Weekend Magnifico

Yet another wonderful weekend. Unlike most weekends, I did not run around trying to do everything. On Saturday, I attended my classes at Pineapple. Last weekend, I watched a jazz class by a woman named Maria and I absolutely loved her style. Her movements were very powerful and passionate and her choice of music was interesting and one that I had never listed to nor danced to so I was looking forward to attending her class this weekend. Attending new classes are exciting but like a child who is attending the first day of school it's also a bit nerve racking because you never know if you are going to "get it" or flow with the rest of the class. Maria's class was challenging and I had a great time. I look forward to taking more classes with her. I also took my regular technique class but decided to skip Ballet with Keith because I was extremely tired. After dance class, I came home and I CHILLED. There were a number of things that I wanted to do on Saturday afternoon but I decided that I would give my mind and body a break. I did end up going into the office for a few hours to catch up on stuff but it felt good to also relax and not be on a schedule.

On Sunday, I attended my usual Sunday jazz dance class with one of my favorite teachers Fluer and then later met up with my friend/colleague Ruth for a spa treatment. My last spa treatment was in Aruba in September 2006. I have been so exhausted recently that a few hours at the spa was exactly what I needed. So at 4pm we met at Illuminata in Mayfair. This was my first trip to Mayfair and like most neighborhoods in London, this one was simply amazing. The architecture of the buildings were beautiful and there were a number of antique furniture stores.I love antiques furniture so I found great pleasure in window shopping and marveling at the furniture which I hope to be able to afford sometime in the near future.

Ruth and I had a great time at the spa. We started off in the steam room for 20 minutes which was wonderful. I have not spent much time in steam rooms and especially not before a massage but the masseuse explained that steaming prepares the entire body for the massage. After hanging out in the stream room, I had an aromatherapy massage. It was exactly what I needed. I have not been that relaxed for months.

After our massage, with bright smiles on our face we had dinner at an English pub. We ordered a traditional English dish-- fish and chips and spent the time talking, laughing, sharing and relaxing.

Ah... what a wonderful weekend. God truly is good!

Double D Takes On London

After seeing Ballet Rakatan (see post below), I rushed home to my flat to meet my friend/soror/god sister/sssssiiiiittter (the latter reference is a private joke) Modupe Akinola fondly known to friends and family as "Dupes."

Left: Hanging out in Covent Gardens after my dance classes.

Dupes and I have known one another since we were in college. She attended Harvard University in Cambridge and I attended Wesleyan in Middletown. My memory does not recall the exact moment that we met. It's kind of weird because if you are black and high school in Manhattan and later attended college in the Northeast (CT, Boston, New Hampshire, etc), a member a fraternity and sorority or a member of ABC or Prep for Prep, then you "know of" or are "known by" a very small group of people. So we knew "of one another" for a few years. Our friendship began with a chance meeting at a club in Boston, we later joined the same church (shout out to the Union Baptist Church), gave our life to Christ (along with our other Peeps Crew made up of JAM, Frantz, Marene, Ellyn and Shani) and became fast friends and sisssttters.

Prior to her arrival in London, I had not seen Dupes since our reunion with the Peeps in Atlanta. So I was looking forward to catching up to her and silently praying that we did not work each others nerves.

She arrived on Saturday evening and we spent the night talking and catching up. On Sunday, I attended my dance classes while Modupe walked around Covent Gardens. We met up later, did some shopping and went to church at Ruach Ministries. I was really excited about sharing my church experience with her but unfortunately, there was a guest pastor and she did not have the chance to experience the phenomenal teaching of Pastor John Francis.

Throughout the week, work was pretty hectic so Dupes spent most of day sleeping, working and sightseeing. However, we did have the chance to have dinner at Busaba, one of my favorite Thai restaurants. We also attended an arts opening that my aunt invited us to which was pretty cool. At the end of the week, we went to my aunt's private club for a champagne mixing class. We didn't stay there too long because Dupes could not take the smoke and the people got on her nerves but I love that private club which is located in a beautiful brownstone and I was happy to have the opportunity to hang out with my aunt for a bit because I had not seen her for a few week. Dupes left on Saturday to spend the rest of the weekend with her family before returning to Boston.

All in all, we had a great week together. We hung out, prayed in the mornings, shared meals, danced to gospel music until the wee hours of the morning and had a good time. I count it a blessing that God has allowed so many of friends to visit me during my stay in London. It's yet another reminder that He is thinking about me and that's because He loved me!

Saturday, June 2 in Review

Soooooooo. . . as usual, I started the weekend utterly exhausted. I took a break on Friday evening and had drinks with two of my favorite colleagues-- Ruth and Yvette who have become good friends of mine. The last several weeks have been rough for the three of us so we decided to go out and chill a bit. We had a wonderful time talking, laughing and sharing. After drinks, I unfortunately had to come back to work and I ended up leaving around midnight. Drinks with the girls were a wonderful way to begin the weekend.

