Hi folks
Well I've now been back in the UK for just over two weeks (I think!) and am back in Devon, currently staying with my parents in Teignmouth.
I STILL! haven't fully got my hearing back after my flights (don't ever fly long haul with a cold!!) which is really annoying, but it's better than it was so that's something.
Spent the first few days a bit zonked out, saw my sister and brother in law as they were staying at mum & dads for a few days.
Met up with a few good friends in Teignmouth that I haven't seen for ages, so that was really nice. Been to Teignmouth carnival (sad I know but I haven't seen it for about 15 years) and it's got rubbish in the years I've been away!
Done the boring stuff of registering that I exist in the UK, updated address details, registered with doctors etc etc.
I went to an SK muster this weeekend which was great as I met lots of new additions that have appeared since I've been away, and saw loads of great folks that I haven't seen for a very long time.
Very strange being away on my own, but generally it was a fab weekend and the sun shined for all of it - a little too enthusiastically as I got sunburnt despite using factor 30 suncream!
Weston super Mare had the biggest sandcastle it has ever seen and a good scrap was had by all. Looking forward to catching up with the people I missed this weekend at the August bank holiday muster in York.
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Thursday, 16 July 2009
All change
Well things have changed an awful lot since I last wrote so I'll have to do a bit of a catch up.
Having tried unsuccessfully for six months to get work in Gisborne, and Dave having tried unsuccessfully to get transfers to somewhere larger, we have made the decision to come "home".
New Zealand does have it's advantages, and I'm sure we will be moaning about the crappy summers in Britain in no time at all, but living in NZ long term just isn't the right fit for us. There are plenty of good beaches in the UK, and I managed to brave the UK sea for about 26 years without a wetsuit (although I got soft in 2006 and bought a "shortie" wetsuit). But there's no point having great weather if you're not happy and settled where you are.
I can say I did something that very few people have the guts to do - I upped sticks and tried out a completely different lifestyle on the other side of the world. So whilst I am sad that it's not the perfect place for me to live, I'm glad that I took the opportunity to do something different. We didn't get to see as many places as we would have liked, but we've definitely got a flavour of new zealand "culture" and as I said, done something completely different.
I'm in Christchurch on the east coast of the south island, I flew here last friday to stay with a friend of mine. I was going to try and get work until Dave's contract finishes at the end of October but decided that it would be better to get back to the UK sooner rather than later. I fly back to the UK on tuesday evening NZ time. Dave will stay in Gisborne until his contract finishes and then come back to the UK as well.
Having tried unsuccessfully for six months to get work in Gisborne, and Dave having tried unsuccessfully to get transfers to somewhere larger, we have made the decision to come "home".
New Zealand does have it's advantages, and I'm sure we will be moaning about the crappy summers in Britain in no time at all, but living in NZ long term just isn't the right fit for us. There are plenty of good beaches in the UK, and I managed to brave the UK sea for about 26 years without a wetsuit (although I got soft in 2006 and bought a "shortie" wetsuit). But there's no point having great weather if you're not happy and settled where you are.
I can say I did something that very few people have the guts to do - I upped sticks and tried out a completely different lifestyle on the other side of the world. So whilst I am sad that it's not the perfect place for me to live, I'm glad that I took the opportunity to do something different. We didn't get to see as many places as we would have liked, but we've definitely got a flavour of new zealand "culture" and as I said, done something completely different.
I'm in Christchurch on the east coast of the south island, I flew here last friday to stay with a friend of mine. I was going to try and get work until Dave's contract finishes at the end of October but decided that it would be better to get back to the UK sooner rather than later. I fly back to the UK on tuesday evening NZ time. Dave will stay in Gisborne until his contract finishes and then come back to the UK as well.
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Update
Well I haven't written for a while as there's not a whole lot to say.
It has certainly been a month for pretty rubbish news.
Mum, get better soon, I hope you get your plaster cast removed sooner rather than later, and the bruising heals soon (she fell off her bike. Keep taking the arnica tablets!
Joan, a friend of ours from the SK took a really bad tumble down her stairs and has broken her neck. She is in Sheffield spinal unit currently with very little movement, but has feeling in her arms and toes I believe, so that is a big thing to be thankful for. She is determined to be walking for the October re-enactors traders fair - our thoughts and prayers and with her & husband Gary.
Scooter - honey I don't know what to say but we're thinking of you and rooting for you and hopefully will find lots of silly stuff to keep you amused.
To Claire J - we love you and we're thinking of you.
And Dave's paternal grandad has cancer, which is awful news and very sad to hear.
Our love and prayers go out to all of the above - you may be out of sight, but you're not out of mind.
On a slightly lighter note Dave has applied for transfers in Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton through his existing company but has not heard anything back yet so is also looking elsewhere as we can't continue to exist on one wage.
