Feeling mellow

Posted on Mon 23 October 2006 at 09:46

I tried this yesterday and the laptop/internet connection threw me out after I had typed loads, but hadn't got round to posting it.  I was furious and in such a foul mood I couldn't bring myself to start again  However, I am feeling rather mellow at the moment so hopefully I will get finished.

First of all, I have had some lovely feedback on my posts.  Thank you.  This blog started off as a diary to keep my family and friend informed of our escapades, but may end up being the ramblings of a madwoman once the major stuff is done and dusted.  However, they will be the ramblings of a madwoman in NZ so that may add some spice!!

Following my near death experience in the shower the other morning the lovely Steve spent a whole morning scouring this fair city for a heat type lightbulb for the ice room/bathroom.  I swear there were glaciers calving in there, but I couldn't see past the polar bears!  After much looking he finally found one and was told that they are also used in egg incubators and no, I don't know which came first the chicken or the egg but I have it on good authority that it is usually the chicken sprawled on the bed with the ciggie and the egg giving him frosty looks!  Suffice to say the lovely bulb now has pride of place in the bathroom beaming love, wellbeing and heat on my shivering, frozen body of a morning.  Well done that man.

Work has been good, that's the first week in and I intend to go back so it must be OK!  I hadn't realised I should have left at 3.30 every day, but stayed until everyone else left at 4pm.  When this was noticed on Friday, I was told I should take the time back and leave at 1.30 to make up for it.  Add the fact that I wasn't expected to work Monday after all to that and you have a long, long weekend.  What a bonus that was as it was completely unexpected.  It seems I will be on orientation for weeks, but that won't be a problem - this coming week I will be working with the community team, which I am looking forward to.  My new colleagues have been unfailingly pleasant and helpful and I am so pleased/relieved about that.

Enjoyed my long weekend.  Managed to fit 2 trips to the  beach in - fantastic.  And yes, that does mean the shell collection has been started here as well.  For my new friends, I had the most extensive shell collection out side of those found in collection places, but sadly had to get rid of most of them.  Only took about 20 of the biggest, hope they get through MAF with no problems.  Went to Mount Maunganui on Sunday.  Warm enough for a skirt and flip-flops but needed a fleece as well.  Drove through some diverse scenery - from places that wouldn't have looked out of place in rural England to scenes that would win awards as picture-postcards of foreigness.  The beach itself seems similar to some european beaches I have frequented.  Very clean and well organised.  We managed to take in the busking competition that was going on in the town as well.  I had to speculate - how do you judge a busking competition?  The crowd size? Invite your friends and family to stand around looking impressed all day? How much money you earn?  If it is the latter, I would have coppered up the day before and kept throwing down some more of my own money. Dunno.. it was a good do though, my favourites were a couple of really young lads (about 12/13) who were singing and playing guitars - hope they won!!

We came back past a place named Bethlehem.  Now, I have no doubt that this has been done to death by everyone who has ever passed through there, but it made me laugh when I contemplated it....Can you imagine the whole Xmas thing being based on North Island...  Were there no studio apartments, backpacker places left?  What of the 3 wise men - in sunnies, going 'no worries'.... would Jesus have a Kiwi accent?  Would he have changed the water into Waikato draught bitter?  Did the shepherds wear factor 30 sunblock to tend their flocks... I laughed all the way home, embroidering my scenario - all ideas on a postcard please!!

Today we went to Raglan and it was pissing down!  Steve not over impressed, he stayed in the car as the girl and I mooched about beachcombing.  If there was ever any doubt that Melissa was a changeling and had been switched at birth, I now know better as she also loves being by the sea.  For me, it seems to satisfy some deep need that I don't even know is there until I see the sea again.  Eventually, we will retire to the coast, but I am damned if I am doing that drive on a daily basis to get to work.  Raglan is over/through the mountains.  Now, the beach was OK,  I preferred the first one, but the drive was tremendous. The scenery really was stunning.  At some points you felt like you were on the set of Jurassic Park, as the vegetation seems to be be prehistoric to the British eye. With the mist hanging on the mountain tops you could well have imagined a dinosaur or two grazing on the tree-tops.

Managed to fit in a visit to the Library as well.  My English mother will be on the next plane over when she hears this.  It is a lovely place, modern, inviting, well stocked and most importantly, FREE!.  I like the comfy armchairs and settees and the escalators.  Very user friendly with free internet access too.  As I read so much, it was important to get joined up as quickly as possible.  Ahhhh yes, Melissa has to be mine, bookworm freak that she is!!  Thyey have an odd service though - well, odd to us Brits that is.  They have a bestseller list and they charge $5 a week for books/items from that list with $1 per day after that.  I had a joining present of a $6 token which I traded for the new Kathy Reichs book - best it goes back on time!!

I had loads more written yesterday but it is late and I am tired so that will have to do.   

Karen B