ucmusings

A Clarkie Flounce

2011-05-06T11:27:00.000+12:00

Wow I had a bit of a “flounce” this week. I have to say I’m far more chilled living in New Zealand than I was negotiating life in London. But something this week really rattled my cage. It was public transport.

I catch the bus to work. No double deckers here. There are lots of single deckers, and even some electric trolley buses – essential for the hills of Wellington. Most of the time there is plenty of room on the bus and 98% of the time I get a seat. One evening this week I had to stand almost all the way home. No, this wasn’t this issue. The issue was some daft twit with a backpack. The buses are tiny and this twit insisted on keeping a huge pack on their back and whacking people round the head as the bus twisted and turned through the hilly streets of the southern suburbs. I wouldn’t mind but Welly buses have luggage racks. Even if the twit wouldn’t put their pack in the luggage rack then why couldn’t they take the pack off and put it on the floor.

The whacking of fellow passengers with backpacks is a frequent occurrence on Welly bus. School kids with key rings and soft toys hanging from zips, workers with gym kit, random travellers with waterproofs and sleeping bags poking out, all feel obliged to bop people with their packs. Now if it happens to me I say something. But most passengers don’t. I especially say something when a teenager or tweenies furry key ring has nearly taken my eye out! (teach em young eh..)

Anyway back to my journey from this week. Well after a while twit gets a seat. And what does twit do as soon as they sit down? Yes they take their pack off and put it on the floor between their feet. Maybe keeping a pack on when you are standing on public transport means you are more likely to get a seat.

So a tad annoyed, and as an experienced user of heaving public transport (18 years of buses, tubes and trains in London) here are a few rules…

1) Take your bag/ pack off your pack and put it on the floor or in the luggage rack.
2) Move down the bus/ train so people can fit on.
3) Men – close your legs – yes someone can sit down if you close your legs and move up.
4) Ladies - Don’t wedge your bag down the side of the seat when you are sat down. This is the ladies equivalent of sitting with your legs wide open. It takes up too much room and others can’t sit down.
5) Turn your flippin sound down – I don’t want to hear your tunes….

Flounce over – for now…….

Sweets or Lolly’s? Lolly’s or Sweets

2011-04-04T10:20:00.002+12:00

I’m back on my “Lost in Translation” theme here. In good old Kiwi Land they use the all-encompassing term “Lolly’s” for all types of sweets. Now to me a lolly is either an ice-lolly or a lollipop -hard sweet on a stick. So the first time someone used the term “a bag of lollies” I honestly expected to see a small bag full of hard sweets on a stick. No one seems able to explain the origin of the name but I am told that lollies mean all types of sweet confectionery. However I seem to have quickly adopted the new term and sweets are out of the window along with chickens (its now chooks don’t you know…..). Stopping off at the dairy (corner shop) to treat Miss and a pal to a bag of something I shouted as I got out the car…”Whose for a bag of lollies then?”

The Honesty Box

2011-04-04T09:45:00.002+12:00

Travel around NZ for any length of time and you are bound to see the “Honesty Box”. This is where someone arranges his or her wares for you to peruse and buy. The wares are normally home grown fruit, vegies and eggs although I have seen pots of honey and jam and even the odd bit of lace or crochet. The items are usually priced up and you leave your money in a box. Occasionally the items for sale are not so delightful – pony poo for your roses is a standard offering. Usually the price for pony poo is a gold coin ($1 0r $2)

This weekend we were driving through the mountains behind Kapiti on our way to pick Miss up from her first Brownie camp. A local farmer was advertising an Honesty Box shop on the roadside so we did a wee detour. Have to say it was one of the best honesty box shops we’d ever seen. We bought raspberries, tomatoes, apples and a dozen eggs all for $10. We’d have bought more but we were out of cash as they had also included home baking items like savoury scones, fruit dipping sauces, There were bunches of watercress and salad greens in a small trough of water, freshly dug spuds and jars upon jars of homemade jams, honey and pickles. This honesty box was located only 30k from the capital city. I’m glad to see this bit of Kiwiana still alive and well. Long make it continue

Day 5 - in advance - ooops I've overstretched myself

2011-03-13T20:40:00.003+13:00

Ok Ok I've taken on too much. Realistically I can't blog everyday. I certainly can't fit in 40 minutes of exercise every day so yep I've over promised. However I do intend to blog a bit more often than I used to. This is just to save a very dear friend from killing her boss due to frustration......
I will also increase the frequency of exercise to more than 2x a week but no it can't be every day. Sometimes I'm just a wee bit too enthusiastic and not realistic enough.
Sorry pardon

Day 4 - Orcs or Orcas

2011-03-13T20:00:00.004+13:00

The filming of the new Hobbit movie starts in Wellington next week. There has been a bit of a heated discussion in the NZ press about the lack of major roles for Kiwi actors. I agree it is an issue but as much as I love my new country I have to say you really need "big names" in high spend movies to bring in the punters and the cash. Yes Kiwi movies like "Boy" and "Lovebirds" can showcase Kiwi actors but still the big spendy blockbusters need big names. However am very pleased the Hobbit remains in NZ and can't wait to see hobbits, elves and orcs wondering the streets of Welly.

We had an afternoon at the beach today. Wetsuits were donned an intrepid types ventured into the cold Island Bay water. It was a stunner of a day with intense blue sky, lots of sun and no wind (very unusual for Welly). I was reminded of another newspaper story from last week. Some swimmers were in the sea in Oriental Bay training for a Tri when they realised they were swimming with a baby orca. Mum (and her pals) were close by so it was a quick dash to the shore to make sure the baby wasn't distressed and mum felt the need to get aggressive. Orca's, dolphins and penguins a regular sights on the coast round here. Just a year ago we had an early morning dash to the beach to watch a large pod of orcas swim really close to the beaches at Island and Houghton bay. Truly a wonderful sight.

Day 3 - 40 minutes, more like 2 hours!

2011-03-12T15:18:00.005+13:00

Hmmmm can't say I got up early this morning. Well it is Saturday and after 5 days of 6am wake-ups I'm a bit tired. But I wasn't too late up as Miss and I had a job to do. This morning we tramped the hilly streets of Island Bay selling Girl Guide cookies.

Wellington is one hilly city and Island Bay has its fair share of hills. We decided to start our sales in our old street which is mega mega hilly. As we hauled ourselves up one path to a potential customer I could feel the sweat rolling down my back (nice!). Well it was worth it as the lovely people bought 4 packets of cookies and let us have a ride back down to the road in their cable car. Yes really I did mean a cable car. You see some houses in Welly are up such steep bits owners often have steep paths and cable cars. Can't say I'm a big fan of cable cars but Miss thought it was a fantastic idea so in I hopped. Lets just say I sat with my back to the "view" and stared back up at the hillside. Miss had stunning view over the ocean.

So after two hours walking the hills of Island Bay I think I did a bit more than my 40 minutes of exercise a day. We rewarded ourselves with a coffee and a hot choc in a local cafe and I'm pleased to say we did get a lift home.

Pictures: Girl Guide Cookies and a view of a domestic Wellington cable car

Day two - red faced Clarkie

2011-03-11T08:49:00.005+13:00

No alcohol last night but then I was at Brownies running after a group 7-9 year old so it wasn’t really appropriate! So carrying on with what I’m going to be doing for 40 days and I’m going to commit to 40 minutes of proper exercise every day (can you see the 40 theme here…) So off the gym this morning for boot camp class. Instructor took us outside today to run up and down stairs shuttle sprints along the waterfront, team tag and various other delights. Yes team I was vibrant red at the end of the session. I wonder if I’ll manage 40 minutes on Saturday morning.

Also trying to give up telly for 40 days. To be honest that shouldn’t be too difficult as we lived without telly for almost a year. However it’s easy not to watch telly when you don’t have one. Will it be so easy when a working TV with freeview is sitting seductively in the living room?

