Charlie Knox

2009-04-06T15:41:00.005Z

It was written!!!

Mel and I managed to squeeze in a wee visit to the cinema on Saturday night to see Slumdog Millionaire. I expected the cinema to be half empty because the film was released quite a while ago but it was packed out which in itself is an indicator of this movie's success. We both really enjoyed it. It's the story of one young man's immeasurable success when all the odds were magnificently stacked against him. Indeed the chances of such success were so minute the only suitable explanation was that 'it was written.'

And didn't it feel exactly the same less than 24 hours later when the Hinch, our wee club in Co. Down, in no uncertain terms became All Ireland Champions after dethroning multiple cup winners, Cork Constitution in a outstanding game in Athlone. I will never forget it.

The route to the final was unimaginably hard. To get there the boys had to knock over several kingpins of Irish Rugby including Shannon in the second round, Galwegians in the quarters and Garryowen in an unforgettable semi final in front of a capacity crowd at Ballymacarn. Just being in the final was an incredible feat but at lunchtime yesterday the big question was could there be a fairytale ending? Could the boys really do it and dispose of another legendary Irish team, Cork Con?

Before the game it seemed like the whole of Ballynahinch had migrated to Athlone. A pile of buses had transported the army of Green and Navy supporters to the centre of Ireland to will on their team on to victory in these unimaginable circumstances!! The buzz was good, the Co Down. men and women were enjoying being on tour and the boys, again tagged as the underdogs, had nothing to lose.

As the game kicked off it soon became apparent that the Hinch, bouyed by the crowd and comfortable playing into the strong wind were in no way intimidated by their famous opposition. In fact when they scored a converted try to take the lead about two thirds into the first half it felt like the odds were beginning to slowly swing their way and they were in fact the team to beat. And so it went on. A halftime lead of 7-6 and playing with the wind in the second half, Hinch dominating posession and territory as second half unfolded, Turnover after Turnover, domination of the collisions leading to both the influential Con. halfbacks having to leave the field and then in the dying minutes a superb John Gunson try to put the game beyond the reach of Con. Just unbelivable! And didn't we dance and shout and scream and hug on the sidelines. I don't believe I've had such a feeling of ecstacy in a long, long time. The boys had done it and done it in superb fashion! The pitch was invaded soon afterwards and the boys were enveloped by the travelling Hinch support. And so began the celebrations....more hugs, more songs, more and lots more jubilation. What a result, what a day! It was written.

For full report click here.

2009-03-23T18:56:00.002Z

Some links

I confess that reading this made me jealous that I'd missed it.

What an incredible day of rugby on Saturday. Part 1 being this and Part 2 being that which you already know about!!

Your age in days. Today I'm 10139.

2009-03-12T23:14:00.006Z

Right Now

I'm now on my second placement of my PGCE. For this shift I'm at Down High School (where Duke Special, Alistair McGrath, my sister, ash and my sister in law all did their schooling amongst others). As it's alumni would suggest it's a pleasant spot to work. So far most of the staff have been very welcoming and like Shimna the outdoor panoramics are very inspiring with the Cathedral in the foreground and the Mournes on the horizon.

The work so far is challenging. There's lots of it, there lots of it that is new to me (Cricket & The Dalai Lama* to name a couple of topics), the kids are like sponges who seem to soak up everything i give them very quickly and to make matters worse, somewhere al0ng the line i've picked up some annoying perfectionist tendancies . Late nights in front of the PC are abounding and I'm feeling drained on lots of levels as the plethora of mouth ulcers keep reminding me (before the bongela puts them to bed!!). I keep telling myself that while this doesn't always FEEL that good its only for a season and that in the long run its good for me. Growth hurts sometimes and despite feeling wrecked I can see that i'm being stretched in good ways and would rather have that than not improve.

Helping the soul slightly as I stare at the screen each evening are Iain archer, ray lamontagne and priscilla ahn. Mel and I went to see the latter two in the Waterfront in February. Both sing with a lot of heart. Ray's latest stuff is superb and is becoming anthemic of the past 6 months for us. Isn't it funny how music attaches itself to lifetimes?

No other major goings on. I would so much love to be talking about some movies. The list of shows i'd like to see in the cinema is long right now but time hasn't been allowing too many visits. From reading reviews I get the feeling that the first 2 months of 2009 have given us more good movies than the whole of 2008 put together. Good times. I guess i'll just have to enjoy a few more summer DVD's. (like the wrestler, valkyrie and slumdog and doubt to name a few).

Finally and while i'm here I'd also like to add my little bit to the tsunami of reaction to the shootings in our part of the world over the past few days. Like so many other people have expressed, my heart sank hearing about the deaths. It will be little consolation to the families of the dead men that their deaths seem to have brought more unity of voice than we've seen around here since a long time.

right. i allowed myself 5 minutes for this post and it took a good bit more.

* Two separate units - i have yet to find out what 'his holiness' makes of the game!

2009-02-25T12:43:00.003Z

Not to be missed!!

Make sure you don't pass up the opportunity to go to the Bodies Exhibition thats currently on in Dublin! Basically it's a bunch of real human bodies that have been preserved and creatively presented to provide a fascinating insight into how the various systems of the body operate. I was at the exhibition in New York in 2005 and also took Melissa along when we were in Barcelona last year, having a wonder-full experience on both occasions - i honestly couldn't recommend it enough!!

The website will give you all the practical info!

2009-01-05T16:29:00.003Z

Exciting Days at the Hinch

It was a momentus occasion on Saturday at Ballymacarn where Ballynahinch won the First Trust Ulster Senior League for the first time after a 38-9 bonus point home victory over Queen's University.

The boys really are on fine form these days!!

More here.

2009-01-04T23:22:00.012Z

Christmas Holidays 2008

The holidays are drawing to a close and tomorrow I start back at school. I've really enjoyed the break this year. PGCE life is busy and so it was nice to have time on my hands to catch up with folks, take the odd dander, play a game or two, take in a few movies and relax in front of the fire plenty! Here's a few of the highlights of the holiday.....

Around September time a friend in the rugby club told me about an activity he had taken part in during a summer holiday in Canada called Geocaching - I was immediately interested. Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, that are usually tucked away outdoors in proximity to points of scenic or historical interest before sharing your experiences online. What excited me even more was that after a little research I found that lots of these hidden containers are stored away all around Co. Down! Immediately i was hooked on this idea but had a small problem in that i didn't have a GPS device! I was very tempted at the time to go an buy one on impulse but decided to wait until Christmas when it might be more affordable. Thankfully Melissa picked up on my eagerness for a device and did a great job in selecting one for me to unwrap on the 25th!! Since then we've got stuck into our new hobby and to date have located 11 geocaches in both familiar and surprising locations not far from home! I'm fairly sure this is only the beginning of geocaching and look forward to setting up a few more caches locally and uncovering a few more in places afar!! I'm also keen to see a few more friends on board!!

During my last two years of school the bunch of lads that i knocked about with used to head down the Ormeau Road every Friday lunchtime to the Hungry Hound II where we would get a BA-SA-SA (our affectionate term for a Battered Sausage Supper!!). Since this year marked 10 years since we left school a few of us decided to gather again at the Hungry Hound for old time's sake. It was great to see the boys and it reminded me of the special bond between us all. Despite having not seen some of them for almost three years now, we picked up right where we left off and it was just like we'd just been off on a school break for a while! It seems that inspite of the different experiences we've had since school, the relationships we formed during those influential years remain constant.

On the morning of New Year's Eve a crowd of us began the day with a cooked breakfast in Spa before heading into the Dromara hills where we ventured up Slieve Croob before turning down the Pass Loanin pathway towards Finnis. It was great just to get out into the fresh air for a few hours with friends! Such a dander could become an annual fixture if not more often!! (Incidentaly, when we were in Finnis the google streetview car drove past us. Maybe we'll feature sometime in the future!) Later on that night Mel and I enjoyed a chinese in Ardglass before returning up to Slieve Croob where we welcomed in the new year over some craic in the Inn!

For now I'm back to Shimna College for 3 weeks before a return to Jordanstown in February. Good times!

2008-11-27T15:16:00.004Z

Coincidence

I've been giving my Year 8's at Shimna an introduction to the Bible as part of their RE classes over the past few weeks. Just today we looked at some of the key steps in history that led us towards the range of bibles we have today (i didn't show them this one!!!). These steps included the massive impact of Gutenberg's Printing Press and the determined actions of 'heretics' like William Tyndale who took it upon himself to have the bible translated in English knowing that it could cost him his life (as it turns out it did!).

Having just finished the lesson, it was interesting when i checked out the BBC website at lunchtime and found this article!! Interesting stuff.

2008-11-14T13:06:00.008Z

The ~~Art~~ Wrestle of Public Speaking

I get to do public speaking every now and then, although intentionally I do a lot less these days than i have in the past. Sometimes i speak in churches, sometimes in schools and occasionally at one off events, like last summer when i delievered speeches at a couple of the weddings I was involved in.

I hope it doesn't sound too vain to say that i enjoy speaking in public. Like Eric Liddel, the olympian whose story was told in the movie Chariots of Fire, and who said 'God made me fast and when I run I feel his pleasure' , I feel God has given me some natural ability to speak in public and when I do, it feels right. However, that definitely doesn't mean its without effort, work or even a few recurrent nightmares!! I constantly wrestle with questions about the whole public speaking thing (and incidentally I think thats the way it needs to be. A mate recently quoted Erwin McManus saying 'you should find what comes easy in life and then work hard at it.').

I ask questions about whether public speaking is effective - do people remember anything? can i remember much from any of the public speaking I've listened to lately? is that the point? is it about the longterm effect or the effect it has in the moment? is it about these small effects adding up as you listening to lots of public speaking over a period of time? I ask if we too often confuse public speaking with teaching, particuarly in the church? I ask what effect public speaking has on listeners - does it passify them? numb them? make them angry? make them bored? make them feel unspiritual becuase they are bored? make them excited? make them want to change? make them want to go home? make them think about what they're doing afterwards? make them think differently? make them question? make them feel like the person at the front is more important? make them feel like poor listeners? make them feel part of something bigger? I ask questions about what type of public speaking is most effective - how long? how funny? how many stories? how many quotes? stand still or move about? visual aids or good word pictures? detailed notes or none? how to start? how to finish? how much silence? audience participation or not?

The questions are unending.... and of course so will be the answers.

Anyway, the thing that got me thinking about all this stuff (when i should be lesson planning!) was an article that Stevie P sent me today. It's written by some leadership consultant called Mark Sanborn. I think the questions he encourages Public speakers to ask are spot on:

Did I stick to my allotted time?
Did I develop and present purposefully?
Was I thoroughly prepared?
Did I capture attention at the very beginning?
Did I positively influence listeners?
Was I appropriately entertaining, or at least not boring?
Did I end only once?

In the article, Sanborn also provides a few reasons why speakers should ask these questions. As his title suggests Sanborn reckons that following these questions should keep one's public speaking 'flop proof'. While I wouldn't share his confidence in that regard, asking these questions would help public speakers, including myself become more sensitive and accountable to the people who graciously lend their ears each time we stand up.

thanks stevie.

