

Forget about the door screen Sky Mall, where can I get that outfit?!

Of course, the welfare of aging pets was once again taken care of.

But there were three main problems that this issue dealt primarily with. Problems we've all had I'm sure.

1. Unsightly litter trays

Does it help with plant growth?

I wouldn't want my handtowel in the same room as the litter tray, let alone in the same unit!

2. Packing shoes

Five pairs of shoes in just one pair?! I never thought it possible! But it is, all with the simple switch of a sole.

Shoes are so bulky aren't they? Not these fashionable articles though! They flatten and fold!

3. Cleaning high up

Wowzer! Look at all the attachments!

But wait! Which one Sky Mall, which one?!

There was, however, one thing in the entire magazine that I thought was cool.

Sleep suits in adult sizes!

I managed to restrain myself from ordering one. I don't think I could bear the indignation of 'Sky Mall' showing up on my credit card. They might think I got the Garden Yeti.

Team Sweeney

I feel like I joined the elite! Well, I thought it would be rude not to join in the shenanigans that Team Sweeney et al often has in well known local bar of a Sunday night. And once you get invited and don't show up, it looks like you're not interested and then they might not invite you again.

It was a great night's craic. Good conversation and a good laugh. Plus I got to meet the future Mrs. Owen, she's lovely.

Owen, apparently a fan of my blog, wanted me to write about the night on here, so I am (again, for fear I might not get invited back again). Owen thought that he would need to say something profound or funny in order for me to write about it. Just a shame for him it was the latter.

The moment came as we were talking about bras and boobs. (Well aside from Owen it was an all girl group and he was related/engaged/close to three of the four girls. I take myself out of it because if it were just Owen and I at a table I imagine one of the last things we'd talk about would be bras or indeed boobs.)

So I quote Owen, 'anything more than a handful is just a waste'.

Actually, I take it back. Maybe in this plastic surgery, image is everything world it is a profound statement.

Or maybe not.

Anyway, spurred on my blog, Owen has decided now to start writing his own. If this is a sample of what we can expect, I cannot wait to read the rest!

Sunday afternoon

I have the house to myself! It's like the old days of living on my own. Except with a cat.

Anyway this week there was considerably more meeting people and general going out which was a plus on last week. And it had the bonus of Brian being home so I got to see him for the first time in well over a year! Always good craic.

So today when we were in church this old lady came up to us and mimed something. It turned out to be 'Don't cry for me'. I don't know why she thought we might or whether she was playing Charades (what would you do for Argentina?) but it made us laugh no end. I love laughing in church when you really shouldn't. It feels like you might explode from laughter building up inside you.

Now I'm watching TV, 'Where Eagles Dare' is on. I Sky Plussed it for Dad so we can watch it later and maybe attempt to actually understand what is going on in it, although this wouldn't be the first time. But it does have great music. And cable cars.

Sunday afternoons are great!

My penny's worth

There were a few sporting controversies this week so I have decided to weigh in on them.

1. The Premiership's plan to play one more match a season abroad

I think when you live abroad you get the chance to appreciate how big Premiership Football is. When you're on holiday, you just think it's funny slash cool that they have it on in the bar at the hotel. But I had all the Premiership matches on my TV sports package in Singapore, with lesser known ex-stars providing punditary. There was a guy I worked with who would get up in the middle of the night to watch his beloved Liverpool play, and I'm sure he wasn't alone. English football is a big deal around the world, and maybe it's time that fans around the world get a chance to see matches live that actually matter, not just a pre-season friendly against a local third rate team. The NFL played a game a while ago in Wembley, why not why not proper football, the biggest game in the world around the world?

All that said, the Premiership don't seem to have been very smart about how they have gone about their plan. 39 matches in a season? Wrecking the even home and away games? What would decide which teams played? And where? Ill-conceived and prematurely announced. It doesn't look like it's going to happen, what with Sepp and various Football Federations coming out against it anyway. Meesy thinks they had big dollar signs in their eyes that was obscuring their vision on this one.