(Photo is of the steps in Civic Square - the location of the joyous shuttle runs)

Day One - and a pathetic start

2011-03-10T14:14:00.000+13:00

Well that was a pathetic start! I decided to kick caffeine during lent. Well not caffeine proper (that would be madness), but just my daily coffee. As some of you will know from previous posts NZ , especially Wellington, is home to wonderful coffee. My daily trim flat white is as normal as brushing my teeth. Well to save $4 a day and to see what it did to my health I was prepared to give up the flat white for 40 days.

After just 12 hours I had the filthiest of filthy headaches. I also felt shattered and sick. I upped the water intake and popped a few paracetamol. I also had long outdoorsy walks. Hey I went to bed with the headache and yes I woke up with it too so I’m afraid to say $4 was spent on the most beautiful and much needed trim flat white this morning. And yes I am feeling better.

So what am I giving up? Alcohol, its much easier…

Lent

2011-03-08T19:54:00.003+13:00

Well its pancake day today and yep we missed it. As a traditional Kiwi house its quite often pancake day at our place. Pancakes are a bit of a family tradition and one that I don't mind adopting. However as it is "officially" pancake day and pals are telling me what they are giving up for lent, I thought I'd join in. But I don't want to give anything up (you don't say....) but I do want to do something a bit different and challenging. So what should I do for the next 40 days that is a bit different and not one of the traditional things to give up...? These are my ideas.

1. Get up early for the next 40 days. I have a work pal who gets up at 5:30am each day (weekends too) to meditate.
2. Do half an hour of proper exercise every day for 40 days.
3. Take packed lunch to work for the next 40 work days.
4. Write a proper blog entry for the next 40 days.....

Any more ideas? What should it be? Whatever I choose I may report back on a daily basis for the next 40 days.

Summery Sunday viewing

2011-02-06T16:21:00.001+13:00

What a lovely summer Sunday morning today: Winds of 65kph, full on rain and lots of grey cloud. So yes, a wonderful morning for a “flounce”. ( I could describe my flounce as a run but that would by lying). So off I set down to the beach for a coastal run out to Owhiro Bay. I get to the surf club and see quite a strange sight. No not a pod of dolphins or orca whales (hey that’s weekday view) but about 15 blokes standing waist deep in the freezing Island Bay sea water. Seriously its cold. I’d get in, but only wearing 3 wetsuits. I run round the beach road towards were they are standing and none of them get out of the water. I can’t resist it, I have to ask what they are doing. It is Waitangi day and I did wonder if they were performing a Maori ritual or something. As I get close I can see I guy clearing away some stuff. I ask him why the men are all standing waist high in freezing water and he tells me they have been doing early morning rugby training and are standing in cold water to prevent lactic acid build-up. These guys are just playing rugby for the local club. Apparently it’s something top NZ rugby players do too! Well as NZ won the 7s last night and the mighty All Blacks are on their way to winning the World Cup this year, I think there must be something in it.

So England I want you to do your training on the English coast. I then want you to stand waist high in the waters of the English Channel to stop lactic acid build up and generally “harden up” like those tough Kiwi rugby lot. Frankly England should try anything to stand a chance of getting anywhere in this years World Cup.

As for my run: Well I ran for 40 minutes and rewarded myself with a long hot shower and a cuppa. Prime athlete I’m not!

And as for the weather: Well it has stopped raining and the winds have dropped down to 40kph. Could be worse, its 42 degrees in Sydney today.

11 things for 2011

2011-01-18T15:58:00.003+13:00

A belated Happy New Year!

At the turn of 2011 a Facebook pal posted that she was going to think of 11 things she would like to achieve in 2011. Good idea I thought. Three days later I was still struggling to think of 11 things. Why? Well it is because I want to really ACHIEVE the things I list down. Well 18 days later I have a list, not 11 things, but things I want to do. Another reason it was dificult to choose 11 things was that I didn't want to "force' them out of my mind and onto a bit of paper. I wanted them to flow out of my mind easily. That way the "things" were more likely to stick with me.

So here is my list. I've also said why the Thing has been to selected to be part of my list....

1) Cook more Fish & Shellfish
I was holidaying in Sydney and eating the most beautiful fish and seafood in the world. Light, tasty and amazingly cooked. At home I tend to stick with stirfried prawns and oven baked fish steaks. So this year I am going to get upskill and learn to cook a wider variety of fish dishes.

2) Go on a Tramp.
My lovely sister in law was talking about how we can do babysitting tag teams this year. We live close to each other and keep talking about how we can get our more thanks to having Free babysitters round the corner. She then suggested having our daughter for a weekend if we wanted to go on a two day tramp. Wow, fantastic. NZ is full of amazing tramps and its somethng we used to do before becoming parents. I'm planning the trip as soon as I can.

3) Play more card games.
My daughter has learned a few card games recently. Bar Snap I know none. She has since taught me how to play Rubbish and I really enjoyed the time with her playing a simple card games. Time for me to learn more I think.

4) Listen to more Kiwi and Ozzie music.
I tend to place safe and listen to what I know. Chilling with family in Sydney my brother-in-law selected some Kiwi/ Oz music to play randomly on the iPod. It was great, quality tunes, lovely melodies and some opportunites to hear new stuff. So I'm going to get out of my comfort zone and widen my musical taste.

5) Read a SciFi book
Talking of getting out of my comfort zone...I decided to read a SciFi book this year. Like music, I tend to read what I know I will like. Except for the Hobbit I honestly don't think I've read anything that could be called SciFi. I've been told Dune is a great book to start with so I'll be looking for it in the library this year.

6) Get to Dunedin
My partner is from Dunedin and since arriving in NZ in November 2009 we haven't been back to Dunedin to say 'Hi". Don't worry we have seen all the Dunedin family, we're not that bad! But a chance to wonder round the lovely Dunedin must happen this year. We must also catch up with pals and family that we haven't seen yet.

Well that is it. Just 6 things. I'm sure the rest will follow and I'll be up to my 11 but as I said, I want them to choose themselves slowly and when they area ready. But I have 6 to get my teeth into. Good, I like to be busy.

Breaking things

2010-12-22T14:43:00.002+13:00

We recently moved house. As we had plenty of time to move out of the old house and into the new one, we took our time and did a couple of carloads over a few days.
I was carrying a box of china & glass out to the car. My precious iPhone was, I thought, secure in my jeans pocket. As I was coming down the steps I felt a “slither” from my jeans pocket. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my iPhone slowly sliding out of my pocket. I had a dilema; drop the box of china and glass or let my iPhone crash onto the tarmac.
Well I decided that a box of china and glass was worth saving. I’ve dropped my phone loads of times and its been OK. So off it went, crashing down the stairs and onto the tarmac. When I picked it up I discovered the screen had cracked and smashed. As it’s a touch screen phone I was devastated. So for the first few days when I was using it I felt as if tiny shards of glass were sticking into my fingers. After a few days of moving stuff into the new house I trotted off to my local phone shop to see what I could do about my poorly iPhone.. Disaster! The only solution is to buy a new phone, as the latest is now 4G and they no longer stock my old version that would be a joyous cost of $1000.
I’ve since been into my local china and glass store and it seems I could have purchased new crockery and glasses for much less than the price of a new iPhone.
So dear reader(s), should you have to make a choice between dropping your phone or a box of china onto a hard floor. Drop the china!!

House!

2010-12-16T14:22:00.006+13:00

We have a new house. Its ours, we bought it and yep in true Kiwi Can Do style it needs "work". But its lovely and its ours. We are staying in Island Bay where we have been renting for the last 9 months. The house has been a much loved family home for 60 years so needs treating with lots of love and respect by us.

