<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156</id><updated>2010-01-01T09:51:44.754Z</updated><title type='text'>unafraid</title><subtitle type='html'>"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

&lt;a href="http://photos7.flickr.com/9194567_d835e5527a_t.jpg"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><link rel='next' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>310</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-7428826909803751043</id><published>2009-12-11T23:45:00.004Z</published><updated>2009-12-11T23:50:39.208Z</updated><title type='text'>One more thought...</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SyLambws5GI/AAAAAAAAAHI/8UKT8RXciMA/s1600-h/tantrum.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 260px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SyLambws5GI/AAAAAAAAAHI/8UKT8RXciMA/s320/tantrum.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414130055874667618" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;Someone reminded me recently of all the things I have begged God for over the years and not received. With the benefit of hindsight I can truly say I am so grateful to him for knowing me so well and not giving in to my demands! My life would be so different and I am so thankful for where I am right now and who I am. I am so grateful for all the amazing things he has given me at my request too, of course, but just wanted to remind you to be look back and be glad we don't always get our own way!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-7428826909803751043?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/7428826909803751043/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=7428826909803751043&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/7428826909803751043'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/7428826909803751043'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2009/12/one-more-though.html' title='One more thought...'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SyLambws5GI/AAAAAAAAAHI/8UKT8RXciMA/s72-c/tantrum.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-2128651377776581530</id><published>2009-12-11T23:26:00.004Z</published><updated>2009-12-12T00:37:25.036Z</updated><title type='text'>Christmassy Update!</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SyLVUdJxltI/AAAAAAAAAHA/oGkyK-LEe2k/s1600-h/Tree%21%21"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SyLVUdJxltI/AAAAAAAAAHA/oGkyK-LEe2k/s320/Tree%21%21" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414124249452484306" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is the view I am looking at right now! Aw... Christmas! What an amazing tree!! I came home one day last week and my housemates had erected it in the corner! It touched the ceiling which is about 11' or 12' high! (We don't just have miniature furniture). I love Christmas.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am so sad to have totally crashed and burned this year on my reading list. I think a number of factors contributed to my terrible shortfall - mainly busyness and not always being able to find books I really get gripped by. I am not good at making myself read things I am not immediately drawn into - especially non-fiction. I just find it a slog to get through. Perhaps for next year my goal should be a little lower? How about 36 books? That's 3 a month. I have got 30 so far this year and might crank a few more out by the year-end but I think 36 would be a manageable target.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So in other news...&lt;br /&gt;* I have been off sick 4 days this week with some kind of flu-ey thing - I don't think it was swine flu but it is hard to tell as the symptoms are roughly the same as those of normal flu..&lt;br /&gt;* My new* job is going well I think. It is hard to tell and some days are better than others. But on the whole it is good. It certainly doesn't make me want to be a teacher - fair play to all of those who take on that awesome task.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt; *not really new anymore.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;* I will be attending a Hanukkah celebration tomorrow! First time for everything.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-2128651377776581530?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/2128651377776581530/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=2128651377776581530&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/2128651377776581530'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/2128651377776581530'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2009/12/this-is-view-i-am-looking-at-right-now.html' title='Christmassy Update!'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SyLVUdJxltI/AAAAAAAAAHA/oGkyK-LEe2k/s72-c/Tree%21%21' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-4979009066393594236</id><published>2009-09-24T23:21:00.002Z</published><updated>2009-09-24T23:27:49.255Z</updated><title type='text'>Johnny Apple-Seed</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SrwAOAxbfOI/AAAAAAAAAGw/ek2144ESUvI/s1600-h/apples.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SrwAOAxbfOI/AAAAAAAAAGw/ek2144ESUvI/s320/apples.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385179495153761506" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;OOOOOOhhhh, The Lord is good to me&lt;br /&gt;And so I thank the Lord,&lt;br /&gt;For giving me the things I need&lt;br /&gt;The sun and rain and the apple seed&lt;br /&gt;The Lord is good to me.&lt;br /&gt;Johnny Apple-Seed&lt;br /&gt;Amen&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Fooooooor every seed I sow,&lt;br /&gt;An apple tree will grow&lt;br /&gt;And there will be an apple tree&lt;br /&gt;For everyone in the world to see&lt;br /&gt;The Lord is good to me.&lt;br /&gt;Johnny Apple-Seed&lt;br /&gt;Amen!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;LIST OF RECENT BLESSINGS:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. A job&lt;br /&gt;2. Flat mates&lt;br /&gt;3. An amazing flat!&lt;br /&gt;4. Proofreading work&lt;br /&gt;5. Weight loss&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;LIST OF USUAL-BUT-NOT-TAKEN-FOR-GRANTED BLESSINGS:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. Amazing family and friends.&lt;br /&gt;2. Amazing church.&lt;br /&gt;3. AMAZING GOD!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-4979009066393594236?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/4979009066393594236/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=4979009066393594236&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/4979009066393594236'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/4979009066393594236'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2009/09/johnny-apple-seed.html' title='Johnny Apple-Seed'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SrwAOAxbfOI/AAAAAAAAAGw/ek2144ESUvI/s72-c/apples.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-5467846464447346177</id><published>2009-07-21T23:02:00.004Z</published><updated>2009-07-21T23:05:08.341Z</updated><title type='text'>News</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:180%;"&gt;Check out&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.weightingtheissue.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;weighting the issue&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;for news of an exciting nature!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-5467846464447346177?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/5467846464447346177/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=5467846464447346177&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5467846464447346177'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5467846464447346177'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2009/07/news.html' title='News'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-40519108636998932</id><published>2009-06-04T16:19:00.006Z</published><updated>2009-06-04T16:44:57.600Z</updated><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/Sif0dfQt6II/AAAAAAAAAEA/_l0WR7wsjX8/s1600-h/3348426685_c263540712_m.