2008-10-27T22:23:00.002Z

Patience with others is love.
Patience with self is hope.
Patience with God is faith.

Anon.

2008-09-26T16:18:00.005Z

Learning under the shadow of Donard

Having just completed a short placement in Spa Primary last week I got the first major placement of my PGCE underway today. For the next four Friday's and then the following four months I'll be heading up to Newcastle each day to work in Shimna Integrated College in their PE and RE departments. I'd never been at the school before today but I'm really looking forward to my spell with them. I'm particuarly looking forward to seeing the integrated sector in action and also the school's comprehensive approach to education. Both are different to my own schooling experiences and will be interesting to be part of.

One major plus to being a PE student is that I'll spend lots of my day outside and given the school's beautiful setting on the fringes of Donard Park I will have either the Irish Sea or the beautiful Mournes not far away in my peripheral vision for lots of hours each day... of course that depends on the weather holding up so i can see them...the teacher in charge of PE wasn't so hopeful today as he heartily commended Gortex trainers as the only way forward.

2008-09-12T09:22:00.006Z

Back on the bus!

Time to break the barreness i reckon. It's been too long! When you don't post for a while, knowing where to start can sometimes be difficult. There's much to talk about. So for now i choose 'Public Transport'.

Sadly, my ever reliable polo which has amassed nearly 120,000 miles over the last 7 years has developed a few chronic sicknesses and has spent the majority of the last month at the mechanic's for some major surgery. There's been a few complications and I'm getting a major education on the inner workings of a wagon and much lighter wallet in the process!

As a result of being carless I've had to rediscover the joys of NI public transport in order to get myself up to uni each day! The good thing is that not so long ago such a statement would have had serious sarcastic overtones. Now its not just so far from the truth! Here's just a few of the upsides.....

+ Buses from Ballynahinch to Belfast are a lot more frequent, more modern and warmer than they used to be when i had to trape to school everyday! The train to Jordanstown is just fun!

+ When you get off the bus or train you inevitably have a little bit of a dander which clears out the cobwebs and contributes to the days physical activity levels.

+ When you're on the bus or train you have space.....to sleep, to read, to gawk around you(at stuff inside the bus or off it), to text, to sort out the diary, to chat to fellow passengers....such space is good for the soul i think!

+ When you stand at the bus stop there is the chance that some kind people notice you and stop and offer a lift and when you accept you get to catch up and renew friendship some as was the case this morning. Thanks CT!!

So being without the car has been a little bit of a blessing in disguise. Looking forward to being over 60 now and the free bus pass!!

2008-06-19T15:48:00.004Z

The wait is over

On 10th December 2007 i posted my application for my PGCE (PE) at UUJ. After a very long wait I got an interview in April which was followed by equally endless wait through May and June!! Today, however, the tide turned when the following arrived in the post!

As you can imagine I'm over the moon about this! Another bit of the jigsaw has fallen into place and the journey towards being a teacher has reached another important milestone! I also get to stay in NI which I'm glad about..there are things that would have made it hard to leave at the minute! Thankyou God.

2008-06-19T15:32:00.006Z

I want one!

Discovered this inflatable roof rack online. Looks like a tidy piece of gear. I think I might get one for lugging the canoe or the windsurfer around!! Nala wouldn't smell as bad up there either!

2008-06-14T15:56:00.003Z

Pleased

So theres been silence on the blog. Truth is that the final onslaught at uni proved to be a bit tighter going than I'd expected. I only had two exams but found myself in lock down mode for the first three weeks in May, anxious to secure a result I could look back on in future years without regret. Having said that the revision definitely didn't come easy. I found the final push incredibly hard to get motivated for and when it was all done i was absolutely goosed. Despite having a fair bit of free time since the exams I've found it hard to relax or get on with things, worrying about results and whether i had secured a place on the PGCE in Belfast. Thankfully some of the cloud began to lift on Thursday when I got word that I'd managed a first in my degree. Enough to say I'm delighted. I've worked hard at uni over the past three years and its nice to take away a qualfication that should help in the future! Now i'm just waiting on some positive word on the PGCE and then I'll really be able to enjoy my summer!!

2008-05-01T14:31:00.012Z

A few gems in the madness!

The last few weeks in April have been mad with work but there's been a few gems!

On the 15th April my mum turned 50. To mark the occasion my dad took her to a friend's apartment on the Costa del Sol and had arranged for us all to fly out at different times to join the celebration. The good bit was mum knew nothing about any of it until each of us arrived out there! First of all SJ flew in from England on the 14th and turned up in a Marbella restaurant where mum and dad were eating. On the 16th Johnny, Rebecca and Gregory arrived at the apartment and were greeted my copious amounts of screaming and finally on the 18th Mel and I appeared from behind the breakfast bar when mum returned from a wee dander. We were only able to stay for two short days but the experience was well worth it. Mum never fails to extend herself for all of us through encouraging words, caring actions and amazing example so it was great just to do something so special and so memorable for her. There were a few other perks of the trip including getting to a drive fun little lancia hire car, a fun road trip round some torturous mountain roads, some great grub and plenty of craic with the folks! Respect also has to go to Dad who engineered the whole thing to precision without mum having a clue about it all!

On the 25th April my U14's boarded the bus at the rugby club in Ballynahinch and made their way to the 'big green acre' at Ravenhill were they playing their Ulster Cup final against Monaghan. Having been beaten twice already this season by Monaghan they knew they'd be up for a tough scrap but a super first class performance including some solid defence work and great continuity saw them take an 8 point lead. In the second half they played well but conceded one converted try leaving a fairly nervous 10 minutes to finish the game. Thankfully they held out and when the final whistle went i leapt a right few feet in the air before joining in on the celebrations! It was great day for the lads. Getting to Ravenhill is something every rugby player treasures never mind getting to lift the cup there! I was very proud of my boys....they've been the best bunch I've ever had for dedication to training and team spirit and have been a pleasure to coach. Their hard work paid off on saturday and they'll remember that day for a long time. Ironically I clearly remember a night at the start of this season when after a bad training session i told Melissa how I reckoned this year would be a real struggle! Thankfully the reality was different and there couldn't have been a better way to finish the season....as Ulster Champions!!

Official Match Report and Photos here.

2008-05-01T14:10:00.005Z

Nearly there....

Well the final year mist is beginning to lift as today I handed in my last assignment for my degree. It is a great feeling to have that weight off the shoulders. Now only two exams left in mid-may and soon after that I'll be able to add a few letters to the end of my name. I also had an interview yesterday for next year's PE PGCE at Jordanstown. It was a very informal effort and i think i got across everything I'd wanted to in terms of my desire to teach and my relevant experiences to date. Now just a wait until the start of June when we're expected to get a result...i'll know then whether i'm based here or in England next year.

I defintely am ready to be done with all this purely academic malarkey, i'm ready to get out of the ivory tower and into the real world again. University has been an experience that has enhanced my knowledge, refined my skills and one I'm most grateful for but all this thinking about things can get tiresome. Thankfully next year's PGCE wherever i do it will have a much more balanced approach of practical experience and reflection!

2008-04-21T16:23:00.002Z

L.O.

Some highly intelligent humour from the two ronnies.

2008-04-15T11:13:00.001Z

Go on the boys!!

2008-04-13T13:31:00.005Z

Belfast On Form

I love seeing Belfast taking small steps to becoming a vibrant city again.

Having travelled to a right few cities across the globe it has always pained me to think about the city experience i was coming home to. But like Newcastle with its new promenade, hope is in Belfast’s air as signs of change emerge at a fair rate of knots! It's great to see some new architecture springing up, attractions like the big wheel lighting up the night sky and little eateries (like boojum) beginning to appear here and there.

Anyhow. Last night I had a good feeling about Belfast as we headed into the Titanic Quarter, through the building works beginning to transform the landscape down there, to go to the drive in movie put on as part of the Belfast Film Festival. I've always wanted to go to a drive-in movie but never expected to have my first experience sitting right next to Harland and Wolff's iconic yellow cranes or with the silhouette of Cavehill on the horizon.

The event itself was run with precision. Upon arrival you were guided to your spot by an army of torch wielding stewards before being provided with an A4 sheet packed with practical information outlining how the whole thing worked. It included the FM frequency to pick up sound for the movie and other helpful tips like remembering to start your car every 20 minutes to avoid a flat battery at the end of the show! Last night's movie was the romantic comedy 'When Harry met Sally' which alongside being a fun show got me thinking about love and loss and sex and love and friendship and lots my own life experiences.

So well done Belfast...it's good see you on such good form…the appreciative honk on my horn at the of end of last year’s show was accompanied by a prayer that you continue to be renewed and revived and led into a life much fuller!

2008-04-13T13:16:00.003Z

A Spiced Up Weekend

Indian food. First I disliked it, then i could tolerate it and now I love it. Melissa and I enjoyed a great wee feast at the award winning 'Passage to India' restaurant in Downpatrick on Friday night. I'd highly recommend it but would be worth booking if you keen because we've been turned away a few times!!

Mexican food. First I disliked it, then i could tolerate it and now I love it. Melissa and I enjoyed a great wee feast at Boojum in Belfast on Saturday night. It was recommended to us by Gregory and I'd highly recommend it to you. And you won't need to book. The Burrito is particuarly good!

2008-04-03T21:35:00.001Z

Sorry, couldn't help it!

Scientists find a 14,000 year old dump!

2008-03-27T23:35:00.001Z

ONCE
is a great movie.

2008-03-27T14:59:00.003Z

BCN

A recent conclusion is that barcelona is a fun city to visit.

There's a whole lot packed into a relatively small space and it offers plenty of experiences for the short stayer. Similiar to feelings that i had in edinburgh it struck me that BCN is a city that has given permission to it's artists. You see it in their architecture where they have fairly sucessfully fused old and new together, you see it in their tourist attractions (cable cars, magic fountains) and you even see it in their public transport system (of which bicing is the latest novel addition). The city appears to have developed alot in the last 20 years and the city council is evidently a place where decision makers make it easier rather than harder for new initiatives to have a go - not always a feeling you get from our 'jump through hoops' approach to things round here!

Anyhow we had a great time. I'd recommend the city to anyone although i can't guarantee the company will be as good as I had. It was special to share the barcelona experience with my lovely lady Melissa!!

For both memory and recommendation's sake here are some of the interesting things we experienced in BCN......

Montjuic Mountain - The funicular railway and cable cars that take you to the top of this hill on the side of the city are a lot of fun. The views over the city at the top are breathtaking, including some over the huge industrial port.

Tibadabo and Amusement park - another mountain overlooking the city - again gettting there is fun using a tram and another funicular railway. Unusual features at the top include two churches, one built on top of the other, and a unique amusement park. We only did one ride called the grand lever. It was a big steel structure built in 1928 that took you to incredible heights in a big steel bucket. Given the construction date and the fact that you were already at a fair height this was quite a hairy experience!!

