Weeks 40 & 41 - Adventure weekend, a fresh love for life and another great learning opportunity!

Hi Everybody, well it's a 'double-header' this week, yes two posts! This is for two reasons - 1) I was away last weekend and had an amazing adventure weekend, 2) The internet connection was only just installed this week. (Yes 'Chorus' - who I publicly name and shame were almost as incompetent as BT in the UK, at delivering anything close to what I would call decent customer service).  So get a cup of tea, sit down, get comfortable, and read on...

Ok, straight to it then, Week 40 was pretty special in many ways, but ended in spectacular style with an amazing weekend away with one of the 'Meet-up' groups I joined - ADVENTURE WELLINGTON.

Prior to the weekend there had been two other big events in my life. 1) The start of my first OT student's placement, which I had some apprehension about and lots of excitement too, and 2) The visit of three family friends, including the parents of a friend from Junior school who have known me since I was about 5! This led to a busy mid-week with dinners and drinks (Thanks very much for that!).

ADVENTURE WELLINGTON WEEKEND IN TONGARIRO!

For just $250 per person (£125), myself and my flat mate Kala, had booked on this weekend which included travel to and from Tongariro (4 hour drive), meals (x2 breakfast, packed lunch and BBQ dinner, 2 nights accommodation, AND THEN... white water river rafting, gorging, and either abseiling or caving! Bargain!!!!!! 

We left Wellington at 16:30 from the train station (where I met the other 26 folks going on the trip), and stopped off briefly for a quick dinner in the famous little town called 'Bulls'. I Only mention it because almost every sign in this town makes the most of it's unusual name! Have a look below!  

Genuine sign in the town called 'Bulls'

Another genuine sign in the town of 'Bulls'

Having reached out destination about 22:30 we had a quick briefing, bundled ourselves into random rooms, I got 2 snorers in my room! A few of us stepped outside for some of the best star-gazing I have ever seen! After 2 minutes of standing outside in the pitch black night in the middle of 'middle earth' almost every star in the sky became visible, as did several shooting stars! A great way to start the trip!

DAY 1 GORGING & RIVER RAFTING!

The group was split into two so whilst one group went Gorging (walking through a gorge / climbing in, over / around it), the other half went river rafting.  I could talk all day about the gorge walk, but I'll just show pictures instead, as they pretty much say it all! No pics available of the river rafting as we all jumped in the river / or fell out so it wasn't safe for my camera! 

Me jumping into the river (Gorging)

Gorging in Tongariro

Our Gorging trip - Tongariro

Adventure Wellington team photo whilst Gorging in Tongariro

Drying off in the sun!

Blue blue water... just need to jump in!

Jumping in from the high rock - yep that's me! 

Day one ended as all good adventure days should, with a trip for a few of us to a local pub! With an interesting 'gypsy jazz' fiddle band playing in the background, as the drinks flowed we all got to know each other a little better with the aid of the '2 truths / 1 lie' game! 

DAY 2 - ABSEILING - The weather was too good for me to justify sliding around in a dark cave - something I'll do with friends when they visit, so I joined the smaller group for an awesome abseil experience with breathtaking views of Mt Ngauruhoe! 

Climbing up the hill...

Abseiling team...

The walk up the hill required some effort and once we all helped each other up the hill it was time for a little group photo. I do wonder why whenever I have a photo wearing a helmet, my helmet is never straight! Anyway, after getting the photo out of the way, and catching our breath - we gazed out over the valley and saw some spectacular views... mainly of Mt Ngauruhoe...

Mt Ngauruhoe views...

After a little view gazing, we quickly got back to business and started the descent down the valley! I was second so I got to take some pictures! 

off we go! 

the full abseil...

John relaxing after!

A truly brilliant weekend came to an end with another 4 hour drive back to Wellington. This time thought there was far less chatting and far more sleeping! Once back in Wellington, and with new friends and phone numbers in tow, I headed for home and my nice new bed!