As much as I wanted to go to my usual dance classes bright and early on Saturday morning, I simply could not get out of bed so I slept in for a bit and took a 1pm ballet class with my favorite ballet teacher Keith. I love ballet because it totally relaxes me. It hurts like hell but it relaxes me and silences my mind which is normally running in several directions. Keith was a bit hard on me and I really was not in the mood but I know that it is a necessary evil. Anyway, since I was totally off of my dance schedule, I decided to try a different dance class-- jazz with Janet Doyle. I have taken so many forms of jazz classes out here that it's not even funny. Each teacher and class has a very different style yet the foundation was the same. Janet was very different than every teacher that I have experienced. She was incredibly positive and encouraging. Her corrections were gentle and she made you feel good about yourself. She had a very strong British accent and truthfully, I had NO clue what she was saying most of the time but thank God for the gift of sight because I was okay as long as I watched her movements very closely. Even though I was off my normal dance schedule, the classes that took on Saturday were wonderful.

Photo: Ballet Rakatan, a cuban dance company

No matter how many hours I work a week, I force myself to remember that I am in London and I cannot sleep through the weekend. So after dance class, I went to see "Ballet Rakatan" a Cuban dance company that had come to town. I had a little war going on within myself because I was incredibly exhausted but I was determined to fight through the exhaustion so that I could see this dance company. It was worth the sacrifice because Ballet Rakatan was AMAZING. They were EXTRAORDINARY. They were EXHILARATING. The Latin dances, the clear influence of African dance and the company's technical skills were simply incredible. The costumes were fascinating. Red. Yellow. Orange. Blue. Ruffles. Long skirts. Layers. Patterns. Pin strips. Some of the costumes were too tight and others were too short. The costumes combined with the dances electrified the experience. I have always admired salsa and flamenco from afar and dipped in and out a few classes but I left with the desire to get those two disciplines under my belt. If you have the chance to see Ballet Rakatan you should definitely seize the opportunity to see them.

Te-Mika Visits London

Left: Saturday evening at a loung named "Essence"

I was very excited that my friend Te-Mika intended to visit me in London. Te-Mika and I have been friends for about 8 years (time sure does fly). We met at an event at Harvard Law School where I was ministering through dance with my former dance ministry Consecration Ministries. Te-Mika, then a law student at Harvard Law School, helped organize the event which invited Consecration Ministries to the law school to dance as part of their Sunday service. During my travels with Consecration Ministries throughout the New England area, I came across thousands of people but for some reason Te-Mika and I stayed in contact. We became very good friends and developed a close friendship over the years. She is a woman who is not only very smart but is truly after God's own heart.
Left: Tuesday evening Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club

In October 2006, I was honored to be a bridesmaid in Te-Mika's wedding and I had not seen her since then. As soon as she bought her ticket to London, I immediately planned a 5 day schedule of all of the wonderful things that we would do in London. Unfortunately, things became very hectic at work and when Te-Mika arrived not only did we not do anything that I had planned on our schedule but I saw very little of her. This was a very very difficult week at work for me and I felt horrible that one of my dearest friends came to visit me from the states and I would see very little of her. I literally worked about 15 hours a day almost every day. We did spend some time together and I tried to make the best of it.

Although I saw very little of her, I was thankful that she was here because the last few days were challenging for me emotionally and physically. In some ways, even though Te-Mika's visit was not at all what I had planned (nor what she had planned), I felt that God had sent her here to comfort me because I was under a tremendous amount of stress and pressure. It would have been very unpleasant to endure what I had been experiencing alone. I am thankful of the time that we did spent together. We went to some of my favoite restaurants including an Indian restaurant named Mehat and a dim sum restaurant named Ping Pong. On Monday night, I met her at Ronnie Scott's a very famous jazz club in London (although I was four hours late and did not get there until midnight). It was my first time going to a jazz club and even though I had missed most of the set, it was exactly what I needed to relax.

During her stay she shared some principles about a book that she had been reading called "Boundaries in Marriage" by Dr. Cloud and Dr Townsend. The authors have a series of books about boundaries. Some of the concepts that she shared with me were very thought provoking. With the backdrop at all that had taken place that weekend and over the last few weeks, it became very clean that I needed to set some boundaries not only at work but in all areas of my life.

While the weekend was not anything that I had planned, it was apparent that God had sent her from DC to London to comfort me because He had the foresight to know (being the all knowing God that He is) that I was under a tremendous amount of stress and pressure and I needed someone to encourage and comfort me. The Word of the weekend was about boundaries. I look forward to not only reading this book but allowing the Holy Spirit to give me the power and the courage to set some boundaries so that I can powerfully live the life that God intends for me to live. Selah.

My Cousin's Birthday

I spent the weekend working and running around London like a chicken with its head cut off. This seems to be a regular in my life and it is more than apparent that I need to work on balance. The highlight of this weekend was attending my cousin Femi's birthday party.

