Michelangelo

Michelangelo is one of the greatest artists of all time. He was so good that his services were ordered by the Pope to be brought and used on the famous Sistine Chapel in Rome, Italy. The Pope (Julius II) was very impressed with Michelangelo and hired him for a duration of 4 years for the work he produced in the famous chapel.

Michelangelo worked long days and under extreme environments inside the chapel, mostly from deathly heights and poor working conditions that were created for him.

During the third year of his stint, the artist fell from his scaffolding onto cross members below, crippling him.

The College of Cardinals had been delivered a dilemma as they rose high over his bedside. Do they find another artist to take over or do they wait to see if he will heal?! Immense pressure was placed upon them from the press, to the general public.

Michelangelo was a weary man. The temperature at the top of the dome was unbearable, which resulted in lines of salt covering his cloak by the end of the day. Paint had dripped back onto his skin and into his eyes making it hard for him to see.

But on hearing that the Cardinals had been discussing his position, he arose from his bed. He brought his aides together and had them configure a canvas sling. They hoisted him up to the top of the Sistine Chapel so that he could carry on his work.

Despite the pain he suffered, he finished the work and to amazing results, of which no one had anticipated.

You see, a lot has to be said about perseverance. I have been someone that has struggled to let things unravel and unfold because i like having a quick answer and solution. Being over here and opening my eyes to all the different situations i have been faced with, i have learnt that to be patient and to persevere is a great characteristic to have. I guess sometimes i forget that i am only 21, and its still an age where i can afford to let things slow down because i have the time in front of me, rather than behind.

This week has posed some great stories....

Monday consisted of a morning of fellowship and errands that myself and Jon had to get through. The afternoon i spent sorting out issues that had developed from the previous week. All in all it was a productive day.

In the evening we had man group and got my first bit of action on the soccer pitch....although i regretted it the next day as my ankle felt sore and swollen (maybe you shouldn't read this paragraph mother!!)

Tuesday, Jon and I went to the other side of LA to pick up his new ride. Now you might think he was picking up some nice large SUV or a muscle car but not Ar' Jon...
So we turned up at a Harley Davidson bike dealership in a not so nice area of town. On entering the dealership we were faced with some tall bikers with piercings, tattoos and the stench of bike engineering all over their bodies.
And then walks in two Brits under 5'8" asking to buy a Blue Yamaha Vino scooter. You work out the facial expressions....Lets just say, i kept myself quiet and let Jon do the talking...

Wednesday brought a whole new experience of its own. I went line dancing with some friends in San Bernardino. Now that sounds quite nice to me too...but...i was wrong!! haha.

The "Club" we went to shared a car park with a XXX Adult Store, accompanied by a clan of perverted old men. Inside the club i was faced with 40year old cougars wearing corsets and a catalogue of 'tramp stamps' to choose from.

So cant say i learnt much about line dancing but i had a good time and enjoyed the banter...

Just got back from a party for a friends leaving do. He's heading off to Uganda next week with the Peace Corps. He's been a great friend for the short time I've known him and gone out of his way to make me feel welcome so all the best to you Mr Harrison. I'll post a link on my blogger about his own blog within a week or so as his work will be very interesting and worth a browse.

Mission Viejo and Shooting Guns

So its another Sunday in sunny So Cal and i cant say I'm missing the weather back home at all!!
Had a full day yesterday from dawn to dusk, starting with shooting in the morning and a trip down to Mission Viejo, in the heart of Orange County.
The shooting had been set up by Evan and we drove up into the Californian hills in Azuza Canyon for some good ol' hick fun, shooting some dang guns!! Now its strange to think that these canyons surrounding the So Cal area have such contrasts in weather. In the winter, your able to ski around these mountainous areas, yet in the summer, they are hotter than the sun!!
So we headed up there nice and early and hit up the range equipped for assault rifles etc. So i cant remember exactly what i shot, but i remember, and so does my arm that one of them kicks like a Donkey on steds!!
Jon and Kim picked me up in Glendora and we headed down to Mission Viejo for Kim's sisters 21st birthday. Mission Viejo is definitely worth a shout if your down in that area because it's stunning. The amount of trees and colourful flowers is spectacular and the views were fantastic from Kim's families home.
So we got down there at around 2pm and after meeting some of the family and a quick dip in the pool, more people started to arrive for the birthday celebrations. Got to meet many of Kim's relatives which was really nice, they all were really accommodating and full of questions and interest in what i was doing out here for the summer. Food was really good too!! which Jon willingly helped prepare on the grill. So on arrival back in my cove i fell asleep pretty much instantly!!

