Melissa's Adventures

Back in Port au Prince

2011-11-20T16:49:00.000-08:00

OK, I obviously failed my experiment of attempted blogging again! I am back in Port au Prince and nearly 2 weeks have passed since I last popped on here to update. We have been quite busy, nd it was difficult to sneak away to take the time to type out our daily activities. I was able to take some notes the first few days on paper, to remind me of what I would want to elaborate on later- but that, too, only lasted so long. I will try to get back into it before too long so that I dont forget! Today was a travel day, leaving Jacmel to come back into Port au Prince, so we didnt have any work arranged (that and it's Sunday so difficult to arrange any work.) We had our last breakfast overlooking the ocean this morning and then enjoyed a swim in the ocean after packing our rooms up. I borrowed Caryn's goggles and swam around to explore. I only had one minor panic moment when I was over on the rock edge farther than I had ever gone before, but I did some deep breathing and calmed :) I did see some fish, little blue ones, a middle sized orange one, a big white one and a lot of yellow and black striped ones. It was really interesting.
We left Jacmel at around 12:30 and arrived at our guesthouse at 3:30 (not bad.) I always enjoy the drive over the mountain (and the cool air) but I may have gotten too much sun on one arm- its not sore though. Michaelle made me a list on the drive of her favourite kreyol musicians, so it will be neat to see how many of them I can find when I get home. I also studied some kreyol on the drive from my iPhone app, and on one of the stops Hero (our driver) and I played a quick game of him reading the english and then me trying to guess the kreyol before him. A little girl came over and played along as well, but I dont think she had any english.
When we got to the guest house we packed a bag to send back down to Ile a Vache and then we took a tour of the new clinic! It's exciting to see how much progress they have made since May. We were able to walk around all 3 levels and imagine what it will look like. Andy says they are hoping to have it open in March. We came back to the house and had supper, set up our bug nets and now we are playing games and catching up with our technology. My iPhone is also no longer responding. I had fixed it this morning, but then right after supper it stopped recognizing my touch. This happened to me on Friday as well, so I had to let it die and recharge. Hopefully letting it die will resolve the issue again (its a lot closer to death this time fortunately)

Arrival in Port au Prince

2011-11-08T17:03:00.000-08:00

It has been a long day, as is the case each time I travel to Haiti. Always such an early morning :) My alarm went off at 2am this morning and we were up and at 'er! I managed to forget to bring my water bottle which is laying in the drying rack next to the sink at home. Thankfully I realized this on the drive to the airport and was able to message my friend who had a later flight out of Ottawa and she packed me an extra bottle! Great team-work! I spent the rest of the drive remembering all of the other things I forgot :)
I met up with the rest of my team (physio, speech, ortho and RN) in Montreal. I didnt have too much of a wait between arriving in Montreal and boarding the plane to leave for Haiti. As we were about to board we noticed that boarding along side us was the honourable Michaelle Jean. When I got to my seat I found that it was occupied by another woman, and Caryn said that they had just had to do a big shuffle themselves because most people were in the wrong seats. Through broken Kreyol I discover that it is a woman and her mother who did not have seats together, but because the mother was elderly and not well she wanted to be close to her. WHo is going to be the bully in that situation? Not I. I was trying to figure out where her seat was, but she wasnt following my questioning because she just continued to repeat the info about her mother not being well. Luckily a flightattendent was able to get her to finally prodce her ticket so I could find where her empty seat on the plane was. It was way in the back in the middle of the middle. Convenient. I made my way back to her seat and tried to explain the switch but, again, communication difficulties and they werent letting me get into the seat which was pretty confusing. In the end someone else switched to that seat so I got an aisle seat which was preferable to the middle of the middle. I napped on the plane and played peek a boo with a little boy in my row and then we were here! Once through customs we all actually located our luggage pretty quickly, both of my hockey bags of supplies arrived. Big hugs for Gail. We then played a fun game of "find Allen" which is much akin to where's waldo, only you have no idea what Allen looks like. We didnt find him easily so we decided to head out and load up the van and Gail would go back for the mystery person when more people had cleared out. Big hugs for Noel. I bought a couple of waters in the parking lot, oh yeah, Haiti heat! And then we were off to the guest house! Big hugs for Andy. We unloaded the van and I picked a bed and then we headed out to the grocery store. It took us a very long time to get there because of traffic. We all bought most of the things we would want to bring home, in case we didnt get a chance to come back to the store before we left. I got the usuals and a few new things that caught my eye. I switched over some money into gourds as well. We had plans to go to Montana after supper, but everyone is exhausted and cant find the energy to leave. For supper we had a spicy pasta with pikliz, salad and frites and cherry juice. As we were sitting at the supper table we started to plan for tomorrow morning and came to the conclusion that if we were going to hit the road early in the morning to beat traffic to get out of town, we needed to get the wheelchairs out of the cage and organized. Mention wheelchairs and it means I get to work :) The light in the cage isnt working, just for an added challenge. All the equipment is piled into a small room, this is the same pile of equipment that we organized 6 mos ago. It is no longer in any shape or form organized. I climbed in and decided to get down and dirty to get the job done before I crashed. Luckily it didnt take us too long once we decided to be ruthless and just tear things out. I have a chair set aside for the teenager in Bellevue and I picked one out for Enrico by eyeing it and not having any measurements. I'm hoping these work out. We picked out a bunch of random parts and supplies in case we need to make repairs at the orpahange.
I apologize for this lack luster update, but the best I can manage is the bare facts of the day- no delightful insights or witty commentary from this worn out chick. I think I will actually make my way down to my bunk and crawl under my bug net.

Whoops

2011-11-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

It seems I have fallen off the blogosphere! I did not do very well with keeping the entries up to date, but to be fair, I neglected to finish my personal travel journal on each trip to Haiti since! I often do well on the first couple of days, but then once things start to get really busy and you don't have time to get all of your thoughts on paper when it happens, you are continually playing catch up. I have quick jot notes about what happened for each of the days, scribbled in haste in hopes that eventually I would come back and give them more flavour. This never happened. At least I have high hopes for myself, right? So here I am, back. Ready to give it the ol' college try, as the kids used to say. I'm sure they don't say that now.
I haven't even checked to see where I left off, I just opened to the edit page and started a new entry. My intentions of coming here were to simply try and update myself on all the other blogs I follow- but then I clicked a button and ended up in the section where you can write...and well. I started writing. I think the last time I was actually updating was November of 2009. But don't quote me on that. I'll have to sneak back and check! Done. Yes, I was right. It was November 2009. A lot has happened since then, to say the least. The earthquake occurred 2 months after we left. What a shocking, frightening, gut wrenching time that was. It is almost 2 years later and I still cant believe how horrible it was to sit at home and watch that happening to a place you love from such a helplessly far away vantage point. I wanted to be there. I wanted to do something. Let me rephrase. I had to be there. I had to do something. I knew that as an occupational therapist my skill set was more appropriately suited to the clean up phase, not the immediate acute phase. As an OT we like to assess the situation, let things stabilize and then come in and clean up the mess. First lets get that sewed up, then I will come in and help you get back to your life. So I joined the team going in March 2010. We worked solely in Jacmel, setting up the first ever rehabilitation facility. And by facility, I mean we worked out of a large white UN tent that was kindly donated to our efforts. There is something to be said about the level of heat generated in a large white tent under the Haitian sun. That was an experience to be sure.
Then I came back home to Canada and I got married :)
My next trip to Haiti was May 2011, where I split my time between Jacmel at a school for children with special needs that runs an out patient rehab program for preschoolers, and at an orphanage on a small remote island off the south coast. We joined up with the school team to run a couple of outreach clinics in the Jacmel regions, traveling into the mountains to reach children that didn't have the means to come to the outpatient program in the city. We had busy, non-stop days, but I loved it. Perhaps I will go back to my notes and do a better update about that last trip, but don't get your hopes up. We all know my track record :)
I will be going back to Haiti next week. Back to the same places as in May and I am beyond excited to be able to do follow up this closely. I can't wait to see the same kids and continue with what we started in May, and to see how they are making out with the programs we implemented six months ago. We will be spending the first week on the remote island, we have spotty internet when on the island, but I'll see what I can do to give quick updates on what a typical day as an Occupational Therapist in Haiti is like.

November 17/18/19, 2009

2009-11-20T10:28:00.000-08:00

Last day in Haiti, sigh. I was up early this morning because I found out on the roof last night that I was scheduled to go to St. Vincent’s School this morning, leaving at 7:30 am. They didn’t think I would make it after our adventures last night, but I proved them wrong and was up packing and ready to go. We had just a small team go this morning, Dorothy for PT and Mike for support. We dropped Kevin, Eric and Travis off at the airport as they are heading home and Kevin is on his way to Guatemala (jealous). At St. Vincent’s we delivered 2 hand carts and toured their therapy department which is mainly physio. They have some pretty ancient equipment in there so we made a needs list and will likely add them to our educational sessions in the future. They even had a treadmill parallel bars, but it was non functioning…and a scary scary electrode machine they use on people’s faces that Dorothy said was an ancient piece of equipment even when she was in school 20 years ago. We didn’t dare touch it after the director turned it on. We also toured their surgery room. Back at the guest house we did some more scrambled packing and then I went with a small group to go shopping along the side of the road. Colleen gave me money to pick out some metal pieces for the Fredericton art sale. I got Colleen’s pieces and then also a metal lizard for Emily’s collection and a painting for Sarah. It was sad to leave the guesthouse, and we always miss saying goodbye to Sultan because she is in school all day. We gave them their gifts, leather notepads and pens with our logo, flashlights, t-shirts etc and then loaded up in our vans for our last ride through the city. Our first little group made it through the airport quite smoothly, but the Fredericton group was held up for a long time downstairs. We all purchased our Barbencourt, and I grabbed more coffee and peanut butter because I felt I was lacking…and I was a little worried that the home roasted coffee Wadson gave me might not taste as good and Chris loves the coffee so I needed back up! I also got a map of Haiti, because Chris never knows the places I am talking about. In another store I found djean djean cubes!! So I got a bunch of those and a Haitian recipe book! Karen got rid of the last of her gourdes and we had hotdogs and a coca before boarding the plane and soaking up the last of the Haitian heat! It is always so sad to leave! On the plane I sat next to a drummer from St. Jo’s. They are on their way to Saskatchewan to publish their latest book based off the shoe shine dance. He is one of the books artists. In Montreal we said our goodbyes and were searched by customs (a very painless ordeal since I knew where all my stuff was packed and they only glanced at my wooden bowls) and then Jim and I went off to try and switch our hotels. I thought for sure we would see the Fredericton crew again because I was confident Air Canada would change our hotel booking…and as I type this I remember that I haven’t even journalled about the flight dilemma! So: Jim, is from Halifax, and we were supposed to fly out of Montreal tonight at 9:30 or so and arrive in Halifax at midnight. But a few days ago Colleen had checked the flights and noticed ours wasn’t there. So I contacted my travel agent who was pretty upset that no one had told us and she got me set up in a hotel and a new flight out the next morning. So, the hotel they put us in was not the same that the Fredericton crew was in…so we wanted to switch. They wouldn’t let us…so I thought at least we would go to their hotel and have supper with them…but no. So I didn’t really get to say goodbye to them. When Jim called them from our hotel they were all just hanging out in their rooms so we ate supper at our hotel and by then it was pretty late so we retired for the night. I was able to fire off a few quick emails saying I was in Canada and where I was staying and then contact my employer to let her know I wouldn’t be at work the next morning (since I would be in the air) and wasn’t feeling overly awesome anyway. I was up way too early the next morning because I hadn’t adjusted to the time change, or more so I tried to adjust but didn’t need to yet…so I had plenty of time to repack my hockey bags for the next leg of the journey. I was freezing cold in Montreal! We got to the airport, cleared security and had a mild wait for the plane. I slept right through take-off while the plane was de-icing I went comatose…I awoke earlier wondering to myself just exactly how long were we going to sit on the runway…then looked out the window and realized we were well on our way! Before I knew it we were landing in Halifax and there was Chris waiting at the baggage terminal with a big hug! We ate at the big stop on the way home because I hadn’t eaten anything all day…it didn’t settle very well in my stomach (that Canadian food eh?) and when I got home I went to bed and slept nearly the whole day. I still wasn’t feeling well the next day so I called in sick and slept for the half the day this time! I guess I was worn out! My body was having a hard time adjusting to the changes so we just ate rice and beans to see if I could trick it into thinking I was still in Haiti :)

Nov. 20, 2009: My first day back at work and in my new office. While I was away they moved the Autism team upstairs so they had to pack up my entire office and move me! I spent the day trying to find things and unpack. It is quite the adjustment. I have lost a lot of my privacy that I had become accustomed to...maybe I should go back to Haiti and try and get a job at the new health centre they are building in PaP...there were 2 OT departments there! ;)

