World's Best Places to Live

Switzerland tops the list of the World's Best Places to Live...based on traffic congestion, air quality, and personal safety reported by expatriates living in more than 600 cities worldwide. I'm sure if they used other criteria London and Cincinnati would be closer to the top! However, I'd say the fact that house prices in London are the most expensive doesn't help its cause.

2008 Rank	2007 Rank	City	Country	Points
1	1	Zurich	Switzerland	108.0
=2	3	Vienna	Austria	107.9
=2	2	Geneva	Switzerland	107.9
4	4	Vancouver	Canada	107.6
5	5	Auckland	New Zealand	107.3
6	5	Düsseldorf	Germany	107.2
=7	8	Munich	Germany	107.0
=7	7	Frankfurt	Germany	107.0
9	9	Bern	Switzerland	106.5
19	9	Sydney	Australia	106.3
11	11	Copenhagen	Denmark	106.2
12	12	Wellington	New Zealand	105.8
13	13	Amsterdam	Netherlands	105.7
14	14	Brussels	Belgium	105.4
15	15	Toronto	Canada	105.3
16	16	Berlin	Germany	105.0
=17	17	Melbourne	Australia	104.8
=17	18	Luxembourg	Luxembourg	104.8
19	18	Ottawa	Canada	104.7
20	20	Stockholm	Sweden	104.5
21	21	Perth	Australia	104.3
22	22	Montreal	Canada	104.2
23	23	Nürnberg	Germany	104.1
24	26	Oslo	Norway	103.7
=25	27	Dublin	Ireland	103.5
=25	24	Calgary	Canada	103.5
27	24	Hamburg	Germany	103.4
28	27	Honolulu	USA	103.1
=29	29	San Francisco	USA	103.0
=29	30	Helsinki	Finland	103.0
=29	30	Adelaide	Australia	103.0
=32	34	Singapore	Singapore	102.9
=32	33	Paris	France	102.9
34	32	Brisbane	Australia	102.4
35	35	Tokyo	Japan	102.2
36	36	Lyon	France	101.9
37	36	Boston	USA	101.8
=38	38	Yokohama	Japan	101.6
=38	39	London	UK	101.6
40	40	Kobe	Japan	100.9
41	49	Milan	Italy	100.8
42	41	Barcelona	Spain	100.6
43	42	Madrid	Spain	100.5
=44	44	Washington DC	USA	100.3
=44	42	Osaka	Japan	100.3
=44	47	Lisbon	Portugal	100.3
=44	44	Chicago	USA	100.3
48	46	Portland	USA	100.2
49	48	New York City	USA	100.0
50	49	Seattle	USA	99.8

Dreams

When I get stressed I start to have stressful dreams. I typically have one of the following dreams:

Usually I dream that I am late for a class and I am running through the halls of a building, that seems to be a maze, and I can't find the classroom. Second, I dream that I am running late for a class but also realize I have never actually shown up for the class before and will not get credit or won't be able to pass the exam. I really wish I could wake myself up by saying, "Emily! Don't be an idiot...you don't go to school anymore!" That would save me a lot of stress in my sleep. Sometimes I also dream more directly about my current job. That typically involves trying to solve equations that have no solution, or trying to put together excel sheets and presentations that don't make any sense. Yeah, I have serious issues.

Sometimes I'd just like to get a peaceful night's sleep with no thought at all! Please tell me I am not alone.

on the set

I didn't see him...but Tom Hanks was filming Angels and Demons in Rome while I was there!

traveling in Europe

There's one annoying thing about traveling in Europe.

Scaffolding.

