Yesterday, after breakfast on the bench at the front of the house, I spent the best part of five hours in the garden, weeding one of the vegetable patches in glorious sunshine (I resorted to my bikini half way through). As a completer/ finisher, I love weeding. It is so satisfying. It's amazing how into it I get. Something strange definitely comes over me. I catch myself having conversation with the weeds in which I say things like 'you may have won this battle but I will win the war' and 'ha ha - I have you now - I told you I'd get you'. It gets very personal. Mid-way through I found myself thinking how good I am at weeding and then instantly laughing at what a loser I am. But I love how in the moment and somehow connected it makes me feel. At one moment, a newly fledged robin landed inches from me, watched for a while and then flew off. After disturbing a nest of ants, I watched them scurrying back and forth with their eggs, regrouping and resettling. On one leaf sat a shield beetle, with its patch of iridescent gold on its back, while nearby, bees gathered huge balls of pollen. Back in the U.K., it was my niece's (Lyra) naming day. Godparents, family and friends were gathering at my parent's house to celebrate. Not wanting to be left out, I gathered flowers and wrote her name in the grass. In the evening, we attended the Botsorhel Cultural Society's AGM (wild Saturday night), a society dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Breton art and culture, through the organisation and promotion of local events, societies and meetings. I didn't understand a word of the meeting (which lasted two and a half hours) but my French warmed up a little at the social gathering afterwards, when I talked to people who lived in and around the village and found out a bit more, and I left feeling quite moved by the efforts being made to keep both the Breton culture and the village (once 1200 inhabitants now 450) alive. It made me think about similar issues in the UK and ways in which I could be involved in our local community at home - something I talk about wanting to do but haven't yet got round to. I often get put off by not knowing where to start, but seeing this group last night, I realise that's where you start - a gathering in a village hall to discuss one local issue; a barbeque that gets people together. I needn't make it so complicated. This morning I spent some time looking into local groups and movements in Romsey town. Time to sign up. We arrived last Monday, via Eatables (a delectable Saturday night eating experience), a morning hanging out with Ruth, Ben and Lyra, lunch with Luke, Charlotte, Iris, Nora and Esme (first meeting of my new niece!), a beautiful train journey to Plymouth passing through the Devon countryside in beautiful evening sunshine and dinner with Sarah and Jude. This time, we paid for a cabin so got a good(ish) night's sleep, before a morning hanging out in Roscoff, where Berry worked and I wandered around the town, and then a bus to Morlaix (we thought we were taking a train but after some time sitting at the side of the somewhat overgrown tracks wondering how a train would fare on these, the replacement bus arrived) where we picked up a hire car. Since then we have barely left the house. I've made a couple of trips to the supermarket and been running in the evenings. Berry is working to a deadline for a consultancy he is doing, so he is chained to a desk (all be it with a fabulous view). I have spent the week also with a fabulous view from my desk, doing things I love doing - some online courses, reading and writing, thinking...
And, of course, enjoying the scenery. At the end of 2012, after just over two years in Cambodia, Berry and I made a five year plan (well it actually only covered 2-3 years but it sounded more definite with this title). We decided to commit to another 18 months in Cambodia, during which time we would continue to work the crazy hours we were working in jobs we both felt passionately about, alongside which I would finish my Masters. Then, in September 2014, we would take a year out, splitting the time between some time travelling to places in Asia we hadn't yet got to in our time living there, some time back in the UK reconnecting with family and then some time in Brittany, helping Berry's parents renovate a farm house they have there and want to spend more time in. As is the way with life, things changed, and we ended up staying in Cambodia until December 2014, forgoing the travel plans, and with Berry continuing work on his project there until the end of March 2015, while I have enjoyed three months in the UK reconnecting with friends and family as planned. At the start of this week, we embarked on part three of the original plan: Brittany. Things here have changed too...more of which at another time. For now, I just wanted to record life here for the last few days with a few photos - sunshine and family, bread and cheese, coffee and wine, work and walks. While we can only be here for a week now, plans are afoot for more time here on and off in May and then for the majority of June and July. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
July 2015
Categories |