Woke up this morning to quiet and soft Tasmanian rain. It is so peaceful here, so beautiful here. I sat in the window and ate my breakfast looking out over the misty South Hobart hills. I realised that it's been ages since I've been able to look out in to the distance like this. In a big city you can feel boxed in because you never get to look out into the distance.
Yesterday we arrived mid morning. My mum picked us up from the airport and we went straight to the Golden Tulip bakery for an early lunch. Mmmm, so yummy! Mum even treated us to cakes as well. After lunch we went to Nick's mum's place where we spent the afternoon lounging around. I helped my Mum set up a website too, which took most of the afternoon.
In the evening we had dinner with Mike and Nikki. They cooked us yummy chinese dumplings! I have a cute photo of Xavvy, but as we forgot to bring the camera cable, I won't be able to post pics for a bit. We arrived at Emma and Huw's late in the evening and found they had left us a very neat and tidy flat, lots of informative sticky notes and an awesome basket of goodies including nice cereal, pasta sauces, wine and even magnums in the freezer!
It has been so lovely to be in Tassie, and to see friends and family. It is just beautiful to be able to sleep in and not be woken up at 7 by the builders. It's wonderful to breath the clean, fresh air and to feel the gentle misty rain against my face.
This afternoon I finished off one of the two assignments I couldn't quite get done before we left. It's in the post now, which is a relief. Tomorrow I'll finish off the other one, and then I'll feel a bit more like I'm on holidays.
At the moment Nick and I are still sick. My bronchitis has flared up again now that I've finished the antibiotics, and I'm also getting an ear infection. Nick still has bronchitis and it just seems to be getting worse, despite the antibiotics. He's trying to rest and not talk too much because it makes him cough. We're trying to take it really easy for the next few days, just so we can actually get better.
Tasmania here we come, right back where we started from
It took us a full 15 minutes of being back in Tasmania before we bumped into people we know...it's great to be home! We had a pretty big day yesterday which aggravated our lingering illnesses but was totally worth it. I think we need to take it easy though till we're fully recovered.
Pharoahe Monch released his 2nd album Desire earlier this week. The songs I've heard off this album have reminded me why I like hip hop. Body Baby has a gospel/soul/black Elvis thing happening which is fun and will appeal to the less hardcore rap fans. Let's Go is banging for the hip hop heads and Gun Draws is a song about gun violence, written from the perspective of a bullet. The video is a bit disturbing, the actual song starts about 1:30 into the video. It's fun being excited about an album release and it doesn't happen to me very often. I love his delivery and his lyrics are quick and clever like a West Wing script.
You're all going to get a dose of Pharoahe while we're down!
Pharoahe Monch released his 2nd album Desire earlier this week. The songs I've heard off this album have reminded me why I like hip hop. Body Baby has a gospel/soul/black Elvis thing happening which is fun and will appeal to the less hardcore rap fans. Let's Go is banging for the hip hop heads and Gun Draws is a song about gun violence, written from the perspective of a bullet. The video is a bit disturbing, the actual song starts about 1:30 into the video. It's fun being excited about an album release and it doesn't happen to me very often. I love his delivery and his lyrics are quick and clever like a West Wing script.
You're all going to get a dose of Pharoahe while we're down!
Bridging the Gap
Last Tuesday I was given the chance to do the bridge climb. A guy at college knows some people who were up for a school trip and they needed an extra adult for the climb. It's a classic tourist thing to do and I didn't have to pay which is nice because otherwise it would have been kidney selling time.
They gave us headsets which are like headphones except that they stick to your cheekbones. The sound vibrates itself through your bones into your head. It's black magic.
The people I went with are from Moree, apparently the artesian spa capital of Australia. Moree is about the same size as Kingston, is in the middle of nowhere and is completely flat. They export cotton and sometimes theological students. It was fun hanging out with them and the view was spectacular.
Suds (a guy in our class) is sick of people from interstate moaning about Sydney. He is a Sydneysider, loves his city and wants us to appreciate it too. So he is planning a tour at the end of the holidays for interested parties. I don't think the destination has been decided but I'm looking forward to some more exploring wherever we go.
They gave us headsets which are like headphones except that they stick to your cheekbones. The sound vibrates itself through your bones into your head. It's black magic.