Every time I go to a city, almost inevitably at least one of the big sites is covered in scaffolding. I appreciate that they want to keep everything in good shape and need to restore old buildings...but man, it really ruins pictures. Take this picture of the Spanish steps in Rome, for example. I sure wish I could see the beautiful cathedral at the top! I'll put some more pictures up (or you can see a few on my facebook page) when I get back from my next business trip from Geneva. Phew...

wake up call

It's been a busy week. I have only been home a few days since I got back from Cincinnati. When I arrived back in London I found out I would be going on a business trip to Rome this week...I am getting to be quite an expert last minute packer. (More on Rome later)

I got back from Rome last night and today we had a 22 mile hike as part of our training for Trailwalker. This is the longest I have walked so far and by far the most hills I have ever walked. I thought I was going to die! I hit a serious wall for about one and a half hours. During that time I kept wishing we could back out of the event and I kept saying to myself "You are crazy, why are you doing this?" Fortunately I got a second wind and then I ended up okay. I'll see if I can walk tomorrow. Here are a few pictures along the way. It was a gorgeous day, which also made it extra hot. You can't quite tell just how big the hills were from the pictures but you'll just have to take my word for it. In case you feel sorry for us (or better yet, want to help Oxfam fight poverty), you can sponsor us here.

home in Cincinnati

It was a busy but fun trip home. Among other things I got to visit some very cute babies and toddlers. Here are some pictures of Cate, Kaelyn, Fiona and Otis from my visits. Of course, I also loved visiting their parents but I don't have any pictures...plus they just aren't as cute!me and Baby Catecheck out those cute shades!brand new baby Fiona!Fiona's wonderful big brother, OtisKaelyn blowing dandelions in the parkme and Kaelyn :)

the good (?) thing about DVR

The nice thing about DVR is you can fast forward through a significant amount of the 2 results shows of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. You can skip the commercials, annoying montages and other performances you aren't interested in that merely drag out the results.

The bad thing? This year on American Idol they kept talking so long that the final results slipped past the 10pm cut off. (I think I remember this happening last year, too) So Ryan Seacrest said, "the winner of American Idol 2008 is..." and on the recording stopped and a message appeared that said, "Would you like to keep or delete this recording?" So we were left to run upstairs to get on the internet to find out who won...and the websites are a little slow at updating!

Congrats to David Cook.

another dance weekend

After another dance weekend my current status is:

knackered - /ˈnækərd/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[nak-erd] adjective. British Slang. exhausted; very tired

pear-shaped

Since I'm going away for the weekend I thought I'd leave you with another vocabulary lesson to hold you over. Have you ever heard someone say that something went "pear-shaped." Probably not.

To go pear-shaped means to go awry. "What is the origin?" you may ask. Good question. It seems to be like all the other British slang I've looked up - there is no clear origin. According to Wikipedia it probably originated in the Royal Air Force when referring to aerial maneuvers, such as loops, that end up distorted. However, it also provides a few other theories including normal distribution curves and balloons...

going to the theatre

Here is your British vocabulary lesson for the day. Here they call operating rooms, "theatres." So if someone asks you to go to the theatre you may want to clarify whether you're going to a West End production of Chicago, or to the hospital for surgery! But, they also call the regular doctor's office a "surgery." Did you follow that??

Also, if you want to go to the movies, be sure to say you want to see "a film at the cinema," since they rarely call them the movies or the theatre. That would obviously be confusing...

desperate

Britain's PM is considering appearing in a reality TV show to help boost his image?

home

I think a lot about home...what does it mean? Can I have two "homes?" How long will I stay in London? I don't think I could process all of this into one blog post but I rediscovered a Caedmon's Call song, "Faith my Eyes," which will be my song for awhile. It doesn't fit perfectly with my situation but I particularly like the lyrics, "I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes." I tend to over-analyze every situation but I am just trying to offer those thoughts as prayers to God instead.

As I survey the ground for ants
Looking for a place to sit and read
I'm reminded of the streets of my hometown
How they're much like this concrete that's warm beneath my feet

And how I'm all wrapped up in my mother's face
With a touch of my father just up around the eyes
And the sound of my [sister's] laugh
But more wrapped up in what binds our ever distant lives

But if I must go
Things I trust will be better off without me
But I don't want to know
Life is better off a mystery

So keep 'em coming these lines on the road
And keep me responsible be it a light or heavy load
And keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

Hometown weather is on TV
I imagine the lives of the people living there
And I'm curious if they imagine me
Cause they just wanna leave; I wish that I could stay
[not that those of you in Cincy want to leave!]

