Paul left our humble abode on the 14th of October- keen to finally have a place with Rachael. Way back on Monday 23rd of October, Aunty Kim & Chris visited. I met them in Oxford- I was a bit late as I often have trouble working out how much time it takes me to do things. We had a lovely wander around the City taking in all the amazing architectural sights like the Radcliffe Camera, The Bodleian Library, Sheldonian Theatre & The Bridge of Sighs. Loads of Universities as well. It is really a pretty city & I look forward to when Bodra & I can spend a weekend there- maybe do an Alice tour as that is where Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll resided when he wrote Alice in Wonderland etc.
Chris led us on to Christ Church College & Cathedral. Scenes from “Harry Potter” were filmed here, as it was the setting for Hogwart’s Magic School. In the Cathedral I saw loads of colourful stained glass windows (of course) & a few strange coffins which had on the top a wooden, life-size carving of the deceased with a little doggy at their feet. There was one of a lady, & around the sides of the coffin were carvings of her children- most of them quite worn & disfigured. It is a really old Cathedral, 12th Century I think.
Another lovely lunch in a quaint pub, then off to Blenheim Palace. With my keen eyes I directed Chris there, my first experience with a British road map! We went through some really cute villages but the motorways were very intense, round-a-bout’s on motorways? Crazy! We didn’t have time to wander around the Palace grounds, there are pleasure gardens & an expansive lawn leading down to a lake- I’ll save that for when Bodra & I go there one day in the Summer… We joined a guided tour of the Palace which was well worth it for hearing about the significance of the paintings, tapestries, furniture & the lives of those who lived there.
Zoomed back to Reading to meet up with a slightly poorly Bodra. ‘The Spice Oven’ for dinner, treated by Chris! Then back home to Bear & Butterfly’s Bed & Breakfast!
Aunty Kim & Chris decided to spend the next day in London so we bid them farewell on Tuesday morning- it was so lovely having family visit! Work as usual for the next couple of days with an Open Evening on the Wednesday night. I had my hair dyed that morning, the bottom section of my hair dyed a vibrant red & some golden streaks in the top part of my hair. Sadly, the red has all come out now- probably the last time I put red in as it didn’t really take at all.
Kim Fiery (heehee!) came to visit on Thursday & we spent the day looking for costumes for the Twisted Party. Not much luck really but I had fun being out & about with my girlfriend! Bodra & I introduced her to ‘Heroes’ our favourite series at the moment. The next day Kim came to work for an Abhyanga which she thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately I somewhat spoiled the relaxing nature of her treatment as she witnessed me having a spazz at Dr. Deepthi- all is resolved now thankfully! My nephews were at their Dilworth School Open Day having a good explore… & a few weeks later they went for their final interview & were accepted- HURRAH!!!
Friday 27th October was the Twisted 10 Year Anniversary Halloween Fancy Dress Ball. I got dressed up as a Golden Faery (nice as it allowed me to wear my Golden Sari top from our wedding & the wings Kim made me). I was feeling quite giddy before we even left home, I get a bit anxious when I know I have to travel on the train & tube & also when I know it is going to be a late night & a mission to get home! Luckily Dave had said we could crash at his place which was only a few minutes walk from the venue.
I had a really lovely experience on the tube which made me feel much more settled. There was a space on one seat & another space directly opposite. So Bodra & I weren’t sitting together & I sat down next to this black man who had really cool sort of autistic eyes. & he quickly realised Bodra & I were together so he got up & offered Bodra his seat… which NEVER happens! So we were real thankful & showed our appreciation. Then he got all curious about Bodra & I because of our accents & me being dressed up like a fairy- I didn’t have my wings on but I was holding them, & he asked about them. He thought they were for a Dragon, & he put them on his head while standing in the tube & started Roaring & moving like a dragon. It was so cool!
Then we got to our stops- his name is Kola- & he walked us to our station. It was really nice. I think he kissed my hand when we shook hands goodbye.
So he made me feel all fluffy & safe inside. But when we got to the party, Paul had his ticket lifted out of his pocket so that brought me down, & the event was badly organised. No one was clearing the floors of the glass bottles & people were falling all over the place. They ran out of bottled water too so Bodra had to buy cans of coke. Kim & I tried to put our things at the bag-check, I wanted to leave my wings there as there were so many people & I kept getting spun around, but the queue was impossibly long! We might of spent all night in the queue.
It was really exciting seeing everyone in their costumes- there was even a lady representing Kali who was painted blue & had a necklace of (fake) human skulls. Loads of wings & masks. Bodra borrowed Cianne’s brother Zain’s Alien mask & cape. & it was good fun being out with Kim, Ez & Dave. Just wish Paul had of been there too! We visited him the next day in Chiswick- he has a really lovely apartment with a BATH!!!
