Saying goodbye to everyone

I have been so lucky to have met so many lovely people since I've been in Nottingham. I have made 3 main sets of friends, all wonderful people, but so different from each other.

Firstly, the guys at the lab are ace. They're all quite a bit older than me, but it hasnt made me feel at all separated from them. I've gone out in Nottingham with them many times- mostly to "The Irish"; the chessiest nightclub in town. And have strangely been converted into thinking having kebabs at the end of the night is REALLY good idea. Although I always seem to regret it in the morning.... We went out last Thursday to "celebrate" my leaving, with a 2 for 1 meal at the "Old Colonial" followed by bars and the cookie club.

Then there are the various people I have met through St Giles Church, mainly due to Peterson being the most sociable person ever. I had been included in the band for a Sunday evening service called "something else" which is brilliant cos I was able to keep up playing my soprano sax. Peterson arranged a kind of leaving do buffet for me the other weekend (although it was really just an excuse to be more sociable) so that was really nice.

Then finally, there are loads of friends I've made at the "Old Colonial". It really is the most friendly pub, where everyone knows everyone else. It's also been a pretty big cultural shock, with the regulars being any age between 18 and 70+ coming in almost every day- drinking pint after pint after pint.... The footballers on the weekend are really dirty, rude and flirtaceous, but hilarious nevertheless. My last shift is tomorrow evening, but because it's not the busiest night ever, I said goodbye to people on Saturday evening, which was emotional- mainly cos I'd had a few drinks. But truthfully, I am going to miss them all.

I'm slightly worried that the next few months are going to be really lonely after the sociable nottingham scene. I'm in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere- dont know any of the language. Only 2 other people who speak English. I cant phone out, or be phoned (very easily or cheaply) and there's no international post. Also dont know how reliable the intenet connection is! Could be quite a difference.