Hello All and welcome to 2008.........
Well my quiet life in the UK has suddenly become quite busy, a typical circumstance that I inherently create, as those of you who know me well will recognise.
2007 ended well. The Flett's had a lovely weekend travelling north before Christmas to visit South Shields and the family. This was great and it was wonderful to see everyone again, nostalgically revisit old stomping grounds and come to the realisation that we had in fact been living here only a year before.
So much has happened in this time that it was almost hard to believe. For all the incredible sights we had seen in this time The North had lost none of its beauty and charm. It is truly a very under-rated part of the world. Whilst there, we were lucky to really get into the spirit of Christmas with a traditional Christmas market ...added to this was the freezing weather with snow only 20kms away. It was great to see Agnes, Trish, Debs and all the family again, as always they made us feel incredibly welcome and had lots of laughs and stories. Piper got her first Northern experience, and won all the family over...phew! Her first experience of real cold a bit of a shock for her....that low undercarriage seemed to disadvantage her on the very cold ground, even though she had on a very expensive Australian doggy oil skin drizabone- the real deal! ( I have wanted a Drizabone for years...didn't think my DOG would get one before ME!..) ...I had a fix at the Tynemouth Antiques market, and all an all a great weekend.
Then there was all the Christmas celebrations to survive before we even reached the day....Maya's school Christmas party, Disco, Will's Playgroup party, Gym creche party, Northfields Christmas market day...etc..etc...I had my blood sugar levels primed and ready for an English Christmas...in this the land of Cadbury, where everyone buys chocolate by the kilo...5- 10kg...truly!....I can see why they start preparing early.....I recently learnt on the BBC that chocolate is in fact toxic to all animials including humans....but it would take about 25 pounds of it to kill us.....I am thinking that a General Surgeons Warning may need be a consideration in the UK because
"That's Nothing!"
Christmas Eve arrived and we joined some local families for carols at our local church...Santa visited that night and must have come via China for all the abundance of toys and stuff that were found under the tree the next morning...curse those sales in Hong Kong and LA ....what will the expectations be for next year!
Christmas night John's sister Katherine, and Dan and Alex arrived from Dubai....we shared some Christmas ham for supper and it was great to have family to be with on this day of the year. Boxing day was the full deal with turkey and trimmings and groaning bellies in front of a movie...the next day we all headed out to explore some London highlights, Hamleys, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, English pub.......Keith managed to escape the Dubai office and flew over to join us all, which was really lucky. John and I made the most of our live in babysitters and headed to the West End for a show....my choice....pressure!...I went for something recommended that I knew very little of the story or music...for a total surprise. I chose 'Wicked' which is the back-story to the witches of The Wizard of Oz...great concept and very clever story...a must for fans of this classic movie.
The Smith's made the most of the sights in London and all was well except for a little mishap..... That is, me nearly killing my sister-in-law...it was an accident..really..
You may have heard of death by smothering, or strangulation. But this was near death by 'wrap' that is a 'wrap' of the tortilla variety. Katherine has a severe allergy to gluten and a mix up between the flour and corn tortillas I had prepared for the packed lunch resulted in a rather exciting afternoon. After eating the picnic at The Globe theatre and heading to the West End for 'The Phantom' matinee, Keith's engineering skills were challenged with the operation of the Epi Pen as his wife's airway became increasingly obstructed. The opening bars of the Phantom were heard in the distance as the family were loaded into an ambulance and to the nearest hospital. The NHS proved to be very efficient, as did the concierge of the theatre who upgraded the family to the Royal Box seats that evening on their return, shaken but recovered. Top Tip: Corn - Yellow, Flour - White!
I have to say I have concerns that this may in fact be a serious case of sibling rivalry gone awry, as we know there is NOTHING John will not do for good theatre seats ..and I have suspicions that this may be a Flett trait. Well he did get that free ticket to Prince at the O2 stadium, and he did win those free tickets to The Spice Girls. Hey but how can this compare to THE ROYAL BOX SEATS at the PHANTOM!!!! Katherine You win!