And to visit places from my past
But only for an hour or so
Which is long enough to smell the air
To tell the tale and find the door

But I get turned around
I mistake some happiness for blessing
But I'm blessed as the poor
Still I judge success by how I'm dressing

So I'll sing a song of my hometown
I'll breathe the air and walk the streets
Maybe find a place to sit and read
And the ants are welcome company

And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

side effects

It will be no surprise to most of you that European style is slightly different than American...particularly for men. Today I had an unfortunate brush with this as a side effect to the hot temperatures. I saw two - count them, two - guys wearing white fish net tank tops. That's just wrong.

It's a wonderful weekend

This weekend the weather in London is fabulous...almost a little too hot for life without air conditioning! Yesterday I went on a three hour walk (part of my training) in Richmond Park. Richmond Park is a nature preserve near Wimbledon, just on the outside of London. For those of us accustomed to wide open spaces it's not quite as impressive. However, after living in London for awhile I appreciate it more. I had my iPod shuffle full of some of my favorite Christian songs so I was enjoying the music along with God's creation! (It has solidified that Rich Mullins' "My Deliverer" is one of the best songs ever). It was a beautiful day. Here are some pictures from the park.

Let me think about it

Did you know that the word "think" is a noun as well as a verb? Most of my English and grammar-fiend friends reading this probably did (which is a significant portion of my readership!). In the UK people often say, "I'll have a think about that." Whereas I would usually say, "I'll think about that." So, in an effort to uncover another weird British phrase I went to dictionary.com to prove that think was a verb...only to find that it is also a noun.

I learn something new every day.

back in the game

Shout out to my dad who got the Slingbox working again...I was able to watch a new episode of The Office! Wow. The cringe factor was definitely there on "Dinner Party" but I also laughed a lot. It's good to have everyone back. Although, I'm not sure I can call anyone "babe" again!

too much to hope?

Is it too much to hope that the weather in London has turned a corner and we are now in spring? At least I can dream. Last year we had an amazing April and then the rest of the summer was, well...pretty much non-existent. This last weekend was a bank holiday and we actually had sun 2 out of 3 days (you can't tell from the above photo but it was sunny!) and the rest of this week shows sunny and lower 70s on the 5 day forecast. I better get out and enjoy it in case it rains the rest of the summer!

time warp

My flatmate, Cate, is a youth worker at our church. Today she had five 12-year old girls over. Needless to say I was a little nervous.

We ate pizza and ice cream and we did their make-up and nails. Little girls are the same wherever you go in whatever decade you're in! That wasn't too bad. I was a little worried about how to entertain them but they were definitely entertaining themselves. The real twist came when I offered to drive them all to church in my mini-van. (I can hear you laughing already) My car was actually full...with kids. As I was driving and listening to them carrying on in the back I looked over at Cate with a panicked look on my face. I could tell we were thinking the same thing - both of us picturing ourselves as moms with our kids in the back seat! Yeah, that was enough to send my head spinning

If you've seen one...

Traveling in Europe you see a lot of cathedrals. I still go into most of them but sometimes I feel like if you've seen one you've seen them all. Having said that, I've come up with a few awards for the ones I've visited so far.

Most famous: Notre Dame, Paris

Best View: Sacre Coeur, Paris

Most Unique: Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

The Biggest/Most impressive/My Favorite: St. Paul's Cathedral, London (tied for best view)

Honorable Mention: Karlskirche, Vienna

I wanted to make an award for the most steps but I'm not actually sure who would win that one. Probably St. Paul's or the Sacre Coeur - Karlskirche had an elevator!

