nishatalitha (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
nishatalitha) wrote2010-01-01 02:37 pm
nishatalitha) wrote2010-01-01 02:37 pm
Entry tags:
It's starting to feel like summer
On holiday, and I'm actually feeling like I'm on holiday. I am generally remembering what date it is, but not what day of the week. This is partly because my last day of work was a Wednesday.
The bus trip up was pleasant, and until Taupo (where we changed buses) was also both on time and in a comfortable bus. The bus from Taupo was a lot older, slower and the driver clearly knew he was on time-and-a-half as he took ages loading things on and off at the stops. Still, we arrived only three-quarters of an hour late, which isn't too bad.
Wandered around the salt marshes for a bit on the 29th. Took lots of photos, some of which I will upload when I get around to it and/or are back home again. Was most bemused by the rusting barbed wire fences in the marsh grass and eventually decided it was for the sharks.
Callie and I went over to Mt Maunganui on the 30th, which required a bus into Tauranga City and another one over to the Mount(my brother had a stag do and my parents a funeral or we would have got a lift). We had what was meant to be a late morning tea but turned into an early lunch at one of the cafes there. We'd ordered breads and dip for under $10 and the bread was about the size of a large pizza. Then we wandered around the shops, lay on the grass by the beach for a bit and walked around the base of the Mount. After, we had an ice-cream from the highly recommended Copenhagen Cones (which has nothing to do with the Copenhagen ice-cream places in Wellington) and soaked in the salt-water hot pools for a while, before going to the sushi place for a snack and catching two buses back to my parents place.
Yesterday, my mother kindly dropped us over at Callie's friend's place in Papamoa, saving us the cost of two buses. It was a lovely afternoon/evening of drinking and good company. We went over to their local bar for the New Year's Eve celebrations. For $15 we got a free lei, a drink, meat from a spit roast and a live band. The band was okay, although all the music was slightly too fast. Because tickets were limited, it wasn't over-crowded, which was really good. I was crashing by the time the band finished at 1.00am and we went back to their place. I understand some people stayed up drinking til about 4.00am, but I didn't feel like being hungover in the same house as Mum and Dad and went to bed when Callie did. First new year's I've ever spent in a pub. It's not something I would object to doing in the future.
Also: black sambucca is horrible (even in shots), but the midori and baileys shots weren't too bad.
I cooked breakfast (bacon & scrambled eggs on bread - and I couldn't stomach the bacon) and Dad picked me up around noon. So I got back about the same time as I would have otherwise, but without the hassle of catching two buses.
Also took the opportunity to catch up on lj a bit - I've been checking email daily, but not much more. Have now caught up to skip-280 on lj and think I will take a break and go read Devil's Cub and do some more handwork on the third floor balcony, which will catch the breeze. I can catch up much more tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I have the house to myself for the afternoon/evening, so my plan is internet internet internet (and some handwork and reading no doubt). My cousin is getting married, I don't have to go to the wedding (too many cousins, so only the ones they are close to are invited, which is standard family practice for us), but Mum and Dad are going, and my brother is the best man. It will be lovely. I will catch up properly then.
I am yet to wear a jersey or slippers since I arrived here. It has finally cooled down enough to sleep under more than just a sheet.
The bus trip up was pleasant, and until Taupo (where we changed buses) was also both on time and in a comfortable bus. The bus from Taupo was a lot older, slower and the driver clearly knew he was on time-and-a-half as he took ages loading things on and off at the stops. Still, we arrived only three-quarters of an hour late, which isn't too bad.
Wandered around the salt marshes for a bit on the 29th. Took lots of photos, some of which I will upload when I get around to it and/or are back home again. Was most bemused by the rusting barbed wire fences in the marsh grass and eventually decided it was for the sharks.
Callie and I went over to Mt Maunganui on the 30th, which required a bus into Tauranga City and another one over to the Mount(my brother had a stag do and my parents a funeral or we would have got a lift). We had what was meant to be a late morning tea but turned into an early lunch at one of the cafes there. We'd ordered breads and dip for under $10 and the bread was about the size of a large pizza. Then we wandered around the shops, lay on the grass by the beach for a bit and walked around the base of the Mount. After, we had an ice-cream from the highly recommended Copenhagen Cones (which has nothing to do with the Copenhagen ice-cream places in Wellington) and soaked in the salt-water hot pools for a while, before going to the sushi place for a snack and catching two buses back to my parents place.
Yesterday, my mother kindly dropped us over at Callie's friend's place in Papamoa, saving us the cost of two buses. It was a lovely afternoon/evening of drinking and good company. We went over to their local bar for the New Year's Eve celebrations. For $15 we got a free lei, a drink, meat from a spit roast and a live band. The band was okay, although all the music was slightly too fast. Because tickets were limited, it wasn't over-crowded, which was really good. I was crashing by the time the band finished at 1.00am and we went back to their place. I understand some people stayed up drinking til about 4.00am, but I didn't feel like being hungover in the same house as Mum and Dad and went to bed when Callie did. First new year's I've ever spent in a pub. It's not something I would object to doing in the future.
Also: black sambucca is horrible (even in shots), but the midori and baileys shots weren't too bad.
I cooked breakfast (bacon & scrambled eggs on bread - and I couldn't stomach the bacon) and Dad picked me up around noon. So I got back about the same time as I would have otherwise, but without the hassle of catching two buses.
Also took the opportunity to catch up on lj a bit - I've been checking email daily, but not much more. Have now caught up to skip-280 on lj and think I will take a break and go read Devil's Cub and do some more handwork on the third floor balcony, which will catch the breeze. I can catch up much more tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I have the house to myself for the afternoon/evening, so my plan is internet internet internet (and some handwork and reading no doubt). My cousin is getting married, I don't have to go to the wedding (too many cousins, so only the ones they are close to are invited, which is standard family practice for us), but Mum and Dad are going, and my brother is the best man. It will be lovely. I will catch up properly then.
I am yet to wear a jersey or slippers since I arrived here. It has finally cooled down enough to sleep under more than just a sheet.