Fun Fun Fun

Well, I've had a nice couple of days here.
Yesterday I had a sort-out and went to cell at Pete and Cat's, which was fun. The storm started while we were there which meant we all had to get wet, but it was cool, I love the rain. Usually I go out and dance in it! I did get shut out of the house yesterday, just for about a minute if that, but was completely and utterly soaked. It's all good though - seriously, I love thunderstorms, they just make me feel so alive. Which, you know, is always good!
Anyway, today I went into Oxford to try on a bridesmaid dress for Mimi which was fun. It's really pretty, but I think I'd need to get the top taken in a little because I'm between sizes!
Then I went back to my friends house and we made pitta pizzas for lunch and watched Finding Neverland, which I love. It's so sweet but sad as well and I was all but crying! It's quite subtle though so I suppose it might not be to everyone's taste, but I liked it lots although I always do like subtle films.
Tonight I don't have anything on although I'm quite tired so I suppose that's a good thing - not that I have any excuse for being tired! I did walk all around Oxford today though (oh I bought a pretty pink necklace to go with my dress as well!) so I did get a relative amount of excercise. However I completely wrecked my diet by drinking an iced chocolate in Marks & Sparks - well worth the money but very, very bad for me!
Anyway, must get back to cheering Roddick on now and leave my computer to recuperate - I don't think it's feeling very well, poor thing!!

Michi & Renate

Michi & Renate,
originally uploaded by Estibesti.

Nope, still can't work it out, computers and me really don't see eye to eye on quite a lot of things, you know.
Anyway, this is Renate and Michi at their wedding. I think her dress is gorgeous, and she looked completely stunning.
Also note the car in the background, even though I have no car knowledge whatsoever, it was pretty cool!

Wedding Cake

Wedding Cake,
originally uploaded by Estibesti.

Hmm, we may just have to have four small posts until Sarah tells me what to do again, I think!
This is the phenomenal wedding cake that Renate's mum made all by herself, I was just astounded so thought you might be too!

Wedding Outfits

Wedding Outfits,
originally uploaded by Estibesti.

Well, this is one of my photos from Germany - I've worked out how to get it on my blog now, but not how to make it bigger!
This is three of us in our wedding clothes before the wedding, I'll try and get the other photos too but I'm not quite sure how yet :)

Leavers' Assembly

Was absolutely brilliant!
What happens is as follows:
First of all there's a short time of worship, which is always good. After that, the departing Y11s scatter round the hall and all the younger years come and pray or prophesy for them. It's really touching, actually, because you can see which people you've influenced or encouraged over your school life, and their prayers really mean a lot. All my Y7 Youth Alpha group came straightaway to pray for me, which really got me actually - it's lovely to see that they really do appreciate all we did!
After that everyone except the Y10s leave, then we split into small groups of about 6 Y11s in each. They get in all the good prophets from the churches and then you have a time (going round each person in the group) where everyone gives their words and prophesies for you. It's amazing how clearly God can speak, and I really appreciated it. People gave me some amazing words, about my future, using my strength as a caring and also different person for God and one which I particularly liked about me, Edd and Jonny's lives being intertwined - basically meaning we're going to stay in contact, which I think is cool!
I just want to thank everyone who prophesied for me, your words really meant a lot and you're all brilliant!!
I also like having the chance to give words to other people, because as I've been in the same class as them for up to 12 years (!) it's nice to be able to give just a little back.
Additionally, we get to speak into a little dictaphone, which is fun.
Anyway, off from my high, I'm trying to work out how to use Flickr as I finally have some photos from my trip to Germany which may or may not be posted soon, depending on how succesful I am!

Mad Cat!

OK, so yesterday evening I was babysitting for the Townsends, they have 3 adorable and very well-behaved little girls. All I had to do with the girls was read a story, fetch a drink and then they went to sleep, very easy really!
However, they have a 3 month old cat. Until 10 o'clock it was perfectly happy just sleeping on my lap, but then suddenly - mad cat! It decided it wanted to play attack Esther's foot, and I decided it didn't so shoved it off :) Then it started careering round the room screeching and leaping up at me until I got bored so shut it in the kitchen!!!
I let it out about 45 minutes later, though, and it was duly repentant so I let it stay out again, feeling victorious. And it was alright because Neil and D say they have to do the same thing every now and then; it just has mad phases.
O well! Stopped me going to sleep I suppose!
Today's our Leavers' Assembly, so expect more blogging later as I will be full of news!
Oh, and PS, my sister Miriam has a blog now as well, hooray!

