Its been a hectic 19 days since we returned to the shores of the mother land. First up was the jet lag. Traveling though 11 time zones with a short stop in the US took more out of us that we had expected. We did the right things like sleep in line with UK time but nothing stopped our bodies from waking up at 4 am and deciding it was time to get up. Back to normal now though.
Seeing our families has been lovely. We have just about caught up on a years worth of news. James and Carol have shopped and talked, Paul has decorated and drank with us and Hilary has taken us walking. On the friends front its like we have never been away. We have had 3 big nights out and after 20 minutes we are back to our usual self. There is one slight change though... with having no jobs to go to our curfew times have somewhat extended. Rolling back in at 5am is no bother! We have regailed all with stories from our adventures opting for the shocking and the funny. The best being killing the chicken in India, elephant washing Laos, guest house management, massages of the erotic and painfull variety, moped riding in Thailand, rugby world cup and our friends in NZ.
Now we would not like to suggest that we have had some from of radical transformation and become sloths. Most certainly not. We have applied for 16 jobs between us, transformed the back garden including decking (thanks Kevin) , painted lots of windows (thanks Paul) and began negotiations with estate agents. One had the gall to say they 'deserved 1% for selling our property". James has rented a flat for us in York (move in next week) and I have bought a car. Not just any car but a ford cougar. Some would call it a penis extension others a pimp car but for me it was a bargain at 650 quid! I also think its quite sexy but don't tell anyone!! I have also had a job interview and James has one next week. Hopefully there are more in the pipeline too.
In short its been a whirl wine few weeks. We are really looking forward to moving into the flat and get a proper base and begin to feel like we have a bit of structure. We have decided that we will live in York for 6 months and look for jobs after this who knows....
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Thursday, 1 March 2012
it’s the time warp.
28/2/12-
We landed in San Francisco before we left Auckland. This messed with James made something rotten and I just wanted to know if it meant we would have to spend less time on the plane. Alas it was just the vagaries of the international time line. The journey its self was not too unpleasant. We have emergence exit seats on what could only be described as narrow. OK as we are not that large but the man next to me was and consumed his space, both arm rests and what felt like my space. I opted to turn it into an advantage and use him as something to sleep against so all was well.
Getting to San Francisco was relativity un painfully. Yes we were tired and yes we had class envy. First class has a bed and a bar. The free bag of nuts and a glass of wine in cattle class suddenly feels less fantastic! Anyway we landed and joined the line for immigration. James of course beg to sweat and look shifty so when we got to the official James got the third degree about where he was going, had been and how much money had had. The official that dealt with me simply looked at my onward ticket, noted it was due to leave in 4 hours and said ‘you going home then?’ I nodded and he stamped my passport after raping me of my personal data including 10 finger prints and an iris scan!
Unusually for the US there was a good public transport system from the airport to down town San Fran so with four hours before we were due to board another plane we decided to nip into town. Initial impressions are that few independent places to get food in the centre, the coffee is shit and there is a lot of poverty. That said we did rather like the 100meeters we saw and think we will return. The place had a buzz about it, it looked exciting and I was served a huge steak for lunch which always gets plus points in my books!
After an hour of freedom we were back in captivity and boarding another plane. Blissfully this was not too full so James and I were able to stretch out. All was pretty uneventful apart from when I brushed passed an air steward and dropped a sleeping tablet. 15 minutes of me and two staff scrabbling round on hands and knees followed. Funny for a spectator not so much for me. Yes even I got a little embarrassed!
Some 36 hours after we left NZ we were arrived in London. Despite the lack of welcoming party and five gun salute we are happy to be back on familiar ground. With a quick diversion to a remote stand as the air bridge was not working we were soon off the place and to passport control. Normally we don’t like doing the electronic enter but having given every personal detail short of DNA to the Americas we thought sod it and went through the new automatic gates.
Soon we were at Kings Cross with another 4 hours to burn. This time we opted for the Hobo look, put on all of our warm clothes, drank coffee and shivered on the concourse. The train to York was on time and 41 hours after we left NZ we were embracing Carol and Paul.
So being back. A strange mixture of being excited to see friends and family combined with a sense of uncertainty about what is ahead of us. The traveling was fantastic, living in a community even better but what next? I only have a plan for the next four weeks….