Gaudi's masterpeice's - Gaudi is barcelona's favourite son and an iconic architect. We visited three of his works, House Batilon, San Grada Familia and Park Guell. His very distinctive style of work initally made me think he had just 'winged it' but with a little explanation it became obvious that he had actually thought about every little detail of his buildings and that he was the epitome of creative thinking in this field. San Grada familia, Gaudi's cathedral started in 1882 and continues to be built even though he died years ago. Suffice to say it's massive...other than that you'd need to see it!

I think kids would love Gaudi's buildings!

Magic Fountain of Montjuic - I never seen a fountain quite like this before and I'm not sure anything like it exists elsewhere. It's massive, dances to music and combined with lights at night is quite a show. We were part of a massive crowd watching the fountain and the feel good factor was all around as people awed at this thing.

Las Ramblas - This is just a massive avenue up the middle of the city from the sea. It's packed with street performers (ranging in ability!) , street sellers (hens and flowers included!) and is fun to take in.

Olympic legacy - The olympics were held in BCN in 1992. It was interesting to walk around some of the facilities that remain and also the olympic village. Unfortunately many of them felt a bit ghost townish at times. The long term benefits of hosting these events appear to be few.

The siesta - we found this idea hard to get used to. Everything shuts down around 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The hardest bit was when you were starving around 6/7 o'clock and nowhere was open for grub. We ate most nights a good bit after 9 and went to bed feeling too full!!

Bodies - when i was in New York a few years ago I was privelaged to come across the Bodies exhibition. I often wondered would i ever get to see it again and was very excited to hear it was in BCN when we were there. Basically it's a lot of dead people's bodies and bits on display which makes it sound much more gruesome than it actually is. It's an educational exhibition that does a great job of explaining how the systems of the body work and does a fantastic job of drawing attention to the wonderful creation that our bodies are. I was glad Melissa got to see it as she's heard me harping on about it over the last year or so!

Shoe shops - For those inclined, BCN has lots of shops. Fortunately I wasn't subjected to too many of them but i did discover that Melissa has a weakness for shoe shops. I must have been in at least 40 over the 5 days!

Nu camp - We did make it out to the stadium but didn't make the tour. We had to leave something for the next time!!

2008-03-17T23:37:00.002Z

hi.

it's been one of those hectic months. here's a few things i thought about bloggin along the way.

+ had an accident in carryduff one day a few weeks back. was definitely of the minor variety. while chatting to tim edgar who was on his bike at the other side of the road i reversed into a woman who had pulled in behind me. upon inspection of her car it turned out i had cracked her bumper. graciously, and beacuse of a few cracks already in the bumper, the lady driving was happy to let things go. i gave her my details but she hasn't got in touch. i'm not sure every one would take such a gracious view on things these days. i'm appreciative.

+ uni plods on. i've been working my backside off for the last wee while. results have been going well so that's encouraging but i wouldn't want to live this life all the time. it's just one thing after the other. having said that I'm heading off to barcelona tomorrow for a 5 day break (can't wait). beyond that it'll be head down until may and the chance to try on a mortar board!

+ had a few speaking engagements recently. one at emmanuel in lurgan and another at mannafest in belfast. was nice to be with two groups of people that i've built up a connection with over the years. always challenged as i prepare for these things but at the same time reminded of so many biblical truths that are dynamite (powerful!).

+ i discoverd that glenn jordan is a blogger. this man is a legend. he was the guy at bible college who instilled in me the importance of asking 'so what?' when doing theology or reading the bible. he is a scholar but also a poet, thoughtful but earthy and easy to listen to. i don't get to hear him speaking anywhere near as much as i'd like so finding his blog was exciting.

+ when listening to stephen nolan one morning i heard a women describe norn irish men as being' emotionally constipated' - they know what they feel but just can't get it out. the phrase made me laugh and is not so far from being the truth in a lot of cases. fortunately i think blogging is good means of expression and is helping a right few gentlemen around our island get unblocked a little... an emotional laxitive if you like!!

+ my clutch went on the polo. not too bad for 113, ooo miles although it went down at Jordanstown and left me a wee bit stranded. thankfully ricey pulled me out of a hole and towed me home. hairy enough stuff being towed on a short tow rope at 60mph behind a wee white van!!!

+ i've been blog tagged a few times and will maybe do a post when i'm home!

2008-02-21T14:47:00.005Z

Had this online movie recommended to me by a mate at uni. It's a story worth hearing although it might unsettle you a little. Watch it and see what you think.

2008-02-12T12:51:00.000Z

Standing at the gate, looking into the garden....

Last year, Micah Jones, about to graduate from his architecture degree and embark on the great quest of life, took his dissertation as an opportunity to lament what he saw as three disastrous developments in housing. It pained him that the value of a house had become more about market value than its homeliness, forcing people into major life sacrifices to meet mortgage demands; that much housing had become uniformed, predictable and lacking in personality; and that housing was too rigid for the dynamic life we live.

The issue of housing/home making is very real for many 20 somethings and is something that frequently rears its head in my conversations with peers. In my assessment, Micah does a great job of articulating and illustrating some of the dilemmas that underlie many of these discussions.

I'd recommend this piece of writing to anyone about to take leave of the nest or to those already launched. Whilst by his own admission, Micah's writing is informed by youthful 'standing at the gate' ideals more than life tested reflection, it is stirring and unsettling writing that should provoke some response in the right direction.

2008-02-03T12:20:00.000Z

Sporting Weekend

Was a sport packed weekend....

On Saturday morning my U14s playing on a snow covered pitch up at Ballymacarn beat Ards to take the Ulster U14 Premier League for the second year running. This year's team have been super. They turn up in their droves every week to training and have a really good attitude. Saturday was a nice reward for all their hardwork.

On Saturday afternoon I took to a very mucky field with our club 5XV to play in the Forster Cup against Inishowen who are in the upper regions of the league above us. Unfortunately we were beat 6-3 putting a halt to our cup run but the performance was good and we can take a lot of confidence into the rest of the league campaign.

On Saturday evening I fulfilled a long time wish when i got to go and see Down Gaelic football team playing at the Esler stadium in Newry. A friend from Uni invited me along and I jumped at the chance. They were playing Sligo in the NFL and carried out a superb comeback in the second half to take the victory. A few things impressed me about the whole thing....it was only £4 in for students, the crowd was family friendly and yet very passionate (those two things don't always co-exist) and the game was fascinating. The game is so fast moving meaning player workrate is phenomenal and decision making incredibly difficult given that the player has so many options at their disposal every time they get the ball ie. do they kick the ball along the ground or pick it up, do they run or pass, if running, do they bounce or solo, if passing, do they kick out of hand or fist pass, if shooting do they take a point or go for the goal and three points, when shooting do they shoot with foot or hand! The information processing skills of the good players amazes me! Anyway, hopefully I'll get up to a few more games before the season is out.

After i came home from the gaelic i discoverd Amir Khan was in action defending his commonwealth belt against St. Clair. so it was another 40 minutes of sport!. Khan was impressive. In the past his boxing seemed a wee bit overenthusiastic and erratic but watching him on Saturday night he appears to have matured in his fighting style. He fought with composure, not rushing in for the kill too early but instead concentrated on defending well and taking his chances as they emerged. His lightning hand speed was too much for St Clair and the judges awarded him 120/120 - the perfect fight!

On Sunday afternoon I watched Scotland play patches of exciting rugby only to be outplayed by a young, exciting and risk taking French side who performed superbaly well given that they had only trained together for five days. They could be a dangerous team in the future!

To bring the sporting weekend to an end I sat up with Gregory to watch the first half of the Superbowl last night. All the rigmarole around the game is frustrating but the play is exciting and incredibly skillful. It was nice to wake up this morning to hear the Giants had won knowing that they were the underdogs! Why do we like the underdog winning so much?

2008-02-01T12:54:00.001Z

Fancy a dander??

Great website here.

I'm a big fan of walking. It's a fantastic time to get some fresh air, to take in Northern Ireland's bountiful beauty, to notice little things that you don't see when you're moving a bit quicker, to mull over life's complexities , to make decisions, to be alone with God or to converse with friends. It's also something that's very good for your health. I'm doing a module on physical activity and health this term at uni. The introductory lectures have been fascinating. I've always known that exercise is good for burning calories and tackling obesity. What i hadn't realised was the strength of connection that has been found between physical activity and a reduced risk of a range of cancers, coronary heart disease, conditions leading to strokes, diabetes and psychological health issues. The risks associated with inactivity were also fairly scary considering that 70% of our population here in NI is inactive (compared to 24% who smoke!). So more walkies can be no bad thing!!

This website has lots of my favourite walks included on the Co. Down list and has also brought a few to my attention that I haven't enjoyed yet . It will also be a useful resource for exploring a little in other counties!! I hope you can enjoy a few yourself!

2008-01-23T23:40:00.000Z

"Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children. -Kahlil Gibran "

stolen from a friend's profile page

2008-01-21T12:52:00.000Z

Coffee shop

My mate Landon had a good run up to christmas with his song 'Coffee shop' featuring in a de beers 'diamonds are forever' advert and proving to be quite popular with all sorts of folks. The advert is below but you can get the full song at his myspace. I think you might like it.

2008-01-19T17:58:00.000Z

40 minutes from frozen

Enjoyed a very efficient 40 minutes today. It all started when i lifted a Denny Chicken and Ham Pie out of the freezer. The cooking instructions told me that it would take 40 minutes to cook from frozen so I fired it in the oven. Now usually, on the rare occasions when I cook or heat things up, i get bored when I have to wait on them, so today i decided that I could squeeze in a run before the pie was ready also thinking that the pie would be good for meeting post-run nutritional requirements!

So i quickly geared up (including some thermal long johns!), grabbed Nala's lead and hooked her up. I only did a short run, going to the mile marker from our house and back. However on my way back I spotted something peculiar in the lake....it was big and shiny and looked seriously like my canoe which I lost back in the summer. My canoe disappeared in mid-august and having looked all around the lake at the time for it without any luck I honestly thought someone had nicked it but as I got closer to the object it became clear that it was indeed it. I was excited to see the old girl , so i quickly ran up to the house, left nala off, grabbed an old pair of shoes and headed for the lake. My only way to get at it was to walk through the (very cold) water but as the bed became mucky and sinky i thought it would be safer to swim. When i got out to the canoe it was full of water and I couldn't empty it out so I had to drag it back through the water to the bank where I was able to get it emptied out and back on dry land for the first time in five months. I'm so pleased that I found it...there's nothing more relaxing that taking her out for a run on a smooth lake and I've missed the opportunity to do so over the last wee while. Nala loves a run it it too!

So with canoe back on dry land I ran up to the house soaking wet and freezing and jumped into a warm shower. By the time I was out and dried, my pie was just ready to chomp on and boy was it was it lovely! Thankyou Mr Denny!

2008-01-19T17:33:00.000Z

Bristol and Bath Spa

Had an interview yesterday at Bath Spa uni for a PE PGCE place. Was a peculiar experience. Instead of being interviewed by a panel on my own, I had to take part in a group interview with 12 other applicants.

