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Did good

2011-06-19T15:09:00.004+02:00

Results came through last week and I did good :) I am very proud of what I have achieved so far and am preparing to put in a monumental effort next year to follow it through and finish on a high! I am on track for a first class degree and I am not going to take my eyes of the ball now.

Lovely flowers from mamma and daddy to celebrate exam results

Tack :)

welcome to crazy corner

2011-05-19T09:25:00.006+02:00

An unusual but effective (and colourful!) revision method

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! My last exam is Monday 23rd and then I have a small practical exercise physiology assessment on thursday the 26th and then it's summer holidays! I have seen off 4 exams: biochemistry (fairly hard), physiology (tricky but enjoyable), health psychology (annoying) and human nutrition (the hardest one). Exercise physiology exam to go and this is where I can enjoy myself, I love ex phys! I have four days to revise hard so that I can do myself proud and finish on a high!

"Henry" peeks out from behind health psychology revision notes

But actually, it's not just about doing myself proud but all the people who carry me through this. Harland is a rock and the poor boy is probably looking forward to having his girlfriend back and leave evil stressed out student behind. I look forward to being able to breathe and have some time to do fun stuff... if I can remember how. I'm also looking forward to a summer of playing scientist in the laboratory in Coventry and Brighton and getting some hands-on experience before going in to my last year at Westminster.

happy birthday mormor

2011-02-05T15:01:00.002+01:00

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)
I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear;
and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling)
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the budand the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

snow pretty

2010-12-04T18:57:00.005+01:00

choices we make

2010-12-01T12:40:00.000+01:00

we all make choices in life, small everyday ones 'what's for lunch' type ones to big life-changing-things-will-never-be-the-same-type chioces. And evern if we try not to, that is a choice in itself and, ultimately, changes who we are.

I make a choice about 6 years ago to move to London, not knowing what would follow, not wanting to know. Although I feel like I (now we) go where the wind takes us, and chance has played a big part in certain changes of directions, along the way decisions have been made, paths have been chosen. Having dinner with and old friend of Harlands'' last night I felt highlighted this. Having a conversation we've had so may times, in avroius parts of the world, with many different people: 'wow you've been around!' and 'you've really landed on your feet havent you?' commonly followed by 'where do you think you'll settle down?'. Ultimately, whatever choices we make down the line, we will be away from family. A terrible inconnvenience.

Today is a day I wish I would have stayed put. For all the amazing things I have experienced and learnt. However big a part it has played in me being the person I am today. I would just like to be close to my loved ones. A phone call away, just around the corner. If needed.

Me n my Bro do South London

2010-11-01T08:14:00.012+01:00

Saturday afternoon my new friend and I went down to Greenwich park. It was stunning and I had a lovely time pedalling around. When I got home I listened to some jazz and pottered around the house, cooked a nice meal for myself and H (who was working, boo). Was left feeling very chi after that. Best time of year?

what I really wanted to do was to lie down in the leaves on the ground and take a photo to show of my new, hot autumn hair colour. But the ground was wet from the rain and, frankly, I was too embarrassed. Must be getting old.
Spent some time in my corner later that afternoon, reading up on the enzyme kinetics for Monday's lecture and the renin- angiotensin mechanism. Good times...

And Brompty went back in his corner

Loving right now:

2010-10-30T17:04:00.008+02:00

Autumn. Need I say more?

James Brown (not the musician, the printmaker). see http://www.generalpattern.net/ for more goodies from this man. (erhxmas, erhm)

Greige (oh yes, it is a real colour!) fingernails as seen on Lily Allen below.

And ...

I know it's a song from a TV advertisement but I love it. Her name is Allie Moss. The song is "corner".

639 days

2010-10-27T09:32:00.004+02:00

On the tube this morning I was listening to a recording of a biochemistry lecture on the MP3. When it was finished a crowded house song came on that reminds me so much of NZ. And walking down the street in autumn grey London I could almost feel the heat from the sun and if I closed my eyes I was carried away to a beautiful beach. A bit dangerous though, walking around with your eyes closed at rush hour. I love being here, I'm happy that I am doing this, I am loving it, and I don't regret a thing. But I would quite like to be in more than one place at once.

I looked up at the BT tower and the countdown to the Olympics 2012 said 639 days. And that's roughly when I graduate and get my freedom back. I think I just want time to go faster so we can go have a party on a beach.

Growing, growing, (almost) gone...

2010-09-01T10:52:00.010+02:00

As of three years I have a passion for growing vegetables. It started in Devon where our farmer John had a poly tunnel full of veg which we helped him look after. Harland dug out his old knowledge and I was schooled. After that it was Scotland, where we had unlimited space but certain limitations with the weather. So going back to being city kids again poses a slight dilemma. We have a gravel back garden, not a lot of space and not to mention financial limitations... But one has to make the most of what is available! There were a few pots in the garden with herbs in them so with some slight rearranging there I could squeeze in a few lettuces and carrots. The cinder blocks previously filled with dirt and cigarette butts were cleared out and filled with compost and then plants donated from a generous friend. I bought a grow bag for a tomato plant and used an old (empty) sweet tin for radishes. The cucumber found his home in a wastepaper basket. Ultimately we found ourselves with one cucumber plant, four tomato plants, a few lettuces here and there, a couple of chili plants and a nice selection of herbs. The cucumber (above) has been the success story of the year, producing big, fat fruits full of flavour. It had a bit of a rough time and gave up on producing for a while but has been brought back to life by some liquid fertiliser and is now giving fruit again. And with plenty of water they will soon be ready for harvest.Lettuce and carrots in cinder blocks

Left to right:

chili, tomato, cucumber and more tomatoes (in background), herbs and lettuces in pots.

Feeling hot, hot, hot.

A purple chili fruit at the beginning of the season. At that point they tasted nutty and warm. They have now started turning orange and red and will make your tongue catch on fire just by looking at one...

old school

2010-09-01T10:44:00.004+02:00

Check out these dudes, guess who? Hint: it was taken just over 25 years ago

I'm not sure who looks more terrified... ;)

oval heart

2010-08-16T13:31:00.000+02:00

as far as work goes Saturday relly wasn't too bad. Although it was a twelve hour work day it didn't feel that long and I really enjoyed it... Maybe it was the fact that I was working at Twickenham in a corporate box, maybe it was the company of my equally enthusiastic co-workers or maybe it was the big tips... Or maybe it was a combination of all those things that made it one of the most enjouable days at work ever:)

Postcard from surf Devon

2010-07-11T10:58:00.012+02:00

I know, it's been a week since we got back from our surf weekend but Ihave been working all week in Battersea park. I've been doing 12 hour days in the hospitality village organising the bar.

Last weekend, however, we popped down to north Devon for a spot of surfing. I got to use my gorgeous new surfboard for the first time. Harland also had a new (second hand) board to play on.

Below: me and the yet to be named board at Putsborough beach near Croyde.
When we got there on Friday morning we got in the cold sea as soon as we could.

On Saturday we went for a long drive followed by some surfing in the afternoon. On the Devon/Cornwall border we found Hokey Pokey:)

Sunset on our last day of surf antics.

Going back to London we took a trip down memory lane. A visit to that beautiful valley where we lived when we first left London. Thee is nothing like seeing old friends, an being welcomed with open arms (and paws).

midsummer madness

2010-06-27T11:01:00.006+02:00

Although Swedes can be seen as a quite serious breed, they do know how to partay. Midsummer is one, and maybe the main, time of year when they let their hair all the way down and enjoy themselves. Letting your hair down Swedish style more often than not involves singing, dancing and drinking. For me the midsummer tradition of dancing around a flower clad pole pretending to be either frogs or musicians never struck me as being odd. But yesterday at the celebrations in Hyde park I almost felt like an outsider looking in, and I liked what I saw! At the same time there was a sense of familiarity and childhood memories.

You can take the girl out of Sweden but you can't take the swede out of the girl sma grodorna:) ko-ack-ack-ack. ko-ack-ack-ack-ackaaaaathe miniature midsummer pole

got my plopp!:)

you almost have to see it to believe it:

Love Danelles happy face in the video above. She looks like she belongs, perhaps she was Swedish in a previous life...

Dinner with a view

2010-06-25T10:22:00.009+02:00

The great thing about summer is that you can take your dinner outside and make it taste one hundred times nicer than it would at the dinner table.

The great thing about London is that amongst all the hustle and bustle you can find a place of peace and quiet to sit and admire the view. Our dinner spot was on the river front in a small local park on our side of the river overlooking greenwich.

Oceans apart....

