General Chat

I don't look good in a piupiu - was wondering if your daughter still had hers? I do have a kete (kit) but and it has got a hole in it from overuse syndrome.

Can flick the pois though. Was a requirement when I was at primary school - that and the Maori stick games.

P xx

ooooh


I'd love a hangi!

I cna't wear a grass skirt any more.



s
xx

I haven't even made one skirt nor a basket. What a failure!!!!!

I can make a hangi and make Maori Bread though. (^_^).

Persey.

Marjery

I meant to say that we spent almost a year in Australia in 1975/76, and decided that each State and/or its capital could compare almost directly with a Canadian province or capital city

We were based in Melbourne but drove the Nullarbor to Perth in October, and that was when it was still mainly gravel; then upto NSW and Queensland in March through 2 typhoons.

Those trips were done in a 1966 white VW Beetle, and with a toddler in tow ...... she was 17 months old when we arrived and about 28 months old when we left.

We decided Perth and WA compared to Vancouver and BC ............... both on the western edge of the country and ruled by "them back east"

BUT Queensland could also be compared to BC .............. at that time we both had, or had recently had, crazy premiers, Bjelke Petersen for them and "Wackie" Bennett for us.

Sydney was Toronto

Canberra was Ottawa, of course ....... both cities that had been built to be the capital of the country, and both seemingly disconnected from the rest of the country!


and so it went on!


Then OH took another sabbatical in 1992/93, and he and daughter went to NZ. I was told that I couldn't have a leave of absence (even an unpaid one), and I wasn't ready to quit work, so I stayed up here, and just went to NZ for December and January.

They were based in Palmerston North, but did quite a bit of travelling. They hiked the Heaphy Track, among other things. And daughter spent 3 weeks at the Maori Centre in Rotorua learning how to weave ... she made 2 skirts and a basket.

We rented a car while I was down there, and toured the South Ilsand ...................... down as far as Dunedin, over to Milford Sound, Queenstown, up the coast through Hokitika, etc etc.

We also toured some places on North Island (although we had seen a lot when we spent 10 days there in 1976 on our way home from Australia), I loved Napier! We also managed to get a visit to a farm north of Auckland .......... owned by the family of a friend living in Vancouver.


We were last down in Australia in 2006, and hope to be able to come down again in 2011 ... the rationale this time is that the International Botanical Association is meeting in Melbourne. That group meets every 6 years, and it provides a good excuse to go to another country. OH is retired now (or supposed to be), and says he isn't interested in registering for the meeting or going to any sessions ........ but agrees it's a good chance to meet up with friends from other countries, and an excuse to spend several weeks in OZ.




sylvia

lol! Persey



It was a fantastic game. Fancy letting the opposing team get the equaliser in the last 24 seconds of regulation time.


Actually, the goalie didn't "let" it, it was a good goal. And he's a great goalie ..... he's also the goalie for the Vancouver Canucks, our hockey team.


The Closing Ceremony was also great ........ it showed the Canadians' ability to laugh at themselves, and at the stereotypes that other countries have of Canada. What with giant beavers, moose, mounties, and William Shatner and Michael J Fox having monologues on being Canadian

The best line was one of Shatner's:- "I'm proud of the fact that we Canadians can have 4 beers and still pronounce 'the Strait of Juan de Fuca' without being censored".**


And then there was Michael Buble, that wonderful singer, hamming up "The Maple Leaf Forever"!



Sorry I haven't been around ........ still very achy so have been limiting my time on herre ...... as well as watching the games events yesterday.


Now we have the Paralympics starting on March 12. But most of those events are up in Whistler, except for Sled Ice Hockey which is down here.


sylvia
xxx




Oh ............. all Canadians know, even when drunk, that Fuca is pronounced Fooca :))))

Marjery

I am from Auckland - and those south of us call us either Dorklanders or
Jafas.
A work colleague at a branch in Thames always used to go on about them being forgotten south of the Bombay Hills and us being the big problem being north of them.

I live in the suburb of Sandringham - not far from Balmoral - so we are quite regal really.

Come in Sylvia - she must be still celebrating Canada's winning goal at the Ice Hockey - she is probably still attached to the ceiling.

Persey xx

Hope Sylvia is OK. Unusual not to see her around at sometime.

Thanks for that info Marjery.

Sylvia (Canada). Just been scanning some photos that I want to put in my scrap book and by so doing re-living our holiday to Canada in 1998. We spent a couple of days in Vancouver and have quite a few photos, of Grouse Mountain, Gas Town, Canada Place and Stanley Park. We stayed at the Georgia hotel, had a fire alarm go off in the middle of the night and the fire exits took us up onto the roof and across it!!!

