New year resolutions

Help! So I have 9 of my usual new years resolutions sorted but need help with number 10 please... Suggestions? here are the first 9:


1. Stop smoking
2. Exercise more
3. Eat better
4. Visit coromandel, Abel Tasman, Milford sound and franz Josef whilst here
5. Go horse riding in NZ
6. Go kayaking whilst in NZ
7. Go on a Maori language course
8. Do a finance diploma
9. Pay off debts (if I can)


P.S. I am doing fine over here, Adam is looking after me very well. More when I am not using his iPad :-)


Happy Christmas everyone!!!


Xxxxx

Christmas at the bottom of the world

Happy Christmas everyone!!!


PLease excuse the briefness, but I am borrowing Adam's iPad and need to be quick...


Just wanted to say that I am in Dunedin with Adam and his family. We had our Family Christmas tonight and it was traditional dinner with turkey and things, but with ice cream and trifle for pudding. I got lots of presents! A book on the histoy of NZ from Adam and also a CD of NZ songs. I got chocolates from his niece and sister and a book about Dunedin from his mum and step dad. From my flatmates I got a bottle of Sav from Nicole and a vouchers for my snew favorite shop, Pagani from Nat - I love that one!


I got Adam a sushi set as he loves sushi, two tickets to the Wellington observatory and a Book called Fup about a duck - Adam's favorite animal is a duck, and also it's a very good book! Also I got a hamper for his mum and step dad, I bought lots of nice food and a basket and cellophane and ribbons and made it all up this morning. I think it was quite well received :-)


The dinner was lovely and the baileys I'm drinking now is going down very nicely...


Tomorrow is over at aunties and things. It is warm here but not hot. Um... That's about it really. I'm fine and not missing home too much, which is good

1 more sleep...

1 more sleep until Christmas in Dunedin!!

Um.. My news? I have a very sore back but I don't want to whine about it. It got me a day off work today :o)

Here is the weather report for Dunedin: http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=ie7&q=dunedin+weather&rls=com.microsoft:en-nz:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7ACEW_enNZ399NZ399

Bit warmer than most of you lot, eh?! Not that I'm being smug or anything....

That's all I have for now :o)

xxx

The Christmas Fairy

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day. I wore shorts. Which is quite a big thing for me as I am not a shorts wearing person. But somehow, in New Zealand I've stopped worrying quite so much about how I look in shorts and I just bought some and they look fine.

I, however, do not look fine. I have a red triangle on my chest and two lovely bright red patches above my knees. They are quite sore. I forgot how strong the sun is... I was just sitting outside on Adam's balcony for breakfast yesterday, and not for all that long either. I look fairly ridiculous but Adam was kind enought to say I don't look silly, I just look like a Christmas fairy :o)

Here is a picture I got sent from my temp agency. I think it sums up the southern hemisphere Chrsitmas feeling very well:

Speaking of my agency, I start my new job on Monday. It is at the Ministry of Education, as a project administrator within their IT dept. I do 2 days, then am off for Christmas, then start back again on 5th Jan. It runs to the end of Feb at the moment, but may be extended. It is just around the corner from where Adam works :o) Sorry, I am trying not to go on about him, I don't want to bore you!! But since we're on the subject..... we have now met each other a whole 9 times but it feels like we have known each other for longer than... let me count... 23 days :o) I am still happy and I still like him and I'll shut up now!

South America

Yes, I know, haven't I got enough on my plate just now building up a life in NZ without looking ahead to the final leg of my trip, through South America?!

I am focussed on the moment, don't worry, but this needs to be sorted out well in advance as I intend to visit the Inca Trail for which you need a special visa obtained a few months in advance. I fly into Santiago and make my way overland through Chile, maybe Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, then fly out of Lima. I am very excited about it, especially the Amazon Rainforest stay.

The trouble with this is... I would much rather do a group tour. Even though I speak Spanish so maybe could, in theory, get around myself, I'm not sure how safe I'd feel. And a grioup tour means fitting in with certain dates that they run the tour.

My visa runds out on 3rd May and I need to be back by 5th June when Fleur is due to give birth. And none of the tours I've seen from Santiago to lime fit in with those dates. None. I have been looking for over 4 months, and none of them do. It's been driving me mad. The closest I had come was leaving on 2nd April. and getting back to London at the beginning of May. I also had wanted to be back in time for my famous birthday party!! Come on, you all know how I adore my birthday :o)

But, I'm now thinking, possibly due to a certain lovely boyfriend who shall remain nameless, that I'd like to stay in Wellington until as close as possible to the time they'll kick me out of the country. But also lots of the tours take too long and would then get me back after 5th June. It's just been driving me crazy, i can't tell you how many hours I've spent looking online for a solution.

Anyway, I think I have one. 2 diffferent tours with two different providers. Firstly getting from Santiago to La Paz leaving on 30th April and arriving 20th May (my birthday in the highest capital in the world - quite an experience!!) and then catching an internal flight (they are just under 200GBP) to Lima either late on 20th or early on 21st and doing the Peru part of the tour from 21st May to 1st June and then flying home:

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/GDOF
http://www.dragoman.com/holidays/itinerary/inca-trail-and38-amazon

So I'd like some feedback - have I found the perfect plan or is this cutting it too fine to miss Fleur dropping her sprog (hereafter always to be refered to as little pea)? Aren't the first ones usually late? I bet she'll make us wait until 20th June or something :o)

And yes, as you can tell, I certainly am planning to come home at this point, so can you please all stop worrying about that?! I don't really have much choice in the matter anyway, I officially have to leave the country on 3rd May or the NZ Government will forcibly remove me!

Spencer Steel

The above name will mean little to most of you, unless you have had a look at the blog I have been following, which is shown on my profile: http://thekemokid.blogspot.com/

Spencer was someone I met about 7 years ago when I was 25. We had maybe three or four dates and quickly realised it wouldn't be progressing any further. However, we stayed in touch and I have closely followed both the blogs he has written in the last 7 years.

When I met him he was 18 months sober having spent many years drinking and taking drugs, to the point where he ended up in intensive care in a coma I think, for a few days. He had the courage to stop drinking after that and never waivered from that decision. I know he gave a lot of inspiration giving chairs at AA meetings. He was always so very honest about everything in life, I was brought to tears on more than one occassion reading about his struggles with life, with depression, and with his search for love.

He started another blog a year ago as he was diagnosed with Cancer. The irony of this should be easily apparent. He had gone 'straight edge', become a vegetarian and had run a marathon. I followed this blog as well and have read with trepidation and dread as each subsequent treatment seemed to make no difference.

