Warning: thinking aloud. (If this bores you, you can skip down to the bit about college a few paragraphs down)
I am stuck.
I wanted to post about all the fun adventures that I was having on the weekends, the friends I was spending time with, the joys I was experiencing, the things I was learning and seeing and doing... The problem is that since starting college, my life has just become one big ball of fun. College is still exciting, it doesn't have the same vibe as working full time does, and I'm loving every minute of it. But I can't write about every minute of college (it will be just too much to read!).
So I'm just thinking out loud about my 52 Weekends project for this year... I think it will need to change to 52 weeks! I want to record the highlights of the year and share what being at bible college is like this year.
So hey, if you're interested then stick around.
Now to mentally jump back and summarize what's happened in February since I started college!
The Beginning of Bible College
I can't believe it has been 5 or 6 weeks since I first started college. I arrived and I wasn't even sure if I had learned all the Greek I was meant to learn in the summer holidays. I soon discovered that feeling never really goes away, and you're never quite sure if you've really learned enough Greek! But we really did jump in the deep end. The start of college was like the start of school or uni, lots of new things to learn, lots of enthusiasm for study and homework, lots of people and relationships to form, working out what life looks like...
A typical day for me these days usually involves catching the train and walking to college, sitting around under the grapevine and studying Greek, going to class, eating a pear for morning tea, eating lunch, sitting under the grapevine in the afternoon with other people and studying or getting involved in college life and meetings. I've joined the social media team, put my hand up to help organise first year weekend away, and a Greek study group. Being at college was overwhelming in my first two weeks, there were so many names and so many introductions - it was like a Christian camp on steroids! But things have settled down, there are many lovely people who I am enjoying getting to know better, and there are just so many more fun adventures to have! Also, assignments have started...
Things I am really enjoying about college:
- Meeting people and making friends
- My first year group
- Learning Greek, it's so fun to see the New Testament in the original language
- Learning how to understand the Bible better and already being able to apply this to how I preach and teach at church
- The grapevine (it's really pretty and it's a nice place to study)
- Travelling to college with Isobel on Thurs/Fri and still getting car-time with Soong on Mon-Wed
Things that surprised me about college:
- How cool my year group is (I wasn't really sure what to expect!)
- How much the staff love the students and want to support them. It's very different to uni
- How much the students want to help and support each other
- How many people are actually in similar life situations to me, living off campus and travelling while spouse works and supports them
Things I am looking forward to:
- Mission in a few weeks
- Holidays (who doesn't love holidays hehe)
- Weekend away
- Introducing Soong to all my fun new friends
- Learning more
College is fun. I'm very thankful to God for the opportunity to go!
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
20 Completed January Jobs
20 tasks in January. What was I thinking? I must have been deluded into thinking I had a lot more free time than what I actually would. In between catering for Sweatcon, learning Greek, and working long days in the office, here's how I went with my month of organising:
1. PANTRY: Completed January 13th
The pantry is tidy. I have thrown out all open and out of date products. I have tried to use up what I can so that I am not storing products for the sake of storing things. My bigger goal was to try and rearrange the pantry into another kitchen cupboard, but I have not had much luck with this as of yet. Hoping to find some solutions soon, but regardless, it is nice to know that everything in my pantry is there for a reason.
The pantry is tidy. I have thrown out all open and out of date products. I have tried to use up what I can so that I am not storing products for the sake of storing things. My bigger goal was to try and rearrange the pantry into another kitchen cupboard, but I have not had much luck with this as of yet. Hoping to find some solutions soon, but regardless, it is nice to know that everything in my pantry is there for a reason.
2. SPICE CUPBOARD:
3. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS: Completed 14th January
Soong is wonderful and took care of these for me. Christmas decorations have been packed away for another year. It's sad to be in my house without the tree, but it feels more spacious which is nice.
Soong is wonderful and took care of these for me. Christmas decorations have been packed away for another year. It's sad to be in my house without the tree, but it feels more spacious which is nice.
4. CLOTHES DRAWERS: Completed 22nd January
As I was putting away my washing I decided to toss a lot of the clothes in these drawers that I didn't wear but was keeping for the sake of it.
As I was putting away my washing I decided to toss a lot of the clothes in these drawers that I didn't wear but was keeping for the sake of it.
