40th anniversary

Well - we've just had the celebrations of the Maori Queen's 40th anniversary of her succession. I used this with my class in our News and Views Friday session.

I was trying to get across the fact that she has been Queen for a long time and that is why she is very tired this year, so I told my class that when she was made Queen I was nearly 2 years old. "Wow, you're really old, came back the response".

Oh well, I think the message was received and understood.

After our news review, I asked the class to write what they would do if they were King or Queen for the day - the lovliest reply I got (and I would deffo choose this child as my Queen for obvious needful reasons) was:
"If I were Queen for the day, I would let all my people have a little sleep".

Well readers, I am proud to announce that the Sky Tower is now white and not blue - took a long while to change this time.

I was talking about this with friends a week or so ago and joked that I would ring up to complain about the colour not changing. Funnily, their no 2 son was listening and when the Tower colour changed a day or so later, his parents told him that I had rung and complained - making the Sky Tower People change the colour to its present state!

He believed them!

Must remember to keep this one up when I next see him and also add some embellishments!

Last weekend, I caught up with my local friends by visiting their new home and having a Chinese takeaway. It was great to see them. I love their house - it even has a distant view of the Sky Tower (in white remember) from their spacious dick.

On Sunday, I had a Tiki Tour (sightseeing in Kiwi terms) with Ero friend, of the Maraetai and Beachlands area. It is soooo pretty and feels miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet is only 15-20 mins drive from Botany and there is a ferry to the city itself for commuters!

Here are a couple of photos:



Oops - not sure if the above photo is taken from Maraetai! Sos - don't know where that came from!

This is where we ate lunch:



Beautiful view:



Thanks for a lovely day.

I took lots of photos, but the camera card must be full - sorry! Need to download the photos onto a disc at some point!

Have just noticed boring programmes coming onto the TV and spent a puzzling minute or so trying to turn over to another channel using the telephone! Going nuts. Kept wondering why it was beeping at me.

Hasten to add that I am not the only person within this home who has commited this faux pas!

Walked into school last week to see our Head writing on the notice board the following:

"There is a bucket in the ladies toilet and it is there for a purpose. Please do not remove."

Sounds a bit third world doesn't it?!

Well, we all stood as serious teachers watching and listening carefully and then, once she had gone invevitable sniggers ensued and there were addendums galore!

Oh - here are some photos of us going over the Bridge.

Up we go:



Can you see it yet?



On the top:



I love going over the bridge and have done it many times - including last Wednesday night to a friend's birthday dinner. It was great to have a catch up natter. So happy birthday to you again.

That was completely unrelated wasn't it!

Am now off to do exciting emptying of tumble dryer, followed by a shower, paying of telephone bill and a trip to cinema with lots of popcorn!

That reminds me - BEWARE! - popcorn is not sweet here - it is still buttered, but it is salted instead. Found this very strange at first, but quite like it now.

Kiwi fruits are back in season - very yummy and we are also being overrun by mandarins and apples - son likes the sweet and crunchy NZ Rose apple.

Feijoas are on the way out now - thank goodness - there were so many falling, the garden was getting rather overrun by them! Still the littlies at school enjoyed this fragrant green oval as well as various friends and acquaintances!

Tara!

GET WELL SOON MUM - YOU'RE DOING GREAT - GOOD ON YA!

Greeting from the Land Of The Long White Cloud!

Hi everyone

Tis Saturday morning and am sat here in my jim jams writing this latest essential post from the Land Of The Long White Cloud (Aotearoa). Sorry if I've spelt it wrong!

Exciting day lined up - shopping, cleaning, washing, planning (for school) etc! However, may add a little sparkle by going to the cinema later to see the Da Vinci Code. Son wants to see X Men - so may see that at some point soon too.

Have finished my reports AT LAST. Had a glass of Lindauer Fraise to celebrate - very yummy sparkly wine with strawberry flavour - am addicted! (Hasten to point out that I'm NOT an alcaholic though! However, did drink nearly a whole bottle of Jacobs Creek Rose when lovely friends visited last week - had a cosy chat and got slowly and pleasantly sloshed, then fell into a deep sleep lasting 10 hours! - that's a lot for me, for as you know I am becoming a true Kiwi by getting up dead early and falling asleep about 9 or 10 pm - extrememly annoying at weekends!).