Newport and Balboa

I have to say, there's something about coffee shops over here. It seems to be the social hub of the community. Many people come to the coffee shops to work, to catch up with friends, have meeting with clients, or to just drink coffee.
And i have to say...its grown on me. For a while now i have been into coffee and enjoyed a cup in the morning or in the late afternoon. So you could say i would like the idea of coffee shops, but i guess it's not the same back home, we don't use them as the community hub, but basically just a place to 'buy coffee'.
So I'm sat in a coffee shop in the centre of Glendora, using the wifi and enjoying a 16oz double shot latte with full fat milk (well i had to be American about it!).
Had a busy week this week with plenty of changes, hence the late blog post!! i guess it gets harder as i get more into life out here as more and more things start to come up...
Started the week off with men's group. Took at trip out into the nearby mountains for some food and fellowship. Was really nice as their were about 30 of us that managed to attend. The eatery itself was a lot different to what i was expecting. First of all, the menu, which i persuaded the waitress to let me keep was hilarious. I think they must have let the character 'Tim nice but dim' write it up.
I decided that after being over here for nearly a month that i was going to indulge in an American steak. Little did i know, that when you order it medium rare or any other combination for that matter, you will recieve the same result...well done. I did mention it to the waitress and she was happy to get me another one, however through quick and informational guidance from the others, i changed my mind and spent the next hour chewing gristle...brought me back to the days of mums pork chops, thats for sure!!
Tuesday brought some time at the beach with an old friend. I got to meet up with Caleb, a guy that i had met during my time out in Canada. He's an OC boy born and bred, loves his surfing and is a local lifeguard at one of the Orange County beaches. We headed to Huntington beach for the US Open Surf Championships. Was really cool to see pro surfers in action, especially the best in the world.
On Wednesday night i moved out of Jon and Kim's place into a self contained flat at the back of the senior associates house. John Dix (or JD as he is commonly known) has a wonderful family, full of laughter and fun. Im sure i will enjoy it very much here...
Yesterday i headed out on a company122 trip to Newport Beach. After negotiating the So Cal traffic, we eventually got to the beach at around 3pm. Not to say that it was a bad thing because we got to enjoy the best part of the day at the beach and the waves were huge, reaching 8foot by the end. Definitely a washing machine if your not careful!!
Afterwards we went for some food at a place called BJ's. Its typical American cuisine, burgers, pizza's, wings and the famous 'pazookie', which is a warm cookie with ice cream on top :) WOW!!
Took a trip over to Balboa island just before we headed back home. A could definitely see myself buying a beach house over there, although i think that the price tags of $2million plus might be a stumbling block!!

Pool Party and more...

So i think its fair to say that i have had a busy week. Ever since we got back from the camping trip i have been set to work and getting things ready for this week and next week. Its been really interesting work though and not something i have produced through gritted teeth. Luckily Jon gives me a free reign pretty much in terms of design and production. All he asks is that it is relevant and relates back to the original idea, which of course is fair enough.
Been lucky enough to do a few things this week with some people. Me and a guy called Gabe went out for some frozen yogurt on Wednesday which was cool. And i know that sounds slightly homosexual but it s in fact something that Americans do over here. And the frozen yogurt is flipping nice!!
I also went out on Friday night to the cinema to watch the new Johnny Depp film (public enemies). Now when i left for the USA i decided to buy a book from the airport to keep me busy. Now whenever i look through bookshelves i am looking for one of two things. Either it has to be an autobiography of someone of interest or it has to be a crime book, which is preferably based on a true story. Just like my dad, i am not a big reader. I don't know why I'm not because once i get engrossed in a book then i cant put it down. I just find it hard to justify spending three hours with my head in the middle of pages upon pages of paper, when i could be doing something more productive...
So i decided to buy the book on public enemies which the new Johnny Depp film is based upon. Now i really don't understand my fascination with anything that is violent because i really am not a violent person, in fact i only really had a couple fights with other kids growing up. I just knew i had a high pain threshold thanks to the numerous beating Danny was happy to shell out as a kid. Now they talk about brotherly love, but surely having to go home from school before period 2 has even started due to mild concussion should correct that bizarre phrase...needless to say, mum and dad took the typical approach which meant we were both to blame!! i still stand firm that it was his turn to do the dishwasher...
Anyways the film was excellent. Its funny how i have changed my views on films, i start to look at them in a different way now than i used to. I start to look at the angles they use, the special effects they use and types of editing. It doesn't necessarily mean i don't still enjoy the film because i start to analyze, it just means that i look deeper into the film, rather than the surface.
Had a relaxing day yesterday in 33degree heat :) Kim said that i had caught some colour....Back of the net!!
Got a big talk down at the church tonight so I'm helping set up early. I think were expecting quite a lot of people because some lucky local pizzeria will have an order for 60 pizzas to deliver by 7:45pm tonight.
Glad I'm not working!!

