The Adventures of Bear and Butterfly

Since our trip to Prague we’d been keeping things pretty low-key in preparation for our first trip back home in nearly four years.  Winter kept us indoors for most of season, the snow giving us an excuse for hibernating.  We enjoyed Christmas with the Zilberberg’s again, creating a pavlova for the occasion.  Paul kept us company for New Years and we made an epic feast out of the Stone’s Cook Book “Torta Mexicana” recipe- alternating layers of cornmeal pancakes, refritos, potato-egg-sour cream-coriander mash, cheddar cheese and mango.  Very delicious!  One New Years day we went into Wimbledon to watch Avatar in 3D, an absolutely stunning movie, then we joined Lauren for a meal at an Indian restaurant- fitting given that she was off to India for two months the following Monday!

I had a day in London in mid January learning about Art Therapy, and I’d love to be able to become an Art Therapist.  Just perhaps not in the UK as the fees are well beyond our capacity.  We joined Kim and Ez that evening and went out to the Inspiral Cafe in Camden for a feral meal.  Isn’t it funny how you get to a certain age (adulthood?) and all your social gatherings go from revolving around partying to eating?  Or is it just me?

Waimarama turned 9 (almost double digits oh my goodness!) on January 17th.  I created a birthday snow caterpillar for him…

Ez, Kim, Bodra and I went to the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009 exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London.  We loved this photograph of the golden King Penguin chick staring at the photographers footprints on the black sand.

I started volunteering at the Reading Association for the Blind.  I had spotted a sign in the store, Hobby Craft, asking if I’d like to learn how to basket weave and also do some volunteer work, which sounded agreeable to me.  So I went down to the centre at Walford Hall and met the Manager, Dawn Singleton.  The RAB is like a social gathering for people with varying degrees of visual impairment, functioning around art activities.  Some members are able to weave so make willow trays or cane baskets.  Others have limited dexterity so make greeting cards.  There is also a space for music appreciation, and sometimes they take on other art projects.  I volunteered over half a dozen times before we went to NZ and also did a little fund-raising at our local Tesco supermarket.   Whilst at the centre I would spend my time talking with different members and helping with the cards.  I’ve been instructed on how to guide a visually-impaired person; it’s best to have them hold onto your elbow.  One of the facilitators, Catherine, showed me a beautiful wool mural, where all the participants had knitted various parts to create a countryside farm scene, complete with animals, a tractor, pub and the RAB mini-bus.  It’s been quite a positive experience being involved with the RAB as it’s gotten me out of shell a little bit more.

Bodra went into London on the last weekend of January for Paul’s London stag do.  His mates dressed him up in an aussie shirt, put a hat with corks on his head and tied an inflatable kangaroo to him.  Then they proceeded to get him really drunk at various places.  Apparently Paul was wrapped up in bubbly packaging for his NZ party as Rachael wanted to ensure he was kept safe.

Rachael’s UK Hen was a bit more sedate comparably, but lots of fun.  On the evening of Waitangi Day, I joined Rachael, Kim, Alanna and a couple of Rachael’s friends whom I had never met before at a lovely cafe called “The Haberdashery” in a part of London I hadn’t visited before- Crouch End.  We enjoyed all sorts of goodies in a tapas style and many flutes of champagne, glasses of wine and cocktails were elegantly sipped.  I didn’t participate in the drinking however as that morning I had happily discovered that I was pregnant!  I had woken from a lovely dream where I was standing in ‘the kitchen’ (not our present kitchen) holding our baby girl (toddler size) and giving her lots of belly kisses and cuddles, and keeping her at bay from a prowling cat.  I felt like the dream was a visitation, so decided to do a test which had very pleasing results!  & how wonderful to be able to soon share the news face-to-face with our family.

The following day we joined Noa in her 3rd Birthday celebrations at the Zilberberg residence.  Delicious cake David!

The day of our flight to NZ we tried our best to tire ourselves out.  Kim and Ezra were staying with us so we went out for a walk along the Thames, from Maidenhead to Bourne End.  Then homeward bound that evening!  We flew out on Saturday night, having a fuel stop in Bangkok which caused us a lot of stress.  We got off the plane with our bottles of water, immediately went through security despite being transit and had the water taken off us.  So we bought more water at the airport, only to find we had to go back through security to get to our gate, which resulted in having the water confiscated again.  I hadn’t even opened my bottle, and then we had to wait around for a fair while in the nearly sweltering departure area- HARRUUMMPPHH!!!  We arrived in Sydney early Monday morning and as we had over five hours before we needed to fly out, we escaped the airport and went to Newtown to visit my Aunty Jo.

We met Aunty Jo at her new apartment on King’s Road and drank some tea while Aunty Jo collected herself- it was a pretty rude awakening really having visitors arrive after 7am.  But you can’t say no to family!  Heh!  We went for a walk along the main street and stopped at an arty cafe for breakfast.  Then we wandered around Newtown some more, going through Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.

Back on the plane, the time couldn’t go fast enough for our weary bodies.  We didn’t manage to get much rest throughout the flights, but at least we knew we didn’t have a demanding schedule upon arrival.  Mum and Dad were waiting for us and also Waimarama which was a big surprise.  He has grown so much, nearly as tall as me, but I can still pick him up.  Just.