Just one issue - its a big house! Discussing its "size" with a work pal today he said well your other half, being a Kiwi, must be pleased to be back in a big property. Well this got me thinking....I'm 40 and I can honestly say I've only lived in small properties since the age of 14. Why? Well here is a potted history...
14 parents divorce so Mum and I move into a smaller place...
Move to Cambridge where real estate is mega pricey so Dad and I have a small central Cambridge flat
Head to Uni and live in Halls then houses with hoardes of other student types
Then to the Metropolis that is London....18 years I spent in London with over 7million others means a real push on space. While I owned two properties they were very small, I also rented lots of "boxes" and even spent 4 years almost living underground in your typical London basement flat.

So all this wonderful space is very very new to me. Honestly, I'm finding it all rather overwhelming. Its lovely but I'm feeling ever so anxious about what to do with it. How do we use it well, how do we keep it warm, how do we make full use of the sun and light.

Goes to show I may label myself as a "change guru" in my professional life but put me in some real hard change and yes I too feel anxious. This is another life learning time Clarkie. Love it, learn from it and evolve.

PHOTO - Sunset viewed from front door of new house

Thank goodness for Charlie & Lola

2010-10-06T10:01:00.000+13:00

There is a super Charlie and Lola book called “My wobbly tooth must never ever fall out”. Lola has her first wobbly tooth and doesn’t want it to fall out. After some reassuring chats with big brother Charlie she is happy that her tooth will fall out, as she now knows about the tooth fairy. Well poor Lola actually loses her tooth when it falls out! Poor girl is very distressed then once again her lovely big brother Charlie saves the day. He tells Lola that it doesn’t matter that she can’t put her tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy. Charlie says to Lola that if she has a happy dream, then she will smile in her sleep and the tooth fairy will see the gap in her teeth and know that she has lost one. So Lola goes to bed that night, dreams happy dreams and must do lots of smiling as in the morning, under her pillow, is a shiny coin.

Well my little Miss has loved this story. When her cousin lost his tooth in the playground and it couldn’t be found, she recited the story to him. Then a few weeks ago, on my birthday, Miss lost her first tooth. I’m pleased to say she wasn’t distressed (I was – I couldn’t keep my babies first tooth….) and calmly said, “that’s OK, I will just have a happy dream so the tooth fairy will see my smiling and spot the gap in my teeth”. We did try and hunt for the tooth but it couldn’t be found. Just to be sure Miss wrote a note to the tooth fairy. It went like this “ Dear Tooth Fairy, You know I lost my tooth. Well it’s at Brown Sugar café. Love from Jessica”

And do you know, the tooth fairy replied. “Thank you Jessica, I found your tooth under a biscuit crumb on the floor at Brown Sugar café. Lots of love, the Tooth Fairy”

Wellington - what I would miss...

2010-09-10T19:02:00.005+12:00

So if I was to leave Windy Welly what would I miss?

1) Water water water
Welly is surrounded by the most stunning and wild coastline. It really is beautiful. It is a real treat for us to live by the sea, it only takes us 10 minutes to walk to our local beach. We love the rugged nature of this coastline and we are blessed with the amazing sealife we get; dolphins, whales, squid. If we feel the need for a long beach walk then in less than an hour we can drive to the Kapiti coast to one huge long amazing beach with cool dunes. Even in bad weather the Welly coastline is truly wonderful

2) Coffee and cafe culture
Wow Welly is some great cafes, they really take their coffee seriously here, combine that with excellent customer service and freshly baked sweet and savoury delights, you are in for a real treat. I would be very sad to leave the super coffee and service from the Memphis Belle cafe on Dixon Street, or imagine leaving the stuning views, great hot chocolate and amazing cooked breakfasts of the Bach cafe. Yep it would be hard to live without them.

3) Family
For the first time in years we are living near family. It is wonderful to have my sister-in-law just up the road. Its great to see the kids play regularly together and from a social life point of view its very handy having the free babysitter round the corner. Its so great having a support network so close, its also not bad having family just an hours plane journey away. Long live family I say.

4) Culture
Some of my London pals thought I was coming to live in a cultural black hole (you know who you are....). Well the NZ film festival has to be better than any I've attended before. As it is held so soon after Cannes it gets the most diverse and full range of movies and short films. It was a real sweetie shop moment for us and it was soooo hard choosing what to go to. This was repeated when the comedy festival came to town and at the moment its the food festival. In addition all major plays come to Welly which is fab, and the local productions are full of choice and variety. Its not called Wellywood for nothing you know. Combine this with a great number of galleries and exhibitions and probably one of the best museums in the world - Te Papa, we certainly don't feel this is a cultural black hole. Oh and I almost forgot to mention the local cultural festivals, just in Island Bay we have a week long festival that includes exhibitions, talks, walks, and two days of full on partying, eating and generally having fun.

5) Social freedom
I used to think in London you could be anything you wanted to be. Yes this is true but come to Welly and have a look around. The Wellingtonians love expressing themselves through clothes, attitude (sooo cool, sexuality and religious and cultural beliefs. Really anything goes and I can tell you some people push this to the max. I love seeing the high school kids all looking so different and clearly enjoying expressing their individuality. I noticed in Sydney all the kids strived to look the same, it was "clone city". I hope the social freedom is still so strong in future years.

So yes I'm still adjusting to my new City but I do like it. I'm sure I will even start to love it fairly soon.

Wellington - what I wouldn't miss.....

2010-08-31T17:35:00.003+12:00

It has been nearly a year since I started this blog and one of my first posts was about the drawbacks and benefits of London - the things I would miss and those that I wouldn't. Well having formally lived in Wellington since February here are my musings about what I wouldn't miss if I were to move away.....

1) Earthquake risk.
Most of NZ is on a major fault line. Wellingon is slap bang in the middle of a major fault line. Earthquakely wobbles are a regular event in Wellington and most topics of conversation come round to "we are due a big one". This totally freaks me out. I've moved from a city with high crime, terrorist threats and nor many natural disasters to a location that could be hit by a big eathquake or a tsunami. This frightens me but I have to learn to live with it. I've swapped one set of risks for another?

2) Windy weather
Boy is Wellington windy. When a southerly hits you really know about it. My sister in Hampshire called to tell me they had 40 mile an hour winds. 90 mile an hour winds are often recorded in Wellington. It helps if you have insulated houses and a strong tolerance to storm noise.

3) Friends
It takes a while to build "history" with new friends. We are certainly meeting some lovely people and a network and social life is evolving. We do miss our friends back in the UK, I've had some moments of real sadness this winter when I think about how much I miss my pals. Still, thanks to communication today I do feel I'm keeping mostly up to date with them. Its still not the same as putting the world right over a glass of wine with my wonderful pals though. I miss you all loads.

4) Indoor options for kids entertainment
Wellington has lots to do that is inside. Loads of galleries, cafes, cinemas and theatres but I really feel it is lacking in things to do indoors with kids. Te Papa, the museum, is wonderful but how often can you really go? I always felt in London there was plenty of low cost (and free) options for kids when you needed to escape the weather. For example in central Wellington there is only one soft play. Just a few moments from my house in London there were three. Is this a business opportunity I wonder?

5) Goat tracks
Otherwise known as Wellington roads and pathways!! Wellington is seriously hilly, while this means some wonderful views it also means getting to places up some very hilly (read scary) roads and pathways. Listen I learned to drive in Cambridge which is as flat as a pancake, I then mostly drove in London and the south where hills are rolling and gentle. These Wellington hills are still freaking me out six months down the line. I know I'll get used to them, I have no choice, but would I miss them? No I don't think I would.

Two signs that tell me Spring is nearly in NZ

2010-08-22T18:50:00.004+12:00

No its not the usual early Spring sights such as daffodils and buds on the trees. That is just soooooooo Northern Hemisphere. I've started to spot the "Lesser shod barefoot Kiwi" and the "Crazy House Truck" so Im happy to report Spring has almost sprung. For my Northern hemisphere pals here is a translation.....

Lesser shod barefoot Kiwi
Most visible during the summer months but the braver of the species are seen in Spring and Autumn. Mostly male but the odd "younger" female, normally sporting shorts or rolled up "longs". Tend to be mostly heading to the "dairy" for a pie and a can of L&P. Females can be seen in city locations often wearing a floaty dress and cardigan. What can always be guaranteed is that they will be totally shoeless.