The format involved us all sitting in a semi-circle in front of a three person panel. Before we arrived we had been asked to complete a task that involved writing 500 words on the benefits of a physical activity of our own choice. At the interview we were asked to present this task to the group and also outline why we wanted to teach and how Bath Spa would benefit by giving us a place.

It was both a daunting and a fasinating experience. As it turned out I was 12/12 and had the benefit of watching everyone else before delivering my piece!! This allowed me to see what worked and what didn't....and i definitely saw both! Following that bit we were separated into groups of three and asked to prepare a lesson for a chosen age group in an activity of our choice. We had 15 minutes to prepare before presenting to the rest of the group. I was happy enough with how both activities went but you never know...time will tell.

On reflection, although the experience was a little daunting i think its a good idea. In a way it tested some of the skills that teaching requires rather than just head knowledge or the ability to talk a good game. If I ever get a job and have to run interviews I think yesterday's experience will challenge me to do them a wee bit differently.

A big upside of the interview was getting to spend some time over in Bristol with emma and see a bit more of her world over there. Thanks em for the hospitality! Also got to take a short dander around Bath town which is pretty nice. Particuarly liked the Pulteney Bridge and getting to see Bath Rugby's Recreation Ground.

2008-01-19T17:02:00.000Z

Blog silence down to boring existence.

Got that virus over christmas week and spent most of it sitting in an armchair beside the fire watching the box.....Did enjoy 'The Terminal' and some of the early Bond movies! Only slight highlight of that week was camping out in my bedroom one night in the pop-up tent that Gregory got me for christmas.

As soon as I was feeling slightly normal again i got into the books. I
had exams on 7th and 9th of january so had to spend the whole preceding week revising.

After that it was straight into dissertation stuff. I have a lit reviw due at end of month so just slaving over that most days.

Definitely has been a fairly mundane period in life and unfortunately not very 'wild' (see below) but thats ok..it's only a short season.

2007-12-20T12:46:00.000Z

Good Cinema

In my opinion good cinema, like any good art, stirs your heart, it makes you think, it makes you feel, it brings your heart to the surface. Last night i had such an experience. I went with a few lads who i meet up with every couple of weeks to see Sean Penn's, Into the Wild.

It's inspired by the true story of Christopher McCandless, a top graduate from a Georgian University who turned down further academic opportunities at Harvard, gave all his money to the poor, cut ties with everyone around him and pursued a life of adventure. His ad-hoc adventure took him all over the states before he headed into the wilds of Alaska to live in the raw outdoors.

Won't give away any of the details but it was a story that got me thinking/feeling the whole way through. At times I admired his bravery and at others shook my head at his stupidity and wrecklessness. At times i laughed and others was close to tears. It got me thinking about about journey, adventure, risk, posessions, friendship, family, being alone, beauty, choices, life, death, God, reading, love and conversation. Not bad for one movie i think!! It also got the other lads thinking. We talked about the movie the whole way home and I felt conversation could have went on a fair bit had it not been so late.

On top of the fascinating story line, the movie was really well shot with some fantastic scenery and also had a deeply engaging soundtrack. It was a timely movie coming at the end of one year and the dawning of another. Whilst i don't have any immediate plans to uproot and head west, it was a movie that reminds me not to let life pass by but rather to open my heart, to journey, to love, to admire beauty, to read, to converse, to risk stepping into new chapters of life and embrace the time and experiences that God allows us here. Who knows what exactly that will look like in a new year. I guess that's just part of life's wildness!

2007-12-04T23:20:00.000Z

Kenya Feedback

This Friday we're having a short feedback evening about our summer trip to Kenya at Ballynahinch Rugby Club. 7.30pm start. We'll have some photos, some video and few of the lads sharing about their experience. Would love to see some of you there!!
A few more photo's here.

2007-11-14T22:37:00.000Z

Honesty or self righteousness?
A message in two cartoons (powerful art form!).

from Naked Pastor.

from ASBO Jesus.

2007-11-08T11:04:00.000Z

Some loose chat on love/relationships/community

Got a healthy reminder about love/relationships/community last night after reading an article by alan knox on next wave (exerpt below), followed by a chat with a few friends.

'There is a misconception that community is built around uniformity: people who believe alike, act alike, respond alike, desire alike, etc. However, uniformity will not create the type of community in which God calls us to live. This is evident in the constant exhortation for believers to bear with one another, forgive one another, have patience with one another, and consider others as more important than themselves. Thus, the authors of Scripture recognize that there would be relational frictions between believers.' more.

It's been on my mind recently that loving relationships do not exist because of an absence of relational friction but rather in how we deal with relational friction. When we do life together in some form(whether it be publicly, socially, personally, intimately) its inevitable that occasionally (or often!) we will rub other people up the wrong way or that they will do the same to us.

The challenge is in how we respond. I remember a phrase by Nouwen which said that 'Confession and forgiveness are the concrete ways that we love one another.' In other words, real love involving human beings broken and error-full like you and me will inevitably require us to say sorry when we balls up (ie. quite frequently!) or to forgive 'as we have been forgiven' when others are in the red.

I've also been thinking about the the importance of communication. So often needless friction is built on perception rather than reality (ie. thinking someone is thinking/doing something that they're not!). I remember reading about the Cuban Missile Crisis during the cold war. The world was so nearly thrown into nuclear war based on nothing more than perception, with each side suspecting the other of getting ready for action and then gearing themselves up appropriately when in reality neither wanted any action.

I suppose in line with communication is confronting inappropriate behaviour gracefully. Sometimes people don't realise they're rubbing you up the wrong way. Sometimes the ball needs to be put in their court.

Finally i've been thinking about when it's wise to pull away in relationships. This is a hard one. sometimes i think it's probably better to stay clear of certain people or at least put more distance between ourselves and them and yet jesus teaching seems to put some limits on our 'walking away', not least when we were encouraged to love our enemies.

So help us God.

2007-11-01T10:19:00.001Z

Newcastle turning a corner?

Many of you will know that for some time now I've not been a huge fan of Newcastle. Surrounded by immense beauty on all sides with the Mournes, Murlough and Tollymore all in very close proximity it's often perplexed me how the the town itself can be such a delapidated and dirty hole. Usually my only reasons for choosing to go there were either to get to the Mournes or occasionally to visit Cafe Creme which does in my opinion one of the best breakfasts in the area! Sunday nights in particular were always a definite no no!!

However, much to my surprise experiences in the town last night would lead me to believe that the town may be turning a corner. Just after tea time Melissa and I got wind of news that there was a fireworks display on in the seaside town and due to the lack of ducking for apples at home we thought we would take the trip up the road to get into the festive spirit. I have to admit my expectations weren't that high but boy was I wrong!

The fireworks were amazing, as good as i've ever seen! They set them up on the beach with thousands of people lining the length of the new promenade and went on constantly for twenty minutes or so. At many points throughout the display i thought we were seeing the Grande Finale because the fireworks were so good but when the end did come they really did finish in style.

Fireworks aside though, there was a fantastic atmosphere about the town. I was particuarly impressed with the new promenade, it's fine finishing and tasteful lighting played host to the many dressed up revellers with pride and made me feel like i was on holiday! I think all the work that they have done and the quality of the event last night gave me some hope that Newcastle is emerging from it's cheap and dingy past towards the type of tourist friendly place it so has the potential to be. Here's hoping! Well done DDC!

2007-10-05T11:39:00.000Z

2007-10-05T11:24:00.000Z

Iron and Wine

This boy is brilliant.

He's in Belfast at the end of the month as part of the festival but is already sold out. That's a pity!

His myspace has a load of tunes to listen to. I've been listening to them quite a bit over the past couple weeks as I've been ploughing through endless journal articles for my research project here in Uni!

2007-09-18T00:06:00.000Z

Eighteenth September 2007

Today had to be marked on the blog because it’s exactly 5 years since I started this business of blogging. I had little idea when I started back in September 2002 that I would get this far with it.

It’s been a useful tool along the way; it’s given me the chance to record memories and thoughts, it’s allowed me to keep friends and family up to date with goings on and it’s hopefully served as a pointer to some of the other good things the web has to offer.

I had intended to make more of this anniversary post but my thoughts are elsewhere. Many of you will know that it’s been a real tough week around here with the sudden passing of Melissa’s dad. I’ve been shocked at how the events of a few short moments can change life so permanently. Thanks to all of you who’ve sent supportive texts through over the past few days. Please continue to pray for Melissa and the family as they enter this new and difficult season of their lives and for me as I attempt to be there for her.

2007-09-05T15:31:00.001Z

Fake Republic

I was sad when Shane Magee, a very gifted thinker and communicator drew his ministry in Northern Ireland to a close a number of years ago. I felt we had lost a leader. Shane nows lives in Canada with his wife Ali but thankfully modern communications are now allowing him to minister all across the globe from that base.

Over the past few weeks I've been both encouraged and challenged by some of Shane's writing and video diaries. His words aren't always easy to read, he uses lots of big ones for a start, often mining the depths of his huge vocabulary to convey a concept or thought. He also allows his search for truth, something he does with whole lot of energy, integrity and honesty, to lead him outside the box or beyond established lines of thinking. I often feeled stretched by his work but in a way that i find is healthy for my head, heart and spirit.

I'm adding his fake republic blog to my list of regular reads.

2007-08-30T14:22:00.000Z

Did it for the first time on Sunday. Definitely left it too long. Absolutely stunning spot. Antrim's answer to Tollymore and an outstanding one at that.........Glenarriff Forest Park.

2007-08-30T14:02:00.000Z

Live music is good for the heart. It makes you feel. I find when i listen to good live music hopes and fears stir in my heart and those happinesses and sadnesses of life come a little closer. This is particuarly true when Foy Vance is providing the tunes. Had a great night down at the Black box last night. What a performer he is. Different than anyone else. And he's from round here. Nice to catch up with a few friends down there too!

2007-08-30T13:06:00.000Z

Moving on

Life has slowed this week with my summer job ending on Friday past. It's given me time to reflect a little on the summer and to prepare some for the incoming season. Also had time to do lots of little odd jobs that build up when you're busy like washing the car, tidying my room etc etc.

This summer was a good one but felt different than any up to now. I suppose i felt older. This dawned on me as i was thinking in the shower one evening up at the house in Dromara where i was house sitting. I came up with a few reasons why this summer felt like a more mature one.

Weddings - This summer saw a right few fellas who i'm close to tying the knot. Ricey, Johnny and Tim all headed off into new chapters of their lives and it didn't feel in anyway out of the ordinary for them to be doing so. All of them have got themselves some great wifes (not so sure about the spelling there but didn't want to use 'wives' in case it gave the idea that they've a number on the go..ok in kenya...not ok in norn iron!) and they've all got themselves homes where i can visit and enjoy a feed or two. Again it all feels fairly timely for them to be doing this and makes me feel just a wee bit older!

Kenya - To have led 15 adults on a cross cultural trip was a first for myself and matty. It's not something i think i could have done 5 years ago. Who knows?

Less galavanting - Yeah there's been the odd adventure this summer and 1 or 2 late nights but they definitely weren;t the norm. I think this is the biggest change. Usually summer for me means late nights, late mornings and never being at home that much but this year was different.

