Friday 7 October 2011

Part 13 - And we're off to windy Wellington

OK so I no longer work for the Best Café in Southland 2011 (boo!). I officially completed my last shift there last Friday (Sept 30th). I had a lovely day in work - the WHK receptionists gave me pink jelly beans (thank you ladies, they came in handy on the 11 hour road trip!), one of our regulars - the lovely Reece (I tried to spell his name the Welsh way - 'Rhys' - but he wouldn't have it) came in with a box of chocolates and 2 other regulars - Gordon & Mr Mug (that's not his real name) - bought me a gorgeous mug with a message about cake on it. The delightful Charlie from upstairs got me a lovely keyring which is so her and I absolutely love it. It's truly lovely and all the gifts were completely unexpected and made me quite emotional.

The Southlanders are such an adorable bunch - I felt that they truly took me under their wing and gave me a (very large) adopted family there. I will definitely be back. After work the B(i)atches had a few drinks and the owners did me a little leaving speech which was once again very emotional. They bought me a gorgeous gift which I will treasure and the absolutely divine Kate got me a stunning gift too. I'd wanted to buy it for myself and when I went to get it, it wasn't there so I assumed it had been sold. But the little monster had hidden it and presented it to me as I left. Thank you to all of you at the Batch. I probably didn't word it very well in my leaving 'speech' as I was truly overwhelmed by your generosity. I can never thank you enough for being my protectors, teachers (!) and friends during my time in Invercargill. You are an amazing mix of people. I look forward to seeing you over the Summer.

It's now the following Friday and we seem to have done so much since then.

On the Sunday we had tickets for the Wales vs. Fiji game. So we were up at 8am as we had to drive to Dunedin airport for the flight. We left Dunedin at 11am and got into Auckland at about 1pm where we had hired a car to drive to Hamilton. The drive was clear for the 1st hour or so then the traffic seemed to build up out of nowhere - this was only about 3pm and kick off wasn't until 6pm so it seemed a little odd. It was great to see all the other cars with their flags on their cars - so many Welshies and Fijians and we tooted to a few as we passed them. It was a really lovely driving experience. As 2 lanes went into one we assumed that this was why the traffic had built up, then as we drove along the road we came across a house with a big Welsh flag in the garden and a lady with her daughter watching the traffic with their Welsh tops on. We tooted to them and the daughter screamed with excitement and the mother cheered us on. It was just lovely and strangely made me truly proud to be Welsh (not that I wasn't already).

When you haven't seen any fellow Welshies for so long it's just amazing to come into contact again. After that the traffic seemed to disperse so it seems that we weren't the only ones tooting and cheering - that house was probably part of the reason for the traffic build up! But what a lovely welcome into Hamilton so well done that family. We got to our motel and checked in - it wasn't the greatest service in the world: the owner was clearly busy as we didn't see her once during our stay and were served by her 2 daughters (?) who were probably about 10 and 12 in age and of no use whatsoever when we asked about public transport. Still - I digress, this is not a motel review site. The motel was based in Cambridge which is just outside Hamilton (there was no way you could get accommodation within Hamilton that night - it had all been booked many moons previously!) So we checked in and I decided to be designated driver as the tickets were bought for the OH's birthday and I'm just nice like that ;-)

So we adorned ourselves with red paraphernalia - I had the OH's Ospreys top on (my Welsh top is in our shipping stuff which is still in storage) and I had a Welsh flag cape, red feather boa and red pom poms in hand - the OH had his new Welsh rugby shirt on and we made our way into Hamilton. We parked up in the main town and started walking to the stadium. Every now and again a bus would drive past with 'RWC Stadium Bus' on the front - so we decided to hop on. Turns out they were free buses into the stadium from the town. What a fab idea. It turned out this particular bus had about 2 Fijians on it and the rest were Welsh - and what do the Welsh do when they are en masse particularly when the rugby is on?? Sing of course! After various choruses of Sosban Fach and Delilah and the OH being asked if he's Stephen Jones' brother we alighted at the Stadium. As we took our seats (about 4 rows from the front near the posts - great view) it was great to soak in the atmosphere. The seats were pretty equally filled by red and blue. I was in my Welsh flag cape sat next to a guy in a Fijian cape. It was lovely - everyone asking "where are you from?" (the Welsh are always convinced they'll meet someone they know...and we usually do) and just the general air of anticipation. Then the game happened...and what a game it was. The final score: 66-0 to Wales. Amazing. Admittedly though by the end we were willing the Fijians to get just one try - on the other hand we'd never been to a game where Wales had managed to keep the other team from scoring at all so it was pretty amazing to watch.