2010-06-15T12:18:00.004+02:00

We received a letter from Harland's sister Rochelle and her family yesterday. Two drawings from Flynn(5) and Gracie (3). And although we haven't seen them for over a year it would appear we are still a part of their life. And it becomes apparent that where ever we go in the world we will always be without loved ones. And somehow that makes me feel very blessed, always knowing that wherever I am, I could be somewhere else, and still be loved. Sounds odd, I know....

As far as I understand, Flynnie drew this picture when he found out that we are engaged and getting married. I love the attention to detail; the aeroplane with us in it waving, all the lovehearts, the two little happy people holding hands; I wonder who's who?:)

Gracie had a go as well:)

Miss you.

Branches of a tree

2010-06-08T22:20:00.005+02:00

When saying farewell to mormor on thursday, there were a lot of tears and there were times, even during the ceremony, that I was in denial over the fact that I will never see her again. I also felt that it was unfair that we will have to go without.

But there, by the grave after the ceremony and memorial, a certain little girl whispered something to her lillamormor whilst playing with the gravel and admiring the flowers. This girl is wiser than most adults, it has to be said. "Good-bye, thanks for everything". And there it was; everything that needed to be said.

Hejda, tack for allt

Because we have so much to thank mormor for. Little things, like all the warm memories that we will always have in our hearts. All the skills that she has taught us and knowledge she has passed on. Little things like providing us with support and words of wisdom, sometimes without us realising we were being helped. Big things like putting us on this planet. Because I stem, partly, from her. Had she done one thing different we might not be here. The choices she made in her life has affected all of us. All of a sudden it doesn't seem so unfair, we have been given so much!

And it makes you think; how relatively small decisions we make in life, such as taking up a certain hobby, moving to another town or even just going out dancing on night and then talking to a stranger in the street on the way home, can influence the rest of one persons life. And generations to follow. Ultimately, we are just branches on a giant tree ....

Not so black

2010-06-08T18:55:00.003+02:00

Black was for many years the only coloured clothes I had... No real reason why, I don't think. Now days I enjoy injecting a bit more colour in to my life, nothing crazy, just a bit of blue and green etc. and I like it. So imagine my surprise when I found out that for work this weekend (catering, my gig over summer) I have to wear black and there were limited outfits to pick from in my wardrobe...
Speaking of the colour black, how's about a change in colour for the blog?????

stuck in between- time

2010-06-08T18:38:00.003+02:00

Having just arrived back from a couple of weeks in Sweden I'm a bit unsure what to do with myself. Although I had planned for this week to be a slow, relaxing, catch up with life kind of week, I can't help but getting restless and bored. I've been loitering around the house for a couple of days now and feel that I need to get out. But at the same time the thought of going outside to face the real world and get on with a daily routine seems so alien and unthinkable. The thought of seeing people makes me feel tired and want to crawl under the duvet until the urge to socialise goes away. So maybe I need to make a choice. Either make my peace with sitting at home watching DVDs or make myself get out there. Maybe there will be a visit to a museum tomorrow. But there is still that empty feeling to deal with...

mileage in may

2010-05-22T11:32:00.001+02:00

I'm currently waiting for take off from london to copenhagen and to put harlands mind at ease I have been waiting at the airport for some time now... Enough time to calculate my air milage this month. Twice to copenhagen and back (by the time I return) and once to morocco and back to london..

8700 km roughly.

Could somebody tell me how far I would have made it if I had done that mileage in one flight?

Thanks.

proud and impressed

2010-05-21T21:53:00.003+02:00

Today was the end of my first year at uni and the end of a very hard week or in fact hard few weeks. It was alway going to be just that as I took my last exam for this year today but it was so much more. Three weeks ago we found out that mormor had cancer. On saturday she passed away. On monday I doubted if I was going to be able to take the exam today. Just didn't think I could do it. But I started revising and with the support of my crew I did it. And i think it went well. And I am proud of myself. I would also like to think that mormor would be / is proud too.

I think people's reaction to a friend in mourning differs between individuals. And I think a persons' need for response from close ones during grief varies between individuals. The people around me have responded just in the right way. Not by leaving me alone or by trying to stifle me. Just by saying: "I am here if you need me, anytime, just call". And no, there isn't really anything anybody could do. Nobody can bring my grandmother back. Nobody was going to do my revision for me. But just knowing that they were there. If I need them. When I need them. heroes. Very impressive.

And then after the exam (followed by obligatory post exam drinks) i scooted over to Bloomsbury for a date in the park with my future husband, who has been a rock... no a mountain... in the last few weeks. Later on the way to the tube, in the evening sun in beautiful London, I realised that I had been happy again today for the first time this week.

Impossible doesn't exist.

as requested:)

2010-05-21T20:56:00.000+02:00

picturesque morocco

2010-05-17T21:52:00.016+02:00

.....but not as beautiful in real life

View from our balcony

The Village beach in Taghazout

The Zouk in Agadir

Taghazout by night

not really sure what's going on here...

Surfers view of Taghazout

Animal Kingdom, only thing missing is a picture of sugarmuffin , my stray puppy dog on the beach oh, and the kittens in the boat, brand spanking new, six of them. adorable flea infested little nippers.

We had a really nice time in morocco, lots of eating, sleeping, enjoying the sun and, yes, you guessed it: surfing. Although the waves were pretty minuscule we tried out best but it was long boards mainly... I enjoyed it and surfed for as long as I could, even on saturday. I would love to tell you all about it.... maybe another time....

life will never be the same

2010-05-16T21:58:00.005+02:00

Yesterday afternoon my mormor, swedish grandmother, passed away. Although we found out a couple of weeks ago that she had hepatic cancer nothing can really prepare you for the loss of a loved one and the emptiness it leaves. I can't even imagine a world without her in it and I'm finding it hard to get my head around the fact that I will never see her again. I'm trying to believe that she will always be with me, giving me strength to work hard for my loved ones like she did during her lifetime.

Although I know I should be grateful for a lot of things; all the lovely memories, the knowledge that she had a happy life and the fact that I got the chance to say good-bye to her, I still feel such impossible, never ending sadness.

And, as I'm far away from my family, Harland and I lit a candle in the window and I tried to think about the happy times rather than being sad. It was hard.

I thought this candle was appropriate as mormor loves music and it was a big part of her life

morocco here we come!!

2010-05-09T01:30:00.001+02:00

sleepy girl eating breakfast as the sun (behind the clouds) rises over gatwick whilst flicking through the french dictionary

although slightly later than planned, due to the volcanic ash, we have set out on our magic moroccan mission. As the flight is an early morning one we're spending the night at the airport:)

It's been a rough week or so... One of the hardest ever but I'm pleased to have managed to take my exam as pkanned... We both need a holiday and I can't wait to relax completely!

b-day weekend

2010-04-26T11:43:00.010+02:00

Some photographic evidence from a very good birthday!

Balloons, flowers and a pinata (sitteing on my brand new custom made gorgeous surfboard)

Danelle made cupcakes :) Delisioso!

The second best present; my surfboard. Gorgeous isn't he?

some ninja-like pinata action....

cake:)

rugby weekend!

2010-04-21T10:20:00.005+02:00

Mean looking girl

I will score tries:)

on the tube

2010-04-21T10:04:00.002+02:00

fast forward

2010-04-17T17:07:00.000+02:00

from snow and xmas hols to sun and studying for exams in the sun

xmas hols!

2009-12-21T11:34:00.005+01:00

The joy of the christmas holidays! Getting up at 7 am and sleepwalking in to uni to work on my assignments: anthropometry x 2 (one oral presentation and one report), a nutrition patient information leaflet, Cell Science (an essay on dna replication and transcription, and some joyous revision for the numeracy exam in January. Just to mention some of the things that will keep me busy over the three week "holiday". To sum up my first semester at uni I have to say that it has been hugely challenging but fun! And although there are days when I feel I'm in over my head, I am learning so many new things and have a much greater understanding of the human body now. Incredibly interesting and I was craving a challenge...

