A memorable experience

I've just arrived back at Leeds. The train ride back was very relaxing although hectic at the start. I had the misfortune of having my train from Chepstow to Cheltenham Spa cancelled due to an industrial strike action by Welsh rail workers. Seriously, of all times they can mount a strike, they had to do it on a Monday when I needed to go back. Nevertheless, it was fortunate that there's plan B, in that Tim will fetch me to the Bristol Park station, just as what he did when I arrived a few days ago. The plan was to intercept the same train going to Leeds which I would have boarded at Cheltenham. On the way however, he accidentally took a wrong turn and for a short moment, it was a race against time. I was thankful in that I did not need to negotiate long with the ticket gatekeeper to let me through because of my cancelled train in Chepstow. The minute I walked down the platform, the train arrived promptly. I took a breath of relief when I was safely seated in the train. It was quiet ride back with lots of space too because the seat beside me was empty. I took the opportunity to finish up some reading for my criminology essay.

Here's a summary on what I did on Boxing Day. Tim and I were thinking of going out to one of the local pubs in Chepstow to watch football but unfortunately, the pub only showcased rugby matches. So Tim drove me to Tintern for a short visit instead. Tintern is an even smaller Welsh village than Chepstow. One of the famed landmarks of Tintern is the Tintern Abbey. It is a a very obvious looming structure which comes into view the moment I entered into the village. The peculiar and unusual thing about this abbey is that it is almost 700 years old, with its roof and glass windows missing but the stone structure remained intact throughout the test of time. I would love to explore the ruins but the entrance is closed since its the holidays. We made one round to have a look around the River Wye and the scenery is just gorgeous and looks particularly different with all the snow filled fields.
We spent the night watching DMC and we played some family games too. On the next day, we have some guests in the house as Tim's uncle and aunty with his cousins came by for a visit in the afternoon. We had another family walk through another batch of whit fields. We had an afternoon feast in the house and then in the evening, the Tuckers' family friends came over for a visit. And to end off my time at Chepstow, the Tuckers and their friends took the opportunity to use the sticky snow to make a gigantic snowman. It's surprising for me to see how easily the show rolled off the grass into a giant ball. Anyways, Tim's parents were nice to provide me with a dinner too before I'm off to the train station.

Overall, I did have a great experience with the Tuckers. I'm feeling very blessed already to be invited to such a lovely home and family in Christ. Before I went off, Tim's mother generously told me that if I ever needed an English mother or a place to stay, I can find them at Chepstow..haha. From my few days stay here, I can see that they are a very musical family although Tim and his father are engineers. All of the 5 siblings can play the piano and they regularly practice on the piano with their father. Personally, I've always wanted to have a feel on what it's like to have many siblings, since I've only 1 younger brother. I discovered also that the Tuckers have actually been hosting one international student on every Christmas and it has been their tradition. In previous years before their children went to Uni, their international guests come from Bristol. When I reached back at Leeds, it felt like some sort of fairy tale coming to an end. One, it's because I have to get back to my assignments and secondly, because it's the first instance where I get to really know a British person more in depth rather than just the usual on the surface hi and bye. I'm really thanking God for giving me this rare opportunity. Somehow, He always leads the right people into my circle of network or me to somebody else's network. And for this Christmas season, I've felt the warmth of a family life on the other side of the globe. God bless the Tuckers for their kind hospitality :)