Happy Trails To You, Until We Meet Again

As I sit down to write this weeks blog, I have a lot to think about.  Not just of the past weekend, but of the past year and what the experience has meant to me. 

I know right away that the things I've tried, the people I've met and the scenery that I have been surrounded by has truly changed me for the better.

I've become more easy going and learned that life doesn't always fall apart when there are 'no plans'.  When I first got here my signature sayings were "so what's the plan?" and "do we have a plan?" which drove everyone nuts. That being said, I still believe that 'Wanaka time' is very inconvenient and being on time is a good characteristic to have. I think if anything Georgie will agree with me.

For me plans were the one thing in my life that was organized and 'unchangeable'. After moving to New Zealand I quickly saw my life change in every aspect and to be honest it was really hard at first.  My support group of family and friends were timezones away, I had quit my job that I had worked so hard for and all of the sudden I was living with my long distance boyfriend and his family.  In a matter of a weekend, I had no idea of who I was or how the girl I have always been would survive. 

As time went on I was able to accept change and let part of 'the girl I have always been' go.  Its true when they say change is good and it was something that I needed. If anything I've learned that exiting your comfort zone can be scary, but there is another part of you beyond it. 

In saying that, bungy jumping was probably the craziest thing that I did while living in New Zealand.  For the life of me I will never forget the panic as I stood at the top of the bridge and looked down thinking "Oh fuck I actually have to do this". It was way beyond my comfort zone and although I will never do it again, I can say that I bungy jumped at AJ Hackets in Queenstown where it was invented. I can also say that I puked on the way home.

Of course there were less scary things that I got to try that were just as effective as bungy jumping.  I joined the touch team and broke my finger. I played cricket and found it was nothing like baseball. I learned how to drive a stick shift on the wrong side of the road, but I'm pretty sure that scared the life out of Teddy and I failed miserably.  Before I attempted each one, I was nervous, hated the idea and had no interest in partaking.  I soon realized that having a negative attitude wasn't going to do much for helping me to fit in with these new people.  So I put my athletic awkwardness aside, picked up that damn rugby ball and went out for the fun of it on Monday nights. Much as I hated admitting it to Campbell, it was actually a lot of fun.

I found that as I tried things with the group that I became more and more accepted as a friend instead of just 'Campbell's Canadian girlfriend'. In friendship, you get what you give. As friendships grew, so did the laughs and the amount of time we spent together. I'm not a camper, but some of my favourite weekends have been spent in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of us compiling our food together, then drinking and laughing the weekend away.  Cluden has been the home of these adventures and I will really miss the late night drinking games and singing sessions.  Whenever I hear the song "Wagon Wheel" I will think of those times and the people that I shared them with.

Campbell and I spent yesterday looking through all the pictures that we have taken over the past 12 months.  Events like the Cromwell Races, the Highlanders game, a Tweed and Tartin Game Hunters Feast and most recently Pips's 30th Birthday Party certainly highlight us at our best. However there were many more weekends that had us playing Monopoly until the wee hours of the night or getting on the piss at the rugby grounds that were just as fun and hilarious. I learned it doesn't matter what you're doing or the cost of the adventure, it's who's accompany you that makes the memory.

Of course this year wasn't just about meeting new people. It was also an opportunity to learn more about the key person in my life and where he came from. Meeting and living with Stu, Sue and Callum has been a great opportunity to see how Campbell grew up and its been interesting to see similarities or differences between my household and his. They have been very welcoming to me and their support in our move to Canada has been greatly appreciated. It has been an amazing experience for our relationship and I certainly have no regrets in taking the plunge in moving to New Zealand.

Sitting at the kitchen table, I know that this is my last post from New Zealand.

Goodbyes over the past few days have been hard, but as most people have said "its only goodbye for now". I do believe that's true. I've sat around many kitchen tables and talked about the next time we'll all see each other. May it will be a parents birthday, a friends wedding or a babies birth; I have made lasting friendships that I know will always be there to turn to.

I thank each and everyone of you for this experience. Cheers for now my good mates.

Spice Up Your Life

Colors of the world
Spice up your life
Every boy and every girl
Spice up your life
People of the world
Spice up your life, aahh

 Well we certainly spiced up our Saturday night when we attended Pip's 30th birthday party last weekend dressed as the Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls.  The wool shed had beats boppin' and leopard print for Africa... oh and a lot of fake tan!! Everyone looked awesome and we had a blast.  Although the blast ended in the morning when our exotic outfits channeled those of transvestites and a friend said to me "Funny isn't it Jenna, you go to bed as Baby Spice and wake up as Scary"!! I then looked in the mirror at my gloppy glitter and solo surviving fake eyelash - scary was an understatement.

