Church

As I’ve mentioned, my beloved bakery/health store is a part of a church.  This church is based out of Germany and has locations in various countries around the world.  I decided to scope it out this Saturday (their Sabbath).  It seemed their sermon was tailor-made for what I needed to hear.  I’ve been feeling quite stressed this week with Thursday being my hardest day in New Zealand so far.  A few messages from the sermon:

“Expect obstacles.”  By being prepared, you can meet challenges in a level-headed way v. being blindsided by something that you expected to be easier than what it was.

“Be grateful for the struggle.”  Growth occurs during tough times, as much as we wish we didn’t have to have them.  If we never experienced a challenge, we would never grow into the person we want to become.

“Don’t worry about the end result.” Trust that you are where you’re meant to be, and focus not on the end result (which can be seen more clearly once you’re through) but on doing the best you can in the present.

After the service, I joined the small group for a picnic in a park.  The food was all made in their kitchens, and it was the best meal I’ve had in a very long time.  A delicious array of fresh vegetables, freshly baked crackers and breads, pasta, and spreads.  And several healthy desserts to top it off!

After the meal, we had several hours to go for a walk.  I joined three women around my age from Poland, Switzerland, and Australia, and they each had unique backgrounds and perspectives.  One happens to be in massage school, and I have a massage lined up for tonight. Much needed- I can’t wait!  Since all three work in the preschool, we talked for a long time about childcare tips.  I feel really good about trying out some new strategies with the kids this week.

A bouquet from the children at church

Chaperone

On Friday, I was designated “chaperone” for Ian’s school trip to the Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and History.  The museum is in Palmerston North, the largest big city in the area.  It’s an hour away from where I’m living, and it’s population is 80,000 people.  We saw the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit, an annual international photography competition.  It was great!  It was hard to pick favorites, but here's a few that really caught my eye.

A shot of the Milky Way in Switzerland

A ridiculous-looking male bird trying to entice a female with a bright pink paperclip

After the museum, the kids went swimming, and I got some time to go to the farmer’s market in Feilding.  I walked away with a sunflower (my favorite flower) to brighten my bedroom, gluten free bread from the bakery’s stall (which I nibbled on as drove home), and peacharines from a local produce stand.  Very excited to try these when they’re ripe!   Don’t worry, I don’t plan to take a bite out of of one and photograph it like my beloved plum!

Kindness

Moving to New Zealand was outside of my comfort zone.  Probably why I had been saying I wanted to come here for over five years without any action.  Sure, they speak English, have a passion for agriculture and are part of the Western world, but it’s still very different.  And very far away from home!

I wouldn’t say I’m completely comfortable here yet, but it’s definitely improving.  What amazes me is how my comfort zone has been expanded since my arrival.  What does a vegan group, a gay couple, and a church group running a bakery all have in common?  People that went out of their way to be kind to me, a young foreigner in obvious need of a friend.

Tonight, I was feeling the need for a little extra comfort.  I had been asked to babysit late the night before leaving me tired and grumpy, and I had been feeling just a little down on this rainy day.  I decided to stop in at the bakery/health store looking for a pick-me-up, and I was not disappointed.  I decided on some homemade coconut granola for my comfort food supper and a few other goodies.  I decided ONE gluten/dairy free cookie wouldn’t hurt, so I asked if they had any individuals for sale.  As it so happened, they just made a batch and had a few wounded ones to generously offer.  I walked out with three slightly smudged, delicious, make-my-day cookies.  Not once has anyone mentioned me visiting their church, but when I brought it up today, I was not only warmly invited to attend, but to join them in their luncheon and walk afterwards.  Saturday plans!

I am so grateful for my bakery and the extreme kindness of every single person I’ve encountered there.  I’ve never walked out of that place anything less than radiant.  Eating my granola tonight was eating love in a bowl. 

I am also incredibly grateful for my comfort zone.  It’s not huge, but it’s growing.  Best of all, it’s growing because I’m meeting people very different than myself who have done nothing but extend thoughtful kindness to a stranger.

Rangiwahia Hut Track, You Are Mine!