The next week Bodra & I went to Dublin… & Fireworks with Tony & Liz… then I began working pretty much full-time at the Ayurveda Retreat… We watched ‘Borat’ (Bodra’s comment afterwards “I need to sanitise my mind… THINK CARE BEARS! THINK CARE BEARS!”) & the Rugby… Bodra went off to Dublin again & I learnt how to knit (but I can’t cast on)…Paul & Rachael visited us on the 18th & we fed the seagulls by the canal, had a yummy dinner at Pizza Express, watched more Rugby & then had a dessert at an Italian restaurant… Jono came to doss for a while & him & Bodra went to a Spread-Betting seminar…then… Liz & Dan came to visit us which was very super awesome!
They came on Thursday 23rd November & they were quite tired so I put them to bed for a wee while & made them vegetable pie for lunch. Then we went out to Harrods which is basically like a way HUGER version of Smith & Caughey’s. Super posh & over the top. Men in waist-jackets & top hats opened the door for you. Definitely a place to do people-watching. I bought some hosiery at £24.95, super expensive but they have a unique design- I haven’t worn them yet- too nervous!
Harrods was all lit up outside in celebration of Christmas (it’s not even December yet!). Dan, Liz & I wandered down the road to Hyde Park Tube station I think- our nearest one wasn’t running in the direction we had to go. We met up with a friend of Bodra & Daniels- Andrew McLeod & then went to the Peacock Theatre to pick up our tickets. I thought it would be a good idea to take Dan & Liz to a show & Ez & Kim had recommended Momix- Lunar Sea. Bodra was meant to meet us but due to traffic congestion. He was majorly delayed getting into Reading from Greenpark where he works, so he gave up trying to meet us.
We met up with Jono at an Indian restaurant where I had Tiger beer & Saga loo- a potato & spinach dish delish! Then we went back to the theatre just in time to meet Chantal & grab our seats. The show was absolutely mesmerizing. The dancers costumes were half white & black body-suits to allow them to make these luminescent creature shapes with their body. They’re such an innovative production, Ez & Kim took me to a show in Auckland for my birthday & I was so thrilled to see dance expressed in such a unique form!
After the show we enjoyed a drink at a local pub & then Jono drove us back to Reading (Yay!) showing some of London’s fine sights along the way.
The next day Bodra picked up our rental car & we drove all the way to coastal town of Penzance, South West Cornwall. As we were cruising along the highway, Liz commented that we would be coming up to Stonehenge soon, & suddenly- there it was, in full view from the highway! We were all surprised to see it in such a clearly commercialised position, some of the majick was lost for us. No travailing through a wooded lane & countryside to reach it, tucked away in a nether-world region. We didn’t stop to take obligatory photos as it was crucial we get to our hundreds-of-miles-away destination & also rain was present. On the way back, we thought.
Our next stop was Honiton for a lovely lunch in a wine bar. Amazingly delicious deep fried brie with an apricot sauce… so creamy & sweet! Then back on the road. I dozed as per usual, the afternoon became very dark & finally we were in Penzance. We found a fairly decent Bed & Breakfast at Whiteways Guest House & after unloading our bags we went on a hunt for dinner. As the restaurants didn’t begin serving until 6:30pm (weird!) we found a quiet 17th Century pub, Union Hotel, to enjoy an ale. Later on, a whole fresh Sea Bass presented itself on my dinner plate, & although bony, I did enjoy it immensely.
Back to the B&B to decide on a destination for the next day. After a lovely English breakfast with home made jam, we drove out to Land’s End- one of the most Southern points of England. It was really windy wandering around the cliff edges which didn’t bode well for the day. We found a miniature animal farm & we cooed over the cute Goats & Shetland Ponies. Their pigs weren’t so miniature however, they looked dangerous!
We burned it up the A30 to Tintagel- Legendary birthplace of King Arthur although apparently he was around 600 years before Tintagel was built… go figure! We piled out of the car to go explore the castle ruins, all wrapped up in jackets, beanies, gloves & scarves. Tramping down a steep hill near the coastline we came to the ruins, wall remains mostly with a few empty windows. Such a precarious place to undertake the building of a castle- the middle part of it had fallen into the sea during a landslide. Then I heard the tell-tale bird call of a potential storm about to hit. We reluctantly began walking back up the hill & then the rain came.
For comfort & warmth we opted for a Cornish Pasty café for lunch, although I passed on the pasty. A hot chocolate & scones with Cornish Clotted Cream, yum! Everyone else had the pasty which was larger than any dinner plate I have ever seen & filled with disgusting vegetables like peas.
Our next destination was Bath. We didn’t get there until much later in the evening & were out of luck with finding accommodation. We tried a town nearby but no luck either- so Bodra decided it was back to Reading for us.
