An Update

Work is all consuming at present. I'm working shifts... which means that my work rota and the hours I work, changes from week to week. One week I might end up working 36 hours, and the next it might be down to 27 hours. Its something that I'm still adjusting as it means that making plans weeks in advance is really tricky as I won't have my rota by then and so I won't know if I'll be working or not. It makes life interesting.

I never thought I'd find working in a pub so interesting and challenging at the same time. The hours I generally work are very antisocial as I'll be working when most people aren't and the other way around. Its helpful and not helpful at the same time. Often I can get things done, like going to the bank, that I wouldn't get done in a job with more regular hours. I've met and been able to serve many different types of people and its taught me so much about how to interact with everyone. For example, every Tuesday evening, The Coaching Halt hosts a very popular quiz night. Its normally fully booked, if almost fully booked. Every week we'll have both the regulars, who have been coming for ages, and then we'll have one off customers. Many will have drinks and sometimes a meal as well. Normally I end up serving the same people every week and some of them have know who I am, and where I came from.

Since I started working at The Coaching Halt, I've been asked where I'm from on an almost daily basis. I don't have a very English accent and most people pick up on this and will ask where I'm originally from. They're usually surprised when I say that I'm British Dutch by nationality, but was born and grew up in Africa. My necklace also has caused questions when noticed. I'm wearing a silver Africa pendent, given to me by my dad, over Christmas 2014 (the last Christmas I celebrated with my parents and siblings and the last time I was in Uganda).

In a way, when I was in Youth With A Mission, I somehow managed to have Christmas off and usually spent it with family, with the exception of my Discipleship Training School DTS outreach. This year, since I'm working in a pub that's open all year round, I'll be working on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day... I'll also be working over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. I've also got a very special person visiting me from Paris, my younger sister Hannah is coming over for a couple of days on Christmas Eve. Even though I'll be working, it'll give her the opportunity to get to know Andy and his family since she's the only one who hasn't met Andy yet. Its been almost two years since we saw one another. This was down to financial and time restrictions. We're both really excited about it!