Quest on Ward - Hamilton

... up through the floor like your were walking into an attic and suddenly you are in the common room area. A bright pastoral mural and a string of plastic sunflowers are the first things to greet you, followed by an old man who is standing at a desk at the edge of the large cozy living room/ kitchen/ dining room. The kitchen is decorated cottage style, with cute-farm themed paintings, china on the cabinets, wooden spoons hung according to size. There is only one ...

On Sunday nite went2 a jazz festival was really really gd music. Went 2 c Billy Connolly on Monday in Auckland, was absolutly amazin. Stayed wit family friends in Whangapoa in th coromandel, caught a huge snapper! Jumped on Kiwi bus in Whittianga, near whangapoa, then went 2 rotoroa. Saw al th geysers, place stinks of egg cause of th sulpher and went 2 a ...

... 20s, bright blue skies, sunshine and not many clouds around. I started the day with a little retail therapy, as you do - I'd spotted a rather nice 'bead' shop which we don't really have in England (I don't think, anyway), and I managed to pick up a rather nice necklace and a few other bits and pieces. Then it was time to be collected by friends for my guided tour of Hamilton's attractions. We started off by going to Hamilton ...

... I only was able to stand up a handful of times. Andy was able to stand up much easier...he spent a lot of time surfing in New Zealand during his last trip here. After about two hours, the waves started to turn to mush due the the changing of the tides. I got momentarily caught in a rip tide, but I eventually was able to swim out of it...I guess it was mother natures way of letting me know who's boss. By this time it was 5pm, so Andy and I decided to ...

... the hang of it now. This morning was another story. There was a moment where the physio asked me what time it was and only ten minutes had passed (it felt like hours) and in those ten minutes Olivia's oxygen levels had gone from below 40 to above 50 and back down again (100 is where you should be), she'd stopped breathing and I was beginning to wonder just how I was going to handle her dying on me. She didn't. She pulled through but like I said, I'm ...

... would be successful soon (praise the lord!) and that there was someone who had been thinking of suicide recently and that everything would be okay (praise the lord!). A little later on, he did another 'healing session' where he asked everyone who felt unloved or like they didn't belong to come up to the front. I was surprised to see half the congregation up there. I was still trying to fight the urge to inch my way backwards. I kept telling myself this was another experience ...

... morning but warm in the sun. We went into town for a stroll and a bit of a shop. The sun was so warm we sat outside for brunch and then came home and had a barbeque with our flatmates. Off to the boss's house to watch the rugby tonight. Its the final stages of the super14 so its all getting quite exciting. Last nights game between the Blues n Hurricanes was spectacular! But I think I get too involved. Last time we went to the stadium to see the chiefs I nearly cried!

... the weather was beautiful. Next weekend is Easter weekend and we have 5 days off from classes, so a few of us are going to rent 2 cars and drive down to New Plymouth- still in the North Island- and go to a Jack Johnson concert! It should be interesting becuase 1. its Jack Johnson in NZ! and 2. its all americans driving on the other side of the road in another country. As you can see, things are working out well so far. I ...

... s getting a lot stronger with the changes I'm making. I'm hoping to have a new draft done by the time I leave Ragland on Friday. It's been a whirlwind of inactivity; actually I can't believe I only have three more days here. What with all the writing, and the writing, and the napping in the hammocks every afternoon, and the writing... I don't know where the time is going. I'm looking forward to going to Rotorua and starting the Australearn program orientation, but ...

... one at the airline who informed that my boards file had been "closed" and they had no idea where my boards were. I got em finally and only one was broken. Pretty good considering I hadn't padded them at all. So, with the brace and my boards I finally got some surf in and it was good. I surfed Whale bay and Indicators, both long wraping left handers that left me noodle armed.