I SAW THE SUN!!!!!

Yes, that's right -- the sun came out in Reading today.  And not only that, but it stayed out the entire day.  It felt like mid-spring back in the "Burgh.  I must say that even our trainer made a comment saying:  "We can pause now for tea while all 'League of Nations' stares at the sun outside."  hat's what she is calling us since we are from the US, Canada & Jamaca.  Our trainer is very well educated and has an awesome personality -- which is to be expected since all social workers have awsome personalities.  Yeah for us!!!!
I
I finally figured out the money/coins over here.  You should see the size of a 2 pence coin -- it looks like it should be worth more than that.  The cost of making the thing probably costs more.  Well, I was able to buy a weekly bus pass, so I don't have to fiddle with coins all week.  I like riding the buses now.  Jason, the man from Canada, and I sit on the top level right up front and pretend we are on a rollar-coaster.  We use the handle bar in front as our "lap bar" and when we turn a corner we raise our hands -- just like on a coaster.  I know the Brits are saying, look at those crazy expats (ex-patriots).  Don't they have any dignity?  Ummmm . . . no.

I posted a picture of my tiny tiny room to the right, but tomorrow I have an appt after training to look at 3 houses to let/rent soon.  We are able to take a out a no interest loan for our first month's rent plus security deposit.  The 3 that I am viewing tomorrow all permit pets because I am bringing my 2 kitties, Orion & Taurus, over to the UK.  Oh man, the blogging will get REAL interesting after that.  Jason is getting a TV over the weekend and is going to have all of us to his house next friday to watch the Olympics -- even if it is curling.  I must say that these Brits know how to run their tv stations; there are hardly any commercials.  Quite nice, if I do say so myself.

During training, we are finding out that the UK is clearly well behind the US & Canada with their child protection laws.  They have "overkill" with all the services they try with the children, but they are focusing on the parents & not the child.  Most of the services are geared towards the parents, and the child is pushed to the side.  I think all of us went into an uproar all at once when we were shown this, and our poor trainer, Ruth, looked like she was just about to be beheaded.  Ruth really does have a great sense of humor.  Well, I am a bit tired tonight and will not be blogging tomorrow night due to my letting appts.  I will catch up with you over the weekend -- hopefully after our trip into London!!!

Cheers!

My first step through the doorway

Here we go!!! I am only four days in the UK on a 3-year employment assignment and I know absolutely NO ONE here. Yep, that's right, I stepped out of my semi-comfort zone to place where I never thought I would travel. Now, here I am in this lovely counrty, and one of my close girlfriends gave me the idea to blog my journal entries so I can share them with all who care to read them. Well, as most you know it is chilly & wet here in the UK; however,the sun does show itself every now-and-then. This weather is not condusive for someone with curly, frizzy hair. Needless to say, I have yet to have a good hair day. Reading is a very lovely place -- I have had the opportunity to walk around a bit, especially since I have not driven here yet. That will change, since my position calls for travel well outside the Reading area. Back to the topic at hand -- I am trying to familiarize myself with the British "lingo" here. I knew that some words are different than what we use in the US, but, HOLY CRAP,trying to follow a conversation here is harder than I thought. I now know the reason for all the small cars in England -- the streets are as wide as a single lane in the US. And getting familiar with looking "right" first before crossing the street is extremely high on my priority list!!! Then there is the bus system -- sure it is great from getting from point A to point B, however, "hold on to your seat!!!" Those double-decker buses swing aroung those streets & "roundabouts" like they are fleeing the scene of a crime. My family calls them "one-cheekers" since you are only holding your butt to the seat on one cheek. Speaking of things being smaller over here, the room I am renting is a closet!!! Thank the Lord that my landlord just got finished re-modeling another house of his, and he is letting me a much larger room closer to Town Center for less $$$. What a sweetheart of a man -- a social worker, no less. I will let it for one month while I look for a more permanent place to live. Even the refrigerators are tiny!!! I am hoping that most of you from the UK are laughing hysterically or at least smiling because I am. I remembered that most of warned me about things being smaller here, but I had no idea it would be this small. I am just loving the whole experience even though it has been only four days. Or, it may be just the jet-lag getting the best of me right now. As far as my first day of work, I could not have picked a nicer group of people to be around. I just get a charge out of the British humor over here. I will be working with "at risk" children over here, so I must be very generic when talking about a work experience. Basically, it is the same job I had while working with Children, Youth & Families in Allegheny County Pittsburgh, PA, USA). My collegues warned me of the difficults cases that may arise, but little do they know that I had extremely difficult cases at home. NOTHING could surprise me when working in child welfare. Well, the rest of the two weeks I will be in a classroom setting for training. Mainly learning statutes, laws, proceedures, local & regional social services, and all that good stuff. This coming weekend, the 8 of us new candidates will be heading into London to do some sight-seeing. I have already seen many very old churches in the Reading area. St. Thomas Church (formerly The Reading Abby) has a wonderful hisstory to it, and is quite magnificent. The Abbey was built in the 11th Century but destroyed during the Reformation. There was a second Abbey built on the old one; however, that got somewhat destroyed during WWII by without ever hearing the choirs and voices who filled its walls close to 1000 years earlier. Makes me want to say: Man, they just don't know what they're missin'." I am just thankful that I can hear those voices and smile at the continuous praises to God throughout the centuries here. I am truely blessed to have this opportunity with my eyes wide open, my ears fine-tuned, and my heart resting upon God's grace and mercy. Today stands a beautiful monument for praising and worshiping Our Lord, Jesus Christ with so much history hidden underneath and so many people overlook or just walk by I will try to post at least 3 a week -- maybe nore, but rarely less. So here is what I an writing for my first blogging attempt.