November 16, 2009

2009-11-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

Site Soley day!!
I had French toast for breakfast this morning, which the guesthouse made up special for the few of us that missed out on the pancakes, which was lucky because I preferred what I got! Our Cite Soliel team left at about 9 so we could meet up with our UN convoy at 10 at a gas station in Cite Soleil. As we were pulling out of the guesthouse Jus was saying goodbye to Joel as though he would never see him again, it was really funny. Turns out Noel and Joel had been arguing over who would have to drive us into Cite Soleil, I guess Joel drew the short straw! We arrived in the city and were unsure of what gas station was meant, because the one the driver had thought was the meeting spot was a ghost station with only the hood remaining and a crew of people just hanging out. They telephoned our contact and yes indeed we were at the right spot and a few moments later 3 big UN trucks loaded with armed men pulled up across the street. Our quote of the day from Dorothy: “Oh, all that is for us? I was expecting a man with a stick!” We got a lot more than a man with a stick, and likely had a lot of overkill, but it was neat nonetheless to have all the UN with us. Our first stop was at the police head quarters where we met with the chief, he wanted to welcome us into the city and wanted us to know that they are ready to rebuild and ready for the international community to come into the city to help. It was a nice moment…Cite Soleil has been through a lot. We left the station and I think they just wanted to bring us on a tour of the city because we would drive down a street, turn around and then come back, and go down a few side streets. We made our way to a school, that also has a health centre and had at one time housed an orphanage, but due to financial constraints had to close it down and send the kids off to different places. We met with the principal and toured the facilities being followed by hoards of kids in cute little pink uniforms! We saw the empty orphanage and the cobweb filled dentist clinic and the empty shelves of the pharmacie…we were able to help in that last aspect because we had several medical kits in our van with medicines and supplies that we donated to the pharmacie here. We then went to visit the general hospital where we saw the vaccination clinic and walked through a ward where nursing students were working. After the hospital we went to a Sister’s of Charity home that is supported by Wyclef’s charity. We were told that the centre’s policy is no photos on the inside and we were not to ask questions to anyone inside. I do so wish I could have taken pictures, because it was hard to believe what we saw when we entered the gates! It was like a green oasis! A very nice facility that was so impressive! The ran a medical clinic for young children so we passed all those people waiting in the front area and then went through to see the nutrition program and the kindergarten school and then around back to where they run a sewing, embroidery and card-making school for the moms of the children who are in the school or in the daycare! And then over to the daycare area where small kids come in and are fed, bathed and put down to nap while their moms are in school! It was all so great! I bought a package of banana leaf cards to use as my thank you cards for major sponsors. Throughout the day we let everyone know what the Healing Hands organization was all about and what types of services we could offer, so that when they came across people who would benefit from our assistance they would know how and to whom to refer. I hope this generates a relationship between their community and our organization for future endeavors to help Cite Soleil rebuild. I had been expecting our visit to be much different, as I had been on scouting trips before where we would enter an orphanage that needed our services, and we would do quick and dirty assessments to make a plan for the next team coming in…that would have been a nice experience, but I think what we did today will also be helpful. It was less hands on than I was expecting however. Before saying goodbye to our UN convoy we stopped for a group photo. The UN team with us was mainly Nigerian with one from Mali, and what was very funny throughout the morning was that the UN was actually taking more pictures than we were! Every time we turned around they were snapping pictures of both their surroundings AND us! I didn’t know we were that interesting. I, of course, had to have a picture wearing the helmet before they left…mission accomplished. Back at the guesthouse we grabbed a quick snack and then Dorothy and I went up to the clinic to help out…but we couldn’t find anyone working. The therapy room was full of people but I didn’t recognize any as being therapist. So I stopped one young guy who looked to be showing another man exercises and asked him if he was a therapist…he said yes…so I began talking to him about the plan for the afternoon and asking if they needed any help today and he kept saying I don’t know…then after some back and forth he finally says I don’t work here, I am just assisting a friend. I finally found Shirley and we helped her with an exercise program with a young girl who we were told had scoliosis, but Dorothy checked her back and thinks they must give this diagnosis to whoever has back pain. I also talked to her about proper body mechanics because she complained of pain during mopping and sweeping. When we finished here Colleen had come up to the clinic for our scheduled therapist meeting to discuss a 2 year curriculum schedule. The meeting went fairly well and we were able to clarify our role and what we could not do for them, ie. give them certified training that would help them find jobs elsewhere, they need to go to University for that. We were able to find out their thoughts on our educational workshops and what they wanted to learn more about, I was happy to have some OT ideas come up...and Johnny, the manager of the clinic, wants us to implement an evaluation process to provide more incentive to the therapists attending the session. Up to this point the organization was handing out participation surveys to whoever showed up, Johnny wants an evaluation a month later, then certificates if they pass. With our list of topics in hands we have a lot to accomplish over the next 2 years.
When we finished the meeting we sped off to the artisans cooperative to get some shopping in, I really dont feel like I have gotten much on this trip...I definitely wont be having an art sale when I return home...as I am still scrambling to find souveniers for my family! We got to the co-op about 30mins before closing but they stayed open longer for us. We met a team there that was from Ontario and were drilling wells in schools. I got a metal carved mirror, a rock carving of a drummer, a candle holder, 2 woven grass mats for the kitchen, wooden bowls for family, stained glass ornaments, earrings, a post-card and a metal key holder. Traffic was really bad on the way back to the guesthouse so we didnt manage to fit in any other stores before dark. I am sad to have missed Kay Atizan and Mennou this year. We had supper and then started to pack up our purchase for our departure tomorrow :( I tried my best to engineer a supportive box for my tete zeb so it wouldnt be crushed on the plane. Later on Cyril showed up for a last visit and then decided he was taking the Jacmel girls out for rhum sours for our last night. We went to a nice restaurant and had a lot of fun. When we came back we joined the group on the penthouse roof where Colleen and Jeff had been staying and we all talked about our best and worst moments. I said my worst moment had been saying goodbye to Enrico, and that's when they reminded me that Karen fell off a cliff last week! I guess she seemed in such good spirits tonight it is hard to say it was the worst moment because of her amazing recovery! But indeed, it was a horrible Haiti moment.

November 15, 2009

2009-11-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

Debi and I decided to set our alarms for 7 just to make sure we didnt sleep in too long. We got up and saw that the sun hadnt quite reached the beach yet so we lay in bed talking for awhile and then figured we may as well be laying on the beach, so we went down. There was noone around so we claimed the long chairs and sprawled out for a bit then walked down the beach to see if we could find a fisherman. We didnt find any one fishing, but came across a couple of guys who were roasting conch over an open fire, then smashing teh shells open and making a pile of BBQ'ed lambi. The beach was pretty rocky so a tough walk in barefeet and after we got down the beach a little ways one of the vendors started following us so it ruined it and we turned around and went back so he would leave us alone and stop talking about his necklaces for sale. We found the others later and had breakfast and said goodbye to Wadson and Carli who were flying out today. We spent the whole day on the beach and I am very freckly with some random blotches of red. On our drive home we took route neuf and were at the same spot where the 2 Canadians were attacked in Cite Soleil. When we got back to the guest house we went up to see the progress on Travis' mural on the outside wall of the clinic that runs along the street, he has touched up the original sign and has a woman kneeling down by a young boy in a chaise roulante.
After supper we had our team meeting to plan for Monday’s activities, and I will be going to Cite Soleil to do a scouting/ initial assessment of some orphanages in the area to plan for future needs! I am so excited to be going! We have been guaranteed safety by the UN and will be meeting our security patrol tomorrow morning in the city. During the meeting Colleen also brought to our attention a neighbour of the guesthouse, who is in need of medical attention. He had a CVA and uses a wheelchair and has multiple ulcers on his legs which the nurses are going to attend to because he has been putting anti-fungal crème all over them. Colleen wants me to go check out his wheelchair and other equipment needs. So I grabbed some tools and a measuring tape and walked over to his little apartment. Turns out he is foot-propelling in a transport chair and thus more likely to bang his legs on objects. P+O says they cant get an AFO on his R ankle because of contracture so a footrest is fairly imperative, also secondary to edema I would like to see some elevation. So I measured for a new wheelchair but found out we have none to provide up at the clinic. In asking about any other difficulties he may be having I decided to check out his bathroom set-up and discovered I could barely get the door open! Inside he had a lot of room for transfers and had a shower stall with a ledge. I asked about how he is showering and he has assistance but sits in an old broken wheelchair that doesn’t look like it should be able to hold him. So I have a few things left to do for him, e-mail Healing Hands to have repairs done to the apt, and let the next team coming in know about the wheelchair and tub transfer bench that he requires.

November 14, 2009

2009-11-20T09:40:00.000-08:00

This morning, as usual, I awoke before the alarm. I felt a little sick to my stomach when I woke up, almost like if I had been drinking the night before but I only had 1.5 prestiges all night. Funnily enough, Nath said the same thing, like she felt hungover but wasnt drinking. The feeling didnt last long, but I didnt have an appetite for the wierd egg mixture at breakfast this morning so I just had some fruit. We were all split into 3 vans and I had said I was wanting to go with the group that was going to the art sale in Petionville, but then found out the rest were going to an orphanage. I should have trusted my gut instinct to go to the orphanage because I wanted to see kids...but I didnt. The sale wasnt very good. Nath and Karen said I would go nuts, but I really didnt care for most of the things at all and I had to pay to get in. Anything I did want was too expensive, so I ended up getting a vay vay change purse with fish on it and a tabacco leaf vase. I later found out the orphanage trip was really great and the kids sang for them and everything. I keep making the wrong choices, like I would have preffered to miss Presse Cafe then spend the $7 cover.
Either way the choices were made and it is too late now. Not to keep on a complaining streak or anything, but then our rented vehicle that we took to Indigo was sooo uncomfortable, I felt like I was sitting with flexed hips...my back was getting really sore. The ride was supposed to take 2.5 hours but we managed it in maybe 1.5 so that was a nice surprise. I was happy to get out of my seat that's for sure. It was some nice scenerey on the drive, but I was also head bobbing falling asleep :) All our bags were sitting at the front desk when we arrived and we just had to fill out a paper and pick up our keys. I am rooming with Debi. This year we are way up on the third floor. The beach was great, I loved swimming today and just floating there and soaking up some rays. I went over to check out the paintings that had been in the same spot last year, with no intentions of buying anything so I didnt even take my money. But then of course they start bartering and I end up buying 2 oil boat knife paintings for $80 which was more than I wanted to spend...anyway I tell the guy I dont have my money can he set them aside...he says no just take them up to your room and tell your friends to come look at my stuff...I go back up to the room so I can get out my money...start counting it...I didnt have near as much as I thought! So I had to go borrow $30 from Caryn, it's frustrating because I saw more things that I want to buy here but I dont like having to owe people money when we get back. I tried to barter for a stone carving of the slave blowing the conch, but he wont go to $5 which I could more afford...I am going to try him again tomorrow, see how badly he wants to sell it and try for $10. I am not sure if I would be able to find it elsewhere. I also saw a guy braiding banana leaf and wasnt sure if Chris would like the hats he was making, but it looked ok on the guy. But then I noticed he had made a really cool watch strap and he was happy that I noticed it and liked it but he didnt have any for sale. I thought about seeing if he could make me one for tomorrow but I dont know how I would get it on a watch face (he had sewn it onto a plastic one) and then there is the whole issue of borrowing money to do it anyway. So far I just havent been drinking to save money :) Good for the diet I am telling myself. We sat around on the beach, being pestered by the vendors until security made them leave, and stayed on the beach well after dark until heading to our rooms to shower at about 6:30. We headed back down for supper, when we are all together in the bar area we take up quite a bit of space! After supper we went back down to the bar and sat around the tables. They were playing jazzy slow elevator style music so we kept yelling out suggestions but noone was really interested in doing much dancing, as much as they tried to get us all up. Finally The Black Eyed Peas, I've got a feeling started playing and Colleen yells out I've got a feeling everyone is going to be on the dance floor- so we all jumped up and danced like crazy. The staff then realized what type of music to play and put their white girl on DJ duty and we had a fun night of dancing! At one point they tried to switch back to the jazzy stuff and we all left the dance floor and Caryn said Sourette must have requested it because the DJ pointed to us all leaving the floor and did a I told you so face and then shrugged to Sourette. It was a lot of fun. Debi and I went to bed at 1am and a lot of the others were still up. We werent drinking so werent quite as ambitious to run around tackling each other in the sand playing handball.
A very relaxing fun day.

November 13, 2009

2009-11-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

It was a hot night last night and I had to take my earplugs out because they were uncomfortable so I was up really early. After breakfast of fruit and oatmeal we left for the Prestige Brewery tour with Pascal the owner who is spanish raised in switzerland, moved to Haiti for his ex-wife and ended up staying. The Prestige factory also makes king colas, toro energy drinks, viva milk drinks and they are the leading producers of international Guiness, I will have to tell Chris about that. They are receiving an award soon for their Guiness production. The tour was really long and hot and loud, some parts were interesting but it was way too long. We looked through a warehouse at stacks of drinks and piles of malt, which burned down a while ago because of lightening. Then we drove to the second area and had coffee and patays which ARE really good! We got to try 13% prestige and then 2 regular prestige's, so beer for breakfast! The owner gave us all hats and t-shirts so Chris just got a souvenier. I found out something very exciting though on the tour, Prestige RECYCLES! They pay people to collect their bottles and they re-use them, and if they cant re-use them they ship them to china etc. I gave the tour guide a pat on the back after he answered that question, which I had to ask of course. I found it hard on the system during the tour, to go from hot to cold so frequently as we entered air conditioned rooms, went back outside, entered hot factory rooms went into air-conditioning etc etc...

We were pretty late heading up to Wings, because we thought the tour might be an hour or so but it was 12:30 by the time we got out. The drive up to wings is always nice, and it felt good to be leaving some of the heat behind for the cooler mountain air. We pretty much had a plan for what needed to be done at wings because a group had already been up there twice and told us what was left for the therapists to do. They thought we should take 3 of the boys and do a chair swap: Sam, Clifton and BJ and then we had to finish adjusting Fabiola's chair. We found the 3 boys and tried to figure out what switch they had envisioned by moving the boys from chair to chair- in the end we left them all in their original chairs and just made adjustments to make them fit better. We worked with Ronnie and Soni from St. Joseph's was also in and out. While we were still working upstairs red Karen and Susan went shopping at the bishops or whatever that I always want to go to, so we didnt get to go. It was fairly disappointing. We helped the Wings staff with a shipment of donated gifts, it looks like they will be busy unpacking and sorting for a long time! On our way out we remembered to get a tracing of one little guy's feet so we could find him a pair of supportive shoes to replace his sandals that just flip upside down when he tried to walk with his walker. He was having a great ol' time with his keyboard so we had a mini jam session! As we were leaving I passed him on the floor and he was holdign himself and gave me that look like he really had to go tot he bathroom, I was about to get him some help when the look on his face changed to too late and the puddle started to pool out under him. I think, aside from the obvious pain and suffering, that this is something that gets to me to the most. It's a dignity thing really...that so many of these kids cant get to a washroom on their own and they cant communicate their needs all the time. There are too many kids and not enough support to have the kids on a washroom schedule so they end up soiling themselves, ruining their seating systems and wrecking havoc on their skin...and you can tell it bothers a lot of them. How uncomfortable must it be to spend so much of your day dirty like that. It's unfathomable, and it's something people wouldnt stand for in Canada. Even having diapers that actually fit the kids would make a world of a difference. Stepping down off the soap box now...
We drove 2 of the Wings workers down he mountain to Petionville to save them from waiting for a tap-tap and the guy sitting next to me, Choupy, turns to me and says "yeah, I have been working at wings for awhile, I used to live at St.Josephs, I am a drummer, and now I am an OT." My eyes got pretty wide, me too! He says he took a 2 week seminar in Boston and whatever other training he got in Haiti, I wish it were that easy. On the way down we also stopped at a grocery store and I picked up some haitian ketchup and spicy peanut butter. We got back to the guest house by dark and had supper: lambi, bbq'ed chicken, rice, a mais djean djean thingy etc. Tonight there was the option of going to see the St. Jo's dance, but since I had seen it twice and it was pretty much the same each time I decided to sit it out. When that group got back we went to Presse Cafe to listen to a jazz band. There werent any seats left so we had to stand around the bar with a few people sitting. I didnt mind the music, but I hate being stared at, and I especially hate being leered at by gross old men so that made it un-fun. I really am not in to Haitian dancing-it's way too intimate...you should only dance that way if youre in a relationship or youre 19. But here, they all change partners all the time, it is slightly disturbing to see a girl who looks really young rubbing up against an old man who is putting his hand up her shirt. Whenever anyone in our group got up to dance you can see them pulling away and trying to keep that distance :) I didnt dance. We got back to the guest house really late, and we were the group that left early because it was too crowded and we kept getting bumped and pushed, we left a few behind.

