The Adventures of Bear and Butterfly

Well, looking out the window you certainly do not sense it is Summer.  The trees have been swaying in the wind almost continually for the past few weeks.  I hang the washing out with some trepidation as grey clouds loom overhead.  It’s a much greater risk these days, as should it start to rain, I may be too tied up with Faeryn to rescue the laundry!  Although in saying this, Monday is set to be one of the hottest days yet at 32 degrees.

Bo and I have the utmost respect for single parents.  Nearly four months into it and still parenthood feels like the greatest challenge life has to offer- we only have one baby too!  I have no idea how my sister Michelle managed to raise her young boys, pretty much on her own, with family support too far away to be of any real help.  Michelle- you have our deepest admiration!

At this point we both can agree that Faeryn could not exactly be described as an easy-going baby.  Sometimes it feels like it is just getting harder and harder, you overcome one obstacle and another flairs up.  Firstly it was trying to get Faeryn to nurse from me, then stressing about her weight gain, then trying to get her to sleep better.  Right now it is colic and I’m sure once that is sussed it will be teething! Faeryn is not much of a burper, and we celebrate her burps and farts with much excitement.  We had her on Infacol, and now Gripe Water (thanks Olga!) which helps her to fart and burp I think (or they’re just way more audible now). It would be wonderful if babies were built with a wind release button!

On Thursday we saw a Craniosacral Therapist who specialises in treating babies with colic.  We really hoped it would be the solution, but the session left us feeling heavy and doubtful.  Faeryn gave a pretty good performance with her wailing and demonstrating her frustration (possibly because she had a wet nappy and was hungry).  The therapist picked up on some of her body language.  Faeryn forcefully strikes her belly with her left hand, possibly in the area where she is feeling the trapped gas, and when she started doing this in the session, the therapist pressed down on that area, and suggested we do the same.  Faeryn also demonstrated her foot-swiping.  I thought she was doing this because her skin is quite irritated there- she also rubs behind her knees where the skin is particularly raw.  The therapist offered a pretty fluffy explanation for this foot-swiping, saying that when I was pregnant, I went through something traumatic (the pathetic resolution to ‘Lost’?).  A Foetus will repel emotional upsets by pushing it back down into the umbilical cord, and Faeryn is still doing this with her foot-swiping… so what we can do is give her some resistance by pressing back into her feet.

The main thing we took from the session is that when Faeryn goes into her distressed mode, we need to give her space to expel it (let her cry it out?) whilst working with giving her the resistance.  The therapist also indicated that she is carrying a lot of distress, so who knows how long this would go on for.  As Bo and I walked away from the session, I felt quite burdened and Bo felt disappointed.  Now we just think “Poppycock!”  He didn’t address the colic in any way so we’ll just keep going with the Gripe Water.  We will of course implement the resistance thing and see how she responds.

It’s very heart-wrenching seeing Fae in so much pain with the trapped wind, and your mind races with all the things you’ve read, trying all the different techniques to move the wind for her. Bo has been absolutely brilliant with his research and willingness to try anything, he massages her and gives her leg exercises every evening, pushing her legs into her belly.  Maybe the Gripe Water will prove to be all we need.

But enough about me and my self-development.  A week or so ago Faeryn started holding her fist in the air like Superman, and now it is both fists so she looks like she wants to drive.  It is wonderful watching the changes happen.  Faeryn shows she has developed a lot of strength in her neck as she holds her head beautifully.  We give her as much tummy-time as she can handle and she has gone from completely opposing tummy-time to looking quite comfortable with it, lifting her head and looking from side to side.  She seems to be making connections with how she can move her body depending on where her hands are placed, so I’m sure it won’t be long before she is ready to roll over.

Last Sunday Faeryn had her very first swim lesson.  She seemed to be curious about the environment and activity, taking it all in with a relatively willing attitude.  Bodra did a great job with her in the pool as she remained quite calm until the end, where she may have been feeling the cold.  The water wasn’t particularly warm but the room was heated up.  Faeryn appeared to have no real issue with lying on her chest in the water, but she was a bit uptight with lying on her back.  Faeryn will have nine more sessions and then we will see how things go.  You can watch her Baby Splash action via the movies and the pics.