Driving through West Auckland was quite eery.  The pace of New Zealand life is so much different from the UK, due to the population difference of course, as I was thinking “Where is everybody?”  We got home to Mum and Dad’s abode in Henderson Heights and my brother Shannon was there, so I was well on the way to feeling maximum levels of family adoration!  I had a good explore of our parents’ garden which has grown so much over the years and is something to be proud of.  Michelle soon joined us for dinner so once everyone was settled at the dining table we shared our good news which was well received.

Our first full day in NZ we took it fairly easy.  Our body clocks were a bit haywire so we were up before the sun rose and joined Mum, Dad and Jimi for the morning walk around the Vintage Park.  Cicadas buzzing and the air already warm… gotta love Summer time in NZ!  We headed into Henderson for lunch and a spot of shopping, and dropped in at Sarah’s home.  She had both her girls home for the day so we were well entertained by Sophie’s ballerina antics.

The following day, after a trip to the dentist, Bodra, Dad and I made our way up North to the Tutukaka Coast, where we met up with Michael in his RV.  We had a good chat and wander around the area and then enjoyed dinner in the RV with our personal chef.  We shared our news with Michael and he was really overjoyed.

On Thursday we woke early for breakfast and then made our way to the Dive Tutukaka centre.  We met up with Russell and soon we were on a boat heading out for the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve.  Michael didn’t join us as he had been out on the water the previous day was still suffering from the motion and experience of diving.  I was quite nervous as the water was very rough heading out, so I remained in the cabin of the boat, trying to watch the walls and not get too nauseous.

We arrived at the Island at Jan’s Tunnel.  Dad and I went snorkelling as Bo and Russell went diving.  As the water was fairly stirred up there wasn’t too much to see- nudibranch, blue maomao, trigger-fish, demoiselle, snapper and trevally.  The snapper became quite prevalent when Dad exited the water and immediately hurled.  We then went around to the Rikoriko Cave (which means waning light or twilight) which is on record as being the biggest sea cave in the world.  The acoustics were pretty fantastic.  Apparently Pitch Black did a concert inside the cave which would’ve been awesome to behold.

Our next dive/snorkel spot was at Blue Maomao Arch.  As you swam through the archway you saw massive schools of (surprise surprise) Blue Maomao all hovering on the sides of the archway.  There was a neat rock formation on the sea bed where the fish kept swimming over it, rubbing their bodies against the rock as it helped them to dislodge the bits and pieces caught in their scales.  On our way back to the boat I noticed these small jellyfish (possibly called Salps?) gathering in the water near me.  They had these lovely edges to their bodies which had a kind of light running down through them.  Quite mesmerizing, but then I started noticing how MANY of them there were in the water with me, so I promptly got out.

The journey back to Tutukaka was pretty good, nowhere near as choppy as before.  As we left Poor Knights Island we watched rain clouds become darker, larger and closer, soon we had to leave the top of the boat which was uncovered and find shelter below.  I don’t think any of us were particularly impressed by what we saw at the Poor Knights Islands.  It may have just been the weather but perhaps the marine reserve is in serious decline?  This article seems to think so.

Back in Tutukaka, we met up with Michael again and then dad and I went to grab some dinner from the local takeaway store.  Finally I was able to indulge in my Potato Fritter craving.  Sadly the ones on offer were battered using animal fat, but I disregarded this, a poor decision on my behalf as they were far from tasty and became seagull feed.  Dad and I sat by the estuary and enjoyed our meal together with the birds.

On Friday, Bodra, Dad and I made our way to Whananaki North one of my favourite spots on the East Coast.  we had a wander over to Otamure Bay and then a swim and snorkel.  Then we missioned back to Snorkland.

I got to see the twins on Friday afternoon and stayed the night with Michelle and the boys.  On Saturday morning we left the twins to go on their Kiwi Conservation trip to Lake Wainamu.  I caught up with Kowhai as well.  Man, he’s massive.  Those boys have obviously got excellent genes for absorbing nutrition from their meals.

In the afternoon I joined Bodra at Cassels for Paul and Rachael’s wedding, the instigation for our presence in NZ.  I believe this is the first wedding where all the trimmings were accounted for, even including instructions to spontaneously sing lyrics containing the word ‘love’ to enforce Paul and Rachael to kiss, but if you were shy you could bang your wine glasses with cutlery.  Paul and Rachael of course did the first dance, which they had practised for and chose the tune ‘Everlong’ by the Foo Fighters.  A fantastic occasion and I’m really pleased we were able to join them for it!

On Sunday we got out to the Titirangi Markets before joining Paul and Rachael at Paul’s Fathers’ home out in the Waitakeres.  We sat on his deck looking out to native bush and sun that was at times too hot!  Yay for NZ Summer!  Have I already said that?

In the afternoon we joined Bodra’s friends at Bevan and Sarahs’ home in Henderson Heights, for a BBQ and to watch cricket.  We got to meet their daughter Rachel, Danijel & Inas’s daughter Violetta, Angela & Gareth’s daughter Maya, Radmilla’s daughter whose name escapes me now (ooopppsss!!).  Loads of toddlers to watch- far more interesting than cricket!  Gareth’s parents Debbie and Mike also came over so I got to meet them for the first time too.

Over the next few days we got in some Waitakere action; a bush walk to Fairy Falls with Michael and Jimi, O’Neill’s beach, Arataki Reserve Pararaha Valley.  We also met up with Inas and Violetta for lunch at a restaurant in West Gate.  Inas shared her powerful tale of giving birth to Violetta and she really inspired me.

