Bronia's Food Diary (Bronia's Life in England part 2)

One of the things I have enjoyed is tasting new foods. Here is just a small sample of what I've tried.

A favourite for me is enjoying a typical English tea.

This is a typical English breakfast, which is similar to an American one, but they include baked beans with their eggs, sausage, bacon, tomato, and roasted potatoes.

And of course I had to try Fish 'n Chips.

This Steak Pie was delicious. I have fallen in love with the meat pies and tea.

This is another typical English meal.  Yorkshire Pudding, roast beef, roasted potatoes and vegetables.

And it wouldn't be complete if I didn't try a few desserts.

                                           Raspberry pie with custard

                                               Lemon pie with custard

This is the store where I do most of my shopping, Tesco.  These escalators are magnetized, so you can take your cart to the different levels without rolling down.

After years of cooking for my family, I am learning to shop for just one person, so I have to be careful that I don't buy too much. I do love to shop for food though, choosing my own menu plan and then making the food. I don't eat out often, and I make my own dinners in the communal kitchen I share with other volunteers. Often it's simple and reminds me of home, like this Greek Salad.

Bronia's Life in England (Part 1)

Bronia has been serving in England for over three months.  Half her time there is already up. I asked her to write a description of what her days entail. I thought some of you might be interested to see what her life looks like in England.

From Monday to Friday I get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, do my face and hair, listen to music and read my Bible. 

(This is a picture of my room. My bed is immediately to the right, where you can see a pillow in the corner)

I go to the nursery at 8 so we (all the nursery workers) can have devotions together. Then my work day starts by filling up the water pitcher and baby bottles. The kids arrive around 8:25. My job at the nursery is to always make sure the doors are locked when the parents leave. When Miriam (the head nursery volunteer) is teaching, I try to make sure the kids are paying attention, and at snack time make sure the children have drinks. 

                                                   (The toddler room)

From now on, every Thursday and Friday I lead an activity and the Bible story time.  

We go outside for about an hour and if the weather is really nice we can go outside for longer. But if it's not nice we just stay inside. The kids' parents come around 12:20, and my morning is done. 

At around 1:00 I have lunch in the dining room with the students.  North Cotes College includes a one-year Bible School, a one-year cross-cultural training course (what my parents did in Canada), and a one-year Applied Linguistics course, so there are many students for me to get to know.

In the afternoon I work in the Guesthouse. My job there varies a little, depending on whether people are coming or going. Sometimes I make sure the bedrooms are ready for guest, or that the bathrooms are clean. I vacuum the hallways and do the laundry. My favourite job there is to do the rooms. I start working in the guest house at 2:15 and end around 5:15.

In the evenings my time is my own.  Sometimes I watch a movie with some of the people here or maybe play a game. Every Monday at 7:30 all the volunteers go to miss Mandy's house for some fellowship time together. She is the volunteer coordinator, and the one who takes care of me here :) 

And then sometimes I will just take time for myself and go on a walk. The campus is beautiful and right now it's spring so there are beautiful blossoms everywhere. 

The ocean is right by the campus, and the weather here is interesting. One day it will be perfectly sunny with a light wind. The next few days will be rainy and cold. In the evening and morning sometimes you can see your breath. It is flat like Florida and the grass is thick and green.

Everybody here is great. They are friendly and like to include you in things so I'm slowly making friends.