better now

Posted on Tue 6 March 2007 at 11:57

It seems like ages since I have added anything - that's maybe because I spent the best part of a week feeling really unwell.  It was like flu but without the cold: shaky; shivery; hot/cold; feverish; achey and miserable.  And as if that wasn't enough, I had the most dreadful stomach cramps not to mention diarrhoea.  But as Steve outed me nicely in his last post, I will mention it!  I got so sick of that stupid crap cheap toilet seat sticking to the back of my legs when I stood up after yet another episode, that I went and bought a nice new wooden seat once I started feeling better!  The pain was horrific - I don't think I cry easily but that had me bubbling like a kid.  Not helped by the fact that between them, the GP and the pharmacist stuffed up my prescription and gave me less than half of the anti-spasm medication I should have gotten. -  bastards!  However, I am just about OK now and this is a week later.  Still feel tired easily and had a bout of stomach pain last night that had me seriously worried that it had returned.  But no, I am fit (?) and able to go to work.

Work is still good, I feel I am part of the team now, they just laugh at me!  I always believe that making people laugh disarms them, they are not so ready for confrontation if they think you are funny, so long may that continue.  I was never unhappy at work but far prefer the 2 lates, 2 earlies I do now.    Still don't think I know a huge amount about the mental health Act here, but very few of the Kiwis do either so that is not a problem.

We went to Rotorua over the weekend.  We put the kittens to a pet boarding home and they ripped us off royally.  They said it was $8 per kitten per night, so that was no problem - Saturday night should have cost $16 you would have thought eh? NO!! their opening hours for taking your pets in are 8 - 10 in the morning or 4 - 6  teatime.  But they charge each day from 2pm.  So as we took the kits at 8.30 and didn't pick them up until 4.30ish the following day, that counted as 2 days!  Steve and Melissa went to pick them up - if it had been me and they said that, I would have gone back for them the following morning just to get my money's worth!

We took Melissa's friend Shannon with us and we stayed in a motel with a private hot tub - trouble was, I was so tired (still getting over my virus)  that I didn't even get myself in it!  But the girls did so at least we got value for money there.

We went to the Blue lake, not far from Rotorua and spent the afternoon there.  It had a chute into the water - it was quite high and had a sign on it saying 'no jumping from the top'.  I don't know that such a thing would be allowed in Britain any more?  We have taken all the risk (and all the fun) out of kid's lives.  I can see the point but think it has gone too far.  How does a child learn to weigh up hazards and take calculated risks if they never have the option to do so?  If they fell from the top of there doing something stupid, they would learn to deal with the consequences a damn sight quicker than if never having had the choice.  Melissa and Shannon hired themselves a kayak each for 30 minutes, something I don't think Melissa would have done in the UK.  Off they went, having done very little kayaking previously.  They had lifejackets but no experience and again, the opportunity to find out about it and figure out how to do it.  There was no instructor or guard, just a lot of kids messing about in/on the water.  Good to see.

We went to a 'traditional Maori village' in the evening.  It was good fun, albeit very touristy - but what would you expect?  All in authentic dress, they did the greeting, Hakas, Waitas (songs) and a Hangi - which was good.  For those who have never heard of a Hangi, it is a 'feast' cooked in an earth oven - big hole in the ground,  hot stones, wrap the food in cloth in big baskets, cover it all up and leave to cook for hours.  Tastes a bit earthy if done under the ground but there is an 'above ground' Hangi which basically steams the food instead.  We got taken on a walk through the woods in the dark, saw some glow-worms, got told a bit about various trees and plants and the sacred spring.  And we were taken there and back by bus so it was a good night all round.

In the morning we went to the Polynesian Spa - a sign outside informed us that it was rated in the top 10 spas in the world by Conde Nast.  Various hot mineral pools and a small chlorinated pool that the girls spent most of their time in.  Nice place.  But what struck me most about that place was a large lady in the showers.  She was wearing nothing but her flip-flops and she was shaving her legs.  Don't misunderstand me: there is nothing wrong with that, it is just not what I expected to see.  I guess it is to do with culture and what we are brought up with.  Good luck to large hairy ladies, the world is theirs to shave in, in public if they so wish!

Then we went to Paradise Springs, tramped round the woods listening to a commentary - very informative.  Pissing down by this point.  I saw my first Kiwi there.  They have a very earnest look about them - like the kid at the back of the class with the glasses who doesn't quite  understand everything that is going on. 

It is Autumn now - the leaves are starting to drop but not at any great rate.  It is 1.30pm and the temperature is 27.4 inside and out.  I can manage Autumn if it keeps up like this!  We must get a move on and get the louvre window in the bathroom changed.  I can't bear the thought of the cold at the best of times but having a window that will always allow the cold in is just not a good scene for me.  I will wrap myself in bubble-wrap and wait for Spring!