The Fijian & Welsh teams
After the game we went out in Hamilton. On our way we were stopped by some reporters with a camera and a (very) bright light who asked us if we were Welsh and then promptly interviewed us on camera. Not sure where they were from but please let us know if you think you may have seen us - I was also wearing a red fedora style hat by this point. First off we went into an Irish bar which was absolutely rammed as Ireland were playing next. After one drink we took off and headed to the Fan Zone. These are set up in the towns that are hosting the matches. They are manned by security & police and they generally have a brilliant feel about them. All the fans getting together to either watch the game on a big screen set up within the zone - or in one of the various pubs which make up the fan zone. We went into a pub which had a sign outside saying "unofficial Welsh embassy" and inside was a sea of red - dotted with the odd green jersey. The Irish singing at the Welsh and the Welsh singing at the Irish - it was great. Then as we left the bar and headed back to the motel we bumped into 2 of the Welsh players: Adam Jones & Alun Wyn Jones. The OH was a bit star struck...we had our pics taken with them and then headed back. So tomorrow Wales are in the quarter finals and we take on our Irish friends...in Wellington.

This brings me neatly onto my next instalment of 'moving house: episode 44' (OK so that's only what it FEELS like). We got back from Hamilton on Monday (after only 4 hours sleep the night before) and packed all of our stuff up and got it all into the car (this is no mean feat - we'd bought a TV cabinet and we have a bit of a sporty car...not made for TV cabinets!) After an early night we were up and said our goodbyes to the lovely Courtney (another person who I would like to thank massively for helping us out when we needed it) who we were living with (insert more tears here) and we hit the road. but first we needed to get some breakfast and coffee...where should we go...? No contest is there?! The Batch it was. We stocked up with flat whites; cheese & bacon scone; toastie and a vegetarian bretzel (they're amazing guys - they are a winner!!) and after final good byes (more tears) we were off. We had a 12 hour road trip ahead of us (which only turned out to be 11 hours in the end) and I kept thinking we were going to hit rush hour. I had clearly forgotten where we were living as there isn't a 'rush' hour in Invercargill - there aren't enough cars about. The drive was lovely (OK, OK I was the passenger - not the driver), all green and animal filled. We saw sheep, sheep and more sheep (and loads of baby lambs!), lots of horses and foals, Shetland ponies, alpacas, cows and calves, deer and of course the beautiful views of land and sea. I thought I saw goats at one point which prompted me to shout out 'GOATS!' as we went past....turns out they were just shaved sheep. So, no goats.

After 11 hours we got to Picton and checked into our delightful cabin for the night. Another early night ensued as we had to be up at 6am for the ferry the next morning. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 8am so we had to be there at 7am at the latest. We got to the ferry terminal and waited to get on the boat...we waited...and waited...and waited. Eventually a lady came over and advised us that the ferry was running late and would be leaving at about 8:45am instead. This should have set alarm bells ringing - or at least prompted questions of why was it running late? But it didn't - after all ignorance is, as they say, bliss. So at about 8:30am we were finally loaded on to the ferry and we left the ferry terminal at about 9am. For the first 45 minutes I loved it. We were still in the confines of South Islands 'arms' at this point and the seas were calm and lovely. We went to the café and had breakfast and 2 cups of tea and took our seats to read the paper and watch the world go by for the next 3.5 hours. Then we left the South Island completely and ventured into the big open sea. This is when things started to go a bit askew. The ferry was riding HUGE waves then coming crashing down onto the sea - it was entertaining to begin with and I was stood up by a French group who were watching it. I even managed to take some pics of the waves crashing against the side of the boat. Trying to walk around was quite difficult but I got back to my seat and continued to marvel at the might of the ocean with the OH.

The waves crashing up against the ferry - the last pic I took while travelling by boat...


After about 10 minutes one of the on board crew came around with cups of ice asking if people were OK and if not suggesting that they have a cup of ice as it makes you feel better. By this point I had started to feel a bit uneasy so I had some ice and it seemed to do the trick. The OH went off to find the toilets and ventured off onto the deck to take a look outside. I stayed put. Another crew member came around with sick bags and started putting them on the tables - this was not, in my books, a good sign. Within a matter of minutes my hands had started to shake and I was boiling hot. I was starting to get clammy and was wishing that the OH would come back. I stuck with the ice and kept wishing for his return. I couldn't ring him as I didn't want to make any sudden movements - it was awful. Then the guy directly in front of me starting vomiting into a sick bag.

Eventually the OH returned and I explained that I needed to go to the toilets....like now! So we got there and that was pretty much where I stayed for the next 3.5 hours. I had been so excited about the ferry trip as I've never suffered with travel sickness to my knowledge previously but boy was I sea sick. It was awful and it felt like the journey would never end. It was like being ill after a really really heavy night out but when you've been sick it doesn't go away. The OH was ill once too and there were a number of 'green' people on the ferry that day. Apparently it was the worst crossing that some people had ever been on and it was just typical that it was the ferry we were on. Then as soon as the ferry was in calm waters again the feeling completely disappears. There's a lot to be said for flying, that's all I can say.

