Cross-Currents Seminar

Our first Cross-Currents seminar of the 2009 Winter/Spring season was Gene Stoltzfus speaking about Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT). Besides having him here to talk about what CPT does and how they work, we had an Iranian woman come to talk about what it has been like since the U.S. and Britain soldiers have gone into Iraq. She works for women's rights in Iraq. She spoke fairly good English but we had an interpreter with her who works in London for an Iraqi news agency. It was not easy to hear about all the terrible things that are going on in Iraq at the hands of the soldiers. It's hard to believe that such practices are enforced in military training. It has strengthened my views on pacifism.

Flamenco Dancing

Janelle, who lives at the LMC and works there part time as well as going to University part time, takes Flamenco dancing lessons at Jacksons Lane just a quarter mile from where we live. Here are some pictures of her recital we went to a couple of weeks ago.
These are the flamenco guitarists and singers.

Here is Felipe who is her instructor with one of the more experienced dancers. It was a great show. The dancing was really great and looked like a lot of exercise.
Jacksons Lane is an old church that has been turned into an arts centre where there are all types of dance lessons, theatre, circus, cafe, etc. and it's only a short walk from our place.

Holland Park Walk in West London

Saturday, 17 January 2009: After exiting the tube at Notting Hill Gate, we stopped at the Windsor Castle pub which is an old pub that has three connecting bars and a large garden. We decided to set in the garden since the pub was full. We had to go through two different doorways (there were no doors, just the openings) to get to the next rooms to get to the garden. We literally had to duck and turn slightly sideways to get through each one. It was like being in a hobbit house. Here we are, Sharon, Rehanna & me trying out some ciders. Rehanna has been in London for over two years now. She started out as a student and is now working at the British Library. She is from North of Chicago (Evanston) and has graduated from Goshen College. She just moved into the LMC taking Dora-Maries room.
A short walk from the pub we enter into Holland Park. This is a large Koi pond with huge Koi fish in the center of a Kyoto Garden. There was a big house called Holland house, where Lord Holland lived but was not open.

Oh yes....Happy new year!

Sylvia's visit

Ed's sister, Sylvia, came to visit from New Years day until 7 January. We took a long walk on Saturday by first taking the 43 double decker bus to London Bridge where we got off and walked to Borough market. These are truffles.

Loads of cheese!

I know about sea salt but I didn't know there were so many kinds. There were about 5 kinds here.

Turkish delight are the pick squares in the background of this picture. We got samples. Not bad but not as wonderful as Edmund in The Witch, The Lion, and The Wardrobe went on about.

Another shot of the Turkish delight

I think this sample was a chocolate covered raspberry?

Sylvia looks like she is demanding to try something in the back.

After leaving the market, we walked on the South Bank walk and it was a beautifully sunny day although it was quite cold. This is St Pauls shot from the bridge.

As we got close to West Minister, the sun was setting.

When we got home we played some scrabble. Sylvia must have felt I take too long to figure out my next move so here she is working on the hat that she made for Ed.