Burma for weekend, infinite blessing and one issue!!

Hi you amazing people

This comes with much love to you awesome people reading this blog and some of you really need to get a life as I know you have been reading it for several years!! You deserve a medal as we all know it is pure self indulgent waffle!!! Hey look at this amazing green and purple plane on the runway at Rangoon just for me!!

Wow we are almost to the end of 2009 and I last wrote my blog in August. How could the time be moving so quickly? As you know my dad died in May whilst I was in Burma and I had asked the consultant 4 days before I left whether I should cancel the trip. He said "only you can make that decision" and after consulation with my sister and brother in law ,I STILL felt I should go. He died on 26th May whilst I was in Rangoon and I know it sounds weird but I knew that was right and that I was in the right place at the right time for reasons I will not know.

So in mid May it was a roller coaster emotionally as in the two week period I celebrated 4 times, my dad died and I went to BURMA!! The celebrations with so many dear people, the Terrace with all you amazing friends on 16th, the Sixteen in London with other dear people, Ritz etc have all ben remarkable. In Burma by the famous lake in the news with the guy Thuzar said she was getting married and what was I DOING in Oct?I said I was in school and asked for time off for the wedding which was not granted as I had taken time off before, but I respect the head greatly so....... However I STILL felt I was meant to go to the wedding but there was simply NO ticket on Thai, Malaysian or Singapore as I had spent 5 hours on the net on the proceeding Saturday and then thought "ok Lord I got that wrong" On the Sunday 11th I felt God say go to Trailfinders one more time BUT of course I knew better ( being omniscient!!) because I had been to them 3 times and been on the net. THEY had a business seat and to cut long story short I felt it was right as my dad's probate had come through 3 days before and I got over 900 off!! The wedding was awesome as I left Friday at 12 arrived 8. 30 on Saturday, sorted out the visa for the following week, clothes for the tailor, alterations, dinner on Saturday evening, ENGLISH lesson to Burmese on Sunday morning, church, coffee and cake with a friend and the wedding at 3 although Thuzar was half an hour late. I left Burma at 7,45 pm on Sunday with a 4 hour stop over in Bangkok left at 2 am and arrived at Heathrow at 6.45 coach to Rickmansworth, tube to school and arrived there at 9.20 am to teach at 9.50 so did not HAVE ANY TIME OFF!!! Thank you Lord!!!

A week later I was back again as I had FINALLY got permission to go to CHIN STATE after waiting 7 years. Some things are SO worth waiting for!! It was awesome, got amazing photos and was possibly the FIRST foreigner to go up Mount Victoria this year at 10, 000 feet. My heart felt it would burst out of my chest and I had borrowed trainers from someone at school in my Faculty and was escorted up the mountain by a guy who took me on his motorbike to the base camp as the road could not be taken by a jeep. The paperwork to get me into CHIN STATE was ridiculous and within 10 minutes of driving 7 hours the police arrived to check on me!!! Interestingly at the recent summit in Singapore the American President has met the top guy in Burma and is the first American president to do so in over 40 years!! We will see as things do not need to be as they are there and He will have the last word. Brilliant to see Thuzar again a week later and the wedding was truly awesome and her and her husband looked wonderful even though my camara said "card full" just as they came down the centre and I had a brilliant view.!!I very nearly swore but in front of 500 Burmese that would have been terrible but, as the camara man was messing about, I managed to take them!! I also met a journalist of a national newspaper and felt that was meant to be too. We will see.

Val ( who is a Ritz birthday friend ) and I went to Sissinghurst which I have always wanted to do since I last went 10 years ago and it was on my list for my 51st year. The white garden did not have the wow factor which we both remember, but it was still great and Val you have the most brilliant hospitality with your Ian so thank you. I also stayed with Ali and John the other wonderful couple of the Ritz and thanks to your gracious daughter for giving up her room!! I am listening to Ton Kopman now and then, looking out at Oxford on a crisp morning was definately the wow factor.

I have also been to the Ritz every month for the last 11 and will take someone every month whilst I am on the planet. I had a recent conversation with one person last time about keeping the shortbread and morans should be banned from the Gallery on their mobile phones!! I went with someone from school who was 40 two weeks ago along with a trip to the National Gallery and Oxo building. We do not know each other at all but it was a quality time for us both I think. The waiters knew me by name and provided the MOST EXQUISITE SHORTBREAD which has to be the best on the planet. What an awesome place and definately my most favourite on the planet ALONG with BURMA. How wacky. I would recommend the film "Last chance Harvey" with Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman which I saw on the plane and The Illusionist with the wonderful Edward Norton who was in the Painted Veil which everyone should see as such a picture of 2nd chances and redemption and love.