On Friday I went to Dilworth with Michelle to watch Hemi and Te Aue perform in their school swimming sports.  Hemi and Te Aue’s arms really whirled during the backstroke, but I think they were both too interested in keeping an eye on their competitors to really focus.  Hemi did a beautiful dive for his 25m breaststroke and started off fairly even with the other swimmers, but someone else must of had more steam.  From where I was sitting I think Te Aue came in first for this event (woohoo!).

Hemi’s 50m breaststroke was pretty stellar and it looked like he came in first (woop-woop!).  Te Aue made it to fourth place for this event.  All the boys really charged for the 25m & 50m freestyle, arms were crashing into the water and feet were frantically kicking with such fury!  Poor water.

2010.03.05 Swimming Sports at Dilworth (movie playlist)

I hung out with the boys on Friday night and stayed over.  The following day Laurence had the boys so Michelle and I went to a cafe in Waiatarua called Elevation and enjoyed a tasty meal and beautiful view!

On Sunday we met up with Kenny, Danijel, Inas and Violetta at Jafa, a cafe in Grey Lynn.  I had some pretty nasty cramps during the night and a scary dream, so I wasn’t feeling too full of beans.  The atmosphere at Jafa and with our friends was very healing however.  I had a tasty Indonesian rice pudding and Bodra feasted on feta and cumin potato cakes.  It was awesome seeing Kenny again and he told us about his new son Henrik.  We had hoped to go meet him and Kenny’s new partner but unfortunately we ran out of time.

On Monday the boys were on school holidays and we got Waimarama to wag as well, so we took them all out to Goat Island, with Shannon and Michael too.  The water was really rough, most of us managed to score a couple scrapes here and there.  Bodra managed to get sunburn all over his entire back- he has a really nice tan line even now- a month later!  There wasn’t too much to be seen given the condition of the water but I spotted a couple Goat-fish and of course Trevally.  I had the most delicious Potato Fritters that night as Mum had decided it’d be best to get some fish ‘n’ chips.  I think they were deep fried with rice bran oil?  Yummy anyway.

On Tuesday morning Bodra and I took Jimi and the three eldest boys to Kitekite Falls in Piha.  We had a great walk around the lower track and up to the falls, and I enjoyed watching all the boys swim around the lower pool.  I was quite surprised to find Jimi has a penchant for branches, and Kowhai indulged Jimi’s desire to fetch into the water.  We found half a dozen eels swimming around nearby the waterfall, so obviously this part of NZ is kept pure.  Bodra got some much-needed cooling off time for his sunburn.

In the evening I went to Kura Toa Warrior School to watch Waimarama get up to mischief in his Warrior Kids class.  The children learn self-defense skills and provides experience for personal development.  I watched them learn how to turn away from someone striking at them which was quite an effective technique.

The following day Bodra was really feeling the pain from his sunburn, so he stayed at home while Mum, Dad, Michael, Shannon and I went out to Tirtiri Matangi Reserve.  We had a fabulous day walking around the island spotting various birds and I was really pleased to see the Kokako and Takahe.  We had time for a swim as well which was lovely.

You can see movies of some the birds we saw via this link.

Sarah picked me up that evening and took me out to Bethells Beach for a sit in the sand as we watched the last light of the sun disappear.  We had a good catch up and I hoped to see her again.

On Thursday Bodra and I went to visit Michelle at her Doctor’s Surgery.  She organised for me to have a blood test done to check my hormone levels to ensure the pregnancy was progressing as it should.  I’d already had a test like this five weeks previously, which had given positive results, so I wasn’t too worried about it, and it turned out to be fine also.

We then got out to Auckland City and visited Karangahape Road and Victoria Park Market in search of a Pounamu necklace for Bodra.  He now has a very beautiful treasure around his neck which he acquired from Kiwi Art.  We met up with Nathan in Ponsonby and had lunch with him at Bliss Cafe, and we returned that night to meet up with Chantal at GPK.  It was wonderful to see both Nathan and Chantal and hear about their lives.

I started coming down with the flu on Friday so I missed out on going on the RV trip with Bodra and Michael.  They visited Miranda, Kawakawa Bay, Matingarahi, Waiau Falls, Tairua and Hunua Falls.  While Bodra was away he thought he was experiencing pregnancy food cravings as he got himself an Avocado from the Wilderlands shop and he really desired a cheese and tomato sandwich.  Not his usual kind of appetite as he only likes tomatoes when they are cooked in things and avocado when it is guacamole.  I was very pleased to hear this as I love avocados.

On Friday afternoon Waimarama managed to have an accident whilst running across the monkey bars and tripping over a friends hand, which resulted in him falling and smacking his tooth into the bar, thus cracking said tooth.  So Mum was busy with him at the A&E.  I don’t think he has learnt his lesson here, and is still content to err on the side of recklessness.

On Saturday Shane took me out to Lake Wainamu- Bethells Lake on the West Coast.  We trekked across the black sand dunes and sat by the lake enjoying the sun and company.  I’m really glad I had the chance to get out there with Shane as it’s quite a special spot for both of us.

On Sunday morning Mum took me out to Michelle’s to see Kowhai for the last time.  He had Kapahaka practice that morning so Mum was taking him back to school on her way to work.  It was quite tough saying goodbye to him, as I didn’t feel like I had had enough time.  But when you’ve been away for four years and leaving again, I don’t think it’s possible to get enough time with your family to make up for the time spent a part.  I just hope by the time I do get back to NZ, Kowhai will still want to hang out with me.

