I love my job...

I have found myself thinking this yet again this week.

As I was walking from the science lab back to my office, the other day, a wave of happiness came over me and I thought 'I love my job'.

Now that's not to say the same wave of happiness passes over me at 6.15 am when my alarm goes off!! It was particularly difficult last week after two weeks off and the clocks being put forward.

Now, I would be the last person to critise the government, but why, oh why have we put the clocks forward again this year. The theory is that we will save energy. The problem is, that most of the energy we use in this country goes on Air Conditioning and the AC is on all day at the moment!!!

The temperature is rising here all the time, in fact my thermometer here has reached 40 degrees celsius for the first time this year!!

The main hassle with the clock going forward is that it has slightly thrown out my body clock. When the alarm goes off it is still dark, and it is not going dark again until just after 8 in the evening. Which means I am struggling to get up and then it gets to bed time before I realise it.

The other thing I have done this week is spend some of my inheritance. When I called mum last week she told that my grandmother had left my sister, my two cousins and myself a small legacy.

Whilst Thomas was here I had already been considering a purchase and ruled it out as too extravegant. We had been into Jafferjees, who sell the most wonderful leather products. I already have a belt from there and Thomas bought himself a wallet last year. We had gone in to look at bags for my new laptop and they really were beautiful, but I couldn't justify the expense. The day after I had the conversation with my mum and it occured to me that some new luggage would be an excellent way to remember my grandmother. So we returned a few days later and purchased not only the laptop bag but also the carry on bag that went with it!! I really will look the part when I travel back to the UK in business class.

I still had some money left so decided that I would like to invest in some artwork. Now I know as much about art as I know about sky diving. So Thomas and I went to a couple of the galleries here in the city, and in the second one we saw a pair of water colours that just capture my attention. So we went away and gave a few days and when we returned I still liked them, so as you can see they are now gracing the walls of my sitting room and each time I look at them I will think of grandma.

This morning I was preaching at the cathedral, and the first service was a little like ecclesiastical happy families as we had at the front, a bishop, a priest, a deacon and a reader! This was made all the more bizarre by the fact that there were only 3 people in the congregation!! I love the Church of Pakistan...

All by myself...

Once again I find myself 'Home Alone'!

Zubair arrived just before 1am this morning to collect Thomas and take him to the airport. As I would not be allowed in the airport building, I declined the journey to the airport and waved him off from the gate.

We have had a very restful week, which was just what we needed. We did do a little sightseeing, by visiting Makhli and Thatta, but mainly we have just enjoyed being together and played a lot of Scrabble (both scoring over 400, in different games) and Cribbage.

Sadly, Monday's trip to thebeach didn't happen as Thomas had eaten something that had disagreed with him and didn't want to be too far from the facilities.

Thankfully, by Tuesday he was fully recovered and so after our excursion into Interior Sindh we booked into the Arabian Sea Country Club for two nights, which was wonderfully relaxing, the Club is about an hour's drive from Karachi, but about a million miles!

Friday took us to Maria's for 'Ande paratha' which is an eggs and bread brunch. After this we went to the markets to do some shopping. We bought scarves and shoes and a couple of other bits and pieces.

Then on Saturday it was a little more shopping and a delicious lunch out and then back here to pack and play a few more hands of Cribbage before it was time for Thomas to leave for the airport.

After two weeks of getting up late and lounging around I am a little concerned at the thought of getting up at 6.15am tomorrow!! Well at least its only 9 days until our next holiday and only 10 weeks until the end of term, how will I survive...

And on the third day He rose again...

Happy Easter to all my readers.

Today Thomas and I have celebrated the Resurrection with the congregation of Holy Trinity Cathedral. Rev Frederick reminded that just as the Risen Jesus met Mary in the garden, he is looking to meet each one of us and calls us by name into his kingdom.

After church we moved across the road to the Avari Towers for a swim and lie by the pool to enjoy the sun and temperatures of 35 degrees. We attempted to ring Thomas' family, who are currently in Skegness, but they were still in bed.

Moving across another road took us to the Marriott Hotel for their Easter Brunch, complete with live rabbits and chicks, which had been dyed all colours of the rainbow! The food, as always, was delicious.

We have spent the afternoon relaxing around the house, with some more Urdu reading practice. I have also been showing Thomas 'Victoria Wood - As Seen on TV' which he has never seen. Though this had made me realise that it was first shown 3 years before he was born!!

This evening we are off to Kathy and Zulfi's for dinner and a game of something. Zulfi wants to try out his dosa making and we are both very willing to be guinea pigs for this!

