My first mangrove swamp

So, I had a lovely weekend.

I flew to hamilton on Thursday afternoon and we flew past Mount Taranaki, a dormant volcano sticking up through the clouds! I met George for dinner and then drinks afterwards and it was lovely to catch up.

Friday we went to Raglan, which is a pretty little coastal town with a very nice beach. We wandered around the shops and then went back to hamilton for dinner, drinks and some very interesting conversation! George is very intelligent and knows about everything so my knowledge of the Crusades and Inquisition were improved that night :o) Also, we had dinner at an amazing chinese resataurant and had the world's best pork dumplings!

Saturday was Auckland with one of his colleagues at the Uni of Waikato and her husband. We went to a couple of marketsd which were fun, had an amazing lunch at a tiny Mexican place. Then we met up briefly with Adam, who was in Auckland for the Edge film festival, at a forum for people to pitch their documentaries. It has lots of big an important TV people from NZ and Australia. He won best pitch award! This is for his documentary about Kiwi wrestling. He's obviously delighted, he got lots of interest and business cards. I'm really, really happy for him. The evening was a fascinating conversation over wine about science, maths and religion :o)

Sunday was the Coromandel peninsula. We drove nearly all day and got back at 11.30pm. We stopped at a few little towns and the drive there was amazing, it's an utterly beautiful place. We also saw the Cathedral Cove, which is quite an iconic Kiwi place. Photos to follow! Also, can you believe that the Coromandel is sub-tropical and has mangrove swamps?! Amazing...

It was really lovely to see someone from home and catch up on the London gossip. Apart from that, George is great company and I'm very grateful that he took a whole weekend out of his very busy schedule to show me around.

Thanks George!

Tonight I'm going over to Adam's to cook him a celebration dinner.

On a slightly sadder note I suffered a bit of homesickness again today. I think it was a combination of seeing someone from home and then having to say goodbye plus a chat with my mum and Holly this morning, it just set me off a bit. Especailly talking about Alfie and how he'll likely be upset by Holly and Peter moving home. He'll be alright though I expect... I just miss him.

Sorry to have a slight moan! I know, I'm incredibly lucky to be over here living the life I am and I do appreciate it really :o)

xxx

Earthquake

We had another earthquake in Christchurch today at 12.51pm. Here's a link to a story:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/22/earthquake-christchurch-new-zealand

It's all over the news and there seem to be multiple fatalities. It's quite shocking and scary. I felt it actually here, at home, a very slight shaking but unmistakably an earthquake, I could feel the building shaking slightly from side to side. I'm up on the 6th floor.

A bit of punching, a bit of love, some friendship and some wine

Well, I have been lucky enough to have two lovely e-mails from two friends today. I feel quite spoiled!! Thank you very much Helena and Kathy!! It's really wonderful for me to get e-mails and feel unforgotten :o) And a lovely long one from Lou a couple of days ago. What lovely friends I have! Sending me e-mails full of lovely words and compliments and kindnesses :o)

Also, i am seeing George (who I worked with at City) and hopefully Daran too (who I worked with at GenRe and stayed with my first weekend here) this weekend, up in Hamilton. It will be glorious to see some familiar faces!

My weekend was very nice, I went with my flatmates and 2 colleagues of one of them to Martinborough, a wine region north of here. We visited a couple of vineyards, had a picnic and visited a couple of towns. Saturday night was a comedy show with Adam and dinner then some drinks, and Sunday was down to a bar on the waterfront with my flatmates and more drinks in the sun. Hard life, eh? :o)

Other than that I am back to the personal training (he had a week's holiday) and back to the giving up smoking. I am getting very good at doing this now:

jab hook, jab hook, jab hook (duck!), duck, uppercut, uppercut. jab hook, jab hook (block!) block, jab hook jab hook. jab hook, jab hook (elbows and knees!) jab hook elbow elbow knee knee.

You get the idea :o) Turns out I love punching and am quite good at it! Best to keep out of my way in a street fight now I think you'll find :o)

I have my first maori lesson tomorrow night so that will be nice. Hope I meet some nice new people as well.

Oh.... and a little catch up on the romance side of things. Mum is right, this is getting to be a bit of a 'blog of the heart' rather than a travel blog and I apologise in advance for more soppy stuff. You can just stop reading here if you like!