Femi's birthday dinner was supposed to be a surprise planned by his girlfriend Haley but guess who ruined it? Yours truly. About two weeks ago, I received a text from Haley inviting me to Femi's surprise dinner, she had mentioned it a few days earlier when we were having dinner at my aunt Eudie's house so I was not at all surprised to receive the text message. The problem is that I do not know how to work my UK cell phone. In addition, I am horrible about checking text messages and voicemail messages at home and on the cell. I check them maybe once or twice a week-- hey, I am busy woman. When I received the text message it had been two days after she had originally sent it. A week later I emailed my cousin Femi and apologized profusely for missing his "surprise birthday dinner that Haley had planned." He responded to my email with utter confusion because his birthday was still a week and a half away. I was mortified but we decided that we would not share this with his girlfriend.

Fast forward to this weekend- it was clear that his dinner was not a surprise but Haley seemed to be okay with this. I wanted to confess to Haley but decided to keep my mouth shut and unless asked, I was not going to admit to being the one who ruined the surprise. Anyway, we had a lovely time. Approximately 18 of Femi's friends and co-workers met at a Thai restaurant named Busabi. I had eaten at this restaurant when Astrid and Nira were in town and was appalled that we had to stand on line for 20 minutes to get in. Thankfully, this weekend Haley rented a private room for Femi's birthday dinner and I was able to whisk right in. The food was phenomenal and his friends are wonderful people. After dinner a small group of us went dancing at a lounge/bar nearby. The wonderful thing about having male cousins is that you can use them as stand-in boyfriends when random men try to talk to you and dance with you. I do not remember the name of this lounge but the music was great. I continue to be amazed at how much of an influence American music has internationally---especially hip hop music. We danced to Beyonce, Faith Evans, Biggie Smalls, Tupac and Chubb Rock (remember him?). All in all, I had a great time. I love hanging out with my cousins-- they are the brothers that I have always wanted. It feels like they have always been a part of my life. I count this as a tremendous blessing. Their girlfriends Haley and Effie are wonderful women and alot of fun as well. In sum, I had a great weekend. Whenever I am with good people, good food and good music, I am sure to have a blast. See . . . it does not take much to make me happy.

My Weekend in Bath

Left: PJ and I having dinner at a noodle bar named Wagamama

I have had a truly phenomenal weekend. The United Kingdom has several "Bank Holidays" which are three day weekends and no one truly understands why we have them but we do. Upon realizing that we had a three day weekend I decided that I wanted to go to Spain. To make a long story short-- I did not really come up with the idea until three days ago and it was such short notice that a trip to Spain would have been too expensive. So I decided to make the most of the weekend even though I could not travel abroad.

On Friday, my friend (and now soror) PJ came into town. PJ is actually a friend of my friend and former roommate Ellyn. They attended Barnard together. PJ is from the Bahamas and we met several years ago when Ellyn, our friend Marene and I went to the Bahamas in 2000. We had an amazing time. That vacation is one of many memories that will remain close to my heart. Even though PJ and I did not stay in contact over the years, I have never forgotten her tremendous hospitality and was looking forward to catching up. So on Friday, PJ and I decided to go to the theater and the dinner. We saw Porgy and Bess which was phenomenal and had dinner at a noodle bar named Wagamama. It was a lovely evening and we had the opportunity to catch up everything that had been happening in our lives over the last seven years.

Saturday morning, my cousin Lesley, her friend Aziza and I took a three hour bus trip to Bath. Even though I was terribly disappointed that I had to miss my dance classes, I was looking forward to the trip because it was my first time traveling outside of London since my arrival. To be honest, I did not know much about Bath other than the fact that there there is"a Bath" there and it had something to do with "the Romans." When we arrived at the destination, Bath was truly more beautiful than I could put into words. And "The Roman Bath" was simply extraordinary. The architecture and the history was breathtaking.

I do not want to bore you with too many details (although being that I was a history major, I did take extensive notes on the tour) but in Bath, the Romans built an extensive temple and bathing complex now known as the "Roman Bath" or "The Great Bath." This is the only bath in the United Kingdom that flows with natural warm water. It is believed that the water is from rain which fell in 4 A.D.and the rain has percolated over several centuries years thus making the water which come from the earth in the Roman Bath warm. History reveals that the Roman Baths were bulit in 43 AD in honor of a goddness named Sulis Minerva. Many Romans would come to the bath when they needed healing and would provide an offering to the goddess. The Bath was rediscovered in the 18th century. Bath (the town) has seen many wars over the years but the Roman Bath has generally stayed intact. I could go on and on but again, I don't want to bore you. Bath is simply amazing and if you ever make it to London you should take some time to travel there. Also located in Bath is Jane Austin's home unfortunately, we were not able to take a tour because you arrived too late. While it took three hours to get to and back from Bath, it was definitely worth the trip.

On the way back, I had an extensive conversation with my cousin about family matters. It was very interesting. I am still making sens of all that was shared between us but all I have to say is that things are not always what they seem and it is ever so important that we remember this especially as it relates to complicated family matters. I met Lesley for the first time 4 years ago when I visited London with my dad for Lesley's sisters wedding. Since they we have stayed in touch and this trip provided a wonderful opportunity to cement our relationship. This weekend was truly wonderful. And God is revealing some things. He is in the business of revealing and unveiling and we have to be prepared for those things that he is trying to uncover. I am sure that I am loosing you but be blessed.