5. WARDROBE HANGERS:
6. MUSIC ROOM CUPBOARD:
7. BOOKSHELF: Completed 26th January
We are holding off on buying a new bookshelf until we have to. Our other one is bulky and a bit of an eye-sore, but that's no reason to toss it yet. So I tidied up the shelf, sorted out my folders and added them in, and it's looking a lot better!
8. CARS:
9. DVDs and CDs:
10. KITCHEN GADGETS:
11. LAUNDRY:
12. FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS: Completed 18th January
I sat down with my pile of financial documents and sorted them out, filed them away and paid what needed paying. Feels good to have this all stored away!
I sat down with my pile of financial documents and sorted them out, filed them away and paid what needed paying. Feels good to have this all stored away!
13. PERSONAL EMAIL INBOX: Completed 14th January
This was a hard one. Considering that I have never emptied out this inbox, and so found myself wading through almost 10 years worth of emails, it was very tiresome. I had a lot of emotional attachment to some emails as well, and so did my best to file and store the emails from when I first dated Soong, or long interactions with good friends. Feeling very accomplished to see it so clean and sorted though. I hope this lasts.
This was a hard one. Considering that I have never emptied out this inbox, and so found myself wading through almost 10 years worth of emails, it was very tiresome. I had a lot of emotional attachment to some emails as well, and so did my best to file and store the emails from when I first dated Soong, or long interactions with good friends. Feeling very accomplished to see it so clean and sorted though. I hope this lasts.
14. WORK EMAIL INBOX: Completed 13th January
I found this one pretty easy to sort though, as I really only use this email address for job hunting, freelance corrospondance and the occasional formal email (like to my accountant). So if I hadn't opened it or looked at it in the last three months, nor did I need it because it was to do with a finished project, I deleted it! I feel somewhat guilty that I deleted so many emails (close to 400), but what's the point in filing away things that I'm never going to open or look at? This was much easier than my personal email inbox due to lack of emotional attachment.
15. NOTEBOOKS BOX:
16. PAINT BATHROOMS: Completed 17th January
A full on day of painting and work. We washed the walls, did three coats of paint, and then had very sore arms the following day!
A full on day of painting and work. We washed the walls, did three coats of paint, and then had very sore arms the following day!
17. SPARE BEDROOM:
18. MEDICINE BOX:
19. LINEN CUPBOARD: Completed 26th January
Sorted out the towels and refolded those, and then checked everything else. It's holding a nice collection of travel bags, which I may need to clear out at a future time.
Sorted out the towels and refolded those, and then checked everything else. It's holding a nice collection of travel bags, which I may need to clear out at a future time.
20: GARAGE SHELF:
So not only did I not complete these jobs... I also didn't get a chance to post anything until March! Let that bear witness to how full the start to my college year has been!
So not only did I not complete these jobs... I also didn't get a chance to post anything until March! Let that bear witness to how full the start to my college year has been!
Monday, 26 January 2015
Sweatcon, Shire and snags
Monday - Friday (19th to 23rd January)
Sweatcon happened! I love Sweatcon, it's the best conference of the year. This year instead of participating or strand leading I headed up the kitchen and catered for the whole thing. And I had such a great time. I had some lovely kitchen helpers, I loved the challenge of cooking for the entire conference and I think this counts towards my goal of cooking a new recipe every month!
Highlights from the week:
- Peter Jensen gave some amazing bible talks (I only got to listen at night but I hear that Matt Dodd's bible talks were equally awesome)
- Seeing so many youth there
- Seeing quite a few more older people there
- Chatting with people over lunch and dinner
- Seeing the conference grow again for another year
Saturday 24th January
I went to Cat's baby shower this afternoon with Laura. We carpooled and caught up. I ate my weight in sugary treats and quiche, we played pass the parcel and I won a candle. I got to catch up with a few of the girls from church who I haven't seen in ages as well which was great.
We visited Mel and ate Thai for dinner, followed by our tradition of drumsticks for dessert. We spent the evening chatting, playing Bananagrams and watching the lightening storm from her window. It was really fun and it's just so easy hanging out with Mel.
