Pohutukawa the mixed blessing Christmas tree in NZ

Mid October pohutukawa in front of Waiheke Island

The pohutukawa remains green all year round here in NZ.  I waited with bated breath to see it flower for Christmas and now it has.  It is a festive deep true red, positively the color of Santa's best 'fly guy' outfit.  When the blooms finally arrived I noted a very bad feeling of sneezing and chest conditions.  Oh right, with the gorgeous flowers there is the glorious pollen and all of the allergic response my body can muster.

But still the trees have a very mysterious way of presenting their blooms where you least expect them on the limbs.  A few will peak out and then seem to call forth their comrades to adorn the whole of the tree.  We will soon have a hedge of them!

Same pohutukawa in December

Pohutukawa Xmas Eve

Row of pohutukawas in our front yard

I love these trees as they harbor the wonderful birds of NZ. The Parson-Bird or Tui, the doves and the king fishers and a myriad of other little flittering winged mammals that will remain nameless here.

My blessings for Xmas are many and of most importance is the good health of my family and friends and their love and understanding of my husband and me. What more can we ask for in life, but happiness, friends and peace.

All is good in my world, not perfect but good! J

International Barbie!

Mid October pohutukawa in front of Waiheke Island

The pohutukawa remains green all year round here in NZ.  I waited with bated breath to see it flower for Christmas and now it has.  It is a festive deep true red, positively the color of Santa's best 'fly guy' outfit.  When the blooms finally arrived I noted a very bad feeling of sneezing and chest conditions.  Oh right, with the gorgeous flowers there is the glorious pollen and all of the allergic response my body can muster.

But still the trees have a very mysterious way of presenting their blooms where you least expect them on the limbs.  A few will peak out and then seem to call forth their comrades to adorn the whole of the tree.  We will soon have a hedge of them!

Same pohutukawa in December

Pohutukawa Xmas Eve

Row of pohutukawas in our front yard

I love these trees as they harbor the wonderful birds of NZ. The Parson-Bird or Tui, the doves and the king fishers and a myriad of other little flittering winged mammals that will remain nameless here.

My blessings for Xmas are many and of most importance is the good health of my family and friends and their love and understanding of my husband and me. What more can we ask for in life, but happiness, friends and peace.

All is good in my world, not perfect but good! J

Picture says it all!

We were again reminded that as expats we are representative of somethings we really DON'T
fully understand!

New Zealand is not perfect and our friends at home are not racist.  So where is reality in all of the goings on?

Quite simply, we are happy here.  We have the good fortune to stay until we want to move on. But we realize that this situation is not available to all and we are grateful.

All good with us,
J

Xmas here, Really?

And so it is Christmas, Merry Chlristmas to you....

Oh how I loved the Beatles!

We are winding up for a NZ Xmas and I'm not sure how I feel about it.  Actually, I am sure but I'm taking the advice of an airplane seat partner stranger who said to "embrace the NZ style of celebrating, BBQ, etc."  I'm trying to not hold onto nostalgia, snow, frosty air, carolers, etc...

These two pictures tell the story.  I put a .5 meter tree, pre-decorated, on a small table perched upon a Rudolph emblazoned bath mat with a music box playing a strangely Asian rendition of We Wish You A Melly Chlistmas, most reminiscent of The Christmas Story. Hope that's not too racist!

Had to move Santa from the table as the sun
surprised us all, including Santa (See his expression?), by bringing the firm red candle to heel.  So need to adapt to warm weather.

NZ Xmas includes Santa on a vintage tractor, being pulled my sheep who are named Wayne, Colin, Noel, etc...  Small NZ children leave a meat pie and beer for Santa and expect him to leave gifts by morning.

Families here celebrate the holidays by jumping into their cars, going to the bach (small country abode) and having a BBQ.  I'm fine with that, it's just the fake snow and elevator inspired Xmas music in the malls that put me on edge.  So my seat partner was right.  Don't try to recreate Xmas here, just enjoy what they have.  This includes the NZ Christmas tree which blooms at Xmas with bright red adornment.  Will include pictures.

Off to Thanksgiving with expats today.  Will report on the turkey and ham. Am bringing Salmon appetizers. 

All is different, but good,
J

Wandy and Charlie, Chinese nationals (?), NSA find them on your own!

Our Vodaphone NZ contract for cells and internet was deficient in the router/modem department.  The internet kept dropping out and we had to reset the modem every few hours.  Having completed all of the maneuvers (which all failed) required by Vodaphone we were finally granted a new little square device made in China, like it's predecessor.  We plugged it in and were welcomed back as Wandy and Charlie, who were also registered on this device.

Well now, we called Vodaphone and were assured that this was a pristine router/modem and we were the first to lay hands on it since it left China.  Since it works we'll keep it, but Wandy and Charlie we hope you don't need it, and to our NSA eavesdroppers, we deny having any personal knowledge of Wandy and Charlie, possibly but not probably denizens of China, etc....

We had a wonderful, for us, storm last night with rain lashing the windows and pummeling the metal roof, while mighty gusts of wind lulled us to sleep.  But unfortunately about a thousand homes in the Auckland area went without electricity while our heater silently sent out waves of embracing warmth.  Will hope the Chinese Kitchen Gods do not notice our joy and take away the gift of hydro-power out of shear kitchen god spite!

