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B-b-b-b-BACK! WITH A VENGEANCE!
I'm BACK! From GAMBIA! And I have ELEVEN BUG BITES! And they ITCH!
(Everyone says: Ooookay... yeah, hi, Amy...)
Seriously though, hi *waves*
I had a really good time in Gambia. I wrote an email to Sammy all about it because I checked my emails first, so I'm going to post the Gambia trip saga under
Well, we got back from Gambia very early this morning and I slept until midday because I couldn't sleep on the plane. The seats were so close together that to incline your seat even a little would crush the person behind you into a sticky paste, and as I'm a polite person I decided that wasn't a very nice thing to do. On the way out we'd just pulled away from the airport - before we took flight, I mean - and some problem flicked up on the plane, so they had to investigate and stuff. Unfortunately it took three hours, and we all had to stay on the plane while they did it. Hence we were three hours late to Gambia and had the equivalent of a nine-hour flight, if you think about it. Which sucked.
However, Gambia is lovely. The people there are so friendly! They all say hello whenever they see you and want to know your name and things like that. We had a lovely waiter called Samba who was very nice and helpful at dinnertime :) The hotel was really, really good - lived up to its reputation - and it was warm and sunny every day but the first day, when it was warm but cloudy. (We got back last night, stepped outside the airport and nearly froze to death. Goddamn English winters.)
So basically we lounged around most of the week, because it was supposed to be a relaxing holiday. The one trip we did do was to the village where the book/tv/movie 'Roots' is based (don't know if you've heard of it. An American named Alex Healy traced his ancestors back to Gambia, where his ancestor was taken by slavers.) It was really oppressive, actually. All the people are trying to get your attention and sell you things and the kids are trying to take hold of your hands and they all watch you like you're their last hope for life. It was horrible, really, because you had to ignore them which felt so rude (the great weakness of the English is, of course, our inability to be rude.) It was so poor and run-down and it really made me feel almost guilty for all the things we have and take for granted, like when we throw food away and things like that. So I left there feeling quite down. But on the way back (you had to go on a boat down the river to get there) we saw loads of bottlenose dolphins. Beautiful, beautiful creatures! (I have a deep and abiding love of dolphins.)
We also went to a nature park to see the monkeys and feed them peanuts. Someone else had told us about it and Dad went and found out the name of it, because all we knew was it was a monkey park, and then when we went out to the taxi ranks (the green tourist taxis are hunks of junk. The yellow local taxis are even worse!) he asked the taxi driver - whose name was Aladdin, believe it or not - to take us to Bijilo Forest Park. Aladdin looked confused for a moment, then said, "Ah! Monkey Park!"
I have eleven insect bites and they are itchy. Thankfully I've been taking malarone so I shouldn't get malaria (I hope!) The worst are in the arches of my feet which are impossible to wriggle to make it better, typically. (Itchyitchyitchy!)
I read all the posts on my friends page that I missed since I was away and I love you all. You're all funny and fab etc ^-^ BTW, I'm going to put a list at the bottom of this post to say who's said they're coming to my birthday party and I want you to check if you're on there if you're coming and then tell me if I forgot so that I have it right. Ta. (If there is a question mark by your name it means it isn't 100% certain. As in you might not make it and you've told me so.)
Umm... think I don't have much to say other than about Gambia... had a new novel idea, but had better keep doing The Mourning Tree because it is my baby... OH! Anyone who writes, short story competition in SFX magazine, sci-fi/horror/fantasy, publication as prize! For more info either buy the mag or ask me.
The List:
Jenny (?)
Susan
Steve
Hollie
Emma (late)
Claire (Roberts)
Kat
Katie
Sammy, did you say you could come? I forget.
(Everyone says: Ooookay... yeah, hi, Amy...)
Seriously though, hi *waves*
I had a really good time in Gambia. I wrote an email to Sammy all about it because I checked my emails first, so I'm going to post the Gambia trip saga under
Well, we got back from Gambia very early this morning and I slept until midday because I couldn't sleep on the plane. The seats were so close together that to incline your seat even a little would crush the person behind you into a sticky paste, and as I'm a polite person I decided that wasn't a very nice thing to do. On the way out we'd just pulled away from the airport - before we took flight, I mean - and some problem flicked up on the plane, so they had to investigate and stuff. Unfortunately it took three hours, and we all had to stay on the plane while they did it. Hence we were three hours late to Gambia and had the equivalent of a nine-hour flight, if you think about it. Which sucked.
