Hello again!

The weather is lovely when it's not raining! The photos below show the walk I take from my rental down to the beach.

I take the footpath ahead and then clamber down lots of steps to get to the sea.

This is the view from the top of the stairs - it's all so beautiful!
And here I am at the bottom of the stairs, nearly at the beach.














Once there, I happily plopped around in the mud and watched the slimy shell creatures make their slow journeys across the sticky brown beach (the tide was out). I had a lovely time squelching up and down the shore.

Kids were out there too making the most of their 2 week school break. It was so relaxed and quiet - everyone just pottering about, building sandcastles, sunbathing, poking things under rocks, reading etc etc.......

Off on a tangent now - Another word that I have noticed used here in a different way than is normal to the average Brit is 'stink'. When something bad happens or you don't want to do something (like the kids in my class!) then that is really STINK!

"Today we're going to do lots of maths, including arduous long division!"
"STINK!".

"He robbed their home and left nothing behind".
"That's really STINK".

As opposed to the Brit version:

"He didn't flush the loo"
"Pooah - what a stink!"

Also being poorly is not always understood - a South African friend of mine laughed when I said it and told me it sounded like an excerpt from an Enid Blyton book! Some kiwis thought I was saying I was poor. Oh well - all fun and games.

Yoghurt is pronounced in the American way over here - so when I was talking about it in relation to Healthy Eating at school - the kids collapsed with laughter, all concentration was lost and the lesson came to an abrupt halt with lots of copies of my English accent saying "yoghurt" in a very pronounced way. Ah well - I do try you know!

Spent yesterday with Kiwi friend and daughters trying to get them to say Aero properly and was rewarded with a chocolate Aero bar! Don't think they're convinced that mine is the correct way to say it though!

Went to Sylvia Park yesterday too - a new shopping centre - very nice - reminded me of a cross between Fosse Park and the Bull Ring. There was some filming going on there too - but we managed to desist from walking to and fro past the camera making funny faces and exaggerated movements.

We are still house hunting with a vengeance! Spent most of my 2 weeks off doing so...... Even got stung on my foot by a bee whilst having a quick look outside - yeouch that hurt. My hopping around and squeals of pain must have brightened up the other house viewers' day I expect. Probably looked totally stupid bouncing around on one foot trying to poke out the sting asap! Spent the following 2 days inspecting said foot to make sure toe hadn't fallen off or gone black - you'll be glad to hear that my toe only itched for 2 days and I am still fit and healthy!

However, on the house front, we may be getting close - so will keep you up-to-date!

Back to work tomorrow - boooo! Ah well - only 10 weeks til the long summer hols and lots of boogie boarding with family and friends.

Take care - and to all fellow Brits, I shall continue my crusade on correct pronounciation for all! I will make you proud! Ha ha.

See ya!

x Sue

101 Things To Do In NZ

Hi all

Just a quick post here - thought you might like to see this:

http://www.aatravel.co.nz/101-must-dos-for-kiwis/

Gives you an idea of how beautiful this country is and some of the places you can visit if you ever get here (apart from those of you already here that is!).

I like the advert - quite funny! I've been to those loos too - beautiful!

Tara!

x Sue

From the bottom of the world's bottom!

Hello all!

Kev's back with lots of lovely goodies - am now well stocked up with my fave perfume, handbags, clothes etc!

We are now searching for somewhere to live with a vengeance - visiting open homes, scouring The Eastern Property Press and driving around different areas! Exciting but tedious too.

Well - what else have I been doing?

Last Weds I went to watch eero friend's daughter in a really fun school play (the costumes were amazing) - it was about an English pirate sailing the seven seas in search of great desserts. He finally found one (Lamingtons) in NZ and fell in love with the maker of these desserts (Lamington Lil) staying with her in NZ - the bottom of the world's bottom!

Here's a piccie of lamingtons - sponge cake decorated with chocolate icing and coconut - you can put cream inside or jam or both!

I'm on holiday now - yeehaaa! We had teacher training on Friday and celebrated the hols by going to an Irish pub in South Botany. Lots of nattering took place about what we'll be up to in our precious time off before we disbanded and returned to our respective homes.

Gosh - it's so nice to just relax for a bit

The weather is improving all the time - so much so that Kev and I (along with our neighbours from the UK who are now living down the road!) went to Waiwera hot pools for the day yesterday! Had a fabbie time on the slides and relaxing in the pools - even chose the right day - it was $10 Tuesday (less than half normal price).