2. Dwain Chambers and the World Indoors

He took drugs, got caught and served his ban. Rather than run away with his tail between his legs, he's back running on the track again and is fast enough still to go to major events. But can anyone trust him? Has he disgraced his nation? Should he get a second chance? Tough one. He knowingly took performance enhancing drugs that were undetectable at the time. He was absolutely complicit and then had the audacity to say that you couldn't win an Olympic gold medal without drugs, which just insulted everyone that ever has (including his ex-team mates in the 4 x 100m). 

But the ban he served was the ban that was set. Stare decisis. I think that if sporting bodies are serious about getting rid of drugs out of their sports, then give a ban that truly makes it not worth it. But you can't help but think Chambers should just give it up now, he would have slightly more dignity.

3. Steven Spielberg and the Beijing Olympics

So he was an artistic advisor to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies but his conscience wouldn't let him continue because China isn't doing enough to end the suffering in Darfur. Why was he the artistic advisor anyway? Did he too see the big dollar signs? I think he comes across as being a bit high and mighty now. What's your government doing to end the suffering? Probably not selling them guns right enough but still. 

I watched Matt Frei interview President Bush this week and he asked him about it. Bush said he viewed the Olympics as 'a sporting event'. Well, yes, they are but surely politics is involved when countries sent their representatives and Heads of State. But back to Spielberg. Fair enough Steven. You pulling out of your role probably got more media attention on Darfur this week than the entire month beforehand.

I posted this without a title first time!

I mentioned before about the hasty decision last week to give up all beverages except for water, milk, and pure orange and apple juice. Hasty indeed. Is it possible the headaches I've been getting is because my body can't handle not having the sweet nectar that is Coca Cola?

Yesterday I had the funniest dinners since I got home with my parents. I laughed until I cried. What was so funny? Well, it seems that I only have twenty years of decent eye sight left before it all goes downhill and I have to get a speaking clock. I think I should have taken up eating carrots instead in an attempt to stop the rot, as it were.

Anyway, did you hear that thing on the news today about the high pitched sound that only dogs and teenagers can hear that is emitted from areas where the latter congregate? Part of me thinks in some way it's a gross violation of human rights.

The other makes me sad I cannot hear it. I'm sure that wasn't the desired outcome of the story.

A quiet week

I cannot believe I am already back a week. Travelling and especially Singapore all feels so long ago now I wonder did it really happen.

There was no fanfare or razzmataz of being back this time, not like from North Carolina so I have just slowly been catching up with people. This was slightly hampered by still feeling crap, but this week I am going to tackle it with a vengeance. So if I haven't already met up with you, want to meet sometime this week or next?

Last night we went out to celebrate Caroline That I Was In Australia With's birthday. And a very nice evening it was, dinner and drinks (although in a rash decision eating pancakes on Tuesday Dad and I put ourselves on water, milk, orange and apple juice only. This is proving to be slightly harder than first anticipated).

However the evening did take a slightly awkward turn as Caroline and I argued. Nothing serious, just the location of half a continent. We were talking about Lynsey and Caroline's proposed Philanka tour (to Sri Lanka and the Philippines) and how they might go about it, when Caroline suggested they get a boat from Sri Lanka to the Philippines because, and I quote, 'it's right across from it'.

'Aside from the Malay peninsula, Singapore and Indonesia'.

'No, there's nothing between them, because I remember looking at the map when Lynsey was there and thinking she's just right beside me.'

'Aye, except for Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.'

This carried on for a few minutes. I knew I was right, but so did Caroline. More and more people got involved in the discussion but none willing to stick their neck out and take a side. Judith, bless her, eventually did take mine just because 'you're usually right'. That may be Judith, but it doesn't prove there's a chunk of land in between Sri Lanka and the Philippines!

It had to be settled. We asked at the restaurant if they had a map, but apparently it wasn't that kind of establishment. Emma looked up a map of the world on her mobile, but it was too tiny to prove anyone right.

So nothing would do, someone would need to call home and have someone look it up. Anna, probably wanting to end the whole sorry discussion volunteered. And a few minutes later we had the call back that we were waiting for...