Sixth (?) Weekend in London

Hanging out at "The Light" with some Ny and London co-workers on saturday night.

Family Dinner on Sunday

Hanging out with the boys on Sunday at the family dinner

I believe that I have been in London for at least 6 six weeks. Time flies so quickly. It brings home the fact that you really need to make the most of everything and every experience in life because you can never get time back. I had a wonderful weekend. As always it was too short. Friday, I went to a firm party and then came home at chilled. "Chilling" is a word that is not in my vocabulary but I am working on it. I did have moments of panic on Friday evening because I had nothing to do and nothing to fret about and nothing stress out about.

Saturday, on the other hand, was a busy day. I woke up and took my dance classes which were simply awesome awesome awesome. They get me moving emotionally, spiritually and physically in a way that nothing else does. After dance class, I intended on doing some sightseeing but that didn't happen. Instead I ran around London (window) shopping (sorta). It is quite embarrassing that I do not know where most of the well known sites are located in London (ie Trafalgar Square, the Tate Museum, etc) but I do know where every single high end and low end department store is located (Harrods, Selfridges, Top Shop, Primark, etc). I need to work on doing more site seeing and less shopping while I am out here. I am closing soon and my budget needs to be tightened a bit. Saturday evening, I went to a birthday party and hung out with some work friends. It was cool. It was nice to catch up with people instead of running pass them in the halls on the way to a closing or conference call. Pretty much any activity that I engage in out here is fun because it requires me to travel to various locations in London and this gives me the opportunity to see more of London, learn about the different neighborhoods and take the oh so complicated train system called the "Tube" which really should be known as a the "Maze." I do not think I have ever had so much fun taking the train in my life.

Sunday, I went to church which is always a blessing and then I had dinner with my family. I met yet another cousin who was visiting London from Florida. I had and always have so much fun with my family. Even though I've only met these people within the last few weeks, I feel so comfortable around them and I feel so much love. It's kinda weird because up until now, I only had female cousins and over the last few weeks I realized that I have several male cousins-- all in my age group. I have so much fun hanging out with them because they have jokes jokes jokes. They are always up to something odd. Their humor has taken me a bit to get used to because it requires that I stay on my toes and always have quick comebacks. They are crass, borderline rude and definitely tactless (I mean this with love) but after you get over the shock of what has come out of their mouths you cant help but laugh because they are so silly. Definitely great lessons on not taking life or yourself so seriously. This weekend they all had their digital cameras and found great fun in taking pictures every 10 seconds. The worse one looked in the photo, the more funny they thought it was. Family time was a wonderful way to end the weekend. All in all, I had a great great great weekend. To God Be the Glory!

My Linesisters & I in London

Left: Astrid and I at dinner on Friday evening

Two days after my mother's departure, Astrid and Nira were scheduled to visit me in London. Astrid and Nira are my linesisters and we pledged the Pi Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta in 1993. Astrid attended Yale undergraduate and Harvard Law School and she is a practicing lawyer. Nira attended Yale undergraduate and is a writer. We have a great friendship and I was looking forward to seeing them. While we have taken local trips together (ie Martha's Vineyard and the Hamptons), it was the first time that we had traveled internationally as a threesome. I was definitely worried because I did not do ANY work while my mother was in town and I had so much to catch up on. I worked until insane hours (like I always do) with the hope that I would catch up on all of my assignments so that I could spend quality time with them. We haven't had a "sleep over" since we were college and I was looking forward to seeing them. Unfortunately the plan did not work. On their first night here, I ended up spending 30 hours at work (yes, that would mean no sleep) trying to finish a document which had major errors that I had only discovered at 4am in the morning. When I got home, I was so exhausted that I could barely engage in a decent level of conversation with them. Fortunately Astrid and Nira came to London together so they could entertain one another during the day which left me feeling less (although not much) guilty about being emotionally and physically drained. Despite my work schedule we did manage to spend some time together. While I did not have the opportunity to do any site seeing with them, we did manage to have dinner every evening and even hit a few clubs. It was definitely nice having company and being with my long time friends!

London, Mommy & Me

Upon returning from my recent visit to the states, my mother accompanied me back to London. Since 9/11, my mother has been very nervous about flying. She has flown a few times for business trips but each trip was made with a huge amount of fear and trepidation. As result, I sincerely appreciated the fact that she was willing to travel to London to spend some time with me.

My mother and I are fortunate enough to have a very close relationship (when I am in the states we talk about 5 times a day-- everyday) and I was looking forward to spending time with her in London. We traveled a bit when I was a child but it had been over a decade since we have taken a vacation together. So, last Monday morning at 5am, as we traveled in the cab to JFK, I was filled with extreme excitement-- just like a child going to Disney World for the first time.
(to the left is a picture of us with my mother's first cousins)

Upon arriving in London after our 7 hour flight, she stayed up all night helping me pack (truthfully, she did all of the packing) my apartment because I was moving into a new flat on the next morning. There is nothing like a mother's devotion. After moving into the new flat, she spent the first day or so relaxing, recovering from jet lag and checking out the surrounding neighborhood to "'make sure that her baby was okay.'" I had a ton of work to do at the office but I was determined to spend some quality time with my mother this weekend. Easter in London is a big deal so everyone had off on Good Friday as well as Monday (the day after Easter known as "Easter Monday").