Winter Wonderland

I am, however, looking forward to going to Sweden for christmas, above is a photo taken by my dad a couple of days ago. Bring on the snow fight, snowman creating, sleigh-riding rammy! Also can't wait to chillax with family and stuffing delicious food down my gob:)

niiiiicee

2009-11-06T08:34:00.002+01:00

Coffe- check
Crisps- check
Veggie sausage rolls - check
Organic dark chocolate - check
Extra plate, mug and bowl- check
Tidy room- check
Clear some space on the floor- check

Bring on the sister invasion;)

thought I heard a strange noise

2009-11-04T18:33:00.003+01:00

Tottenham court rd 7.55 am. About 12 riders on horseback each holding on to another two horses. It's not what I expected to see...

london is getting ready for xmas

2009-11-03T23:13:00.002+01:00

lovely time of year to be in Londinium! As I was leaving uni today adther a mammoth day I walked a different route, down lovely charlotte st, to get the bus. It was already dark and it was a nice walk. I stood and waited for a few minutes for a bus at oxford st before it became apparent that there were no buses running. I decided to walk up to oxford circus and check out the new 'circus' and the reson behind the lack of buses became painfully clear; there was some sort of christmas concert going on (could they have been lighting the xmas lights?) and the tubestation was closed. Bugger. So I trotted down to tottenham ct rd and I wans't the only one either. Getting on the tube was a nightmare but I got on it in the end and made my way home to revise for my in class essay tomorrow morning.

tgif

2009-10-30T18:44:00.000+01:00

I quite like fridays because I get to go to the beautiful Regent street campus

2009-10-29T19:03:00.003+01:00

there's something so peaceful about sitting in a dead quiet library as it gets dark outside.

Now, back to work!

getting on...

2009-10-20T10:43:00.009+02:00

interesting thing happened yesterday. I was in the large lecture theater for the working in bioscience module. A rather 'bling' looking bird sat down next to me and we chatted about this and that (you know the usual what course are you in, where do you live, blah blah...) turns out she's moved here to study Biomedical sciences because her husband is going to uni in london and they are lucky enough to have a flat of their own in golder's green. Very lucky indeed.

So, she then turns to me and says ' you seem a lot older than the rest of us'

'Yeah I'm ancient' I said upon which she asked my my age and I answered.

'oh that's not too bad' she said as if to say 'well done for making it that far' or 'you look a lot older'.

Wait it gets worse.

Later on she asked my why Ive decided to go to university now. (as if to say what on earth has prompted you to get educated just before you die of old age)

I found this hysterical for several reasons. Firstly because I'm certainly not the oldest person there, nowhere near. Also because in my mind, and this is something I strongly believe, 18 is too young to go to uni! And i might add if my american friend is reading it is certainly too young to get married.

Now I'm not one for slagging off people on my blog so this is just an anecdote from my amazing London life. An observation if you may.

Oh and that's another thing I love about London; you can meet an individual one day and then never see them again. If you are lucky...;)

First lecture

2009-10-13T14:58:00.002+02:00

So, the challenge has begun, I had my first lecture yesterday and although they're easing us in to it fairly gently I'm still excited about this huge mountain I'm about to climb. Yesterday we had working in Bioscience, a great way to start off the week and this morning we had a long lecture in Health and Nutrition. It was such good fun and so interesting! A lot of it was familiar but there was also some new things as we got an overview of what is to come. It will be followed by Working in Bioscience tutorial and an English Screening, which starts now.

Bring it on!

so, London

2009-10-08T10:06:00.004+02:00

a pic taken with my new phone outside uni:)

so it's London again and although I haven't even been here a week I find myself falling into place in this giant jigsaw puzzle. It really is such an amazing puzzle to be a part of, so big and scary, yet friendly.

In spite of a 'minor' hickup with my paperwork I'm settling in to uni ok and
teaching starts on monday. I get a free choice module next semester and had to pick either 'dilemmas in bioscience'- the easier choice and certanly more interesting, mostly debate- based or 'drugs an therapeutics', a far more difficult module but may be more practical in the future. Which one do you think I chose?

Your Place at the University of Westminster

2009-08-22T09:15:00.000+02:00

BSc Honours Human Nutrition - Full-time

..."you have been given an unconditional offer of a place on the above course"

this just about sums up my week

2009-08-17T13:07:00.004+02:00

click on the link to hear the Lily Allen song which is my tune of the week.
After a hard week of hard decisions and working like a lunatic for Way out West I just had to sneak off on my dinner (about 11 pm) break to check out Lily live on stage. This song came on and I'd never heard it before but it made me go "oh yeah!" to myself. People must have wondered if I was lost, drunk or both, apron still on, veggieburger in hand, big smile on face. I may just have been the best way to summarize a less than perfect but fun at times week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ITZBBV8Syg

Sarah;jag ville ha den som en ruta så som du brukar göra, hur gör man!?!?!?!?!

To a very special birthday boy!

2009-08-09T21:38:00.003+02:00

Happy Birthday Flynn, little darling on the "wrong" side of the world.

Miss you and think about you every day when I bike to work.

Have a fantastic 5th Birthday!

my life at the moment.

2009-07-26T21:49:00.002+02:00

this month has been a hard, but fun one. I've had 5 days off work the whole month and that's counting tomorrow and it's been 10 of non stop work and that includes 14 hrs on Friday and 13 on Saturday. It's definitely been a case of work, eat, train, gym and then do it all over again, but don't get me wrong, I do enjoy it! In fact the last couple of days I haven't even had the time or energy to go to the gym and I feel sluggish for it (could have something to do with my food choices as well arhum... the downside to working in a café surrounded by yummy stuff).

SO if you were wondering why I haven't been blogging, there's your answer.

I'm thinking a trip to IKEA is in order tomorrow and of course a couple of trips to the gym;) but first of all; SLEEP

2009-07-21T11:34:00.003+02:00

Last night in bed, whilst trying to relax and go to sleep, my mind and soul was transported to Sandy Bay. I go there quite often in my head and I could feel the warmth of the sun and hear the waves as I sunk down into the warm sand and there was total relaxation and bliss.

Busy Days and a Visitor

2009-07-12T21:47:00.002+02:00

My oldest nephew came to visit, almost a week ago now, but I've been flat out working and training and not had time to put the pictures on the blog, or anything else for that matter. Haven't even had time to give him a ring him to thank him for a lovely couple of days and to tell him that I hope that he comes back soon! We spent a whole day at Universeum, an interactive museum and had a great time! " monster" och "råttan"

cool australian jellyfish in a fish tank.

I really have been busy this week! Working every day and sometimes long hours. It's a good thing I enjoy my job, I just think it's a shame it has to end in september... So I'm making hay while the sun is shining, trying to clock up hours and money. Harland has been the house hero, doing everything at home, I haven't lifted a finger in ages, it's great!;) Thank you darling! The coming week looks to be fairly busy one as well, they've offered me two days off but I just need one so I can go to IKEA and pick up some things and maybe chill out for a bit as well... I have however made a plan this week which incorporates meals, work and training so nothing is left to chance! ;)

eagerly awaiting...

2009-06-29T17:22:00.006+02:00

Our bed arrives today! I've emptied the room that can actually now called a bedroom whereas before it was more of a dumping ground. I'll be at training when it gets delivered, an extra forward session today in preparation of a very important game on saturday, against Malmö-Trelleborg.

Pictures to follow! of the bed and probably the game as well... need to get more active with the camera when there's rugby going on.

and the winner is....

2009-06-23T21:21:00.001+02:00

me!

I have a person in my life that makes me feel like I've won the lottery every day.

Especially so when I come home from rugby training and he's cooked a lovely dinner.

And got me this

sweetheart

2009-06-23T21:05:00.000+02:00

My youngest niece got a heart from me (the long way around but never mind) and this morning she turned up and with a piece of string and said mum now we need a hammer and nail. She wanted it hung up outside the front door so all the neighbours could see it. bless. but here's the cutest part. Mummy, i think aunty emma gave me this heart because I'm her sweetheart.

Too right!

She's clued on that one.

I hope the other three realize it too.

birthday boy

2009-06-16T16:42:00.003+02:00

My little sunshine-boy is one today! Amazing little Mio Mattis who surely must be the happiest little kiddo there ever was. A calm, smiling ball of sunshine and joy he is, and quite the opposite in both personality and size to big sister Lo, aka miss monkey whirlwind zoom zoom.

Both me and Harland have, time and time again established that little boy truly is a ...

dude

bugger.

2009-06-16T15:59:00.006+02:00

Right. I want to start uni. Become a nutritionist. That's why we're here, because it's free in Sweden. And I'm attached to Gothenburg now, I want to stay. Don't want to move to Umeå, it's off the (rugby)map. Not really an option. There are other options.
1) Go back to the UK.
2) Massey Uni in Auckland.

To qualify here in Sweden there is a course I need to do and I also need to improve my grades or exam results (högskoleprovet). So I went to see a guidance counsellor today. Signs outside were promising "we'll help you reach your goal", "the right education can lead the way to your dream job" e.t.c. Sounded optimistic but in actual fact there is really nothing they can do for anybody at the moment because of financial cutbacks. The course I need to do is full and there will be no half-term entries or distance learning options like normal because of the cutbacks.

