The Adventures of Bear and Butterfly

Wow- that title sounds like a sale promotion for Farmers or Deka… I may amend it later on.

But it has been mad… really busy here. We keep looking ahead to the events coming up & suddenly it seems the month has gone by & we haven’t even sat down! But hey, we’re young, nimble & strong so surely we can handle it!

April 21^st was a great day- we gathered with our Kiwi & Aussie friends at the Twyford Avenue Sports Ground for the Anzac 2007 Sports Challenge. A wonderful day for drinking beer in the sun & watching sports & cultural displays. The highlight was watching the two Maori teams for Rugby do a ‘Haka-off’ which was so exciting, both teams were so brave & loud & strong. I managed to get a bit sun burnt that day too- yahoo for the sun!!!!

The following weekend the London Marathon got us thoroughly inspired. Bodra started running 3 times a week & I started too. Can you guess who is still running…??? Not me! But I’m sure I will pick it up again. I’m doing lots of yoga, pilates & Lateral Thigh Training with our new machine & we’re both walking everyday- making loads of effort towards healthier fitter selves!

During the first weekend of May the weather was so lovely that Bodra & I decided we wanted to go for a walk. We have found this website which has a lot of walks around the Berkshire area, so we thought seen as well we don’t have a car, what better way to see our area? http://www.roundreadingwalk.co.uk/index.htm We walked from Ascot to Windsor, 8 miles. We thought it would be a good way to continue our training for the Marathon (ba-hahah!), eventually we would run this walk & if we could do the walk three times it would be just about enough to cover the Marathon…

We walked alongside a racecourse & an aptly named track called ‘The Old Straight Mile’. During the war, wires were stretched across the course between concrete posts to prevent enemy planes landing.

The track went past Golden Gates which were formerly used by the Queen’s procession during the Royal Ascot race meeting. We found a grass-roofed cottage along the way. Soon we entered Windsor Great Park where we became quite confused trying to decipher where our walk continued. Walking in the UK is quite strange. There isn’t one path with signs at intersections, instead you need to be able to orient yourself with directions such as ‘pass to right of ox pond & emerge from trees’ & ‘at crossing track keep ahead but soon turn right at second crossing’. We got totally stumped at that one, as the second crossing was ages away.

But yeah, there were loads of cool markers like, Prince Consort’s Gate, Duke’s Lane, Chaplin’s Lodge, Royal Lodge. There was an Equestrian event on so we had the pleasure of watching horses jump over hedges & wooden walls. As we got nearer to the end of the walk we slowly ambled up Snow Hill (the first hill we have walked since being in this country) towards a gigantic statue of George the Third in Roman attire riding a Copper Horse. I was really confused by this statue as I don’t quite have my head around the whole Roman-England thing… emails to clarify this would be much appreciated!

We stopped for a snack of corn chippies, dates & apricots while watching the airplanes cross above Windsor Castle every minute or so. Man that must be annoying for whoever lives there- they’re pretty noisy as they go by, not to mention the constant carbon emissions around there!

Then the hardest part of the walk, aptly named ‘The Long Walk’ an absolute straight path from the Copper Horse to Windsor Castle. They had horse & carts touring people along the path which gave a lovely atmosphere to the area. Chestnut trees lined the long walk.

We were pretty worn out by that stage so we found a wee pub. Then we went to a Greek restaurant for lunner. I think we got food poisoning there. The best part of Windsor was finding Jim Garrahy’s ‘Fudge Kitchen’. I grabbed a slab of Belgian Chocolate Swirl & Bodra grabbed a slab of Strawberries & Cream. I finished mine in less than a week, Bodra didn’t finish his.

Our perfect day was topped off with a little snooze in the sun at Forbury Gardens in Reading, then we saw Spider Man 3… where the food poisoning took effect- we left the movie a bit earlier to make those noises & smells you don’t wish to share with others…

Kim, Chantal & I went to Fairy Love in the middle of May for a weekend of Fairy fun. Lots of dressing up, bouncing around & creating tasty food! Oh, & heaps of wine too, I don’t even remember falling asleep- I just hit the bed & was out. We had intended to visit Hampton Court while we were there, but our time was spent chilling & enjoying each others company. One of the homes near Fairy Love is owned by Bran so we spent some of the afternoon there enjoying his company & watching his gorgeous Polish Chickens.