On Sunday we met up with Mel, a friend of Liz’s who is studying Medical Anthropology at Oxford, & we all went back out to Stonehenge. On the way there, the sky kept pouring down on us but luckily the rain turned into a wee drizzle while we viewed the Prehistoric Monument. Apparently it was created 5050 years ago. The larger stones were brought from Marlborough Downs 19 miles away & the smaller stones were brought from the Preseli Mountains in Wales, 240 miles away. I’m still not too sure how I feel about seeing them. Part of me thought they were much smaller than as they are depicted, & surely they wouldn’t go to all that effort just to create something to be used as a calendar? Hmmm…
We tried to find some lunch in one town near Stonehenge, but nothing suited. So we decided to carry on home until we saw a man walking along the highway with a sign advertising The George Inn in Andover- ‘Good food!’ & yet again it was a lovely quiet pub with a fair menu. They had a really awesome fish tank & suddenly I became inspired…
No more fish for me! Well, I know I have said it before, but I really do like seeing them alive. I didn’t really enjoy my fish lunch there either…
Back home to find Ez & Kim had arrived, Jono was keeping them company. Eight people in our lounge & my goodness we were full! Really the apartment is just large enough for Bodra & I. We sat around chatting & enjoying afternoon beer, then we took Mel back to the station for her journey home to Oxford. We all went to the Spice Oven for dinner & a few drinks.
Jono, Liz & Dan left us the next morning. Bodra & I went back to work (sigh!) & then that night we went to the Wembley Arena with Kim, Ez, Paul & Matt to see Tool. The stadium wasn’t completely full which surprised me. It wasn’t much larger than North Shore Stadium. The stage floor was all white & people in white lab coats & hospital slippers prepared the stage for Tool. We were seated upstairs no the North side so we had a pretty good view (better than being in the crowd & watching the backs of peoples heads!). The band members came on, Danny Carey in NBA gear, Maynard wearing this ultra bright fluro-orange fleece jacket. He made some Borat-esque crack about his fleece- “This jacket is noot blaaack.” Set list:
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Stinkfist
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Swamp Song- never heard this live before! Highlight of my night.
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Jambi
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Schism- sped up
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Lost Keys/ Rosetta Stoned where they had all these crazy alien images coming up on the stage.
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The Pot
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Intermission where they all sat together on the stage & the crowd got out lighters, it was quite pretty!
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Wings for Marie & 10,000 Days where they revealed these awesome bright green lasers & a massive back-drop with Alex Greys artwork.
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Merkaba Jam & Lateralus
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Vicarious
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AEnema
It was over far too soon for my liking. But they will be back in Summer so yahoo! No waiting around for 4 years like in New Zealand! Bodra & I sleep-walked home, our train to Reading was delayed for nearly an hour & then there was maintenance on the tracks so the train could only crawl it’s way to Reading. Sigh!
Wendy visited on Sunday, as she is on her way back home to NZ. I gave her a lovely massage & we took her to a Japanese restaurant called ‘Wa’ for dinner. I had this amazing vegetarian sushi plate where each piece was wrapped up in little bows of seaweed. So cute! The next night Bodra & I went into Soho to meet Ez, Kim, Chantal, Ross, Dawn, Nik, Neil, Lisa, Rueben, Rebecca & Cameron for a Korean dinner, in celebration for green t-shirt wearing Ezra’s 27th. Coincidentally, another group of friends were there also celebrating the birthday of a guy wearing a green t-shirt, so we had a birthday song sound off!
So now it is Thursday December 7th 2006. I think that is everything caught up. Oh! Paul & Rachael are officially engaged- they went to Paris for Rachael’s birthday last weekend too! Congratulations! Paul has also found himself employment so things are going well for them.
Bodra is working from home today (playing Need for Speed at the moment) & as I have been up since 3am suffering from super-unbearably-itchy-palm syndrome I requested a day off too. I wish I had a Dr like ‘House’ to figure out what is wrong with me. I have been reading a book called ‘Shaman, Healer, Sage’ which is leading me to believe that my cells have some sort of memory from my ancestors which I need to heal first to get to the root cause of my skin disorder. Makes semi-sense as Dad has this too. I have been following the Pitta-Vata Ayurvedic diet & not had much success it seems. My hands are being used so much these days, giving massages & then cleaning the treatment room afterwards, although generally I avoid getting in contact with chemicals if I can. But the water here is so harsh.
It is very grey & rainy outside- perfect day to have off! The canal is heavy 7 the near-naked trees are being blown around by strong wind. Chantal left for Thailand on Tuesday, she will have two weeks there, then four weeks in NZ & two weeks in Thailand again on her way home. Bodra & I have finally sorted our April Thailand trip; we will be going to Bangkok for one night, Chiang Mai for a few days, then Koh Samui for Jo & Chris’s wedding. It feels like Winter is beginning to show it’s face here so I know that by April Bodra & I will be in much need of sunshine, warm ocean water & relaxing Thai massages!
I hope you all have a wonderful Summer & an excellently groovy Christmas & New Years! Lisa & Neil invited Bodra & I to their place for an ‘orphan’ Christmas, but we may just end up staying at home, sleeping! No plans yet for our first anniversary, we kind of left it too late to go anywhere. Home is where the heart is anyway!
Love to you all! Merry meet, merry part & merry meet again!
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