We slapped on lots of suncream and ran amok - great fun! As a consequence, when we got home I went to bed and slept for 2 hours! Tiring work all that sliding and swumming!

Oh yes - I am now the proud owner of a very fetching wet suit (Mrs Blobby here I come)! With the weather being so warm, but the sea not quite so - I can now enter with confidence! Am looking forwards to boogie boarding and snorkelling very sooon - woohooo!

My kitchen roll has pictures of tiny black and white cows on it and the words VIVA! in bright pink - where that came from I don't know! Who thinks up these designs and what is the relevance? Perhaps it's just there for people like me to wonder about..... Who knows!

The radio is telling us to sort out our bookings for our cats in the catteries as they are filling up fast - the catteries that is.

Oooh - we saw a car on Queen Street (whilst dropping off our PR application) - here you go:

One car must have pulled out whilst the other was hurtling down the hill!

I'm nearly caught up with Coronation Street now - it's nearly Cilla's wedding - so it does seem that it is about 1 year behind!

Well - that's me for now - it's 7.48am and I woke up way too early due to still being on 'work time' - doh!

Tara everyone and I'll write soon.

x Sue

Looks like we've got it!

Had a bit of time to spare today - due to son having a bunch of friends round for his 18 birthday - so decided to go into the city and check our PO Box and guess what?!

There was a letter from immigration requesting our passports and money and congratulating us on qualifying for PR! Yeeeyah!

I'm not counting me chickens too much - bit it looks GOOD!

We will finally be Kiwis (sort of) and have all the same rights as everyone else - whoohoo!

Thanks to everyone who has helped and encouraged us on the way - especially when hubby and I were apart and it was quite tough at times for both of us!

The strangest moment I remember was saying 'bye' to Kev last November and I was all alone in NZ (I wasn't really cos I had some lovely people take care of me - many cheers), but it was still rather strange. All the commuting between Auckland CBD and Howick, looking for a house, sorting out the school for son, starting my new job, getting lost LOTS!

Well - we're nearly there!

THANK YOU.

x Sue

Finale was FAB!

We had a lovely time. There was a sex shop next door, so we all decided to pop in for a peep first! Sooo much fun - would never have gone in on my own! We all marvelled together - ha!

Here are a couple of the lovely 'ladies' - they sat opposite me on our table and duly informed us that they were only there for the food! They then proceded to eat our garlic bread.



The one on the right was our compere for the evening. He/she proceded to call me 'bitch Sue' (due to my name being common knowledge on a pink name tag!) and whenever anyone did anything fun/cool etc would shout out "Give him/her the clap!" He was sooo funny. His laugh was like a goat after a few fags!

The other was very pretty, but sooo skinny. The show was fab - they lip synched (sp?) to some really fun songs - "It's Raining Men", an Abba medley and lots of others I forget.

Here's another photie:



This was near the beginning of the show - gosh they were sooo tall! One had loads of tattoos and looked very manly.








This guy kep nearly losing his wig! Another guy looked like his boobs were pointing outwards - ie pulling apart from one another!

Lots of questions were asked that evening - mainly about their manly bits and how they hid them so well. One friend bumped into one of their 'boobs' and said it was rock hard - so we decided they were oranges!

Got home after midnight and was wide awake for about an hour or so - so I did as any normal person would do and downloaded me photos.

Was well knackered the next day.

Well - it's Friday today and we had good old "News and Views" at school. The King of Tonga died this week - so I covered this as there are quite a few Tongan children in my class and it is big news here. However, upon looking at my News and Views book - I think I really need to lighten up - each one over the past 3 weeks has been about a death! First the Maori Queen, then Steve Irwin and today the King of Tonga - Jeez! We'll be writing epitaphs next. Better do something happy next term!

Yayyyy - only 4 days of teaching left, one teacher day and then 2 weeks hols - WHOOPDEDOOO!

I'm such a professional teacher - counting down the days to my hols!

Am off looking at more Open Homes tomorrow - basically you look in the property press at the houses you like and then view them during the alloted times given (say 2-4pm). There are flags put outside to guide the interested parties. All good fun!

By the way - our PR is approved in principle - more Yayyyas! Just waiting for the letter requesting our passports and (inevitably) more money!

Son turned 18 last Tuesday and we decided to go out for a pub meal in Howick. On the way we went into a liquor store and son bought a bottle of something very alcaholic "because he can". I bought a bottle of gin! Gonna have a swig tonight - got me lemons ready sliced in the freezer. Gosh can't believe my baby is 18 and eldest is 21 - I am sooo old! LOL.

