Ikea and Belfast

[andrewducker]

Long evening last night - I went to Ikea to buy a bed for laserboy so that he has something to sleep on when he moves in in 10 days time. is_not_well came with me, which was lovely - keeping me company and helping me push things around, as well as looking at numerous beds, wardrobes, chest of drawers and other domestic things together was great fun. It's funny - I actually enjoy wandering around Ikea - it brings out the geeky efficiency fanatic in me "If only I had this lettuce slicer I could be 3.7% more efficient in the kitchen!" and having Julie there being excited with me just adds to that. We can excitedly squee together over the storage solutions :->

We're off to Belfast this weekend - I finally get to meet her family. It feels like an important thing to do. I feel like I ought to be more nervous than I am - but meeting people has never filled me with dread (well, apart from famous people that I don't have anything to say to as people). I'm curious to meet the grandparents who raised her, and her mother, and hopefully some of the friends she grew up with. I'm looking forward to seeing the places she's walked home from at 3am, the streets she's hung out on, the places she has fond memories of, and the city and village that shaped her early life.

I've never been out with anyone whose early life felt quite so foreign before. It feels like rather an adventure.

Comments

[meaningrequired.livejournal.com]

Awwww! :) it'll be a lot less foreign than you think; they have shopping centres and everything over there ;)

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

I wish you'd got me an egg poacher :)

[cairmen.livejournal.com]

Aww, you've gotten to the "going round IKEA together" stage.

[kashandara.livejournal.com]

Don't they grow up so fast! ;-)

[diotina.livejournal.com]

Bless. :)

[captainlucy.livejournal.com]

And electricity! :)

[zz]

meeting people has never filled me with dread

i would pay money to know what that feels like. :\

[meaningrequired.livejournal.com]

Sorry to leap in. But I used to feel like that. The way I got over it is to ask 2 questions:

1. "What am I afraid of?"
2. "What evidence do I have for these fears"

The next step is to go into social situations, and praise/reassure yourself when its ok. Then remember the experience for future.

Feel free to go "bah!" at me :)

(Also, its not that I just got over it, I learned that I was okay, and other people are ok, and there isnt much they can do. Also other people don't tend to remember conversations as well as you might believe ;) so if you do say something embarrassing, they probably wont't remember anyway... and everyone is human.)

[meaningrequired.livejournal.com]

And internets!

[pennski.livejournal.com]

This is good stuff - I hope no-one goes "bah!" at you for it. I try to use a similar method on stuff that bothers me (work corporate bonding days for example).

I wish I could remember more of Belfast.

[tisme.livejournal.com]

And indoor toilets!