WEEK 41 - A FRESH LOVE FOR LIFE!
The sunshine continued to make life here seem like mediterranean Europe for me! Suncream required daily, and this past week has been no exception. Another busy week at work, with some very testing conversations and ethical dilemma's giving me and my student lots to discuss and ponder! I managed to get back to the gym, to continue the quest to lose that 'middle age spread'! I also managed to get to the last remaining 'films by starlight'  outdoor movie - 'SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN'. I had never heard of this film or musician before and knew nothing about the impact this guy's music had in the South African fight against apartheid - neither did the guy himself as the movie says. The most amazing part of the story was the guy's total humility, even after he found out he was a major music star in South Africa!
On the Thursday I finally managed to drag some work colleagues down to the penultimate "Salsa by sunset' free salsa class on the wharf, not before a little drink of course! We all had a blast and I have not danced to so many consecutive salsa tunes before! The fact that all this happens in public by the ocean makes it extra special! Bring on the final session next Thursday - I wonder how many OT's and OT students I can get there - and clients too, because it's a brilliant way to get people feeling involved in the community for free, and it's healthy! Social inclusion at it's best!

This weekend has ben pretty active too, with many events around the city (mostly free), revolving around Chinese New Year celebrations. A gorgeous Saturday afternoon BBQ (having quite a few of them), with the Special Olympics basketball coaching staff started the day well! I then headed off to the other meet-up group I joined - THE WONDERS OF WELLINGTON - for dinner and then a free Chinese dance / fashion show at the TSB Arena! All this was going on whilst England were giving the Kiwi cricket team a good thumping to win the ODI series 2-1!
The chinese fashion / dance show was pretty colourful and spectacular too! take a look...

Chinese NY show...

Chinese NY show... 

Chinese NY show...

Chinese NY show...

Chinese NY fashion show

Chinese NY fashion show...

Year of the Snake!

Sunday was no less spectacular but in a different way. After getting up at 6am to watch England beat France in the 6 Nations rugby, I soon fell asleep until 1pm - obviously needing the rest! So a quick shower and breakfast later, I headed off to meet Jess and the gang for a pre-game drink before the Phoenix football match vs Adelaide Utd. The sun continued to shine and Wellington harbour was looking fantastic!  

Sunday Sunny Wellington

Typical Wellington sunny day activities!

The Phoenix fans were in good voice in the newly opened 'Back Bencher' pub where they meet pre-game. The angel character is the Phoenix Manager - and boy does he need some divine inspiration right now! They drew 2-2 at home against 10 men! agh!!!  

In the Backbencher pub - pre game!

Anyway, I think that just about covers the last 2 weeks, and now I have 4 more weeks with my student before a 5 year wait will be over - a return to Vietnam! I've already learned lots from my student so far, about various aspects of an OT student's life and education, and look forward to learning lots more. Having students is fantastic! It's great when they question you about the things you do automatically every day - definitely stops the complacency and reminds me to think around all aspects of my work and make sure my clinical reasoning is evident!  

Ok, that really is enough from me! Regards from New Zealand!
Dan

oh one more thing - congratulations to my brilliant cousin Jose who has coached her young cheerleaders to 2nd and 4th places in competition! So proud of you! x 

Week 39 - The big move, February 6th = Waitangi Day, and the importance of team work!

Hi Everyone! Sorry this will be a bit short and sweet this week, but I'll explain why! I'm currently sat in my 'old' studio apartment, because I still have internet connection here for a few more days, and also because I need to finish cleaning it, but am getting distracted by the computer! 

THE BIG MOVE

Myself and Kala had an early start yesterday having prepared all our things for the removal guys to arrive Saturday morning. Kala had not long set off to be at the new place to collect the keys, and for an inspection, when the removal guys arrived, and within 20 mins we were packed and setting off 5 minutes down the road, to our new 5th floor apartment! There is no lift, but there is a courtesy entrance form the building next door which comes out on the 4th floor, which was a god send. Myself and the 2 guys had all the stuff moved from the old address to the new place within an hour! I also had a car load of stuff (car was courtesy of Kala's generous mate Andrea). So myself and Kala did the last of the unloading - I later thought I'd make use of the car and go and buy an extra wardrobe for the 'Warehouse' but got a bit excited about how much weight I thought I could carry. So after having a guy from the shop get the wardrobe in the car, (flat packed), I needed to ask 2 passers by to get it in the building, and another two tenants in the building to help me up the stairs. I then spent 2.5 hours fighting a losing battle to put the bloody thing together! Anyway enough of my traumas! (Tibo - flatmate number 3 is due to arrive back from his holidays next weekend to complete the merry trio!).... the best thing about the new place - apart from having a separate bedroom, bathroom and living space, is the view from our balcony... enjoy the pictures below! 

