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