Michelle, Waimarama and I spent the morning together and visited Crystal Mountain to peruse the crystals and enjoy some lunch.  Waimarama brought his lunch from home as he is on a diet of soft foods.  In the afternoon I walked Jimi with Dad around the Lower and Upper Opanuku Walkway, which was great to have time all to myself with my Dad.

On Monday Mum and I got some together time and went to Newmarket to have a fossick about for baby stuff and check out the fashion.  We found a really neat shop called The Poi Room which sells NZ art and design.  I was really taken by a print by Peter Latham called Piha Aroha, shot in the early hours of the morning with a full moon in the sky and the soft rays of dawn highlighting the foliage around Lion rock.  We met up with Lauren and her brother Luke whom I haven’t seen since early 2002 I believe.  So, eight years later!  Lovely to see his eyes are just as bright and shiny as they always were.  & isn’t his sister a foxy lady?!

On Tuesday morning Bodra and I made a quick dash out to Mokoroa Falls, one of ‘our spots’.  They’ve modified the track a bit, adding in a barrier and platform at the top and stairs all the way to the bottom.  Nice to see the Auckland Regional Council looking after these beautiful bush walks.

Carolyn arrived on Tuesday afternoon so we really had a full house and were maximising family time, with Michael outside on the road in his RV.  We met Carolyn at the airport and as soon as she was settled in the car, Bodra busted out the news which had Carolyn beaming as she does!  It was definitely the best idea to wait to share this news with everyone once we could see each other.  Lots of cuddles all around!

On Wednesday we had organised to go for an Ultrasound Scan so that our family could come and see our creation.  Bodra and I went in first to see how things were, and tragically the news was not the best.  The embryo only showed nine weeks of growth as opposed to the eleven, and there was no heart beat.  It appeared that I presented with a missed-miscarriage.  So there was nothing for our family to see and it was clear that we had a tough decision to make now.  Do I wait for the miscarriage to happen naturally?  Or take another route?

We shared the news with our family, which was devastating for all of us.  But there are positives that can be taken from this- I CAN get pregnant, and also the sonographer said my ovaries appear to be fine.   Bodra and I took some time out for ourselves to contemplate and went on the Walker Kauri Track on Mountain Road in Henderson Valley; yet another special spot for me with it’s massive Kauri Trees.  Afterwards we went back to Ponsonby for a feed at Fatimas, as we really missed their potato koftas.

In the early evening Michelle took me to see her GP to organise for me to go to the North Shore Hospital to have a Dilatation and Curretage operation.  Bodra and I then went out to the hospital with the referral.  They took more blood and then sent us home after getting me on the list for the following morning.  Lauren’s mother who works in the hospital came by to visit me and give me some support which was so kind of her.  The surgery went fine and all the staff in the hospital were so considerate.  Even the anaesthetist came by to check on me afterwards.  The nurse attending to us happened to be the Bar Manager from Bodra’s University days (such a small world) so she really looked after me.  By the afternoon I was free to eat and free to go home.  We stopped off at Jesters Pies in West Gate and Bodra grabbed a Popeye and William Tell for me.  I could really go for one of each right now… mmmm and two minute noodles (my latest odd craving).

So I took it fairly easy for what was left of our time in EnZed.  Less than 48 hours (gulp!).  On Friday morning Lauren came by to visit which gave her an opportunity to catch up with my family.  Shannon was visiting as well, so I was quite content with all the family support I was being given.  We went out to a Thai restaurant that evening and beforehand Sarah dropped by to offer some more cuddles and love.

Saturday arrived far too quickly.  We woke early in the morning and joined Mum, Dad and Jimi for a walk around the park.  Mum and I then dashed over to Michelle’s for a final farewell with Te Aue, Hemi and my sister.  Then off to the airport!  Mum, Dad, Shannon and I in one car, Bodra, Carolyn and Michael in another.  It was a hugely emotional parting and I hope to never experience that again.  Not to forget the fact that customs confiscated our massive jar of Marmite off us (destined for Ezra’s belly).

We had a stop-over in Melbourne for nearly nine hours so we met up with Mike and his girlfriend and later on with Ben.  Mike took us back to his flat and then we wandered through Flagstaff Gardens over to a pub, meeting Ben along the way.  We had a great chat together and then wandered around West Melbourne trying to find a place for dinner.  We settled on the Warung Agus, a Balinese restaurant.  I had the Apokat Mebasa Santen Misi Oong for an entree- avocado with mushroom and coconut cream sauce, and Toge for my main- traditional Balinese gado gado - steamed veges and beancurd with peanut sauce and casava crackers.

I started feeling pretty off towards the end of my meal, nauseous and faint.  We started to make our way back to Mike’s to collect our gear and head out to the airport, but by the time we’d reached his apartment (which is very cool by the way with an elevator opening straight out to his open-plan kitchen and lounge area, kind of secret agent styles) I was feeling progressively worse and incredibly anxious.  I didn’t know why I was feeling as I was, my body had begun to spasm and motion was really hard to bear.  Bodra had eaten the same meal as I and he was fine, so we could only hope that what I was experiencing would pass as quickly as it came on.  Luckily it did; once we were waiting at our gate things began to settle down and calmness came.  I can only explain it as perhaps a rush of adrenaline or some residual after-effect from the general anaesthetic I had been given on Thursday.