Sunday 25th January
Church this morning, finished off the book of Leviticus and then took the youth group girls out for lunch to McDonalds which was super fun. Then I used the aircon and interent at Pete & Isobel's and studied Greek for an hour. After that, I drove up to the mountains to visit Luke and his family and we went to church together which was awesome! It's been ages since I've seen them so I was so happy to catch up with them all. Can't wait to go back and visit them again soon. When I got home, my inlaws were over so I cooked dinner and we watched a movie and just relaxed together.
Monday 26th January
I slept in very late today because I stayed up till 3am finishing "Clockwork Princess". An intense book. Many tears were shed.
Australia Day BBQ lunch at Erin's today. We had salad and sausages and lazed around watching Harry Potter 1, 2 and 3, playing Cards Against Humanity and playing in the backyard with the kids. Lots and lots of fun. Exactly the way to end an insanely busy week.
Sweatcon happened! I love Sweatcon, it's the best conference of the year. This year instead of participating or strand leading I headed up the kitchen and catered for the whole thing. And I had such a great time. I had some lovely kitchen helpers, I loved the challenge of cooking for the entire conference and I think this counts towards my goal of cooking a new recipe every month!
Highlights from the week:
- Peter Jensen gave some amazing bible talks (I only got to listen at night but I hear that Matt Dodd's bible talks were equally awesome)
- Seeing so many youth there
- Seeing quite a few more older people there
- Chatting with people over lunch and dinner
- Seeing the conference grow again for another year
Saturday 24th January
I went to Cat's baby shower this afternoon with Laura. We carpooled and caught up. I ate my weight in sugary treats and quiche, we played pass the parcel and I won a candle. I got to catch up with a few of the girls from church who I haven't seen in ages as well which was great.
We visited Mel and ate Thai for dinner, followed by our tradition of drumsticks for dessert. We spent the evening chatting, playing Bananagrams and watching the lightening storm from her window. It was really fun and it's just so easy hanging out with Mel.
Sunday 25th January
Church this morning, finished off the book of Leviticus and then took the youth group girls out for lunch to McDonalds which was super fun. Then I used the aircon and interent at Pete & Isobel's and studied Greek for an hour. After that, I drove up to the mountains to visit Luke and his family and we went to church together which was awesome! It's been ages since I've seen them so I was so happy to catch up with them all. Can't wait to go back and visit them again soon. When I got home, my inlaws were over so I cooked dinner and we watched a movie and just relaxed together.
Monday 26th January
I slept in very late today because I stayed up till 3am finishing "Clockwork Princess". An intense book. Many tears were shed.
Australia Day BBQ lunch at Erin's today. We had salad and sausages and lazed around watching Harry Potter 1, 2 and 3, playing Cards Against Humanity and playing in the backyard with the kids. Lots and lots of fun. Exactly the way to end an insanely busy week.
First weekend in Australia
Friday 16th January
Soong and I surprisingly had a free night tonight, so we decided to drive out and visit Mum. Lana & Simon were busy hanging out with church people, and Julian was at a party, so we decided to head to the local club for dinner. It was a nice warm night and really fun. We walked there and walked home and hung out and chatted and ate yummy food.
Saturday 17th January
Oh boy. Today was painting day. We painted our two bathrooms and now they are ready to fight mould and look fresh! Also we are installing a new bathroom cupboard in one, so now that the wall is painted we can mount it. Soong had a gig tonight so I went to visit Nan & Grandad, fix her computer, and ended up having dinner with them. A nice quiet evening.
Sunday 18th January
Church today! Super lovely to be back, I always miss it when I am not there. We started Leviticius and looked at how God is holy and we are unclean, but he provides a way to be made clean and that's through Jesus. Then we had lunch at Pete's and had our first Greek lesson with him. Chris is waaay ahead of me, so I need to catch up. We ended up having Chris and Thom over for dinner that night as well.
A quiet but fun weekend.
Soong and I surprisingly had a free night tonight, so we decided to drive out and visit Mum. Lana & Simon were busy hanging out with church people, and Julian was at a party, so we decided to head to the local club for dinner. It was a nice warm night and really fun. We walked there and walked home and hung out and chatted and ate yummy food.
Saturday 17th January
Oh boy. Today was painting day. We painted our two bathrooms and now they are ready to fight mould and look fresh! Also we are installing a new bathroom cupboard in one, so now that the wall is painted we can mount it. Soong had a gig tonight so I went to visit Nan & Grandad, fix her computer, and ended up having dinner with them. A nice quiet evening.
