Skype!

So I just managed to download Skype and even make it work and everything! So if I can do it, anyone can!
I have also been introduced to the realm of MySpace this week. I must warn you though, if you do happen to stumble across my MySpace profile you should be aware that it is only very loosely based on reality and that I did NOT write it myself! I will change it at some point, but right now I can't be bothered. So if any of you do have MySpace you should be my friend, coz right now I only have 3 of them! :-(

General happenings

Hope everyone's making the most of the summer weather on the odd occasion that the sun decides to come out....Just wanted to say thanks to Maz for having the latest chemmat luncheon at her house last saturday, and to Claire for organising. We had about a dozen people come over to catch up. Best effort was made by Charles who biked 20km to buy ingredients for food and then came down all the way from whangas to join us!

Also, on Thursday Maz, Kenny, Evangeline and I went rock climbing at Extreme Edge in Mt Wellington. Kenny was undaunted by the toughest overhangs and Maz took to the walls like a fish to water, being a natural born climber (remember the Mangawhai playground?). Evangeline proved that being, err, vertically challenged is no obstacle to scaling the heights.

Anyway we're hoping to have a regular chemmat event for those of us in Aucky at least once a month, not necessarily rock climbing (tho it might come up again)...other ideas include sampling international cuisine, mini golf etc. So if anyone feels like organising an outing, please feel free. Otherwise, look out for news of the next event, I hope to see less pikers next time!

I'm tired!

Hello again, yes that’s right, you get to hear from me again! Oh g-d you think, what could she possibly have to say now that’s vaguely interesting………well, I’ll try to keep it brief this time, I promise :-)

So last time I left you in Oxford………………I think I spend Christmas with the most spoilt children in the world! They got so many toys it was just ridiculous! I spent the majority of Christmas day assembling various lego castles and pirate ships, knex swinging boats and sewing stuffed animals. Think I had more fun with their presents than they did! After a few days I did tire of the kids though and thus spent a few days just wandering around Oxford. It’s a really cute town, would be fun to go to uni there I think, all the buildings are really old (the first college was established in 1170 (I think)) and beautiful. Went and had a look around Christchurch College (don’t try to walk on the grass, you get told off!) which was quite cool. They also have a Bridge of Sighs (a la Venice) in Oxford which I found kinda weird.

Left England on the 28th for Dubai. Stayed with my Fonterra friend in Dubai again and went to the Mall of the Emirates, saw the ski field thing, which was quite cool (no pun intended!). My flight back to NZ was quite eventful! Somebody actually died on our plane! Sat next to a NZer who has been working in Saudi for the past few years for one of their big oil companies, so that was really interesting. When I arrived back in NZ on New Years Eve I hadn’t slept for more than 48 hours, so by midnight I was fast asleep! I didn’t realise that human people were capable of being awake for 52 hours!! Now, just enough time to wash stuff and repack………………..

Left Auckland on the 2nd January for Queenstown with my family in tow……… Highlights of Queenstown included a trip to Gibbston Valley winery, the Minus Five bar (there’s one in Auckland too, it’s kinda something you’d only bother doing once though), paragliding off Coronet Peak, and jet boating up the dart river (again) (Note: I don’t recommend the “Funyaks”, they were NOT FUN! spent most of the time yelling at my brother coz of his crappy navigational skills!) Also, I managed to catch up with Jason down there which was good, heard all about his trip to Italy. Despite frequent arguments with my brothers (much to our parents despair) our trip progressed up the West Coast, with stops at Franz Joseph and Hokitika. Saw the glaciers at Franz and Fox, and many relatives in Hokitika. Visited the Monteiths Brewery in Greymouth before catching the Trans Alpine Train across to Christchurch. Went to Akaroa today, visited French Farm Winery and went on a harbour cruise to see Hectors Dolphins, Penguins, Fur Seals and a whole lot of different birds (they’re really all the same to me) before returning home.

Now…….I’m tired, tired of travelling! Never thought I would utter those words, but there you have it. More than anything I want to just stay in the same place for more than a few days! Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve had the most fantastic summer, and I don’t want to whinge or anything, but right now I’d just like to sleep for a week! But no such luck, on Tuesday I’m taking my cousins up to the Bay of Island for a few days, then I suppose I should really try to find somewhere to live down in Mount Maunganui. No rest for the wicked huh?!

Anyways, hope you’re all well! Looking forward to catching up with everyone at Maz’s next Saturday!

Back from Lanka

Hi all,

Got back from Sri Lanka a few weeks ago and have only now got round to doing a post about my travels. When we arrived home Auckland was putting on a glorious summer of overcast drizzle and I was yearning for a few more days at the beach hotel to soak in the warm tropical waters and lie on the golden beaches under coconut palms. While we spent much of the time in SL catching up with family and friends, we also did a lot of travelling round the island. For my sister and I it was great to see the country (we hadn't been there for 13 years) and get in touch with our "roots".

Our first trip out of Colombo (capital of SL) was to the central area where we visited various historical sites, each with the remains of palaces, temples, shrines and statues. Here are a few highlights:

This is Sigirya, a 200m high rock on top of which a 5th century king built his palace. We climbed the 1200 steps to the top. Among the remains that can be seen on the way are bathing pools, fountains, gardens, rock frescos of topless women, giant lion paws carved out of the rock (the lion's head, made of brick, was destroyed) and the foundations of the palace on the very top.










This dagoba (or stupa) was built in the 2nd century BC and is 120m high, making it the third highest building in the world when it was completed (after two of the pyramids). It is made of bricks and is solid throughout except for a small room where Buddhist relics are thought to exist. It was restored in modern times. A lot of people go there to pray. (That's me in the foreground).













Also went on a jeep safari to see wild elephants. Only 3000 left in SL (100 years ago there were 40,000) though numbers are rising.

The land is lush and fertile, largely covered in paddy fields, tropical forest and coconut plantations (we didn't visit the tea plantations in the hills this time). The rural folk seem to do ok, many having small concrete houses and working on plots of paddy.





Later we travelled south to the beach to relax (hotel pictured). Scattered along the coastline are the gutted remains of houses destroyed by the tsunami. The effects of aid are also evident such as a road built by the US, brightly coloured fishing boats donated by charity and corporate sponsored housing projects such as the "KPMG Village".

To make some general observations:
The towns are busy and chaotic, traffic is crazy, people are warm and kind. There are military checkpoints throughout Colombo, all with soldiers carrying AKs. The country is very beautiful but is spoilt by piles of rubbish all over the place. We managed to avoid the bombs going off (just).

Been great to read what people have been up to so keep posting!

Arj

Happy New Year!!

Hi everyone! Merry Christmas!! And Happy New Year!!! Back from a WILD New Year's at the Mount... and the underager's weren't that bad. Cover bands playing power ballads... MEAN! Also had a night out in Tauranga, which was just as good, and I got breath tested 3 times in one night!! Hope you are all enjoying yourselves, and I am keen to catch up soon!! How's the reunion planning going?