Top 10 Classic British Slang

Honestly I've only heard a few of these used in real life, but here they are anyway:

1. Blower - Telephone
2. Ton - 100
3. Kite - Check
4. Mate - Friend
5. Spiv - Shifty Character
6. Sticky Wicket - Risky
7. Sixes and Sevens - Confused State
8. Hairy Muff - Fair Enough (must be cockney rhyming slang)
9. Hank Marvin - Starving (must be cockney rhyming slang)
10. Kip - Nap

Top 10 Depressing British Phrases

I had a few British Top 10 lists land on my desk so I thought I'd share a couple with you. This one is the Top 10 Depressing British Phrases. I'll interpret where I can but some I'm not sure about:

1. Typical British Summer [as in there aren't any summers!]
2. Leaves on the line [not sure about this one, although it could have something to do with tube or train lines]
3. Bank Holiday Traffic [similar to the traffic you get on any US holiday]
4. Out on penalties [I guess this has something to do with football/soccer]
5. Aussies win Ashes [Ashes is a cricket tournament]
6. Henman crashes out [Henman has typically been the only hope the English have at having a player win Wimbledon]
7. Mud at Glastonbury [Glastonbury is one of the world's biggest, if not the biggest, outdoor music festival]
8. Big Brother returns [TV show]
9. Posh releases single [haha!]
10. Heather opens mouth [I'm guessing this is Heather Mills]

The British like their depressing phrases but I identify most with the first one!

that's how we do it

The other day I briefly broke my no sugar rule to have a hobnob (which,incidentally, are very high in fiber and made from whole grains so it's not that bad!) Afterwards I decided I needed to wash it down with some milk. My flatmate said, "Are you just going to drink plain milk??" I said, yeah, that's what I drink after I eat something sweet (or coffee). She said, "Why??" So I replied, "That's how we do it in America."

That same day I also received a birthday package from my parents. It wasn't yet my birthday but I opened it anyway (it was the day before!). Again, my flatmate was appalled. "You can't open that before your birthday!" Here, if someone gives you a birthday or Christmas present you wait to open it until the actual day, even if they aren't going to be around. I think this takes the fun out of gift giving as you can't even see their face when they open it. I didn't have a very good defense except to say again, "That's how we do it in America!"

Okay so far

Twenty-two was strange because twenty-one seemed like the pinnacle- something you look towards when you are growing up. Twenty-two just sounded so much older with that "two" on the end. Twenty-three and twenty-four were fine. Twenty-five was a little harder and inspired my list of things to do before I turn thirty. At that point I had crossed into a new age bracket on surveys. No longer was I in the 18-24 bracket, I was now in 25-34 which is significantly different! Twenty-six wasn't so bad but I had officially crossed the line into my late twenties. So twenty-seven is fairly inconsequential. I'm already in the older age bracket and already in my late twenties...but I'm not yet feeling precariously close to thirty. So I'm feeling good. Twenty-seven sounds nice.

my very English weekend

This weekend I felt very British. Saturday I went to a "Hen Party." (That's what they call Bachelorette Parties here). It was for a friend of my flatmate's and we had had high tea at Cannizaro House. There is nothing like tea, scones and other delights to make you feel very proper and English. Sunday afternoon we had a Ceroc tea dance on a boat on the Thames. I love being on the river and taking in the sites of London. Again, tea and cakes were included. To wrap things up we walked across Waterloo bridge to get to the station...in the pouring rain. It doesn't get much more British than that!

Open Enrollment

Speaking of adventure...

As I'm approaching my birthday I'm reminded of my list of things to do before I turn 30. I've decided that this year I will be hiking the Grand Canyon. Since I'll already be training for the 100k hike, it seems like perfect timing to use that training to hike the Grand Canyon.

I've found a few good guide companies online and have been looking at my options. I think I might do a 3-4 day hike rim to rim - how cool would that be? If not that then I'll definitely hike down to Bright Angel and back. Anyone up for coming with me? I'm looking for a group of 5. I can join another group but, of course, I would love to be going with people I know. It will be a BIG ADVENTURE you won't want to miss. Hurry - space is limited!