I did the whole I love you thing! I actually said "I think I might be falling in love with you" so as not to scare him too much. I'm not sure it worked to be honest, I think he was a bit scared actually! He said "Oh, Ahhhhhh......(pause....) Yeah me too, a little bit"

He is going to be embarassed if he ever reads this! Bet he'd never think I'm writing about stuff like this (Sorry Adam if you do read this!) but I like sharing :o) Luckily he maintains he's not looked at this blog even once and that's probably a good thing actually!!

I don't mind his response, I think it's kind of funny actually. I'm glad I told him how I feel and I feel really secure and happy in how he feels about me, I know that at the very least he really likes me back. I think he was a bit surprised by it is all. Anyway, it's all fine, I've seen him twice already today for coffee and then dinner (both of which he called me up and invited me out for) and he's invited me over again tonight. So it can't have scared him too much!

Well that's me for today. Goodnight my gorgeous readers. Miss you all heaps :o)

xxx

NEWS no.3

So let me set the scene for you.

I spent yesterday feeling sad and homesick and didn't see or talk to Adam. He offered dinner and for me to come over, as I told him how I was feeling, but I wasn't feeling like good company. So he suggested lunch today.

He picked me up around 12.30pm on his scooter and took me to a pub called the Backbencher, next to parliament. We had a lovely lunch, the food was really good. He asked how I was feeling and we talked about the work he has to do (which is a lot!). I told him about my homesickness, about my thoughts for going home (yesterday I was looking at flights home with the idea of a week back in the UK - the flights started at 1,350 GBP though, which is a lot) and my plans for when my visa runs out (which is still south america in the end and then home). He listened to this last and then said "but then you're coming back here?" I confirmed that I am, as that is my plan at the moment.

And then he said "I've been thinking about something..." and I looked off over to the other side of the pub, trying to look nonchalant becuase my brain was suddenly getting excited, and what I'm thinking or feeling is always written all over my face, and I didn't want him to see me get all excited and then he might have said something like "I really want to get some bedside lamps, what do you think?" and then I've been disappointed and he'd have seen and that would have been awkward.

I didn't know exactly what he was going to say, but I felt sure it was something I would like, something big.

And indeed, he said "I've been thinking about a holiday to the UK, when you're back there. What do you think?"

I cannot think of anything I would rather have happen. I will be missing him like crazy to be honest when I'm back, which may be for a couple of months or more. But even more than that, to be able to introduce him to all my family, and my friends, and my favourite London places (and he also wants to visit Scotland with me as he's never been!) is just the most amazing, happy thing I can think of right now :o)

So, watch this space people. You may yet get to meet the great Adam sooner than you think :o) I mean, it's not for sure... but fingers crossed it'll all work out!

By the way, if you are interested, here are some of his short films (they're good!!) - http://www.youtube.com/user/BoomerNZ

A wee grizzle

This is not the subject of this post, but as an aside.. they say 'wee' quite a lot over here. Nearly as much as in Scotland and much more than in England. Adam says it because he's from Dunedin which is a Scottish place, historically. But I've heard others say it too. I'm not sure if maybe they're from that area too, or it's a country-wide thing. But it sounds kind of strange in a nice way to me! I've started to say it often as well :o)

Today I had a wee grizzle. Or little cry if you don't speak Scottish :o)

My last post was VERY long and so I was sat here at my desk for along time and every time I paused I looked at my photo board with all the pics from home on it... and I just got really sad and missed everyone. What I miss most I think is just being around people who know me inside out. Adam is getting to know me quite well, but in the 11 or so weeks we have known each other you just can't know someone completely. I really, really miss chatting to people who know me properly. And I miss Alfie. And I miss seeing Fleur's pregnant tummy and feeling the kicks. And I miss my family and all my friends. I miss London!!! Even in the rain and cold, I miss that wonderful amazing city.

I think I miss everything even more with the thought of coming back here for another year. If I just had a couple of months to go then a month in south america it wouldn't be so bad, but I really think I'll come back here unless things go wrong with Adam before then. I'm not sure I even want to. I don't really... I mean, I love it here but I love everything at home more. And I want to be an aunty!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It breaks my heart to think I'll miss the first year of my niece or nephew. And I miss my cat so much. I wouldn't even dream of coming back here if it weren't for Adam and some days it just seems like such a monumental sacrifice I'm thinking of making.