Friends, I have good news- I successfully completed the Rangiwahia Rut Track, a local bush walk through some steep ranges in the area.  It took me four hours as expected, and I was much more confident than my first attempt.  If you’ll recall, my first hike resulted in me eating almost all of the food I brought in the first 30 minutes.  I can now proudly say I can at least be considered as a choice on Survivor after not needing to eat anything I brought this time around. 

Nothing notable occurred- I saw beautiful scenery, I got a great workout, and my legs burned a whole lot less (yes, daily walks, you are helping!).  There was a minor infraction when I stopped for a bathroom break only to meet a cute guy shortly after on the trail (keep in mind that in four hours, I saw maybe six people).  I didn’t think anything of it until I stopped and looked back on the trail, realizing from his vantage point, my secluded spot was not so secluded at all.  I’ll never know, and thankfully, I’ll never see him again either!

The waterfall near the top (this picture makes it look much  bigger than it was, but it was pretty!)

The hut at the top; people can overnight and continue hiking (what they call "tramping" here)

A Southern Sky

Fiona (the children’s “mum”) and I went out to a movie Saturday night. It was a really fun evening out after a relaxing day around the farm.  We went out to dinner and to a movie in an upscale theatre that shows mostly independent films.  The theatre was made up of small screening rooms with couches, and you can have alcohol or their restaurant’s cuisine during the movie if you desired.  No popcorn allowed!  I chose to see “Iron Lady” to learn a bit about Margaret Thatcher while sipping a sauvignon blanc.  I need to educate myself on British history!

On our drive home, Fiona pointed out a few constellations.  The sky was amazing last night!  The Milky Way is incredible here- very pronounced and beautiful.   Can you tell how much I love a starry sky?  The “Southern Cross” is the most famous in this hemisphere.  Several southern nations use this constellation as a national symbol, and the stars on New Zealand’s flag represent this constellation.  It is also on the Australian flag with an additional star- the extra star is seen more clearly in AU than it is in NZ.  She also pointed out "the pot" (which is actually Orion upside-down in this hemisphere) and the North Star which is very obvious here. It shines a golden yellow color, different than the rest of the stars in the sky.

I continue to learn things that boggle my mind- I never knew there are actually different constellations in the Southern Hemisphere sky than what we see in the Northern Hemisphere.  I never thought about the fact that I'd be seeing the sky differently than at home.  I had been taking the big and little dipper for granted all these years!  The other things that still struggle with?  Living a day ahead of everyone back home (NZ is very close to the international dateline), and that December 29^th, 2011, remains blank in my planner because I lost that day when I traveled here! 

Love and Plums

This week has been a really interesting one, that’s for sure.

Yes, this was necessary.

To start, I just want to say that I have officially eaten the BEST fruit of my entire life.  No joke.  Last week I was drawn to a free sample of fruit at a farmer’s market (I am a sucker for deals and coupons, I admit it).  I sampled it, and I was blown away- it was a plum unlike I had ever tasted.  I bought a bag without hesitation!  I used them to make a banana plum bread that was pretty fantastic, and I’m experimenting with putting them into a cornbread this weekend.  One thing I will say about having allergies is that it’s given me a new appreciation for

[At this point, I was making myself so hungry that I ate three plums on the spot.  Gosh, I wish I could mail them home so you knew what you were missing.]

To continue, I’ve developed a new appreciation for whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and nuts.  I had never liked vegetables; I was terrible!  There was a monumental day this summer when I actually craved asparagus.  I would have driven to the store to buy it!  And that’s pretty significant- desperate store runs had been reserved for ice cream up to that point!

I had had so much fun on my weekend travels, and I felt normal again being around people and having fun.  After returning from my trip to Hawkes Bay on Sunday, I found my solitude to be particularly unbearable, so unbearable in fact that I debated if this was really the right place for me.  Of course, this also coincided with a particularly challenging week with the children.  Here’s the interesting part: I hit my breaking point with where I’m living, and also had one of the best weeks I’ve had on the farm.  Very odd!  I struggle sometimes to remember that just because I’ve decided I don’t like something, doesn’t mean I can’t change my mind. 

I celebrated Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, after two days of being desperate to leave.  To honor the day, I decided to watch Serendipity, and I curled up in my cozy bed in my cottage for a movie night.  Just before I left the main house to start the movie, the mom asked me if I wanted to see a movie with her this week.  It really shocked me.  Clearly it must have been obvious how much I was needing human interaction because she hadn’t made attempts like this before this to befriend me.