Euro-whiff

Those darn Europeans... I think they're just blaming it on the Europeans because they are still upset about being knocked out of Euro 2008.

my adventure

I have to say, skiing was a big adventure for me. I was very nervous (and excited) about how it would go but I loved it and I hope I can do it again next season! I've been waiting to get some more pictures from others who went on the trip, but that could be awhile longer so I just went ahead and finished my pictures. Maybe I'll update it again if I get more photos.

How can you not like this guy?

I'm not religiously following American Idol but I've tuned in twice and both times David Cook was brilliant.

I'm [not] a quitter

I'm not totally giving up sugar, but I'm seriously trying to cut back. All of March was so busy with vacations and work trips that I was eating lots of desserts...and I liked it. I don't regret it but I'd say they've taken their toll. Since I'm now training in earnest for Trailwalker I thought it would be a good time to do a bit of a detox. I don't know how long it will last but I'm trying to not eat chocolate, sweets or anything with added sugar. I know, I know...what fun is there in life?

I allow myself one cheat per week (next week I might let it be a couple since it's my birthday). The problem is, of course, the in between days. I find myself constantly thinking about it. When I walk into a room the first thing I notice is the woman eating cake or a guy eating ice cream. When I'm sitting in my cube at work and hear the crackle of a wrapper it makes me want to go down to the snack shop to get some gummies. Today I replaced my sugar craving with some caffeine. Wow...I have some serious issues. Imagine if I was actually giving up something more serious.

on Chad

It's a good thing Chad said he doesn't care if people like him or not...because no one does anymore.

Scottish Vocab Lesson

In honor of me finally posting my Edinburgh pictures, here are a few Scottish words to add to your vocabulary:

skiver- n. one who avoids tasks or work in general; a shirker. v. skive (Ah cannae be arsed wi' this - ah'm away for a skive)

numpty- n. 1. a bumbling fool; one who is intellectually challenged. (no' the fu' shillin') 2. widely known in Scotland as an MSP (Member of Scottish Parliament

blether- n. 1. person who chatters incessantly; one who babbles on and on (That wee yin o' yours is an awfy blether gettin')
v. 2. to engage in conversation, long-winded or idle talk (Ah met yer granny doon the toun, we hud a richt guid blether the gither.)

eejit- n. idiot, simpleton, one not possessed of all their mental faculties; one who is unable to properly conduct their own affairs. (Yer aff yer heid, ya eejit. That's no' a real dug.)

more for your money

I'm thinking Bali looks like a sweet option. I'm also hoping to take a trip to Marrakech.

Delta

I hope this doesn't affect my direct flight home to Cincinnati!

Mind your head

It's similar to "mind the gap." Often in the UK if there is a low ceiling or doorway there is a sign that says "mind your head." This picture is an example from Hampton Court Palace. I went there to visit when my parents were in town. I typically enjoy visiting slightly more modern palaces or castles because it's easier to imagine people living there. Hampton Court was built in the 14th century so life was obviously a lot different then. It's just hard to picture coming home from a battle in France and sitting in my throne room or playing cards in my sitting room.

Still, it was very interesting to see and hear about all the people who lived there. Hampton Court was inhabited by several kings, including Henry VIII. King Henry VIII is famous for many things, including having 6 wives. Among many others, 2 of his wives were executed. That makes the sign in the castle particularly ironic! I guess you never know what might happen if you're walking the halls of the palace.

Here are a few more pictures from our visit.me and Dad outside the palaceme and Mom around the palacegoofing around!looking across the Thames towards the palacecruisin :)

Lucky me

It's a miracle I made it home from Germany in one piece...I accidentally left my cell phone on the whole way! I'm lucky the plane didn't fall out of the sky.

Today I flew to Germany and back all in one day. I can't always do that because if the meeting starts too early in the day I can't make it in time, especially since I lose an hour traveling that direction. If I have to get up earlier than 5am I'd rather go the night before and stay in the hotel. It is extra tiring to do the trip in one day but when you're not home a lot it's worth having the extra night at home instead of a hotel. Some hotel beds are nicer than my bed but it doesn't matter, there's just something about being in your own bed! In economic terms I'd say the marginal utility of sleeping in your own bed increases the more you travel. On that note...I'm off to bed!