There was an entry today to say that Spencer passed away at his local hospice on 5th Dec with his father and a close friend present. Clearly I cannot get to his memorial service as I would have loved to. So I am doing the only thing I can and writing a tribute to him here. He was a truly amazing and inspirational man and he will be missed by so many people.

His last words to me were as a comment on one of my posts here: http://elfi35601.blogspot.com/2010/11/bondi-beach-baby.html

So, to honour Spencer I will indeed try, very hard, to enjoy EVERYTHING.

xxx

Some possible mortification...

So this might make you laugh... after going on in every post I've mentioned Adam in, about how very much I don't want him to read any of this (at least not at the moment as it would be very embarrassing and kind of like he was reading my diary) I managed not only to tell him I had a blog but then to add him as a contact on skype... where I have listed my blog address!! I even went into facebook and removed it when I added Adam as a friend there, but I completely forgot about the one on skype.

I only know about the one on skype because Adam actually mentioned it to me tonight. But just when I was about to swoon in mortification he said that he thought about it, how I've been writing it for my family and it's kind of private (which I did already tell him to be fair) and he hasn't looked. He just wanted to reassure me in case I was worried about it (see how lovely he is?!)

Which may or may not be true :o) I can't tell, but I shall choose to believe him as it makes me blush less to believe that! I have to admit that if I found a blog of his that I knew he had written about me on I would find it almost impossible not to read... But perhaps he is a better person than me.

Not to go on about Adam (!) but I can tell you one more thing which is kind of sweet. His new flat is very close to mine (about 5 mins walk) and actually we are both high-ish up (I'm on the 6th floor and he is on the 8th floor) and there are not too many tall buildings here... so not only can we see each other's buildings we can actually see each other's bedroom windows!! They are kind of facing each other. I hasten to add, we are not close enough to really see each other, but we can certainly see if the light is on or not. In fact just as I'm typing this I've looked over and his light is on, which is because he has lots of work to do and is staying up late to get it finished (he has his own company and does freelance work too). It feels kind of cute to be able to do that :o) And not in a weird spying kind of a way, I should probably add too!

Um.... what else. I have a possible job for the next 2 months. I've been put forward for it anyway and hope to hear tomorrow. It's at the Ministry of Justice in the IT dept as a project administrator and looks something I'd be very comfortable doing. Except if they make me start at 8.30am every day :o) I applied for another role yesterday which was a financial admin role in a finance dept and looked even more my kind of thing and also was part time, 12 - 5 every day - I would love that!! But we'll see...

OK that is probably enough for now. Tomorrow I am going to a Christmas carol by candlelight thing in the park, which will be nice. Catch you all later, and thanks for all the e-mails I've had recently, I very much appreciate all the lovely messages I've been getting!

Lots of love,

Fi xxx

I love my cat more than you...

Sorry, that's not quite true. But I do love my cat millions and squillions and I do miss him a lot over here.

I am very sad today because I had a message from my sister Holly that he is not well, he has blood in his pee. They're taking him to the vet.

This is only the second time I've cried since I left the UK. I spent what seemed like the entire last week before I left bawling and sobbing my way through the days and, in particular, the nights!

But since I left I have felt much calmer and pretty happy most of the time. The only thing that made me cry a bit was the video from my ex-colleagues at City, which really took me by surprise. But that was just a few tears. I have sat here bawling and sobbing for the last half an hour, I can't quite seem to stop to be honest. I feel awful for not being there with him and I miss him and I'm really worried about what could go wrong.

There I'm crying again now. I need a hug.

Here is a picture of my lovely Alfie Moo Moo:

Christmas and New Year

Just a little update to yesterday's news... perhaps unsurprisingly Adam has asked me if I'd like to come and spend Chrsitmas and New Year in Dunedin with him! We'll be staying with his mum and step dad for 10 days between 22nd Dec and 2nd Jan.

Here is a map of New Zealand to help you visualise it - Wellington is the bottom of the North Island and Dunedin is close to the bottom of the South Island. Because we're South of the equator though, going south means getting colder, so it's a bit like flying up to Aberdeen! I am glad if it is a bit colder though, it seems more Christmassy!!

http://www.mynetbizz.com/travelweb/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/new-zealand-map.jpeg

I am absolutely delighted because I was not looking forward to spending all that time on my own; and not just that, I would genuinely be delighted to meet Adam's friends and family and plus, I would have missed him being away for so long. I only feel slightly worried (but perhaps that's natural) to be spending so much time together 24 hours a day, with his family... I mean it's a good way to really get to know someone but what if we don't get on?? I think that's really unlikely to be honest. and also I'm slightly worried in case he asked me just because he felt he had to... being such a lovely person it would have been hard for him to just leave me on my own up here.

But I'm only about 4% worried overall and 96% very excited and happy!! Anyway, I bet he's at least 4% worried too. No, we'll have a really lovely time. I'm going to take my netbook so I can keep you all updatd and also exchange Christmas messages :o)

lots of love to you all,

Fi xxx

NEWS

Right my dear readers, I have NEWS for you (and sorry for the delay mum, I just didn't have that much else to say until now!!).

So, I went along to Adam's work Christmas Party last night. It was nice and I had fun. I got to meet lots of people whose names I can't remember :o) The video was very funny, as it was out-takes and behind the scenes things from the news team. He works for TV NZ on the news. As a video editor.. I already told you that, but you might not have been listening :o)

He was, as always, a total gentleman and didn't leave my side all night so I felt really comfortable and he made sure to introduce me to everyone. We had the inevitable questions about where we met and I now have more sympathy for everyone who meets online, as, despite my thinking I would be fine with it, I chickened out at the last minute and just told people we met at a bar.

Anyway, Adam introduced me at one point to a couple as his girlfriend. On the outside I didn't really react and just shook hands, but inside I was saying "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!!!!!" But then after I thought it might just have been something he said as an easy way to introduce me. And he didn't introduce me that way again. Sooo...

Anyway, later that night he asked if I'd noticed when he introduced me as his girlfriend. I said I had (what I really meant was "Oh My God, Oh my god, of course I noticed, I nearly fainted on the spot when you said it" but I managed not to say that!).

And then my lovely readers... then.... he said that he would be.... I think he might have actually said 'honoured'.... if I would be his girlfriend.

No-one has ever said that to me before. Obviously, I've had boyfriends, but they just kind of morphed over time into being that, with no definite point in time where such a lovely sentiment was declared.