Work - I worked again as a Camp Manager this year for the IRFU. The difference this year was that the role felt much more natural. Being in charge of the camps i was on certainly felt like less of a challenge and the responsibilies that go with the role didn't feel as taxing.

Old friends returning- This summer has saw quite a few old aqquaintances make their way back over the pond from the US. Some of these lads were some of my earliest connections with the US, formed in my mid teens. It was great just to catch up with these close friends and think back over the years since we met and all that's taken place in our lives.

Coaching - This summer was the first time I've coached adults. For the first few weeks of pre-season i worked alongside our 1st XV coach at the club helping with some conditioning and training with the senior squad. From then on I've looked after quite a number of sessions for our 3rdXV teams down. I've really enjoyed the challenge of working at a higher standard. Things get alot more techincal with older players and I'm enjoying the challenge.

A fellow explorer - Things with Melissa have went from strength to strength up to and over the summer. We've had alot of meals together, plenty of drives and chats and laughed at each other a lot along the way. I know this isn't any indicator of getting older but things on this front just feel pretty stable, which hasn't always been my story, and is something I'm enjoying a whole lot.

Hairline - I think it may be going north just ever so slightly...this is to be expected given the geneaology!

So I think I leave this summer knowing that I'm getting just a little older. This is not a morbid thing at all, in fact I'm quite liking it. New seasons in life are to be celebrated not mourned (obviously thats not always true but i think it is in this case!). I guess the challenge is to continue living well. To try and avoid life becoming predictable or mundane, with God's help and direction to go after those dreams he's put on my heart, no longer having the excuse of 'being to young' for not doing something.

2007-08-11T17:39:00.000Z

Freedom Writers

watched freedom writers starring hilary swank last week (on stevie p's recommendation). really liked it.

it's all about an idealistic starting teacher who gets a post in a tough school which is overrun with gang problems and that has a very high pupil drop out rate. things get off to a depressing start for her with all sorts of interesting things going on in her class but she clings to her calling (to the detriment of her marriage..not so sure about that!?), takes a right whack of risks with her teaching style and has to fight her corner plenty with her bosses. the results are good.

it's a true story and is in xtravision at the minute (who are currently doing a £2 a night offer on new releases.)

2007-08-11T17:10:00.000Z

all go

as expected i hit the ground running after kenya.

i've been on 2 stag doo's on the two weekends.

tim's was first, camping up at snotsninsky. the campsite is on top of one of the dromara hills and the night we got was perfect with completely clear skies and a full moon hanging over us. We were able to see lights all over Down and the mournes were silhouetted in the distance as we sat around the fire telling yarns and enjoying a few eats and drinks. It was an apt send off for Tim. Will definitely be up there again to camp!

johnny's came next. we tackled 9 holes at temple first (badly!). then we headed up to the slieve croob (the closest thing to a local that we have!) for some lovely and large portioned grub before singing and dancing into the wee hours with entertainment provided by seamus and marie (older couple from newcastle helped along by the backing tracks! ie slieve croob standard!). we did comandeer the mic a few times including andy edgar giving 'one cornetto' a rendition. the bar was empty because of a funeral in the area so apart from 3 other blokes we had the whole place to ourselves! again a brilliant send off!!

i've also completed 2 summer scrummage camps during the weeks. this is my summer job with the IRFU. I manage the camps and was in enniskillen and omagh over the past two weeks. I managed to clock a serious load of miles on the polo which constantly feels like it is about to give up the ghost. apparently the spark plug leads are dodgy making it splutter a fair bit when you put the pedal to the metal. some of these days i'll get it to the mechanic.

during the week in enniskillen i had my mate tucker over from the states. he was one of the first ever americans i got to know and i went on to stay and work with him in chicago on several occasions. it was great to have him around for a day or two. we managed a trip out to the marble arch caves which are fantastic...to think that all the features are a result of 1000's of years of nature taking it's course amazes me. we were given out tour by a girl who had a mixed up north and south accent and who sounded like she'd been sucking on helium before we arrived. it added to the memory. we also managed one night camping trip at crom estate. i had booked a pitch in their campsite but when we arrived the place was full of scouts so we headed over to the old castle ruins and set up in it's grounds. it sits right on the edge of lough erne and is very beautiful. a nice spot to camp.

rugby at the club has also returned. that's me now until april. glad to be back. helping coach a little with the adult club this year. that's a first. hopefully we'll get things off to a better start than ireland did today!! (by the way. very much looking forward to the rugby world cup!)

2007-07-24T17:02:00.000Z

Kwaheri (Goodbye) Kenya
WARNING: VERY LONG POST!

So the trip that myself and matty (my co -leader) dreamed of over one and half years ago, and that we'd spent so much time and effort preparing for is now over. The completion of our time in Kenya has definitely left a void in my heart now that it's over. I'm quite sure that it won't take long for it to be filled but at the moment it feels fairly acute, something i think i'm glad off. To miss it means it got into my heart...... and that it definitely did! What a journey it has been, from the initial meetings with Habitat deciding on where we would go, to the launching of the project in the rugby club wondering if anyone would want to go, to the formation of the 15 man team and all the fundraising to get them out there, to the big event itself when we headed off into africa just over 2 weeks ago.

I left for Kenya with alot of hopes, many of them for the boys i was taking out. It nows brings me a real deep sense of pleasure to look back and see that our hopes were not only met but far exceeded. As one of the kenyan guys said at the end of our visit, 'God's tick was on your visit'.

It's hard to know where to start telling you about the experience. The whole team feels like that. We debriefed in Doha Airport (Qatar) on the way home and each member struggled to put words to the deep and very real things they had experienced. What we all knew is that we'd had the trip of a lifetime, that we'd been part of something very special and that we'd connected with some amazing people both within our team and those in kenya.

Our primary task out there was of course the building. We built on two separate sites for two families in the Bungoma Region. Both sites were located in the middle of agricultural land. The crops included corn, maize, nuts and beans but the predominant one was sugar cane, harvested to supply the local factory. There were hundreds of thousands of acres of this stuff reaching about 8/9ft tall fully grown and just for the record it was very tasty..not unlike candy floss!

We travelled each day to work in a matatu. These are the local taxi's and resemble our Toyota Hiace vans except they have windows and seats. Health and safety wasn;t much of a consideration as each day we bunged 21 people into the van. This was fun. By the end of the trip we had sung alot in those vans, sweated a lot together, prayed a time or two, concious of the what could happen if we ever crashed and indeed crashed twice. The crashes took place within 3 or 4 minutes of each other on our last day. The daily thunderstorm had soaked the top layer of clay on the roads and the driver who was insistent on driving at normal speeds spun the van hitting the ditch. Both occasions required us to get out and get the thing moving again with a push!! Thankfully noone got injured!

Given the energy, enthusiasm and brute strength of most of our team (can't include myself in the latter category!) we manged to break all Habitat Kenya records for house building! A house that usually takes the kenyan's a month and a half to build, we had finished in 7 days. The team did us proud in that regard and had a big impact on the locals. Apparently it's common for teams to blitz the building in the first few days before calving for the rest of the trip but our boys just kept going, fueled by the fact they were getting some extra fitness training, and a few competitions between each other. Our foreman or 'fundi' as he was known, congratulated the boys at the end of trip for their energy saying that if kenyans worked like our boys had they wouldn't be living in a developing nation. Who knows if this is true but it was a nice to leave a legacy of hard work.

If there was ever a shortage of work on site we ended up playing with some of the local kids who had come to gaze at this strange bunch of mezungas (white men!) in their territory. We threw rugby balls back and forth, blew bubbles or just played with baloons. They just loved it! They also really loved having their photo taken and went mad when you showed it back to them through the screen!

During our time out at the sites we also got to visit the local Mufule Primary School. I could never describe to you how welcome we were made to feel at this place. Kenyan's make you welcome with lots of smiles and handshakes but most of all lots and lots of noise. The kids went mad when we were around..some of them had never seen a mezunga before! You just couldn't be in such an environment and not be touched in a fairly deep way....most of the team felt like that anyway!

Another highlight was visiting the local rugby club. A crowd of 500 or so school students gathered around the pitch as we coached the rugby lads and then played them in a game of touch rugby. The combination of their lightening fast feet and our team being sapped of energy saw the locals winning 1 -0! At the end of our time with these lads they performed a war dance which was fairly intimidating. We responded with the Ballynahinch song which i think they enjoyed. We also handed over 4 rugby balls, about 15 cones and a few tag belts. These were accepted with a deafening cheer and lots of clapping. A very humbling moment!

We finished our time in Bungoma with a house dedication where the house we had completed was handed over to the house owners. This celebratory ceremony included singing, speeches and a meal. I also handed over a bible and a Ballynahinch Rugby Club plaque to the homeowners before cutting the string across the doorway to their new house. This was a special day. The owners had been preparing for this house for over 7 years when they first bought the bricks for it's construction.

When we had wrapped up in Bungoma we headed south to the Masai Mara game reserve for a couple of nights and a day on Safari. This was an awesome experience. It was nice to return to some more normal food and to rest a little after all the hard work. Out on game drives we saw giraffes, zebra, cheetahs, gazelles, water buffalo, hippos, baboons, warthogs, wildebeast (migrating!), a tortoise and hyeenas. THe highlight though was when we saw a male and female lion awake from their sleep and go into hunt mode immediately, killing a wildebeast within minutes and all within 30 metres of our van. An unforgettable experience! We drove back to our lodge on a major high that evening helped along by the beautiful sunset.

Well this very long post this far only offers a snapshot into our trip. I haven't mentioned the trip to church that we had, the kenyan roads, our trip to carnivore restuarant, our accomodation in Bungoma, or the polygamist culture there. I haven't mentioned much about how well our team got on or the visit to the masai village but I've already rattled on too much so maybe later I'll say something about these things!

To finish i would like to thank all of you who prayed or supported us financially. This really was the trip of a lifetime, one that I and my team will never forget. Please also continue to pray for us as we adjust to life back here and figure out what further associations our club can have with Habitat. Do also pray for the folks in Bungoma. We built on two sites and funded about 4/5 more. Unfortunately it will take a lot more building before poverty housing in that area is eradicated.

Right I'm beginning to get bored of myself!

2007-07-23T11:48:00.000Z

Home

Just back from Kenya. Had the time of our lives.

It'll take me a few days to gather up my thoughts and photos before i share them.

Enough to say Africa was absolutely beautiful, it's people so warm and hospitible and our team absolutely brilliant.

After a year and a half of planning I can't believe it's all over!

I'll post in a day or two!

While we were away the club ran an article about us http://www.hinchrfc.com/Latest_News/Kenya/news2.htm

2007-06-27T15:16:00.000Z

Our kenya team got a mention in the local heroes section of the Belfast Telegraph tonight! Here's the online version.

2007-06-25T15:03:00.000Z

Two Ricey's now!