London Life

I can see why people eventually move out of London...it can be tiring! If you observe most people on the trains and the tubes they are barely keeping their eyes open. March has been an extremely busy month for me and I'm ready for some down time. I think I would enjoy a nice trip to the country and a few days of sleeping in. But actually, after saying that I know it's not true. I love the fast pace of London (but I would still enjoy sleeping in). Regardless, I hope to spend my upcoming Friday nights watching Dancing with the Stars. Any other free time I have I'll fill with brushing up my own dance skills.

Speaking of Ceroc, I'm definitely obsessed. My friend Sarah and I have been creating mixed CDs of dance music and crank them up in the car on the way there. I used to make very random CDs with all my favorite songs. They were a real mixed bag and you never knew what was coming next. I have matured somewhat in my abilities and I have to say they are pretty good now! If you're interested I'll give you the playlists.

another milestone

This weekend I attended the wedding of a couple from my church. It was strange to think that I have known people here long enough to be invited to their wedding! Here is a nice picture of me and a couple of my best friends - Patricia and Sue-Ellen. (I should be posting pictures from Edinburgh and skiing soon as well)

in case you missed it

Here are the clips of NKTOB on the Today show. Warning: Click on it only if you can handle the screaming. Jordan is still my fave - I'll be looking forward to May 16th.

let down

Last Friday was a beautiful, sunny spring day. I though perhaps we had turned the corner... today it is snowing.

I think that about covers it.

breaking news

Make sure you watch the Today show on April 4th!

uh oh

I find I am beginning to use British words sometimes when I am thinking through things in my head. I have yet to say much out loud because I usually stop myself but this could be an indication of things to come. You know it starts with the little things...

anticipation

This story makes me think of Diversity Day and that makes me look forward to new episodes of The Office!!

try something new today

Last weekend I went to Edinburgh with my parents. It was a really cool city- freezing and windy, but very cool. A traditional Scottish dish is haggis, with neeps and tatties. Haggis is one of those dishes that you don't want to know exactly what's in it. (But if you check the link above you'll find out.) We decided to give it a try so we could say we'd had it. It was actually really good. I guess if you put the right spices in it, even sheep insides taste good! What have you tried today?

on the run

I'm sure my readership has plummeted with my recent lack of postings. I feel like Jason Bourne. Last week I was in 4 different countries and was at the airport 5 out of 7 days. I came back from skiing in France, picked up Mom and Dad at the airport, went to Germany for work, came back and went to Edinburgh over the weekend. Now my feet are firmly back on London soil...at least for a couple of weeks. Lately every day I wake up asking myself, "Where am I?" I am looking forward to sleeping in my bed every night for a whole week in a row!

another reason to love France

In addition to Paris, the Riviera and French food, I can now add skiing in the Alps to another reason I love France. I am having a blast! The lessons have been very helpful and I've mostly mastered the green [easiest] runs, and done tiny bits of the next level. We've had some fun days of snow and beautiful days of sun as well. I am still in one piece, although I am amazed at how a knee can bend and twist yet still the bottom half of my leg stays attached! I also have a wicked tan/burn line on my face. Here is a small taste of the week so far with one day left to go.

on the snowiest day

the highest peak in the distance is Mont BlancI skied down this hill! (probably the hardest one I've done so far)

practice makes perfect

Today was my first day skiing! A few of us took a two hour beginner lesson and then we practiced for another hour. Now I am exhausted. I feel confident in going back out tomorrow. For now it's nap time.

I will post some pictures soon but for now, just to confuse you, I've finally posted my Vienna pictures so you can see them here.

multi-talented

This weekend I'll be hitting the dance floor then hitting the slopes!