The focus in this country at the moment lies on getting young people to go straight from college to uni and adult students like me (bloody hell I'm an adult) are left to suffer. I find this ridiculous! Not a lot of 18 year-olds know what they want to do with their life and should be given the time they need to figure this out rather than starting a degree and then giving up half way through. Surely that's not the sensible option in a country where education is free?

On the plus-side, there was another degree which is new and looks interesting. Health promoting something something.

22.36

2009-06-12T22:36:00.002+02:00

Harland and Anders are off on their epic bike ride.

I'll be thinking of them.

And sending them happy thoughts.

In bed.

Sleeping.

night night.

Go boys, GO!

There he goes...

2009-06-09T16:29:00.002+02:00

He's off! First day at work and he's been received with open arms at S.A.T.S gym in Frölunda. Finally! After all the wait and hard work my darling has put in to get there he is now at the starting point of his new career. I'm so excited for him!

You!

If you want to get fit, drop in and see Harland S, he'll sort you!

;)

Scarface

2009-06-05T20:41:00.003+02:00

Another silly injury from rugby training, playing grab and hold I collided with one of my team mates and her eyebrow was gashed open: A bit of deja vu, a similar thing happened in London a few years ago, except I was intact then, not as lucky last night as I stood up and said "don't worry I have a hard head" to coach who replied "yeah, but you're still bleeding though"
Off to the A&E we went and after waiting for a few hours as they had forgotten me (how they could miss the very upset girl with blood on her face I do not know) and then at 11 pm I got my five beautiful stitches. Not impressed. Hate needles and stitches. The doctor thought I was a big baby and threatened me to stitch up my mouth. Fair enough...

hard day at the office....

2009-06-01T20:59:00.004+02:00

we couldn't not go to the beach today... 25 degrees, clear blue sky and no work. It was also a nice relaxing thing to do the day after a hard weekend of rugby. This particular beach, Näset, is only a 20 min bike ride from home and it was lovely and warm there today. Perfect timing with the weather, it's meant to be cooling down tmrw and I'm working (well, it's my second day of training at the café). We actually ended up spending about five hours at the beach and were joined by my mate Michy, her boyfriend William and our rugby coach Mike.

It was a balmy 15 degrees in the water

must have been a good weekend...

2009-05-31T21:03:00.003+02:00

just showing off a few of my bruises from this weekend. What a weekend... We lost away to Lund yesterday by one point. We did not play well but we were never going to be allowed to win anyway, referee was on their side from the start... Today was a challenge, but we all like one of those, don't we. I honestly could not picture myself playing 80 min of rugby when I woke up this morning. But I did it for my team. It's such a nice feeling being part of a team after my Scotland experience. These Gothenburg girls are a good bunch and I feel like we've been through hell together this weekend, and come out the other side stronger as a team. It has to be mentioned as well that our opposition today was my old team and a few familiar faces, but there was no doubt where my heart was today.

Do you know what? I would do it all again tomorrow if I had to.

working class hero

2009-05-26T17:14:00.004+02:00

I survived my first day back at work after about 8 months holiday! In fact, I quite enjoyed it, getting stuck in and trying to learn my may around the café, all the prices and the menu. It'll take a while but I'll get there. Having a day off tomorrow, (ah the joys of part time work) time for training and getting stuck in to my other job. I'm booking sports halls for the twelve week sports academy I'm managing this autumn. I've already organised with the rugby club to book the facilities through them in order to keep prices down.

Training tonight was fab, even though we're missing a few key players in the back line that got injured playing for Sweden, it was flowing nicely and everybody seemed to be in a good mood. Excited and also apprehensive about the weekend and double-banger (game in Lund on Saturday and home game against Malmö on Sunday) ouch.

Sweden are going to the world cup!

2009-05-23T18:09:00.004+02:00

Here's a clip from you tube with a suitable song from the other day when Sweden beat Spain and qualified for the World Cup in England next year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6sv5rS0Hp0

I get goosebumps again and can't help but dream of maybe putting on that jersey one day...

Rugby girls

2009-05-18T10:06:00.004+02:00

I thought I'd keep you posted on what's going on in the Women's European Championship being played in Stockholm at the moment. Most importantly, to me anyway, Sweden beat Italy by two points (a try in the last second, oh the drama, oh goosebumps!).

Yesterdays results

Scotland-Russia: 84-0
Holland-Belgium: 100-0

Italy-Sweden :14-16
Spain-Germany: 74-0

Want to dig deeper?

Highlights from a lovely weekend

2009-05-17T21:13:00.008+02:00

Just a few pictures from this weekend, of our first official visitors, my sister Sarah and her partner Anders plus the two young ones Lo and Mattis.

Lo on the swings with my house in the backgound

We spent a lot of time at the playground which Lo obviously approves of;)
Something we could both enjoy was the "swing" below. I enjoyed the challenge in going all the way around, it was a fight against gravity but we managed 13 consecutive spins without stopping. Lo helped by pulling faces and going "oouuuhh"

Our Taco Fiesta on Friday night had to be moved in to the hallway even though our kitchen actually is quite spacious... I absolutely love mexican! I don't bother with veggie mince like quorn instead I do a mushroom-kidneybean-sweetcorn-whatever else is avalable chili with copious amounts of cumin and people always love it. As a bonus I also coked some soy protein strips in taco seasoning.

And pudding: Apple pie made by Sarah's neighbour with grated chocolate and cream. Oh and Strawberries as you can see on the young mademoiselle's faces.

Me Sarah and Mattis had a picnic in the park on Saturday after a pretty pathetic attempt at shopping for clothes in a second hand store.

Mattis below with rocket in his mouth which he just let sit there for ages. It was hilarious and made us laugh so much... ha ha... I guess you had to be there...

There was also a massive half-marathon going on in Gothenburg so getting around was a bit tricky but I must say I wasn't at all envious of the runners. They all looked ruddy knackered! Even the ones that had just started.... hmmm... Think I'll just stick to rugby...

That Sunday Feeling

2009-05-17T20:36:00.003+02:00

It's funny isn't it, today has been a typical Sunday. But isn't every day a Sunday when you're unemployed? Had a sleep in this morning. Lingered in bed for ages got up and started making plans for the day, they went out the window and I ended up getting dressed quickly and flew out the door to get the tram at 11.30. Met Michy, a rugby friend and Skåne exile, at Järntorget which is in my favorite part of town. After a quick detour to the flea market where I purchased a much needed cheese slicer, Michy whisked me off to a cosy little café for some delish mint tea and lunch.

My sister and her family came around in the afternoon to pick up their belongings before heading back down south. It's been so nice having them here and I hope they come back very soon!

The afternoon was made complete by a quick session at the gym, interval training 4 minutes at between 11.5-13 km/h and 2 minutes walking rest x4. Was virtually kicked out the door at the end though as they close at 6 on a Sunday. What a joke. I was hoping to be able to start a new routine with sauna on Sundays but no such luck today.

like a whirlwind...

2009-05-14T15:06:00.007+02:00

...she blew in and out, my darling little niece like she always does.

We've got an afternoon of peace and quiet, it's funny how quickly you get used to the noise and liveliness of children... I look forward to having them here again tomorrow and hopefully many more times in the future.

Mattis is no longer scared of me and of being left alone so he's been a joy to be around, cheeky little boy!

This is the sort of thing we get up to

For those of you who, for whatever reason don't read my Swedish blog, which i started as a part of my job hunting, I've practically been called to an interview for a company called faceways where I might get a job in sales. I always believed that as long as I can get to an interview I can talk anybody in to hiring me but that might be put to the test....

10 days in Västra Frölunda...

2009-05-07T14:08:00.001+02:00

...from our balcony

push play

2009-05-07T10:38:00.003+02:00

Life has been sort of paused lately with the move and everything that comes with it.

But now it's time to push play and go for it again and that includes the blog!

We've been very busy at times but since I last wrote we've both had time to celebrate our birthdays as well as congratulate others on theirs and the birthday season is now officialy over.

Things have slowed down in the last couple of days but all my energy has gone in to perfecting my C.V and an application letter for a job with Sweden Sport Academy, a part time job which I'm hoping to get even though the odds are against me. I would be working with young people, encouraging them to get active, something I would enjoy so much and I think it would be a first step towards where I want to go in the future. I will also be applying for jobs in shops, cafes, the airport etc.

Harland is still waiting for SATS (the gym) to get their act together and contact him. It's looking promising though that he'll get a job there.

We've obviously started rugby training as well and personally I feel like I've hit the jackpot. Gothenburg Ladies are a great bunch, friendly and fun but there are also some really sharp players in the squad and we play fast, good running rugby and the aim is to win the Swedish Championship again this year. I will give everything and for the first time I'm not the only one in the team.