Ann, re Geography.
All states in Aus. are not really the same. My neighbour next door one km. away is from Queensland and she is very much like me from N.Z. Seems to have had the same sort of upbringing and has the same way of doing things.

Years ago there used to be a funny joke about Aussies. It described every state in one sentence.
If you see three South Australians together they are a literary committee.
Three Victorians together are an Old Boys School Reunion.
Three New South Welshmen are a crime syndicate.
Three West Australians are a Mining Consortium.
and Three Queenslanders together are illegal. Years ago they had quite draconian laws on unlawful assembley.
Apologies to anyone who feels offended but I first heard that on T.V.

Persephone.
Yes we heard the results of that cricket match ONCE. It will never be mentioned again ever. If N.Z wins anything that Aus. is competing in we never get to hear about it, only if they happen to be beaten then it will be shouted from the rooftops. I will have to have a look at the Aussie thread. Can't promise to read the whole lot though. Where abouts do you live in N.Z.? Just want to check in case you are a distant rellie.

Jill in France.
I saw the pictures on the news with all the devastation of that wild storm and peoples houses full of water and trees down everywhere. Whereabouts are you? Obviously in some sheltered corner of France. We have a neighbour down the road from France who has managed to alienate himself from just about everyone around town.

Theresa.
The bloke who was a Parkhurst Boy must have been one of the lucky ones.
There was a big apology from the PM. the other day to all the little children who were sent out here from Britain and who had had dreadful lives being beaten and abused and generally treated like slaves.
It was sad seeing all these elderly people with tears streaming down their faces who couldn't even repeat what they had to go through. after all these years.
Sylvia in Canada.
Perth has the biggest percentage of English immigrants in Aust. although there are a lot in South Aust. They seem to be attracted by the climate and I notice whenever I have been up north they seem to have filtered into the most unlikely places in all the out of the way settlements.
To-day was the first day of Autumn and it was exactly like the last day of summer. The Winter games seem to have been a big success from what little we have been priveleged to see.

Marjery, there is a thread on chat called bored with being cold and there are at least 3 people on there from WA.

Hmm Yes Perse, Marjery obviously has stamina!!

Sorry Marjery, obviously my geography is lacking. I thought Australia was, well Australia, didn't really think of it being different.
A cold frosty morning here today but bright sunshine so the frost is all sparkling. Would really like a bit of Marjery's heat to warm it all up though.

Marjery

On Sue's Aussie thread we are from all over - Wales, Yorkshire, Western Australia, Victoria, Essex and the Eastern side as well.

Sylvia

Congratulations are in order what a final!!!!!! Truly brilliant what a team.

Marjery
NZ just beat the Aussies at a cricket match - now that doesn't happen very often. My mother's cousin's husband (now deceased) lived here in NZ for most of his 90 years - but he came from Brisbane and he never ever switched sides he was an Aussie through and through. His ninetieth birthday cake was in the green yellow colours with a cricket pitch iced on top.

If you have just read all 27 pages of this thread you can join Ann's readers thread eh Ann?

Cheers Persey

Good morning /afternoon to you all from avery frosty France and a warm welcome to Marjery x
Marjery, we were due to go skiing in Lapland this year as wanted to also see the Northern Lights and ice hotel but unable to go due to a sick dog, but do hope to get there next year.
Tess, we went skiing in Noway about 11 years ago and it is a very pretty country but very expensive, but would still like another visit one day.
Alls very calm over here this morning and only three weeks to Spring :) I love it when the first warm days start and the first line of washing dries outside.
xx Jill

Hullo Ann, Sylvia and Theresa,
No I don't go on the Aussie chat board. If they are mainly in the Eastern States which is anywhere that is not W.A. it is a different world over there. At least you are all in a different hemisphere.
My daughter and her family who live in Perth went to N.Z. for a holiday in the school holidays last year and came back raving about it. Wanted to know why we lived in such a backward part of the world. Surprised me as up to now she was rather contemptuous of anything N.Z. We had several trips there when my parents were alive and she and her brother were young.
When I go there, thirteen years since my last trip ,I get homesick for W.A. after about four days. I miss the blue skies, the heat and the dust. I can't bring myself to think I am an Australian though even though I am naturalised. I am still a fifth generation genuine Kiwi at heart.
I haven't seen much of the Olympics because of the time difference and the replays have so much padding of interviews with the contestants whom I bet lots of people have never heard of together with lots of footage of scenery that there is hardly any events and also plenty of advertisements. I saw the opening. I thought it was spectacular that bloke skiing or skateboarding down the mountain.
It is 39.5C right now and 2.36p.m. so I had better press on. Being stuck inside all day from about 9a.m. you would think I would be able to get lots of things done but I don't. It is too hot 29.C inside and the thermometer also says tendency to showers. I bet. We should be so lucky.