Caroline was right.

Except that she wasn't. About ten minutes later there was another call. Colin, Anna's husband, an educated man of the cloth I might add, couldn't read the map it seems. 

'Sorry there's a few dots in between'.

Let me illustrate with my handy dandy annotated map:

You'll notice the 'few dots' of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore there. The argument was never about whether you could sail between the two, obviously you can sail between two islands. It was about whether there was anything in between. Which there is, as you'll see circled above.

Caroline took her defeat with good grace, probably better than I did after the first time, when I refused to believe him until I saw it for myself. So I didn't see the need to give her a big 'sooooooo yooooooooooooooo!'

But saying inside your head doesn't count, right?!

No seriously, I am home

I was struck down! Being sick wasn't quite the welcome home I was expecting. Anyway, now that I am on the mend again and have patience to wait for photos to upload I thought I would complete the last few photos of my trip.

Here's the photo I should have put up on Sunday, the Empire State Building in blue for the Giants. Bad luck New England, turns out you can't win them all.

I forgot this too on Sunday! It was nice to see Harmony Fellowship keeping up their work!

On Friday's daily visit to the Apple Store in New York I got to play with the new MacBook Air. Pretty sweet. And in the Fifth Avenue Store they were so new I even got to see the Apple Geniuses set them up. They had to cordon off the area to let them work in peace!

Leaving Newark I thought it would be rude not to have my last broccoli pizza! And of course not to take a photo for you. It's its own tradition now.

The Emerald Isle wasn't quite how I remembered it!

So back to life in Northern Ireland now. So much has changed. I listened to Radio 1 and didn't recognise one song, not one! I didn't know England had a new football manager. Carrick has new special street lights along the promenade. But then some things are always the same, like how you have to threaten to leave O2 in order to get any sort of a deal.

It's harder to regain your accent when you can't speak

I've lost my voice. I got the cold last week and now I've lost my voice. This is providing much amusement to the parents. I'm glad I travelled all the way round the world so they could make fun of me!

So right now I am lying on the sofa in my parents' house watching TV. There are two important points to note there.

1. I called it my parents house implying that I am not staying here long. I love them, they love me but still.

2. My parents got Sky+. For years my Dad said he would never ever pay anything more than the TV licence for TV (I only wanted it for Neighbours reruns on UK Gold to be honest. Probably not reason enough) but somehow they were convinced.  It's a good job, the 'head will not be able to get Freeview until they switch off the analogue signals. Excitingly I had my first press of the 'red button' during the rugby yesterday. V. exciting.

Anyway, tonight is the Super Bowl. It's the New England Patriots against the New York Giants and even though I have no connection with New England whatsoever and I was just in New York, I'm pulling for New England. They are 18-0 and while going undefeated in the season has been done before, winning the Super Bowl on top of that has not. 

[At this point you should imagine a lovely picture of the Empire State Building all lit up in blue for the New York Giants. Blogger is being stupid and I can't upload it. Grrr.]

Twelve stops and home

So this is it. Bags packed and passport ready but the next stop is Belfast.

I don't really know how to think about going home. For the past two and a half years or so when I've gone home it's only been for a short time. This time it's forever. There are no more trips planned and no more jobs abroad in the works.

I'm excited to see family and friends, but when the initial hello hugs and what not are done, then I have to try to rebuild my life in NI. It's a kind of 'so what now?' moment.

Of course, on the plus side, I might get my accent back.

I haven't done this in a while

Jose has a super cool new car which his iPod works seamlessly with, no tuning the car radio nonsense. So on one of our trips we were listening to mine, just running through the playlists.

As one song finished and another started, Jose said 'You know, you are the musical equivalent of being very well read.' Well thank you very much.

So here's this month's list.

Apologize - Timbaland (feat. OneRepublic)

I first heard this in Australia and really liked it. Still do.

Lost in This Moment - Big and Rich

Ah, the happy return of country loving Tina Sue!

Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie

I really don't like Fergie but this song is annoyingly singable.