The following weekend Bodra went to Saudi Arabia for actual work. He left Friday afternoon & was absolutely miserable as that evening we were meant to be going to the Twisted Party. He had been really looking forward to it. In Saudi Arabia their weekend is Thursday & Friday. Weirdos!

David O’Leary accompanied me to the party. Beforehand we went to the College of Psychic Studies for ‘An Evening of Trance & Transfiguration’. It was a pretty weird night. We entered a room that was lit really lowly, the fans were turned off & the room was completely packed with people. Three different mediums presented themselves & various spirits came through them with all sorts of general spiritual pearls of wisdom.

The final medium was Jay Love whose gift is to create this ectoplasmic facial mask where the spirit will press their face into. I had the opportunity to go up & view this phenomenon, he tried to draw in a few of my relatives & a friend but I couldn’t recognise any changes which weren’t related to the low lighting & shadow play.

David & I then went to the Carling Academy in Brixton which is an absolutely amazing theatre. It reminded me of the Civic Theatre but with an upgrade. No stars in the ceiling but an amazing art-deco interior. The main auditorium contains Europe’s largest fixed stage, framed by an elaborate proscenium arch based on the design of the Rialto Bridge. There was heaps of space to dance around in & I didn’t have any issues with second hand smoke. Ez, Kim, Lisa & Ross soon arrived & we had a great night of dancing.

Carolyn arrived on the 11^th of June, & on the Thursday we took her into London to see the Blue Man Group at the New London Theatre. It’s really hard to describe what their performance was about, as it was so unusual & unexpected. I went there thinking that it was going to be all about these guys playing percussion on paint tins. We were warned not to take front seats due to possible paint splattering. http://www.blueman.com/

Three guys with blue paint all over their heads. They didn’t speak but communicated just as well with body language & facial expression. They started off with the percussion, then moved into different sequences involving all sorts of props. I particularly liked their Rock Music lesson & when they played the plastic tubes. Towards the end of the night all this toilet paper flooded the theatre which was really weird.

Friday night was dinner at Ping Pong for Kim’s 28^th. Carolyn bravely went off on her own to meet up with a friend which really impressed me.

The following weekend we had a great time exploring Wales. On Saturday we made our way to Wales. We were so pleased to get back to tree-lined roads where the branches reached over to meet each other.

Our first night was spent in ‘Over the Rainbow’ at Plas Tyllwyd, Tanygroes, Ceredigion- a luxurious 18^th Century Georgian mansion B&B. http://www.overtherainbowwales.co.uk/ Bodra & I had the fantastic Fuji room with a giant circular window looking out to the Welsh countryside. I watched a Squirrel gathering nuts under a tree & making his way up the driveway the following morning. Carolyn was in the Oya room which has a fantastic wall mural of devotees offering gifts to Oya, Yoruban Goddess of the wind and rivers.

In the evening we glimpsed the ocean at Aberporth, then had dinner at an Italian restaurant.

The following morning we had a lovely vegetarian breakfast then drove to the Felinwynt Rainforest Centre. http://www.butterflycentre.co.uk/ There were only a few butterflies there but it was still lovely seeing them- a Glasswing, Scarlet Swallowtail, Common Swallowtail & Owl Butterfly.

Bodra drove us through Pembrokeshire, through Fishguard to St. David’s where we stopped for a late lunch. http://www.stdavids.co.uk/ Carolyn discovered the amazing Cathedral which held us all in awe for over an hour. Inside there was a stone slab on the floor with David Howell inscribed in it. I found the ‘Chapel Chocolates’ shop which had me enamored for the briefest of moments- honestly! Bodra & I had trouble choosing our chocolates as there was a huge selection. Then we carried on to our next destination, Tenby, stopping at Newgale for a scramble across a wall of giant stone pebbles so we could dip our feet into the freezing cold ocean of St George’s Channel.