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 160px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/Sif0dfQt6II/AAAAAAAAAEA/_l0WR7wsjX8/s320/3348426685_c263540712_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343508270343383170" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-size:180%;" &gt;SNAPSHOT OF MY LIFE RIGHT NOW&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:130%;" &gt;*  I am a freelance proofreader! Registered self-employed and everything.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*  I have an actual proofreading job for the nhs! Go me.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Church stuff is going well.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* God is doing amazing things in my life - He is so real, I can't even begin to describe&lt;br /&gt;how amazing it is to know Him. I am loving being a Christian these days. Life to the full is on the horizon - woohoo!!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* I have no home but I am living with some lovely, lovely people who inspire me and encourage me. Always good.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* I am working in an office 2 days a week - less said, soonest mended!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* I have re-joined weightwatchers. Check out my progress on www.weightingtheissue.blogspot.com if you find yourself with a spare moment or two.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Had an excellent time in N. Ireland recently. Came home feeling refreshed and encouraged and motivated.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;More info can be given on application!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-40519108636998932?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/40519108636998932/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=40519108636998932&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/40519108636998932'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/40519108636998932'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2009/06/snapshot-of-my-life-right-now-i-am.html' title=''/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/Sif0dfQt6II/AAAAAAAAAEA/_l0WR7wsjX8/s72-c/3348426685_c263540712_m.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-5103808721550959597</id><published>2009-03-03T21:46:00.003Z</published><updated>2009-03-03T21:56:47.259Z</updated><title type='text'>Bono</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/Sa2le09DWvI/AAAAAAAAADQ/23fozhQFN8M/s1600-h/51ECQBCKH3L._SS500_.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/Sa2le09DWvI/AAAAAAAAADQ/23fozhQFN8M/s320/51ECQBCKH3L._SS500_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309081484769057522" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;You know those questions like 'If you could have a dinner party for 4 with anyone, past present of fiction, who would they be?'? One of mine would be Bono. I just read this book about him (as you will see if you check out my list of 52 on the left!) and he is just so interesting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I find him totally fascinating and I have loved finding out a little bit about what makes him tick (incidentally, the format of this book is great; it is interview-style writing and so you get follow-up questions to lots of the things he says which is brilliant!). I get the impression that for all his celebrity he tries to be real about what he feels and how he lives his life. I think his lyrics are so raw sometimes and so obviously intensely personal. I haven't got the courage to be that out there. I wish I did. I often wish I could write songs and sing them out loud that express what I am feeling. Perhaps it would be cathartic, but I just can't do it! I write the songs and then burn all copies in case anyone finds them!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, I was thinking about what I would talk to him about if I ever meet him. I drew a blank. I have no idea!  And then I began to fervently hope that I never meet him in case he asked me any questions! Like what I am passionate about, and how much I do to help people who have nothing, and what I do with my time and my money... The list of potentially embarrassing questions is endless and so my list for dinner now goes like this:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mum, Dad, Sarah and my Grandpa. All non-threatening and they all have to love me even if I do nothing of worth ever again!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-5103808721550959597?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/5103808721550959597/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=5103808721550959597&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5103808721550959597'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5103808721550959597'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2009/03/bono.html' title='Bono'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/Sa2le09DWvI/AAAAAAAAADQ/23fozhQFN8M/s72-c/51ECQBCKH3L._SS500_.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-3822854782701567066</id><published>2009-02-14T00:46:00.003Z</published><updated>2009-02-14T00:56:50.164Z</updated><title type='text'>Snow</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SZYU1MHeRvI/AAAAAAAAAC4/MTjbb4bGEkU/s1600-h/IMG_4509.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SZYU1MHeRvI/AAAAAAAAAC4/MTjbb4bGEkU/s320/IMG_4509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302448515293529842" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;I love snow - I love to watch it falling, especially in the middle of the night when there is no noise and it is just silently blanketing the world. I love waking up and seeing that it has stayed and the whole world looks clean and white (of course disregarding the dirty, salty roads). I like bundling up in warm clothes and hats and scarves and gloves and going out into a city where the rules have changed a bit - for example, pedestrians carelessly traipse down the middle of roads to avoid icy pavements and cars are going so slowly that it is quite safe. And people take time off, for a moment forgetting the feeling that if they aren't in work the world will stop. People go off sledging or carry their skis to a city park and have a go down a tiny little hill. Strangers talk to each other and smile over a little slip, or a massive crashing fall! It brings out the community spirit in people. I love snow!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-3822854782701567066?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/3822854782701567066/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=3822854782701567066&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/3822854782701567066'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/3822854782701567066'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2009/02/snow.html' title='Snow'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SZYU1MHeRvI/AAAAAAAAAC4/MTjbb4bGEkU/s72-c/IMG_4509.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-4067221013282917177</id><published>2009-02-14T00:26:00.002Z</published><updated>2009-02-14T00:35:14.119Z</updated><title type='text'>New Age, New Hair</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SZYRh_WbTtI/AAAAAAAAACw/oIv0gve_Cs8/s1600-h/IMG_4514.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SZYRh_WbTtI/AAAAAAAAACw/oIv0gve_Cs8/s320/IMG_4514.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302444886914191058" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Just had a birthday so thought I should get a new haircut to go with my late twenties! I love it and it has already been helping with my love life as a guy in the bar I was at last night asked my friend, Hannah 'Golden' Brown, and I if we would like to go back to his house for a threesome. We decided perhaps not!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-4067221013282917177?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/4067221013282917177/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=4067221013282917177&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/4067221013282917177'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/4067221013282917177'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2009/02/new-age-new-hair.html' title='New Age, New Hair'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SZYRh_WbTtI/AAAAAAAAACw/oIv0gve_Cs8/s72-c/IMG_4514.