First Blog Entry!

Hi everyone!

Well, time for my first post on this blogspot -

For those of you who don't know yet, I am living in the UK with my parents! The place where I live is quite rural and definitely not what I'm used to, haha. Back home the general hospital was only a few blocks away, now its a couple villages away :O! I'm living in Northern Yorkshire close to the town of Selby, nearer to village of Camblesforth (don't worry, that's why google maps exist!)
The place I'm living in is a converted barn, it is all refurnished and strangely modern, but very nice. I am sure the family we switched places with is getting along nicely in our own home back in PG!

When we arrived into Manchester airport we were all a little bewildered and pretty tired, but we eventually made our way to the Jaguar that our swap family left for us. From the airport we drove to my Grandma's home at Ryland house, a quaint, 50 and over, apartment building. My Grandmother is an amazing lady, she is turning 91 next weekend, and she still has the charisma to argue with me over who's doing the dishes (oh Grandma!). It was great to be with her again. The next morning we went to Monday mass ( I never thought there was Monday mass!), there was surprisingly quite the turnout. After mass we wandered back to Ryland house and joined everyone in the lounge (every morning at Ryland house they have tea and toast (at the fine cost of 30p) for everyone in the building, its a great thing for the old folks who can't really go out much into the village!).

From Ryland house (thanks to the British navigating system in the Jag) we drove off into the country and found our way out to Hardenshaw lane where we will be living for the next 10 months.
We arrived at our new home only to discover that the place has a security code and that the alarm had started to go off, so there we were, 3 Canadians fresh off the plane, down a country lane, in jolly old England, with the alarm going off, thinking " oh no, the local police will be here any second :S". Mum and I rushed to the nearest house and knocked on the door, and sure enough a friendly Yorkshire woman opened the door and after a brief explanation of what was happening she said "Ah! You're the new neighbours!?? Well come in, come in, would you all like a cup o' tea?" (knowing that the alarm was going off). Typical. But awesome!

All is well though now! We're just getting over jet-lag and getting used to the lifestyle. My parents and I are slowly but surely getting our bearings straight.

Its great to be legal too! And its great to have the Black Dog (local pub) just a few doors down :D!

Cheers everyone!

-Benedict