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Published: March 8th 2009
Army anyone?
Despite only having a population of 4 million, like Colorado, they have an Army, a Navy and an Air Force. Can you imagine spending say, 40 million on an airplane...that's 10 dollars for each person...besides, does anyone dislike the Kiwis?It has been weeks since we have made an entry in this blog, and much has transpired. Let's start chronologically...PLEASE NOTE THE SECOND PAGE OF PHOTOS...
The third weekend in Feb., we went to Geraldine and Ashburton. We went with our Pediatrician friend from San Antonio who lives next door. Her name is Jorgina and she is originally from Brazil. Any concerns in how hard I am working pale in the face of her schedule. Her responsibilities are far above those of peds in the US. In NZ they are considered true specialists and basically only see referrals...no routine pediatric care, at least not in Timaru. She (or her cohort) must attend all Caesars, and her day is taken up with ward rounds and clinics for diabetic kids, kids with seizures, etc. I think there are some others in the pipeline, but currently there is only one other pediatrician that covers Timaru, one that comes into town from Christchurch. They cover half the week each...basically on call for everything. She has been getting crushed.
Anyway, Geraldine is a wee town (most of them are on the South Island) which is highly dependent on the tourism industry. It has far
I Site Center and Speight
Captain Cain's old customs house has been transformed into the Timaru I Site Center (tourist information and booking center) and the Speight's Ale house...looks like it would make a good prison... too many wee restaurants and souvenirs to be supported by the town itself. It's a good job that they are located on the road from the mountain attractions (Mt Cook, Queenstown, etc.) and Christchurch whose airport is the frequent embarkation and/or debarkation point for the non-Kiwi. We wandered into Geraldine somewhat after noon, looking for the Farmer's Market. We discovered, to our dismay, that it closed around noonish. We went ahead and had lunch at the restaurant run by one of the OR nurses who I thought was named Jane...little did I know that the Kiwi pronunciation of Jean is Jane. No worries, though, as I called her Jane and it wasn't until I saw her name in writing that I figured it our.
We made it a full day, although we got a late start, stopping at the Tin Shed, the Ashburton RV Show, and finally a bit of culture in the park by Caroline Bay. A full Saturday, but we had a slow Sunday.
The solitude here is priceless. It is a nice change from all of the responsibilities and activities we have gotten ourselves into back home. Few know us, and fewer call us. That
Sign on the floor of the Speight's Pub
I disagree with the last statement, I think the Brits did one other thing simultaneously...see the next photo... does have its pluses and minuses. Were the two of us not on the same page, or were I here alone, it would be a different story. One of the unintended consequences of this has been the strengthening of our relationship. We spend a lot more time together here than at home, and that has been brilliant. a baux o' floophy dux, as good as gawld...anyway, it has been great.
I will be posting the next blog early in the week, I hope.
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matthew & selah
non-member comment
love the blog
hey you two, y'all are looking like you're having way too much fun. nahid, you are looking specially lovely. good hubby time and lots of down time is good for you! love selah