I said I would love to be his girlfriend. Because I would. I am! I do like him. I'll admit to some slight trepidation at how fast this seems to be happening but anyway, it doesn't really change things to have that label. Well, maybe a bit, but I had already stopped having anymore dates and had no intention of seeing anyone other than Adam while I saw how things were going. And he said he is not having any other dates. I suppose it just shows that we genuinely like each other. But we don't really know each other very well. But I suppose that doesn't matter.

Am I over thinking this? I suppose I'm just worried that making that committment so early is almost tempting fate. But like I said, it's just a label really and maybe what difference does it make to get to know each other as two people dating or as girlfriend and boyfriend? At least it means I don't have to worry about what his 'intentions' are or whether he's seeing other people.

I am over thinking this. Sorry. What I mean is that a really lovely man, who I really like, has asked me to be his girlfriend and I am delighted and said yes. He's really nice to me and treats me wonderfully and I feel really comfortable around him. He is funny and interesting and kind. So that's all good :o)

And I have mentioned the blog. Can't imagine what I was thinking! Not the address. But I suppose he might well see this at some point. Adam, if you evcr read this will you please try not to tease me too much?!

Alright my lovelies, thanks for reading, take care and keep warm!!

Fi xxx

A Roller Derby, a Christmas Party and an unreasonably early start.

Right, sorry for being quiet (mum) :o)

Um... here are a few more rather rubbish pics of Wellington. I am not doing it any kind of justice. Also, there are pics of my bedroom and flat... http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=16252644&l=0707a77019&id=799440229

I have been working this week. It's crap. 3 months off travelling put you off going back to work. But in fairness it has not been that bad. Monday was 8 hours of data entry, but I am actually surprisingly good with boring data entry. Tuesday I mostly got paid to read my book, which was nice, plus spend a few minutes making tea and coffee. Today was more of the same plus doing a practice interview. I got paid for this!! It was training at an executive search firm, for people who have to conduct interviews. They used me and another lady as guinea pigs. So I got a practice interview - brilliant! They are very competency based over here.

Plus, the woman who ran it had to review my CV beforehand and noted that I had spent 3 years working as an executive search consultant (yes people, I did!) and it just so happens thaT she is looking to hire a consultant researcher. Funny how things work :o) She is going to call me later this week. Special thanks to my dad the wonder-executive-search-consultant for this, he taught me everything I know. Except anything computer related :o)

Plus.... well, let me preface this. A few days ago my lovely flatmates asked me along to a Roller Derby this Saturday. I am slightly at a loss how to describe this so am going to google it... hang on.... http://sp.mlr.co.nz/sport/roller-derby/

It sounds like amazingly good fun, a real girls' night out.

So, Adam just called me and asked me to his work Christmas party this Saturday. They clash. I said I had to chat to my flatmates about it and he sounded disappointed. Nicole, Natalie and I had an intense 10 minute chat and we all agreed that being asked is a big deal, plus of course I really want to go. But I really wanted to go to the roller derby too. But in the end there is no contest. I'm just disappointed as there probably won't be another one and it sounded such fun. But, his Christmas party will be a lot of fun as well and I'll get to meet all his colleagues and they might tell me funny things about him, and then I can tease him :o)

I think it may say something that in the end it was no contest picking between the funnest thing I have been asked to in the last year, something I desperately wanted to go to, something my new flatmates really wanted me to go to.... and Adam, even after 3.5 dates. Hmm...

(am inserting what may be my regular prayer from now on that he never reads any of this. Can you even imagine how embarassing that would be?! I would just curl up and die. Please, please god, don't ever let me get drunk enough to tell him about this blog, or more specifically, the address of it.)

And also, I never thought I would be having serious diary clashes after 4 weeks in NZ!!

Also,I met with the woman who runs the SAERC network today. Did i tell you guys about this? The singles network thing; not for dating, just for single people to socialise. They have stuff on over Christmas - Boxing day and 28th, plus a NYE party. It all looks ever so slightly rubbish to be honest and seems from the pics I saw today to be mostly older ladies. Not that there is anything wrong with older ladies. Just... not people in their 30s anyway. But still, any port in a storm. (and no, Adam has not asked me along to Dunedin for Christmas and nor am I really expecting him to. It's too soon for that really. Would you ask someone to meet your family after knowing them for only a month (as it would be by then)? I'll admit, it doesn't stop me from hoping, but I'm certainly not expecting it.)

I am out tomorrow night with some British girls I met who are now moving on to Franz Josef on the South Island. And I have to get up at 7am tommorrow. It is killing me!! I know, none of you feel in the slightest sorry for me, it is a normal time. What can I say, I am not normal :o)

Love to you all,

Fi xxx

Working Girl

So I have three bits of news:

1. I have some temp work for next week! Not too much yet and it's three separate things on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (with 8 hours, 5 hours and 4 hours work respectively) but it is certainly better than nothing. It will keep me busy during the day and if I do well it will help the consultants keep me in mind for better roles.

2. I have my netbook! It's the cutest little thing ever and I am very happy with it.

3. I had a lovely, lovely third date with Adam. That is all I am saying just now as I need to just see how it goes. But I wanted to let you all know that he's really very nice and interesting and thoughtful and a total gentleman so it all seems a bit strange and not at all what I am used to, but I think I've already made that clear :o) He is being really, really nice to me and I am going to suspend all other dates for the moment.

Dear God, I will be embarassed if he ever reads this blog...

Nothing to report (but lots to say)

Hey everyone,

So, I don't really have that much to say but I felt I should share something for those checking up to see how I'm doing.

I still have no job. I am ashamed to admit, and my family will be telling me off for this, but I did get a text at 9am this morning from an agency saying they had a days work for me. However... being in holiday mode and also being out doing some serious dating every night meant that I didn't get up until close to lunchtime. Too late for the job. OK, I have learnt my lesson and starting Monday I am going to be sensible and get into a "routine". Boring, but necessary.

I had another 1st date tonight. It was with a Scottish guy and was a normal boring "British date". Also, my 2nd date with one of the Kiwi guys last night ended in... well, bad kissing. So I do not want to see him again. All hopes for a Kiwi boyfriend now rest with Adam who is 37, a video editor and... well, he's nice. And a gentleman. I just need to remember not to tell him I have a blog as clearly reading this would freak him out!

So, I thought I would share some facts with you about the differences over here. Firstly, everone gets married much younger than back home. Well, than in London anyway. I mean in London it sometimes seems everyone is single! And certainly it's not strange for me at 32 to be single. But here, much as in rural England I guess, people get married very young, so almost everyone on the dating site is divorrced or separated and of course some have children. I worry that at 32 and single I seem like a strange kind of girl! Adam is divorced but has no kids.