Lake Isabella

I've been over here for a few weeks now. And i think its strange how accustomed i have become to American culture. I'm noticing small changes in the way i speak and the words i say. For instance, saying 'I'm good' when someone offers something to me, which i don't want, or how i might great people etc. But don't fear, I'm teaching them plenty, in fact its quite funny when i say a slang word and it totally baffles them. I think it was last week when my mate Evan called me and asked 'what i was up to' and i replied "oh I'm just at the gaff" to which he replied "oh right cool, wait...erm.... what?!?!".

But i have to say, we do come up with some incredible words for slang. Thinking over the years i spent in school, there were so many words that people used to use for things. Even the words that were used in Leeds compared to Manchester differ. And language is a huge thing! the fact that our two nations speak the same language and on so many levels are incredibly similar is scary because in reality we are two very different countries....
And i don't just mean in terms of slang but also in the way we act. I've found that as Englishmen we are very reserved, we don't like to push too far out of our comfort zone. We need to keep one foot out of the water at all times. Americans on the other hand dive in head first. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome, and really put themselves out there in the open for all to see. And at times i think this is a trait that i would love to see in our country more. Its always nice to be able to go in most shops and someone will always great you and ask you how your day is going.

Anyways enough of my rambling...

So i know my Auntie will be happy to know that the the lake i visited this weekend was in fact named 'Lake Isabella'. But on first glance it wasn't the best looking lake i had ever seen, in fact it looked pretty shoddy. The camp that we had been allocated looked like a concrete square parking lot more suited to a Wolverhampton council estate. But, when you persevere (and have a stern word with the camp officials!) then good will come. We moved further down the lake to a much better suited camp right by the beach and lake. The weather was scorching (it reached 109degrees on Saturday), but luckily i have learnt over the years to drink plenty water and always top up the sun lotion :)

We were incredibly lucky to have a family come along with us named the 'Eden' family. They brought along their boat and the dad 'Rudy' spent the whole day Saturday taking all of us out on the boat to water ski and wake board. Unfortunately i couldn't take part myself but i definitely had a giggle at Jon when he took off on his ski's. You will be able to see the pictures soon. I will put them up...

I also had a chance to experiment a bit more with my photography, especially as i got to spend a bit more time with a guy called Blake who also shares the same interest.

I had an awesome time and got to meet some new people and start some new friendships. I have to say though...the best part of the trip was the last night. Sleeping on the beach looking up at the stars. The night was incredibly bright and you could everything. Every so often a shooting star would pass which would take up the conversation...

San Diago

Cooking has always been a passion of mine since i was young. I remember the kitchen in Garforth where i used to live. I remember the smells of the kitchen and the way my mum used to shuffle around awkwardly in between the narrow gaps. I remember trying to imitate her with my play dough oven and how i used to pretend to be a master baker and cook up all these fantastic cakes and biscuits with my multicoloured play dough.

And throughout my childhood i carried on this tradition. learning the ropes, i started off with scones, flapjacks and gingerbread. I then moved on to more difficult dishes in the later years. Now i love to experiment with food, creating different dishes inspired from different experiences I've had and the things i read about in books and the programs on TV.

And i must have had an impact on my family because wherever i go around the country to see them, they always ask about their own favourites. Jon's favourite is coffee cake. I made him one for the first time since being here this evening. suffice to say, it didn't last long!! although he did have the audacity to complain about the level of Nescafe in the icing...

The last couple of days have been hectic. Jon has needed a fair amount of help with a camping trip we are going on this weekend. I've also been busy putting together some new business cards and a motion image clip that can be played as a countdown before services.

I was lucky enough to get invited down to San Diego on Wednesday to go watch a concert with a guy called Dave. It was at the house of blues which is a renowned venue around the States. We enjoyed a few beers, some good food and the concert was fantastic. I don't think I've been to a better venue for design and all around sound. We went back to Dave's aunties house in Escondido. We arrived back late so i didn't get to see the house but in the morning when i woke up in my flower decorated room i looked around a beautifully constructed house with an incredible view over the southern Californian landscape. A pancake breakfast later and were on the road to Temecula, one of the wine regions in California. We met up with some of Dave's family from Florida and enjoyed some wine tasting before enjoying a meal in the town centre.

