Weeks 51-52 - A year goes by, the parents explore Wellington, and an inspiring weekend!

Random House in Island Bay

Hey Everybody, excuse the reduced frequency of these posts, but I have been so busy between keeping the folks out of trouble, a few social engagements, and some pretty inspirational basketball events with the amazing group - Special Olympics Wellington! More on that later! A year has passed and the next blog post will be a more reflective post about the major events of of surviving one year in NZ!

My parents have been attempting to put the Wellington bus companies out of business by getting on any available bus to anywhere in the city. The good thing about their enthusiasm for public transport is that we have been to places that are new to me too! One such place being Island Bay - where we not only discovered the funky and clever house in the picture above, but some pretty large waves and another new cafe! 

Island Bay 

Large Waves @ Island Bay

Island Bay - breaking waves

Me & Mum @ Island Bay

The parents have really embraced the Kiwi outdoor lifestyle, walking here, there and everywhere the bus will take them. They have also been made the most of the chance to watch almost any live sport, including the Aussie Rules, NZ Rugby league team the 'warriors', and the local Wellington Rugby union team the 'Hurricanes'. All games have been at the Westpac stadium, and have been in all kinds of weather! 

Mum & Dad at the Westpac

At the Warriors game!

The folks have certainly enjoyed the getting in the mood for sports....

Mum & Dad at the Hurricanes game...

It's been a year since arriving in NZ and it's been quite an emotional week for me, getting to this point, and thinking about how my life is very very different from my life of one year ago. As well as thinking about all the amazing new things, people and places that fills my life, I have also been thinking about the things, people and places that are missing: the birth of my good mate's baby daughter, friend's engagements, weddings and big life events. The opportunity to spend the night of my anniversary with my parents seemed very meaningful, especially as 365 days earlier they had driven me to the airport in London to say goodbye. We also went to a place (Wagamamas) that we have been to together many times in the UK, so it seemed very fitting to have this very familiar scene from my 'old' life happening right here in my 'new' life.

I just want to finish off this post by saying I have had an absolutely inspiring weekend with 'Wellington special olympics' basketball athletes who competed in the first tournament of the year this weekend.  This is my first full season volunteering with this amazing group. The athletes stepped up to the mark and took on the challenges of facing guys much bigger and stronger than themselves and never complained once, when they got barged out of the way. I quite literally stood back in admiration when seeing the athletes support each other, whether things were going well or badly. The head coaches have done an amazing job building confidence and a team spirit that put many of my own sporting colleagues to shame, and showed the true meaning of belonging and support. Whilst all the athletes have faced some tough challenges in life, the way they played and conducted themselves could only be described in one word - class! 

Regards from New Zealand

Dan

Weeks 49-50 - The folks come to town, Ice Skating, and the weird and Wonderful things Wellington offers!

Sunset over Wellington - views from our balcony...

Hello Everybody,

Another 2 weeks has flown by, and all of a sudden it's May, almost a year since I arrived here in Wonderful Wellington. I'm really happy to be sharing this time with my parents who have traveled a long long way to come and check out my life here. 

It's also been a fairly hectic time too since returning from my holiday to Vietnam, and applying to present at conferences n both New Zealand & Japan. So lets try and put some order to these weeks.

First up is the great news that the abstract submitted to this year's New Zealand Clinical workshops, was accepted which means in September I'll be presenting a 90 minute workshop with some colleagues entitled: 'Around the OT world in 80 Mins'. It will be full of great case studies from around the world for the delegates to have a go at solving! I just need to get a student competition up and running so the winner will get the chance to come and co-present with us, hopefully to show people that senior therapists can help facilitate student / new-grad participation in such events.

I've also submitted a risky abstract to the World OT conference in Japan next year, entitled: 'The hobbOT - an unexpected journey - from Chile to Japan, via the shires of England & New Zealand'. Not sure if the committee will take it seriously, but if they do, and accept it, I could have a brilliant time making lots of LOTR (Lord of The Rings) links in the presentation! 

With Mum & Dad @ Plimmerton

Back to life here, and the main event being my folks getting here! They had a pretty big first week trying to adjust to the new time zone and get over the jet lag. Eventually after a few days, they came seemed to pick up, and were soon getting around on public transport around the many stunning bays that Wellington has to offer! Thursday was ANZAC DAY (Public holiday commemorating the lives of those lost in the war. Did you know New Zealand lost the largest percentage of the male population of any of the allied countries, during the WWII). 