I wouldn't tell him that. It's not fair. It's not his fault and there's nothing he can do to help really. It's my choice, and I want to be with him because I'm falling in love. But my god, some days the only thing I wish for in the world is that he would come back to London with me.

:o(

xxx

There's something fishy going on here...

So, it's been a week of fish.

Those that know me well will see this is a big thing for me, but here's the thing for anyone who doesn't know: I don't like fish. Or at least, I didn't eat any until about a year ago when some friends at City Uni introduced me and gradually got me eating more fish. I'm still quite suspicious and there's lots I haven't tried, and I don't like all of it, but white fish is usually OK and I like steamed salmon, but not smoked. Seafood is still quite repulsive to me, but I like prawns. Oh, and I also get freaked out by actual fish in the sea, swimming at me. It's bordering on a phobia actually! I like them behind glass though :o)

Last Thursday I met Adam for lunch and we had... sushi!! I have been eating this with him quite often actually, and went to a sushi place with the rotating belt thing for the first time ever with him a couple of months ago. I still have to pick carefully, but I'm really liking it. Here is some photographic evidence!



My sushi lunch




Me eating my sushi lunch

As an aside - my god, you can so see my white hair at my temples in this picture! Never mind, I'm still thinking of it as cheap highlights :o)

So, that was the first fishy thing. Then I had a weekend of fishy stuff. On Thursday night i was out with my new friend Kat and her flatmate and she was saying she only started eating mussels about 6 months ago and hated them before that but now loves them. So, when Adam and I were out for dinner on Friday night and he ordered some mussels, I decided to try one. This was a BIG THING for me. I had an oyster once and hated it. But at least I just swallowed it, with mussels you have to CHEW!! And they look revolting and all I can think is about their insides you are eating, like their stomach and their poo and their.... you know, stuff. Orange and black bits and... *shudders*

Anyway, I took about 3 minutes to get it in my mouth and promptly spat it back out, untouched. Then stared at it for a few more minutes and then finally ate it and chewed it and swallowed. It was horrible. There wasn't really any sauce and it just tasted of.. um... sea, sort of. Yuck.

Then, on Sunday, Adam took me snorkelling. It is freezing in the water here, pretty much like the Atlantic. I had my 'togs' on (swimming costume) and a mask and snorkel plus some little rubbery shoes that we bought. We went to a rocky bit and basically... it was pretty awful. I mean, other people might have enoyed it, but there was a lot of rock to get over and then loads and loads of seaweed and I'm scared of seaweed!!!! I know how ridiculous that sounds, but I've thought about it and I think it's more a fear of things hiding in the seaweed. I just hate it touching me. And I'm scared of fish coming at me, again in case they touch me. Even the tiny ones. I just hate the feeling of it. So, it was all pretty horrific for me but i was very brave because I know Adam loves it and I was trying to do it and enjoy it for his sake. I only screamed at the first 2 fish I saw and only really wanted to cry when we had to get out through a lot of seaweed. I was only hyperventilating a bit whilst swimming around. It wasn't that bad really :o) Anyway, I was very, very brave and deserve a big gold star for managing not to totally freak out!

So, the next fish story was the same day, Adam and I went for dinner and I decided to continue the theme (and maybe get a bit of revenge for them scaring me!) and have fish and chips for dinner. Adam likes it. So, we went to a really good place that has had brilliant reviews. You could choose from 'fich and chips' where they just give you whatever they have, or actually choose the fish. By the way, the fish is different over here, there are ones called Warehou and Tarahiki and things, without a translation really as they are south pacific fish. But I've had both of those and they are nice, delicate white fish. I ate a bit of Adam's flounder (came with the mussels) last Friday and I didn't really like that, so I know I have to be a bit careful. Anyway, I was trying to go for the ones I knew, but Adam said to just go for the 'fish and chips' as it's half the price. I was a bit unsure... I asked if it's just normal white fish and he said yes. I don't think he gets the extent of how new and sometimes difficult this is for me! I was a bit worried getting a fish when I didn't know what it would be, but went along with it.