I can hear you all thinking - where is no 1 son? Well - I'm sure you will be surprised to hear that at this moment (9.33 am precisely), he is giving it zeds.

Well - reports are out of the way - now I have parents evening to look forward to. So far, the parents I've met have been lovely.

We also have a day off for the Queen's Birthday over here - really strange because that never happens in the UK! Not complaining though.

We've had a few wintry days here lately in that the mornings and evenings have felt VERY cold, yet during the day the sun was out and twas pleasantly warm. Consequently, I set out for work wrapped up in a multitude of layers, only to be constantly stripping off during the day. Have left clothes all over the place - in the car, on my chair in the classroom etc etc!

On one particular morning, I plonked stuff into the car and, as usual, got the wiper to clear off the condensation gathered on the windows. However, it was not the usual water, but ICE! Was very surprised! There was frost on the grass too. Have been told that this is about as cold as it gets (in Auckland) though - so it's not too bad at all.

Have to say, that's the only frost we've had so far and the weather has been a little milder the past 2 days.

Thursday was beautiful and perfect for the closing of our Pasifika topic at school. We had lots of Cook Island drumming and dancing. Some of the Year 6's were fantastic dancers. I really enjoyed it - the swinging of the hips of the girls in their colourful lava lavas (sarongs) and the manly movements of the barechested boys - I so want to visit the islands now - I've learnt so much via the teaching of these lovely kids and want to see more. Still have LOADS of NZ to see yet though! Very jealous of someone I know who're going to the Cook Islands very soon - lucky buggers!

My class had a lovely day visiting the various activities on offer and comments coming back to me were, in the main, positive. However, they were the only class that decided it was lots fun to paint their hands black (rather than the word TONGA onto a headband) and proceed to place prints on a variety of surfaces, including their yellow school uniform polo shirts.... groan....

Had a lovely evening the other day listening to friends' daughter join in with other family schools singing with a lovely NZ lady in a very entertaining concert. Really enjoyed it. The barbershop quartet (with their world's first expose of red waistcoats) was fab too.

The songs sung by the children were vaguely familiar and half way through the concert, I realised that I'd heard them being practised by children in our school - after a few enquiries, I realised that they would also be singing with said lady in a concert in Botany very soon!

Son and I have noticed that the words 'follow through' seem to be used a lot here - but not in the way that we often snigger about. It is used in 'intelligent' conversation here - ie on the news and between politicians etc. Cracks us up every time we hear it - sorry - my juvenile humour again - but can't help it - tis genetic.

Two days ago, son turned on the TV and the channels were either non existent or crap (white lines etc). After a few seconds of intelligent deduction, we noticed that the aerial wire had fallen out of the wall socket. Well - he pushed it back in and hey presto, all was well. Even the Channel 1 channel that has previously been very white liney. That was exciting wasn't it? Gosh - I really must get out.

Actually, am going out to see lovely Ero friend tomorrow - she's going to show me around the Maraetai area - have been through it 2x now, so will be good to see it in more detail as it's a very pretty part of Auckland, on the beach etc and about 20 mins drive to Botany shopping centre. Am really looking forward to it - shall take some photies for you.

Drove into the city last night to check PO Box and collect lovely Chinese take away - I said thank you in Chinese, and received a huge surprised smile and was called 'very clever' in Chinese by the lady proffering said food. I love it when I surprise people with my Chinese speaking abilities - must learn more. Son and I have the Cantonese learning tape in the car and I can understand most of it - COOOOL! Reminds me of the day I was in the lift in our flat in HK and one of the neighbours was telling another all about me (nothing nasty though) - where I came from, who my hubby was etc etc. Twas so funny - she hadn't a clue that I understood every word! I love that feeling! Sue's secret world!

My speaking abilities are not too bad - but was put off for a long while due to asking the ice cream man for an iced willy by mistake! Everyone collapsed around me - very embarrassing.

Oh well.

The Sky Tower has changed from blue to white at night now. Looks lovely as per usual.

Lisa Owen that does the (BOOOORRRRRING) Agenda prog on Sat mornings looks just like Mystic Meg. I keep expecting her to come up with the latest horoscope readings as an aside to all the political mutterings going on. Sorry, I'm sure it's not boring if you're into politics. (Remind myself to be more intelligent re current affairs).

Other Sat morning progs include selling stuff and more selling stuff. Yawnie yawn - anyway - shouldn't be watching it - should be dutifully cleaning and yeah whatever....