However, Gambia is lovely. The people there are so friendly! They all say hello whenever they see you and want to know your name and things like that. We had a lovely waiter called Samba who was very nice and helpful at dinnertime :) The hotel was really, really good - lived up to its reputation - and it was warm and sunny every day but the first day, when it was warm but cloudy. (We got back last night, stepped outside the airport and nearly froze to death. Goddamn English winters.)
So basically we lounged around most of the week, because it was supposed to be a relaxing holiday. The one trip we did do was to the village where the book/tv/movie 'Roots' is based (don't know if you've heard of it. An American named Alex Healy traced his ancestors back to Gambia, where his ancestor was taken by slavers.) It was really oppressive, actually. All the people are trying to get your attention and sell you things and the kids are trying to take hold of your hands and they all watch you like you're their last hope for life. It was horrible, really, because you had to ignore them which felt so rude (the great weakness of the English is, of course, our inability to be rude.) It was so poor and run-down and it really made me feel almost guilty for all the things we have and take for granted, like when we throw food away and things like that. So I left there feeling quite down. But on the way back (you had to go on a boat down the river to get there) we saw loads of bottlenose dolphins. Beautiful, beautiful creatures! (I have a deep and abiding love of dolphins.)
We also went to a nature park to see the monkeys and feed them peanuts. Someone else had told us about it and Dad went and found out the name of it, because all we knew was it was a monkey park, and then when we went out to the taxi ranks (the green tourist taxis are hunks of junk. The yellow local taxis are even worse!) he asked the taxi driver - whose name was Aladdin, believe it or not - to take us to Bijilo Forest Park. Aladdin looked confused for a moment, then said, "Ah! Monkey Park!"
I have eleven insect bites and they are itchy. Thankfully I've been taking malarone so I shouldn't get malaria (I hope!) The worst are in the arches of my feet which are impossible to wriggle to make it better, typically. (Itchyitchyitchy!)
I read all the posts on my friends page that I missed since I was away and I love you all. You're all funny and fab etc ^-^ BTW, I'm going to put a list at the bottom of this post to say who's said they're coming to my birthday party and I want you to check if you're on there if you're coming and then tell me if I forgot so that I have it right. Ta. (If there is a question mark by your name it means it isn't 100% certain. As in you might not make it and you've told me so.)
Umm... think I don't have much to say other than about Gambia... had a new novel idea, but had better keep doing The Mourning Tree because it is my baby... OH! Anyone who writes, short story competition in SFX magazine, sci-fi/horror/fantasy, publication as prize! For more info either buy the mag or ask me.
The List:
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Anyway, just wanted to ask if you'd got the final programme for the Slash day?
There is a presentation called The naked Snape: teaching slash.
I can't wait.
And stuff on LOTR, Star Wars, House and loads of others. It's gonna rock.
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Sammy x
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Do you reckon we could video record the panels we don't get to see and view them later?
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Possibly my friend Hollie might be coming with me, too. She's lovely, you'll like her :) We'll have to exchange mobile numbers or something so that we can meet up. Are you on msn messenger? Because then we can chat.
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I'll add you as soon as I can get on MSN.
And moblie number swapping is a great idea as well.
My friend Mel is coming as well. She's right into slash (which is good otherwise she'd probably not like the slash day so much). I'm really looking foward to it. I'm trying to get Alexia to come as well.
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Do you know if there are still places available? Because Hollie only just worked out she can go today, so she sent the guy an email, but I don't know if it got booked up. Alexia should definitely go, it'll be so much fun *squeaks with excitement*
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Anyhoo, the website is provisionally to be called 'Witchlights' and I'm atm drawing sketches of the layout. You can be proper staff if you want rather than a guest reviewer (I'd like to have people who were staff and doing the site with me, it'd be more fun that way :) ) I'll be putting some sketches up on my lj at some point.
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I'm going to stay with my friend, Mel, in Nottingham the night before and then we're going to get the train to Leicester.
Just be thankful it starts at 10 and not 9 like so many of these things tend to do.
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Oh, also, you'd need to choose a name for yourself (which can be Ionaonie or anything you like), and a small icon, like a simple picture. I'm going to see if I can find a feather, because Tahariel is an angel's name. That way we can put it next to your name whenever it comes up and it looks nice as well as being easily identifiable.