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?!