Wednesday rolled around, and I had PLANS!  I met up with a few people from the vegan group after work, and I spent the evening eating good food and chatting with new friends.  I met more really awesome people, and it was a good reminder for me in the dangers of pre-judging.  I was initially nervous to meet people from this group whose views were so different than my own, and they’ve turned out to be incredibly kind and willing to go out of their way to make sure I’m okay in isolation-land.

Today, I was generously granted a sick day, which reminded me yet again that maybe I’ll be okay here until April.  I’ve been battling something I’ve undoubtedly picked up through the children’s playgroup/school, and I rolled out of bed this morning feeling achy and ill.  The kids were sick, too, and I was offered the day off to recuperate.  I took it gladly, watched Sleepless in Seattle, and slept for 5 hours!

During my drive home on Wednesday night after a great evening, I realized something huge.  [There is not a working radio in my car, so I get plenty of think time…can you see why I am going a bit mad?].  What I realized was that I spent an entire Valentine’s Day without any feelings of jealousy or sadness over spending it solo.  Not even a twinge!  And I even watched a romantic movie!!!  For some reason, significant realizations have landed on significant dates this past year, and this was no exception.   I may not love the fact that I often feel lonely where I’m at, but I’m certainly changing into one strong woman who is confident on her own!

Napier, Day 3

I woke up and checked out of my hotel.  The new friends I had made had all departed, so I was on my own.  The weather was beautiful compared to the day before, so I walked around Napier to check out the art deco architecture and do a little browsing through shops.

I decided the perfect way to conclude my trip was a picnic lunch on the beach.  It was gorgeous!

 I had a leisurely drive home, and I crashed at 7pm.  I packed a lot into my weekend getaway!

Hawkes Bay Road Trip Day 2

Anne and I woke up at the same time, and she decided to join me on my day’s plans.  I planned the day using my New Zealand guidebook (thanks again, Dale!).  I love the spontaneity of it.  I came to NZ without set plans, and it’s really fun to pick a city, pick up my book, and stumble into some great places!

First thing, I wanted a winery!  The weather wasn’t all that lovely, so it was perfect to be indoors.  We started off at the Mission Estate Winery, NZ’s oldest winery located in a restored seminary.  We were one of the only people there that early, so we lucked out and had a lot of one-on-one attention with the wine connoisseur.  Both of us were pleasantly buzzed off our samples by 10am!   We did a tour to learn about the history of the winery along with a French-speaking couple.  I didn’t learn much because I was listening intently to the man translating in French for his wife.  I even struck up a conversation with them en Français- it was so nice to speak again the language and to not be nervous with such a nice couple!  I love the language, but I cripple myself with nerves of not doing it right.  Perfectionism and learning another language…not easy! 

Me and Anne at Mission Estate Winery

We followed the winery with a stop off at a chocolate factory.  By noon, I had consumed a few samples of delicious chocolate and wine…now tell me that isn’t a perfect Saturday!

We continued on our journey and visited the nearby town of Haverlock North for some window shopping and a drive up to Te Mata Peak for a view of the Hawkes Bay area.  It wasn’t much of a view due to weather, but still worth the look!

This picture is for Kristi and Heather- I don't know what I would have done with my raincoat!

Anne and I concluded our day together with one more winery stop, the Craggy Range Winery.   I did a quick sample of their whites, and I thoroughly enjoyed their Sauvignon Blanc.  In NZ, they refer to their sauvignon blanc wine as “sav” which drives me bonkers with my knowledge of French pronunciation.  I tried to order it in a bar in Auckland on New Years Eve, and the bartender had no idea what I wanted until one of my friends stepped in and said “she wants a sav.”  I guess I better pronounce it like a local if I want to drink it!

I had a few hours to relax before my concert with my friend Izzy and her boyfriend Ash.  I had no idea who we were seeing or what type of music it was.  It turned out to be a rock band, and it was a little harder than I would have liked.  I also could have done without the ringing in my ears for two days, but that’s just another sign of me getting less cool as I age.   Still glad I got to see my first local gig!