I am headed off for a whole weekend of Ceroc! I'll be on the dance floor 24/7...well, almost. There will be lots of classes and lots of freestyle so I should come back a pro! If you have Facebook (and who doesn't?) then you can check out some video clips of intermediate classes here. It doesn't look as fun as it actually is but you can still get the idea.

On Sunday I'm going straight to the airport to leave for Meribel, France where I'll be skiing all week in the Three Valleys. I've skied a total of 2 days in my life (yikes!) so I've signed up for beginner lessons. You can check out the webcams and maybe you'll catch a glimpse of me flying down the slopes - or on my back! I think the chalet also has wireless so I'll try to post some photo updates.

the Factory

The church I regularly attend, St Andrews @ 7, is part of a larger group of churches in London called The Co-Mission. There is another church, Dundonald Church, that our congregation is involved with on a regular basis and which I sometimes attend in the morning. That church is about to move into a new building called The Factory.

It doesn't sound that exciting if you're used to American churches. However, in England most churches don't build new buildings, they move around within existing parish churches for the Church of England. So for a church to raise it's own money and refurbish a building on their own, apart from the existing Church of England structure, is unheard of. Unfortunately, it actually raises a significant amount of opposition from the surrounding parish (which are usually more liberal, non Bible teaching churches) because they are afraid that we are going to come in and steal all their people.

It doesn't sound new to me since I'm used to churches building their own new buildings or moving into non-traditional buildings. But here it is an exciting opportunity to create news since people are intrigued by a church moving into a factory. We would appreciate your prayers for growth in the church and for new opportunities to be created.

Where is God?

One of the most common questions we face as Christians is, "Where is God in the midst of all the violence and suffering in the world?" Good question.

The other night a missionary from Kenya spoke at my church. She had left with her children during the violence but her husband was still back in Kenya. She recounted the actions of two churches in the country. The two churches were each of the different ethnic groups which were feuding. However, during the violence the two churches came together and united to help each other and serve those around them. What a great picture of how God can work in a devastating situation!

Maybe sometimes we just need to learn to look a little harder to see how God is moving. I won't claim that this solves one of life's biggest questions, but, at least it's something to think about.

update

I've just gotten back from a weekend away with my church. It was a wonderful weekend and a great chance to get into the countryside, spending time with awesome friends, and hear from the word of God. We studied the topic of worship and it was very challenging.

Last weekend I was in Vienna and took lots of lovely pictures but I've yet to get them up online. By the time this month is over I should have a ton to post!

words

If you like words, and know a lot of them (and I know at least a few of my readers do!) then you should check out this site. Free Rice donates grains of rice for every vocabulary word you answer correctly. Yeah, it sounds kind of weird but how cool is that? Check it out and make a little difference in the world today. Thanks to Justin for the tip on his blog.

I feel the earth move under my feet

In case you're wondering, no, I didn't feel the earthquake...so everything is fine with me.

Wien

I'm headed to Vienna...

I was expecting a bit of a cold, wintry get-away but it looks like the temperatures there are actually in the fifties right now. Who would have thought that it would be colder and snowier in Cincinnati? Well, I guess if you know that Vienna isn't in the Alps that would be a clue. I didn't realize it but Vienna is famous for it's cakes and coffee. I think you know how I'll be spending my time! (I think I will prefer that over Wiener schnitzel)

one day at a time

The great thing about London is there are so many things to do.

The bad thing about London is there are so many things to do...and I want to do them all!

Things are about to get really busy for me. It's all my fault, and they are all fun things but I might get quiet for awhile. I'm in the midst of moving down the street and have a lot of trips coming up. With everything going on it's hard to think of things to write. The rest of February and March will be a whirlwind but I am looking forward to my my parents coming in one month!

fashion police

Last week I went to Hamburg for some training...We had a two hour delay leaving London so I had plenty of time to spot some interesting fashion faux pas. This was the best and I managed to catch the poor, unsuspecting man on camera as he came out of the bathroom. Two different shades of orange?? Classic.