Revelling in my freedom

Well, in a lovely way, not much has happened since I last posted.
I've pottered around doing this and that - got my shoes for the Leavers' Banquet, that was fun :) I think they're really pretty, and I can actually walk in them, which is always a bonus. I'm even putting a photo in and feel very proud of myself; first time ever! To be fair my brother Mark told me how about 20 minutes ago, but whatever.
Like them? It's not the best photo but it gets the point across!













Apart from buying shoes (I also bought another pair of posh black shoes for only £6, can't really go wrong for that can you?) I went to my friend's party last night which was fun. They've recently moved house after living an hour away from school in Marlowe, and because they lived so far away they stayed with people from school for most of the week. The party was their way of saying thank you, which was really sweet, and really fun! We didn't really do much though; talked, played games and had competitions with their clothes pegs! (We were slightly hyper by that time, but you can make some very funky hairstyles using pegs. If somewhat odd.)
I suppose I have to get Wimbledon into this post somehow, so I will mention that I'm annoyed because: a) Safin and Johannson have both gone out and they were cool and
b) Sharapova just got through and she REALLY annoys me! The whole Palmolive thing, £500,000 24 carat gold inscribed trainers and the squealing just get very...um...irksome. Anyway.
This afternoon I'm planning to sleep and cheer on Andy Murray. Sounds blissful, doesn't it? I can't sleep when it's sunny because it seems a waste so I'll sleep lots now to make up :)
Mark, Caleb and Elodie all came round this morning which was fun. Always nice to see them. Although we didn't get to see Heidi as she was getting her hair done, but there you go.
Anyway I am going to stop writing now as lack of sleep is really making my head go funny - if I'm not careful I'm just going to start waffling on about utter twaddle. Well, maybe not start, but continue!
Is twaddle a word actually? It sounds right in my head but not on paper. Well screen. Oh no it's started! I'd better stop now. :)

Shattered Dreams

Again.
I'm gutted. Devastated. Completely and utterly in the pits of despair.
Well, that's taking it a bit far, but you get my drift.
Andy Murray is actually our only hope left now! So, off I go to watch him...

Free at last

Don't you just love exams?
Well OK, perhaps not the exams themselves but definitely the after-exam holiday! I finished my GCSEs yesterday, much celebrating all round, and many congratulations. It's a completely bizarre feeling. Although the Graphics people still have one on Friday - I would be sympathetic, but I simply can't find it in myself to try!
So today was my first day of freedom. And it has been deliciously full of nothing. The most exciting things I have done today are:
1) eat breakfast with a serving spoon as we had run out of all others
2) go down and talk to the hairdresser about how to style my fair for our Leavers' Banquet
3) watch Henman/Wimbledon
And the brilliant thing is, I don't have to feel guilty any longer because I'm completely sanctioned to sit around all day doing nothing (although I have a feeling that this could get just slightly boring if I do nothing for too long. Oh well).
Am currently also playing MahJong on the computer; it's a random ancient Japanese card game and nicely undemanding to play.
Have fun all you suckers at work and school!!!
xxx

That's why we love him

But it was murder to watch!
Seriously, it always amazes me when Henman manages to come back after being two sets down - but we couldn't lose him in the first round; what would England do?
I suppose this year at least everyone can follow Andy Murray as well, but I doubt he'll get far this time so we still need Tim to pin our hopes on :)
Although many more matches like that and I'm likely to have a nervous breakdown soon! My heart has only just stopped beating double time!!
Afraid the revision got pushed back though, whoops. I'll just have to pray hard instead :D

Wimbledon, here we come!