Yes, it is starting to feel like home...

And nothing says "home" like blueberry pie

St George's Day

2009-04-23T11:40:00.002+02:00

And St Georges cross is swaying in the wind on a particular street in Sweden. Partly because it's :) Da's B-day which was started off, accordining to tradition, with a song and breakfast in bed. This is birthday number two out of five in the birthday season and next up is me . Is it daft that I still get excited by my birthday? I just love it. A day that belongs to mememememe. It's mine. It's all about me. Moi. One day I might grow out of it but I hope it's not anytime soon...

In other news we seem to be all set to be moving on Monday. We've been packed and ready to go for what seems like for ever and it's all happening next week. Haven't worked out the details yet but that will all get worked out after Saturday.

We also have visitors coming this weekend from England, two of dad's cousins and they're in for a good weekend!

Was going to finish off with a picture of the Birthday Boy (if you can call him that on his 64th) but I think you'll find this a lot more plesant.

A what-d'ya-call-it

(Can't remember the name in either language)

from our walk in the national reserve the other day

The birthday season...

2009-04-21T10:56:00.010+02:00

...is upon us and was kicked off with a fourth birthday, the most important one of all....

The birthday bundle. It doesn't feel like four years ago I was woken up at some rude hour in the morning (8.17) by a text letting me know my sister had gone in to labour. I still remember meeting her for the first time this lovely little one. (mind you it was over 12 years ago I held Hampus for the first time and that feels like a minute ago)

The balloons, and the cake in all its green marzipan glory

Off to the cinema where we enjoyed vast amounts of popcorn, cheese doodles, sweets....
and then we partied the night away

A family easter

2009-04-16T10:24:00.014+02:00

Easter is a big deal here in Sweden, a family holiday with lots of odd traditions like putting feathers in your garden and eating copious amounts of eggs.

Easter sunday was a family affair for us, a large chunk of the family went on an excursion to east Skane, a beautiful part of the world, where dad's friend Mark hosts an art exibition (another easter tradition in this area)

Most of us went in the car.

But some chose another method of transport.

I think they did 100 km that day.

crazy

Mark and his Swedish wife Lena live in an amazing house in the village of Wollsjo with its very own windmill. Unfortunately not for much longer as they have bought a lovely little cottage by the river, it's very nice but I will miss Wells House, especially around easter when local art fills the barn and mill.

We went for a walk around Wollsjo, to have a look at Mark and Lenas new house. It was a lovely day, but still a bit cold in the wind.

Picnic by the old pump house

The bundle

When we got back the rest of the family joined us and there was play in the garden followed by a wicked greek feed enjoyed by all!

There is a real feeling of spring in the air since about a week back and we've been making the most of it, getting out in the garden, building, digging, planting....

What was an overgrown flowerbed was turned in to a cottage garden. Picture it with strawberries fruiting and lots of herbs growing. Lovely!

Must run I'm going in to Malmo for some shopping and coffe with my oldest friend (in the sense that I've known her longest not and age thing.)

Not bad after all

2009-04-03T20:34:00.004+02:00

D'ya know something, I'm starting to think that this can work out really well... Today has been a relaxed and happy day even though it was completely unproductive. It must have something to do with the fact that the sun is shining... I'm getting excited about Gotenburg, I'm getting excited about Sweden and living here, getting nice things for our home and hopefully finding a satisfying job.

has it?

2009-04-02T20:39:00.005+02:00

has it sprung? I think so and It looked as though there was a lot of people in the main square in Lund that thought the same... Daffodils are popping up everywhere and it feels beutiful.

harland enjoying his first falafel as a Swedish resident

But time seems to be crawling, I can't wait for tuesday and the viewing of that flat we really want. 1 bedroom, sitting room, 58 sq m, light and spacious, in Vastra Frolunda, which is just where we want to be (near the rugby club and close enough to town but also near the sea). I want, want, want it but trying not to get my hopes up in case the landlady picks someone else...

falt hunting

2009-04-01T21:00:00.007+02:00

sometimes there's only grandad

so far I've applied for a few flats but there is one in particular we have our eye on. it's a one bedroom corner flat, about 15 minute walk to the rugby club and 10 min tram ride to central gothenburg, just where we want to be. We're seeing it on tuesday and there is some competition for it so I suppose it's a bit hopeful to think that the land lady should chose us. hmmm...

time seems a bit floaty since we arrived here. I had a lovely weekend with my family and when Harland arrived on Monday I was thrilled to see him. Now that we've recovered from jetlag and that we do need to get cracking. One minute I feel like I've nothing to do and the next I'm overwhelmed by the thought of everything that needs to be organized...

a certain sister in my jacket + a certain nephew in my hat

a certain princess

2009-03-31T21:47:00.002+02:00

We left New Zealand a week ago and it's never felt further away. It was sad leaving, especially not knowing when we will return. But the important thing is we will. And I think sooner than some might expect.

Funny isn't it? I always thought that as much as I might travel there will always just be the one place that feels like home. But that's not true is it?

nearly there....

2009-03-26T09:56:00.003+01:00

All in all the trip has gone really well (so far, touch wood and all that). 10 hrs to Hong Kong, nice and easy, watched movies and relaxed. 10 hrs in Hong Kong with Ollie, a delicious dinner and a few pints in an irish pub and we were knackered when we got to the airport. 13 hrs to London, slept quite a bit, ate loads of food and watched telly (5 episodes of CSI included). My bag made it which was a huge relief as I was convinced it would get lost... I've made it to stanstead with time to spare but I'm on my own though which isn't at all as much fun... I'm having a hard time getting in to my head that I'll be seeing my family today...

you couldn't write this stuff...

2009-03-23T20:29:00.003+01:00

I had little adventure yesterday when I went in to Hamilton to pick up the last presents and souvenirs. Driving down the main street I realized I had a flat tyre but couldn't pull over straight away because of the roadworks. I eventually found a loading bay and pulled in, got out and, yes, sure enough it was as flat as a pancake. I couldn't believe it. We've had this car for 5 months and never had a problem and this happens when I'm on my own, which is very unusual. And on top of that I was wearing my lovely white tunic, which I had to take off (I had a cami underneath though...)After an SOS to Harland to find out where everything was I got to work trying to get the jack out, with great difficulty. Then I got help from a lovely girl who was having coffee with two friends in a cafe where I pulled in. And here's the funny bit. The three girls had been sitting there chatting about what they can and can not do with cars. Two of them said they were useless when it came to cars and didn't even know how to change a tyre. The other girl then said: "You really ought to know how to change a tyre, I will have to teach you one day." And that's when I pulled in with my pancake wheel. So they got their lesson on my car and I got some much needed help + a good story to take home with me. As it were quite a few people stopped to see if we needed any help and I felt very well looked after :)

We had dinner with Rochelle and Paul and won't see them again this time. It was sad saying goodbye to the kids, especially Flynn "I love you with all my heart" bless his cotton socks. It's sad not knowing when we'll see them again. Rochelle is such a good sister to Harland and a good "sister" to me, always happy and warm and easy to talk to.

So, today we begin the final leg of our journey. Taking the car back to cousin hero in disguise Colin and then on to Auckland on the bus, spending the night in a hotel near the airport before we fly out tomorrow.

It's been such an amazing holiday

rugby frenzy

2009-03-22T04:06:00.003+01:00

Last night was brilliant! A local derby between the Waikato Chiefs and Auckland Blues was always going to be a humdinger but never expected it to be quite such a try fest! I think Caveman, Bevan and Ashling were quite glad we dragged the along :)
There were about 15 000 people in waikato stadium which isn't much by brittish standards but not too bad for NZ. The atmosphere was pumping and the players were obviously charged up, the first try being scored only a couple of minutes in to the game with a quick reply from the blues. But then... the mighty Chiefs ran away with it and never looked like letting the opponents back in to the game

Match report on TVNZ

Oddly my favorite moment of the evening was before the game outside the stadium when we encountered "possum" (THE chiefs supporter and also the man responsible for revving up the chainsaw, as well as the supporters, from a crane). He was walking around belting out, at the top of his voice, a welcome to everyone, a challenge, a reminder that the waikato is the sacred land, and general patriotic encouragements. He was beaming with raw passion for his team and I thought that was really impressive.

Holiday Mode

2009-03-14T02:38:00.004+01:00

The last few days in Whanga have been in complete holiday mode. We've been surfing on the few waves there were and on Thursday we hired a tandem bike for a few hours. Odd feeling sitting on the back relinquishing control completely! Unfortunately we didn't take any photos... Thursday night we went out for a soul burger and on friday morning, before heading back to Morrinsville, we had breakfast in a cafe. Yummy american pancakes and eggs benny. delish.