I love the old style American towns with the western style buildings, old signs, wooden panelling and the variety of Pro-America signs. I know its something my Dad loves and he often talks about his fascination of western films from when he was growing up. Temecula was very much this type of town, trying to sell you everything from antiques to root beer, tobacco to cowboy hats and of course they're treasured wine.

Arriving back in Glendora, i got straight back to work and completed the two tasks i wanted done by the end of this week, which means i don't have to do anything over the weekend...

Heading off tomorrow morning for the camping trip. Should be really good but its a pain (no pun intended) that i wont be able to participate in much due to my ankle injury. Latest pictures, which Jon insists on taking are available on facebook at a free cost.

!!

I always think that in today's world we are always in a rush, always needing to be somewhere 5 minuted ago and always seeming to be behind schedule. It could also be said for our wants and needs. We are always wanting things but do we really need them?! in some cases 'Yes' we do need them, they are a necessity in our life, but how many of them are a 'want' rather than a 'need'...
I've been thinking about the word perseverance a lot lately and how persevering in something can lead to greater rewards. Because of the way our minds are set, we struggle to persevere and wait that little bit longer. Yet, if we do wait that little bit longer, the 'reward' is likely to be much greater, the juice is worth the squeeze.

So as western society i think we do need to persevere more, because if we do then our rewards will be greater, we will enjoy them more and it will last longer.

Yesterday i had a small lie in. Now some of you might think that this is normal, that i love to sleep in but i will have you know that i am up most days at 8am and in work by 8:30. So around 10:30am yesterday i got into work. We had a few things to do and my task for the day was to come up with a design for a new business card. We wanted to create something which was unique and a bit 'out there' so that it would be eye catching and memorable. I definitely think i have created something unique...

That night, we had men's small groups again. I'm finding this really interesting because everyone discusses their own thoughts and the book we are reading has some really interesting stories and thought provoking text.

Afterwards, as per usual we participate in a manly sporting event. The idea for this week....Capture the flag. Being a simpleton from the UK i wasn't quite sure what they meant by capturing a flag, and when would a football come into the equation...
So we were split up into two teams and placed at opposite sides of the church. we had our own flag (an empty pizza box) to hide within our own half. The idea then was the capture the other teams flag without being caught. Well they caught ours and the only way to draw the game was to capture theirs. So like a British bulldog i ran into a huge bush to find their flag, galiantly trying to hurdle the individual bushes and dodge the flapping arms of the opposition. And at first i was succeeding, until at the last very second landing on the corner of a curb, rolling my ankle and snapping the ligaments in my right ankle AGAIN!! and you may even ask "Oli, how do you know you have snapped the ligaments?!" and i woudl reply, trust me, I KNOW!!

So at the moment i'm walking like a cripple, showing off the biggest of all club foots.

America....Yeah!!

4th of July weekend over here is quite a big deal. Families make the effort to see each other, people have barbecues, and fireworks at the end of the night are a certainty. Yells of America and freedom can be heard and a true patriotic sense is felt everywhere you go.
It also made me think about my own nation and how proud i am of it but how little we as 'Englishman' can celebrate it. St George's day seems to be a public holiday which is kept behind closed doors, restricted to pubs and a few select bars. It's a shame because we are a proud nation, but it seems that we can't celebrate this as much due to the way minorities react or the feeling of distancing foreigners that reside in our country.

So i have had a few crazy days over here, hence a late blog entry! Thursday night, Jon and Kim left for Las Vegas for the 4th of July weekend celebrations. Dave and Evan, a couple guys that i have met out here came round. After a while of watching TV, Dave came up with the great idea of driving into downtown East LA to find a taco truck. Now I'm not the smartest at the best of times, but i was definitely quizzative to the whereabouts of this so called 'taco truck'. It turns out that this is typical of white American youths to visit a Hispanic community in central La at 10pm in search of their prized taco's....
Well i have to say, the taco's were incredible, better than any Mexican food i had ever tasted. They also sold Mexican Coca Cola, which is made with real sugar cane. A must if you have the chance!!

So you could say, Oli how do you top that?!?! well on Friday i went to a beach house in Newport, Orange County for the day. Weather in the 80's, BBQ, Beach, Sea, Banter....it was an incredible day!
I have to say, the way the Americans embrace you over here is something we as Britons need to learn from. It doesn't matter who you are, what your background is and even how old you are, they will want to get to know you and see who you are. And i think if it wasn't for the way they have embraced me then i would be struggling right now. Its obviously testament to the groundwork Jon has layed before my arrival as well, which i am incredibly grateful for.