Supercalifragilisticexplialidocious - Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke

Can't beat it. In the show this song was totally different, but she did at least say it backwards right, not like Julie.

Whatever Gets You Through The Day - The Radio

Another Grey's masterpiece.

Hosanna - Hillsong

We sang this in church in Singapore but I didn't remember it til I got the CD.

All I Want is You - Barry Louis Polisar

This is from the opening titles in Juno and is so chipper! It reminds me of something that Nicky would write, kind of like the one he wrote for their wedding which now escapes me.

Stop 12: New York City

I heart NY! Here are some of the highlights:

I went to see Mary Poppins! I was so excited! Mary Poppins was my favourite film growing up, and to be honest, probably still is. It closed last summer in London and I didn't ever see it, so I wasn't about to miss it here too.

It was fantastic, much different to the film, but closer to the books. I sat with a smile on my face the entire time! Now seeing as I'm a Film Critic, I'll also be a Theatre Critic too. Mary Poppins had the worst accent ever. Much I let her away with it, because Dick does in the film.

Even though I really wanted to see it, I didn't want to miss out on time with Michelle by taking up an evening with it, so I went to the matinee. I had to pick up my ticket and then get lunch before the show started. So with my ticket picked up, I set off in search of some fast food. The theatre was on 42nd Street and I walked all the way up to 46th Street before I found a McDonalds. Yeah, so look at the photo again. Shut up. New York is like that. My mum and dad once walked all the way around the Empire State Building looking for it.

I got the Staten Island ferry to...well Staten Island.

Me and another landmark bridge.

I went to see 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' filmed. I've only ever seen one other TV programme filmed before...the Kelly Show. Oh yes. This was better. 

Jon Stewart spent some time answering questions from the audience and came across as a really nice guy, he's very quick (which I suppose he should be, a man in his profession). He's also very short (height wise, not rude). 

During a filmed piece, it was cool to watch him laugh along with it. There was one point he was actually bent double laughing. If you have More4, you can see the episode I saw filmed tonight at 8.30pm. Some woman from Time Magazine is on. Not a classic perhaps, but better than that Tricia woman from Heartbeat and the new guy who took over from Roy Walker on Catchphrase that were on Kelly.

Because of the Writers' strike, a special little picket area was set up for them. Very accomodating I thought. 

The show is currently renamed 'A Daily Show with...' because they feel like it's not the same show without their writers. Someone asked a question about that, and Jon said that they were coping alright without them, but they really wanted them back. He was also asked about the Oscars (he's presenting them again this year) and whether he thought they would go ahead. He said that he didn't know. Then he said that he switches between wanting the strike to end tomorrow to get his writers back and wanting it to go on until after the Oscars so he wouldn't have to do it!

In the line, I got talking to the guy beside me. Turns out his wife worked in Belfast a few years ago. 'Oh really?' says me, 'what was she doing?' 'She's a dancer'. He must have seen the puzzlement on my face on why his wife would be brought over to Belfast to dance, not exactly the West End, so he explained further, 'striptease'. Have you ever done that face when you try not to look shocked? Yeah, that was me, 'oh right...cool.'

After the taping, I went to the Rockefeller Centre. They had just or were about to open an Observation Deck to take some of the pressure off the Empire State Building when I was here last September and seeing as I've already done the Empire State a couple of time, I thought would do this instead. Good choice, it was way less crowded.

But of course you can't go far without meeting the Irish. At the top were three ladies from Bangor. One of them asked me what part of America I was from. This has removed the last shred of hope I had with my accent. 

Over the past year I have gotten asked more times than enough where in America I was from. Thinking it was just Singaporeans/Malaysians/Australians not knowing an American accent I didn't worry. But then in the Blue Mountains an actual American asked me. She, you would think, would know an American accent. So I told myself that her ear just wasn't tuned to a NI accent. But the Bangor ladies? They should know a NI accent. So that's it, I now apparently have an American accent. Totally awesome.

Beautiful.

It struck me when I was up there, that I finishing this adventure the way I finished the North Carolina one, with time in New York City. But also the way I started this trip, being totally enamoured by a city all lit up.