Place: In Bed

Poison: Chardonney

Favourite Things: Doublemint chewies, the long ones and Walmart

Today was another day of extremes. Started the day with a meeting and creative development of whats happening here in OC and finished it with 45mins at Knottsberry Farm and a couple of hours at WALMART.

USA is the country of extremes. We went to Knottsberry farm and it took everything I have in me not to throw up after 8 rides in 45mins as the theme park closed down due to rain. The rides were unbelievable, my favourite being the accelerator, where the g-force nearly ripped my earrings out of my ear lobes from the sheer force of the acceleration. I’m very glad that I left my haviana’s on the ground before the ride took off, because my aussie icons could have given linel something to cry about. Knottsberry Farm is the home themepark to snoopy, charlie brown, linel and the gang!

With God Bless America, billowing through the speakers and every type of Candy available in the world, my non american attuned stomach was struggling. We were dissapointed that the park was closed early due to rain, but I had enough of Snoopyland in the time we had and was excited after a burger from in and out, to go to a themepark indoors- WalMART!!

Walmart is so hilarious, I spent hours upon hours walking down and up the crazy aisles of plastic, consumerised, intensley crazy stuff. Not one candy aisle, but three, full on, crazy options, full of too much choice.

Anyways, ready for a new day of work tommorrow, But I miss MILKD cafe, I miss a place of limited choice, I miss my washing machine and most of all my beautiful friends and my office.

America’d out!

AMP

Place: Hotel

Poison: Long Black

Favourite Things: Jacuzzi’s!

This weekend I went to 3 different churches in three days, one being Saddleback Community Church, second being the soon to be Riverview Church OC and then Newport Beach Christian Church.

In the land of everything large, everything branded and then everything super plastic these three churches are making an amazing difference in the community they serve. All very, very different, but all amazing in their own way.

Saddleback- a huge, rolling, ranch of a church with an amazing facility, with heaps of different forms of worship reaching out to the cultural groups that call its church home. From Aloha; hawaiian style worship, to elevate; a service designed purely for singles, to traditions a hymn enhanced traditional style of service. From the start we arrived, we were embraced by hosts and people who helped us find our way through the miles and miles of buildings and facilities.

Then Destiny People, soon to be Riverview Church. They meet in a movie cinema, with free popcorn for the kids, worship lead by our very own Mark and Ali Cullen and the people encouraged and supported by the amazing Wes and Ellie Bevis. It was so inspiring.

What inspired me the most is the people working on the ground who have faithfully served for years and years. Guys like Deni, who sets up the complimentary tea and coffee (and doughnuts- yes aussies this is the land of krispy kreme!) to Terri the amazing woman who sets up the decorations on the welcome table as people arrive. Then there is Mike, who is a technical guru, who sets up and packs down all the technical equipment with style and finesse. Then there is Kim who looks after our kids, with love and faithfulness. I could keep going and going. The team of people are purely inspiring and it is a privelege to come along side them and continue to grow this community in Los Angeles the city of Angels.

(I took this at Newport Beach today)

Lastly we went to Newport Beach Church, right in the land of OC central. The big cars, the plastic clothing and the fake smiles is not just a TV fantasy, its true and an Aussie couple Jonothan and Di Wilson are doing a superb job right where the action was.

The building they meet in is so funky, its Denis Rodmans old nightclub. Totally BLING CENTRAL! Chandeliers, Gold frames, Wide sweeping windows framing the beach in all its glory. Despite the fantastic venue, what inspired me the most was the passion of the people. The church service was breathhtaking. From the minute we beat the parking meters and found the parking, to the point we walked away from the doors, we were surrounded with 16-30 year olds who were defiantly reversing the OC culture and living life large. Stay tuned for more updates on this church it was jaw dropping.

Thats me so far… Missing my friends at home, even though I am up for some Universal Studio and Disneyland action. This is truly the business end of the trip and have a week spotted with meetings and catch ups.

Big toasts to the people on the ground in these amazing churches. In this day and age, church is so not what our culture and media portrays it to be and here.