OK OK so I'm only jealous that UK streets are so covered in dog poo and broken glass that your average Brit just wouldn't run about with no shoes on. Instead they mark the move into Spring by running to the "corner shop" in slippers and baggy track pants (a regular sight on the Balls Pond Road, London)

Well done Oh Shoeless Kiwi, may it forever mean less glass and dog poop on the streets!

No onto the Crazy House Truck. Once again the warmer months do bring out some lovely views. My favourite is the regular sighting of the crazy house truck. This is normally some randomly nailed together wooden campervan/ caravanesqe thing stuck onto lorry or truck axle with tyres to match. The really brave might live in one all year round, mostly the "crazy house truck" goes into hibernation until Spring then is normally found on South Island roads and wider NZ campsites.

OK OK OK so I'm jealous again. All we have in Blighty is the odd VW Campervan (thanks Mr Oliver fo making them popular again) and the Volvo/ Rover pulled caravan. See photo for a typical view of a Crazy Kiwi House truck.

Social Networking - bah humbug

2010-08-13T18:30:00.003+12:00

So far I've loved and embraced social networking. Look I'm writing a blog, that should be proof enough. My addiction to Facebook is potentially getting out of control and my LinkedIn network is now extending to my NZ colleagues.

But today I had a "bah humbug" moment with social networking. Flicking through Facebook this afternoon over a cuppa I noticed a pal had posted an update about being at a certain US airport and that they were on their way home. I noticed the post as this particular friend is not an avid user of Facebook. Then I noticed the friend had changed their name back to their maiden name. Oh I thought and checked their status, nothing about relationships but certainly their photos had been seriously edited and no longer included the wedding snaps.

I came off Facebook and hopped back to my desk. I casually mentioned what I'd found out to a colleague and sulkily said "I'm surprised to find this out through Facebook". Colleague turned to me and said "Get with it - its how we communicate in todays social networking society"

Well I'm a bit out of sorts with this. Yes I see job change information from colleagues past and present on LinkedIn. I'm just not sure I like finding out about pals marriages and relationships ending in the worlds biggest online community.

Am I old fashioned blog land or do I really need to "Get with it"?

Has Spring sprung?

2010-07-30T16:43:00.003+12:00

A stunning Wellington day today. Bright blue sky, buds on the trees and birds a tweeting, is Spring on its way? Well I certainly hope so. While it hasn't been the coldest or wettest winter ever, its certainly been winter. In the UK winter is conveniently broken up by Christmas and all the planning and social delights it brings. Winter in the southern hemishere is broken up by......nothing! Except for a two week school holiday. If you are into winter sports then can throw yourself down the slopes of Treble Cone or Mount Ruapehu. I'm not a winter sports fan so I've dug deep and tried pretty hard to get through my first Kiwi winter. "Luckily" I'm working fulltime so that has helped, as has having my extended family just down the road. It has also helped being in a new place and taking the time to seek out new and interesting things to do; for a small capital city Welly has plenty to keep you amused.

So today is the last day of "January" and only "February" to do now and then it really is officially Spring. While it has been a corker of a day I'm sure Wellington winds will blast soon and remind me it is still officially winter. I've also been told that a Wellington Spring is often the most windy of the seasons. Oh help.

Holiday musings

2010-07-14T20:50:00.002+12:00

It’s the winter school holidays (July!) so Jess if off school for two weeks. We booked a few days in a bach in the Waiarapa which is the rural county to the east of Wellington. We haven’t had any time outside of Wellington since March so it was a welcome break. The winter weather in Wellington has been really wet so far and we were pleased to have 5 days of sunshine and blue skies. The bach was clean, cosy but a wee bit basic. However part of being on holiday was experiencing a change so we didn’t mind. We spent some lovely sunny days exploring the beaches at Riversdale and Castlepoint. Jess had great fun climbing up a huge sand dune at Castlepoint, then sliding or jumping down. It was a great way to wear out a 6 year old. We also had lots of fun exercising Monty Dog, Grant’s sister’s dog, who came away with us. He adores the beach and despite being 11 years old nothing stops him bounding up and down the beach chasing anything we will throw to him! We often give up before him then he resorts to digging big holes in the sand.

Wellington and other big hubs have a great selection of cafes and eateries. Out in the back of beyond you’d be lucky to find a very basic village store. So we always head off out with a full picnic and a flask of something warm. This does mean we have had some picnics in some stunning locations. Just the last few days have involved picnics in long sunny beaches. These locations we get to always amaze me, sometime I can look up at a big hill or cliff and think in the UK or Europe there would be a ruined castle or fort, in NZ nothing but views. It’s the same with the rolling green hills; I keep expecting to see some grand stately home nestled into the hills or forest. Nope, not in NZ. It is such an old country in that we don’t really know how and when the Maori first arrived. Yet still such a new country; first settlers, the whalers, in the 1820’s, with planned settlers and the pioneers in the 1840’s. A very new big country.

We took some DvDs away with us and it was lovely catching up with old classics like the Sword in the Stone and the Borrowers. We also took a 4 disc special of the Muppet Show. Both Grant and I were looking forward to introducing Jess to the 1970’s joy that was the Muppet Show. But we were all quite disappointed. Something that was so much fun in our childhoods is now quite stale and boring. This isn’t the case with all old- time programmes we have shown Jess. She has loved 70’s and 80’s shows like Top Cat, Chorlton and the Wheelies and the Flumps. Watching crazy puppets like Kermit, Swedie Chef and Miss Piggy just doesn’t seem to translate to viewing habits these days.

So it’s back to Wellington tomorrow. I’m not looking forward to going back to work but at least it’s a short week. Then it’s the weekend and we have tickets for the All Blacks v Sprinkboks match on Saturday. Can’t wait.

Gruesome stuff

2010-07-07T19:43:00.005+12:00

Children just don't seem to mind the gruesome stuff these days. When I was a kid I couldn't bare to watch anything too grueseome. Anything with too much gunge and gore would affect me for weeks.
Anyway the weather was beautiful all weekend so we got out and about on both days. On Sunday we too Jess out for a bike ride along the coast. After a stint in Hougton valley playground we turned back home. The Island Bay Aquarium on the seafront was open so we popped in to see the octopuss and for Jess to have time messing around in the touch pool. This is a great place where kids get to handle the starfish, crabs, sea cucumbers and other marine delights.
As we left the Aquarium we saw some local Island Bay fishermen sorting through their catch. The area of the beach where they had moored was covered in large fish heads. The seagulls were swarming around waiting eagerly for some fish innard for a treat. A huge groper fish was pulled out of the boat to be weighed. Jess was transfixed. The fisherman promptly sliced the head off the groper and threw it to the seagulls. Jess edged a little closer to watch the same fisherman slit open the great fish, stick his hands into its guts and slowly remove two human "lung" sized pockets of roe. This was closely followed by the bloody removal of the fish guts and other bits and bobs. Hmmmm time to move on I thought, so after some general family persuasion, off we cycled.
I cheekily looked at Jess and said "fish & chips for lunch anyone?" "Yum yes please Mum" replied Miss. 20 minutes later we were sat in the park in the sunshine enjoying a late lunch of fish & chips. Yum, despite the gruesome scene we had watched not many minutes earlier!

Stars

2010-07-06T18:12:00.002+12:00

The night skies in New Zealand are gorgeous. Thankfully there is very little light pollution even in cities such as Wellington. The low light pollution means on clear nights the stars are amazing. It is currently Maori New Year, or Matariki. This is the time of year when you can view the Pleides star cluster, the other name for the cluster is the Seven Sisters. According to Maori tradition the brighter the stars of the Seven Sister cluster are, the warmer the coming seasons will be. Come on "sisters" shine brightly.