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-2059465645931773151</id><published>2009-01-08T13:48:00.002Z</published><updated>2009-01-08T13:54:46.056Z</updated><title type='text'>52 Books In One Year</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SWYFjv1LqFI/AAAAAAAAACo/FxTJJ10Jd84/s1600-h/ReadingManiacs.gif"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SWYFjv1LqFI/AAAAAAAAACo/FxTJJ10Jd84/s320/ReadingManiacs.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288920924086315090" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Last year I challenged myself to read 50 books in one year. I managed 48 and was sorely disappointed in myself for the failure. To some 4 may seem like a good number, but it was frustrating to fall short by so few - and also to know I could have done 50 if I had just made more of an effort. So, to make up for my failed efforts, this year I will again challenge myself to 50 and add the extra 2 from last year to even everything out and make it a nice round 52! Also, it suits my sightly obsessive need for things to be symmetrical, or seem to fit together as there are 52 weeks in a year! You can keep track on the left and if you are interested in the books there are links to the amazon pages for them all. As you can see I started this year with a non-salubrious choice!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-2059465645931773151?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/2059465645931773151/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=2059465645931773151&amp;isPopup=true' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/2059465645931773151'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/2059465645931773151'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2009/01/52-books-in-one-year.html' title='52 Books In One Year'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SWYFjv1LqFI/AAAAAAAAACo/FxTJJ10Jd84/s72-c/ReadingManiacs.gif' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-9154142915384641720</id><published>2009-01-02T18:43:00.003Z</published><updated>2009-01-02T19:02:40.145Z</updated><title type='text'>Some 2008 Stats for the mathematically minded.</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SV5kcbwgNfI/AAAAAAAAACg/sL_Kne56QRQ/s1600-h/north-america-map.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SV5kcbwgNfI/AAAAAAAAACg/sL_Kne56QRQ/s320/north-america-map.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286773452229850610" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Thought you might be interested to know a few stats from my 6 months of traveling in North America. In case you don't know what I was doing and some of them seem unrealistic I shall explain... The first 60 days were spent following 11, 12, or 13 bikers across the States and then I spent 2 months in Canada and then back down for a month and a half to America, all the while traveling around seeing various people I know around the place (and some people I didn't know but do now!) So.. here you go:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:180%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;No of:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Different beds I slept in (01 June-30 Nov):&lt;/span&gt; 69&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Flights taken:&lt;/span&gt; 14&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;States/Provinces visited:&lt;/span&gt; 20&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Miles traveled: &lt;/span&gt;23,264.5m (not including miles traveled within cities while staying there which could add about another 1,500-2000 miles which brings us roughly to the earth's circumference at 24,900m!!)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Delayed Flights:&lt;/span&gt; 3&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Missed Flights:&lt;/span&gt; 1&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Airlines Flown With: &lt;/span&gt;4&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Books read on the Road: &lt;/span&gt;18&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Pairs of shoes bought:&lt;/span&gt; 7&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Hours played on Rock Band: &lt;/span&gt;15 in 3 days&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-9154142915384641720?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/9154142915384641720/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=9154142915384641720&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/9154142915384641720'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/9154142915384641720'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2009/01/some-2008-stats-for-mathematically.html' title='Some 2008 Stats for the mathematically minded.'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SV5kcbwgNfI/AAAAAAAAACg/sL_Kne56QRQ/s72-c/north-america-map.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-5134872148187716577</id><published>2008-11-20T03:42:00.003Z</published><updated>2008-11-20T04:20:25.420Z</updated><title type='text'>WARNING: Slightly Deep and More-Vulnerable-Than-Usual Post to Follow...</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SSTdbam8SEI/AAAAAAAAACY/5gbkNNUx1DY/s1600-h/IMG_2765.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SSTdbam8SEI/AAAAAAAAACY/5gbkNNUx1DY/s200/IMG_2765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270580926999185474" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The last months, as I'm sure I have said, have been a great journey of discovery. I have met some amazing people on my travels (not least the 5 brilliant girls in Kansas City who took me in at ridiculous short notice and made me laugh! And the wonderful Sarah who's honesty and beautiful spirit made Madison perfect), and been to many great places.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Last week I was at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, MO. It was awesome (read not in American, but in true sense of the word).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One of the things I have thought about my whole life is finding love - finding not just love, because I have loved before, but The Great Love. That feeling of being safe and committed to one person - loved for who I am entirely. Along with that comes thinking about a wedding and planning mine in my head - the plans have changed a lot over the years and are ever evolving! So far this Great Love has eluded me. I often ask God about it and wonder who it will be, or if it isn't going to happen, or if I am worthy of love, or if God has other plans for me (while secretly hoping he hasn't!).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Last week I was seeking God. I want to know him on a deeper level every day and to find new ways of being with him, and communicating with him, and loving him. I often feel as though the love I give him is insignificant and a small amount compared to the amount of love I have stored for other things. Anyway... to cut a long story short, one night at we were worshiping I have this amazing picture of Jesus' eyes. They were right in front of me - looking right at me in the most amazing way. So full of love and life and laughter and joy at seeing me. Then we sang this song:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I'm more than what these ashes say,&lt;br /&gt;They will fade away when He comes for me.&lt;br /&gt;By grace through faith in Christ I'm saved,&lt;br /&gt;I am not the same when He looks at me.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am the rose, the joy for which You died&lt;br /&gt;And this I know, I move You with delight&lt;br /&gt;And when my heart condemns on every side&lt;br /&gt;I take refuge in the truth, I am the rose to You.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My life is more than meets the eye&lt;br /&gt;I'm hidden now with Christ and I'm one with Him&lt;br /&gt;My love is real before His eyes&lt;br /&gt;He's ravished by the sight of one glance from me&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am the rose, I am the lily,&lt;br /&gt;I am Yours, I'm Your beauty&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There's going to be a wedding&lt;br /&gt;It's the reason that I'm living&lt;br /&gt;To marry the Lamb&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I'm more than what these ashes say,&lt;br /&gt;They will fade away when He comes for me&lt;br /&gt;My love is real before His eyes,&lt;br /&gt;He's ravished by the sight of one glance from me.