1 January 2008 - Daily Tidbits

For any of you interested enough to just pop in here to see what I'm up to I thought I'd add little thoughts or things that happen each day that just wouldn't be happening back home in the UK. Or perhaps just would happen in a different way...... watch for the date change when I add something. Start at the bottom and read up.

TUESDAY 1st January

Lunch at Western Springs (near the zoo) on the hottest day so far. No pool or river or swamp or waterfall to cool off in (just a big lake you are not allowed to swim in) so Janet made us icecream sundaes instead. It was too hot to do anything ther than slump in a hammock for the remainder of the day. What a scorcher!

MONDAY 31st!

I just took a ferry ride across the harbour to a friends place and watched fireworks from the Sky Tower. All in a T-Shirt! Then I wandered up the main street of Auckland City and popped into a bar for a few salsa dances before heading back to my sisters for a few hours work. Fancy agreeing to work New Years Eve! Tsk.

SUNDAY 30

Another stunning Auckland day. The best yet! I went across the Harbour Bridge to friends on the other side and we spent the afternoon playing in the pool and took a near verticle stroll in the bush. Rounded off with Salsa - I could *almost* live here if every day turned out this way.

SATURDAY 29

Watched my mum and my sister in the Tiger cage at the zoo! Another one of Janet's Christmas presents. Then one of my oldest friends and I wandered around the reserve behind y sister's house and solved all the troubles of the world as the sun went down.

THURSDAY 27

Another day of adventures. Janet had her hair done - and then came with me to see my old friends Peter and Petroeska from Holland. They thought it would be a great idea to go on a bush walk - only not the tame one of a few days before - oh no.... First we had to ferry 8 adults and 5 children across a swamp with two kayaks which could really only hold one adul and one child comfortably. Then of course the adult was needed to bring the kayak back. Personally - given this particular logistical problem I would not have sent young Kirwin across in the first boat....

Nevertheless despite splitting the party halfway, and three adults and one child needing to cross on the return with at least one kayak left on the other side for the second group - we got back in time for a water fight (I lost but it was 3 against 1) a spa, a sauna, and yummy home smoked salmon.

TUESDAY 25

As expected a day full of surprises - does that make sense? I guess the fun is when they are even nicer surprises than expected. We had a 'pot luck' (where everyone brings something) christmas lunch with a european flavour, followed by lots and lots of desserts. My Tiramisu didn't set till late late at night but was superdelicious (thanks to Frank Thompson for the recipe) The best surprise for me was an enormous two-story gingerbread house made by my sister Megan. 2007 is the year I finally get my gingerbread houses it would seem.

SUNDAY 22

A picnic in Piha! Again! It's all the way out on the west coast and is not easy to get to. We met up with my best buddy and old flatmate James, and his wife and kids. Other old friends with kids came and joined us and I took Janet (sister) and my neice along so I didn't feel left out of the parenting thing. We had a marvellous day with 11 grownups and 8 under fives. The end of the day had all of us trek through the bush for a swim in a waterfall. Well some of us swam. Some just soaked all the various cuts and sratches accumulated on the walk up. I figure the water temperature was about 3 degrees - and the air temperature around 25! brrrr - but nice once you were in : )

FRIDAY 21

Megan and I took her hubby to the Mexican Cafe for some dinner and dancng. She took some photos (see below). We will try again next week and see if perhaps I can get her to dance with anyone but me. There were some real live cubans there, dancing Rueda which she loved. I loved dancing WITH them but they were great to watch too - especially when the reggaeton came on.

TUESDAY 18

Primate Encounter at the Zoo!

A special early Xmas Present from Janet&Pete. The whole family came along to watch me behind bars (not that there are many bars in modern zoos) and Janet made a collage of what they saw. (see below)

What can I say - Lemurs have always been one of my favourite beasties in the whole world....

SUNDAY 16

Jess made me picnic in the garden even though it was raining. Janet wasn't much help - she just brought us an umbrella. It got so it was raining so hard we even couldn't hear ourselves singing the inchworm song.

By the afternoon of course it had cleared up and the ground was too hot to walk on without shoes. We went to the zoo for their Xmas/Birthday Party (87 years) and sang along to dubiously seasonal songs in the burning hot sun till it set around 8pm.

THEN - to cap off the evening I went dancing and actually had enough great dances to send me home in a blissfully happy state. (sigh) perhaps it's not so bad here after all!

SATURDAY 15

Went for a walk along the creek then lay in the garden all afternoon till it was time to go to the APV NZ Xmas dinner. Nice and relaxing!

FRIDAY 14

The Australian Office sent us chocolates which put all my good intentions firmly to rest. Absolutely stunning day outside. Hope it lasts for the weekend. I'm babysitting my sister's cats and hope to wake up to breakfast on her deck overlooking a nature reserve.

Perhaps I'll take Mum out to dinner where we can dine Al fresco....

THURSDAY 13

Today I got to teach a salsa class! Photo on facebook if you belong. It was a small class but as I've attended as a student for the past few weeks I know it was a normal turnout - and it is only a week-ish till Christmas.

Second treat of the day was going home with Megan where her husband had tidied the house AND cooked dinner for us all! I need to get all the proper names for the dishes - basically green bananas, Taro, a Tongan version of ceviche (raw fish and coconut) and Taro leaves wrapped around pork meat.

WEDNESDAY 12

Woken up by a cat bouncing on my chest. At least it didn't have a dead skink or bird for me. As I left for work I stopped briefly to clear the front garden walk of overgrown weeds and composting vegetation. I swear it's 18degrees already - before 9am!

TUESDAY 11

The reason I'd stayed at Janet's was to shorten the trip to her friend who was a hairdresser the following morning. The results are really quite striking. As in striking a match. I don't think I've been this shade of red since I was about 22. Whenever the wind blows, crimson strands float in front of my eyes and startle me.

In the evening we went to a friend of Mum's (mother of a 'childood sweetheart') to take her a bottle of snails for her ducks. She gave us a slice of Cathedral Cake and entertained us for the evening with stories of ducklings raised by chickens and the joys of debt collection for a small dentisty business. She is loads of fun. They have a digger on their front lawn that I remember when I was a child and used to visit her son. Nothing changes!

MONDAY 10

Another fun day at work - it's so casual at the Auckland office it really is rather enjoyable.

I walked in the door at Janet's just in time to be the one to read story time for Jessica. And as I was staying the night it was very tempting to stay right where I was and drift off to sleep myself......

oops - forgot one highlight - my toenail and I finally part company for good.