So, I finished the last blog entry the day before Carolyn left.  Faeryn has since had many visitors!  Maria visited again and Nik, Dawn, Kim and Ezra visited us the weekend after Carolyn left.  (Bo watched the Crusaders vs Sharks game at Twickenham stadium on March 27th, with proceeds from the tickets going towards Red Cross fundraising for the Christchurch earthquake appeal.)  Our friends Dan and Liz gave birth to their son Hunter Joseph Kerr on my birthday and a couple days later, Mum and Dad arrived.  We were only expecting my Mum so it was a wonderful surprise when I answered the door to find my Daddy there!  Mum and Dad’s friends, Pat and Mary Taylor, gifted Dad his airfare, as well as some spending money and even put Jimi (Mum and Dad’s dog) in a farm stay near Bethells Beach.

We really enjoyed their visit, it was so lovely sharing Faeryn with them and having all their support.  They both gave us a big hand all over the house and with our garden- we’ve gotten rid of our vegie patch as I just don’t see how we will have time to care for vegies this year.  And to be honest, after our attempt last year was mostly thwarted by nature, Bo and I just don’t fancy investing any time there.

So whilst Mum and Dad visited we mostly stayed at home- I was still very much in the mode of recovery and regaining strength, and they do say you should treat the first three months with you baby like it is the fourth trimester- keep them cuddled up close to you and don’t do too much!  We ventured out to the pub a couple times, going for a walk along the river to the nearby Cunning Man in Burghfield and The Griffin in Caversham.  At the end of Mum and Dad’s first week here, our friend Jo gave birth to her second son, Jacob John Bostandji, on Jo’s birthday- April 15th.  Lauren also came for a visit.

Bo went to Madrid for work in their second week, and Dewi took us to Hungerford for a browse around the antique stores.  Mum and I went to Oxford one evening to catch Derren Brown’s latest performance, Svengali, which was quite impressive!

During their last week, Suzanne and Stephen visited from March, as well as Jenny and her daughter-in-law from Guildford.  We also managed a small trip down to Hailsham to visit family friends May and Arthur, stopping at Beachy Head for a quick peek in the blustery wind!  On their last day Mum and Dad went into London to see the “We Will Rock You” show, which they highly recommended.

Mum and Dad began their journey home the day before the Royal Wedding of Kate and Will.  Faeryn and I joined Dewi at her home for a special lunch to watch the wedding.  Faeryn spent all the time nursing and sleeping and didn’t give a hoot for Kate’s dress.

Paul visited us on the first Sunday of May and took us out to Swallowfield to the George and the Dragon pub for lunch which was a lovely treat.  It seems like Paul has such a natural ability with babies- Faeryn showed she is very comfortable when receiving his attention.

In early May Faeryn had her first lot of immunisations which she took pretty well with no real after effects.  We then joined the Little Ducklings group at the Katesgrove Children’s Centre, where parents and their wee tots sing songs and learn baby signs.  Sadly the funding for the baby signs aspect ran out and now it’s just singing, but it will still be worthwhile attending so Faeryn can interact with other bubbies.  I managed to strike up a friendship with one of the other mothers (Anna) who lives very close to us, and we’ve been over to each others house for tea, chat and a chance for our girls to interact.  Emma is a couple months older than Faeryn so I’m quite fascinated by her, seeing how she is developing as a guide to what Faeryn will be like with time.  Emma has really warm smiles and super sparkly eyes which convey so much emotion.  They visited yesterday and as they lay on the play mat together it seemed like Emma reached out her hand to Faeryn, but Faeryn was more focused on her mobiles (like in this video).  I hope to see more of both Anna and Emma.

Last Monday I had my final session in the New Parent Group, where I have learnt about play and development, baby massage, sleep routines and approaches to weaning.  I might join the group again so I can repeat the baby massage part- Faeryn responded so well to it but unfortunately my memory can not recall the positions we used.

In the second week of May Bo journeyed to Abu Dhabi for work- ”It was hot.”  He didn’t get much chance to experience the place due to being so busy with the clients (like usual).

We had our first adventure as a family on the third weekend of May.  Of course, we went out for food, a delicious lunch at Bill’s, our new favourite cafe.  Afterwards we wandered along the River Thames where we were blown about and spotted Spring creatures.

We had a few more visits from friends in May.  Kim and Ezra visited on the first weekend of May, and Dewi also popped by.  We made a special delicious chocolate cake for the visit, in the shape of a butterfly!  Ez and Kim had gifted me some fantastic baking tools for my birthday- a butterfly shaped cake mould and animal shaped cookie cutters- and it was great having an excuse to use them.  Lauren and Adam stopped by when Bo got back from his work trip to Abu Dhabi, and at the end of May, Russell and Alanna came out to Reading to visit Faeryn.  We hadn’t seen them since the Baby Shower so it was great being able to catch up.  Rachael, Paul and Bump visited on the Spring Bank Holiday where it rained and for some odd reason (empty cupboards) we decided to walk down to the supermarket to pick up lunch items.  I think Rachael had about nine weeks to go at that point, and I enjoyed walking with her, feeling super protective of her and Bump.