Tena nga kanohi kua tikona e Matariki

Sparkly shiny stuff

2010-07-02T18:41:00.003+12:00

Shops in the UK in December are full of sparkly little numbers in readiness for the Christmas and New Year party season. Why then are shops in June (equivalent of December) full of the same sparkly little numbers? Christmas is six months away. Are the NZ shops getting the European seconds? Possibly, but then why are the Kiwi clothing designers and shop owners stocking the sparkly stuff? Don't forget Christmas and New Year attire is of the strappy, jangle enhanced sun worshipping kind here.

Answers on a postcode to Confused, Ribble Street, Island Bay

Lost in Translation....Part III

2010-06-07T18:44:00.003+12:00

Pardon was the first thought. The second was are sugesting I'm overly hirsute? Then the third thought was " Oh I get it." Its been a tad chilly in Wellington over the last week or so, the rain has been pretty grotty too. So we've been wrapping up warm and I've started to do proper layers for the first time in years.

So when a lady I was chatting to said she was pleased we had rugged up I finally understood her to mean wear lots of layers and make sure you are warm.

For a moment I thought she was suggesting we/I were overly hairy!!

Divided by a common language.

Are London drivers more considerate?

2010-05-29T16:20:00.003+12:00

Well yes I think they might be. Certainly a London driver tends to be more considerate of buses and cyclists. Maybe because the London driver relies on public transport and sees the importance of letting the bus go first. Maybe the London Driver is so stuck in traffic s/he has time to let the cyclist nip in front of him.

Well in Wellington this consideration towards buses and cyclists is a rare sight indeed. I've been hooted and peeped for slowing down and letting a trolley bus leave a stop, I've been tutted at for slowing down for a cylist at a busy junction. Only last week I saw a small truck screech round two cyclists on a narrow winding coast road in Houghton Bay. And last night I saw a woman 4X4 driver lose her rag waiting for a trolley bus to turn in the turning circle in Island Bay. Chill lady!

So much for the laid back Kiwi when they get behind the wheel. I'm sure its because they are used to driving on roads where the traffic moves freely and you can sensibly judge how long a car journey should take.

So for the moment I'm thinking London drivers are the most considerate. They have no choice!

Consumer Panic

2010-05-14T18:54:00.002+12:00

I'm not one to be told what to buy. I'm certainly not the sort of person who reads what about what we should be buying and when. I'm normally a confident "know what I want" shopper. Until recently that is. I'm not sure what is going on, I'm not sure where my shopping confidence has gone, but over the last few weeks I have followed the lemmings that are certain Kiwi shoppers and just "followed". You see over the last week or two I have bought fleecy throws, slipper socks, kids merino underwear, microfleece jumpers and wait for it - thermal underwear! I even stopped to have a look at electric blankets. HELP.

I know the reason for my strange behaviour. Kiwi Winter! I have never endured a New Zealand winter yet. NZ friends and relations, I'm sure, have lulled me into a false sense of security over the years by telling me that NZ, even Wellington, is warmer than London. I have been told so many times that Island Bay never gets a frost. I've been told the sky is very blue and you can always have plenty of time outside. I've even been told the lastest it gets dark is 5:30pm. I've been told that the only snow I will see is in the central mountain ranges. I've even been told how "settled" the Wellington winter weather is!

Well why then are the shops packed full of stuff made specifically for a long freezing cold winter. Frankly I'm scared. You just don't see shops piled high with fleeces, hot water bottles and electric blankets in the UK in late Autumn. I'm convinced, absolutely convinced that now my Kiwi friends and family have got me here I will eventually be shown one hell of a cold winter.

So the thermals are all lined up and ready. I've pre-washed the merino underwear for my daughter and I'm sitting getting ready to shiver. Wish me luck.

An emotional week

2010-05-01T17:55:00.008+12:00

Boy its been an emotional week. The tears have flowed a number of times. Still better out than in so they say.

The first round of waterworks happened last Sunday. It was Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand. A day to remember people who have been part of the military, naval and airforce history of these two noble countries. Mostly it is in remembrance of the huge loss of life during the Dardanelles campaign of the World War I, especially the Battle of Gallipoli. Often the Gallipoli battle is seen as pro Oz/NZ and anti-British as the colonial troops were sent into battle with the Turks in a very badly planned attack arranged by a great future leader of Britain - a certain Winston Churchill. I am proud to say I can hold my head high alongside the Oz/ Kiwi people on Anzac Day. My great grandfather was killed in the Dardanelles at the start of the campaign when his ship was mined. He was 23 and never met his only daughter (my Nana) who was born 5 weeks before he died. Also as I come from a military family then "Remembrance Day" is always filled with pride, pain and hope. A great big mix of feelings. Not far from where I live in Wellington is the Ataturk Memorial. It is high on the cliff above beautiful Breaker Bay. The plaque there is particularly moving, I quote..

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives....you are now lying in the soul of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnies and the Mehmets to us, where they lie, side by side here in this country of ours....You the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well" Kemal Ataturk

Then tears round 2 - Jessica's school have a group of parents who want to ensure Maori language and tradition are strong withing the family of the school. So each term they arrange a powhiri for all new joiners to the school. It was Jessica's Powhiri on Wednesday. It is a formal ceremony where the family "hands over" their child to the "family of the school". The children all love it and ensure the correct traditions are upheld to the extent the Haka group call us onto the "marae" and both groups are expected to recite their ancestoral links and sing and respond in Maori. It was an incredibly moving and welcoming experience. It was also our first time experiencing a Hongi - the pressing of noses and sharing of breath. Jessica and her family where made to feel very welcome and special indeed. See link for more information on a Powhiri.

http://www.korero.maori.nz/forlearners/protocols/powhiri.html

Finally tears round 3. I was hit by an intense feeling of homesickness late last week. An ex boss of mine who moved from the UK to Cananda a few years ago has said to me that it would happen and it would be an odd thing that would set me off. For her it was putting out the recycling one day. For me it was two things; our local cinema has put up a poster for Sex in the City 2, when I passed it late last week it was hit like a brick with huge "missing you" feelins for my lovely girlfriends back in the UK. I know if I was in the UK we would be planning a girls night out to see the new movie. While I always miss my lovely girls ( you know who you are) I was particularly hit by the movie poster. Yes I'm making lots of lovely new friends but its the old ones with "history" you miss. Its hard to describe the massive feeling of homesickness I had. It was instant and sort of hot and tears flowed like a flick of a switch and wouldn't stop. Wierd! More homesickness tears were added to the equation when I popped into the library to return some books. I had a little time to spare so had a flick through the magazines. The good old source of "property porn" was there, "Country Life". I was flicking through looking at the pictures of the seriously expensive and so out of my reach houses when the old homesickness tears hit me again! No it wasn't the houses, it was the stunning rolling green hills and "Contstable" skies of the UK. Now NZ is stunning, absolutely breathtaking but for a moment I missed the bright green fields and grey/ blue cloud filled skies of England. Sniff sniff. Homesickness hits you in strange ways when you least expect it.

Rain!

2010-04-29T15:52:00.003+12:00

It has been a very dry late Summer and Early Autumn. Northland, the area north of Auckland has been in official drought for the last 6 months. In Wellington it has been a very hot and dry few months. Now as "keepers" of a lovely garden we have been out everyday watering the veggies. The polytunnel is still producing strawberries, chillies, courgettes and tomatoes. Hard to believe its officially Autumn. Well 2 nights ago it absolutley chucked it down, water was running fast down our hill and I could honestly imagine a water slide. Well it poured, but it was so warm, just like a tropical monsoon. It was a delight to sit and watch it from the cover of the deck. Even better no watering the garden for a few days. Bliss!

My sister-in-law says Wellington can have some wet Springs so I wonder if I am so keen to blog about rain come October?