(to the right is a picture of the my cousins from my mother's side)

It was challenging to organize my mother's schedule. She is a very low maintenance woman (I have no idea how she ended up with me) but it was really important to me that she a great time in London. I have 11 cousins from my dad's side who live in London and my mother has 9 cousins and a bunch of nieces and nephews whom she had never met before. In addition, a friend of mine was in town and I really wanted to have the opportunity to see her as well. Furthermore, there is so much to do and see in London, I at least wanted my mom to experience some of it. So, planning a productive yet fun schedule for her became a part time job for me.

The efforts that I put into this weekend were worth it (I hope she feels the same way). We went to the Museum of London which is located across the street from my flat to see an exhibition of the 200th Year Abolishment of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The exhibition documents the slave trade that took place in England as well as current forms of slavery taking place around the world today. We also visited Buckingham Palace (which is amazing!) and took a tour of the Queen's Art Gallery located within Buckingham Palace (totally boring). I clearly had to squeeze a trip to Harrods (of course) into her schedule as well as some of the other well known shopping areas in London. Harrods is like no other department store I have seen before. It really is a department store located in a museum. The architecture within the store is absolutely stunning. There is an Egyptian theme which runs throughout the store. The ceilings and walls are etched with pyramids and various Eygptian figures. Harrods also has a memorial section dedicated to Princess Diana and Dodi. Though my mom and I both agreed that with the current exchange rate, London is entirely too expensive, we could not help but buy clothes, bags, and little trinkets for friends and family members.

On Saturday, my first cousins from my dad side planned a dinner for her. They had not seen her since I was 3 years old. I was a little nervous because I was not sure what the vibe was going to be like but they welcomed both of us with open arms. Watching my mom hang out with my dad's family was truly a work of God and once again it revealed the fact that God will honor our heart's desires. Sometimes you may not know all of the desires of your heart until they happen before your eyes.

On Easter Sunday, we had dinner with my mother's first cousins. She had not seen her cousins in 3o years. As children they shared a very close relationship which entailed spending weekends and holidays in each other's home. Seeing the excitement on their faces and my mother's truly warmed my heart. Several years ago, one of my uncle had been diagnosed with cancer and was told that he wasn't going to live for more than a year. As children my mother and my uncle spent alot of time together. The love and joy that they share for one another after 30 years of being apart, was a privilege to experience. We had a wonderful Easter dinner around the table. I had the opportunity to get to know my cousins (I met them a few weeks ago for the first time) and my mother and my uncles attempted to catch up on everything under the sun. Sunday dinner truly felt as if my cousins had always been a integral part of my life.

My parents immigrated to the states before I was born. While immigration provides wonderful opportunities for many families, one negative effect is that people settle all over the world thus making it very difficult to stay in contact. Because only a small number of my family members live in the states, I count it as a tremendous blessing that God has given me the opportunity to meet and form relationships with my family members in London that I never knew existed.

I love hanging out with my family members. They are fun, funny and good hearted folks who are hard working and honest. I also enjoy hanging out with them because I get a peak into what life was like for them while growing up in a different country. I could spend hours upon hours listening to stories about my parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great grandparents. Each story provides insight which gives me the opportunity to know my mother a little better and have a deeper understanding of my family and their history. These stories are also very important to me because if I am ever fortunate enough to have children, it is important that they know that they have a history, a legacy and a heritage that they should be proud of.
(the picture to the left is of family members from my dad's side)

All and all the week was fabulous. We did however, have a few bumps in the road. . on Saturday someone cursed at my mother on the tube (rest assured, you know I handled that with the quickness). On Sunday morning, on the way to church, we were being followed in the tube by a strange man who looked crazy. After we got rid of him, we arrived to church only to discover that Easter service was being held at another location. When we arrived to the location (half an hour later), there was a weird vibe going on and I didn't feel comfortable so we left. On our way back home from church, we took the wrong bus and continuously had the weirdest encounters with what had to be every crazy person who lives in London. However, inspite of these few stumbling blocks, it was a weekend filled with good food, laughter and much love.

I am so honored that God has given me the chance to spend time with my mother over the last few days. I have wonderful memories of the time that we have spent with one another and with our family members. I will hold these memories and experiences dear to my heart forever and ever.

