ginger trees

ginger trees

but first a quick prayer request - for my health. I got a bit of the flu last week and a cold to go with it this weekend and I'm just shattered and really don't want to get sick the way I was back in the UK again. thanks :)

now let me show you my trees...



for me one of the most striking things about being here in the winter has been the trees - I think they're willow - they have the most beautiful and amazing rusty orange glow in the sunlight, often offset against bluey purple mountains. it's so stunning, and really widening my appreciation of winter colour palettes.



blossom that's just come out next to the lake on my way to work. remarkables mountains in background.



pink trees. what else is there to say?



the bathhouse restaurant by the lakeshore, coffee with an amazing view! I also loved how the spotty black and white silver birch trunks lined up. I love my new camera.

birthday hi-jinks!

birthday hi-jinks!

as promised a photo montage with my lovely new camera... (2 exceptions as marked!)



my new geeeeorgeous scarf, bought in methven from the funky 2nd hand shop/cafe - primo



glenorchy - chilled respite from the hubub of queenstown



external prelude to the internal funk of cafe GVC



aaaah, disco earl grey tea!



my kind of lighting



suddenly hand-wobble doesn't seem so bad (exception 1 - inspired by my own dear hands)



we saw little green chirpy forest budgies, but they were too darn quick!



did meet the nz robin though - a little bit freaky as he's twice as big as the british type (exception 2 - also due to wobbly hands and no zoooooom lens)



scenic freedom camping!



and my lovely birthday fleurs literally bespattered with magnetic butterflies which are now flying around my kitchen - hooray!

well hello there!

well hello there!

my first self portrait with my new camera!

I had a really nice birthday... fran got up (early) with me in the morning and we had brekkie together and opened some cards, then terri (my only female friend here) took me our for a speedy 30 min lunch, then I got home and opened more pressies and cards and we had JP round for dinner and played cluedo. it was quite nice that no-one else made it as we know each other well so it was relaxed and easy. I've just opened my last present - a slimline camera from my family which I'm looking forward to slipping in my back pocket and being able to take pics wherever takes my fancy. photo montage coming after our weekend away...

so I have some prayer requests if you like praying or fancy giving it a try:

fran's job - it would be FANTASTIC if fran could get onto camera asap. he is good enough and has all the right kit but it would mean jumping the queue a bit. that's not unheard of but he just needs to get noticed. currently there are 6 cameramen and they need 9 in the summer so it's definately possible, with a little favour...

my job - I've been given 2 weeks notice at the real estate place. was a little suprising but not too upsetting as I'm not very into the job. thing is there isn't much work about so a good job for me would be fab. I'm thinking about instructing again, and I'd quite like to do 4 days a week so I have time to create.

this weekend's weather - it's supposed to ming for our weekend away - rain/sleet/snow/winds - which is not cool! at least passable weather and the chance to get out for a walk without taking a wet weather shower would be nice!

our unit - 6 weeks in and we still don't have a 2nd bedroom meaning no creative space, boxes still unpacked etc. we're now going to the tenancy tribunal to get a work order and compensation but it's a drag and just getting the place fixed would be much quicker and easier.

well thanks!!! anything you'd like us to pray for?

and finally - thanks for my birthday cards/messages/presents/flowers - I did not feel one little bit like a loner with no mates, I felt very special. sorry if I've not emailed you yet, been a bit swamped but it's on my list!

I'm lonely

I'm lonely

it's so hard to meet people in this town! we know 8 people here, and 4 of those I've had a total of about 20 minutes conversation with when I was temping doing house keeping. I invited them all to my birthday dinner, and at least 4 of them can't come. poo. I have to work on some new ways of meeting people. not having friends here sucks. I'm starting to contemplate going and sitting with srangers whilst they're having their coffee just to meet them. would that be wierd?

miff.

the lastest...

the lastest...

• I made thai green curry for dinner last night with a shop bought paste, man was it way too hot for us - we had to drain all the sauce off our dinner and add milk and sugar, twice, and it was still too hot! now I have a lot of extra thai green curry sauce...
• work are considering hiring me permanently and I'm considering whether that's a good idea. it's a good job on all levels except the enviroment being real estate not something more creative and that I'm in front of people all the time so I can't stop and stare at the ceiling for 5 mins if I want to.
• winter does not feel like winter here. it's way too sunny! funny what defines things for us.
• I'm enjoying music. I made a cd for my friend ann and it got my creative juices flowing.
• it's my birthday next week. on weds evening we're having john paul (from the course) celine & jerome (french) fabricio & christine (brazilian) and maybe helen (from my work) round for dinner. then fran's booked the weekend off and we're taking rose up the lake to glenorchy for a chilled weekend together.
• I love my bike ride to/from work. it's great. I love my bike. I booked it in for a service and got scoffed at for not knowing her make (its a she-bike). it amuses me how men know make/model almost without thinking and it doesn't even register on my radar.
• we bought a zebra print furry throw for our sofa. I love my zebra print throw.
• if you come and stay with us I will make you pancakes/french toast with bacon and grilled banana and maple syrup for breakfast. it might just be the best thing about new zealand.
• time for a walk by the lake before the sun goes down. bye!

went to work without my trousers...

went to work without my trousers...

I really did! I cycle in to work in a pair of rather attractive leggings and forgot to take my work trousers to change into. luckily it was raining, so fran was home and able to drop some in for me. I really need to take a spare pair in in case I repeat these somewhat amusing actions on a fair weather day!

other than keeping ourselves amused in a variety of ways, we're just pootling along getting used to fran working dropzone hours and me working a 9-5. I had a great weekend when saturday morning coffee with terri turned into a whole days chatting and shopping (not much on my part, just some red & white tops!) and sunday was raining so fran and I got the day together.

last week I had an interview for a new company in QT called loving life which will be launching alternative wellness products onto the NZ market later this year. the lady who interviewed me would be an amazing boss, very into investing in her workers, and the job would be interesting & challenging. I should hear by weds whether I have a 2nd interview...