Cafe Culture

2010-04-16T16:59:00.007+12:00

Most people seem to recognise Oz and NZ as having a real Cafe Culture. My other half ran a cafe in Dunedin over 15 years ago and said having a good coffee was essential. As was a bit of home baking, a good basic savoury menu and to be welcoming to the masses. I'm pretty sure the child staple of a "Babycino" came from Oz/ NZ although here it is known as a more grown up "Fluffy". In all my trips to NZ and indeed travelling around over the last 3 months I'd say nearly all of the cafe experiences I have had have been very positive. The Kiwi's take their coffee very seriously and this really is home of the "long black" and the "flat white". No a flat white is not a latte. Its shorter with 2 shots of coffee (1 if you are American!) then a good dash of hot milk. Its not too large and you should get the full taste of the coffee not a milky coffee. Combine this with some seriously amazing home baking - fresh muffins, scones, slices and biscuits, some with great names (chinese chews, afghans, lolly cake, lamingtons, mouse traps etc etc) you have a lovely experience. No wonder "morning tea" is such an established event.

In addition in nearly all the cafes I have sampled (in the name of good market research....) you'll get free water, kids toys & books, magazines and newspapers and good old fashioned quality Kiwi service at a fair price

If you want to sample a flat white or a long black and you are based in North London I suggest you head down to a great little cafe called "Tina we Salute You" on King Henry's Walk, N1. Failing that get your backside on a plane down under.

An Autumn Easter - its all upside down.

2010-04-12T17:48:00.006+12:00

My mother in law has lived in NZ, bar a 8 year stint overseas, since 1962. She has totally absorbed all things Kiwi and as a former resident of Wembley, North London she has fully adapted to NZ life (hey she even supports the All Blacks over England). However, even she says Easter in the Autumn is just odd. You sort of get used to the seasons being the "other way round" here but it just doesn't feel right celebrating Easter at what could be harvest festival time. Easter is 100% springtime and is all about birth and new beginnings. Most of NZ doesn't have decidious trees so you don't really get the Autumn colour and leaf loss of the UK so mostly its hard to notice that you are in the cooler season. This was especially so this Easter when daytime temperatures were still well over 21 degrees with bright blue sky and very little wind.

Do you know, I can cope with Christmas in the summer sunshine, I can even cope with a skiing holiday in July but an Autumn Easter feels just like wearing your shoes on the wrong feet. Still roll on September when the daffodils will be out.....!

Post

2010-04-04T14:58:00.005+12:00

NZ is full of mad fitness fanatics, they are everywhere running, power walking, cycling, surfing, it makes me exhausted just watching them from the comfort of a freshly baked muffin and a flat white. Well it seems the latest "thing" to do if you are a fit Kiwi is to become a postie. Wellington, in particular, is very hilly and I've heard that posties apply to be fit delivery bods so they can use the hilly delivery routes for training. It is certainly the case for the 2 or 3 posties I've seen in Island Bay. All are dressed as if they are about to do the marathon and run or powerwalk everywhere. I live on a steep hill and talking to our postie the other day I discovered he likes to time himself delivering up our street. I must remember to order some heavy parcels to make sure he gets enough of a workout......

Another odd thing about the post in NZ is ((A) its efficient.....unlike the UK) that everyone has odd little post boxes outside their houses by the roadside, instead than a traditional letterbox. Some are quite funky or retro such as an old milk churn or a bird house. There is always space for letters, a parcel and a rolled up newspaper. I'm still not completely sure why they don't have letterboxes in the front door like most people, it could be because NZ houses are badly insulated enough that they don't need the extra draught a letterbox brings, or it could be most houses are up a huge hill/ down a long drive/ up a massive flight of stairs so for ease of delivery they are by the roadside.

The trouble is some of these roadside letterboxes just look like some of the litter bins and poop bins you see on the streets of London. In the first few weeks of living here I nearly posted a nice warm "parcel" of dog poop from Monty Dog in the odd letterbox. Now that would have made me popular with the locals!

Lost in Translation.....Part II

2010-03-26T20:03:00.003+13:00

I'm the lucky owner of a proper spare bedroom. This has never happened to be before. Normally guests get shoved into the study on a sofabed or if its a visitation from the parents we go into the study while they get our bed!!! Anyway new house has enough room for us to have a proper spare bedroom. Feeling all grown up ( I should do I'm nearly 40) I pootled off to the big city lights of central Wellington insearch of new bedlinen for said spare room. I find a department store and after a session sticking fingers in pots and smearing on lotions and potions at the beauty counter I start looking for linens/ towels etc etc. I can't see them on the floor I'm on so go and look at the information board. I'm looking up and down and I just can't see bed linen there. I can see furniture, lighting etc etc. I'm just about to give up when I see "Manchester" on the information board. I start thinking its a visitation from the cast of Coronation Street (cult viewing in NZ) when the old brain clicks into action and I match the word "Manchester" with bed linens etc. Manchester = cotton mills, weaving etc. Off I head to "Manchester" and there I find my new bedlinen.

Get back home to Kiwi other half and he informs me that yes all over NZ linen departments are labelled "Manchester". Cute, quaint and a nod back to the "mother country" as some older Kiwi's still call old Blighty.

By the way if you do ever come and visit me I hope you like the spare room complete with new "manchester".

Lost in Translation.....

2010-03-22T12:08:00.004+13:00

Most of the time I can make myself understood in NZ even if they do have strange accents. Well at least they sort of speak English. I say "sort of" as I have been caught out a few times.

Yesterday Jess and I decided to have a baking session for a beach party in the afternoon. We needed some smarties for the cookies so off I went to the local supermarket. NZ consumes fast quantities of confectionery so I was confident I'd be able to find smarties. Well not one person in the supermarket, newsagent or dairy (corner shop!) had heard of smarties. A quick chat with my other half and I discovered they are called "Pebbles" over here! Pebbles were duly bought, cookes were baked and the "pebbles" were used for decoration. Pebbles - honestly!!

Things you don't see in London

2010-03-18T13:25:00.003+13:00

It was a chilly day in Wellington yesterday so we popped our heating on. It went down to a parky 14 degrees. Its great having central heating I have to say although we have some super fireplaces in the house. Looking out of the living room window yesterday afternoon I was chuffed to see two houses on the hill opposite with smoke coming out of their chimneys. A really cute sight. When I did the school run I saw more houses with smoke puffing out of the chimneys and I could just imagine how toasty those fires would make the rooms.

You just don't see smoke coming out of chimneys in London. If you have a real fire you have to use smokeless fuel. Sensible if you think how smoggy and dirty London used to be. However it is really rather charming to see smoke coming out of chimneys. Its also made me think of other things you wouldn't see in London, or even other parts of the UK.

1) School kids in uniform legally driving to school. The legal driving age in NZ is 15. Sensible for rural communities but I did think it was a bit odd seeing a young lad in school uniform driving off to school.

2) Barefeet. Its very common to see all ages walking the streets of NZ in bare feet. They may just be popping to the dairy (corner shop) or nipping round to a pals but its a common sight even as its getting colder. You just wouldn't risk it in London, too much poo, glass and other grotty stuff on the streets.

3) Every second car is a 4X4 often with a roof box/ bike rack/ kayac rack attached. The great Kiwi ourdoors is so close for many. Even for us in Wellington we can get to some great ourdoor space within a 40 minute drive. Also beaches are public rights of way so its totally acceptable to drive your 4X4s down the beach. Grant and his pals did a big tramp last weekend and started it off with a one hour offroad drive.

4) Adverts for breastfeeding. Yes even adverts in public spaces like bus stops. I love this. When I had Jess you did feel awkward feeding in public. In Islington rumours were about that Carluccio in Upper Street had banned breastfeeding. I remember my NCT pals and I all wanted to head down to Carluccios and feed en masse! Breastfeeding is very much encouraged all over NZ which is good to see. You also don't see those nauseating signs saying "breast feeding welcome here" in shop and cafe windows. Its just accepted.