As I was serving communion this morning I was reminded, not for the first time, of a passage from one of Adrian Plass' books. One of the characters in his 'Diary' series is called Leonard Thynn and he is a recovering alcoholic. During the communion service Adrian looks at Leonard and sees him staring into the chalice, looking at the wine. Adrain describes the scene in his mind, 'there he is looking into the chalice, seeing both the problem and it's solution'

Our lives carry many problems, but I know that the 'solution' lies in the blood of the Lamb. The fact that 'Jesus died and was buried and on the third day rose again' means that I can take all my problems to Him. The problems don't alway disappear but it does make it easier to bear knowing He is here with me.

May the Peace of Risen Christ, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge of his love, now and always...

Kicking off your shoes...

After a flight that seemed to go on forever, but was in fact only 5 hours long, 37 tired but happy members of the BOS arrived back at school at 4am on Thursday. We were accompanied from Istanbul by Thomas who had arrived with minutes to spare from the Manchester flight, laden with allsorts of goodies, including my new laptop, on which I am typing this!

He also arrived with Marmite and more Angel Delight to boost my nearly depleted stocks. I am a man of simple tastes!

The trip to Turkey was great fun, and the students were fantastic. It doesn't mean there weren't times when I wanted to strangle one or other of them, but all in all they are good kids and were wonderful representatives of the school.

We saw lots of sights, including Troy, complete with wooden horse. Several Mosques from the Ottoman period and even snow when we ascended the mountain up to a ski resort at Bursa. The kids and some of the staff went up on the ski lift and engaged in a snow ball fight. I sat in the hotel lounge and looked after the iPods whilst sipping hot chocolate!

Thursday was a very leisurely day pottering around the house, popping to Pie in the Sky for lunch and spending 3 hours at Clippers having our hair cut, faces shaved and pampered, and our heads and shoulders massaged. The result being that we noe both have faces as soft as the baby's proverbial!

After such a stressful day, we decided not to cook but instead called Chairman Mao, who sent round some very delicious food from his homeland.

We rose latish on Good Friday and after a breakfast of coffee and croissants we headed to the Cathedral for Three Hours at the Cross. The service was ok but wasn't quite what I was hoping for, and similar yet very different to ones I had been involved in back in the UK.

We had a snack of leftovers Chinese on our return and then Thomas gave me a reading lesson in Urdu. My greatest frustration at the moment with my language learning is that I can't read more than about 10 words in Urdu. So I have set Thomas the challenge of teaching me to read in 10 days!

We then set to reorganising the furniture in the front room, which means that all is very tidied and ordered now, how long this lasts remains to be seen.

Today we are off to Mohatta Palace to see the History of the Tile and then have invited ourselves to tea at Maria's. Maria along with myself and Lubna form the 'Sewing Circle' on a Saturday afternoon, which is a time of sewing, eating and chatting.

This evening we shall be dining at Pompeii which is wonderful Italian restaurant with the world's best Creme Brulee!

Tomorrow it is church in the morning and then to the Avari for a swim and lounge by the pool and then brunch at the Marriott. Monday is a day at the beach and then Tuesday to Thursday it's off to the Country Club for more relaxing and recuperation, a hard life but someone has to do it...

Mera computer xhrab hey...

My extended abscence from my blog has in part been caused by my broken computer. Over the last couple of months, the power connection has been getting more and more dodgey, with the result that it finally gave up the ghost last weekend. I have ordered a new one and all being well it will arrive with Thomas next Thursday when he gets here from England.

I am at the moment in Karachi airport and I am accompanied by 33 students and 3 other members of staff, and we are all on our way to Istanbul in Turkey for a 6 day stay. It is currently 1.30 am and I have been in school since 7am yesterday, though I did manage a couple of hours on the bed between 5 and 7. The flight leaves at 3am and then we go back 3 hours!! We board a coach when we arrive and head up to Gallipoli for the first part of our visit. The itineray promised 'beautiful scenary' , I intend to be looking at the inside of my eyelids!

On our way back we will be joined by Thomas at Istanbul airport and he will return here with us. I am really looking forward to seeing him, and I have planned a variety of activities that will require the minimum of effort. Eating out appears high on the agenda!

Grandma's funeral happened last week and it was really weird to be sat in a Governors meeting, known what was happening back in England. I have spoken to my mum several times and she seems to be coping at the moment. All the arrangements are now sorted, the last one being organising a plaque for the Garden of Remembrance at the Crem. Mum was able to arrange a replacement for my grandfather's plaque which will now bear both their names.

It hasn't quite sunk in for me yet as nothing much has changed, it think it will only be real when I see the plaque when I go to England in the summer.

It has also ben full steam ahead for my new role at school, with lots of meetings and lots of things to sort out. We are trying to recruit new staff, but the situation here is not helping. Sadly, Pakistan only seems to be in the news at the moment when linked with a new act of terror. That being said, if any of you know a maths teacher that fancies a couple of years in Karachi then let me know.

Well there is still another hour or so until our flight, but I had better go and see if I can find our lot, among the 200 or so Pak Army soldiers wandering around. I know our lot can be hard work, but I do feel this is overkill...