I can't keep up

Does he want to stay or does he want to go? Will they or won't they trade him? Does he want to go to Miami or Washington? I wish Chad Johnson and the Bengals would just make-up.

I would walk 500 miles...

If The Proclaimers actually walked 500 miles I think they would be pretty sore. Yesterday I walked about 17.5 and I am feeling very stiff. We started our training for Trailwalker by walking from Wimbledon to Central London and back in 6 hours. Checking the route on Google maps you can actually figure out the distance which is cool. So 17.5 miles down, 42.5 to go.

I am getting used to the idea that I live in London...but sometimes it still strikes me at random times. The other night it hit me that I can navigate my way around the city without a map now (for the most part), and walking all the way to Central London and back was also cool. Now we just have to walk all the way to the coast!

hey, bloggers

I mentioned before that there is a service that tracks buzz on blogs, etc. You can check it out here. They have various tools on the site and one is BlogPulse profiles. You can enter the URL of a blog and it can give you various statistics. I tried entering my URL and it was a little creepy, although I can't say that I was surprised. For example, it could tell me that I'd recently referenced www.nkotb.com. If I go to the trend search tool I can search the trend of New Kids on the Block buzz and see there was a huge spike in late January with up to 0.11% of all blogs analyzed referencing New Kids on the Block. I'm sure it would be more interesting on a more high profile blog. Here's another interesting media/social-networking website where you can rate TV, movies, music and websites and also check out the latest buzz.

I'm a slave...

...to my email.

What did people do all day at work before they were chained to their laptops? I think I am a little obsessive compulsive. It partially stems from the fact that I am in client service so my job is to respond to client needs. That has trained me to respond to emails very quickly. Now it's to the point when I get an email I have an urge to respond almost instantly...except for a few that I would just rather avoid altogether.

It's even translated into my personal email habits. When I wake up in the morning one of the first things I do is check my email. I don't understand those people who don't turn their computers on all day. How do they survive? What if someone emailed them or wrote on their facebook wall and they don't know about it until tomorrow? I'm at a computer all day at work but then it's hard to tear myself away. (To be clear, it's not the work I can't tear myself from)

They tried to make me to go rehab and I said, "No, no, no!"

the super bowl

uh oh

Which Character From The Office Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

I guess I'm not too surprised...although I'd like to think I'm a mix between Angela and Pam.

can I get my hopes up?

Are new episodes of The Office around the corner??

catherine riley

Congratulations to my wonderful friends Eric and Melody on the birth of their daughter, Catherine Riley, on Tuesday night. I can't wait to see her in person!

people carrier

Well, I finally have my driver's license and finally have a car. It's a temporary company car until they can get me my own...and I hope temporary is very temporary. Check it out:
It might be hard to tell from the quality of the picture but it's a mini van! (Vauxhall Zafira) Here they call them people carriers. Whatever. Call it what you will but it's still a mini van. I'm not sure how I am going to parallel park this baby on the streets of London - that will take some practice.

Overall, it's a nice car and I'm grateful to have it. I was just hoping for something smaller. (Although it will come in handy when I move down the street). I've driven to Oxford and back twice now with the help of my TomTom so I am certainly not afraid of the roads. I noticed while I was driving that it actually feels more real that I'm living here now. For some reason driving makes me feel more normal, more settled. Although the settled feeling could also come from the fact that I'm driving a mini van - usually people driving mini vans are settled down with kids! I didn't have that in mind for awhile...

2 worlds collide

A Bengal playing in England

Oasis UK

Last weekend I went to a volunteer information day for Oasis UK. I've been looking for an organization to volunteer with and heard about Oasis at a Stop the Traffik event (they are partner organizations). They have a hub in Lambeth, near Waterloo where they have a church and do work with a lot of youth projects. Among other things they have set up a radio station where kids can go to express their creativity and receive training in media. They have other hubs in the UK focusing on the homeless and education as well. Globally they have operations in many other countries including India where they assist in the fight against human trafficking. It was great to get out and hear about their vision for impacting the community and see how others are serving Christ.