We sat in a row with an elderly lady named Grace seated by the window.  She had a bag so she kept giving us regular breaks and chances to get circulation happening again as she got up to empty it.  We watched loads of movies and read a fair bit.  There was one stop in Hong Kong and by Sunday afternoon we were touching down in Heathrow.  Bodra had organised a taxi for us, so we were very quickly homeward bound in our zombie-like state.

Bodra has a lovely manager who allowed him to work from home for the first week back, which made it easier getting over our loss and shifting back to the British clock.  I’ve started seeing an acupuncturist and joined a Well Being course which involves learning Cognitive Behaviour Therapy techniques to deal with anxiety and depression.  Additionally, I’ve registered with the Open University to study a module called “Exploring Fear and Sadness” which should be good for my learning.  It is a paper in the Foundation Degree in Counselling, so if I think it is worthwhile I may look into that as a possible new career.  I also had a go at doing Hot Yoga at Studio 42 degrees.  Very challenging and sweaty!  especially the ballerina inspired poses.  I aim to go back once I’ve recovered from my latest…

We went into London to Shoreditch to see Younger Brother at Cargo with Kim and Ezra.  As the sound was a bit of an assault on Ezra’s ears and they had played my favourite track “Ribbon on a Branch” early on, we left the gig well before it finished.  It’s always tricky trying to get back to Reading at a decent hour and avoiding the train which makes a dozen stops before getting to our station.  This usually means leaving things earlier than you’d like.  Unfortunately we still got caught by the slow train…

I was in hospital again our second week back for surgery- nothing serious, just wanted to be quick to get it over with as it involved being under a general anaesthetic again, which you can’t do when you’re pregnant.  Can’t say the Royal Berkshire Hospital was even on the same level as the North Shore Hospital.  They had us waiting for a number of hours for my medicine, and eventually we decided to leave as I was so hungry and tired.  I ended up picking my medicine up the following morning.

& I was back in hospital again on Good Friday.  I brought up what appeared to be a blood clot which was quite alarming, and the doctor at the out-of-hours clinic referred me to the Clinical Diagnostics Unit.  I was X-Rayed, ECG’ed, listened to and tested.  They didn’t give us any results for a number of hours and it wasn’t until I tried to discharge myself that we finally had some response.  None of the tests showed anything, but they were concerned and wanted to watch me, therefore I needed to stay the night.  Well, I wasn’t having any of that.  I was looking around and seeing the other people in my ward, who all appeared to be in varying degrees of helplessness and misery.  I didn’t belong there, so I decided to leave.  As far as I was concerned, the clot was just from having the tube down my throat which had caused some kind of irritation.  My throat was feeling rough so this seemed to be the case.  I’m going back for more tests to check my chest and respiratory in a few weeks time, but she’ll be right mate!  ;-)

So we had a chilled, chocolate fuelled, cosy Easter break watching movies and blobbing out.  The following week (last week) I started an oil painting class where I am the only student!  Brilliant!  The artist teaching me is Martin Close.  He showed me some of his current commissions, a portrait of the Mayor from London, Boris Johnson, and a couple canvases depicting softly folded fabric.  He broke down the techniques of painting with oils into easy-to-understand-and-apply steps, so I’m looking forward to continuing with him.

I turned 31 last Wednesday and Bodra gifted me with a new digital SLR camera, Panasonic Lumix G1 if that means anything to anyone.  So I should have some stunning pics coming your way soon!  Especially once we get this Raynox lens thingo which lets you take macro pics.  Dewi gifted me with some lovely tea light hanging holders which are very romantic and bright.

Last Friday night we went to see Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland in 3D after getting favourable recommendations from Kim and Ezra.  The Cheshire Cat, voiced by Stephen Fry, is really gorgeous with his turquoise striped fur.

Oh, and we’ve been making use of our yard recently- we’ve started a vege plot which has teeny seedlings now showing from the lettuce seeds we planted a couple weeks ago.  Very exciting!

We don’t have too many other trips planned for this year, especially as Bodra has used up most of his holiday time with our NZ trip.  We’re hoping to go to the Ozora festival in early August and join Danijel, Inas and Violetta in Croatia in the third weekend of August (busy month), and maybe go to the Caribbean for New Years.  For work Bodra has journeyed to Tel Aviv, Helsingborg in Sweden (taking a train from Copenhagen), Dublin, Knutsford and Bonn (in Germany for work).  He’ll be going to Barcelona next month for a few days.

It’s taken me longer than I thought to get to a place where I felt I could tell the story of our trip to Ireland. I’m very good at distracting myself, making up extra tasks that are more pertinent in the present moment & I am a master at procrastinating… I know my justifications are nonsense but I have been busy… I’m not a lazy person. Honest!

 

Once back from Italy we had a couple days to catch our breath. I took Mum & Dad for a wander in the rain around Reading, showing them the Forbury Gardens, the Abbey Ruins & where we used to live at Kennet Walk. We had a warm cuppa at the Bel & the Dragon then made our way back home.

 

The following day Mum & Dad hired a car & drove down to Hailsham to meet May & Arthur. May is Mum’s Mother’s friend & May’s Aunty Ada married mum’s great grandfather- Thomas Allcock. They had a good couple of days down there & did a little bit of touring around the area, visiting the Pevensey Castle (William the Conqueror’s first stronghold & also a stronghold from World War Two).

