the return

We're back from Tenerife with it's imposing mountainous scenery, angry sunsets and (not so) vibrant night life.

It was good to get away and chill out in the sun for a while, great to be back around the Living Room again, seeing some old faces from last year and some new ones.

Most of all it was good to hang out with Jodie for a while, eat good food, drink coffee, watch Prison Break and just chat.

up, up and away

We're off to Tenerife tomorrow, visiting Jodie and the Living Room and just generally chilling out.

I spent Friday in Peterborough with Naomi, mostly drinking coffee and exploring the cathedral whilst we waited for the Passport Office to process my emergency 1-day passport application. I hadn't noticed my passport had expired last August so thanks to the nice man at the mortgage advisors for pointing that one out last week. Frustratingly it's added over £100 to the cost of our otherwise cheap holiday but never mind - these things have to be done!

As there'll be no blogging for a week, I'll leave you with the newest addition to my blogroll. The lovely Wendy has entered the world of blogging and has some beautiful poetry for us all to read. I particularly like this one.

While we're gone, look out for Dan's talk on Saul which he's giving at church tomorrow morning, appearing on the Coventry Vineyard website soon.

are you 'avin' a laugh?

We've been following Series 2 of Extras since it started a few weeks back, mostly by catching up with the episode on the BBC website later as we're not very good at being in at 9pm on Thursdays.

We didn't watch the first series. I caught a bit of it and didn't like it so didn't bother - I never really liked the Office either. My week in Tenerife back in April changed my mind though as I watched the whole of Extras 1 on DVD, including the extras and thought it was great.

To be frank, I think series 2 is a bit of a disappointment.

In the first series, they had one celebrity per episode and basically made them look like complete prats. It was focussed and funny. In series 2, they seem to be trying desperately to cram as many celebs as possible into each episode, resulting in each only getting a bit part and not really being all that funny. This week they even resorted to using a clip of TV talk show just to get Germaine Greer into it. Pointless. It was much better when they just had one celebrity. If they're that inundated by famous people desperate to appear on the show, they could just make more episodes.

It also feels like there's been a bit of a role reversal between the regular characters. Throughout the first series, Andy was kinda stupid and put his foot in it many times, his agent bailing him out on most occasions. This time, it appears to be the agent who is clueless, with Andy being the sensible despairing one alongside. Consistency? Continuity?

It's just not funny anymore. We've watcher entire episodes, barely laughing the whole time. There's only been one outstandingly funny joke so far - the scene with the fizzy water in the latest episode. Brilliant.

at the car wash (oh oh, yeah yeah) at the car wash (sing it with me now)

Our house group washed cars for Kim and Steve's neighbours in Hillfields today. There was a good community atmosphere and people really appreciated what we were doing. We even washed the ice cream van that came past. Kim and Steve have lived there about a year so this was a good chance for them to meet some of the neighbours and get to know them better. Nik's pressure washer was a welcome addition to the team and certainly helped in our race against the sun which was drying the cars far too quickly and causing smears.



Also posted at the Cov Vineyard blog

the living room

The sightseeing in Tenerife was great but it wasn't the only thing I went for. I went to visit Jodie, who works for The Living Room.

The Living Room is a drop-in centre in Veronicas, Las Americas, which opens 4 days a week for bar-workers and PRs to come and chill out. There's a pool table and a table tennis table, a dart board and loads of games and magazines as well as tea and coffee and all that sort of stuff. Wendy, Lee and Jodie are there to hang out and chat to, as well as a Christian counsellor one day a week, and free Spanish lessons every Friday. There's info on jobs and accommodation as well as where to find doctors and other useful stuff.

The team also go out three nights a week and chat with the PRs who work outside the bars and clubs along Veronicas, Starcos and the Patch. They are well known around there now and the PRs wait for them to come with their bags of lollies. Loads of them have asked for Bibles and stuff too.

While I was there I spent 3 days in The Living Room. I met some great people, won a lot of connect 4 but got horribly beaten at chess and pool (no surprise there then!) but mostly just hung out and chatted with the workers - some of whom come occasionally, others every day.