From London to NY to London in 96 Hours

I have ALOT going on in my life right now so this is definitely not the opportune time for me to be in London. Among many things happening, one of the most important is that I am closing on my first home any day now. I am moving back to my old stomping ground--Harlem USA and I have been in contract for the last year. If you currently own a home then I am sure you can imagine what a challenge it is to close on a place from a different country. Last weekend, I flew back to NY in order to get some things in order on this front. I have also been doing some press for the developers of the building that I am purchasing so in addition to packing my apartment, talking to lenders and looking into movers, I spent some time conducting interviews and taking pictures for various newspapers. I am sure this sounds exciting but in the midst of all that I have going on, I found myself asking on more than one occasion exactly how I "had managed to spread myself so thin. . . again and again."
(to the left is a picture of my friend Simone, a member of Allen, and Jamila a former colleague of mine from the firm who I invited to attend the retreat.)
In addition to tending to matters relating to my purchase, I had also planned to attend the Greater Allen Cathedral Women's Retreat. Thoughts of the retreat had me so excited that even though I was so exhausted from work, the excitement about experiencing all that God had in store for me at the retreat, kept me a wake every night
(to the left is a picture of my friend Yolanda who is also a member of the dance ministry)
I have attended the Women's Retreat every year for the last 5 years and I didn't plan on letting the fact that I am in London effect this commitment. Everyone thought that I was crazy for taking a 14 round hour trip back to the states and over the last several weeks, even I had moments of doubt but as I prepared for the 7 hour flight after working 72 hours during the week, I knew that the timing of the retreat could not be more perfect. I had been physically, emotionally and spiritually drained and I needed the solitude of dwelling with God and only the retreat could provide what I so desperately needed.

Unfortunately, the retreat did not totally go as I had planned. I am definitely a planner. . . things in my life are organized a certain way and when plans do not work the way that I intend them to, I tend to loose it . . . and loose it I did. The Word for me this weekend was that I need to "stay focused." Things happen. Life happens. The important part is not the details of "what happens, happened or may happen" but how you respond to the chain of events can make all of the difference in the world.

Although I battled various attempts to steal my joy, the retreat was a blessing. It was several days filled with teaching, preaching and meditating. It felt so good to be in the midst of God and His people. . . the members of Allen who have become like family. I miss ministering with the dance ministry and I was looking forward to seeing the piece which they had been working incredible hard on the for the last few weeks. I had the opportunity to dance with them during praise and worship during the retreat and also during service on Palm Sunday. It was a tremendous blessing to minister with them and praise God through dance. For me, dance ministry is truly the highest form of unadulterated worship and honor that I have to offer to God. The last few weeks have been rough but the retreat rejuvenated me, restored me, encouraged me and gave me the tools to engage in life more powerfully.

In addition to having a wonderful experience at the retreat, my mom is returning to London with me. It's been several years since we have had the opportunity to vacation together and I am looking forward to sharing a little piece of my life in London with her. She's also going to have the opportunity to see some of her cousins that she grew up with as a child. They have not seen one another for about 30 years. It should be an exciting time for my mom, and I am looking forward to all that God has prepared for us.

Although this transitition is tough, you CAN do thisand are not doing it alone. Give yourself a date thatyou will tell yourself o.k donna let's not only makethe best of this but turn this into God's blessing. Check out this thought from the hill from dec. I wentback in my daily thoughts to find something that couldbe of inspiration to you. hugs and kisses,Monika--- Daily Thoughts From the Hill wrote:> From: "Daily Thoughts From the Hill"> > To: > Subject: GOD SEES ME THROUGH> Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2006 00:01:06 -0500> > Saturday December 9, 2006> > > > GOD SEES ME THROUGH> > > > When life appears to be out of control and> > friends appear few, I rely on God to see me through.> > When the medicine no longer works and bills are> > overdue, I rely on God to see me through. When my> > children won't behave and my boss is on a tirade, I> > rely on God to see me through. When my heart is> > heavy from loss and depression has my voice, I rely> > on God to see me through. When the one I love has> > walked out the door and when I feel I can take no> more,> > I rely on God to see me through. When my heart is> > aching and I don't know what to do, God sees me> > through.> > > > I am glad to know that no matter what> > happens in my life God is an abiding presence that> will> > see me through. I never face a burden or a challenge> > alone. God sees me through. I rest in God and God> > brings quietness to my soul. I consciously reconnect> > to the peace which is God and God's abiding presence> > sees me through. Thanks, God. And so it is.> > > > "Do not worry over things, but always by prayer> > and supplication with thanksgiving let your> > requests be made known to God."> > Philippians 4:6 (Lamsa's Aramaic Translation)> > > > Daily Thoughts from the Hill> > Hillside Chapel & Truth Center, Inc.> > <http://www.hillsidechapel.org/>> http://www.hillsidechapel.org/> >

Home Away From Home: The Weekend With My Family

I spent the entire weekend meeting my aunts, uncles and cousins-- all of whom I met for the first time this weekend and I experienced pure unadulterated joy. During this weekend, I also came to understand exactly why I am in London. I will share more about this revelation when I have the emotional and spiritual energy to write it all down. I hope that you enjoy the photos and yes. . . we are the United Nations (literally).

Sightseeing Around London

London is filled with many alleyways. The buildings along each alley are so beautiful that you cannot help but walk down them. The architecture of each building is distinct and timeless. Along the alleyways, you will find many surprising treats like quaint coffee shops, restaurants, bar and cute boutiques.