Hi Marjery, (and everyone else),
it's good to see another new face on here. Good to hear that your neighbours loved Lap Land. My sis-in-law, with her husband and their teenage4 son went in the winter of 2008/9. They loved it too!
Never been myself, but did manage a holiday to Norway in 1981 with my son. A really beautiful place, positivley breath-taking!

Some one on my tree (not an ancestor) was sent to Western Australia, arriving there in 1849. He was in the Swan River area. He wasn't classed as a convict, because of his age. (Only 16 and possibly a first offender).
He was a "Parkhurst Boy" and was given another chance to change his way of life. Seems to have done pretty well for himself too.

It is good to hear from people in different parts of the world. I don't envy you your 40 degree temps. I am a Spring/Autumn sort of person myself!

Hope that you get some rain soon and that some cooler weather is on its way.
Tess

Hi everyone

and a special HI to Marjery .... we have close friends in Perth, and my ex-roommate from college moved there from the UK last year. She re-met her college boyfriend on Friends Reunited, and they are now married! She was a widow when they reconnected, and he was already in the process of getting a divorce.

I've been suffering for the last few days ............. did too much last Monday, then had to go out on Tuesday and Wednesday so I couldn't rest. Finally, all the aches became too much on Friday. I vegged at home, and took my Tylenol+codeine .... which I think might be very similar to what Kathleen is having to take. Tylenol seems to be very close, if not the same thing, as paracetamol. Things are slowly improving.


Re changing your name ............ you no longer do it through My Account, you have to go back to the very first Community Board page, scroll down to the bottom of the screen, and there is a Community Name box.

You also can no longer have a space between words, or use any symbols such as ( * or such ................... that's why I am now SylviaInCanada not Sylvia (in Canada) as I used to be.

At least ...... unless things have changed in the latest round of changes last week!

I lost my name when I went into My Account to make sure I was on Single Membership and not Continuous. Thye had moved it over to Continuous once again, and when I made the change, then my board name went because it was no longer allowed.


Today is the last day of the Olympics. The last event will be the Gold Medal Men's Ice Hockey game ..... the dream finale that we've all hoped for. Canada vs USA. Guess who I'm rooting for?!! The game starts in about 30 minutes from now.

The Closing Ceremonies will start at 5 pm local time ...... that'll be about 1 am UK time



sylvia

Of course you wont kill it Marjery and a big welcome. Do you go on the Aussie thread on the chat board? There are actually quite a few members from Australia and N Zealand on the boards if you can just catch them. Where you live sound lovely, if a little isolated. No trouble with neighbours then?
Do come on here again, bookmark the thread and add to it when we are asleep, somebody will answer eventually.

Hullo can I join in..
I have just read all of Ann in Glos's twenty seven pages so far and just wanted to say that while I have been reading these boards for the last four years, by the time I come on here everyone is in bed. Discussion over ,so very rarely get the chance to join in any chat.
. I am in country Western Australia and we are four hours behind N.Z. and about eight hours ahead of U.K. timewise. Don't know about France and Canada.
. We lived in Perth at Scarborough for about thirty four years only a mile from the sea and had a 180 degree view of the Indian Ocean a beautiful deep blue on fine days. It was lovely there.
Thirteen years ago we took a tree change and retired to the country to live on a small property that we had been developing for six years before we retired. Our nearest neighbours are about a kilometer away. We have sheep agisted on our farm to keep the weeds down in the winter and I have two donkeys and a white cat. I used to have guinea fowls but the foxes got them, also had chooks but they are all now dead. I used to have a lot of trouble trying to keep them cool in the hot summers
I have been quite interested hearing about all the snow and ice. We are having our hottest, driest summer on record. 40C more or sometimes a bit less almost every day this month. It hasn't rained since November.
My husband and I were both born in N.Z. but have lived here for nearly forty seven years. Always meant to go back to N.Z. but never got around to it. Persephone and I have a lot in common as I travelled regularly on the Wellington to Auckland trains when I was young and I know all the places she talks about.
Neighbours of ours did a tour of the scandinavian countries a couple of years ago and she sent me a postcard from Lapland. They absolutely loved it would go back to-morrow if they could.
I hope I am not going to kill this thread.

I am sure the name will stick Jill and it is good that you can use the wood.

Kathleen To change your name go to my account and change it there.

Yes, all our trees will be chopped up as we have an open fire and a wood burner so will not be wasted. The biggest tree was a cider apple so we never used it and the others were very old apples and we have planted lots of new trees around the veg garden. Its a shame as when we bought the house 14 years ago , the orchard had about 30 trees now there is about four fruit trees left. Luckily we have lots in other sections of our land but I bet we will still call it the orchard :)


x Jill