Lee Valley

We have walked a few miles in the Lee Valley Park over the last few weeks. It stretches 26 miles along the leafy banks of the River Lee, from Ware in Hertfordshire, through Essex, to the River Thames. Throughout the valley there are many nature reserves that attract many birdwatchers, I must admit that a pair of binoculars would improve our enjoyment of the birds. There are cormorants on the small island in the foreground so a zoom lens for the camera would also be beneficial.
Today and tomorrow (morning, afternoon & evening) are full of lessons covering many interesting subjects including 'living in community'', conflict management', 'listening skills' and 'emotional health'. P

Chores

Another week at All Nations has flown by, lectures have included learning about culture, understanding our own perspectives and working in cross-cultural teams. All the students have daily and weekly chores. At the moment we are on a kitchen team that either serves or washes-up at breakfast, lunch or tea. Our weekly chores include laundry or general maintenance. These chores not only keep our fees down but provide experience of working in teams, practicing humility and preparing us for working abroad. P

The walk home from the shops

Today in the South East of England it has been more like summer than autumn. This has meant that we have been able to enjoy the Hertfordshire country side, including a wonderful nature reserve about a mile away, which is in a beautiful area called the Lee Valley. The college is surrounded by a large wood with footpaths in all directions including Ware and Stanstead Abbotts (both about a couple miles away), which means a scenic walk home from the Saturday morning shop - one of the perks of not having a car. The trees are beginning to turn to their autumn colours so expect some further countryside pictures. There's something special about the English countryside and its one of the things I miss most when abroad. Something not to be taken for granted. P

Hanging up my boots

Since being at college I decided to join in as many activities as possible including the sports. But to my astonishment there was no bowls, croquet or golf, just football. Having played quite a bit in my younger years I thought that a gentle practice game with my fellow students would be OK, I wasn't interested in playing in the competitive games - I know my limits, or at least I thought I did. The only problem was that my head was telling me to stretch, jump & occasionally run, but my little legs didn't want to comply. During a casual game of football with our youth group a few years ago I strained my hamstring (incredibly painful) so this time I stretched every leg muscle, but still managed to strain my inner thigh last week and my quadriceps this week. One reason for my injuries could be that my footballing colleagues are less than half my age, which is now quite a difference. Time to hang up my boots, put on a pair of slippers, find a comfy chair, and watch 'Match of the Day'. P