Me and Izzy at the I am Giant concert

I’ll conclude with a funny side note.  The drinking age is 18 in NZ.  This changed from 21 roughly 15-20 years ago.  During the concert, a guy came up to me to encourage me to rock out a bit more to the show.  Evidently light head bobbing and tapping one hand on my leg was not appropriate in a loud and rowdy crowd.  I had the eerie feeling he was 18- NO!  I thought it was bad enough being in bars in my mid-twenties in the States…now I have to worry about accidently hitting on someone who just graduated high school!

My Hawkes Bay Road Trip

I had a great first road trip exploring New Zealand!  I headed to the Hawkes Bay area on the east side of the north island. 

I started off my journey driving through some very rugged and beautiful countryside.  The road I took was nicknamed “the Gentle Annie” (aka the Taihape-Napier Rd), and it was incredibly curvy through the Ruahine and Kaweka ranges.  I thought of my dad and cousin Ed as I drove my little red Toyota Corolla; I bet they’d have loved to be driving their motorcycles on this road!

Yup, snapped this one while I was driving...I passed ~2 people in two hours, so I felt like it was pretty safe!

I left Friday night after work and headed to my hostel.  This was my first true hostel experience; an all-female dorm-style room.   I’ve stayed in a hostel once before in Norway, but  it was so nice that I don’t count it; it was more like a hotel. 

When I arrived at the hostel after about 3 hours on the road, it was almost dark.  I picked my bunk and got settled in.  I said a few timid hellos, hoping these women were nice and weren’t planning to steal all my stuff.  The first turned out to be a dairy farm girl from England, and we’re hopefully going to get together again!   She has a work visa for Australia and is just traveling through New Zealand before moving there.

I was proud after I picked up an American accent on the second girl I visited with.  When I first arrived in this country, I was so overwhelmed by all the newness that accents all blended together.  I couldn’t tell an American one from a New Zealand one!  I discovered that Anne was from Maine, and her accent was surprisingly similar to mine (probably why I picked it out so quick!).   She asked me where I was from, and I said Wisconsin.  She asked where, and I said “around Madison.”  Her response?  “Oh, like Verona?”

SERIOUSLY?????????

I show up for my first hostel experience all alone, fearing for my belongings, and this chick from Maine knows my hometown??  I was so shocked, I asked “How do you know that?” in a very accusatory “you read my mind or stalked me from the States” kind of way.   As it turns out, she’s a student at St Olaf college in Minnesota, and her best friend there happens to be from Verona.   She recently visited her friend’s family and checked out Madison.  Too crazy!

Our wild connection led us to spend the next day together, and it was incredible to have company!

My art deco-style hostel in Napier.  Napier is known as the "Art Deco Capital of the World"  The whole town was rebuilt in this style after a devastating earthquake in 1931.

Things are shakin' up

Freshly shorn sheep waiting for pasture

I MADE A FRIEND!!!  (and yes, it's a human friend, not an animal).

Wow, you don't realize how much you need plans until you don't have them!  I wanted to post this on Facebook as well, but I figured I'd scare the poor girl if she knew how excited I was.

I met someone who was working temporarily in this area who ended up coming to Tuesday's playgroup with the three-yr-old.  She's around my age and traveling from England.  She invited me to a concert in a cool art-deco city on the east coast of the north island 3 hours away.  Ironically, I had just decided earlier that day that I was just going to plan a weekend trip for myself there, so I was thrilled when she asked.  I am so looking forward to it, not to mention my first concert from a local group.

Also on the friend front, this past weekend I managed to get myself invited to a vegan potluck.  Yes, this was pushing myself outside of my comfort zone!  Due to my food allergies, I tend to follow a more vegan diet.  However, I feel a bit awkward being a farm girl who studied agriculture with health issues infiltrating their vegan community.  But the people I met were very welcoming, and I think I'll have future plans with a few of them!  Not only did I head out for a potluck on Saturday, I accepted an invite from one of the farm hands and went lawn bowling (or "bowls").  Lawn bowling is a game popular in the United Kingdom, and it basically involves rolling an asymmetrical ball as close to a small ball as possible.  That didn't explain it very well at all, and yes, despite my simplistic description, it's still easy to suck at.  Thanks to friends Dick and Lorraine in the Washington DC area, I had at least had some proper training before being thrown to the wolves (aka, very experienced players).