It is always interesting to me when I hear people are following my blog.  On the weekend Kirsten, a fantastic kiwi gal I met here, told me that she decided to face her fears by putting the 'Eh Before Nay' and took the horse ride of her lifetime.  She literally put the 'nay' into it.  So proud of you Kirsten and thank you for sharing your story. 

In other news, the boys are playing super well and I'm happy to report that the bearded man beast scored a try last weekend and the red fringe is GONE! Thank god. I was worried I'd be leaving for home with that lasting vision in my head. I kid. I kid.

Speaking of being homeward bound, this is my last of work.  Friday we're having people around to our house for "goodbye for now" drinks.  It will be a good gathering with a bitter sweet end.  Although I am looking forward to seeing my friends and family back home, there are a lot of good people and lasting friendships that I have made here in New Zealand.  I have been feeling torn as of late, but know in my heart that goodbyes don't mean forever.

As The # Of Weeks Wind Down

“Blues are Poos” the cheering from a pack of 'clever' thirty something men that stood behind us at the Highlanders game versus the Blues.

I decided to go full out for my first Highlanders experience; a new Highlanders beanie, Uggs and my jacket. Warm, fuzzy and puffy. But I was not alone as Chrissy, Toby and Campbell all dawned the same fashion of “look warm, be warm”!

Our night began with quite possibly the cheapest, yet still tasty meal that I have ever had.  We agreed on takeaways from a Chinese fish and chip joint that was the size of a shoe box and even smelt like one. I ordered a chicken burger & chips and Campbell got a hamburger, chips and a fish stick. Our meal cost $10. I thought oh hell, for $10 that will be through me before we get to the game.  Happy to report it wasn’t and it was an excellent base for my beer.

During the game, we stood with the rowdy crowd in the legendary area called “The Terrace”.  Where the only warnings I received were “watch for flying beer bottles and people pissing on you”!

Even though we lost it was such an awesome experience.  We even bumped into the All Blacks coach along our travels, but apparently Toby knows him better than we do. As the four of us were walking in, he looks over to this gentleman and says "Graham" with a friendly nod. We were like jeeze high roller, we should have played the Canadian tourist card and got our photo taken with him. 

After the game we headed home and cracked open some wine just in time to see Billy & Kate get hitched.  Never mind what the bride was wearing, was anyone else paying attention to all those hats in the crowd? Imagine getting the invite to the wedding of the century and then getting there to have some lady wearing a massive hat with half a bird of feathers blocking your view. Not cool.

That Thursday was the rugby seasons first evening game.  It was awesome seeing the boys play under the bright lights while sipping away on our hot chocolates.  The crowd of 250+ was roaring as they scored try after try. Such a great night.

I experienced my first "hunting weekend" in a relationship as Campbell spent the next weekend away with the boys duck shooting.  Maybe a payback for making him watch the royal wedding.  As they headed into the middle of nowhere to do whatever men do on those kind of trips (?), me and the gals headed to a cooking demonstration at the Bendigo Homestead that included a lot of red wine. The main dish was a duck tarine.  If you know me at all, you'll know that I'm a chicken/pork/beef kind of gal and a bird fresh from the pond just isn't falling under one of those categories. I did try it... and washed it down with a very large glass of wine. Its a good thing the boys only got 2 ducks, because I sure wont be making a duck dinner anytime soon.

The next day Georgie, Macy and I had a girls day filled with ice chocolates from the Tarras Store and chicken nachos for dinner. All done in the comfort of our track pants. Such a great day and the kind I'll miss once I'm home. 

Last weekend had us back in Tarras for the Game Keepers Supper. Dressed in tweed and tartin and looking like characters out of a Sherlock Holmes movie, we drank mulled wine (among other things) and ate rabbit, duck and plenty of fish. Well someone at that sort of stuff.  Georgie and I thought we had the perfect plan by bringing "wild cow" meatballs to the pot luck dinner to ensure us picky people had something to eat.  However, being the young drunk table they had us go last for food and there were no meat balls left. So we filled up on salads and bread in hopes that would make a solid base for whatever antics the evening would bring. As desserts came out, we had a brainwave idea to stash some in the car for later.  Well later came around 4am after a guts full of gin & tonic and as I jumped into the back seat I forgot about the desserts and ended up with cake all over me.  Good thing I'm coming home to summer and wont require that suit jacket immediately!

