on reunions

Which group are you most excited about reuniting?

a) Backstreet Boys (minus one)
b) Spice Girls (yeah, like I ever cared about them!)
c) New Kids on the Block
d) N*sync - it's not going to happen because JT is too big and doesn't need them...but I'll allow the hypothetical choice
e) The Police (for those older readers or if you're too cool to vote for a pop band)

I'm legal

I passed my driving test! I even passed it in the wind and the rain. Now I just need to work on getting the car...this weekend I'll also be going to buy a GPS (called SatNavs here) since I have no idea how to get around on the roads here. I want to get one that warns you where there are traffic cameras, as well. There are a lot of cameras here and if I get 2 tickets my license will get taken away and I'll have to do all the tests again! I definitely do not want that...I guess I'll be going the speed limit!

what a way to start the day

Start your day with some new New Kids on The Block! 

(Isn't that website background the same one Echo used to have?)

living in God's Community

I think churches don't often teach just how important living in God's community is for Christians. It could be that I just wasn't paying attention or it never really "hit me" at the time it was being taught but it wasn't until I moved to London that I realized how vital it is. I think it partly the dynamics of living in a big city where people are moving around a lot and don't usually have their immediate family nearby. I was beginning to get a taste of it when things were starting at Echo but without familiar surroundings, events, family and friends my church family in Wimbledon has become more important than ever. I couldn't have made it this long without them and I wouldn't be interested in staying longer either (but you can't blame it all on them, Mom and Dad). The friends [family] I've made throughout life at church will always stick with me.

domestication

Cooking for one is no fun so my friend Erin and I have decided to start our own little cooking club. We want to learn to cook more so we're actually going to plan meals, pick out recipes and cook for our friends. I say "learn" to cook even though I think I know how to cook- I just don't do it very often. Here are a few pictures from our first "meeting." We were very proud of ourselves! You can join our group on Facebook to get all the recipes we test.

hangin' tough

Apparently it's the cool thing to do. Yeah, NKOTB is back(?), baby.

learn something new

I learn something new every day. I've been taking lessons for my driving test and it turns out they ask you questions about your car before the test! Imagine my surprise...I don' t know much about the workings of cars, only which ones I think look cool. Some of the questions are obvious, some less obvious. So I had something new to learn! If you're curious you can see the questions here. Maybe you'll learn something new, too. My guess is you'll at least learn that the hood of a car is called a "bonnet" in the UK and that they spell tire, "tyre!"

Unspeakable

I think I already mentioned I was reading the book, "Unspeakable," by Os Guinness. Since I think it's a good book for anyone questioning evil this world, and since pretty much everyone has, then this is a good book for anyone to read. It is a deep and intellectual book (not surprising given the topic) while still being accessible for most. There were a few parts I skimmed over and quotes that I didn't quite follow but for the most it was understandable!

Guinness spends the first part of the book providing a framework for thinking about the problem of evil. He addresses the progression of evil and such questions as "Why me? Where's God?" and "How can I stand it?" I think if you're reading this you already know there aren't solid answers to these questions but the way he thinks through them is helpful. Next he goes on to discuss the various world views and their response to evil. He provides background on Eastern religion, Secularism and Jewish and Christian thought. He spends the most time on Christianity given his faith, but the other sections are well written and informative as well.

From there he asks, "What can we do about it?" Each world view has a different perspective and again, he spends the most time on how Christians can respond. He talks about various large-scale reform movements but at the same time doesn't expect that everyone can take part in such activities. We can only be responsible for our sphere of influence. he used several quotes from the Old Testament prophets when God looked and saw the evil of his people. My favorite verse was Micah 6:8 " He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." One of the main things we can do in our response to evil is to act justly in all we do. I often get overwhelmed thinking of the scale of the problem and my small influence, but he encouraged me to do what I can without making me feel depressed!

Finally he points out some "rainbows in the midst of the rain." One of the organizations he mentioned was the International Justice Mission. This is the second time I've heard about this group and I think it sounds like a great organization. Over the next year I want to try to highlight some other organizations that are trying to make a difference in areas of obvious injustice.

"first name crap, last name bag"

Yeah, about the strike. Along with Kelly, I am missing The Office so much! They are starting to show the US version on TV here but I have them all on DVD so that doesn't solve my need for NEW episodes. All the other US shows they show in the UK have also run out of new episodes so I'm left with few options.

First, I can find British shows to watch. Hmmm, interesting concept. I do enjoy Spooks which is a spy show, and Top Gear which is a talk show about cars. I liked Strictly Come Dancing but that is over now, too. I may have to start venturing into British comedies or something but I'm trying to hold off on that for now. Or I can watch the endless re-runs of Scrubs and Friends. They are showing Season 10 of Friends right now and tonight I watched the episode where Phoebe goes to change her name (hence the title of this post). Guess who was the clerk at the name changing place? Darryl from The Office. Do you like how I tied that all together?

Emily's best music buys of 2007

Well by now you've read plenty "best of 2007" articles but here is my take on the music of 2007. I'm calling it music buys because they are all albums I bought in 2007, they weren't necessarily released in 2007.

In no particular order, the winners are.....

- Cold War Kids, "Robbers and Cowards." It's very edgy and the beats are great! I like about 75% of the CD (the rest is a little whiny) but that 75% is worth it. Favorite track: "Saint John."