The people I went with are from Moree, apparently the artesian spa capital of Australia. Moree is about the same size as Kingston, is in the middle of nowhere and is completely flat. They export cotton and sometimes theological students. It was fun hanging out with them and the view was spectacular.
Suds (a guy in our class) is sick of people from interstate moaning about Sydney. He is a Sydneysider, loves his city and wants us to appreciate it too. So he is planning a tour at the end of the holidays for interested parties. I don't think the destination has been decided but I'm looking forward to some more exploring wherever we go.
Chocolate Gospel Custard!
Yes, this post will be full of good stuff
Contrary to my usual style, let's leave the chocolate until second, it has to get all warm and chocolatey anyway.
Christine has a link on her blog to this article about church planting by Tim Keller. It's pretty straightforward stuff, but gosh sometimes it's good to be reminded of the basics! This was from his fourth point - Love:
It was actually that very last bit that really struck me. Of course it makes sense - it just shows how lethal a lack of grace will be.
Ok, now for the chocolate. Emma told me this recipe. I'm not sure if she made it up, or where she got it but get this - you can make chocolate custard! And what's more, you can do it with milk, cornflour, brown sugar and cocoa powder.
Here's what I used last night (it made a bit much for 2)
2 cups milk
4 tbl sp cornflour
3 tbl sp brown sugar
3 tbl sp cocoa powder
1. take a small amount of the milk and put it in a bowl and mix the cornflour in very very thoroughly.
2. mix the other stuff in too
3. heat, stirring constantly until it thickens
That's it my friends! Isn't that amazing! That makes a very chocolatey custard. Next time I would actually use a little bit less cocoa powder just so it's a bit creamier. And I think that I would have thinned it a tiny bit with some milk while it was thickening because it was quite thick, too thick to pour.
Anyway, enjoy!
Contrary to my usual style, let's leave the chocolate until second, it has to get all warm and chocolatey anyway.
Christine has a link on her blog to this article about church planting by Tim Keller. It's pretty straightforward stuff, but gosh sometimes it's good to be reminded of the basics! This was from his fourth point - Love:
"You must have the gospel firmly in your heart so that you are not ministering out of a need to convince yourself of your competence or worth — but out of love.
Religion is "I obey and minister, therefore I am accepted." The gospel is "I am accepted, therefore I obey and minister." If you are operating out of the former matrix (i.e. basing your justification on your sanctification instead of the other way around) then:
In your own personal ministry you will tend to over work, deal poorly with criticism, worry too much about attendance, giving, and signs of success, and be less than a good and gracious model of a gospel-changed life.
In your preaching and teaching you will be creating a lot of 'elder brothers' (cf. Luke 15) — people who are very good and committed to serving God as way of procuring his blessing. This makes people (like the elder brother) very grumpy, condescending to 'sinners', and unforgiving. In other words, you will create a church that can't win people to Christ."
It was actually that very last bit that really struck me. Of course it makes sense - it just shows how lethal a lack of grace will be.
Ok, now for the chocolate. Emma told me this recipe. I'm not sure if she made it up, or where she got it but get this - you can make chocolate custard! And what's more, you can do it with milk, cornflour, brown sugar and cocoa powder.
Here's what I used last night (it made a bit much for 2)
2 cups milk
4 tbl sp cornflour
3 tbl sp brown sugar
3 tbl sp cocoa powder
1. take a small amount of the milk and put it in a bowl and mix the cornflour in very very thoroughly.
2. mix the other stuff in too
3. heat, stirring constantly until it thickens
That's it my friends! Isn't that amazing! That makes a very chocolatey custard. Next time I would actually use a little bit less cocoa powder just so it's a bit creamier. And I think that I would have thinned it a tiny bit with some milk while it was thickening because it was quite thick, too thick to pour.
Anyway, enjoy!
Flu: The Sickening
As a sequel to Bron's sickness I have now come down with it too. I began feeling miserable yesterday morning in time for it to develop for the exam that afternoon. I've always found exams make me clarify my thinking but this time my train of thought didn't leave the station. I'm a bit frustrated about that and I don't want to be sick when we get home (Wednesday!).
I have a number of things which have recently been the subjects of my exaggeration and I will hyperbolise to you when I feel like I can do them the justice they certainly deserve.
BTW: My phone has died so if you want to get in touch while we're in Tas email is your best bet.
