These last two weeks have been a really nice break from work. I’ve spent a nice block of time with fewer responsibilities and had a leisurely time with friends - old and new. A warm fuzzy feeling has appeared inside of me whilst developing these relationships - this is just as well as the temperatures here are proving that the central heating that I took for granted is barely a luxury.
During this week a few new faces have appeared at Media Village for this course - they’ve turned up one by one and this time around I’m not one of the new kids. It’s been a pretty social time as Jen and then Frank turned up closely followed by new British friend Charlie and Irish ’B’.
We’ve watched two films and spent more time eating belgiummy chocolate and drinking wine together. The first film was Så som i himmelen (or As It Is in Heaven). A Swedish production on at a local (sadly soul-less) art house cinema multiplex that a good friend from home was raving about for some time before I left the UK. A beautiful account of love and all that is important in life. Equally good, although somewhat more mainstream, was Shrek the Third. Another laugh out loud funny episode with the ogre and plenty of fairy tale cuteness and a sprinkling of adult targeted humour.
Today I went to the Church of the Holy Spirit with two of my room mates. An anglican church not unlike my church in London and a place where I, perhaps unsurprisingly, felt at home. Had some really good teaching and enjoyed feeling part of the service rather than simply a spectator. Will definitely return there - probably to the younger service this evening in fact where seating includes beanbags (which is a surprisingly strong plus point).
All in all it’s been a time to relax in the calm before the storm. From Monday things will start to become increasingly hectic and I’m sure it won’t be long before having a relaxing social life is simply a distant memory disappearing into the haze in my rear view mirror.