Okay let's get some perspective here shall we? Over the weekend there were three main news articles, Network Rail's inability to complete rail upgrades on time, a car ferry on fire in the Adriatic sea and a missing aircraft in Indonesia.
I understand that the fiasco at Finsbury Park must have been hugely frustrating for those involved and many people could not make their train journeys to celebrate the festive season with loved ones. Network Rail have said sorry, it was a complete mess by all accounts, and I am sure heads will roll
BUT,
It is hardly the life threatening situation faced by four hundred people on board a burning ferry in the middle of the Adriatic Sea just of the coast of Italy.
Nor is it the tragedy that befell those poor passengers on the Air Asia flight QZ8501 whose aircraft crashed into the Java Sea.
So let us remember that some inconvenience is just that, but, at the time of writing this, one hundred and sixty two souls in Indonesia and an estimated thirteen in the Adriatic Sea have lost their lives travelling to or from their destination and they will never get to where they were going.
May they all rest in peace.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/11314638/Chaos-at-overcrowded-Finsbury-Park-commuter-station-after-Kings-Cross-terminal-shut.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/11317753/Italian-ferry-officials-investigated-as-death-toll-rises.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/indonesia/11317215/AirAsia-plane-found-in-Java-Sea.html
Tuesday, 30 December 2014
Thursday, 27 November 2014
Need to get this off my chest!
I have just read that net migration in the UK has risen by 40% over the last 6 months!!
All well and good if the immigrants that have moved to the UK are integrating into the society that they live in, but unfortunately that does not seem to be the case.
Racial tensions are on the rise and some people are feeling pressured into moving from their homes in some urban areas because the area has changed to reflect the needs of the immigrants that have moved there, rather than the immigrants adapting to the ways of the country they have chosen to live in.
I am an immigrant in France, ever since I arrived here I have learnt and spoken French, I work here as a freelance English teacher and I contribute to the system I did not and do not expect special treatment and none is nor was given to us (just as it should be). Although, to be fair, at the beginning my children were taught by a teacher who was fluent in English, but more by luck than judgement on our part!
What I'm trying to say is this; if you choose to live in another country it is because that country offers something your native land doesn't, be it the culture, the environment or even for economic reasons. I'm not saying "go native", I am proud of being English first and British second. Sometimes I stick out like a sore thumb in the rural environment that I live in, but do not expect a country that did not invite you to stay to roll out the red carpet and adapt to the way you want to live your life. I am an immigrant in this country and always will be, my quirky English ways keep the locals amused. I celebrate St Georges day, fly flags on high days and holidays (both French and English), have Boxing Day and watch English TV (you would too if you have ever watched French TV!). All of this is within the confines of my home and I do not expect my neighbours or the wider community to accommodate me in any way shape or form. The quickest way to alienate any population is to move in, import your way of life from your country of origin and expect the locals to implement these changes in their community and embrace this.
If the way of life in my native homeland is such that I need it and everything associated with it, then I would need to go home.
Finally, if it was such a indispensable part of my life I wouldn't have left in the first place.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/net-migration-uk-soars-more-40-102955576--finance.html#nE07v5v
All well and good if the immigrants that have moved to the UK are integrating into the society that they live in, but unfortunately that does not seem to be the case.
Racial tensions are on the rise and some people are feeling pressured into moving from their homes in some urban areas because the area has changed to reflect the needs of the immigrants that have moved there, rather than the immigrants adapting to the ways of the country they have chosen to live in.
I am an immigrant in France, ever since I arrived here I have learnt and spoken French, I work here as a freelance English teacher and I contribute to the system I did not and do not expect special treatment and none is nor was given to us (just as it should be). Although, to be fair, at the beginning my children were taught by a teacher who was fluent in English, but more by luck than judgement on our part!
What I'm trying to say is this; if you choose to live in another country it is because that country offers something your native land doesn't, be it the culture, the environment or even for economic reasons. I'm not saying "go native", I am proud of being English first and British second. Sometimes I stick out like a sore thumb in the rural environment that I live in, but do not expect a country that did not invite you to stay to roll out the red carpet and adapt to the way you want to live your life. I am an immigrant in this country and always will be, my quirky English ways keep the locals amused. I celebrate St Georges day, fly flags on high days and holidays (both French and English), have Boxing Day and watch English TV (you would too if you have ever watched French TV!). All of this is within the confines of my home and I do not expect my neighbours or the wider community to accommodate me in any way shape or form. The quickest way to alienate any population is to move in, import your way of life from your country of origin and expect the locals to implement these changes in their community and embrace this.