 

On their way back they stopped in Guildford & visited Jenny Tew, who is May’s second cousin (her grandma is the aforementioned Ada). I hope to visit her one day, as she really is only just down the road…

 

While Mum & Dad were having their adventures, for some stupid reason Bodra & I decided to take a bus to Edinburgh to watch the All Blacks vs Scotland Rugby game. I think alcohol probably impaired our decision making abilities when we had that Eureka moment. It was a long, uncomfortable ride not too dissimilar from the journey from Antalya to Cappadocia. The game was uninspiring & I even managed to nod off to sleep.

 

We left on the 25^th. There was a bit of a delay to our flight so we were expecting to get stuck in heavy traffic once we left the airport in Dublin. Luckily there was no problem. Dad drove us to Rathdrum where we found our lovely Bed & Breakfast for the night at “Stirabout Lane”. http://www.stiraboutlane.com/index.html Mum & Dad had a terrible mattress to give them a restless sleep, but a part from that, the B&B had a lovely welcoming atmosphere. I had the displeasure of discovering that my phone wasn’t networked in Ireland so I wouldn’t be able to talk to Bodra until I got back home. :’( But there were a few teddies on my bed so I wasn’t too lonely. We found a nice restaurant/pub up the road for dinner so we were all feeling in good spirits & settled.

 

The next morning we had a bit of a back ‘n’ forth journey. First we decided to head for Avoca to have a look at the hand weaving & take in the familiar sights from “Ballykissangel”. Then we headed to Glendalough, where Bodra & I had been for a wander the previous year. I showed Mum & Dad the monastery ruins, founded by St Kevin in the 6^th Century.

 

From there we headed South West to Waterford, but we didn’t find much there besides lunch. So we continued North towards Tipperary, where we stopped to get our bearings, then carried on for Hollyford (Áth na Chuilleann) in County Tipperary, which is where Dad’s family is from originally. It is situated in a valley running through the Slieve Felim Mountains in North Tipperary. As we drove along the main road through a forested area, we went past a parking bay which made us stop. Beyond was a little enclosure with a statue of a lady praying & set into the cliff side was a second statue of Saint Mary. It was a really peaceful setting.

We carried on through Hollyford & spotted a pub with “O’Connell’s” displayed proudly. We decided not to stop however- we wanted to save something for tomorrow. We next drove to Kilcommon, a had a good nosey around the church & graveyard, spotting quite a few O’Connell’s.

Michael O’Connell- his parents, Denis O’Connell 10.02.1890 & Mary O’Connell 12.01.1905 & his brother Patrick O’Connell 16.11.1886 & his uncle’s Daniel & John O’Connell. Thomas O’Connell 28.11.1979. Denis O’Connell 10.08.1973, & his daughter Breeda Ryan 01.05.1967. Annie O’Connell 28.06.1993, her husband John O’Connell 12.11.2000 & their twin sons Brian & Daniel 20.19.1969. Daniel O’Connell 18.12.1980, his wife Johanna 12.05.1980, their infant son Michael, his brothers Martin & Michael & his parents Denis & Catherine. We were really impressed with the Garden of Divine Mercy & enjoyed walking around the stations. They also had what looked like an African hut on site & inside was a little praying area with paintings of different Saints. It was a serene experience as we had the entire grounds to ourselves.

 

From there we decided to make our way to our B&B for the night in Killaloe- “Carramore Lodge”. http://www.carramorelodge.net/ This B&B was on wonderfully large grounds although it was getting quite dark & cold when we arrived, & we left early on in the frosty morning so we didn’t have a good explore there. But we had comfortable beds for the night & a lovely breakfast too.

 

We wandered from Ballina then across the bridge to Killaloe. We found a couple Cathedrals & Churches & another O’Connell tombstone- Reverend Richard O’Connell 17.08.1925. Then we went in search of food & found a pub/restaurant where Dad had an unpleasant encounter with a poorly described burger.

 

 

 

 

The following morning we journeyed back to Hollyford for another nosey around. We found the Hollyford Millennium Garden but no O’Connell’s were named there. So we went to the O’Connell’s pub which we had seen the previous day. It turned out it was no longer a pub but was instead a wholesale distributor for car parts. We saw a van with “Joe O’Connell” painted on it & Mum & I decided to go inquire. Dad followed us & soon we found the Joe O’Connell & had a chat with him about what we were doing in Hollyford.

We also wanted to go to Birchgrove near Hollyford, to see the family land, but we weren’t entirely sure of how to get there & were too shy to ask anyone to show us.

 

Back to Dublin to return the car & sort out our accommodation for the night. I’d organised a dormitory room in Brown’s Hostel on Lwr Gardiner Street which had appeared to be quite decent going by the Internet information. http://www.brownshostelireland.com/ However, it was probably the most displeasing accommodation in Ireland, & we later found out that this was the least desirable area in Dublin. Brown’s Hostel was a massive building with many passage ways leading all over the place like a rabbit warren. There were probably ten bunk beds in our room & the bathroom was down a couple flights of stairs & around a few corners. We left our bags there & took anything we didn’t want to lose, then headed to the Temple Bar area.

 

We stopped for our evening beverage at a bar that had a father/daughter duo singing together. She played the Bodhran & he played guitar & they were really entertaining & soul-full. Dinner can’t have been too bad has I have no memory of it. Then we found another bar to enjoy Irish music at the Oliver St. John Gogarty Bar. There were a few people dancing so it was a nice atmosphere.

 

 

Regretfully we trudged back to our dorm room. The others sharing it with us were quiet & respectful. Our beds were near a curtain less window which had a bright street light shining on us. The room became really warm as there was no ventilation. I discovered my nose had bled in the night too. We were up pretty early & quick to gather our things & high tail it out of there.