November 13, 2009

2009-11-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

Again, wearing wet pants :) But, it's better than knowing there is dried urine and sweat on them!
When we got up this morning Jasmin was looking for us because I had said I wanted to take pictures of the coconut hunt. Caryn and I went with Jasmin and Castro to the small palm grove and we took 2 coconuts back to the hotel, even though we didn’t really want them- we pretty much just wanted an excuse to give them a bit of money. After breakfast- the porridge stuff (I had every morning) we set sail for the orphanage for a half day of work and plans to hike to Anse Dufour before heading back to Cayes. We began reviewing the programs, and just making sure the therapists didn’t have any questions and I took time to take a lot of pictures of the kids. Debi spent the morning in with baby Serge because he didn’t have a good night- not taking in fluids and not expelling them. He died this morning and it was really sad…poor sister Flora really pours her heart into these kids so it is hard to see her hurt so much. Debi was pretty upset because she had spent so much time trying to help him, and this is her first trip and her first patient. I comforted her outside and then Wadson took her down to the village clinic to see the facilities and give her a chance to get away from things.
The Beacon Medical group is making great progress, the kitchen right in the front yard is coming along, they are building a playground which already has a few structures and a ramp, with plans for a large slide that all the kids will be able to use. They are going to finish the housing unit for the kids with special needs and we said it would be great if they could tile the floor so the kids could crawl around on it and be more independent and it would be an easier clean up...they said it would be done tomorrow! So we are excited about that! They are also upgrading the washrooms, moving the main office, organizing the pharmacy and paying all the bills such as teacher's salaries. They are going to be a great help. They told us to keep them healthy, and they would keep them running. A good partnership :)

When it came time to leave the orphanage today I was saying goodbye to all the kids, and when I got to Enrico he looked up at me with the same big pouty lip and grabbed out for me and pulled me into a hug with tears streaming down his face and he hugged me and sobbed for a long time. It absolutely broke my heart...I didnt think I was going to be able to leave. It was beyond sad to have him that upset, I think he really enjoyed the playtime and extra love he was getting. I think because he is not very verbal and has athetoid CP that he often gets overlooked as not being able to understand. I kept trying to tell him that he is my special little friend, and that he will be in my heart and that I will come back and see him. Then I snuck him a spider man ball because he so loves balls! It was a rough moment.

What was more frustrating was how long we had to wait down at the dock, I think we were there for an hour and a half, plus we had to wait at the school a bit while Wadson searched for his camera. So all that time while we sat out in the sun, burning and melting, we could have been up playing with the kids. Because of the long wait, we had to cut our hike to Anse Dufour and didnt have a chance to tell Adense that I wouldnt be there. Jasmin was at the resort so we were able to tell him, and say goodbye. We pretty much docked and then ran up to our rooms, changed out of the dirty clothes, grabbed our stuff and then run back to the boat...but of course we had to sit there and wait for Wadson. Hurry up and wait has become our Ile a Vache motto. The sail over to Cayes was much faster than on our way over to the island, and our driver was there waiting on the dock. We decided we would grab some munchies and cold drinks for the 4 hr drive so a guy on the boat told us a safe place to eat, and Wadson found me papitas (plantain chips) and then we had to wait at the retsaurant. Wadson had gone in to get a menu, but after we all chose what we wanted he had to come back out and tell us that they were only serving from one side- the chinese food side...so we no longer wanted anything, but he had already ordered his meal. Chinese food is a risky commodity where ever you go, but Haitian chinese food elicited a whole new level of fear. While in the van we shopped out the window because a guy kept running to his house and bringing out art! I got metal musicians.

On the ride home I typed up our report, so it is really nice to have that out of the way! Plus it ate up a good chunk of the drive. To pass the rest of the time we played 21 questions and I'm going to a party and I am bringing- with different rules for what you were allowed to bring. We got back ot the guest house at maybe 8? And they had supper waitng for us on the table: accra, piklis, goat, and I think macaroni and cheese and rice.

We had a little team meeting to discuss where we would be the next day and what we had already done. I am going to Wings of Hope after the Prestige Brewery Tour. I stayed up pretty late trying and trying to get the internet to send my message to Chris. Sultan is now sleeping in our room because Sourette has taken her room because she had knee surgery and didnt want to deal with the stairs at her house so the organization moved Sultan into a dank basement garage full of tools and we just found out where she had been staying. Sourette was only supposed to be in her room for a couple months but has been here longer. We now have a pretty full house with 26 team members.

November 11, 2009

2009-11-20T09:17:00.000-08:00

Lest we Forget.
I woke up this morning feeling fine, if not extremely itchy! Caryn was bitten by something that caused quite the reaction on her face through the night and she is swollen, I am thankful to have avoided that on both trips! I had to wear wet pants today because things didn’t quite dry. Luckily, in this heat, it doesn’t stay wet for long once you are walking around. Jasmin came with us in the boat this morning because he has a very long walk to school, and it would’ve taken him much longer with his foot cut. It is funny because he has sort of become our little brother with us all looking out for him. We also gave him some new sandals but could not find a matching pair, so he had come up to see if the other shoe was at the orphanage…it wasn’t…it’s in PaP. When we got up to the orphanage today we found Team Ireland working away and met Tony the PT in the office going over the files. We gave him the lowdown and he pretty much followed us around all day because we knew the ropes and the kids. We would ask the therapist who they wanted us to see next, go over the file and then go through their whole program and do whatever needed to be done. It was a good system and we accomplished everything we wanted to, so that tomorrow could just be tidying up loose ends and reviewing the programs. We had Enrico up in the stander and Stevenson wanted another AFO for his R ankle, so I figured that we could easily make a mold if I could find some casting material. I searched through the pharmacy and was able to come up with the casting wrap stuff that is activated by water, gauze to protect the skin, tongue depressors for me to cut along and some scissors. We moved Enrico into the bath tub room incase it made a mess, took pictures and stood him etc. Then most of the people left the room to get something and I started wrapping the gauze around his ankle with his foot resting on my knee…when I got down to doing the figure 8 around the ankle he moved a little awkwardly so I looked up at his face- to see the biggest pout ever! He had his lip thrust out and a look of fear in his eyes. I was trying to find out what was wrong and explaining what we were doing but he starts to cry, tears are streaming down his face and then he is sobbing. So, I am definitely not going to put the little guy through torture, especially if I am not even sure if P+O will be able to use the mold. So I gave him a big hug and told him we wouldn’t do it, and he calmed down. I guess he had a traumatizing experience to get the first one done! I love that little guy! We also did some work with Jean and Daniel just to see how they are doing developmentally, unfortunately I left my chart in PaP. We made up programs for Junior, Robert, Gondelson, Peterson, Watson, Enrico, Tada and the babies.
On our way back to the hotel we had the boat take a little detour to Island of the Lovers or something like that, which is basically a sand bar in the middle of the ocean. We swam there and found really cool starfish and then went back to the hotel for supper of beef and rice and vegetables with chocolate cake for dessert.
The Ireland team had invited us over to their hotel but nobody wanted to walk that far in the dark, so Caryn, Debi and I watched Slumdog Millionaire in our room- I really liked it! Even though it kept skipping because the dvd was extremely scratched up.

November 10, 2009

2009-11-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

I was up early this morning with some gastro issues, not sure what would’ve caused it, perhaps the sugar cane we bought off the street…Caryn gave me some electrolytes and it must’ve worked because I felt fine during the day. Jasmin, one of the kids that walked with us yesterday and helped me practice Kreyol was there this morning. Last night on their walk back to their homes he stepped on a shell or rock and sliced open his heel pretty badly, so we cleaned and bandanged him up. For breakfast I had the Haitian oatmeal and bananas and toast. I made a pb and papaya preserve sandwich to take to the orphanage. We didn’t have too much trouble getting our stuff up the hill, but we didn’t have as much help because it wasn’t a market day and the kids were all in school. When we got to Soeur Flora’s I was so excited to see all kiddos, I saw Enrico first! He gave me a big hug! I looked around the room, but I couldn’t find Christien to get my fist pump, so I asked Stevenson where was Christien…oh, il est mort. Just like that, we had only been in the orphanage for 2 minutes and I was ready to sit down and cry. I guess he had a seizure in June and passed away, I visited his grave in the backyard and saw that they spelled it Crisien. Because we had so much to get done for the day I had to push that sadness way to the back, I am sure when my mind has time to think about it I will be upset. Caryn and I did some tag teaming and we started with Robert and Gondelson since we had the wheelchair there for someone. We went over the stretching routines with the therapist’s and tried them both out in the chair…we decided Robert was the best candidate because we couldn’t get Gondelson to flex at the hips when it was time to sit. We had to adjust the cushion and I added a foam pommel to prevent leg scissoring, hopefully it was enough. We removed the laterals because he was too short and they would not adjust, but we had a butterfly chest strap that will work perfectly. I showed the therapists how to make any adjustments. The car seats we had left for the 2 guys were nowhere to be found, from what I gathered from the caretakers they pointed down the hill and I said far and they nodded. So who knows. I guess they had outgrown them and they were back in the strollers we had originally found them in.
Debi brought in a baby that they say was born 2 weeks ago, and Debi estimates that the baby was 30-32 weeks. I have never seen a baby this small, ever. When I first saw him I had thought that Jean had been close to that small, but when I got back to the resort I looked at the pictures and he mustve been about 4 times his size. Jean by the way is doing amazing! He is sitting on his own, looking around and smiling! He is adorable, yet still has his asymmetrical head, little guy. The new premie’s name is Serge and his mother died during the cesarean. Soeur Flora keeps him in the back room that is used for worship, all by himself for quiet…and she feeds him periodically throughout the night…she said she falls asleep while she is sitting there…it was funny listening to her tell the stories. In what I could get of the French she was saying her very first child when she started the orphanage was a boy named Antoine who was premature and he is now 27 or so! She was very proud.
Beatrice is almost walking, she can pull herself up from sitting very well when she grabs onto your finger, and from there can walk…I also watched her furniture walk (holding onto wheelchairs!)
Daniel is also doing great, he is sitting on his own and so loves attention! We did notice that the soft spot on the top of his head has not closed over, likely we didn’t really note that last time because he had so much hair! I am more in love with Daniel after spending time with him on this visit, great kid. I told Soeur Flora I would take him home.
Enrico and I had some fun with a tickling game, and I gave him the light up ball that mom found at the museum…as predicted he loved it! We made a little video for Karen saying Bonswa Karen! He has such a cute laugh! We asked where his speech board was when we arrived and he was able to point to where they kept it. Red Karen says the new board she made was nowhere to be found. Red Karen took his speech board and trialed it with Watson…I never found out how that went, but she had me calm him down because he thought she was giving it away.
There was another young girl, Djeulency, that was sharing a kidcart with Beatrice, the kidcart was missing all the back padding, and the padding for the L lateral, the head rest was much too low and there were no foot supports so she dangled. I picked up the seat cushion and it was absolutely soaked in urine…it was disgusting. I adjusted the head rest but I need to figure out something to do for the back. Caryn is hoping that she wouldn’t need the kidcart and could just walk. I decided to clean the chair, and gave the cushion cover to someone to have it washed and took everything else out onto the front step with a bucket of water. The cushion had maggots all over it and there were cockroaches in the chair, and when I lifted up the cushion for the first time after we moved the little girl…there was the biggest spider I had ever seen sitting right there on the seat!! AHHH gag.
We went over to visit Travis and his mural, but all he was able to get done today was paint the background white because so many kids were hanging off him in the school. They are going to do a theme of S' unir pour Servir.
We did a lot of work today, hard to pinpoint everything, helped Naida walk on the bars and with her walker. Helped Tada at the bars and hand held. Fixed the chair that had been sent over for James because someone had added a wooden pummel that was ineffective and just a danger to his skin. The foot rests are gone and he is cutting his ankle on something that needs to be further investigated. Debi cleaned his wound.
We got back to the resort at about 5:30 and when we were just getting to our rooms Jasmin was saying he had the coconuts for us. So we gathered up $1 each and Travis was going to run down to the edge of the resort to grab them, but then Wadson yelled for him because they were going to meet the voodoo priest. So, we thought Jasmin had coconuts waiting at the edge so I said I would run down and get them while the rest went to the pool. When we got to the edge though they kept going…so I kept walking, and we gathered a bit of a crowd. There was me and a bunch of the local Haitians walking into the village and I get this feeling like, should I be doing this?, but then feel guilty for worrying about it…that’s the conflict in your brain a lot of the time. Anyway, it was fine, we walked a bit into the village until we got to a palm tree grove and one of the guys starts scooting up the tree! So I yell to Jasmin that he didn’t tell me I was going to need my camera! He said they would do it again tomorrow for pictures :)
Back in the room I washed all the clothes I had worn at the orphanage and hung them out to dry, but it was getting dark so I missed the sun power. I met the girls just as they were leaving the pool so Caryn turned back so I could take a quick dip and clean off slightly. Then we both showered quickly and went to supper, fried chicken, veggies, French fries and citron icecream. We then skedaddled down to the village because we could hear that the voodoo ceremony had started without us! We again, as usual, gathered a crowd as we walked through the village and then all of a sudden this kid was walking near us and he asked Debi if she was going to the beach…I was like who is that! And it was Adense!!! I doubt he remembered me but he stuck close to me all night, and said he would meet us at the beach on Thursday. The voodoo ceremony was something else…what I was most impressed with was the elderly women dancing! Oh boy, did they dance! The crowd oohed and awed everytime the voodoo priest did anything and most of his act seemed more like a drunken show for the crowd…but I really enjoyed being in the midst of it all and watching the crowd more than the priest. Near the end the priest cleansed our group of all evil spirits. Glad to have that done with. I hate carrying around baggage like that! The priest did spit fire a few times, but obviously the gods did not want me to get a picture of it because my camera went dead, but then worked again later! I hope I got some good shots! Over all a jam packed, fun day!