Guess what it was? I bit into it and it was white fish, but seemed a bit meatier somehow and also fishier than any other white fish I had eaten. I didn't really like it all that much.

It was shark. That surprised me and also put me off. I thought they were endangered?? Anyway. Yuck.

So, then, my final fish adventure was yesterday (Tuesday). I met my new friend Kat for lunch at the Fisherman's table (but had the chicken!) and she then convinced me to go swimming in the sea with her. It was much nicer there, a proper beach and no seaweed. However, I kept seeing a big shadow move around near the shore (we were on a balcony looking over the beach) and asked if it could be a fish (it seemed about 3 feet across!) but she said no, it could be a ray or anything and was probably seaweed.

Anyway, once we'd gone home to get our togs and got back we got talking to some holidayers who warned us to be careful of the big sting ray patrolling the shallows if we were going swimming!! I knew it! It was massive!! I watched it move way off to the side and then jumped in and basically didn't look down after that, just in case I saw it, as that would have me hyperventilating again :o)

I swam for about 30 mins, out to a sea fountain and then offto a little floating platform and then back to the shore. I was very proud of myself. Again :o) Here are some pics:



My friend Kat, at the Fisherman's Table restaurant

Me at the same restaurant



The beach we swam from at Oriental Bay



The sea fountain I swam out to

And also, another unrelated hair point - I had my hair cut on monday and it's much shorter than I thought! The photo at the restaurant above is after the haircut. Probably you can't see much difference. Adam can't, but then he is a boy! Anyway, it's only just past my shoulders and that's quite a bit shorter. Looks OK I suppose though.

Right, you've probably had enough of my rambling. Who knew I had so much to say about fish?!

If you're reading this, then this is for you...

My lovely wonderful reader, this is a message for you. Yes, you!

It's a Valentine's message to say hello, thank you for reading and also to send lots of love your way :o)

Here is a heart for you:

You really do realise when you are travelliung away from home that it is people who are the very most important thing in life. Friends and family are what make it all worth while.

Right, after that bit of soppiness I shall tell you my plans for today. They don't make a big deal out of Valentine's day over here so I have had to push Adam a tiny bit in the right direction! I went and did my Valentine's shopping a couple of weeks ago - I got a nice card and wrote lots of nice things in it. I got him 4 pairs of underpants, a t-shirt, a moisturiser and a DVD. I asked if we could go out for dinner and he suggested a nice steak place so we booked that a couple of weeks ago. Also, I made a picnic lunch today with 2 pasta salads; some jamon serrano and bread; mozzarella, tomato and basil salad and some marshmallows, chocolate candy floss and honeycomb for pudding :o) We ate it in the little park next to my flat but it rained a tiny bit. At least it's not cold! Then I am having my hair cut and styled this afternoon at 4pm, and choosing from one of my new dresses to wear out, then we'll do dinner later.

What a nice day! I don't expect any presents from him, as I asked him last night when he wanted his card and he said in the evening rather than the morning as he hadn't expected one and had to buy one for me! Just as well I mentioned it...

I'm feeling full of love at the moment, so I also got cards and little presents for my flatmates and even for Adam's flatmate as well. I want everyone to feel happy today :o)

So, even if you didn't get anything, you still got a Valentine's wish from me. I love you!!

xxxxx

Personal training sessions deserve popcorn!

So, hello again :o)

The most interesting thing I have for you today is a few 7s photos. Including one of me in a corset, so you may want to stop reading here dad! Although it's too bad really, I don't think it'll make your eyes bleed or anything...

My flatmate Nat in a policewoman outfit

Some very naughty looking boys!



In a bar on the waterfront




Me in a corset and tutu!




Inside a bar


















So my other news is I had my 3rd personal training session today and I'm a bit sore and knackered but am really enjoying it. It's also been about 36 hours since my last cigarette, so we'll see how that goes... And I'm off for a free facial in a couple of hours and then am meeting a new friend (from Gumtree) at 6.30pm and then Adam is taking me on a date :o) Dinner and cinema. Although he did stay up working until 3am last night so he's hedged his bets today with a possible suggestion of dinner and watch a film at home. I want the cinema!!! Working out deserves popcorn!!! But if he's too tired I shall stay quiet and smile sweetly and tell him I'd love to see a film at home :o)

Photos!