Cheers To A Good Friend

I am a few weeks behind on my blog and have a lot to catch you up on, but I have decided to talk about a great friend today. 

On the weekend I got the news that my wonderful friend Aaron Whalen had passed away.  A character of such humour and honesty, always looking for a good time and putting smiles on faces every time he walked through a door.

Over the years Aaron has been the life of many parties, but I will always remember the first time I met him.  I was 15 on a road tour that led us to the hunting camp.  I walked in to see this guy singing along with the fish above the doorway saying "take me to the river, drop put me in the water"! Did I mention that he was naked?

There are so many Aaron stories that we all know and love. From biking down the hunting camp stairs to cannonballing on the hood of his truck at Havelock, the laughs are endless. 

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Lindsey and Aaron during their recent trip to New Zealand.  I had never met Lindsey before, but our friendship quickly grew over a few gin and sodas and I knew instantly that she was perfect for Aaron.

We spent the weekend camping in the middle of nowhere, but I'm sure the laughter of 12 people echoed from miles away.   Aaron was in true Whalen form and landed the catch phrase of the weekend. 

Sitting around the fire, our New Zealand friends were trying to explain a drinking game. The game starts off when one person says "ship came into the harbour carrying" and you say the topic.  Each person in the circle has to list a brand within that topic.  Well at one point it was 'makeup' and when it came to Aarons turn he yelled out "Whalen all over your face"! It was hilarious and had the entire group in stitches.

We all have our own Aaron story that we will turn to on days like today when we are sad.  A story full of laughs, quick wit and a cowboy hat to boot.  He was a great friend and will be missed by many.  Until we meet again, cheers to you my friend xxoo

Easter Weekend and the Shananigans That Happened

If you're wondering who the Harry Hazard is in the pic next to me, Campbell can't shave until he scores a try!

Lovely....

So Easter in New Zealand means a four day weekend, which I'm sure is how Jesus would have intended it. There was no church, but I'm pretty sure I had some holly wine and prayed to god on Monday when my hangover set in.

The weather was beautiful and had us in sunnys (sunglasses) the entire weekend. Friday, Campbell and I decide to be a super couple and try out a new walking track. An amazing opportunity to check out the changing colours of the Autumn leaves, all the while getting a little exercise in on our food full weekend. We landed at the track at the same time as a couple and their three daughters.  That poor father. Every hill they hit, the youngest one had to stop, get off her bike and suckered him into pushing the bike up the hill. Talk about being wrapped around someones finger.  Good luck when she 16!

Saturday was the Whitehorse Cup, unfortunately the boys did not win.  It was a great game and Campbell played very well.  Although I believe he had a high tackle in there somewhere and pretty much clotheslined a guy. I guess it's understandable saying he's 6/3.   I'll let it slide, but the ref sure didn't!

Sunday was SUNNY and the perfect day for a Sunday Session. A few of us gathered at Georgie & Huddy's with whatever booze we could scrounge up without being able to buy booze on Easter Sunday.  Whole lot of beer and Kaluha with milk.  Damn good day.  After a lot of laughs and peace of mind, we were all in bed by 10pm. Such rock stars haha

Monday was ANZAC Day, which to us is Remembrance Day. Campbell and I put our headaches aside, got all dressed up and attended the 9:30am ceremony.  Funny enough, NZ poppies are different then ours - I'll post a pic for you guys.  We had to laugh afterwards; during the prayer songs there was one woman's high pitched voice that overwhelmed the entire crowd.  You know the one, she's always at church or weddings and thinks she can sing really well. Someone should tell her she can't.

I'm so stoked for this weekend as Campbell has arranged for us to meet up with Toby & Chrissy and attend the Highlanders game in Dunedin.  Basically like attending a Leaf game. I'm super pumped for a live sports event.  Woo Woo Watch Out!!

Catch up with you next week xoxo J

This Week's Edition

When I see advertisements promoting the show 'Sister Wives' where a bunch of redneck women are all married to and popping out children with the same mediocre guy, I realize the days of quality TV like 'Friends' and 'Seinfeld' are gone.  

However, tonight I experienced what felt like an episode from that show as I had dinner with Campbell and three of his friends.  I couldn’t help but imagine the media uproar if the roles were reversed and the plot was changed to one woman and four men. 

Somehow she would have to seem interested in four different people’s day, their sports views of the week, what they wanted for dinner, the TV program they wanted to watch before going to bed and remembering what kind of beer needed to be stocked in which fridge. All this while managing to stay attracted to them.  The poor woman wouldn’t have to fake a headache. She’d have a constant one! haha 

I could see it being a clever sitcom before quickly turning into the latest version of CSI.