I have a number of things which have recently been the subjects of my exaggeration and I will hyperbolise to you when I feel like I can do them the justice they certainly deserve.
BTW: My phone has died so if you want to get in touch while we're in Tas email is your best bet.
I am feeling much happier now the yucky flu fever vomit yuckiness has gotten better. Unfortunately I have acute bronchitis. The fact that it matches my name does not really cheer me up, but I am feeling much better anyway. Not well enough to sit my exam today, but well enough to be happy resting rather than miserable resting. Thank you all for your prayer and lovely well wishes!
Flu
I don't think I've ever had a flu that's made me vomit before, well not till tonight. It hit me pretty hard on Monday and I've been in bed pretty much ever since. I just woke up, having lost my voice and with a terrible cough. I've been trying to rest as much as possible so I'm well for the exam and assignments and the flight. It's been pretty yucky. I was coughing and choking so bad tonight I got Nick to go out and get me some proper cough syrup. I don't know, maybe the vomiting was a reaction to that. Certainly tastes like it anyway!
Nick has been really good with looking after me. I do miss my mum's miso soup though. Nothing like a little bit of miso and rice when you're feeling rotten. Anyway, I had been reasonably chipper up until tonight, thankful that I was only coldey sick not vomitey sick (I hate the latter, it makes me very despairing of life!) Hmm, now both. Anyway, I'm planning on spending the entire week in bed resting, until the exam. This exam may well end up being a test of what I've retained from classes!
Nick has been really good with looking after me. I do miss my mum's miso soup though. Nothing like a little bit of miso and rice when you're feeling rotten. Anyway, I had been reasonably chipper up until tonight, thankful that I was only coldey sick not vomitey sick (I hate the latter, it makes me very despairing of life!) Hmm, now both. Anyway, I'm planning on spending the entire week in bed resting, until the exam. This exam may well end up being a test of what I've retained from classes!
Clucky
Everyone said, "Just you wait, when you get to college you'll get clucky - there'll be so many kids around". Well, the latter is true, there are lots of kids. And sure, cuddles with Shem are very cute.
However, that's not what's made me clucky.
We went to inspect the college houses last week. There were quite a few open homes, so we could see what they were like before we applied for them. Nick and I visited about a dozen houses (so much fun! I love looking at old houses). The second last house we went to was where the owners of Marty, the lovely friendly grey cat live. They had recently found a little kitten, with exactly the same markings as Marty but it must have a bit of cornish rex in it because its ears were huge!
So now I reeeeeallly want a kitten.
However, that's not what's made me clucky.
We went to inspect the college houses last week. There were quite a few open homes, so we could see what they were like before we applied for them. Nick and I visited about a dozen houses (so much fun! I love looking at old houses). The second last house we went to was where the owners of Marty, the lovely friendly grey cat live. They had recently found a little kitten, with exactly the same markings as Marty but it must have a bit of cornish rex in it because its ears were huge!
So now I reeeeeallly want a kitten.
Panic make brain function not
Things are quite stressful at the moment. Most people at college are, at the very least, pretty exhausted from the long term. Some of the people I've talked to are on the verge of flipping out and lots of people are battling sicknesses. Nick has been great in helping us both through this crazy time. Even thought I can logically see that everything is quite manageable, I'm nevertheless not coping all that well with the stress.
In the coming week and two days I need to finish an as-yet half written sermon to have it critiqued on Tuesday. We have an exam for Biblical Theology to study for on Friday, and although I'm usually pretty blase about artsy type exams, this time I don't really feel that the course has prepared me at all, nor do I feel like the expectations have been made clear. Friday also, there is a short word study assignment due. Tuesday the following week we've got to hand in an annotated bibliography assignment. It's stressing us both for different reasons (for my topic there's too much info, for Nick's there's not enough). We fly to Tassie on the Wednesday morning.
Nick has been reflecting that life is hard and will always be a struggle, despite our continual attempts to minimise, mask or shut away hard work, difficulty and pain. After all, this is a fallen world. Makes heaven worth looking forward to eh.
