Monday, 4 May 2009
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Home Thoughts from Abroad
In April, or by now in May I'm starting to think, with anticipation, of returning home. The view from the bedroom window, a non-concave bed, even a bath (our present accommodation has only a shower), catching up with friends and central heating.
The chaffinch might be singing in the orchard in England, but the trees I am going to miss are the feijoas. These bear small, dark green and perfumed tropical fruit. Adam and I are addicted to their rather sharp white flesh. As they grow on a tree in the verge outside our neighbour's house, every time we fancy a snack we can nip out, shake the tree, pick up the five or six which fall and scoff them.
Catherine.
The chaffinch might be singing in the orchard in England, but the trees I am going to miss are the feijoas. These bear small, dark green and perfumed tropical fruit. Adam and I are addicted to their rather sharp white flesh. As they grow on a tree in the verge outside our neighbour's house, every time we fancy a snack we can nip out, shake the tree, pick up the five or six which fall and scoff them.
Catherine.
Sunday, 26 April 2009
Keas and Pippins
Felicity really likes Pippins - a friend she's made is coming to play this week which is a first for Felicity in NZ. She loves her uniform and dressing up in it on Thursdays. This week she's going to get her first Pippins badge to sew on her sash - very exciting.She marched with the Pippins in a local ANZAC Day parade last Saturday.
Peter loves Keas. They shout and run about lots more at their meetings than the Pippins do. He really likes the uniform and they get lots of cool badges to sew on. A few weeks ago the Keas + Felicity went to Auckland Zoo as part of their conservation badge. Their leader Kimberley is a wonderfully patient lady!
Catherine
Sunday, 29 March 2009
South Island Trip Photos (71 photos)
Here are some images from our trip to New Zealand's South Island. If you can't see them, try this link.
Catherine
Catherine
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Food - Pies, Lemon and Paeroa, Hokey Pokey Icecream
Well, what is it with New Zealand cuisine?
This is my first blog which might sound slightly critical of NZ. But well, really.
Here we are at the end of summer, in a country justly famed for it's agriculture. Just down the round there's Fruit World. Every time we drive past it, the children chant a paean to the wonders of it's wares. Great bins of fruit, four different kinds of nectarines, three kinds of peaches and melons, four varieties of apples, plums, kiwi berries, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, all grown in New Zealand. There are heaps of vegetables too, locally grown. But what do you get if you go out to a cafe? Deep fried fish (or meat) and chips. Not even a sprig of parsley. Nothing green, nothing fresh. You can't even order it as a side salad. The only vegetable option is baked beans.
Kiwis seem to be addicted to pies. At every dairy (cornershop) and cafe, pub and bar, hoardings proclaim "Pies". Great, greasy things with limp, tough pastry and minute portions of filling. In the Lifestyle section of this week's Saturday paper, there was a colour food feature on up to the minute canapes - "when you want to impress your friends, you can't go past a pie" - mini cottage pies with a pastry crust and wavy potato topping, sorry crust.
However New Zealand posses some hidden weapons for world (food) domination... L&P - too good to restrict to one small corner of the Pacific. Lemon and Paeroa is the fizzy drink of choice in our house. Coke is passe for Peter, and Felicity wants to import it to the UK in a container shipment. Hokey Pokey icecream - those crunchy toffee bits are just fab. Lisa's Kumara and Pumpkin hummus, crunchy breakfast cereals...yum yum yum.
Wish you were here?
Catherine
This is my first blog which might sound slightly critical of NZ. But well, really.
Here we are at the end of summer, in a country justly famed for it's agriculture. Just down the round there's Fruit World. Every time we drive past it, the children chant a paean to the wonders of it's wares. Great bins of fruit, four different kinds of nectarines, three kinds of peaches and melons, four varieties of apples, plums, kiwi berries, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, all grown in New Zealand. There are heaps of vegetables too, locally grown. But what do you get if you go out to a cafe? Deep fried fish (or meat) and chips. Not even a sprig of parsley. Nothing green, nothing fresh. You can't even order it as a side salad. The only vegetable option is baked beans.
Kiwis seem to be addicted to pies. At every dairy (cornershop) and cafe, pub and bar, hoardings proclaim "Pies". Great, greasy things with limp, tough pastry and minute portions of filling. In the Lifestyle section of this week's Saturday paper, there was a colour food feature on up to the minute canapes - "when you want to impress your friends, you can't go past a pie" - mini cottage pies with a pastry crust and wavy potato topping, sorry crust.
However New Zealand posses some hidden weapons for world (food) domination... L&P - too good to restrict to one small corner of the Pacific. Lemon and Paeroa is the fizzy drink of choice in our house. Coke is passe for Peter, and Felicity wants to import it to the UK in a container shipment. Hokey Pokey icecream - those crunchy toffee bits are just fab. Lisa's Kumara and Pumpkin hummus, crunchy breakfast cereals...yum yum yum.
Wish you were here?
Catherine
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