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I realised then that I know my Great Love (and of course immediately burst into tears)! There is no need for me to be waiting for it. No other love is ever going to be as awesome as the one God has for me or I for him. I realised that no earthly wedding would ever compare to the day Christ comes again to marry us - the church - and that wedding is going to be nothing I could ever describe in words or hope to comprehend now on earth. I don't even think I can begin to tell you how much more I love God right now. I don't think I can put into words the way it makes me feel to recall his eyes on my face and the love there. I don't think I even want to describe it for fear of making it seem unreal.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Any earthly love that comes along now is a bonus - but I don't need it to fulfill my life because I am already whole and complete in Him who is the author and perfecter of my faith and will keep me safe until the end.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I think I finally get that whole 'better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere' thing and if heaven is like IHOP I will be eternally happy there (lucky, eh?!). I am sad to have left there and longing to go back. Anyone up for a visit...!?&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-5134872148187716577?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/5134872148187716577/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=5134872148187716577&amp;isPopup=true' title='5 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5134872148187716577'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5134872148187716577'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/11/warning-slightly-deep-and-more.html' title='WARNING: Slightly Deep and More-Vulnerable-Than-Usual Post to Follow...'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SSTdbam8SEI/AAAAAAAAACY/5gbkNNUx1DY/s72-c/IMG_2765.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>5</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-6564922940836505794</id><published>2008-11-09T20:57:00.002Z</published><updated>2008-11-09T21:06:55.628Z</updated><title type='text'>Recent Thoughts</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SRdPFB1jw0I/AAAAAAAAACI/0rw24133tMk/s1600-h/IMG_3852.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SRdPFB1jw0I/AAAAAAAAACI/0rw24133tMk/s320/IMG_3852.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266765237044101954" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is me at the top of the Berthoud Pass in the Rockies west of Denver.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Over the last 5 months I have realised that I had lost hope. I had lost it for my job, for my church - BCF - and for my own life in a lot of ways. I was not feeling passionate about anything and I think I had allowed my relationship with God to suffer because I just didn't feel like he was listening or was powerful to make changes in anything I was doing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I don't want to be melodramatic (for a change!) and there were times when I glimpsed more of his power and glory (like at the women's conference we had before I left Bristol) but on the whole I felt pretty hopeless and discouraged. I wish I had been able to discern that while I was still in Bristol, but as the descent into those feelings was slow and creeping it has taken time and distance to regain some perspective and some balance. I feel like I am experiencing one of my favourite lyrics "To obtain a bird's eye is to turn a blizzard to a breeze". I realise that life had become the small things of day to day instead of the larger goal of 'your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven'.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On this 5 and a bit month time-out I have seen that God is big again, and that he is good, and that he is powerful. It has been an amazing, painful and joyful journey that isn't over yet. I guess more is to come and I am excited to go to the prophetic evangelism summit at the International House Of Prayer on Tuesday. I pray that God works a new thing in me - that I am more than ever convinced of his Majesty and his interest in me, you and the whole world. I pray that I know more about his character and his plans for us and that I see more of his Kingdom that is present and relevant.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-6564922940836505794?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/6564922940836505794/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=6564922940836505794&amp;isPopup=true' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/6564922940836505794'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/6564922940836505794'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/11/recent-thoughts.html' title='Recent Thoughts'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SRdPFB1jw0I/AAAAAAAAACI/0rw24133tMk/s72-c/IMG_3852.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-1129287394596720496</id><published>2008-10-01T19:59:00.003Z</published><updated>2008-10-01T20:22:20.258Z</updated><title type='text'>Milgram Experiment</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SOPbKay9QqI/AAAAAAAAABg/zMsPbvJHdN0/s1600-h/473px-Milgram_Experiment_v2.png"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SOPbKay9QqI/AAAAAAAAABg/zMsPbvJHdN0/s320/473px-Milgram_Experiment_v2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252282562482356898" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I was chatting to my friend Lisa today about how people die every day because drug companies won't give drugs for free to people who need them but can't pay. I said I thought if the executives came face to face with those people they wouldn't be able to walk away unchanged - they would have to do something. Lisa said I had way too much faith in human nature! Somehow we got talking about how the people who worked for Hitler could do such inhumane and hideous things simply because they were under someone else's authority.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lisa pointed me in the direction of an experiment by a guy called Stanley Milgram on just how far people will go when directed by someone they deem to have more authority than them. You can watch the experiment &lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF3mYiX59H0"&gt;here on Youtube.&lt;/a&gt; The end of the video clip turns into something a bit more political, but the beginning bit is the experiment.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I looked it up on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment"&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt; and found it a very interesting read. This is a quote from Milgram:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process. Moreover, even when the destructive effects of their work become patently clear, and they are asked to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental standards of morality,&lt;span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"&gt; relatively few people have the resources needed to resist authority.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;sup style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment#cite_note-3" title=""&gt;[4]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is a very interesting experiment in its own right and I don't want to over-spiritualise everything I read, but I think it can definitely speak to me as someone who submits to a higher authority. It makes me think of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego in the book of Daniel in the Bible who had the resources to stand up to the ultimate authority of their age, the King. And David, who had the resources to stand up to Goliath. And Jesus who stood against the Pharisees and religious rulers who had the place of authority in Israel. What did they have that I need to act responsibly and in accordance with God's will?