November 9, 2009

2009-11-20T09:04:00.000-08:00

I had to pack my stuff up again this morning because I had to take some of it out in order to function for a night at PaP, and in the process forgot my alarm clock on my bed. We had thought that Cyril was picking us up this morning at 7am so Caryn and I were all ready to go with breakfast eaten by that time. We figured that since he had been late picking the group up on Friday, then perhaps he was also running behind today. But then I heard the cell phone ringing and it was him to say that he had sent a text the night before that we were to go to the airport with the team van and his driver would pick us up there. So we loaded up the van that Joel was driving to the airport and tried to get Haitians to rush! At the airport we found our Tour Haiti driver, Jean Jacques Solage, and loaded the bags onto his van and waited for the 8 new members to our team. We also put more minutes on our phone, because that Jolyane kept eating up all the minutes calling her man back home! ;) The team members arrived and we separated the bags and split the group for who was going to Ile a Vache and who was going to the guest house. For Ile a Vache we have myself and Caryn, plus red Karen, Debi the nurse, Travis the painter and Wadson the psychotherapist and Haitian- who by the way is extremely extroverted. I was the unlucky one in the van who didn’t have an opening window, I don’t know why they even had one like that. We had sugar cane, that Wadson bought in PaP, so my first time for that…I don’t overly care for it, I only had a wee bit. The drive seemed longer today with the different group, and with the extrovert :P It started pouring rain I think around grand goave but had stopped by the time we reached Les Cayes…which is also the point where all the girls were about to burst their bladders. It was funny to see how different the wharf situation went this year because the boat was there and waiting for us, and we had all our people ready to go so we weren’t on the wharf more than 5 minutes this time, instead of hours like last time. I had asked the driver to stop along our 4 hour drive to buy plantain chips (papitas), but he isn’t as good as Cyril at finding our snacks I guess, because he didn’t stop once.
The boat ride to Port Morgan was longer than last time because we took a different boat that drove very slowly, so not as fun. I would say about half way across to the island the people sitting at the front of the boat started pointing over to the side, so I thought they saw something cool like a porpoise…but all I saw was a faint rainbow…and then all of a sudden the Haitians are running into the cabin and the captain is telling us to get in…a few moments later it starts a torrential down-pour! Maybe Haitians smell rain? It rained for quite awhile so we had to postpone our trip to sister Flora’s because our boat had no cover. We left the bags there and were told we would have lunch up in the dining area right away. After some Haitian time we had Haitian sandwiches which were just as gross as last year. Then as the rain continued to beat down we figured the bags might not be that protected under the tarp…turns out they were sitting in quite a bit of water…I hope nothing is ruined.
After our lunch we went in the pool which was pretty green and had a little ozoney smell, hard to explain…so we went down to the beach to swim instead. I was a little creeped out at the beach because I think I remember Brendan saying last year there were those spiky urchins…and it was dusk when we were there so hard to see. We made some preliminary plans for our next 3 days: tomorrow voodoo ceremony, Wednesday island beach, Thursday beach hike to anse dufour. Of course, all this for our evening plans because all day will be spent at sister Flora’s. After our swim and a quick change of clothes, our group, minus red Karen, hiked down into the village. We had Wadson and then 2 locals as our guides and protection. It was pitch black down there and we just had small flashlight to light our feet so it was pretty interesting. It was odd to run into a group of people because it was so dark you had to wonder what they do in the evenings and how they get around so well. I made sure to stick close to our local tour guides because if we were seen with them we would be more accepted…it also helped that it was so dark you couldn’t absolutely tell we were white…except we spoke English along the way. I did practice a little little kreyol with one of the guides. I am trying to find Adense from last year. Anyway, we were hiking into the village so we could find a voodoo priest and arrange for the ceremony tomorrow, and we accomplished just that. ALong the way as I was walking along next to Debi, Wadson thought it would be fun to sneak ahead and hide behind a plam tree...as we passed he came running out with this growling scream and tried to grab us! I think I just about landed in Debi's arms!
Back at the resort it was time for supper: salad, rice with the djean djean mushroom sauce, and boiled plantains which are gross, some other white vegetable that was really just plain and a beef legume thing that I just picked at and the beef was really chewy…so, so far the food is not comparing well to Jacmel. :) When we finished supper everyone was feeling pretty worn out, well except Wadson of course, so we planned for bed. I tried to get on the internet but Wadson had beat me to it, and while I was waiting the owner, Didier came in and said he was closing up…so I haven’t been on in a couple days.

November 8, 2009

2009-11-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

We had another early morning and were on the road for Bassein Bleu by 8am. I had French toast for breakfast and fruit. Cyril was unable to arrange for horse transportation due to the short notice so we were back aboard the rache pwel and headed up the mountain. At the section where they were constructing the cement runways (no workers there today because it is Sunday) we walked up but the truck was able to drive over it so we got to drive all the way to the start of the hiking trail this time. Too bad we werent able to do that yesterday! Our driver Toto blames the road wash-out for Karen's accident. We stopped at the spot where Karen fell, and ToTo got out and was pointing at the ground saying she fell exactly here! We took pictures and tried to measure it, my tape was too short but it was longer than 2 of them so we guess 13-14 feet. When we got up to the tourist bureau, yeah I said it, there was a small building up the mountain for tourists! At this area there was a group of guys who just wait for people to come looking to hike up to bassein bleu and they act as our tour guide and we pay them at the end. The hike was pretty decent, some good hills but nothing we couldn’t handle. There are 3 basseins, and we were headed for the third one. From what I remember the first one was bassein yes, then bassein providence and then bassein bleu where the water fall is the largest. Right before you get to the last pool you have to rope climb down and then cross the stream. One of our guides wanted to be our photographer, it was funny. He was super impressed that my camera could go in the water! As we crossed the stream he would keep saying no slipping ok, no slipping. They all had a bit of English. The water was amazing, clear blue and just cool enough to be refreshing (although they referred to it as ice cold, it most certainly was not) The guide Joseph, who is known as the stunt man, brought us over to the waterfall and had us climb up under the water fall and then scale up through the rushing water and dive into the water. It was quite the rush! I didn’t even hesitate for long to jump as I would usually, since there was such an audience :P When I hit the water though and was rushing to the water I felt that my bathing suit had shifted, luckily I noticed and was able to re-adjust before coming to the surface. I must have gone pretty deep because it felt like it took a long time to come up, I was kicking and kicking. I really loved bassein bleu, definitely a place Chris would have wanted to be. As we started our hike back we felt probably our best of the trip because we were all cooled off, but it didn’t take too long for that refreshed feeling to fade and the sticky sweat feeling to replace it. Along our hike we saw avocado trees, coffee trees, coco trees and of course palm and mango. We stopped at the craft shop in the area where we parked and we tried the coco bean, well they told us just to suck on the white slimy stuff, and we had a fresh mandarin orange off a tree and then a lady had cooked us a breadfruit, right in the coals and made a spicy water to dip it in; it was really good! At the craft shop I bought a mask painted on a carrabasse and a drum made out of goats skin and I believe a carrabasse. It was really dim lit in the shop so I didn’t examine the drum as closely as I should’ve, even though I thought enough to ask about what the skin was…long story short when we got down the mountain and really looked at it we saw that there were tiny ants crawling around the skin. Driving down the mountain we had some rum punch and we were picking up people like a real tap-tap, a father and son were taking their grain to the mill. And another guy was headed to the market in town. Whenever little kids would run along side the truck to ask for money, Cyril would turn right around and ask them to give him money! It was funny. When we got back to the Cyvadier I took the drum down to the beach and found Karen and Nath sprawled out on their beach chairs surrounded by a mini market. I took the drum for a swim to drown the ants, but they were resilient little buggers and the skin started to get soggy so I just went up to the people selling things and asked for a knife to cut off the skin, because otherwise I would never get it past customs. The woman started cutting it and she was saying she would’ve kept it, and she even drummed a good beat with her hand and the knife…but then she saw the ants and understood, it was funny because she seemed insulted that someone would even make that drum and sell it! She kept tsk’ing and showing the other merchants, she said they didn’t dry it enough and put it on too fresh so it attracted bugs. I still need to get out a knife and make sure I get each piece off around the rim incase it starts to smell. Nath said she could send me leather to replace it.
We had a lunch before leaving the hotel, Jolyane and I split a salad with fish, carrots, egg, beets, eggplant etc. We tried again to find coffee, but the cooperative was closed because it was Sunday. We got back to the guesthouse at about 5 maybe and had supper before the rest of the team arrived. It was fried chicken, white rice with a sauce and very very hot tabouli, then fruit salad for dessert.
The team members arrived just as I was getting out of the shower, we now have 8 new people. We had to have a mini team meeting to organize people, which was odd, to have new people show up and then start telling people what to do. I am missing both a trip to Notre Maison and Mephiboshet that they are doing tomorrow. I got a chance to explain the kids to the people going though, I hope I get to see them. We were all trying to get on the internet, but no such luck. It would let you get so far as to type in your password, but then would just stop functioning. Fairly frustrating since it had been working well enough before we left for Jacmel.
Karen emailed Colleen to let them know about the accident, they seemed calm about the situation.
I went to bed a little early to prepare for an early rise and a day full of travel.

November 7, 2009

2009-11-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

We got up today with plans of full day of Jacmel adventure and fun. After I showered and saw that breakfast was not ready yet, I grabbed my camera and went down to check out the hotel beach. There were 2 little boys there with paintings, so I took some pictures. For breakfast I had crepes, a little too sweet this morning for my mood I think. We headed off to Basin Bleu at around 8 ready for a full day out in the sun. A rache pwel turned out to be a tap tap sort of transport, seats in the back of a truck. We drove that through town and it was a neat experience to be going down the street but more in the open, we even drove across a river! Up the mountain we got to a spot where the road had washed out and they were building cement tracks for two tires to make it more stable…so we could not drive any farther. We got out for a 3km hike to begin our actual hike. Karen was saying she must have lost a lung somewhere along the way and was finding it a challenge. We had not been walking for very long, less than a km when Cyril asked if we wanted to take a picture on the edge with the valley behind us. Of course we did. So he leads us up this embankment and we all held hands, me between Jolyane and Karen, Karen took a step backwards maybe because she was off balance and slipped down over the cliff. I still had a hold of her hand so I fell over too and I really really thought that she was going to stop on the next small ledge but her momentum pulled her right out of my hand and she fell to the road below about 14 feet! It was one of the worst moments of my life, to feel her slip between my fingers and then watch her bounce off the rocks and crash onto the ground below. She says that the look on my face will haunt her. Cyril and Nath went running down and Jolyane and I were standing there looking down at her in complete shock! We got down to the bottom and she actually stood up and was walking around in circles, like when someone is trying to “walk it off” it was probably the shock that allowed her to move so well. She was in a lot of pain and you could tell it was taking a lot out of her to maintain composure…I was feeling somewhat the same way. I wanted to cry. I felt responsible, like I should have been able to hold on.
The plan had been that Cyril and Nath would go with Karen back to the truck and the driver would take Nath and Karen to the hospital. Cyril called Christophe and he recommended the best MD he knew who was going to meet them down there. Then Cyril was going to lead Jolyane and I on the rest of the hike. We stood under a tree out of the sun and were to wait for him to come back. It was taking them a long time get back up this small hill we had just descended because the pain of her injuries was starting to set in. We got very lucky and a group of young guys came along and they had a mule, so they picked her up and got her on the mule to get her to the truck faster. At this point Nath motioned for Jolyane and I to come up to them, at first Cyril had not been too worried about her injuries because she had seemed so calm, alert and with manageable pain…but as she got further up the hill she began to experience excruciating pain and was nearly passing out. So we all went with her to the hospital because it became more serious. On the back of the truck on our way down I was beginning to lose my battle with the tears and a few sneaked out under cover of my sunglasses. The place we went to was a private clinic and we had a bit of a wait for the doctor…he checked her over and did not believe she had any fractures, but recommended x-rays to make sure. Karen remained in fairly good spirits throughout all this, although curse words were emitted because she was so upset that her trip was getting ruined, that and the pain and all the other complications that would come from being injured in another country. While we were standing there waiting Karen looks at me and says “are you ok?” I guess the look on my face was evident of my guilt and concern and she gave me that look and I just started to cry, I couldn’t help it, and I was apologizing for not being able to have held on. So big hugs all around and then we pulled ourselves together again. We went to the hospital and had a long wait there. It was a very hot and worrisome day . I took some pictures to show mom the radiology dept. She may like the Aberdeen more after she sees them, they even had to fix the generator so the machine would work. I was quite impressed though with how quickly we had her films after they were taken. We looked at the xrays and our untrained eyes did not see any fractures. We went back to the clinic and Cyril took the films in to show Dr. Nelson and we all stayed in the van, expecting to head off for some lunch. He came back out and said you have to come in with me Karen because he thinks you have a fractured pelvis. So in she goes because the MD had called his friend an orthopod to do a full exam because he was not confident in his xray reading. He gave her a very full exam and confirmed that there were no fractures, just very bad contusions. So arm, ribs, pelvis, and hip were still intact which was really good news. He recommended she stay non weight-bearing on the L leg for 24 hrs and see how that went. He had concerns that she may develop a hemothorax or whatever but we are to keep an eye on her breathing. The whole time she kept getting us to give her cognitive questions because she had hit her head and wanted to make sure she was ok.
We were now starving because it was about 2:30pm, so Cyril’s assistant took Jolyane and I to Hotel Florita to get some appetizers before lunch, and they would join us after Karen finished at the clinic. The hotel was a very nice place, and by that I only mean great architecture, not fancy…it was quite old. We took a tour of the hotel and had some rice that is flavoured with a mushroom called something like djean-djean that grows on dying mango trees, it was really good and had some lentils in it as well. Then the group arrived and our meal was served. I had fish, but it looked so gross when they put it in front of me, and when you are very hungry your stomach is sore to begin with, plus that gut feeling I had all day with the worry. I ate a few of the plantains but they felt too heavy in my stomach and I ate about half of the fish, but did not enjoy it. It was not as good as the red snapper, it was much more fishy tasting, but again, not nearly as bad tasting as it had looked. The lady brought out more of the rice so I had more of that and was satisfied. After our meal we walked over to the art school, but everything there was really expensive, and mostly voodoo style. I did like one painting, the colours were great and it had those coral fans painted onto it (the real fan with paint dripped over) but it was $2000 US.
We continued shopping at a few smaller places and we would park right in front of the door so Karen could see in, and then hold stuff up for her at the door. We even modeled Karnaval masks for her! I bought a tete zeb (a papier mache zebra bust), a small wooden fish and a stone carving of a man kneeling that was made out of an orangey stone. I think overall I spent $32 US. We stopped at a place that Cyril thought had homegrown coffee, but they did not have any. We got back to the hotel at about 6:30 and I was able to pick up an internet signal and I wrote home about the accident, letting them know that we were all ok, incase the team sent out a message. Then we went swimming in the ocean while Nath helped Karen shower to get ready for the evening. While we floated in the ocean Cyril said we could do the Basin Bleu hike again tomorrow and this time he will try to arrange that we go up the mountain on horseback, that is exciting! Nath is not going to come because she has been there before and would rather lay in the sun with Karen, and keep her company. I feel bad, because Karen had really been looking forward to Basin Bleu.
Now that Karen is injured, she cannot go to Ile a Vache, because there are too many stairs and we have to walk up a big hill to get to the orphanage. It was supposed to be her and I that left for there tomorrow at noon, so now I cannot go alone because no one there speaks English, and it is likely not wise for me to go off there all by myself. So we will all go back to PaP tomorrow and maybe I can go to Ile a Vache just a day later. It would have been fun for Karen and I to be on the island with just us, and to visit Soeur Flora without the rest of the group, but-what can you do. I figure I can suck up my disappointments because I did not fall off a cliff…consider my blessings counted. Another unfortunate aspect of today was we paid $375 US for this weekend and ended up spending our one full day at the hospital. Karen feels horrible because she thinks she ruined our trip, I am sure Cyril feels awful because he suggested the picture, I feel awful because I was not able to hold onto her etc…so our mood was up and down today, but we tried hard to keep the mood light and make jokes.
For supper I had grilled fish, I believe it was red snapper again, very good. I had papaya sorbet for dessert but I did not like the papaya flavor. Tonight’s conversation centred mostly around people’s accident stories, I didn’t really think of any to tell.