I also went out one night, giving out lollies to the PRs and bar workers in Veronicas. The Living Room is situated above Burger King, right opposite the main strip of bars and clubs in Veronicas. The floor in between BK and The Living Room is Stringfellas - a lap dancing club. We started out in there (didn't mention that on my postcard to grandma!), just sitting for an hour with the manager and the 5 girls who were working there that night. The bar was open but it was 11pm so too early for any punters to be in just yet so it was a good opportunity to get to know the girls.

People are so open to talking about Jesus and stuff over there . Some of the stories are just amazing. People who've come through rehab, others who have met Jesus through reading Bibles or literature from the team... all sorts of things. It's great!

other tenerife sights

Other Sites
Here you get the beach at Costa del Duque (yellow sand imported from the Sahara), the rocky town of Masca, the sunset over the nearby island of Gomera, views of Las Americas and Adeje from Wendy & Jodie's balcony and the beach at Los Gigantes (black sand, direct from the volcanic rock)

candelaria

Candelaria
Small northern coastal town towards Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife. It's main attraction is the Basilica inside which is a large figure of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus and a Candle (hence the name). It's very ornate. Is it heretical to say that I thought she looked like Tiny Tears? Anyway, we went on a windy day and the sea was crazy. There are also 9 bronze statues along the waterfront of the last 9 kings of the Guanche people (Tenerife's original natives) which kept us entertained for a while.

el pica del teide

It's late so I'll save the writing and stuff for later but here are a few photos of my week:

El Pica del Teide
Teide is the volcano on which Tenerife is built. It's 12198' tall and hasn't erupted since 1790ish. It's currently on yellow alert and due to go again in the next 100 or so years. It's beautiful - really barren and rocky but with some fantastic views and colours. Feels like another planet.

time to hit the beach

I'm off to Tenerife on Saturday! While Dan braves the extreme weather in Skegness, I'll be sunning myself on Jodie and Wendy's balcony in Veronicas. Very exciting. It'll be great to see Jodie - I've only seen her twice since she moved there in July and those were both in the UK so it'll be good to see her in her new home. I'm also looking forward to seeing the Living Room centre where she works with Lee and Wendy and all the people who work as PRs in the area.

I can't wait!!

I'll blog all about it (just the interesting bits) when i get back....

Happy Easter everyone!

*UPDATE*
Am feeling very smug, having just checked flight prices with Monarch Airlines and discovered that the fligts I have booked would cost me exactly £125 more today than they did when I booked them on 26th February. Hurrah. I've been keeping an eye on them to see when the cheapest time to book would be for future reference and they've not dropped below the price I paid. I win!!

read and to read

Read:
In A Strange Land by Mary Bolster
I bought this book just after Christmas but PGCE and all I only just got around to reading it. It's a romantic fiction set in a very true situation - the political conflict and emotional turmoil of the current situation in Burma and the resulting displacement of the Karen people into camps in Thailand. I've visited these camps twice, once with Mary and both times with her husband. Mary's writing brings the memories, sights, sounds, smells all flooding back and I would hope that it would make it seem almost as real to any reader who hadn't been there too. She blends the political complexities of the situation with extreme depth of character writing and gripping storyline - I really was hooked! I realise I'm biased because of my previous involvement but I really do recommend this book. It's not destined to stand on the shelves of classic literature but it is a good read and it presents the reality of the situation in an easy to read and understand format.



To Read:
Captivating by Stasi Eldredge
I've just bought this and plan to read it while I'm in Tenerife next week. I've heard mixed reviews of it, from Ruth who loved it to my friends at church who hated it and others in between. I think it stirs up contention because of its extreme feminine and feminist views so we'll see! Watch this space...

it starts

Only 1 hour and 45 minutes til Lent. There's half a flake waiting for me downstairs - my final cocoa-based fling before the 40 days.

In fact, there's quite a lot of chocolate downstairs. We've just had a pancake evening and invited our whole street over. A couple of guys came - not bad when we posted 48 invites through doors last night! It was great to meet them and find out who we're living with here. Both lovely guys, one of them has lived in Coventry since before the War and has some amazing stories to tell. They are both pretty clued up when it comes to the street as well and seemed to know everyone's names*, what car they drive, who lived in the house before them and other useful titbits of information. I guess we've been added to that list now!!

Here's waiting for another opportunity to party with the neighbours....

Look out for Lent-related blogging from Coventry Vineyard people at 40 Days

* Except, that is, for the mysterious lady next door. Maybe she doesn't have a name? She grows lots of raspberries though.