Sunday 18th January
Church today! Super lovely to be back, I always miss it when I am not there. We started Leviticius and looked at how God is holy and we are unclean, but he provides a way to be made clean and that's through Jesus. Then we had lunch at Pete's and had our first Greek lesson with him. Chris is waaay ahead of me, so I need to catch up. We ended up having Chris and Thom over for dinner that night as well.
A quiet but fun weekend.
January Pantry Challenge
I decided that the moment I stepped off the plane from New Zealand and returned to Australia was the perfect time for a pantry challenge.
The fridge had been wiped clean of all off food, the pantry had been mostly cleared out and the freezer was home to a few servings of meat and frozen veg. I had things that needed using and I wanted to start the year by using them all up.
Also, I had grand plans of shrinking my pantry into a kitchen cupboard.
What is a pantry challenge?
A pantry challenge is a challenge to cook meals simply using the ingredients you already have in your fridge, freezer and pantry. The idea is not to go shopping and buy anything, although some people will go out and only buy the basics.
Other versions of the pantry challenge include the $20 grocery shop challenge, the stock shop challenge etc.
I chose to do my pantry challenge using my $10 Flybuys dollars at Coles. For $8.13 I bought eggs, one loaf of white bread, frozen peas, a kilo of carrots, and one pink lady apple (as a treat).
My pantry challenge menu:
Monday - Mexican beans on rice with cheese.
Tuesday - Prawn pizzas on puff pastry
Wednesday - Chicken laksa noodles
Thursday - Grilled prawn & pineapple on couscous with vegetables
Friday - Chicken pasta bake
Saturday - Chicken noodle soup OR chicken and cheese pastries
Sunday - Creamy chicken and vegetable pie
Extra snacks - Banana bread
Extra snacks - Home made hummus & carrots
Pantry challenge reflections:
I was surprised at how much I could cook with the few cans of lentils and the small amount of prawns and chicken in my freezer.
I tried to make sure I was getting the right amount of calories and nutrients every day, but I know I didn't do great across the board. I didn't get as many serves of vegetables as what I need in a day, nor did I get my correct serves of protein. But I scored when it came to fruit, grains and dairy.
Overall, I really enjoyed the challenge of figuring out what to cook that would be tasty and healthy from what I thought were bare cupboards. It made me realise just how much you can eat when there's "nothing to eat". Doing a pantry challenge is a really good way to also save money, so I think the pantry challenge will be a regular feature in our household.
The fridge had been wiped clean of all off food, the pantry had been mostly cleared out and the freezer was home to a few servings of meat and frozen veg. I had things that needed using and I wanted to start the year by using them all up.
Also, I had grand plans of shrinking my pantry into a kitchen cupboard.
What is a pantry challenge?
A pantry challenge is a challenge to cook meals simply using the ingredients you already have in your fridge, freezer and pantry. The idea is not to go shopping and buy anything, although some people will go out and only buy the basics.
Other versions of the pantry challenge include the $20 grocery shop challenge, the stock shop challenge etc.
I chose to do my pantry challenge using my $10 Flybuys dollars at Coles. For $8.13 I bought eggs, one loaf of white bread, frozen peas, a kilo of carrots, and one pink lady apple (as a treat).
My pantry challenge menu:
Monday - Mexican beans on rice with cheese.
Tuesday - Prawn pizzas on puff pastry
Wednesday - Chicken laksa noodles
Thursday - Grilled prawn & pineapple on couscous with vegetables
Friday - Chicken pasta bake
Saturday - Chicken noodle soup OR chicken and cheese pastries
Sunday - Creamy chicken and vegetable pie
Extra snacks - Banana bread
Extra snacks - Home made hummus & carrots
Pantry challenge reflections:
I was surprised at how much I could cook with the few cans of lentils and the small amount of prawns and chicken in my freezer.
I tried to make sure I was getting the right amount of calories and nutrients every day, but I know I didn't do great across the board. I didn't get as many serves of vegetables as what I need in a day, nor did I get my correct serves of protein. But I scored when it came to fruit, grains and dairy.
Overall, I really enjoyed the challenge of figuring out what to cook that would be tasty and healthy from what I thought were bare cupboards. It made me realise just how much you can eat when there's "nothing to eat". Doing a pantry challenge is a really good way to also save money, so I think the pantry challenge will be a regular feature in our household.