Just picked up Victoria Hislop's new book The RETURN after the Island and reading about 6 others too BUT my BIble reading is awful!! Has been ever since I went to the school which I find interesting and probably not a coincidence!! Much is great there but one particular situation has taxed the heart and mind and saddened me more than any other situation in the last 35 years but HE knows!! Why did I pray that very dangerous prayer in November to ask the Lord to teach me about His love and patience and now I am winging that it is too hard and very painful!!! Feel sure He is teaching me loads and He never makes a mistake!!!Having said that LIFE is wonderful and I am full of gratitude. There have been so many wow moments this year that I have lost count. HOW could I EVER say thank you to all you amazing people who have blessed my life beyond belief. YOu know who you are!

Last Friday I went to Birmingham to meet Carrina'a mum who used to share with me but sadly died 10 years ago. Great choice of eating place Sylvia so well done!! What a great time it was and at one point MY heart scarf fell off in the shopping centre unknown to me and 20 minutes later it was STILL there on the floor surrounded by dozens of shoppers!!! Thanks Syliva for a brilliant time! Also to loads of you I have seen for lunch and coffee and cake. I also am blocked in the middle of a Wed and Thursday and can get down to Harrow on the Hill to quaint shop with friends by 10. 40 and can get the 12.40 back to teach in the afternoon. How brilliant is that!!

I can honestly say that despite losing dad this has been an awesome year. Brilliant to see my wonderful sister 2 weeks ago and dear niece is going into teaching and will be great at it. The maths resit is a real pain as I never used it at all but she still has to go through the hoops.

The BERLIN wall has been key to me this year for reasons I WILL not go into but on the 20th anniversary on the 9th November I felt that was very significant but will not dwell on the details. Time and symbolism have always been key to me as I operate on time and not wasting it but then I know MANY of you think " so why does FLISS waste her time with a blog if she thinks time is so key"!!! Not sure really! Maybe I am absolutely me me me!!!

I forgot to say that on the last day in Chin State we found a road which was built by the army and it saved us 2 hours on our journey. I also met Kate Adie last Thursday who was speaking locally and I loved her book the Kindness of Strangers. She signed her new book and I asked her a couple of questions about whether her view of human nature had changed and one other question which I will not expand upon. Her talk was wonderful and today Julie Ogilvie WAS on Good Morning Sunday with Aled Jones which I would encourage you to listen to as she was voted Scottish Business Woman of the Year but gave it all up to help underprivileged children in Scotland. Her book is called Turning Points. Also happy birthday to all those who are celebrating this month and next.

I will upload my Burma photos to FACEBOOK as I have got to admit three of them are brilliant especially the village people and the views in Chin State. As you know I have waited to go to Chin State for 7 or 8 years and yesterday I found a blue velvet jacket after waiting ten years for that too. I can wait for some things but get frustrated at some day to day things not changing. I have waited for a heart tea cosy ( 15 years), blue jacket and Chin State. How wacky but some things are simply worth waiting for - green mac, jackets, tea cosys and and so are people because He waits for us. He has waited for me so often with infinite grace, patience and love. John Ortberg in his book Love beyond Reason said "we can only be loved to the extent we allow ourselves to be known." Wonder if that is right and a friend is doing a study on guilt and shame which has set me thinking. Any views??

You very dear people. Thanks again for enriching my life beyond belief and thank you Lord for ALL your many blessings. I wonder what the rest of 2009 holds for me? I feel excited as do not feel that the wow moments have finished for me yet this year but fear the ONE situation above will not be resolved this year which saddens me. Ah well I can wait even if I wait in vain it will be worth it. How privileged I am and how blessed. To you Lord be the glory and thanks for not giving up on me!! Listening to Invocation of the Night which was lent to me by someone I respect greatly as well as introducing me to Buxtehude who Emma Kirkby is singing on New Year's Eve but the tickets have all gone. I am also listening to Tom Koopman who is performing Bach which is great. Bach on a Sunday - what more can I ask for??

Lots of love everyone

Flissxx