- Michael Buble, "Call me Irresponsible." I just plain love him. Favorite track: "I'm Your Man."

- Iron & Wine, "The Shepherd's Dog." Folksy and mellow with a little electronic enhancement. Favorite track: "Boy with a Coin."

- Ray LaMontagne, "Trouble." I think I mentioned him in an earlier post. He has a soulful voice with a folk twist. Favorite track: "How Come."

- Feist, "The Reminder." I had a few of her singles and with all the critics saying this was her breakout album I thought I'd buy it. "1234" is great, but so are some of the more mellow tracks. I haven't decided my favorite yet.

- Jim Croce, "Classic Hits." I'm definitely a few years behind in discovering Jim Croce but I heard him on a movie soundtrack and loved him. Favorite track: "I Got a Name." (Although every time I listen to it I can't shake the picture of him with a big, 70s-style mustache!)

- Kanye West, "Graduation." Definitely a great album, although you might want to get the clean version. A few tracks I don't like much but overall I love it. Favorite track: "Homecoming."

You can probably see I have very eclectic taste! I'd also like to throw in a few honorable mentions: The Shins, "Wincing the Night Away," The Beatles, "Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" (I never had this album so I thought I'd buy it for the anniversary) and Kings of Leon, "Because of the Times."

One band I haven't totally bought into is "The Arcade Fire." They get a lot of hype as the best band, and I like them, but I'm not sure what all the hype is about. Of course, I used to say the same thing about Coldplay and then I was converted...so we'll see.

Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth is the a big marketing buzz word. Studies show it is the most effective form of marketing since people are more likely to believe something is true if they hear it from someone they know. I heard a guy quoted on the news last night saying something along the lines that the more often we hear something the more likely we are to believe it's true. To me that implies that not all advertising is true!? (shocking!)

Some companies now are using cab drivers in London to market their products. Because most cab rides are 16 minutes in length and cabbies tend to be very chatty they see it as a good opportunity. On the news they featured one man who received an all expense paid holiday and was asked to tell his customers about it. (They claim they aren't paid to say specific things.) Some companies will also give their products to people they deem influential, then ask them to talk to their friends about it. There are even companies who track the buzz on blogs about various topics and products. So watch what you write...It's the next frontier.

the next big thing

The British music press tends to hype up music acts one minute and drop them the next. The current buzz is about Adele. She has a very soulful voice and is being compared to Amy Winehouse, although I wouldn't say her style is really the same. Check her out and see if you think she's worth the hype - I like her!

Stay tuned for my favorite music buys of 2007.

today's headline

What are the chances?

walk on the left (?)

In America we drive on the right and walk on the right. So I thought that in London, since they drive on the left, you must walk on the left. Not so. It appears to be a free-for-all on the sidewalks. Walk where you want. However, most train stations have some signs that say to keep left but no one really does it. They also have signs to tell you what side of the steps to walk up and down. Imagine one hundred people getting off a train and going out of the station up their set of steps...but a couple idiots are trying to go down the steps at the same time. That's why they have directions! Things would work so much smoother if everyone followed the system. It just makes sense.

we learn young

Mom recently posted some before and after pictures of me and Melissa at Krohn Conservatory. She used to take us there at holidays, dressed in our matching dresses, to take our picture. This is my favorite one. Weren't we cute? (And we still are!) Note my matching purse. One more piece of evidence to show I was all about accessories, even at a young age. I always wanted to get a matching hat for my Easter dress but I wasn't allowed because Mom knew I wouldn't leave it on.

Kew Gardens

I recently recovered some photos off an old memory card from my camera, including some from a visit to Kew Gardens this summer. So, I thought I'd show you some nice summery pictures to cure your post-holiday winter blues.

strictly come dancing

I'm about 2 weeks behind behind in watching the Strictly Come Dancing final (the UK version of Dancing with the Stars). It was on the weekend I went back to Cincinnati. So tonight I was able to watch it. My favorites were Matt and Flavia...they didn't win but this dance was awesome!

more good news about flying

Flying back to London after a trip home is tough for a few reasons. One reason is I usually do a lot of shopping and at Christmas I also have gifts to take back. But there is a 50 pound limit on each bag. This time I knew I had one bag that was over the limit but there wasn't anything I could do. However, it turns out that since I'm now a gold medallion member with Delta I can have 3 bags that weight 70 pounds! I guess there are some perks to all those flights.

good [if not overly important] news

The hand baggage allowance in London is back up to 2 bags! It's been one since the liquid bomb scares so it's convenient to have it back up to 2. Like I said, not that important but it's still good news.

New in 2008

I don't have it in me to do a review of 2007 - maybe later. So instead I'll tell you about something big I have coming up in 2008. In July I'll join 3 of my friends to walk 100 kilometers across southern England (along the South Downs Way). It's called Trailwalker 2008 and it is in support of Oxfam. Oxfam is a charity that fights poverty by campaigning for change, doing development work and emergency relief work. You can read more about their work here.


My team (The Dancing Queens) has committed to raising £1,500 or $3,000 for the event. You can support us by donating online at this website. I've added a new icon to the left on my blog on the left where you can also click to donate and see my progress. I'm just starting my fundraising so you can be the first one to donate! Last year the event raised over £1MM. It might not end poverty but we can make a difference.

Hiking 2 1/2 marathons in 30 hours will be quite an adventure but I'm looking forward to it.