Monday, 12 January 2015
20 January Jobs
Now that I am back from New Zealand, I need to get organised and ready for the year ahead. With roughly 20 days left in the month and before the year really begins (it always feels as though everything starts again in February), I thought I would come up with a list of 20 things that I should really get organized before the year officially begins.
1. PANTRY: I started cleaning this out before I left for New Zealand but encountered a cockroach so that ended pretty quickly. The plan is to clear out expired food, wipe down the shelves, label the sections of the pantry, wipe down the outside of containers, and reorganise with what staples I have left.
2. SPICE CUPBOARD: Some of my spices are almost 3 years old. Some haven't even been used. So I need to clear it out, check used by dates, remove spice I don't use, replace spices that are empty and wipe it down.
3. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS: Sadly these need putting away until next year. Time to say farewell to the Christmas tree.
4. CLOTHES DRAWERS: I have a set of plastic drawers in my room I would like to clear out and get rid of. Time to be ruthless and cull clothes I am keeping but not wearing.
5. WARDROBE HANGERS: I don't have much hanging space, so to hang things that don't belong to me or don't get worn seems silly. Time to donate or chuck!
6. MUSIC ROOM CUPBOARD: I started using this to store paperwork, and somehow now it is full of things I don't look at or use. Time to clear, toss or sort!
7. BOOKSHELF: We have a clunky old bookshelf that stores board games, cooking books, photo albums and also junk. Time to sift through it, replace the shelf with an 8 stack cube from Kmart, and keep only what is beautiful or useful.
8. CARS: They could do with a wash, a vacuum and a general tidy.
9. DVDs AND CDs: Return any that belong to other people, copy music on to an iPod or phone, sort and store. Give whatever we don't want to charity or to cash converters.
10. KITCHEN GADGETS: We all have things in our kitchen that we don't need. I know I have a cupboard full. So it is time to get rid of gadgets I haven't used in 2014. This way I will have room for all the new gadgets :)
11. LAUNDRY: A long time ago I dumped liters of fabric softener and cleaning products in here, and now there is a collection of random things sitting on my laundry shelf. Time to sort, find a home for anything that needs keeping, and toss anything that doesn't.
12. FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS: These need filing away, and sorting, and some need shredding. Time to clear the mess.
13. PERSONAL EMAIL INBOX: File away emails I want to keep, delete all the spam.
14. WORK EMAIL INBOX: File away emails to keep, delete spam, unsubscribe from things.
15. NOTEBOOK BOX: I have notebooks and diaries dating back to 2000. So I need to work out where to store 14 years worth of journals. I'm thinking a long low box under the bed or at the top of the wardrobe could be the best place.
16. PAINT BATHROOMS: When we moved here, the bathroom cupboard was warped and rotten and there was mould on the ceilings of the bathroom. We ripped out the cupboard but before we install the new one we think we should paint. Bust out the brushes and lets get to work!
17. SPARE BEDROOM: A dumping ground for old furniture. We need to get rid of some of the stuff in here for once and for all. Time to declutter and toss.
18. MEDICINE BOX: Clear out expired medications and unused ones. Replace anything that gets used frequently.
19. LINEN CUPBOARD: Clear and find a new place to store a lot of the blankets and linen. Possibly move some of the items from the front room storage cupboards into this one? I'm sure I can shrink this cupboards contents.
20. GARAGE: Tidy shelf and organise everything into containers and boxes that are labelled for easy access. Less is more.
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Continuing the Kiwi adventures
Why only write about the weekend, when all of last week was super fun and worth remembering?
Monday 5th Jan
Today we went on a New Zealand roadtrip to see the Waitomo Glow Worm caves. It took us four hours to get there, although we did stop off for an hour in Hamilton for lunch and a wander. We did a two hour cave walk exploring a really large and cold cave, followed by a second cave and a boat ride underneath a ceiling of glowworms. It was as though someone had strung fairy lights all across the inside of the cave. Really pretty.