November 6, 2009

2009-11-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

This morning was a busy one as we packed our bags for the week to follow and got ready to leave with Tour Haiti for Jacmel. After breakfast of fruit and toast Jolyane and I headed up to the clinic at 7 because we were told they would open the store room for us. We needed to gather up a few items for ile a vache and in our hectic clinic schedule did not think of it until last night. When we got to the clinic there was no one around. As we were about to leave we heard a noise so went back in, asked around but no one had a key. So we went back to the guest house and I helped Karen arrange our hockey bags for what was needed at ile a vache. Cyril arrived and we loaded the van, Jolyane and I decided to head back up to the clinic to see if they had arrived. No luck, but Jack was there and says he is feeling better after his motor accident, he laughed when he either recognized me or because I used kreyol "Koumon ou ye?" Again, as we were leaving, the storehouse clerk arrived so we scrounged around up there…it is really hurting, we had a hard time to find even simple things like a quad cane. We did not get much checked off our list so that is disappointing. I wish I had been better prepared on what we would need.
We set off for Jacmel and had a beautiful ride over the Chaine de la Selle mountains. Cyril announced when we were going up the steepest section and it was in this area that we had to pull over to allow a gas truck to squeeze past a tap tap that was stopped on a big turn and all the people were on the side of the road. We didn’t think much of it, but then as we passed the taptap we see that it is literally on top of a small car that it crashed into on the turn, and it appears that it was at fault because it was on the wrong side of the road. There was a girl crying and bleeding but it did not appear that anyone was killed. We did not stop because it was decided we would not be much help and we were running behind for pazapa.
At pazapa Marika led Jolyane and I to a room full of small children and said they were all new to her and needed programs designed for the year. Marika figured we would do one or 2 of the kids in the room. Jolyane did not feel comfortable doing a peds assessment, so we teamed up, she took notes and translated and I asked all the questions and made the treatment plan. We made it through 4 kids and when Karen came to get us saying it was time to go. Jolyane and I could not believe it because it really did not feel like we had been there that long! Time really flew. I literally had sweat dropping off me though, it was that hot in there. That and a few of my tests involved physical activity :P
We saw a young boy, who had autism quality symptoms, but fairly good eye contact. We also recommended he see Nath, about his ankles and Karen for his swallowing difficulties so a true team approach on our first kid. Karen thinks he likely had microcephaly. He was a sensory seeker for sure, vestibular, tactile and perhaps a little auditory but the mouth noises could have been an oral tactile thing. He calmed with activity and compression. I recommended a sensory diet and trying a weighted vest and taught them how to make one.
Then we saw a young girl, who absolutely broke my heart! She was found at 2mos. Lying in a field covered in ants. She had welts and lumps and bumps all over her face, her ears were swollen, her gums deformed, her nose sunken in, a malshaped chest and inflamed and contracted joints…she even had an ulnar claw. She is now 2, so quite some time since the ants…we were told it had been worse than this. She had difficulty breathing and her heart was absolutely racing! She calmed in my arms and I recommended she be seen by a MD for pain and distress. I also recommended gentle gentle slow ranging, and to dress her very cautiously and demonstrated.
Then we saw another young girl, she is 15 mos and likely has mild CP. Very bright alert cute girl who will sometimes drag her R foot and will not use her R hand though it is strong enough for her to hold my finger and pull herself up to standing with it! She has not began to speak many words as of yet, so I recommended they begin model prompts and singing things like tete appaule; also games that encourage bilateral hand use or more forced choice to use the R hand.
Lastly we saw a young boy, he was 13mos and very hypotonic, especially the neck muscles. The pazapa lady thought he was blind, but his mother assured us he could see…and after some attempts he did indeed track me all the way past midline but it was a struggle to have him really focus on you and you had to move slowly. He only tracked with his eyes, no head movement. We sat him up in a bumbo just to see what happened, we had to support his neck of course, but he seemed to look at more things. We are going to try and get a wheelchair together for him for proper seating for when the next team goes.
After pazapa we checked into our hotel, Cyvadier, and it turned out Jolyane and I got our own rooms. We had a welcome drink of rhum punch and then drove along the coast for supper on the beach. We took a quick swim before taking our seats right on the edge of the beach. I had red snapper and it was really good! I was hesitant at first because it was the whole fish, big teeth and all. But I braved up and dug in…I really enjoyed the seasoning and spices and how they BBQed it…and I did a good job of de-boning it! It was a little pique! After supper we went back in the water, and made a little friend of a Haitian dog. We were wary when it came running over to us, but it was just like any puppy…it wanted to play! I think it was so cute! It even guarded our bags while we swam. And would walk with us down the beach. I bought a lantern on the beach made out of a fruit casing that apparently does not taste good, they only use it for jars or bowls, Carabasse. I think it will be pretty, I remember seeing them in Petionville at a café. We had a tailgate party and had some rhum punch and then went back to the hotel where we changed and sat on the patio having drinks and appetizers (accra with piklis) and then supper (amazing fried chicken and frites and salad) and then talking late into the night about many things, like Haitian politics, kidnappings, tours, relationships. The hotel owner Christophe, who is german Haitian (haitian mother) joined us for drinks and provided 2 rounds of shots (a type of moonshine that is lethal). Cyril says he has a surprise for us for tomorrow, we are taking a rache pwel to the waterfall…we tried guessing but he will not tell us what that is!

Kay Kapab part deux

2009-11-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

We had a great time out last night. We went first to the Country Club for a drink and did some dancing in our chairs to some throw-back music to the 70's and 80's including Disco Inferno and Bad Girls. We then went to the Latin Corner which did not have a lot of people there, and was quite kitch. There were a lot of black lights so we all glowed. Noel was a great teacher of the Kompa! It is definitely a different style of dancing than in Canada. Jolyane and I, who are considered the young crew, tired more quickly of the evening than the older crew Nath and Karen, I believe they would have stayed out all night!
I slept in a little later and got up at 7 to make up for the later bed time and then got ready for another day up at Kay Kapab. Fresh fruit again for breakfast, and spicy peanut butter for the bananas. There were also pancakes and ham, but I stuck with the bananas, pineapple and watermelon. I think I am only a coffee drinker in Haiti, may have something to do with the added chocolate.
When Jolyane and I arrived at the clinic it was quite empty, but then the therapists arrived with big smiles- more used to us on day 2. We talked a bit about the plan for the day and what their thoughts were etc. They were excited to learn more about OT which is a good sign. I worked with the male therapist and Jolyane worked with the female and we split up to tackle the days clients as teams. I found a translator who said he was at the clinic in case there was work, but that I would have to check with the clinic manager because that is how he would get paid. We could not find Johnny so he stayed and translated anyways. I cannot even tell you what a difference it makes to have a translator! I think I need to take an intense French course so that I can get more done at the clinic ;) I was able to have some bonding time with the tech and get some background about where he is from and how he travels to the clinic (taptap and sometimes motorcycle from Carrefour). Our first client was a 2 year old boy, B, who the tech thought when he started therapy had CP, but then as he progressed believed it to be more of just hemiparesis. Potentially a head injury, hard to say. His mom says he had the weakness for as long as she could remember. He was there with his older brother O, who is 6. B was such a cutie, he laughed all through his ROM and was quite shy at first but by the end was singing for us. I found out that at home he enjoys playing with the ball, so we got out a soccer ball and I showed mom some fun games to play to help promote bilateral hand use, balance and strength. B had a great time, and I think a great session. Aterwards we looked at the charting and note taking. They find it difficult to do a lot of their charting because they do not have a photocopier for their forms, and usually the printer upstairs is not working. We think they would also find a great difference with an organizing system for all their papers, so all they had to do was go to the wall and grab the items they need for the session. Something to look into for the future.
While we prepared for the next client, Johnny arrived and I told him that I was benefiting from the translator. And it was at this point that we were informed that it was not in the budget to pay him, because he was told the team would have 3 francophones and would therefore manage. We tried to explain that we were much more efficient if we could split up, but undertsandably he did not want to change the plan without the team leaders say...I apologized to the translator, but he said he would stay and help me anyway as a volunteer- a very nice man. Later in the day he mentioned that he sold jewelry and I remembered him having it set out last time as well, so I said we would look at it during the break. I told Jolyane and we decided we would buy some jewelry and then he would get paid for the day :)
Next we had a woman, R-M, who was post CVA with a subluxed R shoulder and flaccid wrist, some tone in the digits. Her program was more PT based, but I showed the daughter how to best fit the sling for optimum comfort and I added some padding to the shoulder strap. We also discussed the use of a splint, but that will be for the P+O clinic. She wore an AFO and practiced weight transfers and mobility. While she worked on the stairs with the tech, the translator and I talked to the daughter about what assistance her mom required at home and we found out that she was not able to complete toileting independently because their set up was a hole in the ground and for mom a bucket. We were able to find a commode for her to take home. When we came around the corner with it, their faces lit up and they laughed because it was a simple idea and a great fix. R-M looked very happy to have that increased independence, and I imagine some dignity returned.
When we finished up there it was close to 1 and they were going on break so we went down to the guest house. The translator displayed his jewelry, I believe it was all made from coconut shells. I bought earrings, Jolyane a necklace and earrings set and Nath a hair clip. Probably a good day for him.
When we went back up to the clinic the place was empty and the techs were having siesta. We talked to them a bit about the forms and they would like us to add some more ADL sections. We asked them if they wanted to do any other teaching or if they had questions, but they were too tired. So we went for a swim instead. Jolyane and I played with our underwater cameras and have deduced that we do not look that good under water :P
For supper we had lambi (conch) and vegetables with a custard like dessert.
We then sat around in the living room and did some housekeeping in regards to what needs to be done for the weekend and next week in terms of what equipment we need to bring, who we need to contact and what we need to find. Nath and Karen took a nap and Jolyane is studying for her Yoga instructor course.
Not sure the plans for tonight.
Leave for Jacmel tomorrow am, have already let the staff here know we will be early for breakfast and will not need a big spread! Also gave them some of my laundry so that I have some clean pants for the week. Karen and I have talked about just wearing our scrubs at Ile a Vache regardless of how dirty they get day to day. Does stink keep bugs away? I doubt it. an A-bomb wouldnt keep the bugs away! I dont know how they find me but at some point between this morning and this afternoon they got my legs right through my pants and I now have some beautiful red spots scattered over the brilliant white.

The Market

2009-11-04T17:02:00.001-08:00

Just an update on our little venture to the market. On our way to the market a bus passed us "Uh, is that a public bus?" as I read the PetionV on the front. The answer: Yes. What! Public busses in Haiti! Mais oui! The government spent 30mil on them and gave them to different groups. Cyril does not think they will last long because they are not well maintained and travel routes that are not "bus friendly" You would be hard pressed to find many bus friendly routes in my opinion.
A la market I got some pringles (so many flavours that we dont have in Canada) and dried mango and coconut. We were the centre of attention and even had people trying to be secretive of taking our picture in the aisles. Jolyane was super impressed with the ergonomic set up of the cashier station, they are all seated and have the cash in front of them with a lift up lid, the screen is also very user friendly. They would not allow her to take a photo however. Oh, and if anyone is curious, the exchange rate is 41.75 gourdes per american dollar; so 20 dollars equals 835 gourdes. My snacks were 190 some gourdes.
I had some haitian ketchup in my hands and considered PB, but I imagine we will have another market trip at some point so I wont have to carry this stuff around in my pack.

Kay Kapab

2009-11-04T15:24:00.000-08:00

I woke fairly early this morning, and had to make myself stay in bed a little longer...that is rare. My earplugs must have worked wonders last night because the girls say the rain woke them through the night crashing down in buckets. I heard nothing. Through the night though I knocked one loose and could hear odd bird screeches, but no rooster.
We took a walk around the property before breakfast, down by the bidonville...it is always so lively there! Music was blaring and you could hear children playing, full of life.
For breakfast we had huge bananas with Haitian peanut butter, great Haitian coffee mixed with their amazing chocolate drink, papayas, watermelon and there was an omelette caserole dish that I did not eat.
Jolyane, Nath and I worked in the clinic today, and Karen worked with a student in the guesthouse who is a keen learner and is becoming a speech assistant. Nath was in the P+O shop, and Jolyane and I worked in the rehab section. We tried to work one on one with the rehab techs there, there were 2 working today. The female was receptive, the male less so :) The male was more interested in us taking clients on our own so he could get through the waiting room faster. So we compromised, because Jolyane is bilingual she observed the therapist, and I took clients on my own. I am getting better at sherades. The clients enjoyed my broken french and quizzical looks, they are all so sweet and patient with me, and all so appreciative of the work we do.
After lunch, Jolyane and I set up workshop on the patio and made a to-do list: so things we would like to work on for the clinic. We noticed that re-assesmment is lacking, and clients get stagnant with minimal progress, they maintain the same treatment program for even over a year! We want to improve that process. Because ultimately our goal here is to have the clinic self sustaining, so that our organization no longer needs to support them. The tech says that they would like to do more re-assessment but often they do not have the paper to record it. So what we did today was put together a re-assessment form that will guide them to ask certain questions and ensure they are being thourough and are understood by their clients in regards to at home exercises.
Tomorrow we will review that with them and walk them through it with some clients, which means we are not going to Wings of Hope- but I will hopefully go there next week.
After we finished our work and discussed tomorrows plans with the staff we jumped into the pool which was very refreshing!
Then for supper we had riz nationale, fried plantains, beef, white fish and pikliz.
Then we all re-showered and worked on updating our friends and family via the internet :)
We are now sitting in the guesthouse with Cyril from Tour Haiti, working out our weekend plans in Jacmel. We are going dancing tonight in Petionville at La esquina latina (the latin corner) which Cyril says is extremely kitch with mirrors on the ceiling and rooms to rent upstairs. Although he swears there are no postitutes :) He says that if you want to dance, and hear haitian music, then it is the place to go. We are trying to get him to tell us the smooth cool place to go for tomorrow. He says latina is very 80's and themey. Should be an event. He is thinking we could get live music tomorrow at the Montana- contemporary jam session, open mics on Thursday night. We are now having a discussion on the pros of paying in Gourdes because they charge you more when they see the american dollars. Also the best and worst places to change your money. Bars are not a good place, the street is even worse.
Oh, impromptu visit to the grocery store!
a bientot!

Nous sommes Arrive!

2009-11-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

We are all safe and sound in Port au Prince, tired, dirty and hungry but no worse for the wear. It was a long long day :) You somehow manage to forget what the heat feels like when you step off the plane, but it always hits you like a wall.
We went through the PaP airport fairly smoothly, all our bags arrived and in one piece for the most part. We did have to wait in the parking lot for a while for our driver, but you need to have a few hitches right? Standing there, you quickly remember the yells of BLANC! from the street. I didnt think we stood out quite that much from a distance, but I stand corrected.
We stored our bags in the outside cage and then had supper with Sourette, and now we are just settling down for what I imagine will be an early night! I am too tired to even attempt to translate the french and kreyol around me so a lot of the time I am in my own world with no idea what is going on around me. Until they all laugh and I dont, and then they realize they were speaking French.
My bug net is hung from the wall with care, and images of the clinic work tomorrow will soon be dancing in my head...unless we go for a swim first?

Dreaming of fresh fruit...

2009-11-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

It is Monday evening and I am taking a break from packing. Our guest room bed is loaded with rolled up t-shirts, cameras, scrubs etc etc...all just waiting for me to shove them into my hiking pack. My mom is taking me to the airport and she will be here at 2:30 am, luckily my hockey bags are full, but light enough to manage! I just need to keep that streak going with my hiking pack! We had a lot of H1N1 meetings today, and I am really really hoping that we dont go into Pandemic mode while I am away, or I will be coming home to 12 hr night shifts of me answering peoples questions about the flu, instead of playing with my kiddos on the Autism team.

