We're getting so few comments on the blog that I've been getting a bit despondent of late, so I tracked down and installed a hit counter today. Hopefully having a hit counter will reassure us that at least some of our friends and family are checking up on us from time to time and haven't forgotten about us entirely.
Installing the counter was a bit complicated, and there's a screw left over that doesn't seem to fit anywhere. I'll just throw it in the bin. Hopefully it doesn't do anything important. ;-)
Tuesday, 11 April 2006
Monday, 10 April 2006
In need of a title
Forgive me, Blogger Father, for I have sinned. It's been over a week since my last post. We haven't been flattened by an earthquake or invaded by hordes of giant spiders. We've just been very busy.
Last Sunday night we met up with Ian, a friend of ours from the UK, and his fiancee Carol. They're planning to emigrate to New Zealand in twelve months' time and were over here for a two-week fact-finding tour. Ian spent a big chunk of his childhood in New Zealand, in the nearby Taranki area, so for him emigrating will probably feel like coming home. He and Carol met during a tour of New Zealand a few years back, which is another reason why New Zealand is close to their hearts. Wanganui is currently on their shortlist of possible places to live when they get here, so they came to have a look at the town and check out what's on offer in the local estate agents. It was great to see Ian again (and to meet Carol for the first time) and we had a very convivial evening. I'm hoping that, wherever they end up living when they get here, we can make a habit out of meeting up.
Iain has had a really hectic week at work. One of the childcare tutors has left, so as well as taking his usual Teacher Aide lectures he is having to teach some of the early childhood modules. Those of you who know Iain will no doubt be rolling around on the floor laughing by now. The stress has got to him so much that he's had to buy himself an X-Box 360 to compensate. He was very good about it, though. He waited until I'd given him a permission slip first. The terms of the agreement stipluate a major revamp of my yoga room, so I'm on the lookout for a TV, a DVD player, a storage cabinet, a friendly floor restorer (the room has the original floorboards and apart from an inexplicable coat of green paint they're in good repair), wall coverings and an 'ethnic' looking blind for the window. The great thing about it is, we both think we've got the better end of the deal!
I had some exciting news the other day. I've had one of my poems accepted for publication in 'Poetry Monthly' magazine. Many thanks to my friend Caroline from the writers' forum for a) cajoling me into submitting it somewhere and b) actually doing the submitting for me. I'm 'stoked', as they say here.
Pookie has earned herself a new nickname this week. Like all good pussycats, our two bring anything they've caught into the house for our approval. During the last week Pookie has started bringing home litter, which we think she's probably been collecting from the 'reserve' (area of common land) on the hill above our house. Tonight I heard a loud meowing from outside the kitchen door, and saw a pair of paws scrabbling at the cat flap, but no cat followed. It turned out Pookie was trying to force her way through the cat flap carrying a McDonalds paper bag in her mouth. I'm now calling her 'Womble'. (Apologies to Roy.)
On Friday night we went out for a meal with Dave and Judith who are originally from the UK but now live in Wanganui. We met them via one of the emigration forums that Iain posts to. Dave had very generously dropped off some firewood for us earlier in the week, taken from a tree on his land that came down in a storm a month or so back. During our evening out Dave revealed that he used to ride for Cradley Heath Speedway in the 1970s, which impressed Iain immensely, as he used to be a big speedway fan as a teenager, following the Stoke Potters. The thing that impressed me most about the evening was the ice cream I had for dessert. It was the best ice cream I've ever eaten. Even better than the gelati I scoffed by the bucketful while we were in Italy. I have to find out who the restaurant's supplier is, and I have to do it soon. I think I'm already addicted after just one hit.
Last Sunday night we met up with Ian, a friend of ours from the UK, and his fiancee Carol. They're planning to emigrate to New Zealand in twelve months' time and were over here for a two-week fact-finding tour. Ian spent a big chunk of his childhood in New Zealand, in the nearby Taranki area, so for him emigrating will probably feel like coming home. He and Carol met during a tour of New Zealand a few years back, which is another reason why New Zealand is close to their hearts. Wanganui is currently on their shortlist of possible places to live when they get here, so they came to have a look at the town and check out what's on offer in the local estate agents. It was great to see Ian again (and to meet Carol for the first time) and we had a very convivial evening. I'm hoping that, wherever they end up living when they get here, we can make a habit out of meeting up.