If the way of life in my native homeland is such that I need it and everything associated with it, then I would need to go home.
Finally, if it was such a indispensable part of my life I wouldn't have left in the first place.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/net-migration-uk-soars-more-40-102955576--finance.html#nE07v5v
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
I told you so!!
My last post was a self-fulfilling prophecy!!!
But in my defence I have been really, really busy!
I stopped, re-started, stopped, re-started and stopped again! I got to week seven and stalled. But it is my intention to complete and graduate at the end of week 9 "running" for 30 minutes flat. I say running, but I use an elliptical cross trainer (no-one should be exposed to the site of me running in public, it wouldn't be humane!!)
Since my last post I have;
Once again I was blown away by the extraordinary standard of the students that took part, it is a humbling experience to be part of something so extraordinary.
But in my defence I have been really, really busy!
I stopped, re-started, stopped, re-started and stopped again! I got to week seven and stalled. But it is my intention to complete and graduate at the end of week 9 "running" for 30 minutes flat. I say running, but I use an elliptical cross trainer (no-one should be exposed to the site of me running in public, it wouldn't be humane!!)
Since my last post I have;
- been a juror on the long running English Debating competition hosted by the Conseil General de la Manche and organised by Sonia Clouet, a francophone English teaching, who is an inspiration to all her pupils
- been a small part of the 70th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings...more of that in a separate post.
- trying to maintain peace and harmony in the house over the interminably long school holidays! (although "maintain" implies that it was in existence before, which it wasn't!)
Friday, 2 May 2014
Consistency Is KEY!!!!!!
Hi
If anyone has been keeping an eye on this blog it wouldn't have taken a rocket scientist to realise it's not been updated in nearly a year!
As with most things in life consistency is key! I am about as consistent as a runny pancake mixture, I slip off most things but occasionally I stick!!
Take exercise for example (no really take exercise purrrlease). I need to lose weight (a lot of it!!). I know this. My body is telling me this. But do I listen and do anything about it? Up until now no!
Five weeks ago I started the NHS Choices Couch to 5K challenge, its aim is to get you from the couch to running 5k in nine weeks. I downloaded the first week. Three walk/runs per week, did it. Downloaded week two. Did the first one, missed two. Re-started week one, did two, missed one. You see the pattern here? Yep, lack of consistency!
Then I had a "eureka" moment. I realised the only person who can take control of my life is me!!! "Really?!" I hear you say. I know it's not quantum physics and really I am quite an intelligent woman, I just can't put my finger on why I lack a capacity to be consistent. Motivation or lack thereof? Possibly.
Confidence or similarly lack of? Definitely. Fear of failure? A little.
Suffice to say I have found my mojo!! I have just finished week five of the challenge and have just run for twenty minutes flat!!! I haven't done that since we were made to do the dreaded cross country in secondary school (is it me or were all the female PE teachers back then trained in particular forms of torture?!) Anyhow, I've done it!!!! Only four more weeks to go, then onwards and upwards, I've got this far it would be a waste to throw it all away now.
Next thing on my list is the regular updating of this blog......see you soon!!
Lxx
http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k.aspx
If anyone has been keeping an eye on this blog it wouldn't have taken a rocket scientist to realise it's not been updated in nearly a year!
As with most things in life consistency is key! I am about as consistent as a runny pancake mixture, I slip off most things but occasionally I stick!!
Take exercise for example (no really take exercise purrrlease). I need to lose weight (a lot of it!!). I know this. My body is telling me this. But do I listen and do anything about it? Up until now no!
Five weeks ago I started the NHS Choices Couch to 5K challenge, its aim is to get you from the couch to running 5k in nine weeks. I downloaded the first week. Three walk/runs per week, did it. Downloaded week two. Did the first one, missed two. Re-started week one, did two, missed one. You see the pattern here? Yep, lack of consistency!
Then I had a "eureka" moment. I realised the only person who can take control of my life is me!!! "Really?!" I hear you say. I know it's not quantum physics and really I am quite an intelligent woman, I just can't put my finger on why I lack a capacity to be consistent. Motivation or lack thereof? Possibly.
Confidence or similarly lack of? Definitely. Fear of failure? A little.
Suffice to say I have found my mojo!! I have just finished week five of the challenge and have just run for twenty minutes flat!!! I haven't done that since we were made to do the dreaded cross country in secondary school (is it me or were all the female PE teachers back then trained in particular forms of torture?!) Anyhow, I've done it!!!! Only four more weeks to go, then onwards and upwards, I've got this far it would be a waste to throw it all away now.
Next thing on my list is the regular updating of this blog......see you soon!!
Lxx
http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k.aspx
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