day out

it was really hard to get up early after the long week and last night, but once again, it was worth it. after a quick visit at a small local zoo (this was mostly for the kids), we had lunch in a small farm basically in the middle of nowhere, with a gorgeous view over the valley and the mountains. then we split up into 2 groups, the adults playing mini-golf. i think it was my first time, although i seem to remember a mini golf in New Zealand, but i'm not sure. anyway, this was on grass, which made it more difficult. and i'm useless at it!

after that, we went for a half-hour horse ride. i'd never been on a horse before. i had a very short and painful experience with a pony when i was ten, but that was it. this was a normal-sized horse, that didn't seem all that happy about me. i must say i was quite nervous at first, being completely aware of the fact that i could end up on the ground at any moment, should the horse so desire. there was a slight moment of panic when we started moving, but after about 5 mns, i started to relax. it helped that the horse was led by a person who knew all about them! there was no trotting or galloping (much to V's disappointment), but it was a nice slow ride through the forest.

i'm really happy i did it. i don't think i'll ever get into riding, but i will be slightly less scared from now on.

reward

to thank us for our all hard work, our boss invited the management team for an evening out: dinner and stand up comedy. at first, the timing made me cringe: the evening before our work outing, at a time when i normally go to the gym. that all the amount of work i have at the moment, i thought i couldn't make it. but then i thought about all the hours i've been working and how i deserved this break.

it was a great evening! there were just 8 of us in the end, and it was fun. the stand up comedian was one of my old students' partner, who, it turned out, had done the show for over 2 years in France. and it mostly had me roaring with laughter, often with tears running down my cheeks. i hadn't laughed that hard in a long time! i really had fun and i'm really glad i went.

day trip to Cambridge

as if the crazy week wasn't enough, i was sent to Cambridge for a meeting. the idea was introduced last Friday and i was given till Monday to think about it. organising cover for me and everything meant it was confirmed on Wednesday and by Thursday, i was regretting my decision. there were too many things to do and spending a whole day in the UK wasn't going to help me. but by then, it was too late...

that said, apart from having to wake up at 5am and getting home at 10.30am after 2 flights and 2 drives (the only way to be in Cambridge by 10 was driving), it was very interesting. i learnt a lot, especially about how the head office sees things and deals with them. it was also interesting that we'd come from the furthest away, yet we were the last to leave, and that was despite neither of us liking networking.

still, next time, i'll think twice about it!

time out

all i can say is that i really needed a break! since my course started 3 weeks ago, i've either been working (a lot) or studying (the rest of the time). trying to do all the activities we are set, i've had to be quite creative about some things, as they are not necessarily situations i encounter. anyway, to cut a long story short, i had really been looking forward to last night. and it was great. i think we ended up being about 15, and it was lots of fun. my headache even disappeared!

lunch in the park

one thing i really look forward to in the summer, is when i have less courses. this means i can have lunch in the park on nice days - generally every day. sometimes i ever take longer and go for a dip. it's really great. we're not there yet, but i had a teaser today. i took my gear and walked the 10 minutes that separate me from the park, view on the lake. what a great and relaxing way to spend 40 minutes. shame i had to study too, but better than nothing!

Severn

a picture of the river Severn at low tide, leading to the Severn Estuary (far, far left, where you can just about make out the 2 Severn Bridges - if you click on the picture, you should be able to zoom in on them). apparently, this river has one of the strongest currents ever...

ideal Britain

this is basically what i dreamed of when i thought of Britain as a kid - and it's what you see in period dramas! lush, green countryside. this is the top of Kymin, on the English/Welsh border, wherefrom you can see 9 counties on a clear day.

course start - ready, steady, go!

today was the official start of my online course, meaning some documents we needed were made available and we could basically start posting our work. i spent 4 hours finalising the write-ups of the first 2 weeks - because of various time issues, i thought i'd get started ASAP so i wouldn't end up being late later on. if i can just keep up the pace, it'll be great.