Exploring the Land of the Long White Cloud

A massive dose of sunshine coincided with moving the clocks forward this weekend. We didn't even need jackets as we walked over to the rugby match yesterday. It was the second-to-last Shield defense of the season. And Taranaki was successful again! By a very convincing margin of 59-18. Go you amber and black! I just wanted to make a note to all of those on the West Coast that we do converse with on the phone or the Skype machine that we're now only 4 hours apart instead of 5! And those of you on Pacific time, that shall change to 3 hours when you guys turn the clocks back later in the fall. So it's only going to get easier to set up times to chat!! (Of course we're still the next day but really, it means that mid-week chats won't have to start at 10pm for you! Sweet as!) We went to a quiz night fundraiser for Greyhounds as Pets last night and it they had Greyhounds there! Sadly, we didn't place first - ok a bit far from it - but we did get some spot prizes! ...

The shield is currently causing heaps of excitement for us here in Taranaki. I know most readers may not be up on their NZ rugby facts but the Ranfurly Shield has been around the NZ rugby scene for more than 100 years. They also call it the Log O'Wood. It's a trophy that's separate from the seasonal cup in the leagues. For the current holders of the Shield, every home game puts it at risk. If they play an away game it's not on the line and once the playoffs roll around it's not part of that either. Last year Taranaki won it off of Southland and have successfully defended it so far this season. Teams from other leagues under them even come in to challenge them. Yesterday we finally attended a Shield match as one of the top teams, Canterbury, was coming to town. It was a nail-biting game but the ol' amber and black pulled through with a win. Unfortunately because Dustin was working, we missed the parade yesterday morning! (Ok that might not be the only rea...

If you have never watched an All Blacks match from the start, you may have never seen a haka before. What's a haka you ask? It is a traditional Maori dance or war cry. They are also done to welcome visitors, celebrate great events or even at funerals. Of course, due to the AB's, it's mostly known as a war cry done before battle. There are many different versions and there are actions or moves that accompany them. Above is a clip of the All Blacks doing the haka they performed before the Argentina match. We've seen other hakas in festivals and before the rugby game we watched in Fiji. It is cooler when you can hear it better because the sound resonates and when you're closer you can see the facial expressions as well - which, as per tradition, are wide-eyed with the occasional tongue poking out. I reckon it definitely sets the tone for intimidation on the field because I would probably be a bit wary after witnessing one from the other team's perspective! Che...

There we were, waiting out halftime at the rugby and with a rising cheer from the crowd, the players returned to the field and after a moment... darkness! We are back from our little weekend jaunt south. It was filled with fields of baby lambs, high winds, and lots of rain, rugby and brews. It was great to get out of the city - even if it was into bigger cities haha. The first stop on Friday was for a tour of the saleyards in Feilding - a place better know for a high profile murder case. The rain paused long enough for us to walk through watching the auctions of sheep and cattle. We had lunch at the cafe on site where all the farmers hang out afterwards - I think our raincoats were the only ones that weren't navy blue or army green. Sadly, the weather meant a no go for the horse trek - oh well now we have an idea for anyone who is coming to visit! We decided instead to hit up the rugby museum as well as the art and science centre next door. We had Indian food...

Hello you (unintentionally!) neglected readers! Turns out that when you go from part-time, set your own schedule work to full-time work with set hours, you have less time to update your blog! So yes, I've been working straight on through up at the hospital. I finished up with the "Older People's Health" department on Friday and am now onto learning the Audiology department (which, incidentally also is responsible for Podiatry and Speech and Language Therapy.) I am just here for 4 days to train so that they have someone to cover when needed. Two things I've learned about working in the public health system: nobody has enough time or resources to do what they need to do; and there is way too much paper! I had a little training session on a new computer application they have that will allow GP's to refer patients electronically rather than by fax or mail. Wow, such a great idea! Until..."Step 4: Print out the referral...." Oh well. I think they are ...