Signing off from the land of consumerism and LARGE, I am inspired by the aussies that are making a HUGE IMPACT

A

Place: Riverview OC

Poison: Water

Favourite Things: Our new found friends at Riverview OC!

Sorry about the lack of information in the last few days, due to a lack of internet connection out in the country in london.

(a grave from the 1700’s)

(this church was on the farm I was staying at!, literally a stones throw!)

I have has the most amazing few days, including a long flight from london to Los Angeles…We have ventured through the country of London, out to a place called Church Farm and I was spellbound.

 (the hayshed)

Look at these photos. It was freezing, I was covered in dirt but my soul was nourished. There is something so grounding to be somewhere where decades upon centuries of people have trodden on the same ground.

The room I slept in was built in the 1100’s, which is hard for my 20th century brain to fumble with. We had soup cooked from a real fire stove, camebert cheese from Paris and chablis from france. I loved it.

We visited Windsor Castle, which was so amazing. The artwork, the finery, the history, the church where Charles and Camilla recently were married in. I loved the changing of the guards and the audio tour around the castle and explaining its history was lovely.

We arrived in the OC yesterday, driving through the highway system and driving on the left hand side of the road was a whole new experience.

So its heaps of new experiences for this aussie kangeroo!

From the 1100’s and the land of shakespeare, to the land of everything large and consumer city!

A

Place: Nottinghill Apartment

Poison: Long Black

Favourite Things: SNOW! how it looks on trees, how it falls, how cold it is, everything about snow.

We woke up this morning to a snow covered london, which apparently in the city of london itself is quite rare…I prayed for snow and it has not disappointed us.

The blanket of white that covers everything, hopefully our car also which will mean no PARKING FINES!!

The tree right outside my window is so spikey and creamed with icing sugar snow.

I can’t wait to run through Hyde Park, as we are 5 mins away, and kick the snow around.

What a treat

A

Place: In Bed

Poison: Long Black

Favourite Things: pjamas and the underground.

For anyone playing at home, if you are travelling to London, NEVER hire a car! It is so not worth the effort. The underground is fantastic, the trains are so on time, despite the stuffy air, we are pro’s at the underground vibes.

In comparison, we have been in london for three days and we have had a 100 pound car fine and also this morning our car got clamped with another 100 pound fine attached! Seriously it was a drama. Both times we had paid our parking meter and were less than 15mins late. The traffice wardens here are just awful and I promise never to complain about parking ever again in Perth.

We might as well have caught taxi’s and the underground instead of hiring a car, it has been the bain of our London experience.

In contrast, we started the day on Portobello road at a cafe with Jeff and Julie Crabtree and enjoyed an extended breakfast of Haddock, eggs and holandaise! Jeff and Julie are just amazing and I soaked in their wisdom of years of experience in the music industry, ministry and living a large life of influence.

I enjoyed the conversation, company and most of all just learning from them and who they are. We had breakfast at the Electric Brassarie, which apparently is a big time celebrity haunch. But no rockstar anointing for me, I think I must have needed Kym Rolle with me.

After our wheel clamping drama, we ventured back into London central and participated in a English tradition, a real life English High tea. The sandwiches, tea and petite fores were delicious. An afternoon of catching up about life, family and love.

Tonight, we are in our pjama’s very early, trying to remain positive about the smog, freezing cold and london traffic police.

Tomorrow we are off to Oxford and the Tate Art Gallery…

I miss Leederville and North Perth…My regular cafes, no paying for parking, no wheel clamping when you are 15mins late for your car meter but mostly my friends and our daily life together.

Don’t get me wrong I am totally inspired by London and its cultural diversity, but we are so spoilt in the way we live our daily lives in little old Perthtown!

Challenged

A

Place: In Bed

Poison: Water

Favourite Things: live theatre

Tonight was one of my all time favourite nights in a very long time. Quite unexpected I was given tickets to see Mary Poppins in London’s West End. Growing up I was an absolute live theatre addict, performing every song from any musical that I could find.

