update 2

[Orin]

Hey Guys

I'm in Cardiff, Wales. The South African rugby team has just beat the Welsh team. That was expected as the SA team is the best in the world. The fact that the Welsh team got a decent score makes it better--the fans are as happy as they can be.

One of the problems I'm experiencing with having this bad sciatica, is the pain killers I'm taking. They do very little for the pain and I wonder if they are not causing the pain to be worse but they are making me very sleepy. I stopped taking them today. We'll see what happens. This afternoon, I went to the Cardiff market and bought a cane to help with my walking. I hope it works. The walk through Cardiff was a real pain.

The train journey from London Paddington was interesting--I was seated opposite a Chelsea Pensioner. They wear a bright red uniform and a black hat with the letters RH embroidered. The letters stand for Royal Hospital and the hospital is a residence for ex-army men, and now even some women, I understand, who have been injured in the line of duty. As people pass the veteran, some say, "God bless you sir!" A very interesting man--very modern, he travelled with a set of phones in his ear and was listening to military music. I was sitting next to an IT guy who had built his own computer. Again a very interesting man. With all this, the journey of two hours went very quickly.

Something strange happened. On Wednesday evening, I was in a deli deciding if I liked the look of their food, when someone tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned round it was a friend of mine from Edmonton. I didn't know he was here and I didn't know he was here. We went to an Indian restaurant and he bought me a lovely curry dinner. After that, we went for a beer (Englsh sort).

Yesterday was this Guy Fawkes thing which involves bonfires, and fireworks. It's now Saturday and they are still going.

Gotta go it's supper and I am keeping my hosts waiting.
More later

PS Supper is now over and I have a few more minutes before going to bed. Tomorrow, Sunday, well It's that now, I'm going to visit a kid I used to teach. He and his family now live an Cardiff and he is a director for the SPCC (the society for the prevention of cruelty to children). He has certainly come a long way since I taught him and I am really proud of him.

Tuesday it's back to London and then on to the monastery. Now it's bed time--so until later!

[Maximal]

I hope you were not anywhere near that train crash?


Oh and don't mess around at the monestary too much, I'm actually surprised they are letting you in there, I'm guessing they don't know about you and your hobbies