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I think it was probably their faith in a God who had, and still has, the ultimate authority in heaven and on earth, but I also think it was about their knowledge of who &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;they&lt;/span&gt; were in God's scheme of things. Imagine if we lived like sons or daughters of the ultimate authority?!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-1129287394596720496?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/1129287394596720496/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=1129287394596720496&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/1129287394596720496'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/1129287394596720496'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/10/milgram-experiment.html' title='Milgram Experiment'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SOPbKay9QqI/AAAAAAAAABg/zMsPbvJHdN0/s72-c/473px-Milgram_Experiment_v2.png' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-75602952437353299</id><published>2008-10-01T19:49:00.003Z</published><updated>2008-10-01T19:59:20.024Z</updated><title type='text'>300th Post! An Anniversary of Sorts</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SOPUq7tRPdI/AAAAAAAAABY/maYmTKiQ5ag/s1600-h/Photo+2.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SOPUq7tRPdI/AAAAAAAAABY/maYmTKiQ5ag/s320/Photo+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252275424491290066" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am back in Toronto now having spent a little longer in Calgary than I had anticipated! It is nice to be back with Kirk and her Canadian family - the Nethercotts. It is nice to be back in a more familiar city too - I find that I like to know where I am and where I am going, it makes me feel less dependent, more independent.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The plan for the next while is to hang here for another couple of weeks, then back down to the States until the end of November when I will return to the motherland! Details are still being finalised but it is shaping up to be a great autumn!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I don't know what God is doing in me at this point in time. I feel like I am following him in the dark, mostly by where I have a vague feeling he might be. It isn't a bad feeling, just means I haven't clue what the next step is or where I will end up or really even what the process is. I am enjoying the sense of freedom though and the feeling that he is letting me choose while keeping an eye on me! Jeff Lucas said once that God's will isn't often a tightrope, a one-path-only kind of will, but instead it is a field - with boundaries but possibilities! I like that.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-75602952437353299?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/75602952437353299/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=75602952437353299&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/75602952437353299'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/75602952437353299'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/10/300th-post-anniversay-of-sorts.html' title='300th Post! An Anniversary of Sorts'/><author><name>Emma Duncan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07395165233482835724</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='10100224972394574529'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n40mc6DboDs/SOPUq7tRPdI/AAAAAAAAABY/maYmTKiQ5ag/s72-c/Photo+2.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-5979208816628572408</id><published>2008-09-27T20:17:00.004Z</published><updated>2008-09-27T20:39:58.499Z</updated><title type='text'>Calgary and Other Things</title><content type='html'>It feels good to be back in the swing of checking people's blogs and updating mine. It was too hard to keep it up over the summer, but things have settled down now and I am in the one place for more than one or two nights at a time so it is easier to keep up!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This week I have been in Calgary, Alberta, visiting friends who lived in Bristol for a while 5 years ago - Drew and Carla. They have twins now, Eli and Sophie who are ridiculously cute! &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SN6WWgClSOI/AAAAAAAAAMA/_c7pLKklzyQ/s1600-h/IMG_3561.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SN6WWgClSOI/AAAAAAAAAMA/_c7pLKklzyQ/s320/IMG_3561.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250799528862632162" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is us downtown in Calgary - beautiful time of year to be here with all the trees changing etc. It is very pretty. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I missed my flight back to Toronto - it was at 12.15am on Thursday 25th and so I got mixed up with days and didn't really think about the fact that that meant Wednesday night, I was just thinking Thursday night. I managed to get Air Canada to change my flight to Sunday night so all worked out well in the end - manage to spend more time here with the Myers family, and miss a sponsored walk I didn't have any sponsors for and had to pay to do! So, all's well that ends well!! (totally unplanned Kirk, before you start!)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Drew and Carla took me to the mountains which was beautiful - they know I am not a big fan of hiking so the day focused more on shopping, coffee and beautiful sights! It is good to have friends who know you well!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I also met a great family called the Bartels. Dad has been friends with them for ages and loves them so he was keen for me to meet up with them. We had Sunday lupper (lunch/supper). I loved them too so it all worked out well. They seemed to think Dad and I were alike... &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SN6ZQkFzCaI/AAAAAAAAAMI/gRqlaOawA-o/s1600-h/IMG_3629.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SN6ZQkFzCaI/AAAAAAAAAMI/gRqlaOawA-o/s320/IMG_3629.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250802725405526434" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am heading back to Toronto on Sunday (have made sure I know my flight times) and will be there for another 3 weeks or so staying with the Nethercotts and Kirk. Good times! I am looking forward t being back there, feels kind of like home from home for now. Still not sure of any plans further than 12th January so if anyone has any ideas... Am looking for some kind of gainful employment as am just depleting my reserves now!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-5979208816628572408?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/5979208816628572408/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=5979208816628572408&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5979208816628572408'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5979208816628572408'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/09/calgary-and-other-things.html' title='Calgary and Other Things'/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SN6WWgClSOI/AAAAAAAAAMA/_c7pLKklzyQ/s72-c/IMG_3561.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-5341591506837922698</id><published>2008-09-15T01:51:00.003Z</published><updated>2008-09-15T02:22:31.847Z</updated><title type='text'>New Guitar!</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SM3A0e6n8zI/AAAAAAAAAL4/owYutKsAF1c/s1600-h/IMG_3507.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SM3A0e6n8zI/AAAAAAAAAL4/owYutKsAF1c/s400/IMG_3507.