Enough with the vent, back to my travels…

The gypsy’s were in town a few weeks back and my inner hippie was super stoked. I walked down to the park and there were homes on wheels and trinket stands everywhere.  And no, not the camper vans our parents rent when they have a midlife crisis. These houses were old vans and buses, painted bright purple, smelling of incense and lined with everything they owned.  They we all happy, polite and very gracious with any purchase. Maybe they have the upper hand on us and have discovered a true appreciation for life.  I found a really cool couple in their 70's that made things out of forks and spoons.  I ended up buying a funky ring made out of a tea spoon... it's very artsy.  A friend of ours actually grew up this way and I was lucky enough to go with him & his girlfriend to the fair. He told me stories of how he grew up and I learned that when he was 5, he and his family travelled with the Gypsy's and his job was to shine shoes.  By the time he was 18 he had attended 13 schools.  Its very humbling to meet someone who grew up completely opposite to me, yet has become very successful in his own endeavours and is one of the nicest people I've ever met.  It's just a real eye opener and I wanted to share that with you all.

So Campbell and I had a visit with the Justice of the Peace this evening to confirm our "Common Law Union" for our Visa stuff. How very grown up of us!  On a  non serious note, on April Fools Day I told Campbell that we should just say "screw the Visa stuff" and get married that weekend in Queenstown. He just looked at me, quietly sat on the bed and almost fainted.  The look on his face was priceless when I said "APRIL FOOLS"!! Pure awesomeness!!


I'm happy to report that Campbell is ready to rock and roll this weekend and will be playing for the Whitehorse Cup. I have been fully warned that if they win, they'll be on a 3 day bender. Good thing its Easter and we have a four day weekend, although I'm not sure if Jesus would approve. 


I hop~hop~hope you all have a wonderful Easter! Don't worry calories don't count this weekend!!

Wizards, Skinnamarinkydinkydink & Skinnamarinkydoo

Bet that title grabbed your attention...

Wizards, no not like Harry Potter, a wizard is something I learned about while at a rugby game a few weekends ago. First you buy a bunch of canned alcohol ... think beer, think Smirnoff... then duct tape them together, like 10 of them, and carry them around to look like... a wand I guess? Sort of like a portable cooler, but without the ice. Ok maybe it was a pair of 21 year old boys and at the time I thought it was brilliantly awesome. Anyway, I took pictures. I wish I knew about this trick 7 years ago for May 24.

So most of you know that Campbell and I have been dealing with our Visa stuff lately and well lets just say it would be a whole lot easier if his name was Mohammed and he was a doctor.  I'm seriously thinking about buying a can of spray tan this weekend and having a go at him. The past few weeks I have been spinning my wheels to figure out what year I was in kindergarten, all my addresses since I was 18 and what year my father was born... which turns out isn't confirmed between documents.  Who would have thought my dad changing his age to get his license when he was 15 would affect his unborn child years later.  See, there's always something that's going to bite you in the ass.  If I ever have children I will use that as a scare tactic through their teens.

Speaking of children, I had a wonderful day with Macy last Wednesday. I was able to pull something from my own childhood memory and You Tubed the Elephant Show for her.  No, I didn't let the computer babysit, I actually put on "Skinnamarinkydinkydink" and sang with her.  Its weird, I remembered all the actions and sang along with Sharon, Lois and Bram.  Good times.  Thank god Macy was the only one there to watch.  She seemed to enjoy it.  I must share the link and dance moves with Georgie.

Ooh and dance moves. We had our best out over the weekend. I think I remember a bar top? I'd beg my mother for forgiveness and blame a bad crowd, but I'm pretty sure I've done that with her a time or two!

PS I have discovered a super awesome hangover killer. No advil, no chocolate milk, no home fries with gravy... I've started cooking like Betty Crocker on Sunday. Actually, pretty much kicking her ass and taking her name in vain. Homemade soup, sausage rolls, chicken drum sticks, etc.  Campbell has been getting the greatest lunches. He'll be devastated when we go back to sandwiches or better yet, when he has to start making his own lunch again.  Wives/long time girlfriends... I have a question for you.... when is a good time to stop making lunches? Why do we even start? It's true what they say... love is blind and only the dumb survive. Well maybe that's a few saying mixed up together, whatever. Are we that in love that we get up early, make them a hearty lunch while we take some salad that's fit for a rabbit?  I tell ya this, I would have been screwed being a women in the 1950's.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Grammar Faux Pas I have been corrected several times that "fall" is a very North American thing and "autumn" is the correct term for the season between summer and winter.