Like NY, in London you will find people with many "gifts" and "ideas" about how to recreate themselves. To the left is "RAMBO-TTLE VIII." His costume is made out of plastic water bottles. He even had a gun made of watter bottles.

The dude playing the guitar makes weird sounds with his mouth. He sounded like chirping birds. It was quite odd.

The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) meet to conduct their business. The oldest part of the Palace still in existence, Westminster Hall, dates from 1097. The palace originally served as a royal residence but no monarch has lived in it since the 16th century. Most of the present structure dates from the 19th century, when the Palace was rebuilt after it was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in 1834. The House of Commons section was rebuilt in the 1940s, having been bombed in WWII. The building is an example of Gothic revival. One of the Palace's most famous features is the clock tower, a tourist attraction that houses the famous bell Big Ben.

The Tube, London's train system. It is the oldest underground transportation system in the world.
The "Eye of London" is a ferris wheel which acts as an observation desk. You can see all of London while riding this 30 minute wheel. To the far right is a picture of the Eye of London during the day time and to the left is a photo of the Eye of London from my Aunt's terrace.

English Dictionary for Americas & other notable information - 4th Installment

1. Mum = mom (BTW, today, March 18th is mother's day. Fortunately for my mother, she will be getting two Mother's Day gifts. One in honour (that's the way one spells "honor" in the UK) of Mum's Day in the UK and another in honor of Mother's Day in the states (I think that's sometime in May)

2. "Darling" is a very common word here. "Darling how are you?" "Darling, it's good to see you." Darling, come sit here with me."

3. Motorway = highway or freeway.

4. You must kiss people on both sides of the cheek. Outside of the work place, kissing on both sides of the cheek is a standard greeting.

5. Pissed = drunk (not angry)

6. 70 miles an hour is the speed limit for driving. (?!?!?)

Random. Random. Random

I had the MOST amazing day today. I broke down and cried a few times (yall know I am always crying anyway). I met 3 cousins. Tomorrow I meet 10 more!!!!!! I expect that I will be even more emotional. I am not sure how I will express what I am feeling on my blog. I don't think its possible to capture it in words. God is truly truly truly truly amazing. In hanging out with one of my aunts, I had a peep into why I am here. We have all heard people say this before but today it really sunk in--What God is doing in your life really has nothing to do with you. What God is doing in your life has NOTHING to do with you but it has everything to do with everyone around you. You are the vessel which has been chosen to get his work done. If we could just get a clue. . .if we could just yield to what he is doing through you . . . we will see a manifestation of God's work being done.

THE WORD OF THE DAY--- LOOK AT ALL AREAS OF YOUR LIFE---WHAT IS IT THAT YOU FEAR THE MOST?????? Please take a few moments to write down your fears.

MY REVELATION FOR TODAY IS "GOD HAS ALREADY MADE PROVISION FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU FEAR THE MOST!!!!"

PS The added bonus of this evening. . . is that I had the chance to ride in a convertible porche. All of my cousins have porches. Even the ones younger than me. I am not really into cars but hmmm gotta figure out what they are doing for a living so that I can do the same thing.

Random Revelation: "Dont' Miss the Move"

One of my biggest revelations while in London is that God cannot bless you until you are fully present in where He has placed you. If you are busy looking at what you left (whether it is a place, a mate, a previous lifestyle that you had etc. . . or in my case NY) you will miss what He is doing in your life currently. We spend so much time looking back at what we had or looking to the future to what we want (house, man, car, money, children) that we are missing the move of God as he is working here and now.

Paul says in Phil 4:11 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

I believe that being fully present is part of the "secret" that Paul is talking about. It is the conscious effort that one must make to be fully present. It is only when you are fully present that you can be in a place of contentment in "whatever circumstance." When you are fully present you recognize that where you are right now is where you are supposed to be. If you can get this, you will stop looking back and stop looking so far in the future so that you can experience God's move in your life now. And ony then can you really understand the concept of "doing everything through Him who gives me strength."

Don't miss the move (meaning the move of God). Practice being fully present.

The above is a photo of a beautiful church that I saw in Kennington, London as I was making my way to church last sunday.

Second Week in Review

Overall, I had a good week. I worked tremendously hard this week. I came home at 3am almost every day and slept like a baby for about 4 hours before having to get up and do it all over again. This week, I was so exhausted that the 20 extra large trucks parked outside of my window unloading meat, no longer disturbed me at night.

Throughout the week, my colleagues continued to stop by my office and introduce themselves to me. One young woman that I had met last week stopped by my office and gave me a copy of "Time Out London" that she had picked up for me. She shared that the particular issue of Time Out- London featured various arts related events throughout London that she thought I would be interested in and wanted me to have a copy. Her thoughtfulness deeply warmed my heart and it reminded me that people are inherently good and kind. It's this thoughtfulness that has helped my transition into living in London. I am thankful for every person that God has put in my path that makes each day just a little bit easier.

In spite of my incredibly busy week at work, I was determined to make the best of the weekend even though my body wanted nothing more than to sleep the entire weekend away.

