Wrapping up my time in Canada, I was treated to hear the national anthem for the first time while watching a CFL game (CFL is their version of NFL – with only three downs, bigger fields and endzones, and a general panicked weirdness about it which I couldn’t put my finger on). Prior to this I had only read the first line, and it can be interpreted in so many different ways. So here are my observation of Canada – that which delights, and that which disappoints (!)

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I have arrived on the Northshore.

I have installed scrivener on my newly updated MacBook.

I have started to grow a beard.

Better write a book, then . . .

I took a day’s holiday last Monday to stay up all night and watch the superbowl. I have been doing this every year since I was 11 – 1992 was my first.  Since that first bleary encounter with the American championship of the world, I have an uninterrupted streak of sleepless nights until his year when sickness got the better of me and I went to bed after the first quarter; but the joys of iplayer meant I could rehash the whole thing in 4 hours in the morning.

Many a friend has asked me the questions – why the NFL? What’s the appeal? Isn’t having a football team, a cricket team, a penchant for Rugby and a joy of running enough sport for a lifetime?

No, say I, for the NFL deliciously combines much that I admire in professional sport, often in counterpoint to the worst aspects of football, cricket and the like.

So, NFL – how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

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Blogging is soooo 2009 apparently. My lack of attention to this blog is matched only by my lack of worry about said lack of attention. But I do miss pondering and wondering, and so will restart semi-regular blogging in 2011.

As is traditional I’m going to have a look back at the year that was 2010, in numbers:

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My word.

What began as a brief period of blogger’s block has resulted in my most prolonged period of blog neglect for several years.

For this I can only apologise, and state categoricaly that, having paid another year’s domain renewal fee, I will be blogging again soon.

If it isn’t far FAR too arty farty, I have actually been writing some potery recently, which I will be sharing. I’ve really enjoyedf the freedom & the form, and playing with the sounds of words.  There has been lots going on in the *real* world of late, which gives me no shortage of subject matter.

All of which may / may not be of any interest to you whatever.  In which case, you should probably remove me from your RSS feed.  M

… and so long to the ‘noughties’. You weren’t the frontrunner for what we were going to call this decade, but fair play to you for sticking in there and making your case.

It’s time for an end of year list, as is now traitional in blog land:

Biggest regret: Buying that Swedish Phrase book!

Biggest disappointment: Don’t want to got too deep here, so I’ll settle with a work thing. Passing all my exams with a distinction, then being missed out and forgotten when it came round to the office exams drinks thing. Just a small thing, but it would have been nice to have my hard work recognised – all safely tucked away in the back of the mind, informing what kind of manager I want to be in the future.

Discovered new talent: The ability to grow a convincing tache in 7 days.

Biggest spiritual high: There’s a few up for the award here – but I’m going to go for the glod fillings incident. Just bonkers grace and power in the atmosphere. Still causes a lingering worship moment whenever I brush my teeth. For a full theological explanation, please see here.

Biggest “ground swallow me up now” moment: Probably when I met a fairl senior figure in the SRI world and then proceeded to use this word in conversation . . .

Wedding of the year: Hmm, limited choice this year. As I recall there were only a couple, but the standout for me would be the Dennisons. Awesome speeches, venues and some awesome jamming with the Leroys. PLus, the view over the hills all the way to Wales – come on.

Most interesting person discovered: I was invited to the Churches together conference looking into the financial crisis, and heard this guy speak. Incredible wisdom, on the highest plane of economic thought.

Best unexpected moment of bliss: The last night of the Southampton Conference, the band all playing percussion, led by this guy. It just exploded. Joy, joy, joy. Then on the way home, eveyone stopped out of the Thompson Mobile to get drinks while I stayed in the van and got a little blasted by the HS. It then spread in the van on the way home and we had a full on HS party the rest of the way home. Wakey wakey!

Best song: Oh No, Andrew Bird OR Daniel  by Bat for Lashes.

Best Film: I rather enjoyed Bright Star  . . .

Best Live music Moment: P J Harvey at the Anson Rooms was ethereal, angry, delicate and curiously ugly.Incredible. Or Rolf Harris at Glasto . . .

Best new instrument learned: I didn’t really get on that this year, although I’ve been having great fun with the Boss RC-20XL looper, which has even found its way into the worship set.

Best coffee bliss: Copenhagen, -2, incredible pastry in one hand, clear blue skies, 100,000 protesters.

Remember kids, we make our own future. Or at least download as much of it as we jealously desire.

Matt

I take 2 minutes from a freezing march to say Hi. Awesome day, Awesome atmosphere, although I see on the news that there ‘s some trouble brewing from the Anarchists (!)

Looking forward to the 17 hour trip back . . .

Matt

Don’t kid yourself. Copenhagen is easily the most important political summit of our generation. Poverty, development, population, inter-generational equity and overlapping in giant game of political chess. In Denmark. If you’re a Christian, you should care about this. If you’re an American Christian, you should question what you’ve been taught about religious freedom being linked to gas prices (I love you all really).

And for once, I’ve decided to break ranks from my usual grouping of detached observers and and actually get involved. And true to my one flight a year rule (which has more often than not been a no-flight a year rule), a colleague and I will be getting to Copenhagen by rail.

This epic journey begins in Bristol Thursday night, and rolls into Copenhagen in the early hours of Saturday via Brussels. The same 19-hour joy ride gets us back in at 11.30 just in time for my birthyday drinks and the office christmas party.

http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=602&ArticleID=6378&l=en

I’ll be blogging from the road – hope to see you there.  If not, I’ll see you in the Highbury Monday Night.