I studied dance five times a week for at least fifteen years. In those years, day in day out, my all time dream was to be in a professional musical production and as I grew older and went to WAPPA, studying musical theatre, my goal was to stand on a stage in west end and perform live.

Well I never achieved that dream in London, but I was in hundreds of amature shows in Perth and a couple professional ones…So that’s the background and tonight as the curtain raised, tears dribbled down my cheek as I sat in the Prince Edward theatre and was transported to another time, place and memories of why I loved theatre so much.

The production and technical stunts in this show were one of the best I have ever seen. Better than Cirque de Solei even, as it carried the audience into a place of family, magic and music.

I loved the black and white sketches that were projected onto the cyc periodically through the show and of course the moment when Mary Poppins flew over the crowd.

It was breathtaking and I loved every minute of it. Mum, Jen and Eileen, I so wish you could have been there with me and maybe one day we will travel to London together, but this little drama queen is going to struggle to go to sleep tonight as my inspiration levels have reached saturation point!

Big deep breaths Amanda it was only a show. But what is it about a company of people performing in unison and the words of inspiration floating out over the red velvet seats that make most of our jaws drop.

I think we were created by a God who is delighted in joy and the simple things in life, his creation celebrating the gifts and wonders of humanity. Okay, this curtained landscape is completely surreal and not realistic, but so what, it creates a canvas of inspiration for old and young alike.

I pray in our sophisticated times, we dont become so technilogically savy that we loose the wonder of live theatre and the history it has forged creatively throughout the generations.

Thankyou Mary Poppins, yes… (sung with arms wide open and much vibrato!)

Anything can happen if you let it! Anything can happen just imagine, that should be my epitaph I wear my badge on…In honour of this worlds free thinkers, those who see beyond their blinkers. Jelly isn’t jelly till you set it! Anything can happen if you let it.

Supercalifragilistically Inspired!

AMP

Place: In Bed

Poison: Long Black

Favourite Things: Krispy Kreme’s for Breakfast

Today is Tayla’s 5th birthday. Travelling with a 5 year old is delightful and also challenging, but this morning was one of those gorgeous moments that make life grand.

Penny and I went to Tesco last night to try and find some bits and bobs so that Tayla’s 5th birthday would be memorable. We found a tigger birthday cake, candles, pineapple (her all time favourite), a box of krispy kremes, balloons and some presents.

She woke up really early, were all still battling with some jet lag, in going to the toilet she found the kitchen set up for a birthday party breakfast and thats it, it was all on. Penny held her in her bedroom as a keeping pen for a wild, excited, out of control 5 year old who had realised that this day was all about her.

So out we came all pjama clad and sat on the floor singing happy birthday. With all the poppers going off I am sure the upstairs neighbours thought there were bombs going off downstairs. But with the melody of Happy Birthday and the screams of delight echoing under the door frames, I sat on the floor eating a Krispy Kreme for breakfast, praying that I could get some of her child like wonder, naivity and joy for the simple things in life.

Excitement over sugar, rather than hundreds of dollars worth of toys that eventually will be left at the bottom of a toy box heap, excitement at balloons and how they float, excitement at being the centre of attention from those nearest.

Happy Birthday Tayla, I pray the rest of your days are full with as much love of the simple things in life that make it beautiful.

oh too by 5 again…

A

PS- meet some great people at hillsong london last night, I went to their new peoples night and did the london hang out, chill thing…Man the guys have style here and actually make an effort, scarves, hot jackets and funky jeans. oh wow. Caught the underground by myself. Visited all the tourist sites and enjoyed the pomp and flair of londontown!

Place: Nottinghill Apartment

Poison: Flat White

Favourite Things: Travelling through Europe

We made it to England, with not much peace, quiet or rest. I love it though…The thing that has made me take stock is the way the ancient meets modern throughout all of the european cities I have seen. From the antiques to the bright hair colours in portobello market, to the London Bridge, coupled with grafitti…I am spell bound.

Yesterday I spent time in the Cathedral of Notre Dame and stood dwarfed under the Eiffel Tower. It was such a humbling experience to see monuments to days gone by. Europe totally lives up to its reputation. As it sped past on the Eurostar, I wanted to jump of the train and take a whole year just to sit in a village square and contemplate the landscape.