In the coming week and two days I need to finish an as-yet half written sermon to have it critiqued on Tuesday. We have an exam for Biblical Theology to study for on Friday, and although I'm usually pretty blase about artsy type exams, this time I don't really feel that the course has prepared me at all, nor do I feel like the expectations have been made clear. Friday also, there is a short word study assignment due. Tuesday the following week we've got to hand in an annotated bibliography assignment. It's stressing us both for different reasons (for my topic there's too much info, for Nick's there's not enough). We fly to Tassie on the Wednesday morning.
Nick has been reflecting that life is hard and will always be a struggle, despite our continual attempts to minimise, mask or shut away hard work, difficulty and pain. After all, this is a fallen world. Makes heaven worth looking forward to eh.
It Was Inevitable...
... that we would end up getting soft. All this mild Sydney weather, bound to lull you into a false sense of temperature. Sure, we might refuse to buy a heater. We still smirk at our friends shivering away in their hats and coats, cranking up the heater... but here's the reality: I've acclimatised. Sure I might be saying something different in summer, but for now I'm sitting at the computer with a hat on, light jumper, jacket, wrapped in a doona and wearing my sneakers for warmth. It's 9 degrees outside. The thermometer on Nick's brewing kit says the barrel of lager is currently sitting at 14 degrees. Yes, I know, we'll freeze when we come home!
We've been doing plenty of other stuff apart from acclimatizing. Lately Nick and I have been reading some proverbs together after dinner. Here's some gems from yesterday and today.
We've been doing plenty of other stuff apart from acclimatizing. Lately Nick and I have been reading some proverbs together after dinner. Here's some gems from yesterday and today.
How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to choose understanding rather than silver!
The highway of the upright avoids evil;
he who guards his way guards his life.
Surpises are Fun!
Because of the flooding and storms our friend Mel couldn't get to Newcastle to spend the weekend with her parents visiting her autie. Fortunately for us, she agreed to spend what was left of the weekend staying here! It was lovely to have Mel's company for the weekend. Sydney put on her most dismal weather but nevertheless we managed to show Mel a bit of Newtown (Thai-La-Ong and Campos). We watched some West Wing together and Nick made an awesome curry. We also found out Mel is short enough to sleep on our 2 1/2 seater couch without having to curl up! On Sunday we went out to Western Blacktown to church, and in the afternoon Mel and I explored some of the city. We hadn't really had much planned for the weekend so it was a wonderful surprise to have Mel come and stay.
mmm
I made Shaun's Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding tonight and we ate it while watching House. I still think it's the best chocolate pudding recipe ever. It might not be the most decadent, but it is certainly excellent given how cheap and easy it is.Firstly, there's no messing about with melting chocolate. I always stuff this kind of thing up because I don't have the patience to use a double saucepan. Plus, if you had a block of chocolate and you wanted to eat chocolate why the dickens would you be messing about with pudding?!!! Nope, this one uses plain old cocoa. Homebrand cocoa is still fantastic and by the time it gets all puddingy, you'd never know it was powder not chocolate.
Secondly, there's no egg. I ain't got nothing against eggs, but I don't always have them in the fridge. To have a late night dessert craving and be thwarted by lack of eggs, now that's frustrating!
Thirdly, it's cheap. The home brand ice cream I served it with probably cost more than the pudding. To be cheap is easy. To be cheap and delicious, now that's special!
Finally, how can you go wrong with instructions like these: don't sift the flour just tip it in from really high up and it will get nice and airy, or: it should take 45 mins but check it frequently after 30 as its really easy to burn the top, which sucks. Garnish with parsley. Indeed.
I had Donna Hay aspirations for my picture, but how come dribbles down the side of the pot look so cool when she does it, but in mine it just looks like someone had a really grimy bath? I guess it has something to do with the fact that it is real food, there are real lick marks on that spoon and I can really eat the food when I'm done cos there's no glue in it making things look pretty. Well, at least you can appreciate the retro stove.
Mmm, also some good stuff from college today. Will post when less tired.
"Oops I dyed it again..."
Sorry its out of focus, but I got fed up with the pics looking all myspace
This time I'm following my cousin's advice and used the proper stuff (permanent) with the bright stuff over the top cos I was sick of having to choose between greasy or faded hair. (thanks Sam!)
In a totally unrelated note, (does one say "in" or "on" in this case?) anyway, in class the other day our new testament lecturer was talking about Luke's gospel and saying how it says it was written to assure the reader of the certainty of the things he had been taught:
1Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
And anyway, Peter Bolt mentioned as an aside that it is a good thing to keep in mind when you're preaching on Luke, "am I helping people to have that sense of certainty?" I guess that thought can be applied in various ways.