What else? Well, at restaurants, bars and cafes they always serve water. It's either put out in jogs and bottles somewhere, or they bring glasses over. Very sensible. I think it's actually in the law, for places that serve alcohol anyway. And often it's flavoured, with lemon or cucumber. It's nice. Also, you don't tend to get table service at all so you have to go to the counter in cafes to order food and to the counter to pay, in restaurants as well as cafes. No use waiting for the bill, you'd sit there all night!

There are quite a lot of Maori words in use, even for things like food, so sometimes it's hard for me to know what is what in restaurants. Kumara are sweet potatoes, I've got that much, but there are lots of different types of fish and I have no idea what any of them are as they have their Maori names. Although I tried some and I liked it! But that has been happening a lot the last few months.

The TV advertising is really funny, there's lots of "macho" advertising aimed at men. If you imagine how you imagine Aussie men to be, it's pretty close to that. Lots of ads centred around the BBQ with men drinking beer, stuff like that...

Everything tastes different! That has made me sad. The only thing that really tasted very god was the Ginger Chicken Udon recipe I made from Wagamama. Other than that, I bought Halloumi cheese but it was horrible and had no flavour; I bought pesto and it was kind of vinegary; the sausages here are precooked - pre-boiled, no less!! - and taste strange. Even the gravy and peas tasted different (I had sausages mash and peas at a pub the other day). I think the trick will be to eat things I don't back home and then no comparison can be made.

They drink and drive a lot here. You can easily have a couple of glasses of wine (large) and be legal (they assure me). Scary.

I can think of more but that probably enough for one day. Don't want to overload you :o) I am very sorry for you guys being so cold over there, but also a bit jealous I am missing all the snow. I heopled put the apartment Christmas tree up yesterday adn that was just so weird. In 20 degree heat. Just wrong. The weather is beautiful here, lovely and warm in the Wellington way - kind of coldish air; boiling, boiling hot sun.

Oh, and I went shopping today. I've bought 3 new pairs of shoes since I got here and some new clothes as well. It made me happy :o)

Oh yes, and also, I have no hayfever over here! Again, those that know mw well will recall how I blow my nose every 5 minutes especially in summer. Well, not over here. It's a miracle. Such a relief!!

Keep strong in the face of all that snow and freezingness my lovelies. And please post some more comments! I love getting comments!! This last is not aimed at my mum who has been fantastic in the comments department - thank you my darling, lovely madre, they are all read with much excitment and a big smile :o) xxxxx

Ladies and Gentlemen

So the men here are very different to the boys back home. Well, the boys I've been on dates with anyway. Here's a comparison...

Typical male behaviour on dates in Britian:

• apathetic about picking where to go - often leave me to pick
• don't pay for things or pay half
• don't take me for dinner. Ever.
• don't pick me up
• don't walk me home
• don't plan anything apart from drinks
• insist on sticking their tongue in my mouth at the end of the night (sorry dad!)

Typical male behaviour on dates in NZ (so far):

• Put some effort into where to take me (dancing, museum, walks, as well as drinking and dinner)
• take me to dinner
• walk me home
• pick me up outside the front door
• insist on paying for dinner and drinks
• offer their jackets when out in case I am cold!
• don't try to kiss me on the first date

EARTHQUAKE!!!

I just felt an earthquake!!!! There are loads of them here. Gosh, how very exciting. It was only little. I'm up on the sixth floor and the whole apartment shook a bit and then kind of rocked back and forth a bit a few times. It only lasted about 10 or 15 seconds and it wasn't a lot.... but goodness me....

http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/3413873g.html

Weather Girl

Bloody hell, I have just checked out the weather for London. You guys must be absolutely, totally freezing!! And snow too! Can someone send me a pic if it snows?!

Well it really is very pleasant here, the forecast says it all I think: http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/95?&search=wellington&itemsPerPage=10&region=world. There's not a cloud in the sky just now and even the wind has died down a bit these last couple of days. Everyone I meet though says that I have been incredibly lucky as it is not nearly this nice usually, the real summer apparently starts in January but has come early this year. Yay for me!!

International Date Line

So, I am dating. It's fun so far. I had a date on Thursday for coffee, that is Dan 1. I met Dan 2 last night and we had drinks and played pool. I beat him at pool the first 2 games and would have beat him the third but I got bored and we didn't finish it so I let him pretend he could have won that one!

Date 3 is tonight with Adam, he is taking me for a drink. After that I'm going to meet up with some girls from the hostel. Unless it's a really good date and I stay out really late, but I'm going to try and meet them....

Date 4 is with Dan 1 tomorrow, he's taking me on a guided tour of the Botanical Gardens. Date 5 should be with Dan 2, he wants to take me for dinner and maybe Ceroc dancing.

So, I have enough to keep me busy just now! Tuesday I join the 'sarc' network (singles are really cool!) and also go for a pub quiz with my flatmates. All I need is a job and I'll be sorted...

I'm starting to feel a bit more settled. I did my first big shop at the supermarket yesterday and somehow that always makes you feel more settled, don't you think?! AND I cooked... Ginger Chicken Udon Noodles!!! Like at Wagamama!!! And it tasted almost exactly the same!!!!! I'm so happy, I love that dish :o)

Take care my lovely ones and have a good weekend...

xxx

The Land of the Free...

Someone in the USA is tracking my blog! I'm curious having just checked the country stats (here they are from my blog:)

UK	672
Australia	109
USA	44
NZ	28
Japan	26
Ireland	5
Austria	4
Switzerland	2
Germany	2
Sweden	2

Most of these I get... but who is following me so closely from the US?? Is it it you Arv? I'm curious, let me know :o) Also I have no idea about the German or Swedish views, or Ireland (I'm assuming Austria and Switzerland will be Norbert..)

Anyway, thanks to you all, you plus me have looked at my blog 901 times! That definitely makes me feel less lonely... even though about 50 of those were mine, reminding myself of what I last wrote :o)

xxx

Hold........hooold.......

I am reminded of the tickling game that Shem and I used to play. He would tickle me somewhere really ticklish (like my feet or my side) and I would have to stay still for as long as I could bear it. Within seconds we would both be giggling uncontrollably but when I started to wriggle in ticklish agony he would, through his giggles, say "hold... hooold!.... Hold!......" and I would manage to stay almost still for another few seconds of delicious pergatory.