Local paper had an interesting story:

FLAMING CABBAGE DRAMA

A group of smokers gave themselves a fright when a cabbage tree caught fire last Wednesday. Howick fire station officer ------- says the deck of the Nelson St property in Howick had been built around the tree. "They were trying to put it out with pots and pans of water."

This is the funny bit (please forgive juvenile humour again):

One member of the group was an asthmatic and was taken by St John Ambulance to a Botany Rd medical centre to be treated for smoke inhalation.

This is the severe warning at the ending:

Mr ____ (fire officer) warned smokers to put cigarette buts into water.

I just LOVE stories like that.

There was one a couple of weeks ago where some people were up in arms about someone putting a traffic cone on top of a huge fir tree - I thought that was hilarious!

Oops - should be quiet here - haven't got my PR yet and don't want to be seen as a stirrer.

On that note, I'd better go.

Sue signing off for important missions to hoover, washing machine, books and Pak n Save.

Tara!

Groany reports.

Well - hi all

It's all go here as usual. I'm in the midst of boring report writing - we have to do them 2x a year here! Bloody hell.

Son had a lovely Ball - they all looked fab.

Here's a couple of piccies:





These were taken at the Pre-Ball party where the parents get together with their offspring and partake of drinks and nibbles whilst trying to make intelligent conversation.

The house was very posh - beautiful views from the balcony of the sea - swimming pool in the garden etc. Very civilised!

They were then taken to the ball via a party bus (this is the first time I've seen double deckers in NZ!) to Auckland City for the Ball, after which they were taken by the same said bus to a friend's house for the After Ball party. I picked them up the next day and they both slept on the settees during the day under the pretext of watching a DVD! Think they had a grand time!

It has been chucking it down most of the week - leading to children not going outside for a run around during break and lunch times - consequently leading to a horrible week of cooped up children - yuk!

Have been wearing tights with skirts now and the kids are FASCINATED! Keep getting little hands stroking my legs or pinging my tights - lots of stern glances downwards!

Also had chidlren asking me why I am wearing stockings - after telling them that it's due to the cold and that they are not stockings, but tights - I get the obvious question 'what's tights?' Took a while to think about an appropriate answer to that one - but my classroom helper got there before me:
"Tights cover your bum, stockings don't."
Brief, yet concise! Accepted by the children at once and they've never asked again!

It is definately feeling wintry now - much cooler in the mornings and nights consequently leading to an emergency requirement of heating.

Therefore, yesterday son and I trekked into Manukau City outskirts in order to find the gas bottle filler uppers and the gas heater converters. Found them very easily and they completed the job while we waited. We now have a toasty warm house! Lovely.

On the way to these very helpful gas men, son and I saw two amazing feats of NZ drivers.

The first was on our road as we were waiting at the roundabout in the rain - ie very slippy wet road. A car was coming from the opposite direction waaay too fast and decided to take a sudden left turn - well, he did eventually turn, but did a complete circle in the middle of the roundabout road on his way! Unbelievable.

The second NZ Car Feat was carried out on the Pakuranga Road. Picture this if you will - I'm driving on the outside lane of 2 lanes going north - the 2 lanes coming south are empty at the mo due to traffic lights halting traffic about 100m up the road. Suddenly, a car shoots out from behind me onto the oncoming traffic road, proceeds to drive about 50m up that road (in the wrong direction!), then turns right into another street, just before the oncoming traffic arrives! Amazing......

Believe me readers - these kinds of acts of madness are not uncommon!

Had a nice surprise yesterday - son bought me a jar of feijoa jelly and a huge bar of Cadbury's chocolate (from England - not the NZ one). It tastes bloody fatabulistic! Shall try not to eat too much at once! These are both for Mothers Day - which is in May over here - don't know why. He couldn't give them to me today as he is presently on his way to the Waitomo Caves for a school geog trip.

They are staying there overnight in, quote, 'segregated accommodation'. Just had a few texts from him on the coach. They are watching Pirates of the Caribbean and it took them 45 mins to get out of Auckland! No idea why - tis Sunday and all is usually quiet on the roads.

Well - that's it from me - short and sweet this week.

There is however some great news on the horizon - it looks like the house in the UK is sold - so everyone please keep everything crossed for me. I will be able to see hubby again soon! Will be a bit worrying when we meet him at the airport - son and I are not sure what he looks like anymore!

See ya!

x Sue