Hampstead Residence

As time was running by lots of things have happened.

A month ago I went to my first football match this year. The Cottagers (Fullham) played against West Ham United. I met my English cousin David at the Old City Arms pub where we saw Everton - his favorite team - loose to Liverpool and had a couple of beer. Then we walked on the embankment next to the Thames to Fulham. The picht is right beside the river. It is a small (about 30000 spectators) stadium from the 19th century. The tiny entrance to our stand is about two feet wide (so good I stopped to lift weights;)) and hardly visible in the brick facade. After climbing about 20 stairs in a wooden staircase I had my first view on the pitch: amazing! A beautiful green lawn so close to our seats - about 20 feet away from our seats right in the middle of the pitch.

Fulham rocked in the first half, but towards halftime had a lapse of concentration which Zola's squad used to score. Since then an old 'gentleman' and a chap next to us used the word fuck in most creative ways to talk about the referee. To be honest: the second half was sort of boring, though I saw two more goals. I am just not emotianally attached to these teams like to good old Bayern München or two other German clubs playing internationally in important games. I hope Bayern or Bremen will make it to the knock-out round to face Chelsea or Arsenal:) But I am so glad that David is taking me and actually I will go again this afternoon to see Fulham play against Sunderland.

For about a week now I have been sleeping in my new room in Hampstead residence now. It is a really cool area and all the VIPs are said to live here. So last Friday I went running in the morning in the heath expecting to meet Pete Doherty or so. But I did not see anyone in this huge park. Probably he had better stuff to do, eh;) I am so grateful for my room because it was really hard to get one. I checked out several internet platforms such as gumtree or christianflatshares. But apart from a really cool room in Putney, an ever nicer area than I am living in right now, in a vicar's house who would have even let me have friends over for weeks, the rooms were either to expensive, too far away from my college, or too small and dirty. So I really prayed for the room in the vicar's house. The problem was that two people were in front of me in the queue. On monday he informed me that I would no get the room. Instantly depressed, I decided to trust God in this and continued praying. That night the accommodation office offered me a room which I checked out the following day. It is the biggest by far and 'just' costs 400 pounds. The only disadvantage is the rodent in the fridge who has already eaten my Milka chocolate and ketchup. The people here are all about five years younger, but de buena onda.

Two days ago I woke up from a terrible noise in the morning - the fire alarm. I pulled my blanket over my head to continue to sleep (I thought it is a stupid joke by some British fresher) because I heard no one running out there. But it just did not stop. So after five minutes I went into the kitchen to see if something is on fire. Nothing! So I finally went out barefooted in my green pyjama (the crazy looking 80s-style one). About 200 students were already waiting for me as I was the last one (by far:)) to come out. At least now I am popular with everyone;)

I got my Oyster photocard card now. So now I can use puclic transportation for 30% less.
I also got a new laptop (thank you mum and dad) after my old one broke down. You cannot believe how grateful I was when I had it in my hands for the first time: God provides! Only my mp3-player got lost in the mail. Hiking on the Camino de Santiago I was so yearning for music that I called my good ol' friend Fuchsi Fuchs to buy and send me one because I was constantly in the middle of nowhere. That was one and a half month ago:( But well, God will work that out as well. I do not worry.

I will continue to catch up with the last month tomorrow as I have just four and a half hours of sleep left (I decided to get up at six now during the week so I will time for God, running and my course work).

Dear Jesus,

thank you for always being at my side and rocking my life. I could not live without you! Give me a good night's rest, so I can get up refreshed tomorrow to experience more of God's beauty and to reflect it to the world.