I haven't worked now for six months, not through want of applying for things, I'm just applying for pretty much everything. A big company called Bunnings (like B&Q) is opening a large store in gisborne and are recruiting for staff. So far I have had a phone interview (540 people had applied when I spoke to them), a group interview (230 got through to this stage) and tomorrow I have a "proper" interview, which I think is the last hoop to jump through. They want people for admin as well as working in the shop, but to be honest as long as I get a job I'll be happy - beggars can't be choosers!
You will all be glad to know that it's wet and cold here and has been for at least a couple of weeks - I will never take brick built houses with thick insulation, double glazing and central heating for granted again. Last count we have one winter duvet, three summer duvets and one quilted throw on our bed as it's so damp & cold at night!
Not got a whole lot more to say, we're both finding it very difficult at the moment but you don't want to be bored with that, so I will sign off.
It has certainly been a month for pretty rubbish news.
Mum, get better soon, I hope you get your plaster cast removed sooner rather than later, and the bruising heals soon (she fell off her bike. Keep taking the arnica tablets!
Joan, a friend of ours from the SK took a really bad tumble down her stairs and has broken her neck. She is in Sheffield spinal unit currently with very little movement, but has feeling in her arms and toes I believe, so that is a big thing to be thankful for. She is determined to be walking for the October re-enactors traders fair - our thoughts and prayers and with her & husband Gary.
Scooter - honey I don't know what to say but we're thinking of you and rooting for you and hopefully will find lots of silly stuff to keep you amused.
To Claire J - we love you and we're thinking of you.
And Dave's paternal grandad has cancer, which is awful news and very sad to hear.
Our love and prayers go out to all of the above - you may be out of sight, but you're not out of mind.
On a slightly lighter note Dave has applied for transfers in Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton through his existing company but has not heard anything back yet so is also looking elsewhere as we can't continue to exist on one wage.
I haven't worked now for six months, not through want of applying for things, I'm just applying for pretty much everything. A big company called Bunnings (like B&Q) is opening a large store in gisborne and are recruiting for staff. So far I have had a phone interview (540 people had applied when I spoke to them), a group interview (230 got through to this stage) and tomorrow I have a "proper" interview, which I think is the last hoop to jump through. They want people for admin as well as working in the shop, but to be honest as long as I get a job I'll be happy - beggars can't be choosers!
You will all be glad to know that it's wet and cold here and has been for at least a couple of weeks - I will never take brick built houses with thick insulation, double glazing and central heating for granted again. Last count we have one winter duvet, three summer duvets and one quilted throw on our bed as it's so damp & cold at night!
Not got a whole lot more to say, we're both finding it very difficult at the moment but you don't want to be bored with that, so I will sign off.
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Congratulations to Kylie & Darren on the birth of their little boy Oliver - big kudos to Kj for managing without pain relief and well done to Ollie for not putting his mum in major pain for a too long before putting in an appearance (although I'm sure it felt like forever for Kj!).
Also, big congratulations to Belle on her completion of her swimming badges!! Currently top of her class - atta girl!
The recession is obviously taking it's toll on people's social lives as I know of four friends that have given birth so far this year and there are another four between now and October! Staying in is obviously the new going out!
Nothing to report on the job front, I keep applying and hearing nothing back, and haven't had any more sewing work so no extra pennies to help out this month. After several months of asking, there are now transfers in some of the major cities through Dave's work available so I think he is going to apply for them as obviously if we are in a more central and "metropolitan" town/city then there is more likelihood of me finding a job, and there will be more of a social life, things to do etc.
Gisborne is a lovely place to be in the summer, a bit like a lot of seaside towns in the UK, but can you imagine Teignmouth if it was three and a half hours one way to a Torquay sized town and two and a half hours the other way to an Exeter sized city? Well, to be fair, at least Teignmouth has got a nightclub - it may be the size of a postage stamp, but it's still a club!
It's difficult not to get completely frustrated with the lack of things to do here. Nineteen months is more than long enough here I think, so I hope that something comes through with a transfer for Dave so that we can both start feeling a little more positive about being here and get out and about and see more of New Zealand. Being in/near one of the major cities makes travelling a lot more of an option as you can fly from Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton to loads of other places where as from Gisborne you can only get to Auckland and Wellington. It would be really nice to catch up with a school friend of mine who is living on the south island, and being more central would make that a lot easier to do.
So keep your fingers crossed folks - we need to get jobs in one of the major cities. And if so, hopefully it will be sooner rather than later that we will be visiting an English county near you!
Also, big congratulations to Belle on her completion of her swimming badges!! Currently top of her class - atta girl!