I am normally not a morning person but as my mother has noted on more than one occasion, if getting up involves dance, church or liturgical, it doesn't take much to get me out of the bed in the morning. So on Saturday, I woke up at 8am (this is crazy early for me even on a work day) excited about the activities that I had planned for the day. My first stop was at Pineapple Dance Studio. I had taken a "Contemporary" dance class last week which was a lot of fun so I was looking forward to taking the "Pure Technique" class. Just as I imagined, I had a great time. It was difficult but I enjoyed myself tremendously even though every single movement killed me. That class woke up muscles that I didn't even know existed. Following this class, I took a "Commercial Jazz" class. I really wasnt sure what "Commercial Jazz" meant but I was looking foward to it. The class wasn't really my style and I won't be taking that class again yet I enjoyed myself and met some cool people while there. Pineapple doesn't make up for how much I miss BDC and liturgical but they will suffice for now and I look forward to going weekly.

After two classes at Pineapple, I decided to travel to the Portobello Market in Notting Hill (for you movie buffs, yes this is the area that Notting Hill with Hugh Grant was filmed). Notting Hill is known as one of the most affluent areas in London. The neighborhood is peppered with huge Victorian homes and going straight through the neighborhood is the Portobello Market. I imagined that Portobello Market would be similar to the street fairs that one would find throughout Manhattan during the summer. As a young child, my mother and I would be sure to hit every single street fair in the city. What I did not know about Portobello Market was that it spanned for 30 blocks-- which my feet were not prepared for. As I walked through the market, I noticed that you could literally find any item that you could ever imagine. There were antiques, jewelery, clothes, bags, furs (yes, furs), meat, art, fruits, vegetables, records (yes, records), furniture, fake Gucci bags and everything else that you could imagine. Surrounding the market were cute little cafes, restaurants and chic boutiques. I also saw several mini casinos on the strip.

I had a wonderful time walking through Portobello Market. Over the last week or so, it has become apparent that the moment I open my mouth, it is like an open invitation for conversation for anyone within earshot. People often look twice when they hear my "accent" (never knew I had an accent until I got here) and then the questions begin: Where are you from? What are you doing here? How long have you been here? What is life like in New York? How do you like London? What do you do for a living? Why are you doing it in London?Where do you live?. . . etc. etc. etc. Let's just say that my "accent" has made it very easy to meet people. Fortunately, I consider myself to be a friendly person (on most days) and I enjoy many of these conversation as it presents an opportunity to learn a little more about life in London.

After leaving the market, I thought about going to movies but the 90 hour work week, followed by the two rigorous dance classes and the 30 block walk through the Portobello Market left me with zero energy so I returned home in order to prepare for church on Sunday.

To round up the weekend, on Sunday, I had a wonder time at Rauch Ministries. In the evening, I spoke to my favorite uncle, my mom and then my dearest friend Nikki. All in all, I had a wonderful weekend.

Pictures (1) me looking and feeling wrecked after classes at Pineapple, (2) Portobello Market which extends for several blocks, (3) photos of the Victorian homes which look alot like brownstone which I love (cost: about 2 million pounds = 4 million dollars). I have always been enthralled by brownstones and Victorian homes so I took a few pictures.

English Dictionary for Americas - 3rd Installment

1. No one "loves" "likes" or "enjoys" anything. Every has a "fancy." I "fancy" sweet tea. I "fancy" shopping at Nottting Hill. I "fancy" going to the cinema.

2. No one "hates" a thing. But everyone has a bloody. I "bloody" standing on the crowded tube (see previous post for meaning of "tube").

3. "cents" = "pence"

4. "restroom" or "bathroom" = "toilet". No one knows what the heck I am talking about when I ask where the "restroom" is located.

5. "#" (we know this as the "pound" sign) = this symbol is known as "hash."

6. The Brits drive on the wrong side of the road. In the states, when driving on a two way street, one always drives to the right side. Here, everyone drives on the left side. Day after day, I nearly get hit by a car because I am constantly looking at the incorrect direction to see if a car is coming. And whenever you are looking for a car in the wrong direction, one is clearly *never* there. There have been a few close calls. In addition to driving on the opposite side of the road, the driver's seat is located in what we know to be the passenger's seat. It is totally weird and I cannot wrap my mind around this. Apparently, only three other countries drive like this-- South Africa is one but I cant remember the other two. I guess, it's inappropriate to say that "they drive on the wrong side of the street," who is to say which side is the correct one to drive on? It's the old "does the toilete seat belong up or down" argument.

7. You are allowed to bring your dogs on the bus. I am not talking about a small dog that you can place in a bag but I am talking about a D.O.G. Today, while on my way to church, this dude took his two very large pit bulls on the bus and no one batted an eye. I am sorry but I was floored. I am sorry but the bus was crowded and as far as I was concerned there was no room for two large pit bulls. . . .

8. Public "toilets" can be found throughout the streets. You have to pay to use them and they look pretty clean. (Sidebar-- I couldn't bring myself to use one but I did peaked in one to see what it looks like).