Gracie has just woken up from her nap and we're sharing a passion fruit from the garden. We're doing well considering we've never done a whole weekend with the rugrats before and they seem happy too. This morning we went for a loong walk in the Karangahake Gorge, a beautiful old gold mining place and wore the kids out with adventures, great because that means quiet afternoon. Honestly, I don't know how people do it... had the worst nights sleep last night, listening out for Gracie and getting up to give her the dummy when she lost it and then being waken up well before I was ready to get up. And then it's go go go all day, feeding them, keeping them happy, warm, dry, feeding them again and getting them to fall a sleep, happy. As much as I love our nieces and nephews and enjoy spending a weekend with them I don't think I could do it full time...

the team at karangahake

whangamata- finish where we started!

2009-03-11T02:14:00.003+01:00

we're back in whanga! This is our place. We started our holiday here and we've know the place so well. Went for a short surf stint this morning but the fact of the matter was that it was cold. There is a real autumnal chill in the air and this makes life easier some how. I'm a lot happier now than I was a week ago. I'm just enjoying the last two weeks of my amazing holiday and I'm also looking forward to going back to the northern hemisphere, because it's getting warmer there and colder here:)

me in what looks like a mud pool but is in fact a thermal pool we dug out with a spade at hot water beach

the beginning of the end

2009-03-04T10:39:00.002+01:00

we've just come back from a bbq at auntie sue's and it was lovely, sitting there enjoying the view of the waitangi river, in spite of grey skies and tropical style rain. As alway we were fed some lovely food and according to tradition I ate far too much:)
We're heading south tomorrow, to the Waikato, which means we had to say good-bye to a few people today, not knowing when we'll see them again. So, even though we have just under three weeks before we fly out it does feel like the beginning of the end... I'm trying to look on the bright side, I'll get to see my family soon and we'll be starting a new exciting life in Gbg, but I can't help feeling a tad sad that our trip is over. At the end of the day, who knows when we'll next get a five month holiday...

woolleys bay

2009-03-01T22:33:00.015+01:00

this is Woolleys bay, a beautiful bay on the Tutakaka coast north of Whangarei. It just so happens that Harland's mum's cousin has a bach there and they offered it to us for a week. With some good surf along that coast it was unlikely that we would turn this offer down! Arrived on sunday after stocking up with food at Keri Keri farmers market. Loved it there from the start with the bach being just across the road from the beach.

Sandy bay is the next bay along, about a three minute drive from our pad and where we spent most of our time. Doing what? Surfing of course!
On Monday Harland's mate Jason and his flatmate Maria came to visit and we spent some time surfing, since Maria, who is from Uruguay, had never surfed before I tried to pass on some of my knowledge to her and she really enjoyed being swept in to shore by the waves!
On Tuesday we went to Mermaid rock Pools, they were beautiful but unfortunately didn't come out that way on any of my photos. We snorkeled around in the rock pools and Harland saw a stone fish which is poisonous...

is that a mermaid?? haha

Above: Harland riding a wave. Unfortunately we have yet to get a good photo of me surfing(but I have done it, I promise).
After Jason and Maria had headed we kept surfing (surprise) until we were to tired to paddle. I did my best surfing on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday my arms were too tired to paddle! a great feeling, knowing that you've given it your all!

Below: my leg when I came out of the surf on Tuesday. A surfer dude in the car park was very impressed and I felt cool:)
Below: Harland got a surprise bottle of wine which we enjoyed on a blanket on the beach at dusk.

Jenny came down for a visit on Thursday and spent the night. We walked to Whale Bay, and she got the privilege to watch us surf:)

We actually ended up heading back to Paihia a couple of days before planned as a cyclone was moving in... Whale Bay (the most photographed beach in Northland) I can see why.

grey day, lazy day

2009-02-19T21:56:00.003+01:00

yesterday was a drizzly day and I spent it with Sarah and Ethan, in the house and going for walks while Harland and Jenny sorted out their things in storage and getting Jenny ready to move house. It's nice to have one of those days every now and then.temperatures have now dropped to 23 degrees... buurrrr....Summer isn't over yet though so I'm hoping for a scorcher next week when we go to the holiday home on the beach :)

there was only one thing for it, after dinner ice cream in Paihia, in the rain

90 mile beach

2009-02-18T09:10:00.000+01:00

was woken up in the morning by Ethan playing on his drum with a big, loving smile on his face (of course Harland put him up to it...) and we set off North looking for surf. Got to Tauranga bay,where Harland was sure there would be nice sized waves but she was a pancake... Nevermind, we drove on, it turned in to a bit of a surf safari...minus the surf, even shipwreck bay was calm and flat.

In the end we drove as far as 90 mile beach, where we'd previously been on a tourbus, a well known beach where it is common to drive on to the beach and along it. So we did just that and in the end we managed to find a few little waves and squeeze out some board action.

2009-02-16T23:28:00.001+01:00

and today we were working on sprint technique and fast feet, good fun! it's quite handy having a personal trainer boyfriend :)

work it out

2009-02-15T23:55:00.002+01:00

So... I'm back in to training again, well, never really got out of it but as the rugby season is getting closer I'm conditioning my bod for it. Base fitness is feeling good as that's been the main focus for the last few months, resting heart rate is 55 BPM which I'm v pleased with. Next step is getting in to the speed work, strength and power. The plan is to be mega fit hen I arrive in g-borg and join my new team. I'm also doing a few yoga stretches for injury prevention. My body is all mended now, no knee pain, no back pain, no hamstring problems (hardly) and I intend to keep it that way!

countdown

2009-02-11T23:49:00.002+01:00

so, with 40 days to go before we leave "God's Own" it does feel like the countdown has started... Although we're looking forward to going to Sweden to start our new life it is still a slightly depressing thought. I know they say time flies when you're having fun but I really don't know what's happened to time. Having said that we have done so much and we do have over a month left and we definitely intend to make the most of it!
We're still in Cambridge at the moment and having a wee bbq tonight for some of Harland's friends and tomorrow we're heading north. First stop will be Auckland where we're popping in to the consulate so Harland can have his passport stamped with the all important residence permit for Sweden and catching up with family and friends there. Next stop is Paihia to spend a couple of weeks with Harland's mum, Jenny, and other relatives, hopefully soak up the sun and get some surfing done... We've been offered a bach in Wollys bay which is a surf beach so we're hoping to spend some time there doing... guess what... that's right, surfing. After that stint we'll be back in the Waikato again, I'm hoping for another trip to Raglan but we'll see what happens :)

Water skiing lake Karapiro

2009-02-07T08:45:00.007+01:00

Since yesterday, we're house sitting a beautiful house in Cambridge for Harlands sisters friends. How lucky are we? Lucky also to be invited to go water skiing after a first birthday party this morning.

if you think I'm looking nervous, there;s a reason for thatthis happened only twice, not bad for a first timer. They boys were all impressed how quickly I got up. It's not that hard really...

beautiful lake Karapiro. and some lunatic.

SURF'S UP

2009-02-06T08:42:00.010+01:00

we've been out on the west coast for a few days, getting back in to surfing. Four days of riding waves and it's been so much fun! I just love surfing and sometimes get a buzz of happiness when I'm out there. On the first and second day conditions were quite rough, as they can be on the infamous west coast but it settled at the end of the third day.

Yesterday, our last day, I even dared to venture out the back to catch the proper waves, as opposed to secondary ones and white water I had been catching when I was still learning to stand up, and stay up.
So there I was out the back,with the big boys and girls - I call them the sharks- sitting on my board like a pro, gazing out to sea. It it surprisingly quiet out there considering how many people there are, maybe 10-15 surfers that look like they know what they're doing, it is almost as if there is an unwritten rule not to talk. They just sit there, looking out to sea, and at each other, waiting for the perfect wave. I almost got the feeling that I didn't belong there, in my cheap wetsuit and my board of an obscure brand nobody's ever heard of, KONZO. And being new to this lark I probably just got in the way.But at least I gave it a go! In the end me and KONZO moved on, closer to the swimming part of the beach where the waves were sort of second best but not so busy. I could have stayed with the sharks and jostled for waves but after all, that's not what were about, me and KONZO, we don't want to sit out the back for ages waiting for the perfect wave, we just want to catch anything, get up and ride it in to the beach and have fun!The funniest thing happened yesterday when Harly and I caught the same wave, riding close together and shaking hands, that made me laugh!
riding the white water to the end on my second day of surfing

cousin colin's b-day, Tirau

2009-02-01T21:29:00.003+01:00

it was Colly Wolly's 27th yesterday so we buzzed over to Tirau to celebrate in style. We were welcomed with Chrystal's home made won tons, delish, and then we walked down to the waihou river, an incredibly beautiful, clear spring. (It soon climbed to the top of my favorite places list) Oh and cold. The water was cold. Yes we went swimming, with our goggles on to be able to take in the incredible plant and fish life under the surface, before warming up in the sun again. We were then treated to a wonderful dinner with six dishes including a Thai green curry, sweet sour pork, wild venison and various other scrumptious things. Lots of laughs and lots of fun, it was like a comedy show completed by the greyhound Mo and his squeaky toy! if we look a bit tense, it's because of the brain freeze