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246061148841177906" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Look at my new guitar! It's an Art and Lutherie cutaway in cedar sunrise (slightly pretentious colour title). I bought it in Steve's Music Store on Queen St W in Toronto and I love it! It is amazing - my fingers ache from playing it every day after not having played since the end of May! &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Toronto is a lot of fun! I am living with a lovely family and hanging out a lot with &lt;a href="http://rachelkirk.blogspot.com/"&gt;Kirk&lt;/a&gt;. I am missing Bristol though, which is a nice thing in a way because it means I really might go back there. I was a bit afraid that if I left I would get caught up and carried away by a stream of circumstances to somewhere else... And who knows, I still may, but for now it is nice to know that I miss home. I also miss knowing things like where the best live music venues are, or where I am going, or where to go and eat, or where to go for the best shopping/starbucks/reading experience... I have found a few places that I love but I know there are many more I need to investigate! &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Plans for the next couple of months are to stay in Canada until 14th October, then head back down to the USA with a 30 day unlimited rail pass and hit about a million destinations on a literal whistle-stop tour! Heading back to Ireland on 30th November and then off to Bristol for New Year so catch up with you all (hopefully) in those places and at those times!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-5341591506837922698?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/5341591506837922698/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=5341591506837922698&amp;isPopup=true' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5341591506837922698'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5341591506837922698'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/09/new-guitar.html' title='New Guitar!'/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SM3A0e6n8zI/AAAAAAAAAL4/owYutKsAF1c/s72-c/IMG_3507.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-5618725742026156651</id><published>2008-08-25T18:21:00.003Z</published><updated>2008-08-25T18:28:56.629Z</updated><title type='text'>Muskoka Woods Summer, Summer, Summer, Summer!!</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SLL5Ioo0fRI/AAAAAAAAALw/XIBwpUWu4wI/s1600-h/IMG_3297.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SLL5Ioo0fRI/AAAAAAAAALw/XIBwpUWu4wI/s400/IMG_3297.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238523243328208146" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am at Msukoka Woods - the camp for kids that I worked at in the summers of '98 and '99! It has been ages! This is the view from the edge of the lake the other day at sunset. Truly magical! Will be here until Friday night then heading down to Toronto for a while. Love traveling! Will also try to be a better blogger (although blog-land seems a lot slower in the summer in general...).&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-5618725742026156651?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/5618725742026156651/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=5618725742026156651&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5618725742026156651'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/5618725742026156651'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/08/muskoka-woods-summer-summer-summer.html' title='Muskoka Woods Summer, Summer, Summer, Summer!!'/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SLL5Ioo0fRI/AAAAAAAAALw/XIBwpUWu4wI/s72-c/IMG_3297.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-8900843826251048546</id><published>2008-08-25T17:57:00.002Z</published><updated>2008-08-25T18:18:15.443Z</updated><title type='text'>What a Summer!</title><content type='html'>Sorry for the total abandonment! This has been quite a summer. So, a quick update... since we last spoke I flew to Seattle on 15th June to meet up with all the riders and support people who had no idea what was in store over the next 60 days! The first night I arrived late and was whisked away by a man I had never met to his house (where his wife was waiting). They were really nice but I was slightly worried by the racks of guns on the walls! I texted my cousin my address in case I didn't make it back - they would at least know where to look for my remains! Anyway, it all turned out ok and the ride started on Tuesday 17th June at 6.30am from &lt;a href="http://www.cityofanacortes.org/Parks/WaPark/wa_park.htm"&gt;Washington Park&lt;/a&gt; in Anacortes, WA. The riders dipped their back tire in the Pacific Ocean and then took off in drips and drabs for Bar Harbour, MA; 4,200 miles away! &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I drove the whole way across the United States of America! How amazing is that?! It was such a great opportunity and it was amazing to see small-town America (for the most part) and to be hosted by different people every night and meet people from all kinds of walks of life. Their generosity and willingness to welcome a bunch of absolute strangers into their homes was amazing. I went to the &lt;a href="http://www.mallofamerica.com/"&gt;Mall of America&lt;/a&gt; (biggest Mall in the USA, it has a theme park in the middle of it!) and there purchased my new MacBook! It is so ridiculously lovely. We had millions of little adventures along the way and most of them were 'had to be there' moments so I won't go into them, but suffice to say it was a great way to spend a summer - I highly recommend it to anyone. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SLLzLgYQumI/AAAAAAAAALo/OuJGPVx_U94/s1600-h/IMG_3187.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SLLzLgYQumI/AAAAAAAAALo/OuJGPVx_U94/s400/IMG_3187.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238516695581112930" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is a picture of all the riders at the end of the ride putting their front tire into the Atlantic Ocean in &lt;a href="http://www.barharborinfo.com/"&gt;Bar Harbour, ME&lt;/a&gt;. What a moment! I don't think it really sank in for a while what an achievement they had all been part of - if it sank in at all! I am so proud of them all. There were days when I know I would have been bawling if I had been on a bike (like days 2-60!). Mad props to them all!!!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-8900843826251048546?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/8900843826251048546/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=8900843826251048546&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/8900843826251048546'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/8900843826251048546'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-summer.html' title='What a Summer!'/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SLLzLgYQumI/AAAAAAAAALo/OuJGPVx_U94/s72-c/IMG_3187.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-9213002486994498488</id><published>2008-06-10T00:09:00.003Z</published><updated>2008-06-10T00:21:33.267Z</updated><title type='text'>Week 1 - Overseas</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SE3GbktprMI/AAAAAAAAALg/D_nMTXhb_Sw/s1600-h/venus_fly_m1262247.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SE3GbktprMI/AAAAAAAAALg/D_nMTXhb_Sw/s400/venus_fly_m1262247.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210038520951450818" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am in Charlotte, North Carolina. North Carolina's state carnivorous plant is the venus fly-trp, hence the photo. Who knew states needed a carnivorous plant?! &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am staying with my Auntie Katie and Uncle Tom (my mum's sister and her husband). It is above 90F during the day and drops only a few degrees at night so we are well air-conditioned most of the time. Although I kind of like the heat! We walked to Starbucks this morning (another thing I like) but we left it a bit too late - we didn't leave until 8.30am and really by then it was too hot to walk far! So I think tomorrow we will be leaving a little earlier. My body thinks it is 1.13am, although here it is only 8.13pm! So I am a little ahead of myself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is great to be here, and I am having a great time spinning about in a sporty cadillac and making my auntie squirm in the passenger seat, but I am missing home. I miss being able to muse over the minutiae of the day with good friends or just calling someone up to see if they are up for a coffee. I can do that here, but I guess it is the specific people I miss, not so much the activities.