Goodbye Atkins

So yes, I am back from Korea. No doubt there will be more about that in the coming days and weeks. Suffice to say I am enjoying being back in the North Carolinian sunshine and heat for many, many reasons.

One thing that I did not enjoy is just days after being back I had to move house. It’s hard to believe that I came to the new world with nothing more than the shirt on my back (and two suitcases in my hands - although not at the same time, damn heavy). Moving house took several car trips and many boxes. Bodes well don’t you think?!

I'm hoping that when they clean my old house, they don't find out about the sofa covers I shrunk in my first few days in Atkins. Although, I can’t imagine there’d be any sort of problem, I bought them a new cover from Wal-Mart. In fact, I did them a favour, the old one was uuuggggly.

One word of advice should you ever move house, when trying to turn your water on, it’s best not to turn off the neighbour’s. It does nothing for community relations. He already seemed suspicious of me (probably due to me being under 70 and having an accent). Maybe I should call round later to say sorry. Again. I could bring him some water related gift. I was thinking maybe a goldfish or some bubble bath to celebrate his newly turned on water. That would win him around I'm sure.

Not sure that was what Garth meant

3.15am and I'm working on seminar reminder lists to avoid 2000 people at Registration asking us what they signed up for.

Pressed play on my iPod to get a random song up.

'Ain't Going Down Til the Sun Comes Up' by Mr. Brookes himself. Brilliant.

I've had ten hours sleep total over three nights and wonder how I manage even to stand during the day. Which reminds me, because I'm on my feet all day long, standing running (think Mrs. Weir ex-BHSers) I have swollen ankles.

Today will definitely be two birthday records:
-Earliest wake up (bus leaves at 7.00am, who's idea was the conference start time?!)
-Worst appearence ever (shadows under eyes so bad they look like black eyes, bad hair, lack of shower, skin dull, no make-up. I have no time to do anything about my appearance mostly due to my two for two record of sleeping in the two mornings of the conference.)

I nearly don't even want reminded it is my birthday. Can I postpone it til further notice?

7.5 on the richter scale

So full of stories from today, I think I'll have a book series instead.

Suffice to say that on a scale of one to ten (mildly stressed to so stressed I can't even work and have to be sent home to lie in a darkened room until further notice) I reached 7.5. The closest I came to meltdown was when the same Korean volunteer interupted me with whoever I was helping to ask me the same question again and again and again. Not just away and back instantly, like 5 minutes apart. Same answer each time, same issue for about 45 minutes. No kidding, it was 8-10 times at least. The church was full this morning, so there were aroundabout 10,000 there. Packed.

Having a great time with Team Ireland (GK, DA and JS all legends by the way!!) Jud, Dee and I have put the whole world church to rights tonight and while we were at it we did the Ireland too. Great night and laughed until I nearly passed out at Jud's impression of her mum's stare at Owen and her when they were kids and fighting in church. I could just see you do it Helen! Brilliant!

Anyway from the tone of this you will know I'm fine and pleased with how it's going.

Tomorrow is another day though!

Quoting Scott Mills

'Tired and emotional.'

Tuesday (Council day 1) worked 20 hours, slept 3 hours.

Wednesday (Council day 2, Conference minus 24 hours) worked 18 hours, will sleep for 4.

Like most girls when I'm tired I cry (two and counting). After each problem was dealt with I managed to walk away without being incredibily rude in return (I know I represent, and am employed by, an organisation more than myself otherwise I would have given them a bollocking* back again) before disolving into tears.

* I swear more too.

It's looking good for tomorrow then.

Another post?! Crazy!

I thought I’d write a quick blog just before I head to bed.

-It is hotter that Hades out here, which is odd because the sun doesn’t appear to shine too much. Haven't seen a blue sky since I left, which is having a negative affect on my hard earned tan. But hurrah for air con. My weather lady shows the temperature but that is really of little significance, the percentage number is the humidity. That’s the killer right there.

- Koreans put sweetcorn on pizza. I have concluded therefore that it is only America where this seems an odd custom. So far we have avoided the Kim Chi. Any doubts of God’s existence can now be banished.

-It's all gone a bit West Wing here with people working in Hotel rooms. Have yet to hear anyone to say 'can I've the room?' though. While I work in my room I have the TV on. There is only two channels that are in English, CNN and the US Army channel. The Army Channel is better than it sounds with all the top US shows. They do have funny adverts though, telling what is coming up on various barracks and giving you the weather for the whole of eastern Asia.

- My phone not working out here has meant that I have missed a few golden opportunities to take photos (now that I’ve found my memory card adaptor!). Eg. There was a big protest going on about the Free Trade Agreement and rice imports. It had more riot police than I have ever seen. They weren’t needed as there was no fighting from the paddy farmers and there was certainly no tear gas dispensed. This meant though that hundreds of police were put into organised rows sitting on their helmets waiting for the announcement that they were to go to war. Another opportunity missed came when I went past a Royal Palace (ten a penny here) and there was some sort of changing of the guard going on. These were the same men that I had a photo of before, you know the ones that looked like they had escaped from the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics? Apparently they don’t just roam in the streets in full regalia. Good to know.

- I don't understand where the time has come for blogging and email writing. It seems like we aren't working but maybe it just seems like that because I was working ridiculous hours in the weeks before we left. Although this will probably change next week as people begin to arrive. I have a few more chapters for my book now we're here, but for right now it’s off to bed! Have a good Friday night y’all!