A fair bit of last week was taken up with my Best man duties for Ricey and Emma's wedding. On Tuesday night following the rehearsal at the mill we got the two of them dressed up and locked up in a cage on the back of a truck that the Spence family had aqquired. They were driven back to Ballynahinch followed by a cavalcade of horn honking cars where they were duly doused in a range of sticky substances including a right few litres of freshly collected slurry from the Spence reservoirs! The two of them, to their credit, took the whole experience very well despite some wretching and feeling very, very cold!

The big day itself was fantastic. I didn't sleep great the night before.....thinking about the rings, the speeches, getting up on time etc etc...... Fortunately i did make it up on time to get ricey down to Ginesis for a mid morning feed...he was nervous but was still able to down a Hawaiian burger and a pasty!! We then took a wee dander up the Windmill Hill in Ballynahinch(my first time..stunning views!!) before suiting up and making our way to the Mill. My dad lent us the car for the day (pink ribbons included!)...Ricey said he felt like royalty (thanks dad!)!!

The Mill was a fantastic location for the day.....so unique and intimate....just what the Bride and groom had wanted. Davy Dunlop did a super job with the ceremony despite getting his backside roasted off him by the large open fire behind him, I managed to deliver the rings without any problems and no-one suggested any reasons for Pete and Emma not to be married.

Following the meal we mulled around had some photos taken and caught up with some of the guests. We had the speeches before the meal and i got through mine ok. In short, I slagged Pete off a little and then told him i thought he was great, that i was glad he and emma had found one another and that I looked forward to how God would shape and mould their lives together as he had already done with them as individuals.

We'd a modern and tasty roast beef dinner for the meal which was all danced off later on during the party.... only to be replaced by the tasty bacon and chip butties around 10.30. The party went on until 1 o'clock closing with a few johnny cash classics!! I was so pleased the whole day went so well for Pete and Emma. As Dave said, they a unique and much loved couple and i think Saturday reflected them in that way!

They're now off on Safari in kenya! Emma mighn't have to go too far to spot game as Pete will likely be running around in some leopard skin underwear!!!!

2007-06-25T14:20:00.000Z

Eating out locally!

This a wee post for the local folks. I thought I'd recommend two places myself and melissa have been eating in quite a lot over the last six months.

The Chip Stop in Drumaness - Located beside the fuel station in Drumaness. It's a great wee chippy, no airs or graces, just gorgeous grub and lots of it at very reasonable prices. It seems to be run by the people who used to run Shelly's Chippy in Ballynahinch which means you can pick up what used to be the 'Shelly's Special' - sliced chicken, peas and chips covered in chinese gravy! The plate comes stacked high and two of us ate there this friday night past for £7.60....couldn't be hard to that!!

The East Essence, Ardglass - This is a fantastic chinese restaurant that mum and dad discovered. It sits right on the edge of Ardglass harbour. It's lovely to sit overlooking the boats on a summer's evening. Again the grub is tasty and well priced. They also serve your food very quickly...a matter of minutes after you order. Always nice to follow the food with a wee drive along the coastline.

2007-06-12T21:22:00.001Z

couldn't agree more.

2007-06-12T13:19:00.000Z

Thankful + Excited

This weekend past saw us hit our fundraising target for the Kenya team. Our total money needed was just over £22,000 with £16,000 of that needing to be fundraised but now we're there and still have more coming in. It's a big weight of the shoulders! Raising this amount seemed like a mammoth task at the start and caused a right few moments of late night worry along the way! To all of you who have attended our events or just donated a pound or two thankyou so much, i've been so humbled by people's generosity. I look forward to sharing stories of how your money has been used!

We've now just over 3 weeks before we leave. This project of taking a bunch of lads from the rugby club on a team like this has been a dream for years now. It seems so surreal that we're now so close to embarking on it. In one sense we've planned thoroughly and have accounted for so many eventualities and yet i still feel like we've so little idea about what we're about to experience...this excites me. I'm excited about going to Africa, seeing her sites, meeting and living with her people, smelling her smells and having the many hearsay impressions i have about her replaced by first hand experiences. I'm excited about our team, the craic and banter we'll have, the deepended relationships that'll be formed, the work we'll accomplish, the lives that will be changed.

I'd appreciate your support in prayer as we prepare to go.

2007-06-05T16:21:00.000Z

Mourne Rally '07

This Saturday I'm heading to the hills behind Newry for the Mourne Rally. It's a fantastic event combining the high speed of tarmac with the narrow, damp and twisting roads of the forests! Unfortunately i'll only be there as a spectator but even just watching gets the adrenaline going with the cars zooming by only feet away from where you're standing.

This video recorded by one of last year's drivers on Stage 1: Camlough.

If you're at a loose end i can't recommend it enough. Grab a picnic rug and some snacks for in between stages and you'll have a great days craic.

Spectator info here.

2007-05-31T12:14:00.000Z

Missiles in the Mournes!

I took a trip into the mournes with one ginga ninga yesterday. it's become somewhat of a regular fixture and is now almost always preceded by an all day breakfast in newcastle's cafe creme (best one around here for sure). It's great to connect with a kindred spirit up the hills (No references to brokeback please!) and having the opportunity to talk about life, faith, joys, struggles and a whole load of other things in between.

Yesterday we sauntered up through Annalong Wood into the Valley and up to Percy's Butress. Quite often as we moved through the valley i spotted bits of rusted metal on the ground. For a while I wondered what it had come from until i remembered a conversation with one of the staff at Ballynahinch High a few years ago. He had told me that during the second world war the american Navy had been stationed in Annalong and that they had reguarly practiced firing missiles from their ships into the Annalong Valley. What we were seeing up there was all the pieces of shrapnel from these shells. With our attention drawn to this we began to realise that the whole valley floor is covered with shrapnel. They must have pummelled the place!!

2007-05-31T12:00:00.001Z

Don't you just hate Kinder Egg's where the toy inside doesn't require any putting together?

2007-05-29T19:56:00.000Z

In the land of the vikings (and mooses!)

We arrived back into Dublin on monday night after 5 super days in Norway. It's such a beautiful country with even the most mundane car journeys unfolding many delights for the eyes!

We stayed most of the time in my aunty and uncles lakeside cabin. The location is remote, surrounded by trees and with no neighbours for a considerable distance. It's a magical sort of place....every wee lads dream. While out there we spent time fishing (and eating those we caught), shooting (and missing 99%), rowing about the lake (badly!), telling yarns (of which ricey is an expert), playing guitar and singing (loudly and experimentally!) and a wee bit of reading here and there! It was a most relaxing time!

Outside our time in the cabin we took a few trips to some other lovely spots.

On Saturday we conquered Gaustatoppen (the largest mountain in Telemark County at1,833metres) which was covered in snow. At the top we enjoyed a much welcomed waffle and hot chocolate in a tourist cabin and took in some of the awesome views before sliding our way back down the hill on our backsides (aided by bodyboard type contraptions) - this was a whole lot of fun....not so good for Pete's Haemoroid (Henry)...but fun nonetheless! We travelled home via some mountain roads and witnessed some of the most spectacular scenery i've ever seen.

On Sunday we visited a spot called Gard Vatna..it's a suped up version of bloody bridge. It has a series of beautiful waterfalls and deep pools, including a few that you can jump into from the surrounding cliffs. After leaping in a few times we enjoyed a picnic on the rock slabs.

The whole trip was fantastic. It was great to spend quality time with Johnny and Ricey, we did a lot of laughing and chatting together. This was their last trip away as single men and i think they were able to share with each other in that regard! It was also great to catch up with my family out there. They are a fantastic bunch. They were so generous in lending us their cabin, their car and in cooking a meal or two for us. Thanks to Ryanair (now direct into Dublin and cheap!) we see them a lot more now than we use to.

2007-05-21T17:57:00.000Z

Half way mark!

I completed my last exam of this semester today and in doing so wrapped up second year. It's been a tough term psychologically with me often wishing i was out working again! I now only have 1 year left of undergraduate and then 1 year of PGCE so half way there now! I've definintely come via the scenic route.

It should be said that today was a little sad as most of my class are taking a placement year next year and I'm not so today was about goodbyes and they're never that nice!

Heading to Norway on thursday for 5 days. Taking Ricey out before his big plunge in June! The fresh air out there will be good for the head after the all the nonsense i've put into it over the exam period!!

2007-05-16T22:54:00.000Z

johnny jumps on the bandwagon.

2007-05-07T19:41:00.000Z

That's us in the red! Pretty happy to come in under 3 1/2 hours and even gladder that we got in before the downpour!! As always it was a fun day jogging around belshaft. Thanks to Hammy Coulter, Glen Dunlop, Dave Dunlop and Ivan Shannon who ran in the team.

Of course the real heroes are the ones who ran the whole thing!!

2007-05-04T10:20:00.000Z

found kowalski today. pretty impressive norn irish act. i'm adding them to the myspace music list.

2007-05-04T10:10:00.000Z

Counting her pennies!

My mum is going to Dublin at the weekend with her sister. She was asking me yesterday if we had any euros lying around for the tolls after the Boyne Bridge. When i got up this morning and came down into the kitchen i found this!

Obviously she found some!! Dear help the wee machine that has to process all these! They'll be sitting at the toll for at least 10 minutes!!

2007-05-03T15:56:00.000Z

i liked bruce.
looking forward to evan.

2007-04-30T22:23:00.000Z

It's impossible to reflect on the past week without thinking of the sudden passing of lins emerson.

Appropriate words seem so hard to find and yet over the past week so many words have been spoken, written and blogged about lins that paint the picture of a beautiful, compassionate and caring woman of faith who accomplished so much in her 23 years. of course many words have also been used that paint the scene of mystery and deep, deep pain that surround her suffering and passing.

it's been particuarly hard to watch two dear friends, ally and nick, experience so much pain. both of them are men with massive hearts. the aliveness and openess of their hearts that has always characterised them means they will feel every bit of lins passing....a pain i can only guess at from the depth of their sorrow.

my thoughts and prayers are with them, arthur and liz, and their families who have lost more than I can imagine.

2007-04-30T22:03:00.000Z

D1 license a little closer!

I'm currently going through the process of getting a license to drive mini-buses. It's my hope that in the short term i may be able to get some work with school doing runs to the swimming pool and in the long term having the license will be another useful thing on the CV when i apply for PGCE's and beyond that, PE teaching posts! I've also this dream to start a tour company around NI so it might even come in useful for that someday!

Anyhow last week i got over another hurdle on the way when i passed my theory test. Although i'll only be driving mini-buses i had to do the theory test for full size buses so there were a few challenging questions that will never be of much use to me! The first bit of the test consisted of 60 multiple choice questions and the second bit involved 14 hazard perception clips. Thankfully i passed both parts and I can now head on to my practical test.

Mini bus road trips on me in a few months i hope!

2007-04-17T21:44:00.000Z

Taking it easy in Donegal. There's no place like it.

2007-04-09T12:21:00.000Z

Cinema Night

(Update: We raised £395 from the evening after a few expenses had been accounted for! Thanks so much to all of you who came along and brought a friend or two!)

Showing 'The Goonies'

Saturday 21st April, 7.30pm.

At Tudor Cinema, Comber

Raising funds for Ballynahinch RFC building team to Kenya with Habitat for Humanity. Suggested donation £10. Includes drink and popcorn!