Hooray, Wimbledon is finally here! I'm so excited! Am quite hyper anyway as I have just finished my French written paper (in which, by the way, I managed to include Wimbledon :D (and my newest French word - Youpi!)). It wasn't straightforward exactly but was quite easy once I'd started.
Anyway, now Wimbledon is here it must be summer time! It's a good job my GCSEs are almost over because I so would not get any work done with so much tennis to watch. And I know it's slightly sad to be this obsessed, but at least I'm not so sad as to hate Wimbledon like some of my friends do, merely because of the fact that it means no Neighbours for 2 weeks! (love you really!)
I have just counted up the exclamation marks in this post, and there's a surplus even by my usual standards, so I shall leave you all to de-stress slightly in the wake of my onslaught!!!!!
xxxx

Too Darn Hot!

Well actually, it's lovely outside. It's just that I've been out for about 2 hours now and my head's going funny! I'm so pleased summer's here eventually though; I've been pretending it's here for ages but getting very cold in summer clothes!
Had a nice pottery day today - did some physics and some French, went for a walk, lazed in the garden... what more could you want?
Also, I know this is very, very sad, but I'm really excited today because it's the last Doctor Who episode and it looks so cool! I blame my brother Mark for my obsession; I'd watched most of the old ones by the time I was four so what could you expect this time round??
Anyway now I've cooled off slightly I'm going to go back outside again, it's far too nice to sit in here for long!
xxx

Guten Tag!

Actually I must start speaking French soon as my exam's coming up, but as I've just got back from Germany I think I can stay in German mode whilst I do a quick summary.
I had so much fun!
On Saturday morning, we were out of the house and travelling to Stansted by 3am. We took a flight to Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden and were met at this lovely but very small (by which I mean two rooms) airport by a friend of Renate, who speaks perfect English as he married an Englishwoman and also lived in both England and Canada! It was really nice to get off the plane and hear this English voice going, "Renate's friends?"
Diether took us to Renate's parents' house, where we were staying. It's amazing! It was probably 3 times as big as our house; we only saw half of it! And it was spotless as well - complete with terraces, vegetable garden, the lot. We all stayed in Renate's old room. Anyway, her mum met us at the door (she speaks very little English) then we met Renate's sister Barbara who luckily for us can speak English. Her father can't speak any, and I'm not sure if her brother Florian can or not but he looked very fazed when we all clattered up the stairs and were introduced to him! He shook all our hands then escaped quickly; it made me laugh.
Anyway, we unpacked and went downstairs where they'd laid out a sandwich lunch for us - and by sandwiches, they were really posh ones you get at buffet dinner parties. Her mum apologised that she was busy, because she was making all 5 layers of Renate's wedding cake! And each one a different flavour! And it was incredible, honestly, I wish I could do it justice with my description but I can't.
By the way, this post is going on for a long time yet! After we'd changed, we were taken to the church wedding in - wait for it - the back of Renate's uncle and aunt's camper van! It was great fun. At the wedding we met Liz, who was Dieter's wife, and they very generously translated for us throughout the service. Renate looked absolutely stunning. She was in an off-white almost beigy dress, and it had a crumpled effect. They had no bridesmaid or best man which was interesting - also, the wedding ring goes on the right hand. There were lots of musical pieces as well, but it was quite similar to an English wedding. And the priest was so funny; he didn't stop smiling for one minute!
After the wedding we saw Renate amidst lots of screaming which was lovely, then were taken in the camper van to the reception. They served cake, and we took one piece each then came and sat back down while all the German piled about 5 slices on their plates then told us we must eat more than that! So as the cake seemed to be all that was going to be served we took a little more and got very full. German cake is incredible.
We were sitting next to this lovely German girl called Christiane, who speaks fluent English and was translating for us. In German weddings, they have a programme of small sketches or plays which people put on. It was really fun actually. The youth group made up a rap/song and some of the boys put on fake beards and stuff to make themselves look like Renate's husband Michael. But after a couple of these sketches they announced they were about to serve dinner! A salad course, a main course and dessert. So much food! And the Germans don't really queue, which we found out after having stood there like lemons for about half an hour! There were lots more sketches including an amazing hiphop style dance, a very weird German Little Red Riding Hood (Rotkäpchen) which we didn't quite get - Germans have a very slapstick sense of humour and we were exhausted by that point! We'd been up for 21 hours, on 3 hours sleep! But then Renate's brother offered (or probably more accurately, was told to offer) us a lift back to their parents house, which we gratefully accepted as all that was left was hours of dancing and we were having difficulty standing! So we got driven back, this time sitting in the back of one of those assasin-type vans!
On Sunday, our first adventure was at breakfast when we trying to politely not eat the German stodge breakfast we were given but were forced into seats and had to escape by running up the stairs when no-one was looking! Then we met up with Renate, who to our amazement had decided that she and Michi should spend the first day of their married life with us. We looked round Baden-Baden, then met up with Michi and his friend Markus (aka Rotkäpchen) to look round Straßbourg. So off we went to France! We looked round the cathedral and the old part of the town and tried their speciality Flammkuchen, at a café with the funniest waiter you have ever seen. We were all 6 of us in hysterics! He was so camp it was unbelievable. Anyway, it gave us a chance to practice our French too.
So, then we went off to the airport, said goodbye to Renate and Michi (who I think was quite scared of us!) and went to the departure lounge. After half an hour they said there'd be a 2 hour delay. Another half an hour and they said the flight was cancelled. I kid you not. So, 11pm at night, we were stranded in Germany, not allowed to stay at the airport. Hmm. So we prayed hard and rang up Renate's parents who very generously said they'd come and get us. When Manfriend (her father) came, we were so grateful it's unbelievable - by this time it was gone midnight - but our limited German was very severely tested! He told us he was glad we'd rung and they were both very welcoming; it was just slightly different to our plan! But to be honest, in hindsight I'm actually quite glad the flight was cancelled as we had a chance to actually get to know Renate's parents instead of just using their house - and also, it was an adventure!
And we got scheduled free of charge on a flight back the next morning - when they told us the cancellation was due to a falcon getting ingested into the engine of the plane. Yuck.
Anyway sorry for the ridiculously long essay, I have to go now to do frantic revision!
xx