I'm in that stage now. The "hold" stage. It's starting to get a bit difficult to bear (but nowhere near as much as when being tickled) although I know that the fun of dissolving into happy screams of laughter and the end of tickle torture is just around the corner. Oh well, something like that. I expect you get what I mean from this rather strange metaphor anyway.

I'm slowly building little islands of people contact into my days. The last two days I don't think I had a conversation with anyone. I had 2 cinema trips, one comedy show, lots of reading and cafe time but no conversations. However, today I had a date from a dating site. I'm not really doing this for the dating, more the company, and I met a very interesting and intellectual American and we talked politics for 2 solid hours. It was honestly the most interesting and stimulating conversation I've had in a couple of months. This evening I've convinced my flatmates to go for a drink with me. Tomorrow I have another date at 10am (they're very into their coffee dates here) and then I'm going to a wine tasting at 4.30pm. The weekend looks a little barren so far as my flatmates are away for all of it, but I do have an evening out, probably on the Saturday, with a couple of girls I met in the hostel.

So, I'm holding.....

Love to you all!

xxx

A favour to ask

Hi everyone,

I have a favour to ask! Although I am not feeling Christmassy in the slightest (it being summer here right now) I found out last night that my flatmates will both be away in Australia between Christmas Day and 8th January, 2011.

So there's a real possibility I might be just on my own... which wouldn't be so bad I guess, but it would help a lot I think if I had Christmas cards from my friends and family to open!! So please can you send some?! I think it takes a while to get all the way to NZ so they might need to be posted very soon....

Fiona MacDonald
Apartment 609
115 Vivian Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
New Zealand

Thank you :o)

And, if anyone wants Christmas in New Zealand with me they will be more than welcome to come over!! I have a spare bedroom available...

xxx

The boys made me cry...

So today I logged on to a video sent from Fernando (an ex-colleague at City for anyone who doesn't know) which was a little video of Norbert, James and him (all ex-colleagues - and friends too of course!) all saying hello to me.

Boys, that was amazing and you made me cry! Which was a bit embarassing as there's plenty of people around, I'm in the reception at the hostel. But never mind :o) It was amazing to see you all and hear your voices, I haven't seen anyone familiar from home since I left. Thank you, thank you, thank you, that was so, so sweet of you. I'm very touched you thought of me.

When I get my netbook, and if I can ever figure it out, I'll see if I can send one back :o)

xxx

Short and Sweet

I'm slightly worried I've been boring the pants off you all with long and rambling posts!! It's a bit more boring, isn't it, now I've moved from photos and descriptions of interesting places, to telling you about the minutea of my day to day existence? So today I shall keep it short.

I am feeling happy, much better than I was. I move into the flat tonight and the girls are going to cook me a welcome dinner. Also I met a couple of British girls last night and I'm going out with them on Wednesday.

Having people to talk to and hang out with makes me happy! Oh, and I've ordered a Netbook (mum and dad, that is a small laptop) with a built in webcam so I shall soon be able to chat to people and I might even let them see my face (note to my family - buy webcams so I can see you too!)

That's it :o)

xxx

A very disturbing dream

OK, so this is really quite disturbing and I'm not quite sure whether I should share it, but again, as I have no-one else here yet to tell about it, you're going to have to read it I'm afraid. Or don't, you could just skip this post!

I should probably preface this by mentioning, yet again, the book I've been reading, "Half the Sky". It is full of absolutely horrific stories including a lot about gang rape in Africa. I finished the book last night and I'm beginning to think that's a good thing....

So, I dreamed last night that I was in bed asleep and a man sneaked into my bedroom through the window and raped me, which was pretty traumatic, even though it was a dream. Afterwards I shouted for help and my brother suddenly turned up (thank you Colin!) and managed to pin him down and keep him in the house. We were going to call the police but for some reason neither of us knew the number. We kept the man in the house and were sneaking around trying to find a laptop to look up the number for the police. Then I went into the room he'd been in and he had gone, through the window again. That was actually the worst bit of the dream, I screamed and screamed becuase I knew if he was gone then the police would never find him and he'd get away with it. But then he came back, and although I was terrified having him in the house, I was pleased the police might be able to catch him. Periodically Colin would pin him down again when he got threatening but mostly he was just wandering around the house and I was trying to hide from him.

And then, it turned into a dream full of cats and dogs that had to be registered by the government and I was carying Alfie (my cat) through line after line of airport type security checks. And THEN we got to the end and all the people from poor countries had to sit on the floor in one room, but were being seen quite quickly, while all the people from rich countries had another room and got to sit on chairs but the lines never moved for the final check, but all my family were in the room with me already waiting on the chairs. And THEN there were fireworks and a little boy of about 10 I had sat next to smiled at me and gave me two sparklers. And we all ran off to have firework and sparkler fun.

So that was the dream, or maybe it was two that ran together. It was very strange indeed, but often my dreams are. I suppose most people's are. They're usually more like the second one than the first one though. It left me feeling really weird this morning.

So, things from today:

1. I miss my mum today.
2. I went shopping with my new strange friend and bought a skirt, top, jacket and shoes for work. I look very nice in them :o)
3. I went to see the latest Harry Potter film and almost cried a bit at the end. I managed not to cry but I did blink a contact lens out. My new strange friend kept talking to me loudly throughout though and that was rather annoying.
4. I owe Monica (who works at City Uni where I used to work for those that don't know) a big thank you for sending me a positive and encouraging e-mail that was a bit of a kick up the butt reminding me I am very lucky and can do whatever I like out here so not to get silly about feeling home sick or working. Thank you Monica, it made me smile and made me feel better! All you guys at City have another postcard coming soon that will make you rather jealous by the picture on the front....

Ups and Downs

I am feeling better again! Not 100% but anyway, better than I was earlier. The reasons are:

1. I have found somewhere to live! It's a central flat with 2 Australian girls. The flat is nice and they seem very friendly, they are both mid/late twenties. Rent is cheap here, it's $600 a month which is 300GBP. But I guess that reflects the salaries. Also, the bedroom comes fuilly furnished which is much better. I move in on Monday night.

2. I am feeling better about the temp job I am being put forward for. It's not so boring I guess. And will be good to get working again in a way.

3. I have made friends with a woman in my dorm room. She's maybe in her fifties and originally from Malaysia but has been in NZ for 10 years. She's funny and a bit strange. She told me a story tonight about going to a convent school and when she was 16 the nuns tried to get her to marry an ugly, rich man in his early 40s.... so she and her friends tunnelled out under the school wall and she ran away!! We are going to see the latest Harry Potter film tomorrow and then go to the museum, so that will be nice.