On a Sunny Sydney Morning
What nicer thing to do than have a picnic breakfast in the park?
Noah wasn't so impressed with the idea at first
But I think he came around
Katie brought the picnic rug and coffee (and Noah!) and I brought homemade yoghurt and crunchy muesli. Noah spent a lot of time holding onto my shoulder and practicing standing up. When time came to go to college, even with prospect of morning tea it was hard to drag myself away. College is great, but there are times when a day in the park seems even nicer!
Noah wasn't so impressed with the idea at first
But I think he came around
Katie brought the picnic rug and coffee (and Noah!) and I brought homemade yoghurt and crunchy muesli. Noah spent a lot of time holding onto my shoulder and practicing standing up. When time came to go to college, even with prospect of morning tea it was hard to drag myself away. College is great, but there are times when a day in the park seems even nicer!
Up the wall.
Been listening to Tilly and the Wall today. The graphics probably give you a bit of a clue as to what kind of music it is. You can hear some of their songs on that site. It's quite good working music though. Makes you type faster. The King St crew might remember that I used to listen to The Pogues on repeat when I was doing essays. Well, this is similarly good. Oh yeah, and they don't have a drummer. The percussion is from... ahem, tap dancing.
I'm currently wring an essay for Church History. Well, it's not an essay, it's a "Primary Document Exercise" - on Constantine's attitude towards the church and its standing in the empire. It's funny, this is our third primary document this year. Which makes it three more than I ever had to do during my history major.
It's kind of cool just limiting yourself to analysing one text rather than using the text as part of broader research. It's times like this though that I wish Nick and I could combine our powers. He's much better than I am at seeing the big picture, clearly articulating the main points. It's me that picks up on things like sarcasm in the details or 3 potential nuanced meanings from one sentence. It would be so much easer for him to tell me the gist of it before I start, and for me to edit his work after he's finished and add some details. But, although easier that's not really how it's supposed to work! We've helped each other when our essays are on different topics and we've helped each other with interpreting the question, but in general we work separately.
It's kind of cool just limiting yourself to analysing one text rather than using the text as part of broader research. It's times like this though that I wish Nick and I could combine our powers. He's much better than I am at seeing the big picture, clearly articulating the main points. It's me that picks up on things like sarcasm in the details or 3 potential nuanced meanings from one sentence. It would be so much easer for him to tell me the gist of it before I start, and for me to edit his work after he's finished and add some details. But, although easier that's not really how it's supposed to work! We've helped each other when our essays are on different topics and we've helped each other with interpreting the question, but in general we work separately.
I've been visiting some old friends...
...Sam, CJ, Josh, Donna and the rest. I've started at the beginning again and I can't get over what an amazing series The West Wing is. It is my absolute favourite show. It could only be better if we had Mikey and Nikki round to enjoy it with and that will soon be remedied.
This morning I went to my favourite cafe in Sydney - Cafe Otto. There are places you can get better coffee but the atmosphere at Cafe Otto makes it a place I want to be. It was lovely to sit and read and watch people walk past and not have anywhere else to be. Then this evening Bron and I stopped by for a drink after going to the shop.
Pharoahe Monch's new album Desire is out this month. The man is a genius, one of the best rappers out there so it's been a frustrating 8 year wait since his last album. Pharoahe is a great example why I love about hip hop so if you're interested in understanding my madness check it out.
This morning I went to my favourite cafe in Sydney - Cafe Otto. There are places you can get better coffee but the atmosphere at Cafe Otto makes it a place I want to be. It was lovely to sit and read and watch people walk past and not have anywhere else to be. Then this evening Bron and I stopped by for a drink after going to the shop.
Pharoahe Monch's new album Desire is out this month. The man is a genius, one of the best rappers out there so it's been a frustrating 8 year wait since his last album. Pharoahe is a great example why I love about hip hop so if you're interested in understanding my madness check it out.
Soccer Again
I'm so disappointed that Australia v Uruguay game isn't being televised. Well, yes I know, we could actually go and see it if we wanted - but it clashes with the rugby - Australia v Wales. I'm guessing this is a time where it is only fair to let the bloke choose!