Evil! Totally evil!!

So, today was our maths non-calculator paper. The non-calculator one is the one that I can do, and I'd done well on my practice papers, so I was feeling quite happy about the exam to come. Little did I know that there was a conspiracy to make the hardest paper ever possible for GCSE students!
Seriously, though, it was horrible. Completely and utterly impossible. However that means that the grade boundaries will probably be lower - I hope!
Our Biology paper yesterday was relatively easy, and I only have English tomorrow which is why I'm wasting time writing this, as you can't really revise for English. I suppose I could be learning those History dates which keep magically disappearing from my mind, but heigh-ho. Can't be bothered.
I'm getting very excited at the moment, because I'm heading off to Germany on Saturday for my friends wedding! How fun will that be? OK, so admittedly in the middle of my exams is not the best timing ever, but I had to get my priorities right! Only we have to leave at about 3am, which is nasty, but we get to go to the wedding, stay overnight free of charge and then spend time with Renate (the friend in question) and her husband on Sunday since they're not going off on their honeymoon until Monday. It's going to be great, actually, and it'll be a well-needed break!
Anyone else going anywhere interesting soon?
Exxx

Revision-filled Half Term

Having said that, I have been doing other things too so I shouldn't complain too much!
On Monday all I did was work, but then I was out from 2pm onwards on Tuesday for a team-building meeting for our trip to China in the summer. I'm so excited about it now! We're running a summer school and visiting an orphanage as well as doing touristy things such as the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall. We also have to have tea with Chinese families who can't speak English, possibly on our own, which will be scary! But it should be great fun, and it will definitely be a good experience.
Yesterday I got bored out of my brains doing Biology revision; I reverted to using BBC Bitesize but it didn't help the boredom much! In the evening I went to my mentor's for tea, and had pasta and strawberries (not together obviously) which was nice.
Today I am doing more revision and in the evening we are going to Stratford to see Twelfth Night at the theatre! My parents are going to Sarah Ertl's cremation but as I didn't know her very well I am sending my love and prayers but staying here. God be with everyone there.
But I must get on and find some more ways to avoid too much work; spring cleaning my room is looking promising today.
xxx