5)Plunket Rooms. I guess the closest to this in the UK is a combination of NCT and the baby clinic. Plunket nurses were introduced into NZ in the late 50's to set up community meeting rooms where a mum/ carer could go with the young family to get the medical advice, feeding advice and also to have a coffee and network with other mums. Often the Plunket Rooms are attached to a local park and playground, if not then they have toddler safe play areas outside. In addition there is the Porse network which is where you go to get a registered Porse childminder/ nanny. Not sure what Porse stands for, will investigate. Both Plunket and Porse are all over NZ and in public community areas.

6) Signs in Maori!! Well obviously and its a bit daft of me to put this in but I'm very much enjoying learning to pronounce the Maori names and works I see around. All public facilities are labelled in both Maori and English - eg Hospitals, Doctors, Govt Depts, Libraries and more.

No smoke coming out of chimneys today as its warm again. The song "Four Seasons in Once Day" by Crowded House is certainly about the NZ weather! Warm and sunny today. Cold, windy and grey yesterday. What will it be like on Friday?

Aqua Jogging

2010-03-10T21:00:00.003+13:00

Jess has her swimming lessons after school on a Wednesday. We normally use the time to have a swim ourselves. Mr sporty ploughs up and down challenging himself while I sort of granny swim keeping hair and nose out of the water. We take it in turn each week so one of has a swim and the other watches Jess. My turn to swim this week and after 4 pathetically slow lengths of the pool I was a bit bored. As I got out of the pool I spotted two ladies clipping these weird floaty things round their waits and heading off for the deep pool. I asked the attendant what was going on and she told me it was aqua jogging. Basically you wear this floaty thing round your waist, get into the deep pool and "run up and down". Well I had to give it a go and it was such a laugh. Your feet don't touch the bottom so you are literally running through deep water. Its hard work, mostly for the muscles angle rather than getting out of breath. I kept going for 20 minutes and by the time I got out I was totally exhausted.

It does feel really odd running through deep water, especially as you don't touch the bottom. However I reckon I'm going to give it another go next time we are at the pool. As I type this I can definitely feel that I have had a workout.

We're moving.....

2010-03-10T13:56:00.004+13:00

Almost 4 months to the day since we left old Blighty we are moving into our new home. We are renting a house 6 doors down from my sister-in-law in Island Bay. The house belongs to some friends of theirs who are heading off to Europe with their 3 kids for up to 18 months.

The house is huge, I think all our furniture will fit in two rooms! It has 4 big bedrooms, a large kitchen and dining room, living room and a hall so big you could run up and down it for daily excercise. We also have, which is a luxury for NZ, central heating - whoop whoop. The other additions include a full vegie garden including a polytunnel, wormery and 4 chickens! So I go from city chick to hippy gardening type in just 4 months. Watch out - dreadlocks may make a return visit.....

We are looking forward to some structure and order in our lives after 4 months travelling around. Jess is certainly keen to unpack her toys and chillax in her own room. The downside is we really do need to get jobs and start bringing in some money again.

New address is

31 Ribble Street
Island Bay
Wellington, 6023
NZ

Boogie Wonderland

2010-03-01T14:50:00.003+13:00

Sport and fitness is pretty popular in NZ. The love of sport starts early in schools and kindie. At Island Bay primary the kids do traditional sports on Tue, Wed & Thur. But on Monday and Friday mornings they have "Jump Jam". Jess and her cousin have been telling us all about Jump Jam so last Friday we hung around for a bit to watch what went on.

Straight after register the lower school kids and their teachers come into the front playground, a big sound system is wheeled out and for the next 25 minutes the kids and teachers groove away to funky tunes such as Boogie Wonderland, YMCA, Don't blame it on the Sunshine, I like to move it move it etc etc. It was great fun to watch, kids and teachers seem to love it and have such fun. Certainly Jess and her cousing were grinning and laughing away. I think doing Jump Jam early puts everyone in a great smiley mood and danced out some of the wiggles squiggles you'd get in a classroom first thing.

Chatting to a teacher friend of mine who works at another Wellington school, I've found out that a Jump Jam session, or similar, is a regular feature at most Welly schools.

Roll it out NZ wide I say. Then lets go International.

Driftwood

2010-02-23T12:06:00.005+13:00

We are spending a lot of time on the lovely beaches in and around Wellington. We particularly like the long beaches up the Kapiti coast (3o mins drive from Wellington). Even on a cloudy grey day the Kiwi's take to the beach. This weekend Sunday was a grey day and we had a lovely morning on Te Horo beach watching familes make dens and construction out of driftwood. It must be a Welly thing as we have seen driftwood dens on a lot of the beaches. So we're brushing up our construction skills......

Water and Books

2010-02-23T11:52:00.004+13:00

As we have been travelling around NZ we have noticed the abundance of swimming pools and libraries. I once read an account from a backpacker who said public libraries and swimming pools where a haven for the traveller. I know what they mean now. Even though we had super weather when we were being hippies for 2+ months is was great to be able to pop into a public library, curl up on a sofa and read for a while. We noticed Jess found it very comforting too. As we were trying to keep her schooling going while we travelled it was great to pop into the library and get her reading some of the starter books. Its certainly paid off as she is doing really well at her new school.

What amazed us was even the smallest wee town had a good library. We saw a library the size of a garden shed in Glen Orchy! But well used by the township. They are also very well stocked with loads of books, DvDs and "MAGAZINES" - yes I have kept up with my celebrity fix due to the fab magazines. I've been told that buying books and mags in NZ is expensive so most people are heavy users of their local library.

Onto pools. Good quality pools are all over the place. NZ, like Oz takes swimming very seriously and all kids are really encouraged and helped to swim well. The amount of time we have spent swimming in the sea, lakes and rivers makes us pleased we got Jess swimming well early on. Yesterday she had a swimming test at our local pool so they can assess her and decide which lesson she should be in. This never happened in London, yet is standard practice in NZ. And of course nearly all pools have good cafes - so my daily fix of a "flat white"is met.

Ahhhh Frustrated.....!

2010-02-19T20:44:00.001+13:00

My two frustrations about living in NZ, well actually there are three but you may have to email me privately to hear about the third one......

Frustration No 1:

Muesli

For a nation of sport and health loving freaks they cannot produce a decent muesli. I have scoured the shelves of the supermarkets and health food shops and just can't locate a decent one. I like my muesli sugar free, not toasted and packed full of seeds, nuts and fruit. In the UK I was completely responsible for keeping Dorset cereals in profit so I'm very frustrated by the sugar packed, toasted, dusty, yogurt coated fruit rubbish attempts at muesli. Once we are properly settled I will have to go all "Tom & Barbara" and make my own.

Frustration No 2:

Shoes

Well childrens shoes to be precise. In London I also kept my local shoe shops (Jimmy's Shoes on the Essex Road and One Small Step for Mankind on Cross Street) busy with mine and Jessica's desire for new shoes. Luckily her feet are quite small and don't grow that quickly so she tends to stay in a shoe for sometime. So far we have had to buy her two pairs of shoes in NZ and all the childrens shoe shops we have been to have been hopeless. They don't measure your kids feet unless you ask and even if they measure the foot they don't do a width measurement. Poor Jess has small and wide feet. When I ask which is the best brand for a wide fitting the assistants don't have a clue and just sugest we try on a few styles and hope for the best.

This frustration moved to adult shoes this week when we went tramping boot shopping with Grant. One shop out of six measured his feet and not one of the assistants knew much about the various fittings. Interestingly the only guy to measure his feet had had his training in sports shoe shops in Leeds.

So the old business brain is working overtime and I'm thinking hard about some childrens shoe franchises ideas to bring over from the UK and Europe. You never know I may kit out Kiwi kids in Clark's. Startright and Vincent footwear.

Watch this space.......

Go on ask me about my third frustration......you know you want to.

Southern Hills of Island Bay

2010-02-19T20:32:00.002+13:00

Have just come back from a lovely early evening walk of the southern hills of Island Bay. The walk was organised by the local MP as part of the Island Bay Festival. We all met at 6pm at the surf club by the beach and were guided round the very steep southern hills.

