I’ve long been a fan of Leonard Cohen’s extraordinary song, “Hallelujah!” It’s particularly, I think, the tension between the word ‘Hallelujah’ and the mournful, haunting tune. And Cohen’s voice itself is astonishing low, I’ve tried to sing at his register and it literally hurts to do so. As one combined package it really is amazing.Continue reading “20/11/21: Hallelujah!”
Author Archives: gdtennant
14/11/21: supporting homes for vulnerable children
Regular readers of this blog will know that supporting homes for vulnerable children (HVCs) is very much on my heart. In this post I discussed the rights and wrongs of what I was at the time calling orphanages. Living in institutions is clearly not ideal, but in a country with a very young demographic thereContinue reading “14/11/21: supporting homes for vulnerable children”
7/11/21: in honour of ‘Psalm Praise’
‘Psalm Praise’ was published in 1973, much at the same time as I started as a child chorister at the church where my father was a young vicar (senior pastor). The front cover is remarkably unassuming: As its name suggests, it is mostly settings of Psalms, including a small number of Anglican chants, most ofContinue reading “7/11/21: in honour of ‘Psalm Praise’”
30/10/21: please help me spread the word!
Over the last few months I’ve been helping 4 organisations looking after young people put together simple websites. They’re all now up and running, so I thought it was a good time to ask for help in spreading the word! Pictured above is Kampala Christian Orphanage. Alex Mumpe, the director, on the right of theContinue reading “30/10/21: please help me spread the word!”
17/10/21: using an oven without a thermostat
When I came to live in my little house here in Muyenga, Kampala, last November, I was pleased, albeit not terribly surprised, to find that the kitchen had a gas oven. Great! Thinks I, can do some cooking! The gas supply is from a canister which is kept in a cupboard next to the ovenContinue reading “17/10/21: using an oven without a thermostat”
10/10/21: book review, “Tails I lose” by Justyn Rees Larcombe
At my previous school in the UK I was teaching a ‘Preparation for Adult Life’ class on one occasion using a lesson plan provided centrally. In the lesson we showed this video in which a former gambler describes his journey, starting with very small bets made very infrequently, escalating to three years later by whichContinue reading “10/10/21: book review, “Tails I lose” by Justyn Rees Larcombe”
3/10/21: the longest power cut I’ve ever experienced
I was just about to set out to school on Monday last week at my usual time of 7am – when the electricity went off. OK, no big deal, happens from time to time. I remember when I was in Tanzania reflecting that you could tell people who were familiar with this part of theContinue reading “3/10/21: the longest power cut I’ve ever experienced”
25/9/21: using my laptop to help me pray
A few weeks ago, under the heading, “Obedience to God,” I structured a discussion with my Grade 10 home room (Year 11 form group in UK speak) under two headings, aspects of obedience to God which are common to all Christians, and those which represent a very specific calling from God on an individual basis.Continue reading “25/9/21: using my laptop to help me pray”
19/9/21: boat trip on Lake Victoria
In this blog post I described the walk from Muyenga, the suburb of Kampala in which I’m living, to the shores of Lake Victoria along a train line. Once you’re there you can take a boat ride on to the Lake and explore some of the nearby islands. So last Sunday that is what IContinue reading “19/9/21: boat trip on Lake Victoria”
4/9/21: trying to recapture the fun of being at school
SPOILER ALERT: please note that this post assumes you already know the ending of Robert Louis Stevenson’s, “The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”. If you don’t, please consider yourself extremely fortunate! Suggest you stop reading now and return to this post when you have read the book. Enjoy! Over lunch last weekContinue reading “4/9/21: trying to recapture the fun of being at school”
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