I had my Halloween fundraiser on Saturday and had a pretty poor turnout, despite all the PR and advertising I got for free from local media. I guess the flu scared people away. I hear the trick-or-treater numbers were low as well. We only had 2 kids come to the door during the time we were home inbetween decorating and dancing. Oh and speaking of dancing- I had 19 guests at Haunts for Haiti, and everyone was a dancing machine! That helped a lot, it's much less noticeable that your fundraiser is a flop when people are having a good time! All in all, after paying the DJ and accounting for the cost of the venue, I came out $400 in the red. I wrote a letter to the Town, which runs the venue, asking for their help in the matter, and they are going to meet tomorrow to discuss whether they will waive the fee for me. My fingers are crossed that they will throw me a life preserver because otherwise I will be left treading water until I can have a fundraiser, to pay for my fundraiser. I am not sure what I could have done differently, unless holding it on Halloween night was a bad idea. It worked in Fredericton, but the Organization is more well known, plus it is a university town. I may scrap these huge fundraising ideas for the future, and stick to the bakesales!

I will be in Haiti at around 4pm tomorrow, I am bringing my netbook with the intentions of updating the blog from the road...we'll see how internet access cooperates.

Until next time, this girl is Haiti bound!

Fundraising Plans

2009-09-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

I attempted to host a charity concert that would highlight local artists with proceeds going to Healing hands...unfortunately I could not get any artists to sign on to this venture with me. Thus, I had to scrap that idea, as much as I loved it. Keeping in track with ideas that seem to be me biting off more than I can chew...I am now planning a halloween party that will be titled Haunts for Haiti on the posters. I am hoping to be abl eto put together a local celebrity judging panel to hand out the costume awards, and if all goes according to plan I will be able to "puppy dog eyes" some local vendors to donate some crowd luring prizes. I have put the feelers out on costs of a DJ, and it will be $500 to rent the venue (Glasgow Square has a special rate for charity functions).

Glasgow Square has been great, and I'm lucky enough that my friend's brother has been hired to try and arrange for the community to use the venue for events just like this. It's a nice space that isn't being used to it's full potential, so he is happy to help me arrange a party that may spark others' interest.

I can sell 200 tickets for the space, so to make a good donation for Healing Hands it would be ideal if I could find some corporate sponsors to cover the cost of the venue, the DJ, the advertising (which I know will be a key factor) and of course...spooky decorations!

I'll keep you update...I am so hopeful that this is a success.

And that it sets precedent...perhaps even become a yearly event!

Residents of Jacmel participating in Kanaval

photo from Getty Images

And we're off...again

2009-08-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

image curtesy of usaid.org

Maybe this year I will be more "bloggy" about our Healing Hands adventures, and to put the ball in motion I will commmence with this post and exclaim "WE BOOKED OUR TICKETS!"

I just received confirmation that I will be flying out of Halifax on November 3rd for 2 glorious weeks in Haiti! I am so excited I wiggle in my seat. Karen M. (SLP) and I decided in May (probably as we sipped prestige poolside) that we were FOR SURE going to have to go to Haiti in November, and to add a little spice and thrill, we would stay longer than the main group and do a little exploring and treatment on our own in the South.

Here's why we made this decision.

Team Canada Healing Hands is related to Healing Hands for Haiti, a not-for-profit org. based in the USA. Our team leader extraordinaire Colleen began volunteering with them before Team Canada existed, and it is why we do exist today. She received enough experiential training to form her own team and make trips to Haiti, and called us Team/Equipe Canada. Colleen left out the "for Haiti" because she always had the dream that we would branch out and serve whatever developing nation had a need for us (and were open to us filling that need). Colleen has worldly experience when it comes to rehab training and programming, and I agree with her that it would be tough to limit yourself to one country. So, long story short, that dream is coming true next March with a planned initial trip to set up similar programming in Belize!! I am hoping to be a part of this ground breaking, but we'll save that for later. With this exciting news comes a tinge of sadness, because if we are planning a trip in the Spring of 2010 to Belize, we are unable to travel to Haiti in the same time frame...thus, if Karen and I wanted a taste of Haiti before November 2010 then we had to act quick and get on the next team for 2009. Once you have been to Haiti you will understand how this country gets under your skin and begins oozing through your veins...the thought of having to wait that long was almost unbearable (especially when you are having those thoughts in the midst of Haiti allure). We told Colleen our thoughts and "plans" and she gave us the thumbs up and a grin, and the assurance of Healing Hands Staff as we set up shop in Jacmel (necessities such as a driver, I am not sure if we will have a translator as Karen is bilingual).

So, our latest news is that Karen and I picked our dates and booked our tickets before the price jumped (it jumps tomorrow actually) and we made a rough draft of an itinerary that has us both tingling with excitement. We are still waiting to hear if Caryn (PT from my first trip) and her friend, as well as Nath (P+O from my first trip) will be joining us for the full 2 week jaunt; it would be so much fun if they jumped on board! As for the rest of the November team, they will be traveling between the 6ish to the 16th and I hear rumours of a cross border mission to the DR! So mant wonderful things are shaping up, and I cant wait to let you all know what happens next!

Our rough draft itinerary includes trips to Indigo, Jacmel and Ile a Vache...so you know it's going to be good :)

Side note: Chris had thought he would be able to join me this year to help with construction/engineering projects; but because we moved to new jobs he does not have the vacation time (or flexible manager as I have) to take the time off and also travel home for Christmas...so he had to make his priorities. I worked this trip into my terms for accepting the job, because I refused to give up working for this organization that means so much to me. I was really hoping Chris would be able to come on this trip, because of how much Haiti means to me, and how much Chris means to me...I wanted them to be able to meet and fall in love as well. Maybe in 2010

Return from Haiti

2009-05-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Bonjou!
On May 1, 2009 I returned to Haiti with Team Canada Healing Hands and spent ten glorious days doing what I love: playing with children and taking pictures. I have completely fallen in love with Haiti, I think the re-visit was the clincher. I had such an amazing time and am so distraught by the idea that it could be over a year until I am able to return as there will be no spring trip in 2010, that I am signing up to go in November 2009, and possibly staying on for an extra week if all goes swimmingly.

On this trip I went to three orphanages that I had not visited last year, and re-visited one. I did not make it up to Wings of Hope this year and really missed the drive up the mountain. I worked in the clinic one morning and actually ran into Dorothy, who remembered when I had visited Peace, Love, Hope: Infant Rescue last April; she gave me a thourough update of all the kiddos I missed out on seeing this year! I feel like our trip was very very productive, we put together so many seating systems it would make your head whirl (so much more productive than waiting for DSD approval here!)

It seemed as though, that by having that first experience out of the way, you could really come into your own in Haiti. Having a better idea of the processes definitely helped with my direction on each visit, and it helped to have an underlying sense of comfort...having done it all before. I am really looking forward to returning in November. I find that it is extremely difficult to stop thinking about the children I worked with in the orphanages, constantly wondering how they are doing and what more could be done for them. It makes the adjustment back to your regular job that much more difficult, when your mind is often in other places. It is nice to know that the people I work with and treat are very understanding and supportive of the work we do with this group. I had a client today, who actually remarked, "and to think I was complaining about being able to grip my kayak paddle!" after viewing some of my photos
(in particular this one, a young boy who walks on his hands because of knee contractures)

That is precisely the side- effect that I have difficulty dealing with upon each return, re-finding the empathy for people who seem to be complaining about something trivial (in comparison). A clerk at the Health Centre said to me today, I wouldnt be able to do it, but I am glad that there are people like you, that can do it for me. Sometimes I am surprised at how well I do handle it. There are certainly moments when I am standing in an orphanage, just barely holding everything together, with tears welled up in my eyes...but more often than not...they are tears of joy and hope. I cant describe the feeling of being a part of helping someone move about their world on their own for the first time, or watching someone discovering the art of effective communication, or teaching a skill that will allow for increased independence- in a region where perhaps hope is often lacking. But that I believe is completely false, for hope is something in Haiti that always surprises me. That, and how they always look so immaculately clean and put together! No matter where you go, down the street in Port-au-Prince, into an orphanage, or a small village in rural Haiti...you hear laughter, you see smiles, and you get a big hug. I believe that is part of the charm of Haiti that really draws you in.

Each year I make memories that will stay with me forever. And, it never seems to fail; at each orphanage there is always that one (or more in my case) child that stands out to you and grabs right onto your heart strings!

But, for now, I must return to my Kreyol lessons with visions of the beautiful side of Haiti on my mind. Bonswa!

A Year later...almost

2008-11-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

Well, I just got a quick reminder of why I dont blog very much. I had an entire post ready to publish after slowly working on it all day...as it took forever to load pictures...and every time it put in pictures the formatting would add large blank spaces, and as I was trying to delete the blank space above one of the pictures it somehow deleted the entire first half of the post and then autosaved 2 seconds later losing it forever. Needless to say I had a mini flip out and am in the I HATE YOU COMPUTER PHASE. It is lucky to still be sitting on my desk. Autosave is the devil. My least favourite thing to do is to try and remember what you wrote and recreate it.

I had returned to this online journal after someone wanted to post a comment on one of my NZ entries. I saw that my last post had been around this time last year as I was getting ready to go home for Christmas. I am not nearly as prepared and organized as I was last year, shopping in July for gifts did not happen in 2008. The family reinstated Craft Day, but we did not stay for it this year because we wanted to have a day of rest before returning to work rather than getting in late after a long drive and heading off to work the next morning. We had our own little crafty day in NB with Chris woodworking in the basement and I at the sewing machine working on a top secret project.

Kenzie has become a full blown cat. We had been worried for a few days that it wasnt going to be a successful transition into our little family, because everytime Nanuk came in to investigate the new creature, he tried to put her in his mouth. We never left them un-supervised for fear that she would really get hurt. After a few days though we began to let our guard down and as we were working away in the office, it dawned on us both that we had left them alone together for quite some time...we rushed out imagining a scene of flying fur, only to find them snuggled up together for an afternoon nap. They have been great pals ever since. So much so that I am pretty sure Kenzie believes she is a dog.

They have the most hilarious wrestling matches I have ever seen. This picture seemed to have captured a moment of ferocity...yet somehow they always come out unscathed. I cant get over how gentle Nanuk is...

Last winter in Fredericton we got more snow than I cared for. Locals say it was the worst winter in ages (and I have to take their word for it, and hope that means this winter will be an improvement). We were running out of places to throw the snow in our attempts to clear the driveway, and we broke 2 shovels in the process. The driveway was my nemesis last winter. We share a drive with the house next door, and it slopes toward the neighbours, coat that in a thick layer of ice and you have a great little winter game of chance. The people there last winter would park at the end of the driveway to avoid the need to shovel the entire length...so their car became an expensive obstacle. I had the great joy of having to park a rental car at the top of the driveway 2 days a week, a rental car that lacked winter tires. I spent many mornings and afternoons spinning my tires and slamming on the emergency brake trying to avoid that car at the end. Lovely way to start or end your work day I tell ya! I had been very excited the past few weeks because the students who were renting next door moved out over the summer and noone filled their space...however a few days ago we noticed lights on in the house and now today...a car at the end of the driveway. sigh. Let the games begin. :)

There really isnt one iota of me that is looking forward to a rough winter

But then again, I can only speak for myself ;)

I spent the winter fundraising for an organization I joined called Team Canada Healing Hands. We are a rehabilitation medicine group, including orthotists and prosthetist who work with the "teach a man to fish" philosophy in bringing medical aid to countries in need. The organization owns a guest house and clinic in Haiti and travels throughout the year to provide support and training to the Haitian rehab techs and prosthetitians who were trained initially by the organization. When our teams are not there (teams go from Canada and across America in spurts throughout the year) they are self sufficient.
The trip was amazing, not what you would call an eye opener, because I like to believe my eyes are mostly already open. It was educational and fulfilling, challenging and a lot of fun. Haiti is a beautiful country, driving through the country side you get the chance to really see Haiti's potential...hidden underneath it's problems, you can see what Haiti once was, many many years ago. Haiti has been hit hard, again and again. The day after I arrived in the country manifestations (protests/riots) broke out in the southern regions. Long story short: rising food costs are a problem we ourselves are facing, rising costs of fuel etc etc vicious circle. Only for us, it's something to be annoyed and frustrated by...but we still get to eat, we still drive to work. The average Haitian earns $1 a day, that's enough for some rice, cooking oil maybe an egg and the tap tap home. What that means is the average Haitian lives day by day. So what happens when the price of a cup of rice rises to $3? That is what happened in April 2008. And thus ensued...the Food Riots of 2008. To make that even worse there are theories about how it all began, and why unrest seems to always occur. A nation that is constantly at unrest, chaotic and frenzied...is a hot spot for low lifes trafficking drugs in and out of the country. If the authorities are tied up trying to keep the streets safe from the average citizens...that creates one big playground for...well you get the picture. Theories finger point at one man in particular who rallies the people to believe that the president increased the cost of food, and that this is something only happening in Haiti. Who wouldn't be upset by that?

Since I have left, Haiti has been hit hard by several tropical storms, and as you can see in one of the pictures, a large storm could effortlessly destroy many of the homes, not to mention the surges that easily engulf many of the towns.

Well, jumping down off my soapbox...some quick highlights! ;)

A tap tap, a very colourful form of public transit. Entrepenuers buy into the truck like a franchise.

Driving up into the mountains

This serenity was found at Wings of Hope, a home for children with special needs who could not be provided/cared for by their family

Our neighbours at the guesthouse and clinic.

A sailboat on our trip north

The gang! Taking a break on Sunday.

With a little girl Melisse outside P-au-P (knee flexion contractures)

We (Caryn a PT from Ottawa) met a fisherman on our walk along the beach, he had clawless lobsters, red fish and conch...Coconut milk is too sweet for my tastes!

The boys performing at St. Josephs, a school that teaches the arts to boys who had been living on the streets. It was a great show, and I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling through Petionville.

Bartering for a painting in Delmas...that piece now hangs in my living room...I'm so glad I had a translator and a staff driver there with me! What a HUGE help!

Playing with sound

A little footie with some children affected by HIV at Arc en ciel.

I am currently fundraising for my next trip with Team Canada Healing Hands, and my co-workers are such great supporters of this effort. The OT Dept even hosted a bakesale during OT month with all proceeds going towards purchasing a one-arm drive wheel chair for a little girl in Isle a Vache.

When I got back from Haiti all our snow had melted, which was a nice homecoming. The adjustment back to routine was a process, to say the least.

Over the summer my best friend Colleen got married, and shortly after that my travel buddy from NZ, Jo Anna, who you will be quite familiar with if you have been following along, also got married.