On the 31st of May our friend Sally gave birth to her twins Ella and Oscar, both just under 6lbs and all healthy.  I haven’t met them yet but they certainly take gorgeous photos!

Faeryn had her second lot of immunisations at the beginning of June.  This time things were a little different- Faeryn had a longer than usual nap that afternoon and when she woke she felt warmer.  I checked her temperature which appeared to be normal, so perhaps it was just a case of New Mum Paranoia.  It will be interesting to see how she fares from her last lot of immunisations in July.

Bo, Faeryn and I ventured to Windsor for the first weekend of June.  I had a hankering for fudge from the Fudge Kitchen, and we also wanted to test Faeryn on the train.  It was a super hot day and the train did not have air conditioning, so both Bo and I sweated whilst Faeryn slept.

We got out to Windsor and enjoyed lunch at GBK, then went for a walk along the Long Walk.  I guess it was a bit too much for Faeryn as she was quite up and down emotionally.  She didn’t like being in the pram either so Bo carried her some of the time… she really does have us wrapped around her itty bitty fingers!

The following weekend we all went to London for Rachael’s baby shower and Paul’s wetting the babies head.  This was the first time I’d been into London since last year.  Both Bo and I were in an awesome state of delirium- Bo had just returned from Jubail that morning and I hadn’t had much sleep whilst he’d been away, but we were both pleased we made the effort- bus, train, tubes, bus and walk (repeat).  The area Paul, Rachael and Bump live in, Crouch Hill, is pretty special.  We stepped off the bus and both remarked on how the air smelt- really fresh and enlivening!  The homes we walked past are full of character with sprawling front gardens and tall trees.

It was great seeing all the ladies at Rach’s, and I was able to witness Rach’s belly cast being created- Kim and Kaaren did a great job covering Bump in the plaster bandages, I look forward to seeing the finished work.  I couldn’t help out as Faeryn kept me pretty tied-up- nursing, soothing, trying to put to sleep, re-soothing, soothing again… gah!!  As Rach’s profession is being a Nanny, a couple of the ladies there are also Nannies, and they all recommended we give Infacol a try, so on our way home when Bo and I reached Paddington we picked some up from Boots.  Anna had also recommended it, and Mum said she had shares in the Infacol company when I was a baby.

In the middle of June Dewi took Faeryn and I out to Grey’s Court, a National Trust estate near Henley.  We started off with a lovely lunch- I had a smoked salmon tart (yes, I’m totally eating fish again- damn you Bill’s and your delicious fish finger sandwich!) and then went for a walk around the grounds.  Sadly our afternoon amble was cut short as I stumbled into a hole in the ground and sprained my ankle.  I had been carrying Faeryn on my front so I got quite a fright at the thought that I could’ve hurt her in my carelessness.  Luckily the sprain healed up nicely- it’s still a little tender, but with a bit of rest I’m right as rain… (what is so right about rain??)  Olga visited the following day and gifted us with the Gripe Water.  She’s due with her second girl at the end of this month, so we’re eagerly awaiting news!

So that’s pretty much all of us caught up now.  Bo is on paid time off now for the next two weeks.  On Monday we’ll be driving to Manchester and staying in a hotel for the night, all so that I can see Bjork.  She is doing a show called Biophilia at the Manchester International Festival and lucky me I will be seeing the very first performance in the world!!!  I’m going on my own which is something I’ve never done before and I’m ever so thrilled.  On Tuesday morning we’ll drive to Stockport to check out the cemetery again and try to find Jessica Lowe’s headstone for Mum.  We’ll be back in Reading on Tuesday evening, and then on Thursday we’ll be adventuring with Kim and Ezra to Scotland, returning the following Monday.  We have two nights in Edinburgh and two nights in Newtonmore, in the Cairngorms.  Whilst in Scotland we’ll be going to the Go Ape centre in Aberfoyle where Kim, Ezra and Bodra will enjoy two over 400m long zip wires.  I’ll be carrying Faeryn along a trail through Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, sharing nature with her.  Not quite as adrenaline pumping as flying through the forest, but it will be great to have some time surrounded by trees.

Well, I hope this entry was worth reading!  It certainly was fun adding all the pics of Faeryn- isn’t she a cutie-pie and hasn’t she grown so much already!  I hope all is wonderful, wherever you are!  May you always be well, may you be filled with peace and may you feel loved!

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.

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!!!