Catching up

Keith & Ruth & Zack were back in Christchurch today, before they fly back to Sydney tomorrow for a couple of days and then on to South Africa. We met them for dinner at Le Cafe at the Arts Centre (the slow-cooked lamb shoulder was delicious, but the carrot cake was probably better at lunchtime). It was great to see them for a few hours and hear a bit about their travels around the south island. Sounds like they've had an awesome time, despite a few trials and tribulations along the way. I can't wait to see Keith's photos, once he's pared them back from the two or three thousand he currently has (and he's deleted loads already!) They're bound to appear on-line at some point.

This evening's not been all good though. I forgot that we now own an ottoman. I remembered in the dark as my foot tried to share the same space as it. And as any child who has studied maths but not reached fractions will tell you - two into one doesn't go.

Daylight

We moved one step closer to having everything done in the house today. We had our curtains fitted. Still no blinds, but at least we have curtains. It's so nice to have daylight streaming into our bedroom instead of daylight filtered through old real estate magazines. On the down side, it does mean we can now see just how filthy the windows are.

On Thursday evening, Keith and Ruth and Zack came over for dinner. It was so great to see them and spend time just chatting and stuff. It is kind of weird to see friends from London over here though, as I mentioned before. Just so out of place, I guess. It was a lovely evening though. We could have chatted for hours, and would have done if it were not for work the next for us and the start of their trip around the south island.

Zack did have time to christen our bath though (unless Shirley took a bath the other week) and to fall asleep on the running machine. It was where he chose to lie down. We did offer him more comfortable options.

Last night I got to play poker for the first time ever, with people with real intelligence rather than the artificial kind at least. Al was having a few guys round for a game and invited me when I saw him at touch on Monday. In the end there were only four of us, me, Al, Rick (another guy from church who plays footy with us) and a guy called Brendan. It was a great evening. A bit of banter and some cards. Can't go wrong, eh? And I didn't lose either, which was great for my first ever game. I came second in fact. I was winning until the final hand too.

Today Joanne and I had our usual Saturday morning gym trip before we had to rush home for the curtain guy. Early afternoon was spent at the unfortunate-sounding Groynes. It's a reserve up past the airport somewhere, for those too lazy to click. The reason we were there was for Joanne's work's Christmas picnic. Although it was more a catered barbeque than a picnic, to be honest. Lovely food too. The highlight for me was definitely when Santa arrived on the back of a ute and started giving out pressies to the kids. One little lad told me that Santa lives in Liverpool, although I'm not sure how widely held a view among little Kiwis that is.

Being at the work family party thing reminded me of the Christmas parties that Sartah and I used to go every year at the bus depot in Grimsby. I can't remember if it had been my nan or my grandad that had worked there, but either way, it was a party for the families of employees (and ex-employees too, I think). There would be cheese and sausages on sticks, ham sandwiches, some crisps, jelly and icecream, a few party games and then Father Christmas would turn up and give everyone a present. I still remember the curly-wurly straw I got one year.

I have to say that today was definitely the best weather I've ever enjoyed on my birthday. It's going to be weird having a summer birthday from now on. I'm used to my birthday being grey and miserable. It's been a good birthday so far though. The sun is shining, I got some cool pressies (a Transformers t-shirt and a DVD of the movie from Joanne, a barbecue implements set from my mum, a little golf ball and accessory holder thing from my sis and Ellie, and a Mr Bump t-shirt from Shirley and Tom), Joanne bought me a really delicious banana cake. Tonight we're off out for a meal. Probably a curry I think. We've not had one since we've been here.

The butcher of Halswell

Much of this evening has been spent attacking a 8kg ham with an electric carving knife. My company gives each of its employees a ham each Christmas and I got mine today. We decided it made sense to portion it up, cut some into useable chunks and generally freeze most of it in varying size lumps. I can't believe how long it took though. Getting on for two hours in all, I'd say, including cleaning the skin and fat off and stuff.

At half-time in the great butchery extravanganza Joanne and I nipped out to the airport. Ruth, Keith and Zack were due to arrive just after ten and we thought it would be a nice surprise to meet them off the plane. I'm so glad we did. It was so good to see them. It's going to be great to have them over tomorrow evening for dinner for some food and a bit of a catch-up and to hear all the news from our friends on the Barge. They're in Nuzziland for about a month I think with Christchurch at the beginning and end for a few days. It'd be great if they were around on a Sunday to come to St John's with us. I think Joanne's got their itinerary somewhere. Otherwise we can just ask them tomorrow night, of course.

It is strange to have people from our London life over here though. Sort of out of place. London is like a different world now, in some ways it seems like such a long time ago, and it's strange to have an overlap of worlds. Does that make any sense at all?