Some people have been asking me how cold it gets in New Zealand during the winter period.  Right now we're going through the same thing Canada goes through in the fall; leaves are starting to change colour and you have to make a mad dash to the bathroom in the morning because its so damn cold outside your sheets.

I arrived towards the end of winter, so I'm not 100% sure what the weather will bring in my last 4 months here in New Zealand.  A lot of friends have been carrying on about how cold it will be and telling me that I really need to get prepared for.... minus five degrees!!!!  And when I say prepared, for example everyone wears these giant puffer jackets that make them look 100lbs larger than they really are.  Keep in mind that I've been living in Toronto for the past 5 years where the motto is "who cares if you're cold, you look good"! So the idea of wearing one of these jackets for what I would considered a mild winter was completely out of the question.

Or so I thought. 

I soon realized that I was the only person in New Zealand without a puffer jacket and my fancy blazer would look completely ridiculous within the mix.  So there I stood, looking in the mirror, wearing this jacket that made me look like Arnold Schwarzenegger from the hips up, asking Georgie if it was really necessary to own one of these things.

I now own one of the jackets.  It's sort of like the short shorts.  If you can't beat them, join them and look stupid too.

This weekend is lined up to be a doozie.  Big game at home against Cromwell and us girls have decided to have a "court session" on the sidelines. I've got a jello shooter date with a fellow Canadian and I'm also considering introducing some jungle juice to these kiwi's. Could head south quickly.  I'm hoping for a bed ridden, toilet hugging Sunday! Woo Woo... Watch Out!

Campbell's Bday Weekend Away

Well, happy to report that Captain Campbell and Skipper Hudson managed to catch some dinner on their big fishing trip – too bad neither Georgie nor I eat fish.  Instead they had to eat it alone and air out the house before we returned home from shopping.  Sound familiar Mom?  I remember years ago my mother making guests from Nova Scotia eat their lobster outside in the pouring rain.  Such hospitality in the Seaboyer family!

The shopping trip was a great success and K-Mart has never been so ghetto and price pleasing.  Between an endless supply of rubber waste-band jeans and leopard printed heels, I really didn’t know where to begin.

After taking Macy to the butterfly museum (where my fear of birds and bees subsided and I managed to be aok with little insects flying at me) the five of us enjoyed a meal at the Angus Steakhouse.  With a little over indulging on wine and steak, we all agreed to walk home and put on our fat pants.

Behind the house where we were staying was a large building comprised of University students flats.  In the bottom left hand corner there was a large party going on and we could see everyone around the kitchen table; bottles clanking, 20 year olds hooting and hollering away and singing “Dog Days Are Over” at the top of their lungs.  There I stood on the balcony; to the right of me was our friends and their baby and to the left these loud obnoxious hooligans.  I think it was god’s way of telling me that I’m not ready for what’s waiting on the right and letting go of the life on the left isn’t going to happen just yet.  So don’t expect kids to be popping out anytime soon, we can put those rumours to bed asap.

On Sunday we met up with Toby and Chrissy for breakfast and some last minute shopping.  While in the middle of an outdoor sports store, I found a sleeping bag that honestly was the most amazing and softest feeling EVER.  I couldn’t stop touching it, which in turn made the 3 others want to touch it too.  After carrying on and touching this sleeping bag, the four of us realized that 10 minutes had passed and people had started to stare at us! Before leaving, I ran back to touch it one more time and to check the price tag – just a $1000!  Think I'll have to go back to K-Mart for a sleeping bag now too.

I’m enjoying a quiet week and am hoping it continues into the weekend. We’ll be at the field watching rugby on Saturday, but Campbell won’t be playing for another few weeks as the knee is still a wee bit tender.  My goal is to have a “get shit done weekend” by putting away the summer clothes and moving the fall/winter ones to the front.  Woo woo… I may need to add a bottle of wine in there somewhere to make it a tad exciting.

Hope the snow and your bodies are starting to defrost. You'll be happy to hear that it's getting colder and I've started wearing track pants for my walk to work in the morning. However, I still have my flip flop tan:)

Rugby Days

Usually I'm not the type of person that reads into predictions. In fact, I'm somewhat of a skeptic.  Perhaps it has something to do with a psychic once telling me that I would have "tons of children, even twins".  I guess after that, predictions and fortune telling freaked me out and I started to believe that some things were really not worth knowing ahead of time.