Views from new Living room

Moving into new flat!

New flat! 

Views from new living room...

Views from new flat...

Looking towards Mt Victoria

WAITANGI DAY - FEBRUARY 6TH (WEDNESDAY)

Every year on 6 February, New Zealand marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. In that year, representatives of the British Crown and over 500 Māori chiefs signed what is often considered to be New Zealand’s founding document. The day was first officially commemorated in 1934, and it has been a public holiday since 1974.

For some people, Waitangi Day is a holiday; for many, and especially for Māori, it is the occasion for reflecting on the Treaty. Since the 1970s the style and mood of the commemorations on Waitangi Day have been influenced by the increasingly heated debate surrounding the place of the Treaty in modern New Zealand.

Falling on a Wednesday this year was great, as it meant I got a day off mid-week! The day was used productively as I packed and cleaned as much as I possibly could in preparation for the move, and had chance have a proper chat with my mum after my parent''s recent trip to Antartica/Sth America! (Lucky buggers!). But by 4:30 pm, I was fed up of cleaning and smelling like bleech, so I thought I would go down to the waterfront, to join in the Waitangi Day celebrations by the wharf. I knew there was a free (so many free events here) event on, with live music, and I also knew there was supposed to be a free 'salsa at sunset' class on about 6pm. I knew the teachers of the lesson so I went along. A small crowd had formed, and I sat there patiently eating my donuts waiting for the class to start. Just along the bench where I was sat I happened to notice a young woman sit down and watch what was going on. The class started, and included a warm up, salsa, cha cha cha, and latin 'hip-hop' moves! During the class people paired up, and the same young woman happened to be next to me, so we paired up. Now I am not a great dancer, (no laughing please Jenny Ellis!) - but I can hold my own on the salsa floor, and fortunately so could the young woman (Kylie). It turned out that Kylie was from Australia, (though we'll forgive her for that), and had been at a conference, and was having a few days holiday in NZ before returning to OZ. She was in Wellington for just one day, and had heard the music and randomly stopped by. 

A drink followed the dancing it been really hot here for past 2 weeks, and again quite randomly Kylie mentioned she had been told of to go and watch the Famous NZ movie called 'Boy', which was being shown (for free) by the waterfront later on. I had also planned to go and so, we met later on to watch the movie in the 'film by starlight' events, on the inflatable screen in 'Waitangi Park' - coincidence I assure you! Following the movie, we got a couple of drinks at one of my favourite bars, before saying goodbye! 

The point of sharing this story, was to share the total sense of randomness which started out for both of us being at that salsa event, and having an afternoon and evening with a total stranger, for a total of 5 hours. These kind of things happened to me a lot when I was traveling and I used to love it when I'd have a totally unexpected fab experience with total strangers, so it was great that this happened within the context of my 'normal life'. I'll add a picture / video for context! 

Waitangi Day - free waterfront events...

Salsa by sunset class - Waitangi Day

TEAMWORK

I can't possibly go without a really quick mention about work this week. It;s been ridiculously busy for us all, and for myself too. I've been at ED (Emergency department) for work reasons and dealing with some quite heavy stuff, including the odd crisis. I know this is part of the job, but the way this team I work for in Mental health Services deals with this stuff is great. Everyone just dives in and helps each other out in any way possible, without being asked. Having such a brilliant team, not only helps ease the work load times of crisis, but help deal with the emotional workload. The occasional 'afternoon' tea also helps, which this week included a Friday 'ice-cream and cake' session - which on a serious note, is one way to help staff wind down emotionally after a long week, and deal with the vicarious trauma that comes with this kind of work.

Regards from Wonderful Wellington, NZ

Dan 

Week 38 - Rugby World Sevens Tournament, Outdoor movies, and Sunday Sailing!

Hey Everybody,

What an absolutely crazy weekend here in Wellington, with the infamous 7's Rugby tournament! It's basically a weekend full of rugby, drinks and dressing up! I'd heard many stories about this weekend - where the entire city becomes one giant fancy dress party! More to come on that!