Now - what else have we been up to? (drums fingers on table) Oh yes! Son and I had a 'House' fest - we hired series 1 from Blockbuster and watched as much as we could this week - really cool series - we love House! I want to be like him - he only treats those he wants to - maybe that could be converted to teaching - hmmmm - methinks I'd get the sack!

Guess what! A meteorite landed in Canterbury: The meteor, travelling at speeds of about 40,000kmh, flashed across the Canterbury sky on Tuesday afternoon (son's birthday) and caused a sonic boom heard from south of Ashburton to Blenheim.

How cool is that?!

I've had a haircut and the kitchen floor needs a wash - fun!

I also ate rubbish for me tea (not literally you understand). Too embarrassed to say what - but it was utter crap.

Must go out to exercise to relieve symptoms of guilt.. Oh no ... all symptoms have gone! Shall sit here instead. Mrs Blobby Pants.

I have made a skirt for summer - 'Clever Girl' sticker for me - hopefully it has washed okay - daren't look in the machine yet - could be in pieces stuck round the motor by now.

Gosh I am really going off task here - must get off this machine and do some serious TV watching - it is Friday night after all!

Tara fer noo.

Slopes off to eat yummy stewed fruit.

Will blog again soon.

x Sue

Hi all

Well - back to me and Adam again!

Corrie and Kev are in Hong Kong right now with a big shopping list from son and I - waist and hip measurements have been duly sent to them via the e-mail airways plus handbag and technological requirements (son is interested in headphones that vibrate through the skull and sounds are 'heard' in this way - see the link below)!

http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=659

The weather is beautiful at the mo - like an early English summer's day - makes everything feel so much better when you're all toasty warm and the sea is twinkling in the sun! Wore t-shirt today and no cardy or fleece etc - 9pm at night and still in me t-shirt - luverly!

Am looking forwards to hearing the cicadas all day long and the crickets all night long - very tropical sounding so they are!

The past few weeks have been rather wet - some poor people have experienced the loss of their homes due to land slides - they're called SLIPS (slups) here. Have to say it sounds quite strange and rather funny (no offense to poor people who have lost said homes) to hear newsreaders talking about slips - images of underwear came to my mind whereas people falling over came to daughter's when the newscaster announced "Wellington has suffered with slips this week" - mhawaaaah! Sorry. Endevours to be a serious professional lady.

Had a nice girly weekend this weekend and slept lots due to yet another snotty cold!

Went into Auckland yesterday and partook of yummy Chinese lunch followed later on by tasty pearl drinks - coconut for me (as usual!), strawberry for friend's daughter and peach for friend. I was well impressed that friend and daughter tried these unusual drinks without qualms and seemed to enjoy them!

Here you go - this is what one looks like and if you fancy a try - the shop on Queen street (rhs as you walk up the street, just before the cinema) is very good.

Friend and daughter's examination of said drink caused much amusement to onlooking Asian ladies - I duly explained that it was their 'first time'!

Have a look at this page for further info on the drink and a recipe on how to make:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/BubbleTea.htm

Well - work tomorrow - noooooo!

Am currently watching "So I Married An Axe Murderer" at the mo with son who is currently eating cornflakes dry out of the cornflake box - yum (not).

He's 18 next week and plans to spend the evening (after a meal out in Howick) watching the first series of House! He will be going out with a friend the following weekend for his first legal drink (scarey) - I shall drop off and collect - so all should be reasonable - I hope!

I am off to Finale next Saturday - Tis a cabaret type place - and we will be entertained by a variety of drag queens! There are about 30 of us girlies going - should be a great night - will tell more next weekend. Here you go - have a perusal at your leisure:

http://www.350finale.co.nz/index.htm

Not quite sure what to expect really........but looking forward to it all! Life in NZ has truly been an adventure so far!

Guess what?! On the 12th of October I will have been here one whole year - hasn't that flown?! Which reminds me - I really have to get my Kiwi license sorted for driving!

Maybe next Saturday? Gulp....... Oh well gotta be done.

3 more weeks to go and then I'm on 2 weeks school hols - yeehaa! Boogie boarding here I come - hopefully.

Well gotta go - had no tea and tummy is rumbling now - not a good time to eat is 9.39pm - but will have a light sarnie methinks.

See yas all nixt week - tara!

x Sue