Please come and bring some friends!!! Contact me for tickets!

2007-04-09T11:41:00.000Z

Daylight robbery!

Pete was ranting a week or two ago at the poor frequency of mail box collections from royal mail post boxes nowadays. Well i'm going to add a further disillusioning discovery made over the weekend that made me pine for years gone by! I was running a few errands in Ballynahinch on Saturday night and forgot to bring my mobile with me. One of the jobs required some information from home so i scuttled down to one of Ballynahinch's two public phoneboxes to get that info. When i got into the phone box i was informed by the digital face on the phone that the minimum cost was 40 freaking p! Absolutely criminal i thought! I well remember the day when it cost only 10p and know for sure that it was only 20 p about a year and half ago because i didn't own a mobile then and used phoneboxes all the time! Although on reflection maybe that's the problem....mobile companies have killed phonebox usage and they have to push the price up to remain viable. A pity i think.

2007-04-09T11:22:00.000Z

The Italian Job

After church last night i was feeling particuarly peckish. This is often the case because on Sunday's we tend to have a massive lunch and then a very small tea. Usually we end up hitting one of Ballynahinch's fine eateries but last night i fancied something a wee bit different and so we decided to head over to crossgar which has a mighy fine chippy. However when we got over there the chippy was shut and so we ended up going to the Pizzeria across the road called 'Pizza Bella Napoli'. It's an interesting little place. It's a tiny wee shop with low roofs, a single counter and not too many modern fittings. A little old italian lady dressed just like you'd expect a little old italian lady to dress seems to run the show, dishing out orders in firey italian tones to her old italian husband and younger italian son. And when the delivery man arrived he wasn't your typical norn irish delivery man either because on arrival he soon entered the italian conversation behind the counter. Being the only norn irish person in the place and with a little imagination it felt very much like i was in italy and I liked that. As you could expect the pizza which I shared over some craic with Melissa and the Coles' was lovely!

2007-03-28T21:34:00.000Z

A grateful heart!

i feel compelled to post. it's been a good week.

+ Between a few things at the weekend we were able to lodge £2000 into the Kenya account at the weekend. Still about £7000 to go but very thankful for that bit less!!
+ Northern Ireland are rocking on the football front. How does Healy manage it?
+ Paisley and Adams got round that diamond shaped table. A good day for Northern Ireland i think.
+ Ballynahinch 1st's got promoted back into Division 2 and even have a game to spare....
+ I have pretty much finished an essay tonight that is due for Friday. Very, very rare for me not to be sitting up to the early hours before hand in.
+ Old colesy came back into town and we enjoyed a delicious belly filling fry from Genesis this morning!
+ My bedroom is about 79% tidy (Think of how you would recieve an exam paper or essay with that percentage in order to get the positiveness of that figure!).
+ The clocks went forward and spring evening walks in daylight are possible again. Tonight i headed for a proper dander all around Murlough with ricey. The air was clear as could be bringing every shade of colour to life in the surroundings, there wasn't a drop of wind and the honest chats with a mate who you can let it all out with were great for the heart.

2007-03-08T11:49:00.000Z

Feasting in Holywood!

I spent an hour or two at the Yard Gallery in Holywood last night and was provided with a feast for the senses! Visually we feasted on some of Emma Spence's latest work that was being launched in the gallery. Her unique 'mixed media' style of work, framed and hung around the gallery looked absolutely superb. It became even more impressive when she pointed out some of the stories behind her work.

Alongside the exhibition the owner of the gallery was handing out Elderflower juice and chicken, bacon and cheese voulevants! Never one to turn free food away i tucked in and boy those voulevants were gorgeous ...a right few were swallowed up across the couple of hours we were there!

Emma's work is showing for the next few weeks. I recommend you take a trip down and if the trendy coffee shop adjoining the gallery is open you might also get your lips around one of them voulevants!

2007-02-23T11:58:00.000Z

Car wash.
Tomorrow. 24.2.07.
Ballynahinch Rugby Club
10.00-1.00
Funds to Kenya team.

2007-02-23T11:49:00.000Z

Uni Tunes

Caught some novel noises from norn irish duo oppenheimer at uni yesterday. They were entertaining but i'm still trying to figure out what type of mood i'd have to be in to enjoy their stuff on in the background!

2007-02-22T14:55:00.000Z

Make Space

I've posted this quote from Henri Nouwen before but since i like it so much i decided to post it again.

'In the spiritual life, the word discipline means "the effort to create some space in which God can act." Discipline means to prevent everything in your life from being filled up. Discipline means that somewhere you're not occupied, and certainly not preoccupied. In the spiritual life, discipline means to create that space in which something can happen that you hadn't planned or counted on.'

2007-02-17T17:27:00.001Z

Happy days for 14's!

Every monday night, thursday night and saturday morning i head to the rugby club to coach my under 14 side. Often when you go to Ballymacarn park the weather is fairly hostile and it can be hard to drag yourself out of the house but days like we've had recently make it all worthwhile.

Last week my boys headed to Banbridge for their penultimate league game and with a well earned win they got enough points top secure the premier league title. It was a very proud and happy moment to see the boys being rewarded for all their hardwork throughout the season!

We've still more to go though...next week we play off against Enniskillen who won their regional league for the overall league title! Beyond that there's a cup run. However it's nice to be where we currently are with a title under the belt!

The picture here is some of my team being presented with their new shirts by Davy Cooper from BDS Gardening and Landscaping Services who kindly sponsored the shirts!

2007-02-08T17:48:00.000Z

Rejoining the NT

Having been a member of the National Trust a number of years ago i got a letter from them yesterday, asking me to consider rejoining. It didn't take much thought before I decided to go ahead. Here's some of the reasons....

> They protect some pretty special places that i love to spend time around like Murlough, The Mournes, The Dundrum Railway, Strangford Lough etc. I think it's important to play my part in helping protect these places....in fact i probably owe it!

> It was cheap...only £13.85 for a someone in the 18-25 year old bracket who pays by direct debit

> They were offering a free picnic rug for joining

> Having membership means I'm more likely to visit beautiful places like Rowallane, Mount Stewart, Patterson's Spade Mill and Crom!

2007-02-06T23:24:00.000Z

The Man in Black on video

I can't think why i never thought to do it before but tonight i spent an hour or so checking out Johnny Cash videos on youtube. Was a lot of fun. Below is one of my favourites....San Quentin...

2007-01-25T18:08:00.000Z

Kicking Down Heaven's Door!

Cormac, one of my mates from uni, knew i was into coaching a fair bit and so a couple of weeks ago he handed me 'Kicking Down Heaven's Door: Diary of Football Manager Mickey Harte.' Mickey manages the Tyrone County Gaelic football team and sucessfully led them to the All Ireland title in 2003 and again in 2005. The diary tells the story of the 2003 effort.

To be honest before picking the book up i wasn't that interested but once i got started i couldn't put it down. I was fascinated by all the coaching styles and techniques Mickey used and how he related to his players, his colleagues, the supporters, his family, the media and his critics. The one thing that struck me was that he took time to listen to all of them. He let them have their say, considered what they had said and then made informed decisions. This approach empowered his players and consolidated the team mentality. He also fiercely trusted his colleagues and frequently relied on their expertise and opinions. He referred to his players and the coaching team as 'the circle'. The circle was symbolic of every man's place and importance and how they would stand together.

He made time for the supporters but also knew there were times when the team had to withdraw to focus themselves. He maintained positive relationships with the press and when it came to critics, he took on board what they said, sometimes accepting they had a vaild point but at other times completely disagreed with them but was able to explain why.

I also gleaned a fair bit from his psychological approaches to coaching. He would use a range of techniques to get his players focused, or to give them confidence or to instill passion and fight or 'steel' as he called it, in them. For example he often selected certain pieces in the media, articles or videos that would stir a response into his boys!

The book makes me want to do a few things. I'd now like to go a see a few gaelic games so i can better understand some of the unfamiliar terminology he used and the tactics and strategy he often referred to. I'd also like to buy some more stuff written by coaches of different sports 'out on the job'. This is one thing i got the impression Mickey had done plenty off...he had resourced himself well with the approaches of others and was willing to learn something from everyone.

2007-01-25T17:59:00.000Z

Out and Up

I was seduced into the outdoors today by the fantastic weather. Me and Nala headed out for a dander into the dromara hills to the place where the photograph at the top of this page was taken. And boy was it worthwhile!! The air was so crisp up there and visibility brilliant. I took my time hiking up to the top of the hill making sure to stop and take in the view all along the way and also because my wellies didn't have great traction on the icy grass!

When i got to the top of the hill, the mournes in all their splendour came into view and it was pretty overwhelming. With a gentle but very cool wind blowing over us and the sun beating down on us i plonked my butt down and just soaked it all in. The beauty was beyond words. From that spot you can see almost the whole of down.... Bangor and Pikki Park excepted! As i looked over the county i began to think of the so many special times and places and people that have helped make me feel so 'home' here! Times spent playing in water at Murlough, Tyrella and Bloody Bridge, many days and nights spent hiking or camping around local forests or in the mournes, trips around the many special historical sights that date back 1000's of years, nights spent in local pubs drinking guinness and dancing, days and nights driving around the county exploring back roads. The list could go on for so long. As i thought of all these though i also thought of so many friends who I've shared these many special times with. SOme friends from just down the road, some from the other side of the world, some i knew well, others who i got to know so much more because of the times mentioned above. It felt so natural to thank God for allowing me to live where i do and for so the blessing of so many special times and people that have all contributed to the tapestry of my life. It was nice to get this perspective on the goodness of life, of God. SOmetimes it can be harder to see. It didn't make me forget the tough stuff, the evil stuff or the hard stuff of life. It just reminded me that God is bigger and deeper and better.

TOday i thank God for another Co. Down experience!

2007-01-24T21:42:00.000Z

Congratulations Ben!

2007-01-24T21:36:00.000Z

6 nations fantasy league!

The 6 nations is just about to get underway. Definitely some of the best TV months in the year!!
Gregory has set up a wee fantasy mini league for a bit of craic! If you want to join the league, head over to Guinness Fantasy Rugby to set up a team and then leave a comment here and I'll get in touch with you as to how you can join our league!

2007-01-15T14:18:00.000Z

half way through

Well i just finished my exams. it feels nice to say that. I am now officially half way through my undergraduate degree here at Jordanstown. If the next half goes as quick as the last one i'll be done in no time.

Fortunately i now have two weeks off. In between the usual rugby committments i'm hoping to tidy my room, catch up with a few locals, buy a new pair of trainers, take a road trip with Mel, get my head around where we're at with the Kenya trip and what we need to be doing to keep on track (raising £13000 being foremost in my mind at present!), wash and hoover my car and of course the standard 'time off' trip to the hills.

Did return to mannafest on saturday night for it's 20th birthday. a great night. still hasn't lost any of the ingredients that made it such a significant part of my life for a long time. Brian Heasley was speaking. a very real bloke whose inspiring without even trying to be.