 

Bagel’s for breakfast then a dozed dash to Kinlay House where we were to meet our tour group. http://www.kinlaydublin.ie/index.php?page=hom

We were to cover nearly 900 kilometres in 3 days. http://www.shamrockeradventures.com/Tours/WesternRocker3Day.html The tour guide was pretty switched on & had some great snippets of stories & local knowledge to share with us- like telling us what Craic meant, “You can find it at the end of a pint glass!” We hopped on a very comfortable bus & headed first for John Locke’s Distillery in Kilbeggan- the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. Ish-ka-ba-ha: The Water of Life. We had a tipple there which wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Then onto Clonmacnoise for a look around the monastic village- mostly ruins & gravestones. The hole of sorrows was next- Polnabrone Dolmen- an ancient burial tomb in the Burren, a barren limestone plateau. Lastly we visited the Cliffs of Moher & had a good wander around them looking out to the sea. We stayed the night in Doolin village on the Atlantic Coast. I tried Guinness with a dash of blackcurrant & it made it taste much more to my liking.

 

The next morning we took the Tarbert ferry across the mighty Shannon to Dingle Peninsula. In Dingle I had a deep-fried mars bar & ice-cream for lunch… We drove along the coast & saw the Sleeping Giant and the Three Sisters & also some beehive dwellings. Then we arrived in Killarney town & were soon jaunting around Killarney Park. We found a Chinese restaurant for dinner but no deep fried bananas. There was a Hen Party in the restaurant & Dad assisted the bride with one of her tasks by giving her a kiss.

 

On Sunday morning we left the Kerry Mountains & travelled through West Cork to Blarney Castle. http://www.blarneycastle.ie/ We queued up for the gift of eloquence & had a good wander around the castle grounds & gardens. I wanted to walk the wishing steps but when we found them it looked like it could take a while due to the queue & the difficult nature of the task- you have to close your eyes & walk the steps backwards.

 

Lastly we travelled across the Golden Vale & stopped in Munster for a wander around the Seat of the High Kings of Ireland, the Rock of Cashel, a fortress overlooking the fertile plains of Munster. http://www.cashel.ie/attractions/rock.html By this time I was fairly despondent with yet another ruin/cathedral/graveyard but I did enjoy watching the birds flying around the top of the round tower. I imagined what it would be like to have an doof party there whilst I was listening to my MP3 player- so this brightened my mood. They were quite grounding surrounds, looking out from the graveyard to the grassy plains.

 

We stayed at Kinlay House & crossed the river Liffey to find dinner & a pint or two. As we had a morning flight (back to London for me & to Inverness for Mum & Dad) we didn’t stay out for long. Back at the hostel I met a few of the others who had toured with us & we had a good chat before retiring.

 

Mum & Dad joined their friends Lesley & Rob who own a Guest House in Inverness. Mum met Lesley on the ship the Northern Star in 1965-66. They had a few days together & did some scenic touring around the area.

 

Then Mum & Dad flew down to Liverpool & drove to Bramhall where they met with John & Tony Stanton- mum’s cousin & third cousin. They visited the Stockport Town Hall & found a sign showing that mum’s Great Grandfather- Thomas Allcock- was a Councillor who helped open the hall on the 7^th July 1908. They also went to Mersey Square- Underbank where Thomas’s name was also displayed as a member of the General Purposes Committee. In a graveyard they found the tombstone of William Stanton J.P 16.01.1956 & his wife Ann Mary 12.12.1979, Henry Stanton 24.02.1936, his wife Mary Ellen 28.02.1931, their son James 03.10.1918, their daughters Ellen 01.02.1928 & Annie 04.02.1944. Mum & Dad visited mum’s old school & some of the streets from her childhood. Then they left Stockport for March to see mum’s childhood friend Susanne & her family.

 

Whilst Mum & Dad were away Bodra & I saw Stardust which is an absolutely brilliant film- everyone should go & see it! Kim & Ezra also came & stayed over & witnessed the All Blacks defeat against France. It was an absolutely crushing experience. I now hate Rugby.

 

We did a little bit of London touring together in the last few days of Mum & Dad’s travels. On Wednesday evening Mum & Dad took us out for a belated birthday dinner for Bodra to our favourite Thai restaurant (in Reading- nothing beats Thai Mango in Ponsonby!). On Thursday we went on a bus tour of London- starting at Baker Street station outside Madame Tussauds where there is a statue of Sherlock Holmes. Through Oxford & along Regent Street, past the Angel of Christian Charity- the Eros Statue at Piccadilly Circus. Through Trafalgar Square past Nelson’s Column & Downing Street. Then along the River Thames past Big Ben & the Royal Bethlehem Hospital- the oldest Lunatic Asylum also known as Bedlam. We got off at Waterloo Bridge (also known as the Women’s bridge as it was built by women during the war) & walked down to the London Eye where we took in the sights of London from above. Then we went for a River Cruise along the Thames going all the way to Greenwich & back. We saw a black & white ship called the Queen Mary, the HMS Belfast war ship & the Wellington ship which was part of the NZ Navy during WW1. We went past the oldest riverside pub- Prospects at Whitby & we learnt what Wharf was derived from- Ware House At River Front. We hopped back on the bus tour but didn’t see too much else.