Iain has had a really hectic week at work. One of the childcare tutors has left, so as well as taking his usual Teacher Aide lectures he is having to teach some of the early childhood modules. Those of you who know Iain will no doubt be rolling around on the floor laughing by now. The stress has got to him so much that he's had to buy himself an X-Box 360 to compensate. He was very good about it, though. He waited until I'd given him a permission slip first. The terms of the agreement stipluate a major revamp of my yoga room, so I'm on the lookout for a TV, a DVD player, a storage cabinet, a friendly floor restorer (the room has the original floorboards and apart from an inexplicable coat of green paint they're in good repair), wall coverings and an 'ethnic' looking blind for the window. The great thing about it is, we both think we've got the better end of the deal!
I had some exciting news the other day. I've had one of my poems accepted for publication in 'Poetry Monthly' magazine. Many thanks to my friend Caroline from the writers' forum for a) cajoling me into submitting it somewhere and b) actually doing the submitting for me. I'm 'stoked', as they say here.
Pookie has earned herself a new nickname this week. Like all good pussycats, our two bring anything they've caught into the house for our approval. During the last week Pookie has started bringing home litter, which we think she's probably been collecting from the 'reserve' (area of common land) on the hill above our house. Tonight I heard a loud meowing from outside the kitchen door, and saw a pair of paws scrabbling at the cat flap, but no cat followed. It turned out Pookie was trying to force her way through the cat flap carrying a McDonalds paper bag in her mouth. I'm now calling her 'Womble'. (Apologies to Roy.)
On Friday night we went out for a meal with Dave and Judith who are originally from the UK but now live in Wanganui. We met them via one of the emigration forums that Iain posts to. Dave had very generously dropped off some firewood for us earlier in the week, taken from a tree on his land that came down in a storm a month or so back. During our evening out Dave revealed that he used to ride for Cradley Heath Speedway in the 1970s, which impressed Iain immensely, as he used to be a big speedway fan as a teenager, following the Stoke Potters. The thing that impressed me most about the evening was the ice cream I had for dessert. It was the best ice cream I've ever eaten. Even better than the gelati I scoffed by the bucketful while we were in Italy. I have to find out who the restaurant's supplier is, and I have to do it soon. I think I'm already addicted after just one hit.
Saturday, 1 April 2006
Skiving off
We set ourselves the task of blitzing another bit of the garden today, but it was such a lovely day, we skived off half way through the afternoon and went 'beach hunting'.
We found a great place called Turakina Beach just a few kilometres down the road.
It's fairly typical of the beaches in this part of New Zealand. The approach to the beach is through grass-covered sand dunes, the upper part of the beach is a crazy jumble of driftwood, and the sand is made from black volcanic rock.
We thought you might enjoy looking at a few of the photos we took.
where does it all come from?!
enjoying the warm autumn sunshine
We found a great place called Turakina Beach just a few kilometres down the road.
It's fairly typical of the beaches in this part of New Zealand. The approach to the beach is through grass-covered sand dunes, the upper part of the beach is a crazy jumble of driftwood, and the sand is made from black volcanic rock.
We thought you might enjoy looking at a few of the photos we took.
where does it all come from?!
enjoying the warm autumn sunshine
getting chilly - time to make our way home
Friday, 31 March 2006
Sunday, 26 March 2006
Kiwi Quirks No. 2: Shorts
What is it with New Zealanders and shorts?