ANZAC day was also celebrated here in Wellington with the first ever competitive AFL (Australian Football League) game to be played outside of New Zealand. (You might know the game as 'Aussie Rules'). The game itself is a mix between rugby and gaelic football, but one thing that does not explain in the ridiculously tight shorts that these guys wear!

Aussie Rules match... 

Aussie rules match...

 The game is split into 4 quarters, (I think it's 30 mins each quarter). The aim is to kick the ball through the middle posts for 6 points, and you get 1 point for the ball going through the posts at the side. The main thing that seemed to go on in the middle of the pitch was all these guys wrestling with each other, (or tickling each other) - it was hard to tell to be honest! It wasn't boring, but did seem to be without any serious rules, and there must have been at least 3-4000 Aussies who had come to watch the match too! I took a little video so you can make your own mind up, enjoy! 

The weekend turned out to be a brilliant one, with my good friends Tony & Monica coming to Wellington to enjoy the long weekend! I'm always trying to get them to think about moving here, (but don't think I'll convince them about the weather - its much colder than Auckland. Still, we decided to have a little drive up the coast to Kapiti, and Paraparaumu...

The troupe @ Plimmerton

I even managed to find myself a nice looking kiwi woman! 

Before  fun evening to, we drove around the bays, and by chance arrived at Moa Point on the Southern tip of the North Island, for a spectacular sunset! 

Moa Point @ Sunset

Moa Point Sunset.

 More adventures followed on Saturday, as I drove the folks out to Makara, on the south west coast, for soem amazing views on the south Island across the Cook Straight....

Makara Beach...

Makara 

Dad looking out to the South Island!

This past week, has been something different all together, two good gym sessions, back at volunteer basketball, a great cycle around the bays yesterday and some brilliant and fun kayaking in the harbour today, including self rescue when capsizing! Shame I couldn't get pictures of that, because if you'd seen me trying to get back in the Kayak, you'd be spitting out your cuppa's in laughter right now! 

However, all the fun and active things things week aside, one of the highlights had to be Tuesday nights 'Adventure wellington' meet-up for some outdoor ice skating. Always a favourite past time of mine, about 7 of us (who's never met us before), had a fun night trying our best not to fall over and embarrass ourselves in public! 

Some people on the rink, took fun to a whole new level, and let me take a picture of some interesting ice skating wear... 

Random girls at the rink...

The night ended as many of my Adventure Wellington meet-ups often do.... in the pub with a drink. So after a night on ice, what better way than to end by a log fire in the Dockside pub!

So another busy week flies by, and it's almost a year. The parents have been in the South Island having their own adventure whilst I have been keeping busy this week! Lets see what the rest of May brings! 

Regards from New Zealand.

Dan 

Weeks 46-48 food, motorbikes and hospitality = Holiday in Vietnam!

It's all about the food! 

Hey Everybody, well it's been a ridiculously crazy few weeks, with little sign of things letting up, so I thought I'd better share a little of a mind-blowing trip back to Vietnam, as it is inevitably part of the reason I am here in New Zealand! 

After working out in Romania and then Vietnam, I found myself presenting at the World OT conference in Chile, 2010, where I met a certain Merrolee Penman convinced me to then come and present at the NZ conference, which eventually led me to coming here to live and work! I have always had a strong personal desire to return to Vietnam, a land where my world view was dramatically challenged and where the people I met, had such a strong impact on my life that I had waited almost 5 years for the chance to return. - I was not disappointed.

The idea of spending just 2 weeks, in 3 cities, (Hanoi, Da Nang & Hoi An), including flights between the northern city of Hanoi, and Central Vietnam (Da Nang), meant that I was going to have had 10 flights in 17 days. Timing was essential, and fortunately, luck was on my side. 

DAY 1 HANOI

After flying from Wellington-Auckland-Sydney-Taipai-Hanoi, I was a little tired, but even tiredness would not stop me from meeting my fiend Tinh, for the first time face-face, and us going exploring Vietnamese food, including Ice cream in a coconut!  

Tinh 

ice cream in coconut! 

DAY 2 - HANOI

My dear friends at the amazing NGO - Blue Dragon were also ready to meet up and after drinks with my friend Phuong, and her beautiful baby boy Tommy, we were joined by Hieu, Yen and some new friends too for dinner on a floating restaurant in the West Lake area. The night eventually ended up like all good nights with friends, in some form of club, (little room with terrible music), though that didn't stop us having fun! 

Hieu, Yen, Me & Phuong

DAY 3 SIGHT SEEING WITH TINH

A day long bus tour with 6 hours on a little coach and 2 hours in an even smaller boat with no chairs, was perhaps not the best idea after a night out, especially when the bus arrived 30 mins early, at 07:30 as I had just stepped out of the shower! Still, after circling the city for 45 mins at the start of the day, only to pick up the original passengers they left behind 45 mins earlier, we eventually headed out to a beautiful part of northern Vietnam... 