 

On Friday we went back into London for a mosey around. We started off in Notting Hill where Mum & Dad showed me where they had once lived on Pembridge Crescent. We also had a look along Portobello Road to see what interesteing trinkets were being sold there. We had a walk through Hyde Park & saw squirrels & the NZ War Memorial. Then we started walking towards Covent Garden, via Downing Street & Trafalgar Square. We had a good dinner at Bistro 1 then found our way to the Fortune Theatre to see “The Women In Black”- a slightly spooky play with just three actors. Only two spoke, the other one just hovered around spooking the other characters.

 

On Saturday I spontaneously decided we should go for a walk & thankfully everything was timed quite well. We caught a bus to Sonning Common then began our walk down the street & through an Old Copse- a thicket of small trees where Squirrels & birds darted around us. The track took us along a few more streets, through areas of heather regeneration, across valleys, through woodland areas, along lanes, past a church, through a golf course/orchard area & to lunch at the Malsters Arms pub. Then we carried on through farmland where we watched red kites hunting & we also saw a plane enthusiast nose diving in the sky. Eventually we ended up in Henley-on-Thames, walking through Henley College & towards the train station. We didn’t have much time to take in the sights there which was a shame.

Mum & Dad left us later on that evening which brought on quite a few tears. But now that they know how to work a digital camera, that hopefully means I will see more of them!

 

Bodra & I saw Younger Brother at Madame Jojo’s in Soho on 17/10/07. It was great seeing a live band make dance music. On the 20^th we went out to Dorking to participate in an Elephant Nature Park fundraising pub quizz with Chantal. I don’t remember too many of the questions but they were mostly British questions so didn’t apply to our knowledge. We had an epic journey back to Reading afterwards & Chantal also had a difficult time getting back to London. The trains weren’t running as late as we had thought so we had to take a number of buses to get out of Dorking, relying on the drivers for directions to the relevant stops. We ended up going in the complete wrong direction at one stage too. Bodra & I ended up going out to Heathrow & then as the Reading bus wasn’t running we took a taxi back home.

 

Azaeus passed away on the 26^th October so that had us all in a bit of a mess for a while. I realised a couple weeks back that now this means I have a constant companion with me always so I just think about him being with me & I feel safe & confident.

 

On November 1^st Bodra’s cousin Bevan & his wife Tara were blessed with their brand new healthy baby boy Maxwell- 14 ounces with red hair.

 

We had our trip to Euro- Disney with Sarah, Rachael & Paul on November 2^nd- 4th. Then I visited the Abbey School for an observation on the 6^th- we didn’t do anything for Guy Fawkes as we didn’t think anything could top our experience with Liz & Tony the previous year. We visited Tony & Liz the following weekend & went out to the King’s Head in Chigwell for lunch- I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen them in over a year! Tony showed me the photos from Hilary & Martin’s wedding 20/10/2007- we didn’t attend as we assumed we would be in Paris watching the World Cup Final… but as it was between South Africa & England there was no need for us to be there. Still feeling sore about that!

 

On the 14^th of November I went to Rosedale Clinic & experienced Hypnotherapy for the first time. I have been considering learning it as there is a pretty good course starting in February which isn’t too expensive & is in Berkshire. The overall experience didn’t impress me as I didn’t feel the hypnotherapist got me into any sort of trance state. I wanted to see if he could get me to communicate with my Higher Self so that I could get some direction as to what I should be doing with my life right now. He wasn’t able to do this at all so instead we just worked on trying to programme a sense of self-worth, confidence, motivated & positive minded within my psyche. I haven’t noticed anything different so I don’t know if it is a hoax or what. I do know that our yoga teacher, Maria Grima http://www.soulisticyoga.co.uk/ is definitely able to lead me to a deeper place, so perhaps it is all dependent on the rapport you are able to build with the Hypnotherapist.

 

Bodra’s mum, Carolyn, fell & fractured her wrist in three places on the 15^th of November. She was in hospital for surgery last week & now has pins to hold the bones in the correct place. The cleaners at her school had used oil to make the floors look shiny & clean, & unfortunately for Carolyn they must have done a terrible job in wiping the excess up. Despite the obvious pain of suffering such an injury Carolyn has mostly been able to keep her spirits up throughout this & especially having people from her school & her Singapore friends to help her, it’s been quite a lucky situation. It’s really nice to know that support will find you even if your family is quite far away.

 

Bodra went to Bangalore last week from Sunday until Thursday for work. He didn’t have any opportunity to take in the sights besides what he saw as he journeyed from his hotel to the work place. It took about an hour an a half to make that journey but it was mostly through thick traffic. Bodra didn’t think too much of Bangalore, he saw a lot of poverty & the air was very dusty.

 

Last Wednesday I had the trial lesson & interview & I just found out that I have succeeded & will be working at the Abbey Junior School in January & February part time, just three days a week. I believe this will be exactly what I need so I am very chuffed.

 

The weekend just been Bodra & I went to Wimbledon to visit Rachael & Paul, as they are leaving for a holiday in NZ tomorrow. Very jealous! We had a good Tapa’s dinner with them & then went to see Beowulf- Alanna & Russell also joined us. This was a great movie as it showed how the cinema experience will be developing in the future. We were given 3D glasses & the entire movie was filmed in 3D so swords pointed out at you, hair seemes to glide right in front of your face, as coins rolled along the ground they came so close to you that you could almost touch them. You definitely got the sense of depth behind the cinema screen.

 

& lastly… it’s really cold outside!!!