2007-01-04T17:32:00.000Z

christmas rant from moby

'christ compels us to be better than we usually are.
christ compels us to forgive those who've wronged us.
christ compels us to love our enemies.
christ compels us to be humble and non-judgemental.
christ compels us to care for the neediest.

christ compels us to be non-violent.
christ compels us to recognize that the material world and all of our posessions will ultimately turn into dust, so we shouldn't get too attached to our bodies, our lives, and our stuff.
and, most importantly(in many ways), christ compels us to love one another and look after one another, and to see all people as our own family.'

more here.

2007-01-02T16:32:00.000Z

Having been tagged by mark and emma here's 5 things you may or may not know about me....

1. I sucked my thumb until i was 14. It used to be that i couldn't sleep without sucking it and i often feared that i would never be able to stop. But i did.
2. I would like to live and work in New York city sometime for at least a few months. Kinda the opposite of Spa really.
3. I always have a book on the go but really don't enjoy reading. It's a really laborious task for me but something i feel is a must and so i persevere.
4. I have taken 73 airplane flights in my lifetime and 1 helicopter flight.
5. I'm a big fan of vegetables. Leafy or flowery ones like brussel sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, broccolli and cauliflower are particuarly lovely!

I now tag Colesy, Micah and Gregory

2006-12-21T13:21:00.000Z

Mary's song

Blue homespun and the bend of my breast
keep warm this small hot naked star
fallen to my arms. (Rest…
you who have had so far
to come.) Now nearness satisfies
the body of God sweetly. Quiet he lies
whose vigor hurled
a universe. He sleeps
whose eyelids have not closed before.

His breath (so slight it seems
no breath at all) once ruffled the dark deeps
to sprout a world.
Charmed by dove’s voices, the whisper of straw,
he dreams,
hearing no music from his other spheres.
Breath, mouth, ears, eyes
he is curtailed
who overflowed all skies,
all years.

Older than eternity, now he
is new. Now native to earth as I am, nailed
to my poor planet, caught that I might be free,
blind in my womb to know my darkness ended,
brought to this birth
for me to be new-born,
and for him to see me mended
I must see him torn.

Luci Shaw

2006-12-18T14:20:00.000Z

Arrived safe and solid!

I'm posting from Targu Mures, Romania today.

The week preceding my travel yesterday was a beast. On monday evening i took ill and spent the rest of the week either on the bog, in bed or slumped out on the sofa. Fortunately i don't get ill all that often....about once every 5 years or so i reckon......and thats a good job because i don't do sick very well. I pretty much feel like i'm dying the whole time! Last week was bad though because with each day i got closer to romania and really didn't seem to be improving. At certain moments i wondered if i would make it. Thankfully on sunday things swung round for the better.....i had my first solid desposit for almost a week in Dublin airport which was a moment of much internal joy!!

So there you go I'm now here all in one piece. The journey went well. All the bags made it. They contained alot of presents from people at home and also a fairly substantial lump of ham!!! Nothing out of the ordinary happened along the way but the air hostess between budapest and targu mures was called Barbi...thought that was humourous!

Anyhow now looking forward to a couple of weeks with paul and fiona. In the few hours we've already spent together it has been great just catching up. It's going to be a fun trip.

2006-12-06T16:07:00.000Z

Turkey packing!

Christmas dinner took on a whole new meaning for me last night.

The father of one of the lads heading to kenya with us next summer is a turkey farmer and he offered to donate some money to the fund if a few of us came down to the farm last night to help them load turkeys on to a truck.

Before heading down i was warned that it would be hard work....this turned out to be the understatement of the century!!!

We started at 8.00 and had, over the next 5 hours, 4000 turkeys to load on to 3 trucks. The procedure was fairly straight forward. Some of the lads caught the turkeys by sneaking up behind them and grabbing their legs, they then passed them to us, the carriers, who took them to the packers who then put them into crates on the trucks. For the first hour or so i managed to carry a turkey in each hand but after that i began to cramp up big style and just had to settle for 1 in two hands apart from when i got two light turkeys. I did feel like a bit of a fruit for this.....lots of the other lads managed 1 in each hand for the whole evening! Being rugby players i think they expected more of us too!

Anyhow, even at one turkey for a fair bit of the evening, by the end of night my hands were red raw, my arms pretty powerless and several parts of my back very close to spasm...in short, i was goosed!!! I can truly say it was probably the hardest nights work i've ever done. The good news is that we have another night at it tomorrow but only 2000 birds to shift this time!

The whole experience has reminded me that i might need to get out on a building site before we go to kenya so i can toughen up a bit. It has also led to me seriously considering chicken for christmas dinner.....at least they'd be a bit lighter to carry!

2006-12-05T11:29:00.000Z

Landon makes a new video

2006-11-23T16:45:00.000Z

What’s your carbon shoe size??

If you're anything like me your lifestyle is quite likely leaving a fairly substantial 'carbon footprint' on the earth and not helping a great deal with the problem of climate change. My biggest weaknesses are the amount i drive and the amount i fly.

It's possible for you to work out your carbon footprint here. The same site gives some advice on ways to both reduce your carbon footprint and also to offset it. One way they suggest to offset it is through planting trees. Apparently i should plant 10 trees to offset my footprint!

Sounds like a fun afternoon's activity!! I also reckon it would be cool to watch them grow! According to a report on the bbc this is 'national tree week' so maybe sometime this week would be apt!

2006-11-16T23:39:00.000Z

away with the fairies

tonight i played rugby and got concussed. i'm only coming around again now - about 2 and 1/2 hours later. it was a very weird feeling. my memory disappeared entirely for about 20 minutes. my first memory after being hit on the head is of talking to some of the boys in the changing room after the game. they informed that i had been talking serious gibberish for quite some time on the field but that i had played away as normal and even put one of them in for a score. i have absolutely no memory of this period. in the changing rooms i have recollections of boys laughing at me and kinda feeling like what I imagine drunkeness to feel like. i remember little bits and pieces from here although its all a bit cloudy. i remember looking at my clothes and not remembering wearing them before that day, i had to be reminded about a kenya meeting that I was supposed to lead after the game and that i'd also planned for a fair bit of the day, i even had to be ushered out of the showers after i'd apparently spent too long in there. i don't even remember walking to the showers.

thankfully i had the sense to hand my keys to someone else and was driven down the road...again i only have partial memory of this drive .... the man that drove me down the road told my parents that i didn't shut up the whole time (nothing strange there perhaps!?).

anyway since coming home things have slowly come back to me.... the first while i spent piecing together information by looking at my diary and also by talking to my new girlfriend on the phone (<----well slipped in eh!). About an hour ago i was able to remember most things in my head but they were only facts with very little emotional connection...nothing felt real. that was a scary phase as i pondered how long i would stay like that. however an hour has made a big difference i now feel reasonably with it again both mentally and emotionally.

not nice. i now need to find out what i talked about when i was talking gibberish. unfortunately i'll also miss 2 weeks rugby now......standard after a knock like this.....minor i suppose given that i have my memory and emotions back!

2006-11-06T12:19:00.000Z

The last couple of months have unearthed what i believe to be two of the best local blogs so far......make sure you check them out.

Micah

+

Dave

2006-11-02T18:24:00.000Z

The amish: A backward people or revolutionaries?

I know what i thought when i read this article.

Killer's wife salutes Amish mercy

The grieving Amish community has reached out to the Roberts familyThe widow of a man who shot dead five Amish girls at a school in the US state of Pennsylvania has thanked the Amish community for their love and support.

Marie Roberts said she and her family were "overwhelmed by the forgiveness, grace and mercy" shown to them following the murders on 2 October.

Local man Charles Roberts killed himself after his shooting spree. The Amish have said they forgive him and have helped set up a fund for the Roberts family at a local bank. [more]

via some of emma's friends at aardv:ark

2006-10-30T19:04:00.000Z

pb

got myself 5 tries on saturday which is a personal best - even sweeter to do it against belfast harlequeers!

2006-10-30T18:58:00.000Z

2 in a row.

with 90, 110 miles on it, my car passed its second MOT this week. and i didn't even get it serviced beforehand....just a £4 wash at Bells Service Station Crossgar(which incidently is probably the best car wash i've been to. you pay for time not a programme. £1 gives you 100 seconds and you can use it as you please, changing from shampoo, to hot brush, to rinse, to gloss as many times as you please within that time - the flexibility is great!).

thanks to the germans for the sturdy motor!

2006-10-30T18:18:00.000Z

heres an idea (or two) for a pretty good friday evening.

idea #1 begin your evening by coming and testing your trivia knowledge at the table quiz taking place at ballynahinch rugby club at 7.45. in doing so you'll have a decent evening's craic, maybe win a spot prize or two and help a team of us get to go to kenya to build some houses for some people who could do with them.

idea #2 after the quiz is done, go home and stick on bbc2. somewhere around 11.35 you'll hit into 'later with jools holland' which is always a pleasant experience - this week muse are playing - can't be a bad thing - and also local lad duke special whose doing some cracking stuff at the minute.

(if you want idea#3 to make an even better night, my recommendation would be to stop at Stevies (Foo Kwai) for a curry beef and chips at around 6.45 and you'll have plenty of tasty energy to get the brain cells going for the quiz!)

2006-10-27T09:35:00.000Z

burning the candle at both ends

deep in assignment teritory at the minute. i had one for yesterday and one for monday coming. despite the mountain of past experiences that would tell me not to leave work till the last minute i've done it again and am spending nearly every waking hour in front of a computer. my eyes are sore, i definitely haven't enough sleep, my index finger is getting sore from scrolling with the mouse and motivation is now seriously waning. by monday it will all be over, at least until next month when the next deadline swings around!

2006-10-20T22:59:00.000Z

2006-10-04T17:21:00.000Z

Playing at Murlough!

sparkle sent me this one through this week and i was very grateful.

2006-10-04T16:39:00.000Z

Year 2 UUJ

Back at uni now. Started last monday and it became clear fairly quickly that 2nd year is going to be a fair bit harder than first year. I'm taking modules in Physiology, Biomechanics and PE, all of which i find fairly fascinating so that should make things feel slightly laborious!

I've also started a few new coaching efforts in the last fortnight. Firstly I've been helping a couple of hours each week with the gymnastics club at uni. This involves lots of little kids doing a pile of fun stuff that i thought had been lost with health and safety, child protection etc. They're getting to swing from bars, climb rope ladders, vault over boxes, try handstands/cartwheels etc. And they love it.....I also started some basketball at school in Ballynahinch this week.

It's been fun feeling like a rookie coach again! Lots to learn in both sports as i've been reminded when things didn't go quite to plan! However I'm being reminded of how rewarding it is at that moment when you give a young person that little bit of information that enables them to accomplish a task they couldn't achieve beforehand.

On the downside of uni....my student finance stuff arrived today and has all been ballsed up! They must have mixed up forms or something as they have me down as a non-income assessed, 1st year student, studying medicine at Glasgow uni......all of those details being absoultely incorrect! I am now going to have to try and track down the relevant people and get it sorted out but have a worrying feeling that might prove more difficult than i'd . I already hit an array of answering machines this afternoon!