The Jackson effect
Before we came to New Zealand we thought the fact that Peter Jackson wore shorts while shooting scenes halfway up a snow-covered mountain for 'The Lord of The Rings' was a sign of eccentricity. However, we now know better. Instead of marking him out as an eccentric, this behaviour merely confirms that the esteemed film director is just like every other New Zealand male. A true Kiwi Bloke wears shorts all year round, (even if there's a wind chill factor of minus twenty) and for every occasion, no matter how formal. He'll even pop on a pair of 'dress shorts' for his own wedding.
fig. 1: Peter Jackson - not so eccentric after all
Big boys
In the UK only boys under the age of seven ever wear shorts to school, and most boys nowadays wear long trousers as soon as they enter reception class at the age of five. The first time I saw a group of sixth-form lads wearing shorts as part of their uniform I felt terribly embarrassed for them. If they had been in the UK I would probably have told them to stay off the streets to avoid getting beaten up.
fig. 2: painfully emasculated
Beach wear
Figure 3 shows a pair of board shorts, or boardies, so called because they're worn by surfers. (In New Zealand they're probably worn by snowboarders too.) Boardies are de rigeur on the high street. Iain's even got a couple of pairs and he's never been near a surf board in his life.
fig. 3: a pair of boardies
Eurgh!
And finally we come to figure 4, a pair of very short shorts, known affectionately as stubbies. In Europe, shorts this short were last seen at the 1970 World Cup, but over here they're still kicking around. I had hoped to find a photo of a pair of stubbies being worn by a typical owner - a red-faced bloke in his fifties, with excessively hairy legs, large gut hanging out over the waistband, and the back seam splitting under enormous strain. It's probably just as well I didn't.
fig. 4 a pair of stubbies
The Jackson effect
Before we came to New Zealand we thought the fact that Peter Jackson wore shorts while shooting scenes halfway up a snow-covered mountain for 'The Lord of The Rings' was a sign of eccentricity. However, we now know better. Instead of marking him out as an eccentric, this behaviour merely confirms that the esteemed film director is just like every other New Zealand male. A true Kiwi Bloke wears shorts all year round, (even if there's a wind chill factor of minus twenty) and for every occasion, no matter how formal. He'll even pop on a pair of 'dress shorts' for his own wedding.
fig. 1: Peter Jackson - not so eccentric after allBig boys
In the UK only boys under the age of seven ever wear shorts to school, and most boys nowadays wear long trousers as soon as they enter reception class at the age of five. The first time I saw a group of sixth-form lads wearing shorts as part of their uniform I felt terribly embarrassed for them. If they had been in the UK I would probably have told them to stay off the streets to avoid getting beaten up.
fig. 2: painfully emasculatedFigure 3 shows a pair of board shorts, or boardies, so called because they're worn by surfers. (In New Zealand they're probably worn by snowboarders too.) Boardies are de rigeur on the high street. Iain's even got a couple of pairs and he's never been near a surf board in his life.
fig. 3: a pair of boardiesAnd finally we come to figure 4, a pair of very short shorts, known affectionately as stubbies. In Europe, shorts this short were last seen at the 1970 World Cup, but over here they're still kicking around. I had hoped to find a photo of a pair of stubbies being worn by a typical owner - a red-faced bloke in his fifties, with excessively hairy legs, large gut hanging out over the waistband, and the back seam splitting under enormous strain. It's probably just as well I didn't.
fig. 4 a pair of stubbiesWednesday, 22 March 2006
Remember, folks, you heard it here first
I just had to pass on this bit of gossip that Iain told me this morning. Allegedly (note the use of the 'Have I Got News For You' anti-lawyer adverb) New Zealand has just had its first death from bird flu.
The story goes that a man who returned recently from Asia has died in New Zealand from symptoms which would appear to have been caused by HN51 (or whatever it's called - you'd think they could have come up with a snappier name for it). Apparently, a post mortem is currently under way and the authorities are awaiting confirmation before making an official announcement.
I haven't yet decided whether I believe the rumour or not. It could well be true, as this is exactly the sort of way in which bird flu is most likely to reach NZ, but it could just as easily be an internet 'prank' perpetrated by some bored teenager in order to spread panic among Kiwis. If it's the latter, then they don't understand the Kiwi character very well - I've never met a more unflappable bunch of people.
Anyway, maybe it was a coincidence, and maybe it wasn't, but this morning in the post we received a government leaflet entitled 'Getting Ready for a Flu Pandemic'. It advises people to have a written plan of action in case anyone in the family should become ill, and to build up an emergency supplies kit. *insert shocked smiley here*
Over the next couple of days I shall be watching the evening news with interest.
