After all these years Tracy Chapman still makes me so happy.

I thought by the time I got to this post many others would have already written about the TEAR conference but it seems that no. So that’s good I will be being original. Although it also means that I can not just refer to other blogs for more info.

I enjoyed the conference very much. In my role as nominator I have been hearing sermons from different ministers around the place and some (one in particular) have been absoloutely appaling so I was feeling somewhat starved of inspiration. There was plenty at TEAR though. It was really good to connect with all the people who remind me that there is hope for a better world. People who show me (by the lives they live) that God is in the world and that he does hear the cries of the poor and will answer them.

One of my favourite times. I am nicely tired from a relatively productive week and I know I don’t have to return for three days. I also have a good weekend planned. Movie tonight and then Belvoir tomorrow night. Jess is coming down too and I always enjoy catching up with her. Martin has also promised ceviche for lunch on Sunday whish is yum, yum, yum. There will be plenty of sitting around and relaxing too as I don’t really have any housework to do. Last weekend Martin, Alexis and I scrubbed the house from top to bottom so this weekend doesn’t need much at all. Yay. I just have to catch the train home. Lucky I have a good book and who know there may be some friendly pilgrims to talk to.

On Tuesday and today I drove to work, that is I drove from Glebe (pretty close to the Sydney CBD) to Chatswood. I had two of the easiest trips I have ever had (got to work in less than 30 mins).

Yesterday in the morning I caught a bus from Newtown (after dropping the car at the mechanic) to Central and then a train from Central to Chatswood. No dramas there either, I even got a seat on the bus.

Then last night I caught a train from Chatswood at about 8.30pm back to Central. Again no dramas (in fact we didn’t have to wait for a train at all). There was also a really excited vibe around the place. Lots of pilgrims singing and smiling and saying hi. We chatted to a young guy who is in the seminary (training to be a priest). It was a very interesting conversation and he too is having a good time.

I guess there must be a number of Sydney-siders who are being put out by WYD (I keep hearing them winge on and on and on) but not me and I am travelling pretty near to the centre. In fact my travel has been advataged by the whole event. So there is another point of view.

Ryan and Tom and Andrew have all already written about this film so perhaps it is getting a bit repititive but I also absolutley loved it. Lately (as in the last two years) I have found it hard to find films I like. I am not that into violent, suspense or horror films. I think most romantic comedies are of the devil and I don’t really cope with anything too real life and intense. I think I overdid that and have now decided I don’t necessarily need to go to the extremes of my emotions everytime I want some entertainment. As you are realising it does not leave much. Happy Go Lucky however was perfect. It was funny (I actually laughed out loud), moving and real. Not a lot happened but it wasn’t boring. Poppy, the main character was just that most kind, gentle and thoughtful person and the other charcters were also pretty well thought out. It was not cliche or soppy but had a nice ending and you left feeling better about the world and humanity. I danced some of the way home. It was also really fun to see it with Tom, Ryan and Martin, all people I love a lot.

Like David I am very much enjoying been 26 but I don’t think my blog is so much as it has been very much neglected. Sorry blog, just have not been able to think up a post. Anyway I’ll try and do a bit of a catch up for the last 11 days of been 26.