So we got to Wellington - albeit 3kgs lighter - and made our way to the beach bach which we've rented for a couple of weeks while we find somewhere to rent permanently. Now I've had a number of friends and family asking me what a beach bach is - a certain Mrs M (and many other people I think - including my dear mama) assumed it was a wooden hut on the beach... A beach bach isn't the 50's style brightly coloured wooden beach huts that line the beach as we in the UK imagine them to be. They are more like one or 2 bedroom flats which are free standing (i.e. they're not in a blocks of flats) and look more like a small bungalow. They are minutes' walk to the beach and a lot of Kiwis have them as holiday homes away from the city. The place we're currently based in is called Paraparaumu and it's about 45 minutes outside of Wellington CBD. There's a brilliant train service and cable cars in Wellington as well as buses so public transport is easy enough to access. We're looking for a place a bit closer to the centre - maybe with a 25 minute commute into the city. The weather difference in Paraparaumu to Wellington is astounding. We'd heard about it but you don't quite believe it until you see it. Take for example yesterday - we put washing on the line and headed into Wellington to sort out internet access and so on. We left the bright, clear, sunny skies of Para and jumped on the train...as we got closer to Wellington the skies darkened and when we alighted it was to a cloud filled sky with drizzle. Then coming back to Para it was a notable temperature rise. It's very bizarre and I'm not sure why it happens (possibly due to the pollution in the centre?? That's my only guess) so please feel free to educate me if you know more.

Our beach bach in Paraparaumu
Yesterday in Wellington we found our way to the Welsh Dragon Bar (the only Welsh bar in the Southern Hemisphere) and it was just amazing. I'm not the type to go searching for British bars when I'm on holiday but as we live here it's so welcoming to know there will always be a Welsh contingency just down the road. Inside the bar the ceiling is covered with flags all signed by various visitors - the owner is a Swansea man and when you enter you are greeted by a sea of Welsh accents (all asking each other "where you from then?") It's a lovely home from home.

Within 2 minutes of entering a lady approached me with a microphone and a voice recorder and asked me what I think of the game against Ireland on Saturday. I was a bit over-awed so probably sounded a bit meek but I responded to her questions - again, no clue where she's from (I assume radio??) but will listen out for myself. Having only spent enough time in there for 2 drinks we left with a 2 business cards: one from a Welsh gentleman who lives here and the other from a South African gentleman who lives here and we also met and spoke to various other customers. One of which was a delightful Welsh chap from a little Welsh town near Llanelli - he had come over the day before on his own and he's here for 3 weeks. We were talking to him for a while and he asked where our Welsh tops were as he had his on. We explained that we live here and mine was in shipping anyway. As time went on we were talking to other people and this guy came back and said to me "before you go come and see me as I have a surprise for you" and we joked that that sounded a touch ominous and off he went again. About 20 minutes afterwards he came back with a t-shirt which he had bought from the bar for me. It says 'Welsh Dragon Bar Rugby World Cup 2011' on it and has a Welsh flag in the shape of a rugby ball on the front. What a genuinely lovely guy - he refused to take a drink from us but we insisted that if we see him in the bar on Saturday or in the fan zone then he has to accept our drinks. The random acts of kindness from strangers never fails to amaze me. Thank you so much to that man - he didn't even tell us his name but we know his face and we'll be looking out for him tomorrow!

Inside the Welsh Dragon Bar

So here we are in Wellington searching for a home and work - wish us luck. I will keep you updated as the search continues...

Now to a completely random subject. My taste buds seem to have been doing some changing in the 5 months that I've been here so, specifically for my mum, I thought I'd enlighten you to some foods I now love that I didn't used to (I must now officially be a 'grown up'):
  • Spinach: Raw only, I still won't eat the cooked spinach & egg meal you all love but I do make a mean sweet chilli king prawn salad with raw spinach
  • Pumpkin: Yep, we actually eat it here and don't just put it all in the bin to make nice lanterns
  • Olives: OK so I started liking these in the UK but the love has continued and now they're a staple part of my diet
  • Lemon curd: but NOT lemon meringue pie. Lemon curd is amazing - we have it at The Batch on something called a lemon slice....yummy!
  • Sweet Potato: Also called kumara here, it's nice and tastes a bit like honeyed parsnips
  • Natural Yoghurt: It's just divine and goes so well with sweet desserts like brownie and the aforementioned lemon slice
  • Coriander: I was never a huge fan - far too overpowering for my liking - but now I love it and cook with it
  • Ginger beer / ale: I KNOW!! I used to despise this stuff. My nan loves it. But it goes so well with Canadian Club and lime and is so refreshing just on it's own!!
  • Canadian Club: That led me on nicely to this. Canadian Club is whiskey - which I HATED. But now I love it.
  • Quinoa (pronounced keenwaah): Admittedly I don't think I'd ever tried this in the UK. The chef in the Batch made a gorgeous veggie quinoa salad - it looks like a mixture between cous cous and alfalfa - and it was simply stunning.
  • Dates: OK so I think these were the things we used to eat with a plastic stick thing at Christmas in the UK. I wasn't a huge fan. However, put them in scones and you're on to a winner. Date & orange are my bests.
  • Eggplant / aubergine: now there's a reason why this is at the bottom of my list. This is because I'm still unsure....I've had it once on a vegetarian pizza slab and I didn't dislike it....the jury's still out on that one.