Hippo Gnu Ear!

Hello! Yes, I know it's been a while but oh... the dramas!!! I don't know whether I mentioned the fact that my old laptop commited suicide (merry xmas to me!) btu I had to order a new laptop and get it delivered up at my Aunt's place where I have been since a few days before xmas. It is a reconditioned IBM and thus far I have noticed a few small problems, the most obvious of which is the space bar is temperamental, so I blend words together! So yes, new laptop, and wasn't at home, so didn't have my cable to download photos so I thought I would save it until i got home and could do that.
So.. xmas eve I went with my Aunt and Uncle to the village hall for an xmas carols event which I played 2 pieces on my clarinet at, and also participated in general sing-a-long-ness. It was different, but good, a nice community turnout. There was also this little boy who sang 'in the bleak midwinter' (a real uplifting carol) in proper church boy high pitch stuff. Was pretty good.
Then xmas day we had pressies ( i got the coolest monkey slipper socks that when u move ur feet they eat the bananas!) and croissants and then a proper xmas dinner (lunch) at one Aunts, then in the evening joined the other and all the family to play charades (family tradition) and open more pressies and other such family xmas-ness. It was young vs old in charades, and of course we won! HUZZAH!
Then on boxing day Marion and Linda (both aunts) and I went to see 'the holiday' at the movies which was a real tear jerker rom-com (apparently what we now must call romantic comedies). Then I headed back to Marion's as the grown ups (i know, i know) were going out to a neighbours for drinks.
I had an excursion to a local castle and the home of the porkpie at Melton Mewbray and Stamford, for a look around.
On the weekend I went back to Linda's and we went to Oxford (but the rain had been hanging around for a couple of days and came back to make our open top bus experience rather foggy and impossible to see, but at least I got a sense of what there is that I could go back and see). And on the way there we went to a little pub called the Turnpike and I had my very friest toad in the hole! Very Exciting!! That night though I developed the dreaded lurgy, which my cousin got on xmas day, and I have been sick since, with a rather bad head cold. Joy!
I got 12 hours sleep sat night so wasn't too bad for NYE! I spent it back at Marion's (even though they went over to Linda's) cos Louise and Dom's friends were coming over, and I have met them a couple of times now, and they are some of the nicest people in the world, as they welcome everyone in and are very warm! Oh yeah, i forgot to say when I first got up to Marion's I went out with them twice, once to a pub where they meet up with an old teacher from time to time, and the next night to one of their houses to experience their new Nintendo Wii (i won bowling, yes, thankyou! new record!). So I knew most of them. In the one room, with 12 people on NYE there was only 5 girls and 3 of us were called Rachel (Rachael)! How odd is that! It was a nice night!
Then yesterday i did NOTHING other than use a whole box of tissues, and I drove back down today to Bristol. My new years resolution is to try and spendless money on crap i don't need! I conquered last years! It was no maccas! I was having issues with a new years resolution for this year as some of the bigger goals i have had for myself I realised that I have actually come a good way to achieving in the last 5months of being here, like improved confidence and taking more risks, and improved ability to handle new social environments. I think I have had to tackle these head on being over here, especially with different schools and different countries and different housemates and different hostel dormmates, I have had to talk to more strangers than ever before and not be so scared of them, or take the attitude I wont see them again so why make the effort, which I can normally get away with. Maybe i'm becoming a grown up! EEEEEK! No! not gonna happen!