Friday, January 18, 2008

Upd8*

1. As those of you who look at Project 365 will know, this week marked the beginning of the Wind Band at my corps (Salvation Army church). I'm always trying to think of new things to get people involved (my gospel choir is still very much an intention!).

And it went very well! A trumpet, two flutes (possibly another one coming), an oboe, two clarinets, a euphonium and a bass (it is a Salvation Army Wind Band after all). But I knew a few of the kids played woodwind instruments and all of a sudden we have other closet woodwind players coming out of the... well, woodwindwork. I'd chosen fairly easy music to break us all in and thinking of the kids, only to find out that the worst player is, well, me. Did you know an oboe could squeak? I discovered that in front of everyone else... But practice makes perfect!

2. Once again, I feel the need to mention my much-documented battle with the bulge ('much-documented' in that I talk about it all the time). Determined to lose that stone I put back on (although still a stone and a half lighter than I was this time last year), I've started another health-kick. I'm currently losing weight and the rapid speed of... one pound a week, BUT I'm going in the right direction. So check me out in March!

3. Thanks to all those who asked about my presentation at uni, which I was very happy with. I think we did ok (my and my Academic Jumper). I wasn't quite prepared for how nerve-wracking it would be to hear the line 'Now, are there any questions from the floor?'

4. To my knowledge, January doesn't have an award for the most stupid question ever asked, but if it did, the award would certainly go to the person who asked me 'John, did you know that Scandinavia isn't a country?'

Now that in itself isn't the most stupid question ever - maybe some people don't know that Scandinavia isn't a country - but when it comes from someone who is fully aware that I am in my sixth year of Scandinavian Studies at university, it's a little. well, d'oh-inducing. I won't reveal who the person was, but if she wants to reveal herself, she can.

*Apologies for the textish title here. I vowed I would never call a post 'update', but then I couldn't think of anything else. This looks a little like a name for a Salvation Army youth event though, doesn't it? Don't get me started. :)

6 comments:

Katie said...

What that person probably meant to say was something along the lines of:

'Did you know I thought Slovakia was a country? I can't believe that for the last five years you've let me think that. I feel like you've let me down...'

But maybe he/she didn't want you to feel bad, and so made him/herself look stupid in front of everyone instead.

Just a thought. Although I can see why that person wants to remain annonymous...

Mitchenstein said...

Right... What's it got to do with Slovakia?

Slovakia is a country.

You went there last month.

Katie said...

ARGH. It's because I was just writing about my Slovakian elephant.

If I've learnt one thing this weekend, it's that SCANDINAVIA is NOT a country. It's a....

What is it?

Anna said...

Haste das mit dem upd8 titel extra gemacht...du weisst schon das die Nationalen Heilsarmeejugendanlaesse in der Schweiz genau so heissen???
www.upd8.ch...und ich war im komitee das den namen gewaehlt hat..ayay!

Anna said...

I hope you wrote ur last paragraph as a joke, knowing about
www.upd8.ch...I was in the comitee!

Mitchenstein said...

Anna: Are you serious?! (Checks the website!) Oh my goodness, there's a load of Salvation Army youth events in the Swiss Territory called Upd8! Man, I know my Army stuff...

Katie: Scandinavia is a region of northern Europe, historically incorporating just Sweden, Norway and Denmark, but these days usually taken to include Iceland and Finland (plus the Faroe Islands and sometimes Greenland). Now you know :)