After the Smiths said goodbye it was only a matter of 10 days before the house was full again. Trish, a friend of 20+ years (...ouch!) that I did my nursing training with (along with Anna), hubby Mark and 3 children were having a Northern experience and we were very lucky to have them in London for 4 nights. Trish had been to visit her brother and his family in Sweden and by all accounts it sounded tremendous, from there they spent time exploring Paris and then caught the Eurostar to London. Although the gastro virus that has plagued all of Europe seemed to have struck..(but could have been a WHOLE lot worse) and travel weariness was setting in, they made the most of their time and certainly managed to see many of London's highlights (including the London Dungeon - which left an indelible impression on their 8 year old - in a scary, nightmarish, wake up screaming kind of way!). We were lucky enough to have Anna and Kerry in town and all got together for a Kiwi roast and a catch up...I think the last time we were together was at Anna and Kerry's wedding?! Sadly John was away whilst they stayed but we were able to at least be all together on their last night here.
I have also managed to make some new local friends . John met a very nice lady and her young son in the park ...( boy! does that sound like a line from a police report). Belinda lives further down our street, is a Kiwi, and hoping to start a babysitting club. Not surprisingly those factors were enough to escalate her to the status of 'New Best Friend'.......I made the first baby sitting exchange, and this was to take Anna to the Spice Girls show that John had won tickets to in the Air New Zealand London Office Christmas competition. Way to go hubby! The tickets were amazing! nearly front row at the O2 stadium (the tall guy from 'Little Britain' was sitting BEHIND us!) which is mind blowing, and the show was fantastically entertaining. Gotta say even close up those girls looked GOOD. Much kudos scored here John.
Last week John and I called upon Belinda again and had a fantastic evening at the Royal Albert Hall to watch Cirque De Soleil's Varekai. I have previously seen 2 of Cirque de Soleil's performances and I would have to say this is my absolute favourite theatre experience. Pure adult magic..hard to find in the world these days.
For me,I wonder if it is the fact that at these shows I feel removed and taken away from humanity and yet at the same time I have a paradoxical amazement of the strength and capacity of the human body and imagination. Whatever the formula it works for me and Varekai did not disappoint.
The kids too, are benefiting from all that London has to offer, Maya has settled well into school and making lots of friends. She has started tap dancing- (our neighbors love us.... NOT!) Will has the life...everyday seems to have something exciting on for him. Every church has some kind of playgroup and there are all the sights and services London has to offer. Anna has lent us her passes for the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew , and with the stunning weather ('the kind of winter we had as kids', 'the best winter in 15 years') we have really made the most of trying to explore some of the 300 acres of Kew, just a short bus ride away. Will loves the indoor play and educational area called Climbers and Creepers and we all love the Tropical conservatory complete with waterfalls and indoor aquarium. Speaking of climber and creepers I have just joined the UK's least Health and Safey spot.....HOORAY! It was hard to find and I must not let too many people aware of it...it's called 'The Rainforest" and is in another large park we have nearby. Its full of tropical plants and animals ...they have a kids club on a Friday with a hands on component. So far we have held a ferret, a baby crocodile, an iguana, a python and a tarantula....cool!.....
There have been no mishaps as yet....although I was a little concerned last week when they brought the python and the angora bunny out for handling at the same time...thought Will might get a first hand lesson in the food chain, but there was more excitement when an 18 month old nearly stood on the king python that had been left unattended and was side-winding across the floor. Fortunately disaster was averted..... Note to self: must remember to pack crepe bandage and anti-histamines in day pack for our next visit.
My studies have started and I have had my first block of study in Lymphoedema management in Wolverhampton, in the Midlands of England. Apart from a flat tyre, in the dark, no jack and being pulled over by the police ...all went well...why is it I never have a husband around at those moments...well not mine anyhow....The course was demanding and fantastic, and the only course where I have ever been down to my underwear with other students hands all over me....well I guess the basic principle is the management of swelling and the movement of body fluids ...Oh Behave! Overall the week exceeded all expectations and next week the Belgian Professor who developed this methodology for lymphatic drainage is coming over to tutor us directly which is a great opportunity.I can't wait to return and upskill and progress further.
Our week ended with a great night out at Anna and Kerry's...on Valentine's Night..with 3 other couples... A wonderful meal with great company - Anna and Kerry exceeded themselves especially after arriving from a full-on week in Boston and North Carolina - John can't even manage baked beans on toast after a trip into London!
In the weeks ahead John's cousins 14 yr old son Dean is heading down for a few days - a trip to the theatre and other London excursions are planned - I'll be heading back to Wolverhampton again, and next month John is looking forward to more leave and we will be heading over to Norway on the liner that we used to watch come and go through the piers at South Shields. Cue: fjords and smoked herring! Then with Spring in full bloom we'll be making a move around the south of England (Devon, Cornwall, Dorset).