London is mostly flat so I'm slowly getting used to the serious hills of Wellington. However it was an absolutely stunning evening for a walk. We took our (borrowed) dog and really got the most of the amazing views and green bush. Wellington is blessed with lots of bush walks epsecially around the coast so I know its something we will be doing in the future.

I'm enjoying learning more and more about the Maori culture in NZ. Of particular interest to me this evening was the pole (pou pou like a totum pole) marking the site of the Pa (hill fort) overlooking Island Bay Island. Am looking forward to Saturday as we will all be attending an early harvest festival at the Island Bay Marae, hopefully we will get there in time for the traditional Maori greeting ceremony (Powhiri)

School

2010-02-16T15:50:00.001+13:00

Jess started at her new school last week. A week later than the start of the new academic year but to be honest we initially didn't expect her to be back at school till March/ April.

We have decided to settle in Wellington, Island Bay to be precise. We are staying with my lovely sister-in-law until we find a place to rent and jobs. So Jess started at Island Bay Primary last week. She is in year 2 which is a bit strange for us all as she was in year 1 in the UK. The difference in NZ is kids don't start until they turn 5 so during year 1 (or UK reception year) kids can start school any time once they are 5. This is good for us as in theory NZ schools are used to settling new kids into the regime at all times.

Jess is very happy as she gets to wear her own clothes and has a packed lunch everyday. Another difference from the UK is "morning tea". All kids are expected to have a healthy snack mid morning when they have a play break at 10:30am. Then its lunch at 12:30pm. This is working so well for us as it means madam is not starving by lunchtime and is certainly not mega starving when we pick her up at 3pm. Yes 3pm! It was 3pm in the UK so this is a huge imrovement so we can make the most of our lovely local beach and playground or even make afterschool activities such as ballet and swimming.

We are very happy that Jess is getting a reading book every night. At her UK school she got one book a week until we asked for two. Fingers crossed her reading will leap ahead. The school also send home a poem for kids to read and illustrate on a Friday - a nice touch.

And today she told me they had the first practice for the school cross country competition in March. Two laps round the school grounds and its not exactly flat. I'm really pleased as I didn't do cross country till secondary school. I'll report back and let you know how she got on.

Beetroot!

2010-02-11T21:56:00.001+13:00

Yep its the colour my face goes if I do any sort of excercise. Its also NZ most favourite veggie ever. Yes really - its in everything and most often PICKLED.....God how I hate the pickled stuff. It stinks, it tastes vile and it stains everything in site. Here in NZ you will find the blessed pickled stuff in most sandwiches. Sitting there all purple and vinegary slowing releasing its colour over all the contents of the butty. In one sandwich shop in the South Island every single offering had the evil stuff in it.

I love the colour purple I even love roasted fresh beetroot, at a push I even enjoy the juice in a fresh juice or smoothie. But pickled - yuk yuk yuk.

Its been a while.....

2010-02-11T21:52:00.001+13:00

Kia Ora as they say in NZ

Yes I had so many good intentions with this blog but with the fun travel round NZ I found uploading status stuff and photos on Facebook just so much easier to do than a blog.
However those who follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn whill know we have decided to try and settle in Wellington for the initial future. This should mean time to blog again. On my travels I jotted down lots of blog topics so hopefully they should appear here soon.

Keep watching......

Ozzie Pride

2009-11-24T15:29:00.001+13:00

I'm currently in Sydney staying on the North Shore with family. Yesterday we all went to my youngest nephews school assembly. It was lovely to see an "inner city" school with trees, grass and loads of play areas. So not like the school Jessie was attending before she left London.

Before the assembly started the head boy & girl held up on the Australian flag and the whole school sang the Australian national anthem. I was blown away and I felt a huge sense of pride for them all. At the end of the assembly they all sang the school song. Sydney is a very multicultural city and I was pleased to see how they all got on and had a sense of pride in their new (in all senses) country.

I'm used to school songs being sung, especially from my school days. But the national anthem was a revelation. I'm all for national pride and its lovely to see. Come on Blighty lets think about using our national anthem more often.

Hot Hot Hot in Singapore

2009-11-17T22:33:00.000+13:00

We arrived in Singapore yesterday morning after a long flight. Thank goodness the entertainment system on the new Airbus is so amazing. Jess was "plugged in" for most of the journey.

Having spent many hours at Singapore airport during transit to down under it was a delight to actually escape the airport walls and have a few days to explore this amazing place. Today it was the zoo which was a great hint from my pal Sehaam. It was lovely to see the animals amongst lush planting and flowers and it was as natural as any zoo coul be. What was reassuring was the number of animals with babies. A sure sign they are reasonably happy. Highlights were feeding the elephants and seeing the orangutans with their babies. Jess was kept amused with the most spectacular water park and playground. 110% better than the "squirty water" in Highbury Fields.

Have decided I really did live in the tropics in a previous life. I just seem to cope well in hot humid climates. The only thing that gives in is my hair - welcome to a serious bout of the frizzies!! One day my pale freckly skin will peel off and I'll be a lovely gleaming brown underneath.

....and what I won't miss about London.

2009-11-02T08:54:00.002+13:00

Mostly I will miss London like mad but these are a few things that drive me potty about this fair city.

1) Dog Poop and chicken bones!! You just can't walk down a street in my area without hopping over dog poop, chicken bones and/ or fried chicken boxes. Disgusting.
2) Manic drivers and too much traffic. Can't stand crossing roads with my wee one when its a green man and drivers/ cyclists whizzing past us. Its my right of way idiot!
3) Way too many people. Its getting so overcrowned and dirty. Went to the British Museum today and only just lasted 20 mins as it was just too busy.

I think everyone should live in London or a big city at some stage in their lives. I've loved the colour, opportunities and vibrancy of the city but after 18 years its time to go and try something new.

London - what will I miss?

2009-10-16T05:08:00.001+13:00

I've lived in London longer than I've lived anywhere else. Except for 12 months south of the river I've mostly lived in north and east London. As I'm moving to NZ soon its got me thinking about all the great things about London that I'll miss. So here goes:

1) The wonderful cultural diversity really is the BEST thing about London. A great place to get to know some amazing people and their cultures. And of course this means some cracking food choices.....mmmmmmmm.
2) I've had some great and challenging career opportunities especially those at the Home Office, Coba, Lehman Brother and Goldman Sachs. I've also had the opportunity to work with some talented and inspiring people.
3) Parks - its been great to show Jessica the "lungs of London". My personal favourites are Hampstead Heath, Regents Park, Highgate Woods and Greenwich Park but I can't miss the wonderful Autumn colours in Holland Park.
4) Shops - Marylebone High Street, John Lewis, Selfridges, Liberty. Are there shops in NZ?
5) Markets - two of my hot spots are Broadway Market on a Saturday and Borough Market on a Thursday or a Friday
6) Celeb spotting - recent sightings have been Roger Moore, Denise Van Outen, Roland Gift, Kathy Burke, Tim Vincent, Esther Rantzen and Jason Orage (swooooon). Its also quite nice having the odd celebrity parent at Jessica's school. Go on ask me...!
7) The view from the top deck of the bus whenever you cross the Thames heading south. Awe inspiring everytime.
8) My wonderful, amazing, kind & supportive friends. I'm soooooo going to miss you.

So of course next post will have to be the things I really won't miss.

A move down under

2009-10-09T02:47:00.001+13:00

After may years talking about it we are finally doing it. We're moving to New Zealand in mid November. Its very exciting but also very emotional. To be honest I just can't wait to get there and start a new life. But saying goodbye to friends and family is just awful. I'm so not looking forward to the goodbyes. I think its going to be a mascara free zone for quite a few weeks. Blimey I'm having a blub just writing this. Pull yourself together Clarkie!

I'm Blogging

2009-10-03T04:47:00.000+13:00

Its taken a while but I've finally done it. What am I going to write about? Watch this space......

Life is changing