Not only is my social life shaking up, my world is, too!  Last night I experienced my first earthquake.  Yes, I'm also excited about this.  No one got hurt, thankfully.  Fiona told me this morning that it was a decent one (around a 5 on the Richter scale).  She told me she was debating about moving into a doorway for protection, and then it stopped shortly after.  This made me realize that I'm very unprepared for dealing with earthquakes.  For one, it happened right as I was falling asleep (about 11:15pm), so I was really dazed the whole time.  I thought my bed was shaking, and I knew the cottage was rattling, but I was mostly just confused.  I woke up in the morning and had to ask if i dreamed it.  Next time, I'll head for a doorway :)

My rural blessing

I am too excited about the day’s discoveries not to write.  Today, I needed to run an errand for Fiona and was given a few hours in town to myself after.  Feilding, the nearest town, is 45 minutes away.  It essentially shuts down right after the work day and only some of the stores are open until mid day on Saturday.  This makes doing things for myself tricky when I work from ~8am-5:30pm during the week with weekends my main time off.  Thankfully, Fiona understands this and has been trying to give me some time periodically to run into town during the day.

I got a much needed haircut, and due to my love of finding a good deal, found a place that actually does a good job and only charged me NZ$15.  This was the cheapest haircut I’ve ever had- women’s haircuts are expensive!  I’ve decided to grow my hair out a bit, even though I love my pixie cut.  I just want to see what it’ll look like, and I can’t imagine a better time to get through the awkward growth stages than right now.  The kids and I all have bed head in the morning, and no one cares.  And I can always cut it back to what I know I like.

The haircut was wonderful, but the best part of my day today was finding a rural bakery that sells organic, gluten/dairy free products!  I cannot tell you how excited I was to walk into that store, and I’m still glowing. 

For those of you who don’t know, I was diagnosed with a low functioning gall bladder and gluten/dairy allergies in March 2011 after a long year of acute gall bladder/kidney/intestinal troubles.  [This all relates back to my “Blender Breakdown of 2011;” not a fun year].  I believe I’ve had these issues since college, which explained a lot of food/alcohol issues I was having.  Despite my tests showing that I was in the recommended range for surgery, my doctor decided that I shouldn’t have my gall bladder removed until it got worse.  At first, removing gluten and dairy was a test for me to see if my symptoms got better.  I also cut out sugar, meat, and alcohol, as they irritated my gall bladder.  After reading these last two sentences, and knowing my two favorite foods are pizza and cookies, I’m guessing you can imagine how pleasant I was during this time.  My symptoms completely resolved with my diet change, and I’m so much healthier than I used to be.  I’ve tried to add gluten and dairy back into my diet, but I continue to have issues, so I’ve had to accept reality that my food allergies are real and not going anywhere anytime soon.

I was very worried about coming to NZ with allergies.  That’s why finding something like this so close to the family’s home is such a blessing.  This little store is ran by a church that also runs a preschool- they children eat the same whole grain, nutritious food made in their kitchens- so cool!  And the people were incredibly nice.  When I told them how relieved I was to have found this place because of my allergies, the woman asked me if I tolerated goat milk.  I can do sheep/goat cheese without a problem, so I said yes.  She told me she had just finished milking their goat and gave me the milk (wow!).  I’m curious to try it.  Having never liked milk (hmmmm…betcha I knew from little on that I had some sensitivities to dairy!), I’m not sure how it’ll be, but at the very least I can bake with it.  I left today with freshly made bread, almond butter, oat muesli (granola), rolled oats and a spice blend, all organic at reasonable prices.  I’m looking at doing some cooking classes there, and I can’t wait.

She likes me, she really likes me!

It’s official- the three year has old now has declared she likes me!  It took three weeks; she was a tough nut to crack.  But I finally won her over, and it’s made life a lot easier. 

This week has been busy adjusting to a new schedule for the kids with Ian going back to school on Wednesday.  I suspect next week will be quite hectic as well, as it will be the first full week managing school for Ian, swimming lessons for both children, and playgroup for Ashleigh.  I will update when I can!

I found the library, so I’ll be entertained by books, movies, and way too many cookbooks in the meantime :)