We landed in San Francisco before we left Auckland. This messed with James made something rotten and I just wanted to know if it meant we would have to spend less time on the plane. Alas it was just the vagaries of the international time line. The journey its self was not too unpleasant. We have emergence exit seats on what could only be described as narrow. OK as we are not that large but the man next to me was and consumed his space, both arm rests and what felt like my space. I opted to turn it into an advantage and use him as something to sleep against so all was well.
Getting to San Francisco was relativity un painfully. Yes we were tired and yes we had class envy. First class has a bed and a bar. The free bag of nuts and a glass of wine in cattle class suddenly feels less fantastic! Anyway we landed and joined the line for immigration. James of course beg to sweat and look shifty so when we got to the official James got the third degree about where he was going, had been and how much money had had. The official that dealt with me simply looked at my onward ticket, noted it was due to leave in 4 hours and said ‘you going home then?’ I nodded and he stamped my passport after raping me of my personal data including 10 finger prints and an iris scan!
Unusually for the US there was a good public transport system from the airport to down town San Fran so with four hours before we were due to board another plane we decided to nip into town. Initial impressions are that few independent places to get food in the centre, the coffee is shit and there is a lot of poverty. That said we did rather like the 100meeters we saw and think we will return. The place had a buzz about it, it looked exciting and I was served a huge steak for lunch which always gets plus points in my books!
After an hour of freedom we were back in captivity and boarding another plane. Blissfully this was not too full so James and I were able to stretch out. All was pretty uneventful apart from when I brushed passed an air steward and dropped a sleeping tablet. 15 minutes of me and two staff scrabbling round on hands and knees followed. Funny for a spectator not so much for me. Yes even I got a little embarrassed!
Some 36 hours after we left NZ we were arrived in London. Despite the lack of welcoming party and five gun salute we are happy to be back on familiar ground. With a quick diversion to a remote stand as the air bridge was not working we were soon off the place and to passport control. Normally we don’t like doing the electronic enter but having given every personal detail short of DNA to the Americas we thought sod it and went through the new automatic gates.
Soon we were at Kings Cross with another 4 hours to burn. This time we opted for the Hobo look, put on all of our warm clothes, drank coffee and shivered on the concourse. The train to York was on time and 41 hours after we left NZ we were embracing Carol and Paul.
So being back. A strange mixture of being excited to see friends and family combined with a sense of uncertainty about what is ahead of us. The traveling was fantastic, living in a community even better but what next? I only have a plan for the next four weeks….
Leaving in 24 hours!
27/02/12.
This was the day of fond farewells. We saw Napier for the last time, had some tearful good buys and realized how much we were going to miss the place. In only six months we have made some fantastic friends, seen more of NZ than most Kiwi’s and fitted right into the Kiwi lifestyle loosely summed up as café’s, chardonnay, alfresco dining, hot tubs and relaxing. Napier and our friends there will always hold a special place in our hearts and we are incredibly sad to be leaving whilst looking forward to seeing family and friends in the UK.
28/2/12 All that’s got to go in one bag?
All that’s got to go in one bag? The task of packing felt akin to the biblical task of turning water into wine. Even after jettisoning all locations and potions the pile of clothes looked insurmountable. Having left the UK with a rationed amount of things we had somehow amassed rather a lot more. Some 2 hours of stuffing, sorting and downright brute force later and we were packed.
A leisurely lunch with Roger and Ross overlooking the sea and enjoying sunshine brought us to departure time. We arrived at the airport with rousing choral music and a tear in our eye. Farwell Napier!
After checking in I had to finally open the metal box marked travel home. How in god’s name would I survive 36 hours being cooped up on a plane? Salvation for James came in the form of being able to secure an emergence exit seat some distance away from me. Now sitting in Auckland airport wondering how I am going to sit still for all that time and who will talk to me. Arrrrrgggggghhhhhh!
This was the day of fond farewells. We saw Napier for the last time, had some tearful good buys and realized how much we were going to miss the place. In only six months we have made some fantastic friends, seen more of NZ than most Kiwi’s and fitted right into the Kiwi lifestyle loosely summed up as café’s, chardonnay, alfresco dining, hot tubs and relaxing. Napier and our friends there will always hold a special place in our hearts and we are incredibly sad to be leaving whilst looking forward to seeing family and friends in the UK.
28/2/12 All that’s got to go in one bag?