Tuesday 6th Jan
Soong and I went to Auckland's premier theme park today: Rainbow's End! Their main roller-coaster was out of action today so that was a pretty big disappointment. But the rest of the rides were super fun! I have decided that I am not a fan of rides that let your legs dangle and flip you upside down, and so I didn't actually go on the scariest ride there (Soong is pretty bummed about it still). We did go on these "bumper boats", which were dodgem cars that float on the water. They were pretty awesome, big floating rings with motors in them. Mine broke down though, and I had to be rescued by the staff and towed back to the deck.
Across the road from Rainbow's End was a large shopping center, so we hit that once we were done with the rides. We bought a few small things for ourselves, Soong bought a new T-shirt and we bought season one of Brooklyn 99. We love watching DVDs together.
Wednesday 7th Jan
Seeing as I missed my post-dinner run yesterday, I started today with a run around Panmure Basin. Soong didn't want to come running with me so he sat in the car and watched concerts on his laptop while I ran around the water.
This morning we had tickets to see the Auckland Aquarium, a place called Kelly Tarlton's. It was so much fun. It was a mix of aquarium and museum, with lots to see and do. We watched penguins play and feed together and splash about in their pool. We walked through the shark tunnel and saw seahorses eat lunch. After we finished at the aquarium we drove to Auckland and spent our time wandering through the streets. Soong went to three music shops and he bought a pedal. We walked up and down the main street of Auckland and looked in stores before going home to watch more of Brooklyn 99.
Aunty Wendy came over that evening and took Soong and I out to the beach. We went for a walk along the sand and watched the sunset. Then on the way home she took us to MoMoTea, an awesome Taiwanese place that sold bubble tea in pint glasses and night-market style food.
Thursday 8th Jan
After having big days for the start of the week, we took it easy. We slept in for ages, and then went out shopping. We went to a place called Oceans for lunch and I finally got my fush and chups! They sold chowder there made with muscles, and it was the most amazing chowder I have ever eaten. I'm going to learn how to make chowder this year, I am inspired by how good this one was! In the evening we were planning on just having a quiet one with some Brooklyn 99 but Aunty Wendy surprised Soong with a ticket to see Taken 3 so they went to the movies while I had a nap and wrote some blogs.
Friday 9th Jan
We took Waigoong and Waipo out for lunch today which was good fun. Then we went out to buy Manuka honey for our families. They sold lots of other manuka honey products such as face cream and lip balm so I picked up some gifts for friends made from kiwi fruit and manuka honey. Aunty Wendy came over in the evening again and took us out to Sky Tower. We went up the top and had a drink at the cafe up there, and just enjoyed the view of Auckland. It was pretty fun. After that, Aunty Wendy took us to a Mexican cafe across the street where they had salsa dancing and she and I danced for a while before heading home.
Saturday 10th Jan
Road trip day with Aunty Wendy! We had a late start after the night of salsa dancing, but we were on the road heading to a place called Goat Island. We stopped off at Makatana Farmers Market on the way there, and we bought some spanakopita for lunch. Then we went to Goat Island, to the beach, and walked around the rockpools looking at the fish in the water. After that, we drove to another part of the New Zealand coast to see the nesting birds. There were over a thousand birds nesting on the side of this cliff, all squawking and making a right ruckus. We watched some paragliders floating through the air, and walked along the beach. The town also had a fresh berry ice-cream parlor where they crushed fresh berries into vanilla ice cream. It was really fresh, and really delicious. Perfect for a hot summer day. We were exhausted by the time we got home though. We had a small dinner, and then it was Brooklyn 99 and bed.
Sunday 11th Jan
The last day! I woke up early, keen for a run, but before Soong and I could leave Waipo had taken the car and she didn't get back in time. So we watched Brooklyn 99 and relaxed before going out to Yum Cha with the grandparents. In the afternoon we packed our suitcases and spent time with the family before we went to the airport. Nothing eventful happened on our flight, which is how I like my flights to be! Lana and Simon picked us up from the airport and drove us home, and bought us dinner (sushi!!).
It's a bit sad that our holiday is over now, and it's a bit sad that it went by so quickly! But we loved it and had a fantastic time. What a great way to begin the year!
Monday 5th Jan
Today we went on a New Zealand roadtrip to see the Waitomo Glow Worm caves. It took us four hours to get there, although we did stop off for an hour in Hamilton for lunch and a wander. We did a two hour cave walk exploring a really large and cold cave, followed by a second cave and a boat ride underneath a ceiling of glowworms. It was as though someone had strung fairy lights all across the inside of the cave. Really pretty.