The recession is obviously taking it's toll on people's social lives as I know of four friends that have given birth so far this year and there are another four between now and October! Staying in is obviously the new going out!
Nothing to report on the job front, I keep applying and hearing nothing back, and haven't had any more sewing work so no extra pennies to help out this month. After several months of asking, there are now transfers in some of the major cities through Dave's work available so I think he is going to apply for them as obviously if we are in a more central and "metropolitan" town/city then there is more likelihood of me finding a job, and there will be more of a social life, things to do etc.
Gisborne is a lovely place to be in the summer, a bit like a lot of seaside towns in the UK, but can you imagine Teignmouth if it was three and a half hours one way to a Torquay sized town and two and a half hours the other way to an Exeter sized city? Well, to be fair, at least Teignmouth has got a nightclub - it may be the size of a postage stamp, but it's still a club!
It's difficult not to get completely frustrated with the lack of things to do here. Nineteen months is more than long enough here I think, so I hope that something comes through with a transfer for Dave so that we can both start feeling a little more positive about being here and get out and about and see more of New Zealand. Being in/near one of the major cities makes travelling a lot more of an option as you can fly from Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton to loads of other places where as from Gisborne you can only get to Auckland and Wellington. It would be really nice to catch up with a school friend of mine who is living on the south island, and being more central would make that a lot easier to do.
So keep your fingers crossed folks - we need to get jobs in one of the major cities. And if so, hopefully it will be sooner rather than later that we will be visiting an English county near you!
Random assortment of Kiwisms
* Afghan - type of biscuit
* Backblocks - out in the sticks - also referred to as out in the wop wops, up the boohai
* Docket - receipt
* Bludge - scrounge
* P.M.S - Pest management strategy - wouldn't be safe to use that in front of hormonal women!!
* Billy - billy can as in camping pot, but also refers to peoples kettles "put the billy on"
* Jug - also means kettle
* Jafa - j.a.f.a = just another f***ing aucklander - dereogatory term for a city person i.e "you're just anonymous face" they don't know anything about country ways
* Tukus - slang for mens underwear originating from a financial scandal where the director of a company allegedly bought very expensive underwear with company funds! Also used to denote dubious use of funds
* To have "tickets on" someone - to fancy someone
*Stonkered - knackered, to be beaten (in a game)
*Curly - difficult, or very good (both apply to Dave depending on what mood he's in!)
*Toss your lollies - be sick
* Backblocks - out in the sticks - also referred to as out in the wop wops, up the boohai
* Docket - receipt
* Bludge - scrounge
* P.M.S - Pest management strategy - wouldn't be safe to use that in front of hormonal women!!
* Billy - billy can as in camping pot, but also refers to peoples kettles "put the billy on"
* Jug - also means kettle
* Jafa - j.a.f.a = just another f***ing aucklander - dereogatory term for a city person i.e "you're just anonymous face" they don't know anything about country ways
* Tukus - slang for mens underwear originating from a financial scandal where the director of a company allegedly bought very expensive underwear with company funds! Also used to denote dubious use of funds
* To have "tickets on" someone - to fancy someone
*Stonkered - knackered, to be beaten (in a game)
*Curly - difficult, or very good (both apply to Dave depending on what mood he's in!)
*Toss your lollies - be sick
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Blue, blue, my world is blue
Well it has been for the last few weeks. One of Dave's colleagues asked if I would make him some covers for traffic signs, I made a few, he liked them and asked me to do a shed load more. So our front room has been covered with blue polyester for the last couple of weeks, and my sewing machine has never been so busy since I inherited it!
Yes, I know, pick yourselves up off the floor, I have been sewing. And have made a few pennies out of it, which is good, as I STILL do not have a job and am going slowly out of my mind. Gisborne is not the place to be unemployed in the autumn. I'm applying for the few jobs that come up in the paper, but as yet, no interviews.
Very homesick at the moment, missing friends and family and just generally the familiarity of being in "my" country. I would give anything to go into tescos and buy my favourite foods! I really want to come home, better to be unemployed and be able to see friends and family than be miles away from them......
Yes, I know, pick yourselves up off the floor, I have been sewing. And have made a few pennies out of it, which is good, as I STILL do not have a job and am going slowly out of my mind. Gisborne is not the place to be unemployed in the autumn. I'm applying for the few jobs that come up in the paper, but as yet, no interviews.
Very homesick at the moment, missing friends and family and just generally the familiarity of being in "my" country. I would give anything to go into tescos and buy my favourite foods! I really want to come home, better to be unemployed and be able to see friends and family than be miles away from them......
Monday, 23 March 2009
Not really a lot to report at the moment. I'm still not working so that is making life very difficult.
Just thought I'd check in and let you know I'm still alive.
