Chapter One B: 3 September, 2004

The first picture is on a beautiful white sandy beach on weiheke island
where we stopped for lunch. It was very very beautiful, we absolutely HAD to
run down and check it out! it was gorgeous.

 

On the same beach in the other
direction is Patrick pointing to some kayakers out and enjoying the lovely
water.

I guess kayaking is a big deal out here as some of you might have
seen during the olympics this year as well as on the super cool stamps on
the postcards I've sent to some of you.

I totally love this third picture of the view of the water with the sun
sparkling in. breathtaking isn't it?

This is my raspberry hat that I'm very glad I have because it's so damned
cold here.

I left my rainbow toque in storage because I believed Patrick
when he said it wasn't that cold here. Coming from summer climate to this is
a harsh shock to my system and I'll never believe him regarding the weather
ever again. Except for the rain. I got caught in the rain today, it lasted
for the five minutes it took me to get home. I got drenched. it's like the
sky opens up and torrentially downpours like a freakin waterspout and then
stops just as suddenly. Everyone ran for cover and just stood around under
the covered areas. I went home. I got rectangular pink glass earrings from
the market today in Aetoea square. I'm not sure how to spell it, but it's
aye ah toe ah square. Alright, enough about pink.

This next picture is a sign around the corner from our apartment building. A
number of restaurants post signs of BYO. I laughed to myself wondering if it
meant bring your own . . . and found out it does!!

How super cool is that?
Patrick told me that you can do that in england but I didn't know that.
There are BYO's all over the place here! yeah yeah yeah, so what if the lush
in me is a lil excited? It's better than me sitting around this boring tiny
apartment bored to tears drinking all the wines we've purchased lately,
getting hammered and going to bed early after watching a dvd we rented at E
Z rentals. . . N E X T P I C T U R E~!!

This is the view from the first wine place we went to where I purchased the
throw away camera. That's the tiny Weiheke island behind patrick. The second
place we visited is in the valley behind him. we can't see the third place
from that spot, but on another spot we did. No picture though. Sorry.

APRIL ARCADE!!! Arcade is like a shopping centre here. Iit's not quite a
mall, if it is, it's tiny like kingsgate mall, I guess. It's more like a
covered hallway, because there's doorways at either end, and usually tons of
little shops all side by side down the hallway. Anything from cute shops,
clothing, shoes, corner stores, cell phones, bags, pharmacys, whatever. This
arcade is on Weiheke islland in the little town/business/shopping district.
Most of the other shops were real estate and eateries. We found one place in
particular that has BRIE PIZZA!!!! Can you imagine? Here on some tiny island
getaway? Another pizza shop with pear and brie???? I'm so happy!

There are more pictures. I'll send them on later.

I accepted a job at Bear Park Centre. The have a Reggio style approach to
their teaching, I LOVE IT!!!!! once a year the manager takes a staff member
to REGGIO EMILIA, ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I said, 'TAKE ME TAKE ME MEMNEMEMEMEMEMEME!!!! They also do a staff
exchange with a reggio approach center in Boulder, Colorado! How exciting
eh??? The BEST part is, one staff member a month gets a PAID shopping day -
you get a whole paid day to go pick up stuff for the centre!!! JUST one
staff member a month. I'd have to wait three months before I could go. The
manager said, 'So, if you want to spend the day at the beach collecting sea
shells that are for the centre, so be it!"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
COULDN'T YOU JUST DIE????? I love this centre - but you know me, Ii tend to
be overly exciteable.

I'm pretty sure I'll bitch about it later, but for now, it's the best damned
place in the whole world! They have a manager (like program coordinator) and
a cook, two staff in the baby section, two staff in the toddler section, and
three staff in my section. it's a private centre, like most centres in NZ.
The government is trying to take over, which one manager told me could put
her and private centre owners, out of business. anyway, this bear park is
up remuera road and is apparently in a very posh part of town which means we
won't be moving to that area since it's too expensive so I'm definitely
going to have to get transport. ( that's the question all interviewers ask
me is 'do you have transport? No? How will you get here then? Bus? How about
an afternoon appointment?" AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Everywhere I've been to
takes at the most fifteen minutes by bus, but I definitely need a car. I
can't spend fifteen minutes both ways on a bus if I will be talking to the
boys via webcam during my lunch break now can I?

Appreciate what you've got, since I'm still stunned that futons cost a
thousand freakin dollars. I haven't sworn at all in any of my job interviews
(take that !) and I'll tell you more stuff when I send on the next set of
pictures.

All my love - hugz & kisses
missing you millions,

April