Our accommodation in Tenby was a YHA in Manorbier- a hostel made from a former Ministry of Defense building. As we wound our way along the streets we were really surprised to find a lively & cozy township there, as it seemed so isolated. We had a walk along the cliff tops overlooking Caldey Island. Bodra & I both felt so free perched on the cliff looking out to Carmarthen Bay. Dinner was a yummy vege soup which Carolyn made for us with a lovely bottle of red wine.

Monday we traveled away from the coast to Llandeilo for a wander around the captivating 12th Century Dinefwr Castle & grounds. http://www.castlewales.com/dinefwr.html We stopped near some castle ruins beforehand (not sure of the name), but didn’t venture for an explore of them as the rain was pretty heavy then From Dinefwr Castle there were fantastic views of the Welsh countryside from up there, & Bodra & I watched Swallows & Kites, showing off their flying skills & enjoying the wind.

Our next destination was Burry Farm B&B in Gower. http://www.the-gower.com/bandb/burryfarm/burryfarm.htm We were amazed by the garden there, the owners grow produce for the local market in a huge way. In the evening we journeyed out to Rhossili where we enjoyed a beer from the hotel & a pub meal, whilst looking out to the sun setting out on the Bristol Channel. I watched Swallows darting to & from their nests feeding their young.

On Tuesday morning we drove out to Mumbles and had a wander through that town. There wasn’t too much to see there, we stopped in an Antique Store but everything was overpriced & fairly non-antique looking. We carried on with the intention of stopping in Cardiff to visit the castle there, but instead we were pulled to Caerphilly. http://www.castlewales.com/caerphil.html This 13^th Century castle is surrounded by water, so there is a lot of bird poo surrounding it. That would be enough to keep me from approaching the castle! There was a great historical display inside which really amazed Carolyn as she learnt new things about Wales.

Then homeward bound after picking up a few foodie bits from Tescos. Something to note about Wales, in fact probably most of British countryside, is the layout of the roads, which are bordered with thick hedges, which block out the view of the countryside. Makes you feel quite claustrophobic & curious, & completely denied of the potential countryside views.

Bodra had a staff dinner do on Wednesday evening, so Carolyn & I had dinner together- I made sweet potato mash, stir-fried onions, mushrooms & vege sausies with a salad. My first real mash which Carolyn really enjoyed.

Last Friday afternoon I went by train to the Lyme Regis area on the Devon/Dorset border of the South-West Coast, to attend an Intro weekend at the British School of Thai Massage. http://britishthai.com/ I stayed at the facilitators home, Niclaire Mann, where she provided accommodation in her conservatory. I was pleased to find she had two dogs, a Jack Russel Puppy named Milly & an older cuddly dog named Polly. Her adopted 13 & ½ year old daughter, Ashley & I had big chats in the evening.

The following morning we started off with Thai Yoga which involves loads of lunge-type positions. By the afternoon my legs were quaking! One of the students, Nikki, gave me Thai massage while I lay on my back, then I gave her a foot massage. A second student, Jane, gave me Thai massage while I lay on my tummy & then I tried to give it to her.

Unfortunately the course was more about the students just practicing what they already had been taught & there wasn’t going to be any real teaching for me unless the facilitator made a special allowance. I didn’t want to impose on what she was trying to achieve with the weekend so I decided to return home on Saturday night. It was a pretty terrifying ride to the station as Niclaire sped her way there in an attempt to make a train that was leaving in less time than we had. I ended up waiting for nearly an hour for the next train but the time passed quickly as I chatted to a Station master there about society, & he shared his stories about fixing John Lennons TV one time, while John Lennon & Yoko Ono remained in their bed.

I met Bodra & Carolyn at Reading station as they had just returned from an afternoon in Leytonstone meeting their relatives- Tony, Liz, Roger, Hilary & Martin, Eileen & Ian, Blair & Laura. They had a wonderful time catching up with everyone.

We had a chilled out Sunday, catching up on some reading. Bodra worked out how to put Carolyn’s video footage onto the laptop which took him ages. So that wasn’t a very chilled out aspect of the day! I made pizzas for lunch & laksa for dinner which was much appreciated.