Have your heard the story of the Kitchen Gods?  Well, they are known to cause fires in Chinese restaurant kitchens, so the Chinese cooks have learned to lull them into quiescence, as pertaining to causing fires, by putting lewd pictures of women on the walls to distract those gods.  These Kitchen Gods also like to take away things that we like if we speak of those good things, so forget that I wrote about the dependable electric power!

We walked this morning up coronary hill and completed the circuit dressed for the weather.

Home knit hat and scarf for 40 degree morning.

Of course our fellow Kiwi trampers were dressed in the typical shorts, t-shirt, and perhaps a knit cap for the hair impaired. Such hardy folk, but what can you expect from Scottish stock? Have you ever braved a summer's day in Scotland, it's not for the faint of heart!

Later after my husband went to work I baked banana coffee cake to warm the kitchen and share with the neighbors.

All Good, J


Wait! Wait! My mistake!  The Chinese Kitchen Gods are prudes not lechers and the wily Chinese cooks in the Chinese restaurants put up lewd pictures of women to keep the Kitchen Gods from coming in and starting fires.  So says my husband and 'old sous chef' from the 'Long Horn Dragon' days of yore.

Kiwi speak to the mature of ear!

Super moon from home in NZ

Today I interviewed an 85 year-old neighbor woman who I will hire to help with the gardening.  She was born on the South Island near Napier and told me she grew up in the wop-wops.  “Wop-wops? What is that?” I asked.  “Oh” she replied “it’s just what we always called the bush.  We lived about 40 miles out of town.”  Next question of course, “Did you have a sheep farm?” “No, my dad worked for the forestry and we had a vegetable garden, a few animals and pretty much lived off what we grew.” She continued, “Mom would go into town once a month or every few weeks and get flour or what we needed, we’d use the flour and then make the flour sacks into sheets.” 

Her bright blue eyes flashing she shared with me some of her family history.  Grand parents came from Scotland in the 1800s and settled near Napier.  Most Scottish immigrants in NZ settled near Dunedin. Even my mature gardener said it’s hard for her to understand their current brogue.    Can’t wait to spend more time with her.  What a treasure!

Howick Village small park

La Roche Bush Reserve

The Kiwi slang is creeping into our everyday language and is fun to suss out. I’m planning to plant courgettes (zucchini) in the garden.  It’ll be nice to have them for tea (dinner) with a free range chook (chicken) now that the sparkie (electrician) has replaced the old worn out HOB (range top) and said she’ll be right.  I of course responded “Ta (thanks)” and had nothing to whinge (complain) about.  But my sweet husband, who is NO cross-dresser, must wear a jumper (woolen sweater) to work when it’s fresh (cold) out.  Lots of families have a bach, pronounced batch, (cottage) at the beach.  And finally I can go to the dairy (corner store, superette) for a few items at just about any time of day and they needn’t be a milk product.

It really is fun being here.  We are not stressed, there are few, if any, concealed weapons and every day is a vacation of sorts.  We only watch the news if we feel impelled to and thus don't even watch The Daily Show or Colbert anymore. I guess I really watched those two to get a more objective news coverage and to get a dose of humor to soften the blows of US interpretation of world news.  

There are problems here, but they seems to be manageable.  The biggest political issue right now is the 'leak of information' from a political party to a right wing news reporter.  The outraged public is calling for the leaker to resign.  This seems so minor to us in comparison to the million dollar campaigns in the US. The election is Sept 20th and the street signs have only been up for a few weeks.  Yeah to shorter campaigns and less money siphoned into them! J

Dophins or NZ Orcas in the Tamaki Strait, water warming!

Lemons and daffodils

Spring is arriving at a rapid pace.  The citrus fruit and bulbs are coloring our vision, as we do our daily treks around the village.

Daphne and grapefruit

A few nights ago, my husband I were having a quiet, evening repast on the deck watching the ripples on the strait, obviously not stressing.  He startled me by saying, 'grab the binocs now!'  Oh good god my thoughts exploded; is someone drowning, has a treasure chest surfaced, the Loch Ness monster has migrated!?!  But no, relax, just the most beautiful blowing, breaching, and dancing of either small orcas or dolphins.  

I had just heard on the NZ public radio that the waters were warming more quickly than usual and that the sea mammals were traveling through our waters earlier than expected.  We sat back and enjoyed the show and talked about how we were learning to witness the herding of fish by larger fish, birds and sea mammals.

When I told the 20 something neighbor about the sighting, she told me to watch a you tube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msx3BAhIeQg

It is entitled: Dolphins purposely 'getting high' on puffer fish - Dolphins - Spy in the Pod: Episode 2 - BBC One

On listening to her description of the video, my first thought was a 60s song revamped for the dolphins: “Don’t bogart that puffer my friend…..”

When I told her about the musical association she just looked at me strangely.  Guess you had to have been there, in the 60s I mean.

Phil and I also watched cormorants perched on the bluffs, 'eyeing' the water and then as a group swooping down to about a meter off the surface of the ripples, forming a line and heading to the shore.  In about a foot of water they dove in, surfacing quickly with beaks full of flailing fish.  They had 'herded' the school of fish to shore.  So amazing to see a group working so well together for the common good.  If we humans could only learn.

Life is good here, J