My mother will be happy to hear that last weekend, based on the Moonman's predictions, we took extra precautions in our weekend activities and had plenty of extra water and food on hand. FYI... the only land movement was an aftershock in Christchurch.  So he was kind of wrong. Well, really wrong.  I guess no one will be buying his next book.

I should back step for a second and say that "I" took extra precautions over the weekend, meanwhile Campbell played rugby. Being the second game I've ever seen him play, I was super excited to see him score a touchdown, or a goal... I mean a try. Yes a try. However I was not excited to see him cripple in front of me after attempting to tackle someone on the other team. Our afternoon and evening continued with Campbell's knee on ice and him being the butt of all the old guys jokes. Being one of the younger guys, he's  usually the first to poke fun and the "old" guys who spend the season on the sidelines due to one injury or another.  But, with a 25th birthday sneaking up this week and after spending 3 days in bed unable to move, I'm pretty sure one's cockiness has subsided! haha He's on the mend now, but no work and rugby this week.

As mentioned this weekend is Campbell's 25th birthday so Georgie and I are sending the boys on a deep sea fishing trip.  I'll let you know how that pan's out (and if there's any fish in the pan) next week.

Shake, Rattle & Roll

Walk right in, sit right down….

Can you actually believe that Dr Hook is still alive? Better yet – still performing?

Lucky for us, he joined CCR for a concert a few weekends ago in southern New Zealand and put on one hell of a show in the middle of a vineyard.  It might have been all the white wine, but let me tell you - those boys can still rock!

I was so excited to hear the songs of my childhood (thanks to my hippie parents) that I called my mom in Canada on a cell… can’t wait to see that phone bill!

This past weekend was the Wanaka Show; an A&P event (sort of like a community fair) that brings thousands of tourist into town.  The event was amazing - tons of food booths (you know with those steak sandwiches to die for and that will probably kill you), plus tons of agricultural events and activities for the kids.  I did my best to seek out the good deals at the retail stands, but the 30 degree sun got the best of me and the only way to survive was the Pimms tent!! What’s Pimms you ask? An amazing, thirst quenching, alcoholic cocktail that is a must try… recipe at the bottom of the post.

I apparently enjoyed the Pimms a little too much and while leaving the event I saw a sign for “Alpacas”. Forgetting that I have never even been on a horse before, I thought it would be really cool to ride one.  Did I mention there were actually no real animals there? Instead, I throw my leg over a wooden alpaca sign. Having no balance the sign, with me on top of it, fell over onto the ground.  Campbell didn’t know whether to help me up or run off in embarrassment.  Just waiting to see if I’m mentioned in this week’s paper under “citizens of disgust”.

Life is certainly keeping us on our toes these days.  Between the earthquakes in Christchurch and Japan and the “Moon Man’s” predictios for more in the weeks to come - I have been missing Canada strictly for the reason it never moves.  Not since 2000 have I thought about stocking up on canned food in case of emergency.  Probably the only time (other than 3am) I would consider canned spaghetti a necessity!  However, being prepared is all we can really do; worrying doesn’t help in the least.  Taking the “Eh Before Nay” approach to life, we’re just embracing it and whatever will be, will be.  That being said, enjoy the Pimms recipe. I guess it’s my version of the saying “when life hands you lemons…”

PIMMS

Ingredients:

2 1/2 ounces Pimm's liqueur

6 ounces ginger ale

1 slice oranges, and or 1 slice lemon

1 slice cucumber (spear)

mint (to garnish)

 

RECAP: Christmas & New Years

I can’t honestly believe it’s 2011. I feel like it’s going to be an amazing year for all. However, for those who believe the world is going to end in 2012, maybe you should ask your doctor for more crazy pills! Or less.

I’ll begin with my first “summer” Christmas. I don’t know what was weirder; having no snow or living with a woman who insisted on decorating every room with Christmas cheer. I’m not kidding; our house looked like the North Pole had thrown up. After a wild night out on the town (a Wanaka tradition on Christmas Eve), I felt the need to contribute some Canadian heritage. On Christmas morning we played Newfy horseshoes and drank homemade eggnog.  I can’t say it eased the hangover, but it did wonders for dealing with the in-laws.

As a gift, my darling boyfriend bought me a bungee jump. I must remember to make a list of romantic gift ideas for next year as plummeting 14,000ft to the ground will not likely be at the top of it. 

I was lucky enough to ring in the New Year with one of my dearest Canadian friends.  After a few flight delays (due to crappy North American weather) Shawna arrived in time for some champagne celebrations. Well maybe champagne, beer, vodka and shots… regardless I think we had fun!