Tairua

2009-01-27T08:36:00.005+01:00

Tairua has everything you could ask for, a not to busy nor too remote place with surf, beaty and lifestyle. I think we've found the perfect place for our summer home, or bach as the kiwis call it. You know, somewhere we can come for three weeks around xmas time every year. one day....

papa aroha

2009-01-27T05:00:00.008+01:00

Papa means place (I think)

and Aroha means Love

so you can see why I was excited about going there. A lovely place it was too but unfortunately we were extremely lazy and the camera action was next to none. Lazy in a good way too though, four days with Rochelle, Paul and the kids, Flynn and Gracie, plus three other families from "The Ville". Twelve kids between four families plus a bunch of randoms that were floating around, communal dinners as well as parenting where we were the fun uncle and auntie (a role we're very familiar with) made for fun days and some delicious dinners. Paul had his boat in action every day we were there for fishing and giving rides on the biscuit, you know one of those round tyres attached to the boat by a rope flying along at a hell of a speed (Me:28 mph). But more than anything for us it was nice to spend some time with Rochelle and her family. Harland really loved being around the kids and I think that's great, as long as he doesn't turn clucky on me.

Me, Gracie and flynn by the creek
The fisherm... er.. hang on... people. fisherpeople...

with 59 scallops on the bbq

Chinese New Year

2009-01-19T09:20:00.005+01:00

So I saw on the telly today (breaking news it was with a long interview to follow, this country is just too cute) that NZ's new prime minister John Key had a bit of a tumble and broke his arm. This happened during the celebration of the Chinese New year he was partaking in. But apparently Mr Key has nothing to worry about this year should bring him good luck as he was born in the year of the Ox.

I was born in the year of the ox (a few years after Johnnyboy but none the less).

So I'm going to have a lucky year then, that's fab news!

But to be perfectly honest I struggle to see how life could possibly get any better.

rotorua

2009-01-19T04:00:00.004+01:00

note the steam at the back of this lake.

Last stop on the roadtrip was rotorua and a return to some favorite places plus a few new ones. Being a thermal area Rotorua is infamous for the sulphur smell that hangs around the town but I really don't think it's too bad at all. That might have something to do with my company for the last four years though:)

You can't tell from the photo but the water in kerosene creek is incredibly hot! To hot for me to get into as we'd just been down the road where this river meets a cold river and makes for perfect relaxation if you sit in the right place.

picnic bay

2009-01-17T05:18:00.003+01:00

Towards the end of our stay in the south island we spent a couple of lovely days in a little bay in Marlborough Sounds called Picnic Bay. We just chillaxed completely, swimming, sunbathing, walking, napping....

I've discovered a lot of things on this trip down south. Walking barefoot down for example, completely socially acceptable here and really quite a nice feeling, you've just got to look out for glass. Sleeping al fresco is another thing. Nothing personal against our mini tent but falling asleep under the stars, feeling a drizzle of rain on your face in the middle of the night but not being bothered to move inside, and waking up with a view like this one, you just can't go wrong.
By request- pictures of quirky creatures

Till Lo, jag hoppas att jag hittar fler spannande djur at fota till dig.

Sofia & Hampus, har ni nagra onskemal?

Matthis e lite for liten an... eller?

ytterligare en sjostjarna, orange denna gangen. och en liten krabba med stora klor

Amazing people

2009-01-10T22:37:00.002+01:00

We've spent the last couple of days at Scott's (a childhood friend of Harland's older brother Mark) house in the cool Nelson area. It's been so nice, Scott is one of those amazingly genuine and kind people who gives you the feeling that life really is fantastic and well worth making the most of. He's looked after us so well, fed us on venison and wild pork produced by his passion, which is hunting, he even gave us some to take with us. Hunting in this country is something different to the rest of the world, it is necessary here as animals such as deer, wild pigs, rabbits, possums, goats, etc aren't native and are ruining the bush and killing the native wildlife. It was not a good idea to bring them here, but the problem exists and needs to be taken care of.

We're now heading for Marlborough sounds to explore its beauty and as the loop of the South Island is nearly completed we're looking at returning to the North a bit earlier than planned.

2009-01-10T22:12:00.006+01:00

Hej Lo, pa den har bilden haller jag i en sjostjarna, inte labbig eller farg glad men hoppas att det duger for tillfallet, ska leta vidare efter andra spannande djur! nedan ar en salunge som ligger och leker, eller kliar sig eller vad den nu gor, i vattnet. Kram! / moster emma.

Abel Tasman

2009-01-07T09:19:00.007+01:00

Finally back in summer land and we're soaking up every second of it, it feels so good! Rented a kayak for the day and paddled around Abel Tasman for a bit, a good upper body work out but the focus was on soaking up the sun, relaxing, swimming and saying hello to the wildlife. Saw quite a few stingrays (yuck), a seal, shags and a few other interesting little things like starfish and massive mussels. An amazing day out on the water and the weather couldn't have been better if it had tried. Unfortunately we weren't the only people in paradise today but I'd rather share paradise with a few people than not see it at all. I had a moment of "this is too good to be true" when I was running into the water at full speed, feeling the warmth at the same time as taking in the beautiful surroundings. On of the best days.

ahoy matey!

even though it was busy we did what we always do and found a place to ourselves for lunch

and there was even time for this (posing that is)

Abel Tasman National Park

2009-01-06T08:06:00.003+01:00

Long drive today, all the way from the west coast, through Buller Gorge to Abel Tasman, where we are now. We've rented a kayak for tomorrow and plan to explore the coast line. The forecast is for 27 and sun so it should be a cracker! It is so nice to be back on the coast, we went for a swim earlier and the water was nice and warm as it's really sheltered here. Can't wait for tomorrow and the rest of the week, exploring the area. Also looking forward to getting back to the north island and the proper summer warmth in a couple of weeks time and I know Harland misses his little rug rats in morrinsville:)

Fox glacier

2009-01-03T22:23:00.005+01:00

Grattis pa fodelsedagen storasyster Annette! Har kommer en slang kyss bara till dig! (Se till sa du ar narmast datorn sa den inte landar pa nan annan!)

In the background, Fox Glacier. A bit cold and we're currently looking forward to warmer weather up north. We're heading up the rough and rugged west coast and our aim is to make it to Ross tonight where, apparently, there is a road kill restaurant............

Stewart Island- Rakiura- Pictures

2008-12-31T02:49:00.015+01:00

Sorry for the delay, but here are but a few of the best photos of our xmas adventure on stewart island

Fred's Camp jetty, where we got dropped off by the water taxi.

A slice of paradise

setting off on the first day

heavy pack but good mood!

second day of hiking. hard work

nearly there

Doughboy bay beach, where we spent julafton

one of the absolute highlights, I feel so privileged to have seen one of these little buggers in the wild!

the infamous Stewart Island mud- this is what it was like most of the way

last day, so sore, so tired but nearly there

84 kilometres through HARD terrain

It was a long way to go for fish and chips really

Stewart Island- Rakiura

2008-12-31T02:43:00.003+01:00

Very long account of our Xmas tramp. Read it all or just bits of it. Pics coming soon!

Day 1
We got the ferry over in the late morning and explored Oban for a bit before making our way over to Golden Bay where we'd set a date with Ian who would take us to Fred's Camp in his water taxi. we had the 10 bunk hut to ourselves that night, got some mussels in the afternoon and went fishing and exploring, got the fire going and made a cosy start to our visit.

Day 2 – First day of tramping. Fred's Camp to Rakeahua hut.
DoC estimate- 5 hours
Our walking time- 6 hrs
Distance- 12 km

Easy enough most of the way but the infamous Stewart Island mud and the heavy packs made it hard, especially towards the end. I was getting so tired towards the end (this tramping lark took some time getting used to) so the hut was a welcome sight and had a little potbelly which we lit to make it warm and snuggly. We were sharing the hut with an English guy who'd come from the other direction and he told us that the next leg was incredible challenging so I was a bit apprehensive when I went to bed...