On Monday I stayed at home with Carolyn for her last day. We had a cuddly three-legged walk into Reading town, huddled under the umbrella. (It seems it has only rained while Carolyn has been here. Actually, it rained yesterday too…) I showed her the Ayurveda Retreat & we had Star bucks Chai Latte & Cinnamon Swirl for lunch. Then back home where I gave Carolyn a full body massage for over two hours- indulgence! We met Bodra for yoga in the evening- I was so exhausted I completely went somewhere else during the meditation.

Tuesday morning we bid Carolyn farewell. Michael will be with her now- he’ll be staying with her for the next few months while he endeavors to have surgery on his jaw in Thailand. He was able to find someone to take care of their home in Massey which was really lucky. Madri from the Hare Krsna centre in Kumeu found him someone.

Last night we went to the Astoria Theatre in Tottenham Court to see Fat Freddy’s Drop. The theatre was completely packed out, I had to protect my viewing space with my protruding legs. Bodra & I were sat at a table so we danced with our heads. The support performers were these D J’s who mixed together all these different songs & had the videos all synced up too which was quite entertaining. FFD started with Wandering Eye & played lots of new songs. It was wonderful hearing home music.

Bodra has been to Dublin again in May for more training- & he’s there right now doing more training too. On Sunday we will have the company of Alanna & Russell as they will be dossing with us. Next weekend we will be going to Anti world Festival- fingers crossed Bodra doesn’t get pulled away from that for work!

Huge catch up- taken me all evening to write this. Now it is past midnight & I am still worried I left out something… hmmm… now to load up the pics… nearly 2am now!!! I hope someone out there appreciates this!

http://www.magictricks.co.uk/mindreader/MagicTricksMR

Teehee, our friend Gusti sent me this link.  It’s a mind reader where you choose a double digit number, say 28, add the digits 2 + 8 = 10 then 28 - 10 = 18   Then, you look up the symbol related to the number 18 & focus on it & then look into the crystal ball.  Then it shows the symbol!  Bodra is so clever, he worked it out.  Mum, see if Dad can work it out!

Well, I had my last day at HoF.  I lasted three weeks!  Not my shortest career however (3 hours at McDonalds).  They offered to put me in Menswear where I would’ve been working with an awesome manager & doing heaps, but the reality of earning money more than just to get by is starting to motivate me.  So Supply Teaching here I come!  I’ve just got to stay focused on our travel dreams of seeing all that we want of Europe & hopefully Egypt, South America, India, Tibet, Canada… ICELAND!!!

Wonderful news is, Bodra is going to have a telephone interview with Symantec this Tuesday.  He will be doing heaps of study this weekend to really impress them & get a real interview.  It’s funny, he applied for the job Thursday last week & has had such an awesome vibe with it.  I did too, but I get excited over any prospects.  He spent ages with the recruiter (via email & mobile) to prime his CV towards the position, & it was well worth it.  BUT they take forever to get back to you here- especially as it is Summer & people are on holidays.

So yes, everyone be thinking super positive thoughts at 10am next Tuesday our time.  So that is 9pm Tuesday evening!  It’ll mean us moving to Reading & everyone tells us we’ll love it there.   Yay!!!!

The weather has been awesome all week, today Alice & Matri took me to a grassy spot by the River Thames for lunch.  I sat in the shade.  Alice is part Maaori & is from Mt Maunganui- small world aye!  Her & Matri were enjoying the sun, I stayed in the shade.  I will really miss the lovely people I met at House of Fraser- it was like a little world there, so many different nations & languages.  I have an invitation to visit one of the girls in three years when she returns to Ethiopia.  Her name is Firehiwot, pronounced Freh-wadt (hope i got that right), but all the girls called her Fairy.  The language they speak in Ethiopia is called Amharic.  Oh!  & butterfly is Berabero!  Of course I had to ask.
Bo & I may go to Reading tomorrow, Hilary will be there as her partner Martin is taking part in a rowing Regatta.  We’ll definitely be getting out to make the most of the sunshine.