Looking at the size and the details of these masterpieces, makes me so introspective of what I am creatively living my life for. These masters who spent centuries upon centuries, dedicating their lives to these ancient masterpieces must have had the endurance of saints.

Today I am off to Hillsong London and am so looking forward to just hanging out in the presence of God and his people.

Bring it on!

A

Place: Hotel Foyer

Poison: Long Black with hot milk

Favourite Things: french accents

Slight Jet Lag, meant that I was wide awake at 5am, which for my family, previous flatmates and okay, yep everyone that is very hard to believe. So I got up not wanting to waste my last day here and went for an early morning walk.

Being Saturday morning, the remnants of a big friday night in Paris where still surfacing from bars, cafes and finding themselves stranded on the sidewalk.

This city does have an underbelly, but it doesn’t seem as sinster as most make it out to be…I love Paris and can’t wait to come again. On my early morning dalliance, I decided I need to come back soon and also stay in a farm villa somewhere in the tuscan countryside.

Last night I cracked my first creme brulee, aka amelie, the feeling was just as intense! I drunk slowly and tenderly a real hot chocolate and stared out onto the streets at 10pm on a friday night and drew in my journal the sights my eyes perused.

(yep this is it!, see my pink journal in the background…)

My most precious moment captured yesterday was late in the afternoon, when I found St Sulpice was 2 mins from my hotel and I stood before St Joan of Arcs shrine and earnestly prayed that my life would make a difference like this warrior child.

St Sulpice was eerily bouyant. People were not quiet in reflection. They were buzzing with Da Vinci Code theatrical energy searching for the heartline in this ancient temple. Can’t say that turned me on! I was wanting to light a candle and kneel and reflect on the years  of worship that had been offered up in this monument and the secrets and stories that had harboured queens, kings and even napolean…

My breakfast of salami, cheese, sour dough, yoghurt and creme fraiche awaits. So does the eiffel tower, notre dame and the eurostar through the country side.

Creativity awaits exploration…the ancient meeting the modern with a french accent is my favourite of all time so far in my limited travels.

Merci Paris, your reputation has not dissapointed…

A

Place: Hotel Hardin L’Odeon

Poison: Long Black

Favourite Things: Cannot choose so many things. Okay Everything french!

I am living one of my dream days…Pink berret on my head, blue and white striped top, sitting in a quaint hotel foyer, my feet aching from a day walking at the Louvre (aka Da Vinci Code) and I have seen a live Van Gough painting for the first time in my life.

The Hotel Jardin L’Odeaon is the most atmospheric hotel i have ever stayed in. All the walls are covered in wallpaper, the lamps with a splash of feather boa to compliement the warm, inviting couches. I am so excited I cant even write properly. I have been in fromagerie’s, chocalaitiers, I have walked throught the Museem’s of Art, been ripped off by street merchants, but don’t want to be anywhere else in the world.

The streets are scattered with windswept painters, the tight avenues are buzzing with procrastination and the french with their heads held high. Not very many Au revoirs, here in comparison to Thailand, the french are cultured, high browed and smiling is only for the likes of children and the insane.

My smile did not stop as I fulfilled a life dream, standing, breathless and wide eyed before a real Van Gogh. That one needs to be now striked off the 75 list of what I want to do before I go to heaven.

No french kissing yet to report, but when I can have goats cheese, steak, mushrooms in a buckwheat pancake in a tiny crepery on the side of a short, indescribable street still covered in christmas decorations I am full of romance and esctacy!

Merci, Merci to a God who is one of detail, culture and love of people.

Merci, Merci to french chocolate, wine and cheese

Merci, Merci to croissants, sour dough and all things CARB!

Merci, Merci to the Mona Lisa, whose eyes follow you round the room…

On my way to Hillsong Paris, tonight and I am so excted.

Bon Jour!

Amanda (or as a Art Gallery owner said to me- Your eyes are beautiful, and your name means Amore! worthy of love)