Tuesday 10 April 2007

gorgeous chaos

imagine meeting a person who: (should this be whom? mom? ju?)
you had no information about their life up to the moment you met them
you knew nothing about their likes, dislikes, opinions, and passions
and
you didn't know if you'd ever see them again after the one designated week you'd have to get acquainted.
now
imagine
welcoming that person into your house
but i don't mean your normal here's-a-towel,-there's-the-bathroom- hey-do-you-want-something-to-eat-welcome. i mean the kind of welcome when the stranger is accepted as part of the daily round, part of life, part of your world and existence.
i don't know if i could do it either.
but i have found people who could. and who did!
they live in hull. and i've been on the receiving end. they're absolutely gorgeous.
six children. loving wife and husband. the kind of love that they aren't afraid to express....even in front of the afore mentioned stranger. kids ages 4 to 14. all playmates and the best of friends.
this kind of hospitality is new to me.
i've been asked every day when i'll be coming back to england. usually by the kids 11 and under, but still. they want to always know me. and of course we will always know each other because of that.
oh and they say bothered. i wish i could convey the coolness of the usage of this term.
i can't be bothered to eat it
she wasn't bothered to talk to me
i'm not bothered
and often they pronounce it
bovvered.
which is so great.
i'm learning all kinds of things
and i am now the proud owner of a pair of earrings that say cheeky monkey. ha!
today we went to the deep-- an acquarium. and a super cool one.
it made me want to learn to scuba dive.
two weeks and i'm home. and so much to do before then.
i adore you all.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I think I should start saying bothered more. I like it. What a nice family. But then again, it is no surprise that everyone loves you Al!

the anna said...

i agree with liza.

and i think that to solve your initial grammar problem, i would say "of whom". (or a whole bunch of alternatives including, but not in the slightest limited to, restructuring the entire sentence to read: "imagine meeting a person about whose life, up to the moment you met them, you had no information...etc. etc."

i can't stand the just-not-so-long-that-i-should-
be-belly-aching-about-it wait until you're home to tell us these stories in person.

keep taking lots of pictures.

the anna said...

hmmm. nothing new here, either.


(although i do appreciate your leaving up my birthday post for so long)