The Great Gatsby and Birthday Party

What I call a Good Friday Night

In between re-reading one of my favorite books about WWI before its sequel (about WWII) came out I had a few days to burn. I am always, always reading at least one book going, but I was so excited about the newest book in this trilogy I didn't want to start anything too demanding so I went back to an oldy, but a goody - The Great Gatsby. The historical timing was perfect and it was an easy read done over the weekend.
A friend and I went to the Museum that Saturday, which like the zoo I had been to many times, but never without kids in tow and hadn't really seen any of it previously. It is beautiful building over looking Auckland.  The exhibits are expertly done and the range of artifacts and displays are extensive while not overwhelming. Best of all, the City Council of Auckland has sponosored the museum so that anyone who lives in Auckland is free of charge - the Art Gallery and many other museums here are the same - a brilliant way to keep people involved and culture and education available.

The kids and I made cupcakes for a friend's birthday before we went out for dinner, followed by cupcakes and beer on the beach- what more could a girl want?!

Cards

I apologize for my procrastination and lack of ambition to document the last few weeks.
The weekend after my last post the girls and I pretty much repeated the lounging, but added rummy! We played contract rummy for hours while watching music videos and sipping back a few beers. Side note - I have become fortunate enough to find an beer importer that ordered me New Belgium. Until I received the shipment I really didn't think it was possible. The first sip was like having a hug from a loved one at home and almost made me cry.
Anyways the girls and I went out to Ponsonby Road Friday night, which is not really like going out at home as a small glass of beer is at least eight dollars and you aren't allowed into most bars if you are wearing blue jeans.

I can't speak highly enough about the quality entertainment a deck of cards can provide. I am deeply worried that in our fast-paced, electronics dominated culture, playing cards will become a thing of the past like listening to the radio or uninterrupted (by television) family dinners. I vow to do my part to make sure this doesn't happen - even if I don't win a single hand!

Girls Weekend

We watched these monkeys
clean each other for ages

Both Friday and Saturday evenings we occupied by babysitting, but I had one of the best weekends! Friday the girls came over and I cooked a three course dinner that I must say was pretty darn good. Saturday we went to the zoo as they hadn't been before and I rarely get to see or doing much while I am dragging the children around. I have been to the zoo probably a dozen or more times, but still hadn't been to about half of it. We took our time and spent as much or as little time as we wanted at each spot - it was so lovely to ignore everyone's crying children. Not to say that I don't adore my job and all its perks, like going to the zoo regularly, but I appreciate child-free time more than I could have ever expected.


Possibly the best part of the weekend was just relaxing with other adults, doing (sort of) adult things, and not talking about nappies or naptime. Or maybe the best was pancake breakfasts two mornings in a row!
Or maybe it was how we were craving an American hotdog and then on the way home there was a stand on the side of the road offering just that - sometimes the world just works out.
We are planning to do it all over again next weekend.

a hotdog, just when you need it

Busy doing normal

I am not all that sure why I don't seem to have any spare time these days. By spare I don't mean I don't have free time to have fun and play. I have been actually relishing and cherishing that time more, which maybe is why it seems like I don't have time for the boring things like blogging, laundry (well I am still doing heaps, and heaps of it, just not as religiously), cleaning up rooms when I know they will just as quickly get hit by hurricane Mackay again... My workout routine has jumped up a notch as I am obsessing over re-reading one of my favorite books and am negotiating longer cardio stints so have more time to read while on the machine. There are now two other American au pairs I have become quite close with and we are now spending most of every weekend together. My work schedule has changed a bit, giving me both more time with the kids on my own and more time on my own in general and I can't believe what a significant change in attitude I seemed to have found with it.
I am sure that having a date for going home has rekindled my love in my life here and I am already missing it.
Despite having spent numerous hours on the couch watching movies and chatting away an evening while babysitting, we still managed to go for a quick hike in the Waitakeres.

A Ticket

The sight from my window when
I woke up on Monday morning

Despite another rather mundane week, paradise is still beautiful, blooming with birds of paradise. I had a girls night last Friday with some other au pairs, met up with a friend on Saturday afternoon, and sunday was spent avoiding the rain and seeing the new Bourne movie at Sylvia Park shopping centre. I was also able to sneak a trip for mussels and good beer into Sunday evening. So really, really my life has become "normal," with routines and the wasting away of perfectly good weekends. Since I am pretty much doing the same thing this weekend, I must be enjoying it!