Colleen and Jacob

JoAnna and Eddie

As I was pulling into the hotel for Colleen's wedding I received a call from dad, letting me know that my Grandfather had been rushed to the hospital and things did not look good. He didnt know much more than that, and I spent the rest of the evening trying to pretend everything would be fine, with minimal success. I went home directly afterwards and stayed there for a week, as we all tried to pick up the pieces. He passed away before making it to the hospital, it was all very sudden and unexpected, which makes it so much harder to accept. Last year, with my dad's dad, it was very hard, but I had a chance to go see him, tell him I love him and say goodbye...this time...I felt...cheated. It has been three months and I still cant think about it without tearing up. I was blessed with wonderful grandfathers, caring and gentle, intelligent, down to earth grandfathers. Both of them loved nature and worked hard their whole lives. I didnt volunteer to speak at the funeral this time, I knew I wouldnt be able to get past one word. My sisters both got up and spoke, and I cant believe they were able to do it, they were great...even the choir cried. It is in times like this that you appreciate growing up in a small community in rural Canada...what amazing people.

My last image of Grampie is him standing in his yard waving and blowing kisses at me as we pull out of his driveway, after we stopped in for a visit on our way through to NB. A big hug and an "I love you, I love you more"

...it's as good as a goodbye as I could ask for.

I just always thought that I would see him again.

Where I get my adventurous streak?

I can remember standing in his basement, shortly after my dad's dad passed away, faced with an overwhelming amount of grief, current grief and thoughts of what could come if I had to say goodbye to the man who stood in front of me. I really didnt think that I would lose both of my grandfathers before I had a chance to start my own family. I think I was spoiled because I had great-grandparents in my life for so long, I just thought that would be how my own children would grow up. I think the 5 stages are more of a cycle, because I keep returning and revisiting certain emotions even after I thought I was finished with them.

As we prepared for the funeral we spent hours and hours digging through old photos, and I found a new hobby...restoring old photos. This was my first attempt at colouring along with the restoring. So many great pictures in the collections, mesmerized for hours. It is times like that where you smack yourself for not doing this with your loved ones while they were there to tell you all the great stories to go along with the stills.

It provides some comfort knowing that they are reunited.

Now we are beginning to get ready for another Christmas...and I have picked up yet another crafty hobby, but I cant speak of it just yet because its a christmas present if I finish it in time. That and I borrowed a fiddle from my cousin, I have to fit lessons in there somewhere. Maybe over the long snowy winter...

'Twas the week before Christmas...

2007-12-19T09:18:00.000-08:00

and I am so glad that I began my gift shopping in July! There is something to be said about knowing your family will be happy with your finds...Christmas is a whole new shopping experience when you finally have money coming in, instead of only going out! Therefore this whole employment thing ain't half bad! :)
I did make it home for "craft day" our annual Remembrance weekend tradition where we gather at the Patterson's for a day full of crafting, tea, treats and Christmas music. I, however, use the words Craft Day lightly when I state that I made it home for this event, because they neglected to inform me that *gasp* Craft Day had been cancelled! I was in shock...it just couldn't be. I had been planning for this day for weeks...deciding what projects I would work on, what I needed to pick up etc. So, I revolted...and I stowed away by myself in the sewing room and I hemmed a bunch of pants and made the bedroom curtains. Having all these pants finally fit me was like Christmas in itself because before this they had been lonely in my drawer and unworn. I am also happy with how the curtains turned out. The day was not a bust completely though, we did have tea and treats, and played some games to boot.
I also was able to stop in home the next weekend as I was travelling near the area to attend a Rehabilitation of the Hand course in Halifax. I am very glad I was able to stop in because it gave me the opportunity to visit my grandfather and say goodbye to him in the hospital before he passed away the next week. The palliative care unit at the hospital was amazing, so well done, they should be proud.
The Hand course was not all I expected, because there was no real "hands on" learning, from which I really benefit. I did get to spend the night at Katie's apt though and have some catch up time with her which is always nice. We also ate lunch the next day at the cafe she works for, and I had the most amazing soup ever! Curried cauliflower chowder...I couldn't stop talking about it. Katie says the girl who makes their soup is a soup guru and needs to open her own soup shop, and I second that motion. After the course I was able to spend some time with Becky, a friend from school working in Hali, strolling around the city and shopping...a nice afternoon! The next night I spent out at Colleen's and we went to a Halloween party hosted by work friends of her fiance. I didn't really know anyone there but it was really neat to see all the different costume ideas (especially since her fiance works in an animation studio!) It was a quick visit but its always great to see Colleen, so I take what I can :P
I was back home the next weekend to attend my grandfathers funeral.
My grandfather was an amazing man, and inspired me as I grew to love nature and to remain curious about the world around me...because no question was too silly or naive...and he had an answer to all of them. I can only hope that I can provide the same for my own children and grandchildren some day...I better start studying now :) The weekend was a mini family reunion and it was good to be able to catch up with family who has been away, and to listen to the stories of relatives I wish I knew better; like my grandfathers Brother. He told a story about when they attended the one room school house (which we were all seated in at the moment having lunch and socializing), he said grampie was never afraid to debate with the teachers and on one such day he was in a disagreement over a math equation, after awhile the teacher finally gave in and said yes Billy you are right. Later as grampie and his brother were walking home, grampie turned to his brother and said, 'part way into the argument I realized that the teacher was in fact right, but I couldn't back down after all the effort I had put forth'! I guess it just goes to show that stubborn is a family trait that cant be easily rubbed out. He also told me about how much grampie loved to read, and how they had enjoyed British humour most of all (which must be where my Dad gets it). Grampie would read them stories out of a book and then well after the lights had been turned out would continue to make up stories to entertain his siblings. One of my favourite things to do when visiting my grandparents growing up, was to sift through grampies library that he had made up for us...a box full of nature books. We even had little library cards so we could sign the books out and take them home. I also loved walking through the woods with grampie and my dad...probably chattering non stop with whats that, how does that work, what is that made out of, what do you call this...And now, the land has been passed on to my father so that I can continue to stroll through the woods and teach my children how to identify trees and bird calls.
I was becoming slightly spoiled getting home every weekend for awhile, so I havent been back since, but mom will be up to get me this Friday for the holidays! I am so excited to give everyone their gifts! I think I might be turning into my mom...who has passed on her love of finding the perfect gift :)
I also did pick up the knitting needles again and I made Chris a touque, which he loves so much I am sure the reason he doesnt wear it is to protect it. haha...I also havent finished the ear flap ties so I will let him use that as an excuse. We have an enormous amount of snow so it is definitely touque weather...even if he says boys dont wear touques and scarves :P
A few weeks ago we added to our 'family' and rescued a kitten from CARMA, I think she is adorable, if not slightly hyper and rambunctious...she makes up for it with snuggles. She is striped grey and we named her Kenzie, after James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie!

Moving has become my constant standard of living

2007-10-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well I have moved again! For some reason I am not capable of leaving a suitcase unused for more than 4mos. at a time. I wonder where I will go next...please dont even get me started on my travel list because it may make me cry when I realize it most likely will never happen. My latest move has brought me closer to the student life than when I had been living in Halifax last year; let's just say I now know how quickly and brilliantly a couch burns in the middle of the street. The neighbours seem fine to allow these hooligans to run the streets at night whooping and hollering and blasting music, oh and of course lighting anything flammable...but they do not like if Nanuk barks in the morning. My street is night owls so that is going to take some adjusting. The place we moved into is very...quiant...haha! We are renting a house from a lawyer in Ottawa who purchased the tiny home while attending law school. It's small, but so are we so it should work out pretty dandy. My biggest complaint though is the cold, it is quite chilly and it is only early October. Our yard has heaps of trees around the house so we dont get much sun, not to mention the home is made of large cement blocks (thats just a guess, I dont really know what they are, I will leave that to Chris to explain). We also have a sun porch that is slightly spearated from the house and thus leaking in cold air, plus the windows are old school and only single paned. Most of the windows have been weathered, but there is still some more to do. I am currently working on getting some curtains made to pretty the place up. We painted the bedroom the most spectacular shade of blue based off Debbie travis' "Best Friend" blue, we thought that was fitting for our situation...and it works for both him and myself. We got a new comforter set as well from Ty's line and it is chocolate brown, so the walls really pop with it. The curtains for the room will be a lighter shade of brown and remind me very much of a skirt I got at the Black Market. Its very exciting to decorate a home rather than an apt. The living room is green already, I had wanted to paint it a vibrant shade of green, like grass, but we decided to conserve money and I remained content with a more muted green. Chris' father, Roger, has the neatest vinyle cutting machine and he has been experimenting with wall words and wall sticker vinyl so I hoping hoping to have something amazing to put up in the living room...I'm aiming for fern curls.
I received word that I passed the licensing exam for OT, so that means I have to keep working :P So much for my backpacking adventures in Scotland, instead I continue to grip the steering wheel on my journey to Minto each week. One day I saw a total of 8 deer on my trip in to work, being forced to break for 4 of those! It's a nerve wracking stretch of highway to say the least, I do not even kid when I say my hands get sore from gripping the wheel too tightly. I've still only seen one moose though. On the bright side though I am having fun testing a new car each week, today it is a cherry red Yaris, last week a brand spanking new grey Corolla, and the week before a silver Versa. I'm hoping to get the Mazda 3 next week, the rental guy said it's his favourite. If I had my own car the hospital would be paying me mileage instead of renting me a vehicle, so I am pretty tempted to look into financing options that somewhat equal what I would earn each month in travel expenses. Something to ponder for sure...and Mazda IS having a sale...
In other news I travelled over to PEI the long weekend in September for Anne-Maries wedding to Wayne. I took the bus to Moncton to meet Laura and then we travelled over the bridge the next day! It was great to see Laura again and we had a lot of fun putting together our gift for the newly married couple...of course it came complete with a poem...it wouldnt be a true Melissa-Laura creation without one! We drove over in our matching outfits and got gussied up in Summerside before heading over to the church where we were pleased to run into Martha in the parking lot! I was already getting excited for the dance event, knowing AM had invited some FANTASTIC dancing OT machines! Sarah, Maggie and Cathy were all seated at our table, so it was a mini reunion :) They had a really neat idea at the wedding where they took everyones picture as you entered the church, then later at the reception all the photos were in an album which acted as the guest book! That way you signed your best wishes and the couple would have a keepsake photo reminder of everyone there on their special day! The church was immaculate, I havent been in many catholic churches so it was a small treat. I think my breath stopped when AM came around the corner in her dress with her dad...she looked exquisite! The ceremony turned out to be pretty funny, as the priest whipped out his magic wand that ensured the marriage would be smooth sailing! I do not jest, he bonked them both on the head with a sparkled/ streamer tipped baton...and I almost died laughing! At the reception our favours were scottish thistle pins and they were handing out blue spruces to offset the paper used in the ceremony...I was in my element...both fantastic ideas I have no qualms in stealing for my own future event...if one ever comes. The dance was beyond fun, and I may have shed some pounds as we all galloped around the floor, twisting and spinning with the bride and her brothers all donned in kilts! Chris joined us near the end of the evening for a few dances and then Laura Martha Myself and Chris expired to our campground where we near but collapsed in a heap on the ground before setting up a tent in the dark (and in dresses!) Chris and I spent an extra night camping before going back to our respective provinces. It was a great weekend!

Last weekend, coincidentally, was also a long weekend! Thanksgiving! Chris and I went home and I attended a friends stagette party where we all dressed as fairies! Very interesting. Sunday I visited with Meredith and marveled over her VERY cute apt they created across from her home, its very lively and fun! She had great exciting news and it was so nice to be able to spend some time with her, even if we didnt get to trudge up Greenhill and freeze as we marvelled over the foliage! Sunday afternoon was spent stuffing ourselves with a great meal, followed by another stuffing event of desserts at the Pattersons. Monday morning Emily, Chris and I carved THE most coolest pumpkins ever carved. Biased opinion of course. Emily taught me how to do shave carvings and it was a lot of fun...we saved all the seeds for roasting and for crafts. I wonder if I will make it home for craft weekend?
I have some sewing projects on my table to do, and a lady is selling a VAST variety of homespun yarns at the hospital so it is tempting me to pick up my needles again and see what I can create! Perhaps I will be able to post some crafty pictures someday.

Date change

2007-08-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

I noticed that after I posted that last item it was dated as July 3rd...a reminder to myself that it was that long ago that I sat down at the computer and attempted to update. I had saved the draft and then today continued it. I forgot to mention that we all wrote our national certification in July and are still awaiting the results. Perhaps this blog will soon centre around my search for a new profession :P
Anne Marie's wedding is also this upcoming weekend and I am so excited to see some of my classmates again!
Although of course I see JoAnna and Tara quite often as they also accepted positions in Fredericton. :)
Colleen was up for a night to visit, and Emily spent a week with me. Visits sure do make this apartment seem quiet once they have left :(
Mom, Sarah, Emily, Lisa and I took a trip to Ontario to visit with the family members out there, lots of fun! (Eventhough Air Canada managed to misplace my luggage between Fredericton and Toronto) The first night we played games and rebonded. The next morning we were off to Canadas Wonderland (with a new bathing suit with no thanks to Air Canada) where I learned just how much I can scream in one day. On the drop tower I also discovered a new sound I had not been aware I was capable of producing, I believe Sarah has this on video. My favourite rides were The Italian Job and the Cyclone. The next day we went to Debbie and Ken's to celebrate Megan's birthday and see a few more relatives we hadnt met up with yet. That weekend I took a train to Kingsville to meet Chris and his family for a very quick visit before heading back to the maritimes. We visited Pelee National park and the Pelee winery in our whirlwind visit.

Tired of re-runs?

2007-07-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

Oh what a special treat for those who actually still check on this blog from time to time. I have returned. SO MUCH has happened since I was last able to really sit down and post more info on here. Exams flew by without a hitch, we all went out on our last day to Niche and had appetizers and martinis, hardly believing it had all come to an end. I dont think it really sunk in for me at that point. After three years you grow accustomed to seeing the same people and keeping the same routine, I think somewhere in the back of mind I had assured myself that this was merely a short break. We all went home and awaited our grades and graduation. I had many road trips and adventures inbetween and took hundreds of pictures. Graduation was a blur, the preparation leading to that day made the actual event seem anti-climatic. Nonetheless it was an amazing feeling. Laura and I brought down the house with our Valedictorian speech, and I was so happy to hear from classmates, staff and families about how much they enjoyed it. We walked across the stage, as the class with the most "graduating with distinction" members :) To celebrate Mom, Dad, Emily, Lisa, Bev and Katie and I all went out for supper in the restaurant in Katie's building, Trinity. That evening I joined my fellow graduates, along with those from the Physiotherapy class on the Sylva boat cruise, lots of laughs and dancing. The next morning we had our farewell Brunch which also celebrated LB's birthday. After we had finished our meals an awkward silence fell over the table. For this was it. Throughout the festivities we had continued to expect to see each other again at the next event...but we had no more planned events. We stood on the sidewalk and hesitated to part ways. We eventually peeled ourselves apart and I finally went down to the waterfront and ordered my grad pictures.
I accepted a position in Fredericton, 3 days a week I am in the Chalmers on the Orthopedics floor, and 2 days a week I am in Minto at the Community Health Centre as the only OT. It has been great so fAR.
I am living alone, and as my last post predicted it is much better than some of my other situations. But I must admit...cabin fever often finds me. There is only so much peace and quiet I can take.
Chris has recently been offered a position at an engineering firm in Fredericton so that is very exciting news. And soon I will move into my rented house so Nanuk can join me in my new Fredericton adventure.

