Thursday, July 14, 2005
Christopher’s Manchester Weblog - Summer 2005 - Days 19 and 20 - On Conference Calls, Goats and Hair
Closing in on time to go home…
Well time for a quick fill-in on the weekend past…
Friday’s Conference Call
First, back to Friday afternoon. I forgot to tell you about my first conference call done while not in America and via the internet. Clint Dunham, my dear friend, had hooked me up with Vonage before I left the States and that has allowed me to avoid having to buy calling cards and being stuck calling Tanya from the sauna known as the NTC phone booth. This entire trip I have called her from the relative serenity of my bedroom, while propped up on my bed with pillows and lounging in my shorts and t-shirt.
So, I participated in a very important and serious conference call on Friday for the Money and The Navigators group that is looking at forming resourcing communities to support the international work of the Navs. All went well for the most part, except for the fact that when I get excited (me?) I tend to speak louder and closer to the microphone, evidently giving my the sound quality of the teachers on Charlie Brown.
Anyways, the call was droning on towards its conclusion (I was enjoying crackers, cheese and small pint) when I noticed on a screen I was browsing (the internet you know) the following line:
“If you loved, “Earthquake in Chile, not many hurt” you will love this one.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/08/AR2005070800553_pf.html
So I clicked on the hyperlink. Big mistake. If you have not done so, do now. It is one of the articles that you are sure is either a misprint or was covered because someone has just hired a new reporter and he had to do something with him.
Anyways, I am now having to mute the conference call because I am laughing so hard that crackers are flying out my nose. Of course, because this is always the way it works out, someone at that exact moment asks me a question on the call. To my amazement, I instantly returned to a serious and thoughtful theologian, unmated and answered the question, remuted, looked at the headline, and proceeded to lose it all over again. Well, as you might guess, the last half of the call went much faster for me than the first half.
Saturday
When it gets hot here, it gets hot. This weekend it was hot. Because of the dreadful lack of breeze, the poor insulation, and the other wonderful elements of building here, the low 80s made it feel (with the humidity) like Phoenix in August. That meant a race to areas where fans and, in a few cases, the air conditioning, were at work.
First stop in this pursuit was Emmanuel, to here the coffee concert. It was a trio of young, professional female musicians known as “Intriplicate.” They were outstanding! Never have I heard the oboe played better (but then, I have never heard the oboe before). They were very good. The coffee was very bad (60 pence for 7-11 coffee?). But a good time was had by all. I purchased their CD, and you would have thought that I was the President. The pianist grabbed the flutist and said, “Darling, we are going to Colorado!!!!” I was taken aback, and then realized that she meant their music would be played in Colorado. I already have enough packing issues with weight without trying to figure how to pack an oboe.
Then it was to the Tesco. Talk about a hot walk. The air, which normally has a great breeze, has been stagnant the past few days, which meant that it was like walking from pocket of hot muggy air to pocket of hot muggy air.
Ah, but there is always the frozen foods section of the Tesco. I noticed that it was very populated today, including the meat section where numerous Indians, vegetarians like myself, were strolling the aisle but not buying.
Aside from that…just a day of revising and trying to sleep in the heat.
Sunday
Got up Sunday and helped a fellow American (actually the gal who hooked me into this program) to the bus stop for her ride to the airport. She had to have exceeded the weight limit, as she had one bag that was just books (somehow, I managed to miss a great theological bookstore in Cambridge…for which I am glad given our financial situation and my luggage limitations). After that I took off on a wonderful run, for 30 minutes in the heat and humidity. I think my legs are finally remembering what its like to run. They aren’t sure they like it.
Then a quick shave and shower before church. But…well, I have been wanting to try and do something about my beard since I have been here. Seems the grey is getting more noticeable, and my vanity has gone up with the heat. So Saturday I purchased some shampoo in colouring. Stunning Red I think is the colour. So, while in the shower I shampooed it in, mostly into my beard but then decided to try it in my hair as well. After the prescribed five minutes, I washed it out and got dressed for church.
Only then did I look in the mirror. Hmm…it seems that my hair doesn’t take colouring to well. In high school I tried “Sun In” – one of those worthless products that I am sure is still sold in the UK – which rather than turning me blond turned me Carrot-Top Orange. That lasted about a month. This time…well, its more Fanta Orange than Carrot-Top. I guess I am just not meant to be a red head. Fortunately, it should wash out before I get home (though I blend in here much better without one colour hair). As for my beard? Well, part of it did turn red. Red like a radish. But the grey? Well now it just looks like horribly tarnished silver. Not a good look. Maybe I’ll try more colouring next time.
So, on to church where the theme of the morning is, “Making a fool of yourself.” God does have a sense of humour. Good service, though again the people looked like zombies rather than their normal selves. Think they are getting adjusted to their new curate (they still have their old staff as well, but you know, new guys and all). After service I hung around with the curate and his wife, talking about this and that. Why is it by the way that every Brit who has been to America spent most of their time in Texas? Now we know why they think what they do about us. The curate and I are getting together for tea on Tuesday. He was so stoked to see me with an IPAQ and an IPOD, in church no less, because he get a hard time in Christian circles for being so “tech-savvy.” I of course told him about Alan and he got this wistful look on his face like the thought of going to America again wouldn’t be so bad. My kind of guy…he even had the Star Trek Federation symbol as his IPAQ homepage. I love nerds…and trust me, this guys is as nerdy as I am.
From there it was lunch (quick burger and pint at the Hogshead) a nap (because the heat simply took a lot out of me) and then study and study, laundry and study. As I got ready for bed last night though, I thought I could see a bit more red in my hair…of course that may just have been the grey.
The countdown in on! I come home in only 5 more days!!!! Any last minute request for Harry need to come soon, as I am already loaded to the gills and will have to smuggle the rest into the States.
Christopher
PS – as some of you have commented on my last email, its “Pearl Drops” not “Pear Drops” and I attended the theatre, not a film. Thanks for catching the errors…but you know, I was just using British lingo….