In my backyard

The scary, bizarre part of last week was that I made a significant decision/action for my future travel plans, something I've not done in months and months. I bought a ticket back to the States. As soon as I did it, I was awash with a desire to cry and could not for the life of me figure out the cause. I knew I would have to leave New Zealand and I knew I would need to buy a ticket. I even found a great deal and I am going with a friend. It was maybe just that I had in fact made a decision and my fantasy world with made up plans and fake money kind of dissolved in one swoop. It is very exciting and I am so happy, especially since now I can focus more attention on how to manage my remaining time and travel.

I am often shocked and baffled at my life and how I have managed to get where I am and do what I am doing - it just seems all too chimerical. I spent a bit of my week feeling a bit blue for this new direction, but have now somewhat accepted, though not full realized, that I will be home some time around 1 March. From the time my contract is up in the middle of January until then, I will go to Australia, NZ biggest sports event down in Wellington, and then poor, poor me will be flying home via a trip in Hawaii.

Bethells Beach

Another night of babysitting in a peaceful house started out my weekend before some of the friends I met in Wellington came up to Auckland. Saturday we went to the French Markets in Parnell. The market is full of fresh produce, breads, spreads, and baked goodies of all kinds and is a fresh and fabulous place to get some grocery shopping and breakfast out of the way.



We then drove out to the Waitakeres again to Bethells Beach. Despite the shoddy weather, we were able to walk along the coast and visit a few caves, though never actually completed a hike as intended. The area is famous for beautiful summer weather with swimmers, surfers, and people lounging in the hot black sand, so we will have to make another trip back in a few months.
Once back in Auckland, we cleaned up an hosted a casual and entertaining dinner party for our Welly friends.

I spent almost all of Sunday on a friends couch, eating junk food and watching movies while the rain continued to pour down. Good food, a little adventure, friends... This is what life should be about. (our internet usage went over this month and we are now operating at dial up speeds so pictures will follow in a few days)

Wonderful Weekend in Welly

View of Wellington from Mt Victoria

The first weekend in August I took my first real holiday since being here. I actually took off the Friday and Monday - a first time request and went back down to the Capital. I was lucky enough to have grabbed a cheap return ticket for 90 bucks and even had a friend to take with me. It can't be said whether it was the unlikely, but amazing weather, the adventures we had, the friends we made, or just the fact that I was finally on a vacation, but it was one of the best trips I have ever had.

Dinner at Shed 5

We left first thing Friday morning and were picked up by a friend of a friend at the airport, a generous individual who was kind enough to show us around Mt Victoria, the water front, an art gallery,and offered his tour guide services again on Monday before returning us to the airport. Friday afternoon we had a leisurely lunch before checking into the hotel, working out, and hitting the town. A fabulous seafood dinner and a few drinks rounded out our evening in Wellington's CBD.
Up bright and early on Saturday, we rented a car, picked up another au pair and drove out to the Southwest coast. Despite the twisty-turny "mountain" roads and the many hours of driving, the scenery and destination were more than worth it. We took a couple hour hike through the Pinnacles Track and over, around, and through a river. Then we went to Cape Palliser, the most southern point of the North Island, a light house, and the home to a large fur seal colony. I have now traveled literally from the top to the bottom of the North Island.

Cape Palliser Light House

Both the views from the lighthouse and visiting the lazy, but cute seal colony were spectacular, but did include a bit more exercise. Two-hundred and fifty stairs to be precise. Then it was back to the car for a few more hours of twisty-turny roads before stopping at Countdown (the grocery store) for dinner supplies. We were fortunate to have more generous and friendly people who had offered us lodging and the opportunity to meet some kindred Kiwis.
Sunday, a group of us went out to the best brunch ever had. To be completely honest, in retrospect, we are not sure what made it so amazing other than we were all famished and the ambiance and food hit the spot. Then we were driven around Wellington, around all the bays, and to a beach walk called Red Rocks. A few more hours of immersing ourselves in New Zealand nature and beauty, another seal colony and we were back in town getting more dinner preparations. Monday we met up with some friends for lunch, toured Parliament, and spent our remaining hours wandering around Te Papa- the national museum.



We finished our trip back at the Mt Eden Belgium Beer cafe with apple crumble, what more could a girl want? I will have to admit the following week was a bit difficult - coming back to reality and having to work with limited rest, but I keep trying to figure out how to do it all again sometime in my remaining time here - there is just so much to see! (pictures to be add soon as the internet connection is extremely slow today)