Yesterday was in fact 4th of July and the main day of celebration's over here. I got invited out for a BBQ in a place called Rancho Cucamonga, which i think is the best name for a town ever! The BBQ was at a Miguel and Lilly's house. A brother and sister from Grace Church. The food was really good and they had some really nice homemade Mexican dips and salsas. I still hold onto what i have said for many years now which is that its not what you know but who you know. And if you know these guys then you will taste some incredible food!! Later on i went to their uncle's house with a couple others. His house was amazing! it had a pool with a slide, jacuzzi, pool table, a bar, humongous TV etc. etc. So even though i might have been the only one there who didn't speak Spanish i still had a fantastic time, playing pool with their grandad whilst he spoke to me in Spanish and singing along to the karaoke on the TV (although i left them to it when the Mexican songs were on!)

Tonight is Company122 and a guest speaker is in which should be interesting as he has some interesting methods for remembering and learning about the bible.

Photo's

So i know some of you will be interested to see some photo's of my trip. To make it easier for myself as i'm still relatively new to this blogging malarkey then visit my picassa page at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/omparker87

enjoy :)

Oli x

Lunch Break

Working in a busy restaurant/bar for the last few years has taught me many things...
You will always find that despite the hours upon hours of training you have under your belt, some half-wit customer knows more. A contracted 40 hour week will mean that you will do at least this amount, but more likely surpass this mark by Wednesday! and if your leaning then you should be cleaning. However, i did perfect the famous barman lean :)

If there was one thing you longed for during a shift, it would be the precious glimpse of a break, a time to put your feet up, relax and laugh as others carried on working like mugs. It was of course a short lived bliss, cut down significantly when a margarita pizza family of 10 screaming kids walked through the door and demanded the cheapest possible dish on the menu. Oh the joy!!

It was to my surprise yesterday when Jon announced our 'lunch break'. I don't think i can think of a much better way to spend the middle of the day than a dip in the pool and bacon sandwich, followed by an episode of Top Gear. I couldn't help but think of my Dad, spending his lunch times eating school dinners, followed by his playground coin collection route after the kids went back to class. The question definitely answers itself.

Yesterday was a productive day. I got up early and spent the morning and early afternoon putting together a promotional video for an upcoming trip to Lake Isabella. We are camping and water skiing for the weekend. And they say working for the Lord is a hard job!

The latter part of the afternoon i became a fully fledged American citizen. And before you ask, no i haven't purchased a 'fanny pack', but rather a 'cell phone'. Yes that is right, i am the newest member of the Metro MTS cellular network family. Its a pretty good deal and hasn't set me back too much. In fact, since my purchase i have been contacted about allsorts of things. For one i will be attending a beach house party in laguna beach on Friday for 4th of July weekend and a trip down to San Diego next week for a gig.

That evening Jon and Kim went for a meal with some family friends. This left me to fix up my own dinner. Mother would be proud to hear i fixed up a very healthy meal in a butternut squash risotto.

Later on i got invited out with a couple guys called Evan and Chad. We watched some TV at Chad's before venturing to the church gym for a game of basketball horse. Now i think that because i was British, they assumed that i sucked at Basketball, little did they know i had my own hoop from a young age ;)
The stake....loser buys Slurpee's. Now a Slurpee is basically a slush puppie but wayyy better. I don't even want to know the sugar level!
So after pummeling them at horse we went to the nearest 7/11 for Slurpee's. On arrival we witnessed a lovely fight outside between two youths. One gallantly reached for a baseball bat from his car whilst the other rather quickly slumped back into his. Needless to say i think the latter might need to take his car into the garage for a new brake light. You can't beat a bit of violence to end the night!!

Today, i was rudely awakened by a text from Jon to hurry my backside into gear and help fix up a video for the junior high group. After i had fixed that little problem for him we were both in need of a morning coffee and drove up into central Glendora to a coffee shop. A double espresso later and i was bouncing off the walls...

Tonight i have opted to stay home, the thought of a 3 hour 'walk through the bible' lecture has tired me out. Not to say I'm anti, but at the best of times my brain capacity only lasts about 15minutes and I'm sure i will run out of daydreams during the other 2hours and 45...

Thought i would cook a traditional British dish tonight in the shape of a Cottage Pie. It's a shame i have had to resort to American beef gravy paste to lay the brickwork with..