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Published: December 29th 2005
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Long delay in updating for several reasons. There has been a lot that has happened since I last updated my blog and not all of it positive, and most of it boring and day to day. So I have not been very inspired by my not so glamorous life! But some of what has happened has been amusing, so I will update on the highlights.
Firstly my trip to Cardiff. My new friend George (Rebecca's sister) invited me along on a girly weekend in Cardiff with two other New Zealand girls and her workmate. So we tootled off on our cheap bus to the beautiful Cardiff- complete with ancient castle. However I forwent the castle to go into our little purple and yellow hostel to have a sleep (over did it at the pub the night before), but planned to go and have a look the next day. Then refreshed after my sleep in the most ridiculous bed sheet/pillow set up ever (attached at the bottom and pillow sewn into the sheet, even I didn't fit, and I am 5' 3") we hit the hostel pub.
We met some cool backpackers, in particular Kelly from Adelaide, and Walter from
Austria (though George took to calling him Craig for some unknown reason). From the backpackers we moved into the pubs as recommended by the local guides. Great night out- Anna, Kelly and I spent most of the night telling stories to each other. Though Anna did rather kick our ass's with hilarious near death tales of growing up on a farm with older brothers- including drinking games utilising the family horse, and her being the Guinea pig for experiments such as dragging a wheel barrow tray around behind the farm bike (bare skin, metal, friction from being dragged...).
So after a merry night out drinking, listening to Christmas songs in the bar (yes, in Cardiff they do play Christmas carols in the clubs) we tootled home. Unfortunately the alcohol, heels and uneven concrete got the better of me and I came to grief. Much to everyones amusement -till I couldn't get up- and then they had to carry me home with a rather sore ankle.
Not much happened for me in Cardiff after that- I ended up on the couch of the backpackers until we left the next day at 7pm. I missed the castle...
The next
day I thought it would be best to battle into work at my huge speed of about 0.005kms an hour. While it was great being the butt of all my colleagues jokes, at about midday I realised that it was sorer than a sprained ankle and decided to go to a walk-in (haha, very funny) clinic. However they told me to go somewhere else because even though they didn't close till 8pm, they had enough people to see till then so wouldn't take anymore.
So I went to an A & E at a Hospital. They took an x-ray and I was shocked to hear the person in the room next to me being asked "when was the last time you shot up?" and then walking past a room where a young woman's slit wrists were being bandaged and there was blood everywhere. They decided that they would put me in a cast because the bone was chipped, which took several hours, at the end of which my 3 hour visit was only lightened by the raging queen who applied the cast. I suspect he was more worried about getting plaster on my black pants than on my leg.
Anna and I
Mid story about drinking games with horses So I had to go home on crutches (feeling very lonely) to my empty flat, and had a blister on my palm by the time I got home.
And all I could think about was New Years- and how being in plaster for Hognamy street party just was not going to be fun!
But I battled through the rest of the week. Looking back I have to say it was possibly one of the most awful weeks I have ever been through, so I won't go into too much detail. But the tube, buses and crutches do not match. Yes I did fall on the mossy pavement on my face in front of glamorous girls, and all of this in the face of no sympathy because it was a drunken accident (because that of course makes the wound less grievous!). Apart from my lovely mother -I never thought I would hear her utter the words "there is nothing to be ashamed of about falling over while your drunk".
But upon my return to the fracture clinic I was lucky enough to get the cast off. Apparently because it's just a chip off the end of the bone
Swollen bruised ankle
The nurse did think I was strange when I pulled out my camera. Please note toes may appear smaller in comparison to swelling, and blue mark is bruising. it will just heal by itself, and I get free physio! Probably the highlight of the whole event.
After that I got a cold, and a tummy bug... the toilet blocked, so I locked myself out of the house on the way to get a plunger. Funniest reaction I thought was when I went to work, called a plumber (just in case-) and then told my saffa workmate that I was going out to buy a plunger after work, and he looked at me shocked and said "Don't make it worse!". Normal reaction for a NZer being "yeah! Get the plunger! Don't call a plumber, you can fix it yourself!"
Christmas was fun, but I was feeling a bit homesick, and things were not great at all on the job front either. But I spent the first part of the day with Tim and Rachel and their gorgeous girls. Caitlin was up at 6.45am, but Jessie (not a morning person) had to be coaxed out of bed and arrived looking rather dishevelled. She soon got into the spirit of things though, and even little Maia was pretty excited by the whole thing. I had my first Christmas champagne
Happy family
Aren't they cute! brekkie and got some lovely presents from people, including some from NZ which was fab!
Boxing day was another tummy bug so I didn't manage to even get out of bed until the day after, but was up just in time to see my FIRST EVER REAL LIFE SNOW! Most exciting. I have included pictures in my back yard.
So that is it. I made it, I tried to stay laughing that the funnier side of things (not always successfully as mum knows!). But next stop Edinburgh for New Years. Will clear off the camera and update you upon my return! Happy New Years everyone!
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Keryn
non-member comment
Ouch
Hey Cams, the swollen ankle thing looks vaguely familiar. Remember Thailand? . .