Congratulations to Claire and Richard on the birth of Annaleeza, and to Rich and Jodie on the birth of Alice, I'm sure that both of them will create as much mischief as their parents do!
Missing friends and family very much, and knowing that it will be a long time until we get to see everyone again in the current situation.
And wondering whether it is better to unemployed in New Zealand, or in the UK? At least in the UK we'd have friends to see and share a consolidatory bottle of wine or two with.
It's very hard not to be melancholy having all this time to myself, I'm reading a lot, revising my very rusty french, and spending far too much time on Youtube.com and watching E! on sky (sometimes you just need a hour or so of pure trash tv). Oh and I'm now really good at spider solitaire and hearts (God I'm bored!).
I've applied for everything that I can do in Gisborne, and have only had a rejection letter back from three of them, so I guess the rest of them are working on "east coast time" and I probably will never get an acknowledgement of my application.
In a lot of ways here, businesses are very "cruisy" (i.e. laid back), but some just take it to extremes and in a lot of instances quite unprofessional. The problem with people running franchises or small businesses here, is that their personal life seems comes before their work life - don't even bother trying to get hold of people in the east coast on a Friday afternoon - they will be playing tennis, or golf, or gone to their "bach" (beach house) for the weekend, or gone to watch the rugby, or to buy a new boat, gone fishing, or some other similar thing. But yet they expect everyone else to be there when they want something. Very strange. I think this is more of a Gisborne/small town thing than a New Zealand thing, having spoken to other kiwis who were not Gisborne born and bred, but it's really annoying!
I managed to get to see a neurologist about my back pain and pins and needles and he told me that as my reflexes are fine, I should just keep taking the painkillers. Which was really helpful - and when I tried to question him about what causes the pain, he said that he didn't have time to discuss it further as he had a plane to catch! Just goes to show there are idiots everywhere, although he wasn't as bad as the psychologist who reviewed my meds who told me that coming off my tablets and having kids would sort things out, as I'm not working anyway I might as well start popping kids out!!!!!!! I must go back to hospital soon, I do so love being patronised!
We had a bit of a scare last week as Dave had a fever, and had spots of his legs that wouldn't blanche on touch, so he had to go to hospital to get checked for Meningitis. Whilst on the other side of the world, poor little Belle was also very poorly and was in hospital getting checked for meningitis as well. Spooky! Thank God, they are both fine
Just thought I'd check in and let you know I'm still alive.
Congratulations to Claire and Richard on the birth of Annaleeza, and to Rich and Jodie on the birth of Alice, I'm sure that both of them will create as much mischief as their parents do!
Missing friends and family very much, and knowing that it will be a long time until we get to see everyone again in the current situation.
And wondering whether it is better to unemployed in New Zealand, or in the UK? At least in the UK we'd have friends to see and share a consolidatory bottle of wine or two with.
It's very hard not to be melancholy having all this time to myself, I'm reading a lot, revising my very rusty french, and spending far too much time on Youtube.com and watching E! on sky (sometimes you just need a hour or so of pure trash tv). Oh and I'm now really good at spider solitaire and hearts (God I'm bored!).
I've applied for everything that I can do in Gisborne, and have only had a rejection letter back from three of them, so I guess the rest of them are working on "east coast time" and I probably will never get an acknowledgement of my application.
In a lot of ways here, businesses are very "cruisy" (i.e. laid back), but some just take it to extremes and in a lot of instances quite unprofessional. The problem with people running franchises or small businesses here, is that their personal life seems comes before their work life - don't even bother trying to get hold of people in the east coast on a Friday afternoon - they will be playing tennis, or golf, or gone to their "bach" (beach house) for the weekend, or gone to watch the rugby, or to buy a new boat, gone fishing, or some other similar thing. But yet they expect everyone else to be there when they want something. Very strange. I think this is more of a Gisborne/small town thing than a New Zealand thing, having spoken to other kiwis who were not Gisborne born and bred, but it's really annoying!
I managed to get to see a neurologist about my back pain and pins and needles and he told me that as my reflexes are fine, I should just keep taking the painkillers. Which was really helpful - and when I tried to question him about what causes the pain, he said that he didn't have time to discuss it further as he had a plane to catch! Just goes to show there are idiots everywhere, although he wasn't as bad as the psychologist who reviewed my meds who told me that coming off my tablets and having kids would sort things out, as I'm not working anyway I might as well start popping kids out!!!!!!! I must go back to hospital soon, I do so love being patronised!
We had a bit of a scare last week as Dave had a fever, and had spots of his legs that wouldn't blanche on touch, so he had to go to hospital to get checked for Meningitis. Whilst on the other side of the world, poor little Belle was also very poorly and was in hospital getting checked for meningitis as well. Spooky! Thank God, they are both fine
Friday, 13 March 2009
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