We didn’t let the bad weather spoil our fun; the next few days in New Zealand included the Wanaka Rodeo, drinks at Edgewater (where I once cleaned toilets), dinner at The Lone Star (best steak in town), a lakeside lunch at The Ale House (complimentary sun burn), a road trip to Dunedin where we learned one of the best drinking games ever and a final stop in Geraldine before we caught our flight to Brisbane.

Unfortunately, we followed bad weather to Australia and on our first day there we were forced to go shopping. As you can imagine this was a real arm twister. We entered the Pacific Fair Mall during one of the most amazing sales I have ever seen.  $5 sales signs were everywhere… even shoes! 

The next day with our hair 3 inches higher and curlier than usual, we braved the muggy weather and headed down to Surfers Paradise.  After chilling at the beach, we agreed on this super cool café for our next liquid lunch at. Then we spent the rest of the day checking out the surfer guys... shops... I mean surfer shops!

Our next destination was Byron Bay where we stayed at a.... and I quote "flashpackers".  Supposedly an upscale back packers and an ideal place to realize how old you're getting. Five, even three years ago I would have been keen to stay up all night, sleep anywhere and meet as many new people from around the world as possible. Now at 25, I was tired after a week of straight partying and the idea of a "social courtyard" in the middle of our hotel made me put my ipod on to ensure that I got a decent nights sleep. How uncool am I?

We saved the best for last; our final stop being beautiful Sydney.  Our first day included tours of Darling Harbour, the Taronga Zoo and Circular Quay where both the Syndey Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House are located. The sun was shining and the sites were simply amazing! We took the ferry by Nicole (Kidman) and Keith (Urban's) condo... a real hole... I don't know how someone could live within those conditions.

Our trip concluded with a ferry ride over to Manly and an ocean kayak tour of the surrounding beaches. Shawna's choice, I was mid heart attack watching for sharks!

All in all, it was an amazing adventure and I was lucky to have a partner in crime to do it with!

Embracing My Inner Kiwi

I decided to embrace the Kiwi lifestyle and bought a pair of short shorts. Like the rest of New Zealand, I look like a complete fool.

Last night was my first game of mix touch rugby and I managed to trip over my own two feet twice. All I kept thinking was “I’d like to see you people try and skate”! Campbell believes that with a little bit of catching and running practice that I’ll be ready to go next Monday.  I believe that if someone has been uncoordinated for 25 years, the problem is not likely going to be solved in a week!

A Lesson in Wanaka

Wanaka is a very small, tourist travelled town. Like Canadians, the Kiwi's have been very welcoming and I'm fitting in well. The local pub is quite the place. It has unisex bathrooms - I may be from Toronto, but I nearly died when I saw that!! Aside from that, the beer is good, the music is good and the locals are usually walking around in rugby shorts and jandles (flip flops)!! I'm having "heaps" of fun!

Enjoy a few NZ terms, try not to look like a tourist!

T = Dinner
Heaps = A lot
Spat the dummy - Freaked out
Sweet as = Pretty cool
Scratcher = Bed
Pissed as a parrot = Drunk

RECAP: Family Impressions

The past few weeks have been busy. I woke one night to a rumbling bed - I assumed that Campbell was trying to get fresh with me and pretended to keep sleeping. Of course when it continued and I realized that we were having an earthquake I knew my mother would be freaking when she heard the news the next day!! We were very fortunate in Wanaka, we only felt the initial 7.1 earthquake and suffered no damage. Christchurch (about 5 hours away) wasn't so lucky.  Pretty scary stuff. I hope you have been following the news and keeping updated.

Campbell & I spent the past 2 weeks house sitting for his Aunt & Uncle. It was an opportunity to get away from his parents - so we of course jumped at it. However "house sitting" is a loose term. We actually took on a home, 2 dogs, 2 cats, a hobby farm and a 17 year old boy. I felt so bad for Sean, I could imagine the excitement and party planning that went on in his mind when he heard his parents were going away for 2 weeks. Only to have it all taken away by having us stay there and "Teen sit".

Now on this farm (did you just sing that to Old MacDonald?? haha) they have chickens, numerous pregnant sheep and pigs. YES, the bastard pigs from the previous email!! Now when I say "pregnant sheep" I should also mention that it's lambing time here in New Zealand and they were meant to go into labour on our watch. One night, during a rain storm this stupid sheep decides to give birth in the middle of the field. The weather is freezing and the lambs (twins) aren't strong enough to walk to the barn. If we touch them, we risk the mother not feeding them due to our human smell. So poor Campbell & Sean decide that in order for them to live, they have to bring them in. So me (non farm gal) watching from the house, all I hear are these lambs going nuts (think sounds from the movie ET) and these two guys running across the filed trying to grab them!! I know it was a very serious life or death situation, but honestly I was nearly peeing my pants from laughing so hard. I say it again, I am not meant for farming.