4. I cooked myself a nice dinner. The first time I've cooked since I got here. Lamb with mint jelly and roasted vegetables.

So that's all for now. I am OK and not, after all, ready to run home just yet :o)

xxx

Bored with Boarding

Right, that's it. I want my own room in my own flat. This dorming malarky is starting to annoy me. I have another room to see tonight, it's sharing with two Australian girls in a very central flat, but best of all the room is already furnished. My fall back option is the other one I saw, but it would be so much easier not to have to buy any furniture.

I went to an agency today and had a good chat about my CV. They have a contract project admin role that they want to put me forward for. It looks a bit boring to be honest, but beggars can't be choosers. On the plus side I did the best ever in the tests they gave me (97% for word, 100% for excel and 51 words per minute typing with 0 mistakes) which was nice, and that was with a hangover, no coffee and no breakfast. Or lunch.

So, last night something funny happened. I was feeling rather bored on my own so i decided to go down to the hostel bar again and sit and read my book. It was about 10.30pm and it was a lot busier than before. I'd only been there about 10 minutes when a girl ran up to me and said "are you Fiona?" which confused me for a second, she looked familiar but I couldn't place her. And then I realised it was a girl I met in Fiji! She was there with a guy who was also at beachcomber resort and they had met up again by chance in Auckland when they arrived for the same bus tour. They were there with the Kiwi Experience bus, which is full of youngsters and rather rambunctious by all accounts. There were about 20 of them and they were playing a rather complicated drinking game, for which I needed rules (there were about 12 of them) written down. It was things like you weren't allowed to point at anything, you couldn't say the word 'drink', whenever anyone shouted 'shark' you had to get off the floor, or 'sniper' and you had to get down on the floor. It was silly but kind of fun. So I hung out with them for a couple of hours and we did a pub crawl. I chatted for most of the time to an Alaskan from the Airforce, which was pretty interesting. Then, almost simultaneously he caught me smoking and found out I'm 32. After that he completly ignored me. I don't know if it was the cigarette or my age, or both, but it was a little disconcerting! He was 27 and even at that age he was noticeably older than the rest of them.

Um.... reality is starting to bite now. I'm slipping out of holiday mode and for the first time in the last couple of days I have felt the faintest of twinges of homesickness. They're fairly quickly dismissed as I simply can't let myself get maudlin, I've got no-one to pull me out of it so I need to just not get there in the first place. But anyway, I'm reassuring myself that it's totally normal and to be fair I probably have been lucky to not feel it up to now. It's officially a month since I left and I hope you all miss me more than words can say :o)

But I'm starting to wonder if maybe travelling around wouldn't be more fun than going back to work? Well, I mean, of course it would be. It's easier to meet people in hostels than settled in a flat I think, although harder to form any lasting friendships. And I don't feel like going back to work!! Or if I do, I feel like doing something completely different. Volunteering maybe. Or working for a charity. Of course, I could do that. I think I'll look into it..... I've been reading 'Half the Sky' and it's very moving and motivational, it's all about women and how they're marginalised and brutalised, and more importantly, what you can do to help. I really, really recommend you read it. I might have said that before, but anyway, that's because I mean it! And it's not just for women. Have a look: http://www.halftheskymovement.org/

Right, I'll stop rambling now :o)

xxx

Catchup...

So, I have some time and here are a few of the things I have been storing up to tell you all and kept not getting time to (please forgive any repititions from earlier posts, in case I did already tell you any of this...):

1. I was sad on 5th november, which was the day I flew from Sydney to Fiji, becuase it was Bonfire night and I love, love, love firewarks. They are one of my favourite ever things. And I love going to the displays in London. And I knew they wouldn't have it in Fiji or anywhere else  and I felt rather glum about that. But then, imagine my amazement when I got out from that man locking me in the office and into the taxi - there were fireworks going off everywhere!!! And really pretty lights strung everywhere. I was a bit confused, but then the taxi driver explained it was Diwali. What a coincidence! That really cheered me up and I got my fireworks after all, I got to watch them from the beach that night!

2. Japan has no Diet Coke. Strange but true. It has plenty of 'full fat' coke and also the coke zero, but no diet. No diet any drinks actually.

3. In NZ sweet potatoes are called Kumara. They eat avocado with nearly everything and burgers have beetroot in. And they do have diet coke, but it comes in 600ml bottles instead of 500ml ones. They have no walkers crisps. It's the small differences that you really notice... Oh and they have Woolworths here! Not sure if it's the same chain or not.

4. I can now have a shower in less than 10 minutes as opposed to over 20. I find it much easier to talk to strangers and to ask people questions without feeling shy. I can sleep through pretty much anything even after only a couple of weeks in dorms.

5. My hair hates travelling. Hates it, hates it. Hates me for making it come to all these strange hot countries and is punishing me by not behaving at all well. It has not looked 'normal' even once since I left the UK.

Couple's massage and facial

Well, it has been a fun couple of days! Monday night was quiet, as was Tuesday during the day. I wandered round a bit and did some flat hunting and job hunting. I've applied for an executive assistant position to 2 GMs which needs Lotus notes experience. I used Lotus Notes in two of my jobs over a 6.5 year period and I prefer it to Outlook so that should be fine. It actually looked as thought hte position had already been filled as the expiry date for it was 9th nov, but I thought I'd apply anyway. The recruiter got straight on the phone to me though and wants to meet up soon, so that's good news. Today I've been applying for an IRD number (like an NI number) and applying for a bank account. Plus yesterday I went to see this house: http://wellington.gumtree.co.nz/c-Flat-House-Share-flatshare-houseshare-Room-for-rent-in-2-bedroom-villa-in-Mount-Victoria-W0QQAdIdZ241176647 and am thinking about tkaing the room there. Pluses are: it's central, the house is really sweet, the girl living there is 36 and seems really nice (mostly it's 18 and 20 year olds, something I found quite strange - there are two unis here and it seems that it's pretty much only students who flatshare, and I don't want to live with children!!). Minuses are: it's quite expensive ($800NZ - OK, it's only about 400GBP but salaries here are less and most places are closer to $600 a month), there is no outside space and the room does not come furnished (also common here) so I'd have a to buy a bed.

So, I'm undecided - what do you guys think? Should I keep looking or take it?