Tuesday 6th Jan
Soong and I went to Auckland's premier theme park today: Rainbow's End! Their main roller-coaster was out of action today so that was a pretty big disappointment. But the rest of the rides were super fun! I have decided that I am not a fan of rides that let your legs dangle and flip you upside down, and so I didn't actually go on the scariest ride there (Soong is pretty bummed about it still). We did go on these "bumper boats", which were dodgem cars that float on the water. They were pretty awesome, big floating rings with motors in them. Mine broke down though, and I had to be rescued by the staff and towed back to the deck.
Across the road from Rainbow's End was a large shopping center, so we hit that once we were done with the rides. We bought a few small things for ourselves, Soong bought a new T-shirt and we bought season one of Brooklyn 99. We love watching DVDs together.
Wednesday 7th Jan
Seeing as I missed my post-dinner run yesterday, I started today with a run around Panmure Basin. Soong didn't want to come running with me so he sat in the car and watched concerts on his laptop while I ran around the water.
This morning we had tickets to see the Auckland Aquarium, a place called Kelly Tarlton's. It was so much fun. It was a mix of aquarium and museum, with lots to see and do. We watched penguins play and feed together and splash about in their pool. We walked through the shark tunnel and saw seahorses eat lunch. After we finished at the aquarium we drove to Auckland and spent our time wandering through the streets. Soong went to three music shops and he bought a pedal. We walked up and down the main street of Auckland and looked in stores before going home to watch more of Brooklyn 99.
Aunty Wendy came over that evening and took Soong and I out to the beach. We went for a walk along the sand and watched the sunset. Then on the way home she took us to MoMoTea, an awesome Taiwanese place that sold bubble tea in pint glasses and night-market style food.
Thursday 8th Jan
After having big days for the start of the week, we took it easy. We slept in for ages, and then went out shopping. We went to a place called Oceans for lunch and I finally got my fush and chups! They sold chowder there made with muscles, and it was the most amazing chowder I have ever eaten. I'm going to learn how to make chowder this year, I am inspired by how good this one was! In the evening we were planning on just having a quiet one with some Brooklyn 99 but Aunty Wendy surprised Soong with a ticket to see Taken 3 so they went to the movies while I had a nap and wrote some blogs.
Friday 9th Jan
We took Waigoong and Waipo out for lunch today which was good fun. Then we went out to buy Manuka honey for our families. They sold lots of other manuka honey products such as face cream and lip balm so I picked up some gifts for friends made from kiwi fruit and manuka honey. Aunty Wendy came over in the evening again and took us out to Sky Tower. We went up the top and had a drink at the cafe up there, and just enjoyed the view of Auckland. It was pretty fun. After that, Aunty Wendy took us to a Mexican cafe across the street where they had salsa dancing and she and I danced for a while before heading home.
Saturday 10th Jan
Road trip day with Aunty Wendy! We had a late start after the night of salsa dancing, but we were on the road heading to a place called Goat Island. We stopped off at Makatana Farmers Market on the way there, and we bought some spanakopita for lunch. Then we went to Goat Island, to the beach, and walked around the rockpools looking at the fish in the water. After that, we drove to another part of the New Zealand coast to see the nesting birds. There were over a thousand birds nesting on the side of this cliff, all squawking and making a right ruckus. We watched some paragliders floating through the air, and walked along the beach. The town also had a fresh berry ice-cream parlor where they crushed fresh berries into vanilla ice cream. It was really fresh, and really delicious. Perfect for a hot summer day. We were exhausted by the time we got home though. We had a small dinner, and then it was Brooklyn 99 and bed.
Sunday 11th Jan
The last day! I woke up early, keen for a run, but before Soong and I could leave Waipo had taken the car and she didn't get back in time. So we watched Brooklyn 99 and relaxed before going out to Yum Cha with the grandparents. In the afternoon we packed our suitcases and spent time with the family before we went to the airport. Nothing eventful happened on our flight, which is how I like my flights to be! Lana and Simon picked us up from the airport and drove us home, and bought us dinner (sushi!!).
It's a bit sad that our holiday is over now, and it's a bit sad that it went by so quickly! But we loved it and had a fantastic time. What a great way to begin the year!
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