On a family note, I have met the fancy pancy Aunt & Uncle from New Zealand. Last weekend we had dinner at their "summer home" on the lake in Wanaka. This house was ridiculous, the type of home you see in celebrity magazines. I didn't dare touch anything. Well aside from the expensive wine. I felt like an idiot when I came strolling in with my $12 no name special. Oh well, it could have been worse - I could have brought Baby Duck!! Anyway, I realized just how fancy pancy they were when his Aunt was chatting about having dinner last week with "John". I soon realized she was talking about John Travolta. Maybe in my next life!!

As for my in-laws, I have officially made my mark on the Grant family. Last Sunday while looking for an atlas we found his parents wedding album. Sitting at the kitchen table, I opened the album for Sue & I to look through. About a minute into turning pages, we smelt smoke. Apparently when I opened the wedding album, I opened it onto a candle!!!! So regardless if Campbell keeps me around or not, I will always be the bitch that burnt her wedding album!! No pictures were harmed, only the 30 year old very off white wedding cover!!

RECAP: The First Month

So it's offically been a month and I'm finally getting settled. I was warned that within the first few weeks I would reach a point and wonder what the heck I was thinking by moving away for a year. I am happy to report that time has come and gone and I have not changed my flight. However, it definitly happened. Between my "crappy" job and limited mobility (we don't have a car), I was a very irritable person to be around. You don't realize how important little things are until you don't have them at your finger tips. Usually I conquer my stress by going shopping, however Wanaka is a ritzy town and you can't find a pair of jeans under $300. So I was at a loss. My under attracive house keeping uniform (think hideous golf shirt, borderline butch) would have to do for the time being.

Luckily my time at Edgewater was short lived and I started my new job as a receptionist for Central Property this week. Althought my house keeping job may have been brief, it was not complete until some tourist blessed me with the most dissgusting hotel room in holiday history. I could tell by the scent of their room that they had been cooking the night before. You guessed it - fish. Not just any ol' fish - fish heads that they were kind enough to leave in the pots for little ol' Jenna to clean out. Probably the only time I almost puked in a hotel room - sober.

Few things that I learned while house cleaning;
1) Women are messier than men
2) Many people keep their pj's under their pillows - weird.
3) People don't steal the soaps, shampoos and vanity kits from hotels anymore - my Nana would be rolling over in her grave if she knew this.

So back to my travels. Wanaka is a huge tourists destination and therefore everything is expensive. How expensive you ask? When I went to buy peppers that cost $4 EACH - I nearly died. My normally veggie filled chilli quickly become spiced mints meat with several cans of tomatoes!!

Campbell and I decided to take a road trip last weekend to Dunedin. It's roughly 3 hours away, but a beautiful scenic adventure versus my normal 3 hour route of concrete on the 401 in Toronto.  The best was getting into Dunedin and heading to the beach. It was beautiful, but very brisk. We spent Saturday afternoon with Chrissy and Tobey - throwing the rugby ball around on the beach and then hitting a very cool cafe on the way home.

However the best part of the trip was the shopping. Shopping in a place where peppers did not costs $4 and therefore my inner bargain girl could shine!! And she did. I found some fabulous new shops and bought myself something at each one. Yes it may be selfish, but when dating Campbell Grant you can't predict the next time your shopaholic soul will be let loose in a big city.  One thing funny to note, they have K-Mart. Couldn't believe it, I got an undershirt for $12. Guess that I can finally agree with my mom that K-Mart is kind of cool (somewhere the 13 year old girl inside of me is screaming and telling me to shut up)!!

I have had one injury to date. Totally sober and not even 1% my fault. You're never going to believe this; while feeding pigs at Campbell's aunt and uncles, Campbell was hitting the slop bucket with a giant metal rod. I must also note that he had just used this giant rod to smack the pigs from attacking each other. While hitting the bucket, Campbell forgot that I am NOT a farm girl or boy and therefore I do not have farmer like instants. While standing innocently to the side (but likely in the way) I got hit directly in the mouth with the dirty pig stick. Within minutes my lip was swollen and all I could think about was that the dirty stick had just been touching a pig. A pig. Yuck! The incident ended up being a blessing in disguise; 1) My thin little lips were sexy and full for three whole days and 2) Campbell will likely not take me to the farm again. Win/win.