June 1 2011

Our container is due tomorrow. We have been without our things since March and most importantly we have not slept in our own bed since then. We have been sleeping on inflatable beds, plane seats even the floor at one point when the inflatable bed went down. It has been difficult. At one point Ellen asked if “Daddy, when your bed arrives, can we all have breakfast in bed, tea and toast, just like the old days?” How can a six year old have “old days”??

So what has been happening since my last up date quite a few things actually? We have been up an extinct volcano, and it didn’t break. We have been to Bucklands Beach to find star fish by the bucket full. Hannah asked, “What would happen if you sunbathed on a star fish?” I must say I had no answer!

We have toured around and found that swimming is free all day in the local pools from 6am to 6:45pm. All five of us went and I did worry would the pool be too full? Would we be allowed to have two children aged between 4 and six in the same pool at the same time or would it be to dangerous on the grounds of health and safety as happened to me twice in the UK. You can’t bring your sons here because they one is under 4 and the other is under 8. The fact that the older one had been going to lessons at the place for years meant nothing!! No such pathetic bureaucracy here. If you drown here it is your own fault! What gets me is that all the ‘public’ services provided for in the UK can’t be used by the public – how well officious and wasteful is that? My other similar experience of this bureaucracy was at the Olympic pool in Swansea, where we couldn’t take our children in because there was only space for 3 and we were 5. Another stupid waste of money then.

The girls had a parcel from Aunty. It contained clothes and a DVD of Horton. The girls loved watching that.

Mt Wellington

What a sight that was. An extinct volcano; a view of the city of Auckland, and a beautiful southern hemisphere sunset.

Joanne was quite scared of the drive up as the sides were steep, but worth it at the end. The car park fees were refreshingly fair – they were free!

School

To date the Baptism of Fire continues but the pace is slowing. The classes are getting used to me and my expectations. The MP3 docking station idea has been a huge success but with ETEC the advisory service/company guy. He has secured sole importation rights to import 400 kits and he has assembled one. The idea being that this will engage the pupils in ‘cool’ projects which they will be able to take away and Technology will become technology. So far they seem to be enjoying the electronic projects they have been given thus far. We also had a celebration to commemorate Sir Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Evererst. The school had a birthday. I took some photos…

Birthday PICs a few from school…

Howick

What a place! A boutique town with lots of street shops which range from bars to cafés card shops clothes shops take aways, hardware store, you name it, you can get it in Howick. It is a bit like Aberkenfig! The centre of the world!! It even has a Woolworths, but rebranded as Food Town a small supermarket. The corner shops here are known as Dairies. A place to get your milk bread etc. Lots and lots of those about here. But the predominance of take aways is cool. They are everywhere. I have found a lovely Indian take away around the corner.

Howick PIC

The house

It is a three levelled house on the side of a steep hill. A garage and rumpus room on the ground floor which leads up a stairway to first floor. This level has the lounge, kitchen, utility room, hall way, stairs and office. The kitchen leads to a dining area and out on to a balcony that runs from the kitchen around the front of the house to a large terrace in front of the lounge. The terrace must be 20 ft square and faces north.

House PICs

Iolos birthday

Iolo was 16 last Sunday and I spoke to him on his birthday. He seemed really happy and off out with Cathy.

Internet

Argghhhhh – supposed to be connected June 3^rd – It is June the 6^th and still nothing. I have had numeous phone calls with them about the fact that this house has two lines and two addresses. Upstairs is us – the house. Downstairs is a flat. They seem to be rally confused about who to connect the line to. STILL WAITING VODAPHONE!