Monday 9 April 2007

Wish Me Luck as you wave me goodbye ....

Well I'm off to Africa this week. I thought I'd get one last blog in before I go. Hopefully you will be able to share in my adventures whilst I'm away because Richard has managed to get a wireless connection in his house so providing he lets me borrow his puter I'll be able to keep you updated. I was going to take my own puter but as I'm having great difficulty fitting everything in within the weight allowance, that's looking more and more unlikely which I'm quite sad about.

Two things which amazed me about myself after my visit to Africa last year:
1. I came back home with a lighter case - mainly because we took so much stuff out for richard and heidie.
2. I must be about the only person who has gone to a 3rd world country (actually I think the proper name for it now is developing country) and come back heavier! That is certainly not going to happen this year!

So I've just had another conversation with my mum about cases and stuff we're all having to take and now I'm going to repack this time I'm going to try putting my stuff into a smaller case (if I can!) in the hope that it will be lighter! They supposedly charge £25 per extra kilo - I am currently £50 over!

A question I'd like to ask .... How do you deal with noisy neighbours so they don't get angry with you and start causing your life hell? My neighbours upstairs are getting on my nerves. They don't seem to realise that the walls are not that thick and when the volume of your life is the volume of my neighbours life then you hear everything that's going on. They play their music quite loud which in turn means that they talk loud. It's only a one-bedroomed flat yet the lady has a little girl living with her who seems to use the hallway as play park and runs up and down it regularly - often very late at night. This morning I decided to do some bank holiday chores; I cleaned my car and washed my windows. Whilst I was washing my windows I found a whole load (2 handfuls) of cigarette butts on the ground just underneath my window - obviously thrown out of my neighbour's window rather than putting them in her bin! So how do you go and say - please turn the volume of your life down and please don't be so scanky and put your rubbish in the bin without it sounding like I'm a real Victor Meldrew? I was thinking that my consolation is that for the next few weeks I will have peace and quiet in the wilds of Africa until I remembered that last year we were regularly woken up at approximately 6am by the sound of the cockerel cockadoodledoo-ing and the drivers coming to get the keys to the vans and sometimes by the wailing of relatives whose loved one had just died so all in all I'm swapping one neighbour from hell for another! I have been regularly reminded recently of the greatest commandment that God gave us to "love the lord your god with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbour as yourself". At this moment in time, the loving your neighbour bit is very difficult and I am feeling very challenged!

May I be a bright star shining yeah? ....

laters
cx

4 comments:

Liz said...

Hey Clare!!

Just spending some time swanning round people's blogs and found you.

Have a great time on Africa - was chatting to Lou about you last week - all good stuff :)

Bless you my friend and blog soon!

Anonymous said...

At least you shouldn't have too many problems with cigarette butts when you get to Denmark Hill ....!

Clarebear said...

That would be an interesting sight - all the cadets at denmark hill hanging out of the window with a fag in their mouth!! That's made me laugh! I might try it - you know, get one of those candy cigarettes. Anyway, former travelling companion thanks for your comment - but who are you?
cx

janey said...

have a great time travel safely look forward to hearing all your stories

love n hugs mate
xoxo