Counting down...

In a week and a day I depart for Canada for 3 weeks, and I'm starting to get a little excited... despite the nasty flight...

This time it's leave Blenheim in the afternoon, arrive in Auckland for a few hour layover, and then its the flight direct to Vancouver (HURRAY- bypassing the nasty LAX airport- so it can't be TOO nasty), for another number of hour layover, finally arriving in Edmonton something like 5 hours after I left. The wonders of time zones. :)

I've been terribly unprolific in my posting, in large part having nothing to report... Just this weekend the weather finally has taken a turn for the better- although the high winds have continued. There have been a few more earth quakes, one waking me up early in the morning- i think it may have been Monday or tuesday.

It just occured to me it is Halloween next week. This is not at all a big thing in NZ, just as others have said are other "American" holidays that are money making schemes, such as Valentines Day. To each country their own, I suppose- in Canada we certainly don't celebate Guy Fawkes, or whatever it is called.

I'm still liking living in the country, having made the adjustment from living with 4 flatties in a big house, to what I've got now. No regrets on moving so far.

The NZ civil elections are over. As mentioned in a prior post- these are done by post, and I think turn out was somewhere in the 40-50% range. I wonder what it is back home- ie if the post versus personal methods has an impact on turnout, so to speak.

I failed to mention in my previous post the very untimely demise of the All Blacks in world cup rugby. The pain was just too great in the hearts of many many New Zealanders. They lost to France, before making it anywhere. Some knock the single elimination- and there is some merit to the argument- but in my view a big team has to be able to win the big games- because that is what enables them to hold the "big team" banner. Not just playing well throughout the years between world cups.

I'm missing hockey like you wouldn't believe over here, and am not even doing a stellar job following results via websites- because it would just make me want to watch- and the options for watching here are pretty much nil. I'll have to take up rugby more so. I seem to enjoy it most of the NZ sports so far, much more than cricket (yawn...), or women's netball, or yaughting.

hmm... Some things from home you miss instantly (aka perogies)- and some things from home it takes a while to note are missing. No creamsicles here, although I must say the yummy cornetto things so distracted me it took me all this time to find out they were missing. Even if it is winter, i think I'll have one when I get back.

Back home the Saskatchewan election is on, and I am so remorseful to be missing it!! A special best wishes go out to LAURA ROSS running in Regina Qu'Appelle Valley, and to Jeremy Harrison in my parents riding of Meadow Lake. All you Saskies out there, please remember to vote... (My plea...)

Wind, rain, and foul weather...

It has not felt like the topp of the south at all of late...



Rain, wind, more rain, more wind... But I was delighted to have a bit of thunder and lightening on the weekend. It was kind of like home- although kind of not... There was not a big hot day with buildups and the like, it was just a plain old rainy overcast day.



I'm loving the new flat in the country and the joys of living alone. I'm trying to be a bit of a gardener- I have a tomato and some herbs growing. The basil has pretty much croaked. I'll blame the wind... (Gusts have been up to 120 km/h, so yes, I think it's a realistic blame...)



There was quite the jolt perhaps it was last week, as in the strongest earth quake that I've felt so far. It was 5. something, down at hanmer. That's in the neighbourhood of a few hour drive south. The wine glasses shook, and the bathroom was shaking. They're still novelties for me, although obviously not so much for kiwis who've been here for a long time...



I'm starting to get a bit excited about my visit to Canada- less than a month to go!!

Interesting tidbits about kiwi culture... They like strange things- like beetroot and eggs on their burgers.

They tend to actually pronounce their "t"s, unlike us Saskatchewanians who pronounce water like "wadder". They tend to tack on rs to words ending in vowels, if the word is followed by another word starting with a vowel. Example: Rita is in Canada becomes Riter is in Canada.

I'm under attack by a rather pesky mosquito. I leave this post to win the battle.