Tinh & Me on the boat!

2 Hr Boat ride...

DAY 4 - HANOI

More lunches with friends ensued before watching the water puppet show by the lake and getting ready to move on to central vietnam and my 2008 homes in Hoi An & Da Nang.

DAYS 5-14 DA NANG CITY / HOI AN

Returning to Central Vietnam was always going to provoke strong emotions, and within 30 mins of touching down at the New Da Nang airport I felt like I had never left. I recognised the streets and many of the pot holes that I used to hit on my motorbike on a regular basis - needless to say constipation was never an issue in the 8 months I lived there!
I quickly took in the scenes around Hoi An...

Hoi An

Hoi An 

Chickens at the market!

The night soon came as I had the chance to meet with some of my wonderful former colleagues, Lai & Phuong...

Lai & Me

Phuong  Me.

The next few days just flew by, mainly visiting old friends and neighbours, like Anh Mo who was teaching kids in her neighbourhood alongside working and studying.

Mo Anh & Me, 

My friend's little class! 

My former colleague Anh, was also on the list for catching up with, and a visit to her beautiful countryside home was well worth the distance to see her little girl...

Me & Phuong visiting Anh and her daughter.

Hoi An was providing me lots of opportunity to catch up with my wonderful neighbours, some of whom lived in the same place, and some of whom now lived in different parts of the city. My old next door neighbours; Huong & Quam now owned a gorgeous little restaurant called 'Chips & fish'. It does all kinds of food, and the food is beautiful, as are the owners. I also got to meet her son, who was not born during my last stay...

Huong's little one!

Houng ensuring I eat all my food! 

Me with Yen

With sisters 1&3

 Of course, Hoi An was home, but I was equally familiar with Da Nang where I had worked at the fantastic Bien Vien C (Hospital C) back in 2008, under the charge of a very forward thinking and lovely Doctor, Dr Binh. I had been to the hospital for an informal visit but later returned for an official visit, and to see how things had moved on. Of course it ended up in a beautiful and filling lunch and beers, but started with some funny reunions! 

Me with Dr Binh

Me and my physio colleagues...

Me with my wonderful OT student Hoai, and the now developing OT department!

Busy working with kids nowadays! 

Seeing such developments and changes, in both personnel and services made me feel very proud to have been the first overseas volunteer to start the project of development off, all thanks to Dr Binh. The invitations to lunches soon began, as did the adventures! 

The first adventure involved an unplanned stay in Da Nang due to very windy conditions preventing me form driving back to Hoi An for the night! To avoid betting any of my friends into trouble with the authorities, I will simply say staying overnight in local Vietnamese house can be challenging, you may be sharing a bed with a family member, or as in this case, find yourself covered by a pink mosquito net on the floor! 

I was very grateful for this protection!

Lunch with friends, in true VN style followed the next day, at my dear friend's house, (house of Hoai & Suu). I had loved the authentic VN experience last time around, and loved this one even more!

A gorgeous lunch - cam on Hoai! 

Me & Suu

An impromptu invitation to play football followed lunch, which I grabbed with both hands, though it was my feet that caused me the problems! A spare kit including boots were found for me, and my introduction into the game led me to make a fantastic tackle, preventing the other team's striker scoring a certain goal... unfortunately, my touch had taken the ball past my own goal-keeper and into my own goal - not the best introduction! 

Da Nang as a city has plenty to offer with beaches, 4 bridges, including the new colour changing 'Dragon Brdige'...

vietnamese fishing boats... 

Da Nang by night....

I certainly could not leave Da Nang, with out a final meal and much anticipated Karaoke session, and my friends at Hospital C did not disappoint, with a fitting last night out! 

Da Nang farewell dinner...

Da Nang farewell karaoke!

I managed to top score on Karaoke with 95/100 with barry Manilow's 'Copacabana', though I thought my Ronan Keating number deserved more than it got!

FINAL GOODBYES... HANOI

Having just about arrived in time in Hanoi, after a cancelled flight from Da Nang, I had one more final evening of fun with good friends from Blue Dragon, before returning to New Zealand. It was another fun night with mountains of food, including, chicken, fish, vegetables, and crickets! very tasty, crunchy crickets! 

Final goodbyes with Hanoi friends.

One last little thing to share with you all... a motorbike's view of Vietnam driving! 

Regards from New Zealand!