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Last week I went out for a coffee in Ballynahinch. I thought I would take a book and my journal and just chill out for an hour and a half before I was due to meet some friends for dinner. Firstly, nowhere has wireless internet, so that's bad. Secondly, the place I went had no coffee as their machine was broken. Thirdly, the waitress (who I knew) kept coming over to see if I was ok with this kind of 'i feel sorry for you being on your own' look as though I had been stood up and needed someone to come and cheer me up! I assured her I was fine and longed for the staff in the Tinto/Porto/Deco lounge who are well used to random coffee drinkers sitting for hours just on their own doing their own thing. It is the little things that make life lovely.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I did, however, have an excellent time at home with my family and friends - I will post some pics as soon as I can.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tatafornow!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;PS Please can I encourage anyone who would like to, to email me!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-9213002486994498488?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/9213002486994498488/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=9213002486994498488&amp;isPopup=true' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/9213002486994498488'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/9213002486994498488'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-1-overseas.html' title='Week 1 - Overseas'/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SE3GbktprMI/AAAAAAAAALg/D_nMTXhb_Sw/s72-c/venus_fly_m1262247.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-3893019837029127262</id><published>2008-06-07T10:07:00.002Z</published><updated>2008-06-07T10:14:33.567Z</updated><title type='text'>Leavin' On a Jet Plane</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SEpeDCWbBTI/AAAAAAAAALY/Uhy3plLKjpA/s1600-h/JetPlane.gif"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SEpeDCWbBTI/AAAAAAAAALY/Uhy3plLKjpA/s400/JetPlane.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209079325270934834" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For those of you who were holding their breaths after this week's earlier posting this quick post will come as a relief. Lungs weren't made for that kind of stamina but kudos to those of you who tried... &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My bags are packed, I'm ready to go... I'm leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again... John Denver says it so well that it leaves me little left except to wish you all a fond farewell, until we meet again some sunny day (I am feeling in a lyrical mood). &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I will update again soon I hope with some more exciting info - although who knows, it might be a dull trip and laughs will be few and far between - or photo opporutnities. I suspect not though as we will be raking about in the Rockies by this time 2 weeks! Woohoo!! &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So long, farwell, auf wiedersehn, goodnight...&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-3893019837029127262?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/3893019837029127262/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=3893019837029127262&amp;isPopup=true' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/3893019837029127262'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/3893019837029127262'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/06/leavin-on-jet-plane.html' title='Leavin&apos; On a Jet Plane'/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SEpeDCWbBTI/AAAAAAAAALY/Uhy3plLKjpA/s72-c/JetPlane.gif' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-1604498970294449116</id><published>2008-06-03T22:38:00.004Z</published><updated>2008-06-03T23:04:16.172Z</updated><title type='text'>Musings of a Hobo</title><content type='html'>I am a jobless, homeless hobo. I am in good company though as so was Jesus for his ministry time so I feel ok. Actually I feel pretty gutted that I have left Bristol. I love it dearly and the people there are as close to me as family and I am going to miss them so much. If you think that at the beginning of a year long travelling adventure that sounds like self pity - you would be right. But I am just trying to be honest - it is hard to leave behind my little life that I carved into Bristol for myself. It is hard to leave people who have, for 9 years, been all I have needed to survive. It is hard to leave behind knowing what I am doing and head into a world of not knowing anything at all - even if my house will be sold or my plans will be viable. It is all a little unsure. And when you're unsure what do you need? Friends who are there telling you it is going to be ok. So I left those behind too and am just adrift on my own!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Haha - I know, I'm ridiculous. I am laughing at my own melodramatic ramblings. I will be fine and I am able to keep in touch with every single person through the wonder of the interweb and my phone! So I need to just suck it up and get on with experiencing whatever is coming up. I know that, so I will. It might just take me a day or two!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I thought you might like to see a photo or 2 of my house before I left it. This is the trailer loaded to the gills with all my stuff for the ride home and my sold sign - perhaps it is a bit optimistic...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SEXLrycQ_bI/AAAAAAAAALI/0-UgPipixhA/s1600-h/IMG_0953.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SEXLrycQ_bI/AAAAAAAAALI/0-UgPipixhA/s200/IMG_0953.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207792497258986930" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is a few of the many people who helped me move - we ate fish and chips on the floor and drank out of plastic cups - like hobos.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SEXMR-6o07I/AAAAAAAAALQ/UZMDa6DhVms/s1600-h/IMG_0951.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SEXMR-6o07I/AAAAAAAAALQ/UZMDa6DhVms/s200/IMG_0951.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207793153442632626" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, off on an adventure on Sunday. I am praying that by then my sadness at leaving everything behind will have been replaced by joy at new experiences and new friendships. I am hoping to return to Bristol in the long term so that is also something to look forward to! I will try to keep this updated as much as I can and I'm sure I will have a billion photos so, although I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you, dear reader, I would check in every now and then to see if anything new has trailed out of the end of my fingers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Adios for now!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-1604498970294449116?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/1604498970294449116/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=1604498970294449116&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/1604498970294449116'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/1604498970294449116'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/06/musings-of-hobo.html' title='Musings of a Hobo'/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SEXLrycQ_bI/AAAAAAAAALI/0-UgPipixhA/s72-c/IMG_0953.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-2446263343210531036</id><published>2008-05-10T13:50:00.002Z</published><updated>2008-05-10T13:52:38.655Z</updated><title type='text'>Book Thoughts Please</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SCWoQYWyGRI/AAAAAAAAAK8/UR-xujFlKpY/s1600-h/51oFf5VTHCL._SS500_.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SCWoQYWyGRI/AAAAAAAAAK8/UR-xujFlKpY/s200/51oFf5VTHCL._SS500_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198746344238487826" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Anyone read this? Let me know what you think if you have... All comments welcome!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-2446263343210531036?