Earlier in the week, on Wednesday night, a few people I knew headed to Waitangi park for the first of 4, weekly outdoor movies in the 'Films by Starlight' season. This week's offering was 'Best in Show' A comical look at the world of the American dog show! Plenty of people brought their dogs to the movie, which almost didn't happen after the inflatable screen didn't inflate at the first attempt! It's been glorious weather this week, so even a little light wind (and I don't mean from the dogs) couldn't stop the enjoyment of an outdoor movie! It's a famous NZ movie next week called 'Boy'! 

The inflatable outdoor movie screen, Waitangi Park.

RUGBY 7'S

The first evidence of the event could be seen on Friday, as I drove through the city after some client home visits, I could see a whole host of super-heros, cartoon characters and a large groups of people dressed identically, in kilts, cavemen outfits and lots of 'Lance Armstrong' outfits, with the wording 'Live wrong, lie strong' - written on the yellow shirts! There were quite a few Adam & Eve couples too! Once I finally managed to get to the stadium I began to really understand the magnitude of the event and it was quite obvious people had spent weeks, if not months, on preparing their costumes! I could write so much about it, but pictures say a thousand words!  

Sevens costumes - I-phone!

The Sevens crowd!

Sevens Crowd

The tournament, lasting two days (Friday and Saturday), draws a crowd of 30,000 to the Westpac Stadium, and people come form all over the country and further afar, for this event. The main street in the city centre also gets closed off to traffic Saturday night, for a wild street party, with live music and plenty of outdoor drinking space. I won't go on too much about the 'drunken behaviour', because whilst most people were generally very friendly, and just enjoying themselves, having so many drunk people in one space did mean that beer bottles (plastic) were thrown around, sometimes with beer / wine still in them. Happily, though most people instantly became your best friend during the space of a 14 minute (7 minutes each half) game of rugby! (Enjoy more costumes below).

Sevens Crowd!

TV reporters! 

Guesses?? 

One of my personal favorites!

I also joined in the fun, using my old santa suit, and with only a few adjustments, managed to make a summer santa outfit! It stared out as short sleeves, and ended up being a waistcoat on Saturday as it was too hot!!! I was joined by Kala and the first friend I made here, Hannah ( see below), plus all the fans around the place!

Our team!

Another favourite of mine! 

Even the Pope came along!

Of course there was some rugby played too! The highlights of Day 1 included England beating New Zealand! Then drawng with USA 12-12, but beating Spain at the end of the day! Kenya were the surprise team, winning their games! Day 2 had some big shocks too, and started great for NZ with a home win over their big enemy - Australia! England beat Scotland, then beat the undefeated Samoa, whilst New Zealand went on to play Kenya in the semi-final. The big shock, then came when Kenya beat the Kiwis in extra time, to get to the final, to play the MIGHTY England!

The Kenya team...

NZ beating Australia!

Australia getting the Shield - runner up competition! lol

 The final was an amazing game with the crowd all supporting Kenya against the English, with about 4 of us in the middle of a few thousand Kiwis, it was a great atmosphere! England got a good lead, before kenya scored 3 times! England scored in in the last minute to equalize, before going on to win with a 'golden try'! the crowd went quiet, whilst the 4 of us went crazy!!!!!

ENGLAND VS KENYA - FINAL

CHAMPIONS - ENGLAND!

 SUNDAY SAILING
After a seriously long sleep (in between watching England beat Scotland in the 15's version of the game), I went to join some friends for a late lunch at a great little Vietnamese place, before joining another of the 'Adventure Wellington' activities. This time is was a 2 hours of sailing, in near perfect conditions, for a tiny $27 (£13) = cheap as chips! With just 7 of us, on a small little sailing boat, we all got chance, to steer, do the sails, and sun bathe! A little post-sail drink on the water front ended a perfect day and a wonderful weekend!

Our Sailing boat

Sunday Sailing, Wellington Harbour...

Our guide...

Despite many failed attempts to upload photos to this blog, my spirits could not be tested, after such a great weekend! I'm enjoying life lots right now, and with an upcoming move next weekend, (so internet  connection might take a few days to organize), it's going to be a busy few weeks!

A final congratulations to one of my best mates Carl, and his lovely wife Jade for the birth of their beautiful daughter Evie-Grace!

Regards from New Zealand,
Dan