Let's get it on

Joanne and I went to a boxing fitness class at the gym tonight. I did some boxing-focussed circuits classes back in London and Joanne, of course, has her karate, so it was something we figured we'd both enjoy. And enjoy it we did. Although I'm not sure either of us will be able to move our arms tomorrow. It was kind of full on. The guy taking the class has both boxed and trained at international level it seems, but he does have a rather disconcerting way of persitently referring to himself in the third person.

I got my Christmas presents posted to the UK tonight. Finally. In theory the last cut-off date for pre-Christmas delivery is tomorrow so I just made it. Hopefully. Postage is expensive though, eh? Some of the postage cost more than the presents! Next year people get light pressies ;)

Ooh, and I forgot to mention, Jack Johnson is playing here at the end of March. Bon Jovi and Jack Johnson within two months. I'm not sure I can take the excitement.

Ruth and Keith and Zack arrive in NZ tomorrow evening. It'll be great to catch up with some friends from London. Sometimes it feels like that life was just a dream. The internet is a great way to remind myself it wasn't. I love email and Facebook. A great way to see what people are up to.

Almost feeling festive

I had a mince pie at morning tea today. It was the first time I've felt remotely festive. I suppose tomorrow lunchtime, when we have some sort of office Christmas lunch thing (they had a spit roast a couple of years ago I was told) that I might begin to feel Christmassy. Especially at the end of the lunch when I can come home and not think about work until 3rd January. Other than a couple of public holidays I've had half a day off since I started at the end of August. I am definitely in need of a break. How do people survive in this country with only 20 days holiday a year? It's a big drop after I had 28 in the UK.

Last night my department (plus partners) all went out to dinner. I was unsure beforehand, with Thai food not being my most fave (due to the heavy use of noth lemongrass and coriander), but in the end the food was fantastic. Hardly a whiff of lemongrass or coriander to be found.

I guess last night will the last time we all go out together like that. In the New Year things are going to be very different. Lisa is leaving to set up her own creative design company and my boss is heading off to Perth to manage our new venture out there. There are all sorts of plans afoot to restructure the marketing department once he leaves at the beginning of Jan, but we're not privy to them at the moment. In theory we'll be told tomorrow before we all head home, but I'm not holding my breath. There are sorts of rumours about who will be reporting to you and the department being split up between different managers and stuff. I guess we'll find out at some point, eh? The uncertainty has definitely caused some unrest recently in the department though. For various reasons there are people with a lot to lose or gain depending on the outcome of senior level decisions being made.

It was so good to be able to play football again tonight. It's the first time for ages. It's just happened that the past few Thursdays I've had something on. I've certainly missed it. We won again tonight, 14-4. We're really playing some nice football at times.

I've just been reading Ruth and Keith's blog about their trip around the south island. It's great to find out what they've been doing and seeing so far. Although it sounds like they've had a bit of vehicle trouble.

So, one more day or work and then we fly up north for 8 days. It'll be good to catch up with all of Jo's folks. Gabi has offered to give Joanne and I a lift to the airport on Saturday morning. How lovely is that, eh?

One year down

I've just realised that somehow I managed to miss our one year anniversary. On Friday Joanne and I had been in Nuzziland a whole year. 12 whole months away from the motherland. It really has flown by. It's been good though. We've done some great stuff while we've been here and God has blessed us richly with our house and jobs and mostly with the friends we've made at St John's. The hardest thing about leaving the UK was leaving friends and family behind. It still is difficult and I miss so many people so much, but we're building lasting friendships here now and it helps.

I think having Jason here this weekend has brought it all back to the surface again too, in some ways. Having a friend visit from back on the Barge has reminded me of everyone we left behind. It was the same when Caroline was here and when Ruth and Keith were in NZ too. I wouldn't want not to see old friends though, and have them not visit, don't get me wrong.

So yeah, Jason arrived on Saturday. My football match was cancelled due to excessive rainfall during the week which means that our moat/impromptu duck pond is back across the road and more significantly that I was able to take Jason on a bit of a drive around Christchurch to show him a bit of the place. It ended up being quite a tour.

We started up Dyers Pass Road stopping at the lookout point near the Sign of the Takahe for a couple of photos before the clouds came in. Then came the drive over the back of the Porthills round to Lyttelton, round the corner and over to Sumner before heading back into town to take in the cathedral, a shop or two, the Art Gallery, the Arts Centre, the Botanic Gardens and a quick cup of bubble tea. We then met up with Joanne in town (who had, incidentally, just won her first netball match of the season - a real cause for celebration!) for some dinner at the Tap Room. Mmmm, stonegrill.... you can't go wrong.


Today, after church we had Ryan, Bek & Si and Chris back for lunch. We wanted to introduce Jason to some of our friends from St John's. Scotch broth with home-baked rosemary bread followed by banana rum nut crumble and hokey-pokey icecream. Lush.

And now, presently and at the moment, I'm sat up in bed in a hotel in Methven. Tomorrow, assuming the mountain's open, we go skiing! My first time in the southern hemisphere too.