So we're back to Monday and I hope you've all had a lovely weekend? I did, just hung out with Adam. We cooked roast lamb for dinner on Sunday and it was very nice :o)

I wanted to share a few of my favourite photos from the last couple of weeks with you:

Ma and me at the harbour in Wellington - with the WIND!!

Wellington from the Botanical Gardens



Wellington from the Botanical Gardens













Hokitika Gorge




Hokitika Gorge




Queenstown from the skytower





Franz Josef Glacier
















Franz Josef Glacier



Franz Josef Glacier



The 7s in a corset!

Hello and welcome :o)

There are a few thing to catch you up with this lovely Friday:

1. I have signed up for a Maori language course which starts on 22nd Feb
2. I had my first personal training session today and loved it! We did a lot of boxing, and my trainer Even said I have a 'powerful delivery'! Also, I had to stand of balance pads (plastic discs full of air) and throw a ball around and didn't fall off and he said i was the first person not to do that! So I'm at the top of the class so far :o)
3. It is the Rugby 7s on this weekend! Basically it's a big annual rugby tournament that people go a bit crazy for and get dressed in fancy dress. I am going going out in a corset!! Not just a corset of course... pictures to follow... My flatmate is getting dressed up as a policewoman! Here is a link for some info and pics: http://www.nzisevens.co.nz/whats-on
4. I have a good few meetings with new friends lined up for next week, which is very exciting!

I think that's all for now!! xxx

More News :o)

Sorry people, this is yet more about Adam!

So, as I said he met me at the airport last night, with flowers. What an amazing, lovely surprise, and the flowers are gorgeous! He took me out to brunch today before going to work (he's on late shifts this week). I had a call from a recruitment agency in Sydney and they had a role for me, an admin role in an IT dept in a government agency. I told mum about it and she said that probably I should be getting back to real life and I kind of agree with her, it's been a long time without working now, about 4 months... a bit more actually. I wasn't that excited about it though, it sounds an alright role, but if I'm working full time that limits the things I can do in my last three months here, like the silver jewellery making course (Wednesday mornings), the Maori language course i want to do, the personal training, the travelling... although I'm also worried about getting bored in the day!

Anyway, I mentioned all this to Adam and he asked if I was excited about doing it, and also reminded me how excited I was about the silver jewellery making course... and then he said (joking of course!) that he forbids me from working full time! And I thought about it, and actually the thing that will make me happy is not working full time. So I'm not :o) I have other options, I have a possible part time job at a shop at the airport which sells gorgeous oils and creams and ointments and if it's part-time then I can fit other things in. And Adam also needs some transcribing doing and asked if I'd like to do some of that for him. I feel slightly strange about working for Adam... but only I think as I'm worried he might just be being nice in offering it, but then he does need it doing and i have done that a couple of times before. I could do it from home and it would be fun actually, I'd like doing that.

So, the big news is that I finally broached the subject of visas and the future! I had a letter from Fleur which precipitated a chat as I was saying how I want to be home for the birth but I've already change my plans to be back later than I orginally planned. So I just dropped into the conversation how I'd been chatting with my mum and I was thinking that 6 months is not so very long in NZ and it might be nice to be here longer and that I'm thinking of extending my visa, or getting a new one to come back.

And.. he said he thinks it's a very nice idea and he'd like that!

Not such a big deal after all, it was a very casual conversation but it just puts that idea in the picture so he's not assuming the whole time that I leave end of April and then he never sees me again.

I still feel sad and actually i got back and i looked at all my photos of home and the Christmas cards I had from Holly, Fleur and Colin, and pictures of Alfie and actually I cried just a little bit, thinking of being away from them for so much longer, but at least I would be back home in between.

And of course I will miss out on my niece or nephew's first year, which is heartbreaking, and also I miss Alfie so very much.

I mean, it's not decided for sure. It's just that.. I really missed Adam being away from him and that was only for about 10 days. And it was just so lovely to see him. I really can't get my head around the idea of having to just leave here, leave him, and then that's it. In just three months. He really makes me so very happy. A good friend of mine said recently that happiness is the most important thing and that if you find it, don't ever let it go for anything.

I think I agree with that :o) You have to at least try, don't you...

At the very least, I shall see you all in June xxx