Love hearing from you all - take care and enjoy the rest of the summer Kiwis
Well my quiet life in the UK has suddenly become quite busy, a typical circumstance that I inherently create, as those of you who know me well will recognise.
2007 ended well. The Flett's had a lovely weekend travelling north before Christmas to visit South Shields and the family. This was great and it was wonderful to see everyone again, nostalgically revisit old stomping grounds and come to the realisation that we had in fact been living here only a year before.
So much has happened in this time that it was almost hard to believe. For all the incredible sights we had seen in this time The North had lost none of its beauty and charm. It is truly a very under-rated part of the world. Whilst there, we were lucky to really get into the spirit of Christmas with a traditional Christmas market ...added to this was the freezing weather with snow only 20kms away. It was great to see Agnes, Trish, Debs and all the family again, as always they made us feel incredibly welcome and had lots of laughs and stories. Piper got her first Northern experience, and won all the family over...phew! Her first experience of real cold a bit of a shock for her....that low undercarriage seemed to disadvantage her on the very cold ground, even though she had on a very expensive Australian doggy oil skin drizabone- the real deal! ( I have wanted a Drizabone for years...didn't think my DOG would get one before ME!..) ...I had a fix at the Tynemouth Antiques market, and all an all a great weekend.
Then there was all the Christmas celebrations to survive before we even reached the day....Maya's school Christmas party, Disco, Will's Playgroup party, Gym creche party, Northfields Christmas market day...etc..etc...I had my blood sugar levels primed and ready for an English Christmas...in this the land of Cadbury, where everyone buys chocolate by the kilo...5- 10kg...truly!....I can see why they start preparing early.....I recently learnt on the BBC that chocolate is in fact toxic to all animials including humans....but it would take about 25 pounds of it to kill us.....I am thinking that a General Surgeons Warning may need be a consideration in the UK because
"That's Nothing!"
Christmas Eve arrived and we joined some local families for carols at our local church...Santa visited that night and must have come via China for all the abundance of toys and stuff that were found under the tree the next morning...curse those sales in Hong Kong and LA ....what will the expectations be for next year!
Christmas night John's sister Katherine, and Dan and Alex arrived from Dubai....we shared some Christmas ham for supper and it was great to have family to be with on this day of the year. Boxing day was the full deal with turkey and trimmings and groaning bellies in front of a movie...the next day we all headed out to explore some London highlights, Hamleys, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, English pub.......Keith managed to escape the Dubai office and flew over to join us all, which was really lucky. John and I made the most of our live in babysitters and headed to the West End for a show....my choice....pressure!...I went for something recommended that I knew very little of the story or music...for a total surprise. I chose 'Wicked' which is the back-story to the witches of The Wizard of Oz...great concept and very clever story...a must for fans of this classic movie.
The Smith's made the most of the sights in London and all was well except for a little mishap..... That is, me nearly killing my sister-in-law...it was an accident..really..
You may have heard of death by smothering, or strangulation. But this was near death by 'wrap' that is a 'wrap' of the tortilla variety. Katherine has a severe allergy to gluten and a mix up between the flour and corn tortillas I had prepared for the packed lunch resulted in a rather exciting afternoon. After eating the picnic at The Globe theatre and heading to the West End for 'The Phantom' matinee, Keith's engineering skills were challenged with the operation of the Epi Pen as his wife's airway became increasingly obstructed. The opening bars of the Phantom were heard in the distance as the family were loaded into an ambulance and to the nearest hospital. The NHS proved to be very efficient, as did the concierge of the theatre who upgraded the family to the Royal Box seats that evening on their return, shaken but recovered. Top Tip: Corn - Yellow, Flour - White!
I have to say I have concerns that this may in fact be a serious case of sibling rivalry gone awry, as we know there is NOTHING John will not do for good theatre seats ..and I have suspicions that this may be a Flett trait. Well he did get that free ticket to Prince at the O2 stadium, and he did win those free tickets to The Spice Girls. Hey but how can this compare to THE ROYAL BOX SEATS at the PHANTOM!!!! Katherine You win!
