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Well... I think it is official. My Grandmother is trying to fatten me up! Although she says it is my responsibility to say no, it is just too much pressure - if I say no, does that make me an impolite grandchild? Or not?! I'm not quite sure yet whether or not she has a plan. Whether or not it isn't just some ploy to make me so fat I can't fit back on the plane home to Perth! So, as you can tell, I'm back in Hythe with my Nanny May!
For a little over a week now I have been down here, pottering around and generally catching up with the family. Normally this would mean catching up with my Aunty Sue and Uncle Stuart, my Mum's siblings, and their respective families, however this time, things have been different. This time, it's my Dad's family too.
Insert daunting music here. Not that it really should be daunting, but I can't help but be anxious about the whole thing. Who knows what they think of me, especially since my Mum and Dad spilt up. It has been almost 20 years since I have seen most of them and have, in
most cases, no idea how to get in touch with them or where on earth they are. And, I was 6 years old 20 years ago so the memory is a little faulty! Not to mention the fact that I have changed a little bit too.
Arriving down here on the Saturday evening - damn it, I missed my bus didn't I, stupid heavy bags - after spending the afternoon in a cafe down the road from Victoria Coach Station chatting with the dude who worked there - grew up in England but of Italian/Czech heritage. Was interesting to say the least and cool to hear someone who lives here's take on London and how it is changing. Anyway, eventually I was back on da coacha, which ended up being late as well so I think I may be officially jinxed!
Anywho, back in Hythe it has been a plethora of trips to the High Street - apparently one of the longest high streets in England - visiting the antique centre, where my Nan sells her wares, Julia, my Nan's friend, and Waitrose, my friend, the supermarket! I've even been past my Grandad's old mower shop where I
remember him winching Naomi and I up and down on the lift he had in his shop. Oh, and the grass skirts he bought us - I would love another one of those, it was great! I've also sat on the beach with Nan, throwing stones into the water - her, not me!, well, both of us - enjoying the sunshine, giggling away at nothing in particular.
I've even spent a great deal of time on the job hunt. This has now begun in earnest and I have been emailling my cv off to all and sundry in the hope of something coming up that will earn me some pounds to travel with. Heading to Maidstone last week to get my National Insurance number application in so I can work, I managed to snag an interview with another recruitment agency which is Canterbury, as well as having two agencies interviews in London. So, fingers crossed. The hope now is that I can work down here in Kent, hopefully in Canterbury so that I can be close to my family. No point building bridges if you are going to let them get into disrepair again, is there?
Before I
get bogged down in that, something a bit more lighthearted. Last Wednesday, after my trip to Maidstone, I had a date! But, before you get your hopes up (no my love life is stil barren!), it was with....Ian and my Nan! Ian is my Nan's boyfriend (well, that is the term I'm going to use anyway) and have been seeing each other for something like 25 years! And I haven't seen Ian since I was a little girl so we were off for dinner! Ian is something of a car enthusiast, as you can see from the pics so we shot off like a rocket in his Astin Martin- or we would have, if it had been clear to overtake the slowpoke in front of us. Rocketing though the earning evening light we were headed towards the Romney Marsh, to a little pub which has been open since the late 1800's and not a hell of lot has changed their since. If you go, count the number of doors - I'm still not sure how many their were, or where they all went, but it does make for an amusing past time! As does the game 'Toad in the Hole'.
Played by throwing/tossing brass discs towards a small cupboard like piece of furniture, the aim is to get the disc into the hole in the centre of the cupboardy thing, hitting the bell below on its fall into the drawer. The catch is that the top is lined with a big piece of metal (lead I think) and over the years, all the disc throwing hitting the top has created a sloped top, making it quite difficult to get the damn disc into the slot. As you can imagine, I was great at this game- not! Actually, I started off quite well, until I got completely useless! I think it may have been the half pint of mild I had, warm, dark, chocolatey beer. Not too bad but, as I am sure I will say again, would have been better if it was cold. I am having a bit of a informal beer tasting tour, with every new pub requiring a new beer to taste. At this point, I have to say the tasting has been a bit slow, having not really gone out much or ventured further than beers I sure that we have a home - Kroenenburg, Carlesburg,
and the dreaded Fosters. But I promise I will do the home team proud and try some more soon.
Once my disgraceful performance at 'Toad' was over, it was back into the poket rocket, flying around the countryside in the sunset towards another pub for dinner. Knocking back a couple of glasses of French white wine, which I must admit is totally, for late of a better word, foreign to me - as in I don't recognise anything, so making a selection is just a stab in the dark - we had a lovely evening, which became quite amusing when Nan's meal arrived. A shoulder of lamb. This was ridiculously huge, enough for an army in fact. Taking the remainder home, it was clear that this meal would last forever!
Thursday was a trip to Rye, a beautiful part of the world, with cobblestoned streets and quaint little cottages lining the older part of town. And with the sun shining brightly and window boxes overflowing with gorgeous flowers, it felt even more cute. Wandering through town we made our way to St Mary's Church. Inside their is a large floorstone dedicated to their sister town and church in...Rye,
New York! Hilarious! Pottering on, taking the requisite pics by the mini-doors of some of these cute little homes, taking in the view from the Gun Garden outside Ypres Castle and generally just soaking in the atmosphere, this wasn't a historical tour or touristy guide book style visit. We did, however, make our way to a hidden little tearoom later that afternoon, and while sitting in the sunshine, which I'm sure was burning me, sipping on a coffee, I had some of the best scones I have ever eaten - sorry Mum! Seriously, go to Rye, if only for these!