All that’s got to go in one bag? The task of packing felt akin to the biblical task of turning water into wine. Even after jettisoning all locations and potions the pile of clothes looked insurmountable. Having left the UK with a rationed amount of things we had somehow amassed rather a lot more. Some 2 hours of stuffing, sorting and downright brute force later and we were packed.
A leisurely lunch with Roger and Ross overlooking the sea and enjoying sunshine brought us to departure time. We arrived at the airport with rousing choral music and a tear in our eye. Farwell Napier!
After checking in I had to finally open the metal box marked travel home. How in god’s name would I survive 36 hours being cooped up on a plane? Salvation for James came in the form of being able to secure an emergence exit seat some distance away from me. Now sitting in Auckland airport wondering how I am going to sit still for all that time and who will talk to me. Arrrrrgggggghhhhhh!
PARTY time
25/02/12
Rousing James out of bed is never easy but trying to do this with the prospect of cleaning was even harder. Cattle prod anyone? We finished off the cleaning and gardening at the lovely 8 Burns Road and when it was all spick and span we found that we had become rather attached to our little blue house on the hill.
As now homeless and unemployed boys we shifted ourselves up to our next set of welcoming hosts- Roger and Ross. After an afternoon of pottering it was time for our party but alas the was a bloody Rod Stuart concert in town which was vying for our guests attention. Did Rod not know we were leaving, why did ne not postpone the show? So with depleted numbers we traipsed up the billy goat track to Alex’s fantastic pad. Known as the polystyrene palace due it its construction materials but also its opulence we installed ourselves by the pool and cracked open the wine.
James was under strict instructions not to push me in and he abided to these conditions. To begin with the party had an air of elegance and refinery about it but after a few chardonnays the music was turned up, the debauchery increased and the two17 year old girls (from the café I used to work in) will have plenty to talk about for some time to come! From the gay “art” on Alex’s wall to the lurid conversation combined with the fact that Alex is the local GP there was much gossip produced to keep the small town of Napier abuzzing!
As the evening wore on we ran out of wine and I was dispatched back down the billy goat track in the dark to replenish the stocks. Having sat on my bottom for some 3 hours and consumed a fair quantity of the local grapes I was rather drunk. The inevitable happened… I fell. Not just any old fall but a full on forward roll down 7 concrete steps. So here I am in the dark, bloody and bruised thinking am I still alive, have I broken anything and will they be disappointed if I don’t bring back the wine? The wine went by the wayside and I staged back expecting concern and sympathy but instead received mild interest (James did provide plasters though).
26/02/12 Hangover and some goodbyes
Oh oh oh we all had hangovers and not much occurred thought the day. Sun, sitting and siestas.
Rousing James out of bed is never easy but trying to do this with the prospect of cleaning was even harder. Cattle prod anyone? We finished off the cleaning and gardening at the lovely 8 Burns Road and when it was all spick and span we found that we had become rather attached to our little blue house on the hill.
As now homeless and unemployed boys we shifted ourselves up to our next set of welcoming hosts- Roger and Ross. After an afternoon of pottering it was time for our party but alas the was a bloody Rod Stuart concert in town which was vying for our guests attention. Did Rod not know we were leaving, why did ne not postpone the show? So with depleted numbers we traipsed up the billy goat track to Alex’s fantastic pad. Known as the polystyrene palace due it its construction materials but also its opulence we installed ourselves by the pool and cracked open the wine.
James was under strict instructions not to push me in and he abided to these conditions. To begin with the party had an air of elegance and refinery about it but after a few chardonnays the music was turned up, the debauchery increased and the two17 year old girls (from the café I used to work in) will have plenty to talk about for some time to come! From the gay “art” on Alex’s wall to the lurid conversation combined with the fact that Alex is the local GP there was much gossip produced to keep the small town of Napier abuzzing!
As the evening wore on we ran out of wine and I was dispatched back down the billy goat track in the dark to replenish the stocks. Having sat on my bottom for some 3 hours and consumed a fair quantity of the local grapes I was rather drunk. The inevitable happened… I fell. Not just any old fall but a full on forward roll down 7 concrete steps. So here I am in the dark, bloody and bruised thinking am I still alive, have I broken anything and will they be disappointed if I don’t bring back the wine? The wine went by the wayside and I staged back expecting concern and sympathy but instead received mild interest (James did provide plasters though).
26/02/12 Hangover and some goodbyes
Oh oh oh we all had hangovers and not much occurred thought the day. Sun, sitting and siestas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)