Our first post

Well... here we are. Lou, Mim and I decided on the spur of the moment over dinner (lots and lots of homemade garlic bread in my case) that we should set up a blog so that people who we know (and might want to know) can see what we're doing even if they are in Romania or somewhere we can't pronounce.

I've been left to write something so that it is started, the others are at bible study (Vix, she doesn't know that this exists yet,) or home group (Lou) or on their way out to CU late as ever (Mim.) Our last housemate is far away in Romania - Bucharest http://www.virtourist.com/europe/bucharest/ is the capital and they have birdflu- well, neither Hannah our housemate or ZoeZoe who is with her have actually contracted it yet.

Seeing as Mim and I are currently on a dossy SSC where we talk about medicine and anything possibly related to literature albeit very tenuously I thought I should set the scene and describe the characters who will appear in this blog.

If one follows the conventional roman alphabet the first person to talk about is me (Fran) but I'll leave me 'til last... "the first shall be last and the last shall be first" and start with:

Victoria: For the last 3 years Vickie has been a dental student but having recently reached an epiphany she is graduating at the end of this acedemic year with a BSc. Next year she is going to work abroad before returning soon to do a masters in administration of preventative public health for developing countries ( I think there shoud be some capitals and punctuation in that sentence somewhere.) The second child of 5 Vix is the daughter of a minister called Philip, strangely enough I have an uncle called Philip who is also a minister. Her parents have recently moved churches and now live in Bristol instead of Weston; the ladies at their new church are amazing cooks and very hospitable- one gave us a cake. This year Vickie has successfully introduced (or reintroduced or encouraged) eating organic vegetables, composting, fairtrade products, recycling and eating lots of cake.

Miriam stinker: Mim is from mid Wales and is the oldest of 4 (a trend is slowly developing.) She currently studies medicine and has decided to write her ssc essay on embyros and stem cell stuff. She goes to Glenwood Church http://www.glenwoodchurch.org/ and drives a red volkswagon which was bashed by a nasty bus driver a while back. Moral of the story: you have to be mad, stupid or very brave to venture out into Cardiff either in a car or on a bike. Normally regarded as the quietest member of the house Mim has recently been amusing us all with her haemoglobin level (6.9 g/dl) for non-medics the normal is at least 12, anything under 8 and a blood transfusion is acceptable. Mim lives very close to her grandparents, her granny has very bad rheumatoid arthritis but enjoys (according to Mim) baking lots of lovely cakes for us and sending them down with anyone travelling this way.

Louise (the fobbit): Lou is another dental student working out her penance in the hospital of doom. The 4th child of 5...hmm...christians? she comes from London innit and is hopefully going to SE Asia at christmas. When not really stressed and cramming for exams she sorts out the garden and makes it beautiful. At the bottom end is the vegetable plot containing radishes, peas, tomatoes and strawberries, then we have what can only be described as a summer meadow or wildlife section, we need to borrow a lawnmower from Jeffers but haven't yet. At the end nearest the house we have a rockery and several flower beds, a pot of herbs and a patio for our BBQ.

Hannah: Hannah lady is currently in Romania on an Erasmus trip fending off all the men who seem to follow her around. She is a medical student and comes from what the rest of us lovingly descibe as half a family- she has one brother. Hannah likes cake and seeing her friends and dislikes going into hospital on placement. Her main activity this year has therefore been skiving, she has now perfected this to a fine art. This summer Hannah is going to Malawi when she gets back from Romania and so she'll be ridiculously tanned by the time she returns to the house. Hannah and Louise both go to Highfields church http://www.highfieldschurch.org.uk/ (the one that looks like a leisure centre as opposed to Woody which is a Spar.)

Fran (me): I'm not really sure what to write as I feel that I cannot be quite as objective about myself as I have been about other people. I am the third medical student of the house, forming the narrow majority (not that I'm particularly narrow) and the oldest of 4 bringing the sibling count up to a very respectable 15. My family live near Portsmouth though I was born in Bangor http://www.northwalesattractions.co.uk/Towns/Bangor/Bangor.html (North Wales, not Ireland) and I went horseriding on Monday and Salsa dancing yesterday. The two activities are not normal for me but they were quite fun. I normally help at Rainbows on Wednesday but it's halfterm so I'm alone in the house. Vickie and I go to WoodyBap (http://www.woodybap.org.uk/), currently the world record holder for longest service time but the interregnum should hopefully end soon.

There are other characters who may well appear, Jeffers already has (she owns a lawnmower) as has Zoezoe in Romania. I'll leave further descriptions to my esteemed housemates.

xx