Day 3 Rakeahua to Doughboy Bay Hut
DoC estimate time-7-8 hours
Our walking time- 7 hrs 10 min
Distance- 16 km

Such hard going at times but it made a difference that we were mentally prepared for it! Lots of ups and downs and a few steep bits but it was so rewarding stepping on to the beach after that grueling climb down. The view for the top had been amazing as it was a beautiful day. Felt really proud that we'd finished it and I didn't once think that I couldn't do it! Sharing the hut with four rough looking kiwi men in their 50's that soon turned out to be softer than butter on a hot day; all herbal tea, honey and kiwi spotting which we were welcome to join in on. Saw our first kiwi in the wild out on the beach, in the dark, busy little kiwi finding food in the sand. So cool!

Day 4- julafton- Rest day

We had planned to be sitting on the beach and swimming on our rest day but the weather had other plans for us. We went for a short walk in the morning but I was so exhausted i crashed and burned (unlike Harland who just went sliding down a slippery slope on his arse). The rest of the day consisted of keeping the fire going to dry out socks.

Day 5- Xmas Day- Doughboy By to Mason Bay Hut

DoC est time- 7hrs
Our walking time- 6 hrs
Distance- 18 km
This was really quite an easy day, partly because we were so mentally ready for it. There was a steep bit at the beginning which we blasted and before long we were at the beach. Then there was one and a half hour of walking on the beach against the wind which soon got very boring and felt never ending. There was a kiwi couple and a canadian girl as well as the Bubblegum Parade from Doughboy in the hut that night. We went kiwi spotting and saw one rummaging around the bushes. We made a crazy decision to do a double header the next day so we decided to get up early

Day 6 Mason Bay to Sawdust bay Campground

Had the best start to the day. A kiwi was out on the lawn in front of the hut was having its breakfast just as we were having ours. I watched it for ages. We decided to break this epic day in to smaller bits:

Leg 1 Mason Bay to Freshwater Hut
DoC est time- 3-4 hrs
Our time- 2.45
Distance- 15.5 km
The walk started off through old farmland where people from Shetland had come to farm but eventually gave up because of the rough conditions on the island (people from Shetland thought it was too rough, blimey!). The rest of the walk through the swamp was flat and rather boring and we decided to march at 500 mph. Got to Freshwater and had some soup and crackers just as it had started raining.

Leg 2 Freshwater to North Arm Hut
DoC est- 6-7 hrs
Our walking time- 6
Distance- 11 km
this bit would have been easy with fresh legs but I was struggling a bit. Luckily the rain subsided but it was still very muddy (again: Stewart island mud, ankle deep at best and that's after a dry week) at times especially up on Thompson ridge. Once we joined on to the Rakiura track (which is a so called Great Walk, which basically means it is easier and expensive) it got easy peasy, boardwalks all the way almost. My quad muscle was very sore after a hard day of stepping up and down steep muddy climbs. We finally got to the hut and had our dinner, talked to some very nice people and then moved on once our feet had dried out.

Leg 3 North Arm Hut to Sawdust Bay campsite
DoC est time- 1.30
My limping time- 1.10
Distance 2.5 km
I was tired and sore but we got there after having been on the go for about 13 hours. Felt good. When we were lying in the tent the last night (freezing our backsides off) I started thinking about going back to the mainland and I felt a sting of sadness.

Day 7

Walked the final 12 km back in to Oban got our well deserved fish and chips (LITERALLY the best fish and chips in the world, KAI KART, I mean it, blue cod straight off the local fishermen's boat in to the fryer, world famous for a reason). We had done it. 84.5 kilometres in 5 days of walking. Felt so proud. And smelly, well, what do you expect, we'd more or less been in the same clothes and not had a shower for nearly a week. We spent a few hours in Oban before getting on the ferry, relaxing in the sun and filling our tummies.

I was genuinely so, so sad that it was over. I couldn't have kept going due to being tired and sore but I didn't want it to end. It was such an amazing experience, one I'll never forget, we got to see so many remote, stunning places, places you can't drive to. (just the fact that we walked to the southernmost place we've ever been is something else. I don't know if it is tramping I've fallen in love with or if it is the place but I really didn't want it to be over. If my leg hadn't been buggered I would have probably chucked Harland over my shoulder and run back in to the bush again...

strange christmas

2008-12-20T08:51:00.005+01:00

it'll be this year, not only will it be warm(ish), it'll be on the other side of the world. But just like the two previous years it's just the two of us and I'm hoping for a christmas with family next year, maybe in gotlaborg??? :) you don't know what you've got til it's gone and I think I'm due a family christmas in sweden .

The temeratures of the south island keep disappointing but in spite of that we're heading of on a 7-9 day hike (or "tramp" as we're in NZ) on Stewart Island (look it up on multimap, don't have time to link to it). We've been told by a lot of people that Stewart Island (Raikura) is a beautiful place, something extraordinary, secluded, off the beaten track, et.c. So we're very excited of course! And their is a rich birdlife as well, with the allusive Kiwi trotting around for all to see!:)

As always, very short of time on the computer (so forgive the spelling mistakes (DAD)) so before I get to soppy,

God Jul alla nara och kara. Hoppas ni far det riktigt fint!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!

today...

2008-12-14T02:45:00.003+01:00

we went up the mountain and came down safely again. It was hard work going up, scary and steep up top and hard work coming back down.

here are a couple of the little dudes that dropped in for a visit and a tug at our bags at the top of the mountain. (Kea-NZ mountain parrots)

Arthurs Ass

2008-12-13T07:31:00.005+01:00

We are currently in Arthur's Pass village and tomorrow we will be doing a small hike up to Avalanche Peak (nice name, I know) approx 1850 m. It almost feels like we left summer behind on the north island because it is cold down here! Luckily we have invested in some merino wool clothes that will hopefully keep us warm on our excursions (haha mamma! om det ar nat du vill ha, understall t.ex sa kolla priser pa icebreaker eller sok pa merino woll nz).

We've been on the south island for five days now and so far we've been quite busy (so has the bank account) with wine touring on bike in Marlborough, whale watching at and a very spontaneous drive from the west coast through Lewis pass and now back again via Arthur's (P)ass. Truly stunning here with mountains, turquoise rivers that look very cold, and green, green hills, unfortunately the weather is what it is and it is green for a reason...

Looking forward to tomorrow and getting closer to the infamous kea, a bird that takes great interest in us humans and what we get up to, resulting in them nicking shiny things (cameras, jewellery or whatever they can get their cheeky little beaks on) left unattended and ripping rubber off cars. There are a lot of them here in the national park and apparently there's Kiwi about as well, maybe we'll be lucky enough to see one. We did see a weka the other day and my heart jumped thinking it was a kiwi...

South Island

2008-12-08T21:50:00.002+01:00

Just to let everyone know, we've arrived on the south island now (well at some stupid hour in the morning and we've been sleeping in a carpark until now), safe and sound. The crossing was "smooth as" but horribly cold and dark. Unfortunately the weather is a bit naff but I'm staying warm in my new merino woll jacket :)

A week in B.O.I

2008-12-05T08:54:00.012+01:00

As our week in the Bay of Islands is coming to an end and we're packing everything back in the car again, here are a few highlights. Tomorrow we'll be on the road again, heading down to the south island stopping a few places along the way. Looking forward to being on the road again because there is nothing better than me and my darling, free to go where the wind (not harlands wind btw) takes us, doing what we feel like when we feel like it. On the other hand we've had such a good time here and Sarah has made us feel so welcome and at home in their beautiful home (with the dream kitchen btw) and it will be hard leaving certain commodities behind...

Harland and Chris went fishing on saturday which was productive, Harland's big snapper lasted two dinners and Chris' mackerel was yummy too. On Sunday we went out fishing with Harly's mum Jenny and her Hugh and the weather was most amazing, as were the views!

And I found a trampoline by the beach

We went swimming off the boat, first time in the water without a wetsuit
and it was so nice i was reluctant to get out.

Below: a little slice of paradise we found yesterday, Elliot bay, a surf beach but the waves were too harsh for me which was frustrating at first but then i learned to enjoy playing around in the waves, sitting on my board relaxing and sunbathing on the beach

Today: Weather was a bit naff at first but cleared up in the afternoon and we went over to Russel with Sarah, Chris, Ethan and Jenny. Russel is the most amazing little place across from Paihia, 15 min on the ferry (which Ethan did not enjoy at all), with a combination of seaside beauty and historical places and delicious pizza to be enjoyed on the beach!

Below: Russel, Pohutakawa trees, Sarah and Ethan
playing on the beach and Chris having a lie down.

Ethan is actually a rather quiet and shy boy
something that doesn't come across in this photo:)