So, what else? On Tuesday night I was sat in the hostel bar on my own with a glass of wine and reading a book when a boy ran up to me and said hello. He sat down and we starting chatting and within 10 minutes he said that he was thinking of getting a massage the next day. If you know me at all well you will know I love my massages and I had been thinking all day that I wanted one, so it seemed like a sign! We agreed that we would go together the next day and he looked somewhere up on his iphone... and came up with a 'couples massage and facial' deal. Now this might sound a bit odd, but I didn't hesitate for a second and I booked it for 3pm the next afternoon. You have the treatments on couches right next to each other, naked except for pants and towels. It could have been awkward, but it wasn't. It was really nice actually, although Graham (that's his name) was being tortured and I could hear the pain he was in! It was two small balinese women doing it, but they were very, very strong and liked giving really firm pressure. We both had bruises today from it :o) And of course, they assumed we were a couple, and looked fairly perplexed when Graham told them we had only met each other the night before. How funny....

So that was good and we had dinner together and a few drinks last night as well. Unfortunately he's gone, carrying on his holiday, but it was really nice to hang out with someone fun for a day and a half. Also, he has lent me his ipod! I said I was really missing having one (I came away with a CD player of all things!) as I had lost mine and so he gave me his spare one. I need to return it in May when I am back, which I will do of course. But that was really very kind of him. I hope I like his music taste.....

So, what to do today....  Might go and buy some work clothes. Need to get properly settled. Actually there's lots to do in Wellington. There are loads of leaflets in all the cafes and I'm thinking about going to yoga and medidation classes as well as the theatre and a comedy show. And an art-house cinema. I won't get bored!!

Here's a pic of Wellington harbour and the Mount Victoria part of town:


Wellington harbour



Mount Victoria, Wellington



The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and....

So I have had fun in triplicate today.

10 hours on a bus. I was bored. I was restless.

It wasn't all bad though. We drove past Mount Doom, looking a lot less forbiding than in the Lord of the Rings, but still ever so very slightly menacing. It wa a gorgeous day and it was nice to watch the countryside go by. Here's a Mt Doom pic from t'internet: (it was chosen i heard for it's near perfect cone shape)

http://www.nzaccommodation.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/volcanic_mt_ngauruhoe.jpg

Anyway... I'm here, in Wellington and it's every bit as gorgeous as I remember. Actually, on second viewing it has similarities with Sydney - with the harbour and inlets and islets, and lots of detached houses sitting on steep hills overlooking the water. Let me find a picture on the web for you...

http://www.bildungsservice.at/faecher/geo/Staaten%20und%20Landschaften/Neuseeland/NZ%202003%20-%20Wellington%20-%20DSCF6158.JPG

http://dailyoffice.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/wellingtonnz-450.jpg

Um... OK that's all for today. a 10 hour bus ride only gives you so much to talk about.

Thanks again for the comments - keep them coming :o)

xxx

My favourite picture...

One last post for today.... this is, I think, my favourite picture so far. Whenever I'm stressed, it's the one I'm going to look at to chill out....

Happy Birthday Madre!!!

Another personal post to my lovely mummy to say happy, happy birthday. Sorry I can't be there, hope the other kids are lovely to you and you have a great day :o)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A new life in New Zealand

So, I am finally here. I arrived yesterday in Auckland and am staying with my friend Daran Stokes and his wife Karen. I used to work with him at GenRe between 2005 and 2009. He is in Cambridge, which is about 2.5 hours south of Auckland and less than 30 minutes from Hamilton, where George, who I worked with more recently, used to work. I'm feeling quite chilled out here but also it feels quite strange... it still feels like a continuation of my massive holiday but I am aware that this is actually a new life that I need to start for a while. I head to Wellington on Monday and need to start working hard getting a place to live first - I only have accommodation for 7 days - and then a job.

Anyway, Daran and Karen took me to a lovely wildlife/conservtion park in Roturua which had amazing trees, rivers, fish and wildlife.

Also, I am brown. Well, red brown. And I finally got to weigh myself and I have lost 6 lbs. Yay! Long may it continue.

I have lots more to say (you know, the little things, things I keep meaning to mention), but I also don't want to keep hogging the laptop that Daran and Karen are letting me use! So I will just say I am well and happy and I will write more from Tuesday when I have nothing else to occupy me in the evenings...

xxx

A village by the Sea

So my last day in Fiji consisted of a visit to the local village, on the other side of the Island. It was quite a shock to see the poverty they live in, and such a contrast from the luxury of the resort we lived in just 15 minutes walk away. We visited the school and the children were so very sweet, they sang nursary rhymes for us. If I went again I would take some things to give to them... but anyway, there was a market after, just the local women and children with blankets spread out on the beach. I bought a rug, two shells and two necklaces. Here's some pics:

local school children

local village, Fiji

local village, Fiji

local village, Fiji

As ever, more pics here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=563441&id=799440229&l=9c5e8ebaa8

 

And a quick explanation - I am storing all of my pics on facebook and nowhere else, so they are all there, that's why there are so many! Stick to the ones here for a boredom free picture browsing session...

Pictures!

So, today I'm going to concentrate on pictures as I don't have much to say (it rained a tiny bit this morning, that was some excitement). I'm a bit sunburnt, have over 30 very itchy bites and ...well, the sun is out now. I'm onto my second book, made no friends but fine with it this time. I'm leaving tomorrow and I can manage fine until then! The food here is quite good, a la carte as opposed to buffet in the last place.

So, here you go!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=563441&id=799440229&l=9c5e8ebaa8

 

I think I'm in Lost!

So, I moved to the Octopus resort today. I had a bit of a palava getting here.. I overslept and was woken by my friend at 8.55am. I had a 9am boat. I got ready and packed in 8 minutes... 8 MINUTES!! and actually the bpat came about 9.10 so all was well.... except that I had a hangover and for the first time ever I was sea-sick! Made it to the bathroom in time though.

So, this island is Waya and it is much bigger than the last one. You could walk around Beachcomber in about 10 minutes and there was nothing else there, just the one small resort. This Island looks like the scenery in Lost... so like Hawaii really. Not surprising I guess as it is a chain of volcanoes around here too. I found some steps leading up into the hillside and followed them up (forgetting that I had no water, a hangover and no sunscreen on, but hey, it was worth it!). The view was incredible!!! I love this island and this resort, it's much nicer than the last one. Costs a bit more, but totally worth it. I'm here for 2 days and then back to the mainland for my flight on Friday to Auckland.

By the way, I am bitten all over. Midgie bites, mosquito bites, ant bites....  I itch everywhere. I've counted over 20 of them and that's just the ones I can see!