Quick update - I have had a break from blog writing and gone to meet my Aunt (more on that later). The point is, I had another beer - a bitter, London's Pride, Fullers or something like that. Not too bad. And I will also note, at a colder temperature I think this would probably taste bad...
Enough digression. I have been the driver for these excursions with my Nan which has been great. I forgot how much I like driving. I have to say though, some of these roads are ridiculously twisty, for no apparent reason, which
probably means that there was once some building or track or other significant object that needed to be driven around. Anyway, power steering would make things a little easier, and somewhat less nausea inducing...
Instead of channel surfing, one night, Nan and I settled on watching the second semi final of Eurovision. Now I know that this is one of the corniest events on the planet, but in our defence, this was most likely the best thing to watch that night. And not only that, I don't think I have laughed so much in ages. I think that next year, when Nan and I enter, the UK will definitely have a chance of winning! Silver spangled pirate costumes I think...noice!
Now in keeping with the aims for this year, I haven't taken some time out to reevaluate where and what I want to do this year so that I make the most of the time I have here and don't end up looking back and kicking myself. So, I have got a mini-plan on the go, subject to funding from my new job (fingers crossed) that I will get shortly. Once I have the job the idea is
to save for the travel fund, all the while picking up some Spanish, having a couple of weekends away to places close by and spending time getting to know my family. Once the funds are at an appropriate level, off for some time in Europe, maybe some time taking a language course in Spain. So there is a mini-plan, which is, of course, flexible - a couple of people keep harrassing me about visiting them in America! - however, it is a plan nonetheless. At lot of this planning took place last Friday, after I had convieniently 'borrowed' a Lonely Planet 'Trans-Siberian Railway' Guide from Nan's shop and taken off down to the 'Creative Quarter' on the Old High Street in Folkestone, leaving my poor Nan to slave away in the shop! I spent a good hour or so, plotting away in my diary, jotting things down, mapping things out and splurging on a soy latte! Note to Carter and Mich - converted!
So plotting done, it was time. Time to tick one of the other boxes. Time to do what I came here to do. Meet the family.
Brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, aunties and uncles.
These people just seem to 'be' in people's lives, permanent fixtures that don't go away, that are always there to turn to, to celebrate with and commiserate with. That isn't really the case in my family, growing up in Perth with just my Mum and my sister. Don't get me wrong, that definitely wasn't a problem, but now it seems that I am a little disconnected to what, on some investigation, is a gazillion relatives! And, even worse, I have 2 brothers and a sister I don't even know! Now I have to relearn how I even talk about my family; instead of, "yeh, I have a sister...blah,blah,blah" I really should have been saying "I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers - just some of them live a long way away!". And now, I'm not really the big sister anymore. I'm a middle child! Does that explain anything? And, now, the pressure is on for my brothers, because, when I was younger, I always wanted older brothers, mainly because I was a bit of a tom boy, but also because older brothers have older mates! Oh my... oops! The universe was listening apparently! Now just to reap the benefits! hehehehe!
Just kidding!
Anywho, Saturday night was the big night. All day I was in another world, totally numb to it all. Meanwhile my Nan was almost jumping up and down with excitement - I thought she may actually go through the window at one point while she was looking out for the car! I was off to see/meet my brother. Stewart. My oldest brother (jeez, that is so strange to write!). And...his family too. His wife, Sarah and my nieces and nephew, Stevie, Toni and Nathan. Oh my. So, they arrived and there he was. Looking oh so much like my Dad and at the same time, not at all. They have similar eyes I think. Makes you realise that you have no photos. That you probably should have. I think I was so nervous, I didn't realise though. Habit - I think I have learnt to block it out! Of course I was talking a mile a minute, all sorts of stuff, mainly about
our Dad - no suprises there.
Chatting about anything and everything, it is hard because you are almost trying to cram in a lifetime, a childhood, trying to share memories to create shared
memories to reinforce this bond. Spending time as a family. Just hanging out. Learning to say 'our' instead of 'my'. And of course, being the cheeky younger sister!
So, obviously, kinda massive. Still trying to get my head around it all...
By the way, does anyone know the rules for rounders? Because I'm still not sure, despite playing a game on Saturday night while catching up with Stewart and his mates! I did take a catch which was pretty good, but I have to say I'm really not going to win any Olympic medals this year!
I'll think I'll leave it at that for now...my head is still spinning. But in a good way. Wow. 😊
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Michaela
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Score! I am actually, if you didnt know already, trying to take over the planet, one soy-conversion at a time. I have helpers. What an awesome journey you are going on, D. That read like a little kiddie rollercoaster, smooth and seamless, but I could still feel the emotions riding high, and dipping a little. Fantastic of you to create a semi-plan... good idea. And yeah, you should try and include seeing those pesky people in America.. wherever they are. It has to be done. I loved reading about Maidstone and Kent... having been there, I can visualise it so much more.. and I feel like I know Nanny May anyways... yay :) Ok, this is clearly turning into my own blog post... I'll stop now.. and just say... Yay to spain. Yay to semi-plans. Yay to soy ! Yay to you and this whole damn trip :)