Helen
The story goes that a man who returned recently from Asia has died in New Zealand from symptoms which would appear to have been caused by HN51 (or whatever it's called - you'd think they could have come up with a snappier name for it). Apparently, a post mortem is currently under way and the authorities are awaiting confirmation before making an official announcement.
I haven't yet decided whether I believe the rumour or not. It could well be true, as this is exactly the sort of way in which bird flu is most likely to reach NZ, but it could just as easily be an internet 'prank' perpetrated by some bored teenager in order to spread panic among Kiwis. If it's the latter, then they don't understand the Kiwi character very well - I've never met a more unflappable bunch of people.
Anyway, maybe it was a coincidence, and maybe it wasn't, but this morning in the post we received a government leaflet entitled 'Getting Ready for a Flu Pandemic'. It advises people to have a written plan of action in case anyone in the family should become ill, and to build up an emergency supplies kit. *insert shocked smiley here*
Over the next couple of days I shall be watching the evening news with interest.
Helen
Tuesday, 21 March 2006
My, haven't they grown?
Our little mogs are getting bigger by the day, but unfortunately, no more sensible. Pookie still spends a significant amount of time trying to eat her own tail, and Mo regularly gives herself a headache by attempting to fling herself through a locked cat flap.
Here are a couple of recent photos.
Pookie
Mo
Here are a couple of recent photos.
Pookie
MoSunday, 19 March 2006
Incy Wincy comes to tea
Last night we were sitting watching telly when I noticed a spider scurrying along on the sitting room carpet. "Ooh," I said, "Is that a white tail?" I put a glass over it and went to look up white tail spiders on the internet. We got a positive ID pretty rapidly. It was a white tail, all right. So Iain did his best pest control officer impression and duly dispatched it.
The spider wasn't very big - only about two centimetres across, but it looked really mean. White tails originated in Australia and have been known in the North Island for over a hundred years.
A white tail doesn't build a web to catch its prey; instead it actively hunts other spiders. Its main method of hunting is to enter the web of its intended victim and mimic the struggles of a trapped insect. This tricks the resident spider into investigating the disturbance and so instead of gaining a meal, it becomes one when the white tail strikes.
White tails' bites are venomous, and they can and do bite humans. Typical symptoms of a white tail bite include pain and swelling at the bite site. The bite can develop into a small ulcerous wound that heals inside a week. In some instances, victims report flu-like symptoms.
There have also been reports in the media of people who have been bitten by white tails going on to develop more serious infections such as 'necrotising arachnidism', a severe form of skin ulceration, but these reports are generally unsubstantiated and it is not always confirmed that the bite was definitely made by a white tail. All the same, I'll try to steer clear of the little eight-legged darlings in future.
I was interested to note that The Australian Museum Online's factsheet on white tails mentions that
The spider wasn't very big - only about two centimetres across, but it looked really mean. White tails originated in Australia and have been known in the North Island for over a hundred years.
A white tail doesn't build a web to catch its prey; instead it actively hunts other spiders. Its main method of hunting is to enter the web of its intended victim and mimic the struggles of a trapped insect. This tricks the resident spider into investigating the disturbance and so instead of gaining a meal, it becomes one when the white tail strikes.
White tails' bites are venomous, and they can and do bite humans. Typical symptoms of a white tail bite include pain and swelling at the bite site. The bite can develop into a small ulcerous wound that heals inside a week. In some instances, victims report flu-like symptoms.
There have also been reports in the media of people who have been bitten by white tails going on to develop more serious infections such as 'necrotising arachnidism', a severe form of skin ulceration, but these reports are generally unsubstantiated and it is not always confirmed that the bite was definitely made by a white tail. All the same, I'll try to steer clear of the little eight-legged darlings in future.
I was interested to note that The Australian Museum Online's factsheet on white tails mentions that
White-tailed Spiders around your house can be controlled by ... clearing away the webs of the house spiders upon which they feed.Up until now I've been leaving alone any spiders' webs I find, as they help to keep the number of insects down (we have a real problem with flies here) but this morning I went round with the long-handled duster and got rid of all the cobwebs.