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/2446263343210531036/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=2446263343210531036&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/2446263343210531036'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/2446263343210531036'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/05/book-thoughts-please.html' title='Book Thoughts Please'/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/SCWoQYWyGRI/AAAAAAAAAK8/UR-xujFlKpY/s72-c/51oFf5VTHCL._SS500_.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-2652386018783091612</id><published>2008-03-16T23:04:00.007Z</published><updated>2008-03-16T23:34:27.155Z</updated><title type='text'>Update on EVERYTHING!</title><content type='html'>I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed recently - so much so that I thought I should go back to Ireland for a while and see my family and take some time out!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92ot2pTcsI/AAAAAAAAAKU/rMhyyQ_vims/s1600-h/Sky.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92ot2pTcsI/AAAAAAAAAKU/rMhyyQ_vims/s200/Sky.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178480652262273730" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I think work, selling my house, leaving Bristol, not knowing what is ahead and everything else about life had been getting a bit much. I had a great time at home with my mum (dad was away in the States) just doing the usual things like shopping and having coffee! Mum and I are mostly on the same wavelength!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I had a lot of fun with the dogs - there is a river near our house and I took them round there to exercise. They make me laugh! The water was very high because it rained a lot so the little dog was not so keen to go in in case he got swept away. It is relaxing to be in the country messing about with water and trucks and dogs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92pT2pTctI/AAAAAAAAAKc/doq1UkTUeig/s1600-h/Dogs.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92pT2pTctI/AAAAAAAAAKc/doq1UkTUeig/s200/Dogs.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178481305097302738" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Claire and I went to see U23D. I had wanted to see it in Bristol but it wasn't on - it was on in Newport a few weeks ago but I couldn't go the one week it was on. Luckily one of the only 2 cinemas showing it in the whole of Ireland is near my house! So off we went. It isn't really Claire's idea of a good time I don't think but we made a good spectacle in our 3-D glasses! And it was pretty amazing to have Bono about 3ft away from you, even if it isn't exactly real.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92rOmpTcuI/AAAAAAAAAKk/IcV3u6LUk8w/s1600-h/3D.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92rOmpTcuI/AAAAAAAAAKk/IcV3u6LUk8w/s200/3D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178483413926245090" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Things that restore my soul are the sky at sunrise...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92r32pTcvI/AAAAAAAAAKs/bd64Nff6d-E/s1600-h/Sunrise.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92r32pTcvI/AAAAAAAAAKs/bd64Nff6d-E/s200/Sunrise.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178484122595848946" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am really excited to begin my adventure in the summer - but I am also really sad to be leaving Bristol. I don't know where this road is going to lead me and if I will be back here... my favourite poem is The Road Not Taken. The author talks about taking one way over another...  &lt;br /&gt;"Oh, I kept the first for another day! &lt;br /&gt;Yet knowing how way leads on to way, &lt;br /&gt;I doubted if I should ever come back." &lt;br /&gt;Would coming back to Bristol again after this year be a backwards move? Or will my road lead back here?! Who knows. It is exciting to be starting a new chapter in my life, but also really sad to think that this part of my life might be over and the people that I love here in Bristol might be come friends by correspondence. Oh, who knows! It is too hard to think about it all. Or at least for now.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92t62pTcwI/AAAAAAAAAK0/HH0AqIkwnAQ/s1600-h/Bridge.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92t62pTcwI/AAAAAAAAAK0/HH0AqIkwnAQ/s200/Bridge.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178486373158712066" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-2652386018783091612?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/2652386018783091612/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=2652386018783091612&amp;isPopup=true' title='8 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/2652386018783091612'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/2652386018783091612'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/03/update-on-everything.html' title='Update on EVERYTHING!'/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R92ot2pTcsI/AAAAAAAAAKU/rMhyyQ_vims/s72-c/Sky.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>8</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-1319807492193725225</id><published>2008-03-16T22:48:00.002Z</published><updated>2008-03-16T23:01:52.363Z</updated><title type='text'>Being Tagged</title><content type='html'>I was tagged by &lt;a href="http://debserwin.blogspot.com/"&gt;Debs&lt;/a&gt; so thought I would respond!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Rules:&lt;br /&gt;1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.&lt;br /&gt;2. Post THE RULES on your blog.&lt;br /&gt;3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.&lt;br /&gt;4. Tag 7 people and link to them.&lt;br /&gt;5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, 7 weird or random facts about me:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. My idea of a perfect afternoon is a Starbucks skimmed hazelnut iced latte and a good book and maybe my ipod.&lt;br /&gt;2. I don't like any animals smaller than cats.&lt;br /&gt;3. I have hypermobile joints.&lt;br /&gt;4. I would love to be a writer and live by the sea.&lt;br /&gt;5. My favourite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle was Raphael.&lt;br /&gt;6. I started dying my hair when I was 13 and haven't ever had my natural hair colour since.&lt;br /&gt;7. My (current) favourite song is 'Made-up Lovesong No43' by The Guilemots.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I tag Rachel Kirk, Charlie Knox and Pete Martin. I know that isn't 7 , but hey, we can't all have so many friends!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-1319807492193725225?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/1319807492193725225/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=1319807492193725225&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/1319807492193725225'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/1319807492193725225'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/03/being-tagged.html' title='Being Tagged'/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212156.post-1141679498591383999</id><published>2008-02-24T23:07:00.002Z</published><updated>2008-02-24T23:12:43.612Z</updated><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R8H5mSNuMUI/AAAAAAAAAKM/tN_306HHT_A/s1600-h/IMG_0621.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R8H5mSNuMUI/AAAAAAAAAKM/tN_306HHT_A/s400/IMG_0621.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170688283317776706" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If your name was Richard would you shorten your name to this and sell cars?!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5212156-1141679498591383999?l=emmaduncan.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/feeds/1141679498591383999/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5212156&amp;postID=1141679498591383999&amp;isPopup=true' title='5 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/1141679498591383999'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5212156/posts/default/1141679498591383999'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://emmaduncan.blogspot.com/2008/02/if-your-name-was-richard-would-you.html' title=''/><author><name>emma</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oEgadV7SAO8/R8H5mSNuMUI/AAAAAAAAAKM/tN_306HHT_A/s72-c/IMG_0621.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>5</thr:total></entry></feed>