Having some uploading trouble... more photos to come. This is the view from the top of the hill.... but for more pics you can have a look here: www.octopusresort.com or google Waya Island!

Fi's Fijian fish fear

Hi everyone - I just thought I've been slightly rude and not said thank you yet for any comments. Thank you very much - they are all read and very much appreciated!!

So, I just thought I'd write today about the little things. The things that run through your head sometimes and usually you share with your flatmates, friends, colleagues.... well, they've all been building up in my head! So out they come...

I went swimming yesterday. Only for about 10 minutes. I was doing quite well, keeping close to the shore, the water is really warm but the waves and currents can be quite strong. Then, all of a sudden... there was a FISH in front of me. And then 2, and they were swimming at me... from a shoal of about 50 of them! They were only a few feet away from me when I noticed them. They were silver and about 15 to 20cm long mostly. I totally freaked out - I am a bit afraid of fish. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. So I scrambled to get out of the sea and nearly stepped on a big ray floating along the sand. That was enough for me. I ran out, shaking and have no plans to go back in.

Um... Nadi, where the airport is, on one of the 2 main islands, is actually pronounced 'Nahn-di' with a ah as in father. This really confused me at first as I thought they must be talking about a different town in Fiji, but luckily I was but right by Isabel before I landed.

All the Fijians on the resort... or anywhere in the tourist industry, wear hibiscus flowers behind one ear. They all smile a LOT (more than me even, and I smile quite a lot!) and say Bula! Which is hello (actually it is m-bula with an almost silent m).

And... we were all greeted at the airport by a local band of 5 or 6 men, singing, playing ucalayles (I have no idea how to spell that, sorry - the very small guitars), smiling a lot, in sarongs and with the hibiscus flowers behind their ears. They should bring that in at Heathrow I say.

For all worried about my lack of reading material, I think it might be OK. I read almost nothing yesterday and just hung out with my new friend. I still have not finished the book I have, have maybe 100 pages t go and then another big book after that. I think I should be OK. And there is a swap shop mum, but all the books are in German or Japanese. Think the English ones must all have been taken already...

Right, that's all for now... it is 12.55pm here (five minutes to midnight your time on Sunday night) and I'm about to spend my Monday lunchtime at the bar, reading, in the shade (it's just too hot in the sun) by the sea with a foot massage afterwards. Hope your Mondays are.... well... er, hope it's not too cold wherever you are :o)

A more chilled out Fi...

OK, I'm feeling better now :o) I found a little friend, she is 22 and on a gap year before she starts her solicitor training. Just as an interesting aside, she thought she was older than me. She looks about 15. Hmm....

So last night we sat and chatted and some more today. Sometimes all it takes is a smile and a quick chat with someone to make you feel better. The massage helped too.

It is so hot, I just cannot explain it. Althugh it's about 31 degrees there is no breeze today. The sweat is pourng off me as if I had just stepped out of the shower. In fact, I've had 4 showers today!

So it's not all so bad. It's only a week after all. Things could be worse :o) We also had a show last night of traditional south pacific island dancing - hoola dancing girls and fire breathing men, it was really good.

Here are some pics...

The island next to mine, taken on boat journey

My dorm room

The beach at Beachcomber

Some traditional dancing

Some traditional dancing

And here is a link to the rest:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=563441&id=799440229&l=9c5e8ebaa8

Thank you Isabel!!

This is a special post to say THANK YOU ISABEL!!!

Isabel looked after me very well indeed in Sydney and we had a lovely time together. And all the poor thing asked in return was a bit of chocolate from England (it's tastes different in OZ - preservatives we think) and what did I forget to get at the airport? The chocolate. Luckily my parents are posting some over for me...

Anyway, thank you so much Isabel for a lovely time!!!

Putting the Fi in Fiji

Hi guys,

I am in Fiji and I am going to have a moan. Yes, I know you can't believe it... what could I possibly have to moan or complain about? I am on a desert island in the middle of the South Pacfic, it has white sand and palm trees and everything, but...

When I got to the airpoty last night, I was walking from the plane to the terminal and I saw a lovely rainbow. It's such a small thing, but I really wanted to share that rainbow with someone. I wanted to be able to say to someone 'look at that rainbow!'. But I couldn't. I considered pointing out the rainbow to strangers, but no-one was even walking close to me. So I didn't.

I was due to be picked up for free by the hostel I had book into. A man came straight up to me, and I thought it was him... he asked if I wanted to book anything for the rest of my trip and before I knew it he had whisked me away to a deserted office in the top florr and locked me in with him. I started to feel uncomfortable and realsied it certainly wasn't the driver from the hostel. He was showing me brochures and offering to book anything I wanted. He said there was no commission but I would just pay him a deposit, but I still wasn't sure about it. He did quote the right price for Beachcobmer Island though - I checked it all out on the internet although I didn't book anything but my first night. But I was worried the deposit he took wouldn't count and I'd still have to pay the full amount. Then I said I was thinking about 1 night at Navutu Stars, which is a luxury spa place. And luckily i had already checked out the rate - 525 Fijian dollars which is about 180 GBP for one night. He quoted me 645 FJD which included a deposit of 120 FJD. I did some quick maths and that decided me.

But I was in an office, locked in on the top floor! I was worried he would be weird but in the end I said I just wanted to book my first three night and that was it. I paid a deposit of about 90 FJD and we left. He had said he would drive me to my hostel but then just put me in a taxi (annoying as the pick up would have been free) but I was glad to be away from him!!

So, yes, I know, I'm an idiot. You've all been groaning and rolling your eyes and thinking how you would never have done anything so stupid. What can I say... clearly in this situation I am better travelling with someone than on my own!

Anyway, the good news is that the deposit did work for the resort I am at now. I just paid the difference between the deposit and advertised rate, so I'm happy with that. I shall just decide tomorrow maybe where I will head to next.

And also... I'm sort of a bit bored. There's very little to do, and although I love reading and have a couple of books with me, it's not... I don't know. There's couples and big groups everywhere, not so many single travellers... it's harder to meet people and I'm feeling just a tiny bit lonely for the first time since I left London. I don't know, maybe that's pretty good going.

I didn't bring enough beach clothes with me either. And all the girls are thin and in bikinis.

OK, moan over.

Here is whre I am staying:
www.beachcomberfiji.com

Here is a photo of the Island I am on:
www.travel247.ie/images/products/FJ_NAN_Beachcomber.jpg

I will uploaded my own photos soon....

:o( xxx