The last two weekends I have had training for work. I really enjoy training, it would definitely be one of the best parts of my work but it sure is tiring working from 7.30am to 4.30pm two Saturdays in a row.
I also did some fill in work for Jo at GAPP last Monday. I love going to GAPP and sitting in the garden with people and having a cup of tea and a chat. It has such a lovely community feel about it and it is nice laid back spot. I don’t however usually enjoy actually working there but it was a bit better this time. I felt I made some genunie coneections with people beyond them just asking me for some food or money and me saying yes or no.
I had a picnic with some friends from church last Sunday in the park at the end of Glebe Point Road. It was a beautiful sunny day and really relaxing just sitting around chatting on the water and watching other people do the same.
Martin was sick for three days last week. I don’t think I am very good nurse really but I tried. I made some healthy soup for him to eat and bought him lots of cups of water.
I went for a run yesterday. It was the first intentional exercise I have done since winter started. It felt good.
Martin and I have a new house guest. A guy Martin works with from Peru. He will be returning to Peru in September but needed a place to stay until then so Martin said he could stay with us. He is very friendly and it has been good for my Spanish which is pretty rusty these days.
It has inspired me to even start reading in Spanish again. I am reading El Zahir by Paulo Coelho.
On Saturday night we walked into Newtown to see a movie at the Dendy. It was a good walk and being in Newtown made me feel nicely nostalgic. The movie we wanted to see was full though so we had some dinner and walked back to Broadway and saw Hancock instead. I thought it was pretty crap but I guess I knew it would be.
The Saturday before that we had dinner at the local pub and played some pool there.
I also went to the Toxteth for the first time since living here last Thursday. I went to hear some people, including Geoff, talk about crime in Glebe. It was interesting and good to hear Geoff speak again. People seemed very open to creative and compassionate ways of addressing the issue which was exciting. I had a good chat with a lady from one of the Housing Dept.

It has been good to be doing local things, getting to know Glebe and the people here a bit better. I continue to enjoy living here and feel like this is where I want to be in my life right now. In fact in almost every facet of my life I feel I am where I want to be, where I am meant to be. It is good.

Yesterday was my birthday. First in Sydney for awhile and it was fun. At work we had lunch and cake. It was our monthly team meeting and my boss is always looking for excuses to have lunch a cake after so I am not sure how much it was to do with me but it was nice anyway. And the cake was seriously the nicest in the whole world. Ricotta chesse cake from Haberfield. Divine.

In the evening 19 lovely friends joined me at a local Vietamese restaurant. It was fun. I always enjoy having many of my wonderful friends around me.

I turned 26. I didn’t think that was a particularly significant age but then my mum informed that I was oficially no longer youth and would therefore not be able to access any youth services or whatever else. I don’t ever do this, I don’t think so that is not significant but it has hit me the idea that I am not youth anymore. I mean I have probably been doing moving over to this idea slowly over the years but this is really my life now. No more talking about what I am going to do when I grow up. I am grown up.

Today I am sick. Went to bed last night feeling fine and then woke up an hour later with the scratchiest throat, throbbing head, running nose and a really sore nose too. I have never actually had a sore nose before but it sucked. I am not very good at being sick. I really am not one of those people who just gets on with life when they are sick. I just stay home and get better. Some may see that as a weakness but I choose to see it as a positive. Anyway I slept in til 11.30 and then got up and went to the shops for some juice. I picked orange and ginger juice and boy o boy was it good. I felt so much better almost straight away. I also bought some mushrooms, garlic, chilli, leak and am making a super healthy, flu curing soup. And I think it might be yum too. In fact when down at the shops I bumped into Geoff and then Jo came and bumped into us. So Geoff said we should have lunch but I refused. I said no I am sick and nothing I could buy would be as good as this soup and another lie down. So now I am going to eat my soup and lie down.

At the intersection where Bridge Rd meets Parramatta Rd there is a massive advertisement for the NAB that says in giant letters “Know your enemies.” It goes on to say in slightly smaller letters that this is how one succeeds in business. It made me realise that Jesus statement about loving your enemies, that scandalised people 2000 years, is as radical now as it was then. In todays world where everyone is striving for more money, more power, more fame the idea of “love your enemies” is still incredibly counter cultural. Yet how much I would rather succeed at that, succeed at love, at life, at truth than in business.

To finish my two weeks in Hornsby I went to the gym with Lesley. I went on the walking machine and the bike and did some stretches. Not heaps but enough to work up a bit of a sweat. The one thing I do like about gyms is that it tells me how many calories thaht I have burned but I have to say Lesley and I were so busy chatting that I forgot to note.

Being a fun two weeks in Hornsby. Growing up here I don’t think I appreciated enough how pretty it was. Hannah has also continued to be a lot of fun and very well behaved too. I am tired I do confess and very much looking forward to a sleep in on Monday. And in my own bed.