After the Smiths said goodbye it was only a matter of 10 days before the house was full again. Trish, a friend of 20+ years (...ouch!) that I did my nursing training with (along with Anna), hubby Mark and 3 children were having a Northern experience and we were very lucky to have them in London for 4 nights. Trish had been to visit her brother and his family in Sweden and by all accounts it sounded tremendous, from there they spent time exploring Paris and then caught the Eurostar to London. Although the gastro virus that has plagued all of Europe seemed to have struck..(but could have been a WHOLE lot worse) and travel weariness was setting in, they made the most of their time and certainly managed to see many of London's highlights (including the London Dungeon - which left an indelible impression on their 8 year old - in a scary, nightmarish, wake up screaming kind of way!). We were lucky enough to have Anna and Kerry in town and all got together for a Kiwi roast and a catch up...I think the last time we were together was at Anna and Kerry's wedding?! Sadly John was away whilst they stayed but we were able to at least be all together on their last night here.
I have also managed to make some new local friends . John met a very nice lady and her young son in the park ...( boy! does that sound like a line from a police report). Belinda lives further down our street, is a Kiwi, and hoping to start a babysitting club. Not surprisingly those factors were enough to escalate her to the status of 'New Best Friend'.......I made the first baby sitting exchange, and this was to take Anna to the Spice Girls show that John had won tickets to in the Air New Zealand London Office Christmas competition. Way to go hubby! The tickets were amazing! nearly front row at the O2 stadium (the tall guy from 'Little Britain' was sitting BEHIND us!) which is mind blowing, and the show was fantastically entertaining. Gotta say even close up those girls looked GOOD. Much kudos scored here John.
Last week John and I called upon Belinda again and had a fantastic evening at the Royal Albert Hall to watch Cirque De Soleil's Varekai. I have previously seen 2 of Cirque de Soleil's performances and I would have to say this is my absolute favourite theatre experience. Pure adult magic..hard to find in the world these days.
For me,I wonder if it is the fact that at these shows I feel removed and taken away from humanity and yet at the same time I have a paradoxical amazement of the strength and capacity of the human body and imagination. Whatever the formula it works for me and Varekai did not disappoint.
The kids too, are benefiting from all that London has to offer, Maya has settled well into school and making lots of friends. She has started tap dancing- (our neighbors love us.... NOT!) Will has the life...everyday seems to have something exciting on for him. Every church has some kind of playgroup and there are all the sights and services London has to offer. Anna has lent us her passes for the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew , and with the stunning weather ('the kind of winter we had as kids', 'the best winter in 15 years') we have really made the most of trying to explore some of the 300 acres of Kew, just a short bus ride away. Will loves the indoor play and educational area called Climbers and Creepers and we all love the Tropical conservatory complete with waterfalls and indoor aquarium. Speaking of climber and creepers I have just joined the UK's least Health and Safey spot.....HOORAY! It was hard to find and I must not let too many people aware of it...it's called 'The Rainforest" and is in another large park we have nearby. Its full of tropical plants and animals ...they have a kids club on a Friday with a hands on component. So far we have held a ferret, a baby crocodile, an iguana, a python and a tarantula....cool!.....
There have been no mishaps as yet....although I was a little concerned last week when they brought the python and the angora bunny out for handling at the same time...thought Will might get a first hand lesson in the food chain, but there was more excitement when an 18 month old nearly stood on the king python that had been left unattended and was side-winding across the floor. Fortunately disaster was averted..... Note to self: must remember to pack crepe bandage and anti-histamines in day pack for our next visit.
My studies have started and I have had my first block of study in Lymphoedema management in Wolverhampton, in the Midlands of England. Apart from a flat tyre, in the dark, no jack and being pulled over by the police ...all went well...why is it I never have a husband around at those moments...well not mine anyhow....The course was demanding and fantastic, and the only course where I have ever been down to my underwear with other students hands all over me....well I guess the basic principle is the management of swelling and the movement of body fluids ...Oh Behave! Overall the week exceeded all expectations and next week the Belgian Professor who developed this methodology for lymphatic drainage is coming over to tutor us directly which is a great opportunity.I can't wait to return and upskill and progress further.
Our week ended with a great night out at Anna and Kerry's...on Valentine's Night..with 3 other couples... A wonderful meal with great company - Anna and Kerry exceeded themselves especially after arriving from a full-on week in Boston and North Carolina - John can't even manage baked beans on toast after a trip into London!
In the weeks ahead John's cousins 14 yr old son Dean is heading down for a few days - a trip to the theatre and other London excursions are planned - I'll be heading back to Wolverhampton again, and next month John is looking forward to more leave and we will be heading over to Norway on the liner that we used to watch come and go through the piers at South Shields. Cue: fjords and smoked herring! Then with Spring in full bloom we'll be making a move around the south of England (Devon, Cornwall, Dorset).
Love hearing from you all - take care and enjoy the rest of the summer Kiwis