My weekends

2007-04-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

So I have been going home for the past few weekends because there hasnt been much going on around Halifax and seeing as how it is nearly time to grow up and move away I should make the most :) The first weekend I was home I got to see Emily say her speech and I must say she blew everyone away...definitely the best one there! The next weekend she was saying her speech at the next level and it was also moms 50th birthday so another good excuse to go home, it worked out that I could surprise mom because a girl in my class, Maureen, was going home as well (to Stellarton) so I hitched a ride with her. She definitely provides some interesting chit chat for the drive :) To save Maureen driving me out home, and because Chris and I were planning an outing anyway, he picked me up in Stellarton and we ate out and rented a movie to bring home and watch with the family. However mom was working a late shift so we had to wait a while for her to come home. As we couldnt hide Chris' vehicle we tried to pull off that he was so bored he decided to come and hang out with Emily. Mom wasnt buying it and found me hiding :P That weekend we also went down to the shore to take pictures for Emily's 4H project. It was absolutely freezing on the beach and I was quite disgusted over the mess the workers had left behind! Chris and I also hung the shelf I had made for our front entry. When I got back to the city I discovered that we no longer had internet and therefore had to run off to the main campus library (as ours was closed) to complete an assignment due the next day. I didnt see any of my roommates until late Tue night. Our phone and TV were quick to follow in the disappearing act and I was none to impressed to discover the cause was unpaid bills...they were not paid the entire time I was out of the country. I missed a very important phone call from a potential employer and have not heard from them since I sent an apologetic email. After displaying some assertiveness when they finally returned we were reconnected to the internet but still do not have phone service and it is very annoying. I cannot wait to move out. Living alone may turn out to be a glorious experience. I have just returned from another weekend home as it was the long easter weekend. Emily is in Europe (until next Sat) so it was much quieter than usual! haha! Chris kept me entertained in her absence. We went on a mini road trip Saturday to take photos of the new windmills and waterfalls, and Nanuk of course came along too! We stopped at the windmill first but had a hard time making it look as big as it appeared to the naked eye on film. Then we went to the bakery on the brule shore and got a loaf of bread and some date squares. We then drove to wentworth and found the first waterfall on our list and took some shots of the ice formations and of course some portraits. We moved on to the under mountain river and then drove to Truro for lunch. While waiting for our food I noticed that Nanuk was in the back of the SUV and his movements looked suspicious...as suspected he had gotten into the baked goods and did quite a number on them in the short amount of time he had. The snow had started at this point so as we drove back to PC we decided we would get the rest of the waterfalls the next time I came home. It was a good choice because we had quite the storm! A lot came down really fast! This seems like an appropriate time to quote my sister Sarah, as I think she summed it up quite nicely and it made me laugh
"please someone make it stop!! round white fluffy things are surrounding me. they're all over the place and all through the air. they're building up and up and up until that's all you can see. I've yelled at them, "It's April!" but they won't listen. they're like those stubborn jellyfish that show up in August. Or the people who chit chat with the cashier after their groceries have been bagged. Or those who move away and then continue to consistently fill your inbox with useless babble. They don't understand when their time is up. I mean I love it all winter and one of my happiest days is the first day they show up, but I can't take it anymore. Oh, the powers that be, please take pity on me. We're talking since Oct. 28th. 5 months - that's almost half a year. I coasted on it, I played in it, I threw it, I scuplted it, I danced in it, I walked in it, I fell in it, I skiied on it, I shovelled it,I extreme drove through it, I gave it it's due and glorified it during it's time, what more does it expect???? It's time to let go."
We had easter dinner at home, it was weird to not have Sarah and Emily there. The next day Chris, Nanuk and I went sledding and tried to build a fort...not too successfully.All in all I watched a lot of movies and did very little studying for my last 2 exams ever! On the drive back into the city though Maureen and I spent the entire drive talking about all the things we knew about our course which we will be examined on tomorrow and it turns out we know a fair chunk so we are no longer worried.

Here are some of the photos from our sessions:

Ice jumping at the beach

Chris and I successfully causing Emily "to look" at nothing by pretending we see something exciting...

Nanuk, Chris and I on the rocks

Nanuk, Emily and I on the rocks

Walking back...joking about belts :)

The shelf on the wall!

Emily giving her heart-felt, well researched speech on how one person can impact change on the world

oh she looooved this...I believe the quote here is "hurry up and take the picture, people are laughing at us!" Then she tried to shove it in the trunk, but it didnt fit...so it rode with me in the back seat all the way home, where I believe the next quote came from me "I feel as though I am staring my future in the face..." I am one lucky girl ;)

Neither look a day over 29...or is that act? Posing with a gift from Sarah

Nanuk sleeping in the sun

The windmill in Tatamagouche

haha!

an old boat

Ice on the waterfall

Nanuk the creeper

Base of the waterfall

Jumping into the river that runs under the mountain

the back seat...haha...

my dapper travel buddies!

There were 8 very perplexed and anxious robins skirting around the yard during the beginnings of the storm

Boot Camp

2007-03-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

We got back to school and quickly realized the dream was over. We only have a few weeks left and they thought it would be a good idea to give us full term courses and cram them into those few remaining weeks. We have something due all the time, it never stops. If you plan it right you can stay on top of the work, but it involves long days hidden in your room alone plugging away. We havent had much opportunity to socialize with the dear friends we will soon be leaving. That's the hardest part. The end is coming, and it is coming fast. I am trying not to let the school work get in the way of making new memories with my friends :) Some of the highlights so far have been Kids Day, the Occupational Therapy Ball and we just celebrated St. Patricks Day. Emily came up for March Break so I forced myself to take some breaks so we could hang out. It just meant cramming a lot of work in the night before she arrived! I attended a workshop on how to recognize cognitive disorders post stroke, but feel that it was mostly information we already knew...but at least I get a certificate for it :S I have three presentations this week and then I am hoping things will start to slow down for me so that I can take a step back and look around. I have been entertaining a few job prospects from around the country and have had a few interviews to go along with them...not a lot of news to report on that front however.

The face painting crew! AnneMarie, myself and Annie

Drawing Mack on Martha

The ball...Annie, myself, LB

Pretty ladies: LB, Kelly, Jo, Marth, Julia, Jill, Annie...and me hovering :)

Second best to being in NZ, dancing with friends...me and Jo!

St.Pattys at Annies

Crystal, AnneMarie, me, Annie

So it's all about making the best of the time we can squeeze out of our social life. In other news Laura and I are running for class valedictorian...I'm really excited about that!

A Sampling of Pictures

2007-03-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yeah I know, that one was a doozy! Here are some pictures for those who didnt get a chance to see the thousands I brought home with me!

The anticipated conclusion

2007-03-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

So, JoAnna brought to my attention today that I did not finish off the story of my trip, leaving my adventure incomplete. She indicated that she had been checking it on a regular basis so that she could catch it when it finally went up...which is of course pretty funny since if anyone knows how the adventure ended that's her! So to satisfy my loyal readers I will finish off the 4th year work term tour. We spent the morning at Jeanettes just playing around with our luggage, we did all our laundry and then packed and repacked until it all fit and we had assured ourselves our valuables were protected (non valuable items to us were far and few between because we loved everything). By around noon we set out to buy the books about NZ that I had put on hold at a second hand shop. I called the man at the store before leaving just to make sure...and right away he remembered me and was very excited, he said that people had tried to buy the books but he kept saying that I was coming back for them! It was a very hot day, but it turned out to be not too far of a walk. I thanked the man at the store for fighting the crowds for me and then we went to my work place so I could say goodbye to Becky one last time and get a group shot at work. Turned out becky was on the road so I didnt get to see her, but I did get a semi complete group shot! At the airport it took us about an hour to check in because we had to keep moving things from our suitcase to our carry on to abide by the airlines weight policy :S Eventhough it's all going on the same plane...go figure! Eddie thought that we had checked in our bags and left without him! haha... Then we had to pay our departure tax at the in airport BNZ. Dropping off our luggage (I ended up having to just check in my carry on because I had too much stuff) to get on the plane we had to wait and make sure they didnt need to open them up because we had locks...and as I watched my stuff come hurtling out of the machine, slam into the wall, then get chucked onto the table and shoved onto the belt...I could feel my stomach turning! We shakily walked onto the next stage...many many more cues followed by more and more security checks, I guess they dont trust the first ones? At the last one I had to chug my glacier water that I for some reason had completely forgot was in my bag...pretty funny...but at least it was good! While waiting inline I think I threw out 10lbs in brochures! Before long we were back on our favourite plane lalalala Qantus! This time I was the middle seater since it was the trip back. We were very excited about this plane ride because our first time on Qantus coming over was all a blur, this time I was prepared! Last time I was pretty much dead for 10hours of the 12 hour flight....unfortunately I was conscious through the entire trip to LA. The guy beside us this time was a Kiwi who was working in BC at a ski resort...but he was the toboggan guy? Yeah I dont know? I probably drove him crazy because I was so fidgety. We settled in and Jo and I synched up a movie to watch together (Employee of the Month) then we had supper...fish and a potato and awesome carrots (Jo had lamb and a pasta type thing but I had some of her lamb which was ok) And for dessert...oh yes...Icecream lollies! hahahaha....it was hilarious! Of course we also saw (since we were sitting right beside the little kitchen crew spot, and had been able to anticipate the icecream way before they served it) that they had a special hot chocolate to serve us later. We asked our flight attendant if we could have some hotchocolate when he came around with the drinks before supper, and he said they would bring it out after supper, so after supper we were sitting somewhat patiently waiting for our treats. We watched the attendants go up and down the aisles serving out hot drinks, and then we watched them start closing up the kitchen. Some time passes and we are left staring at the closed kitchen with the lights off and our empty hands not holding steaming mugs of delicious hot chocolate. Attempting to maintain some level of coolness we raised our hands like school children when we saw the same attendant we had asked earlier about when it would be served. We asked again...if we could get some hot chocolate, and he laughed at us thinking we just wanted more...he was quite surprised that we had been missed. I told him that I thought he was playing some cruel joke on us. So we got our hot drinks and kicked back with another movie. I watched Babel and I was so excited because I had wanted to see it...I actually cried on the plane! We got our snack packs and we tried to steal the cool stuff out of Williams (toboggan man) while he was in the bathroom...what you didnt get a chocolate bar? Thats weird because mine has 2. He caught us though so no luck on the candy...he did however settle for giving me his apricot granola bar...score! At this point I started to think it would be a good idea to try and sleep. I could not for the life of me find a comfortable position so I pretty much just tossed and turned while I went out of my mind! I finally gave up and put on The Last King of Scotland. A very good movie but I am missing the middle chunk of it because I must have blanked out in delerium. Then it was breakfast and I forget what we had. Shortly after this I was forced to shut the window blind because JoAnna kept imagining pieces of the wing falling off. When the turbulance started I was frantically searching for her Lorazepam, unfortunately she packed it in her suitcase. Lets just say she didnt take the bumps so well and was very close to losing window seat privileges. We landed, alive, in LA, miles from our gate. They had to pack us into busses and then drive us to the airport. Which means they had to do the same with our luggage. We actually didnt have to wait in the customs line that long because a lady came around saying canadian passports canadian passports and pulled us out of line to form our own little extremely cool elite canadian line. Customs was a breeze, I just had to say I didnt have an apple from the plane and I was in. Our luggage came right through and we couldnt believe how fast we were out on the other side. In LA. Out on the street in LA. And so not excited about it. We took a shuttle to our hostel and it was pretty crowded, I had to sit up front by some guy who can thank his stars that I didnt actually sleep on his shoulder. The whole ride to the hostel (and it was a long boring one) was me fighting the inevitable...my head was bobbing all over the place as I fought sleep furiously. It was a painful battle but I eventually won and arrived at the hostle without having embarrassed myself by collapsing on the guys lap...only embarrassing myself with the near whiplash. Turns out the guy was a kiwi so we instantly liked him. After we dropped off our stuff...and I begged for a nap which was disallowed...we set off to do what you do in LA. We got a bus pass and went to rodeo drive. We even met helpful people, the bus driver told us how to save money and a very colourful loud lady told us the best places to shop and gave us directions. She was one of those women who repeats herself over and over when she thinks she has said something cool...yeah. But nice, and helpful. I found it pretty cold, because I was unprepared for the switch and I was now in winter eventhough it was LA, it was the evening. I followed Jo around Rodeo because I couldnt really afford anything...and felt too scrubby to even play around and try stuff on...but Jo somehow managed to find stuff to spend something like 400$ on. I did however find something exactly in my price range....free samples! Jo pointed out a Lush store so we popped in and they gave us 2 free samples of face masks each. So we had 2 spa nights in our hostel room. Speaking of the hostel room...haha...it had an interesting layout. When you first walked in you were in a sort of alcove I guess...with a toilet behind a half wall to the right, and almost enough room for my suitcase on the left, then you went through a doorway and the shower with a glass door was to the left and the sink to the right and the bunk bed right in front of you and a tv screwed to the wall. Very...intimate. We had to leave the room when someone had to pee. And we used a sheet to make a makeshift wall around the shower. The second day we got a bus pass and went to Burbank for 8am when they start letting you pick up your tickets to the Jay Leno show. There was only a little line there but we were there early so we had to wait for them to open. A girl showed up and stood on the wall and announced " Hey y'all, let me introduce myself, I have been to the leno show 150 times so if you have any questions I can answer them!" She annoyed me, to say the least. One of the things we notcied about most of the people in LA, was that they were "pay attention to me" types of people. Loud talkers, constantly repeating themselves, talking for the sake of talking, saying things out loud just for people to hear eventhough they dont know you etc. So we got our tickets and Jo wanted to go wait in line right away....hahaha...I almost burst a kidney on that one...sit on the sidewalk for 8 hours, not my idea of a good time. She was adament that she was going to go wait and I could go do whatever and then come back and jump in with her. I still didnt think that was a good idea...I mean....it is LA. Luckily on the bus we had driven by the WB studios and it wasnt that far away...so we went to check that out, assured we would be fine to get in line a few hours later (I mean we had 8 of them to kill right!) We checked and we could take a tour for something like 40$ and it was a 2hr tour so we signed up. I was so excited...I LOVE the WB, I LOVE movies! I was shaking in my skin thinking of all the behind the scenes things I would see after the security guard listed off the shows they take care of. Needless to say I was mildly disappointed by my tour of the other side. We did get to go to Stars Hollow, speechless, so cool, but I wanted more time, I wanted to see sets, I wanted to play around and pretend that I lived there...yes I am slightly nuts...but this is Stars Hollow we are talking about! Stay tuned for an episode where the square is turned into a hay maze...because I was in it! I went to Lukes, and Rorys, and Kims Antiques and Sookies with a little trip around the town. Fun fact, if you walk through the Gilmore house you come out in Sookies house...now thats efficient use of space! We also checked out the ambulance bay of ER (we wanted to be in the hospital of course) and saw where spiderman gave maryjane the famous upside down kiss which funnily enough is the same place that the Orphans sang It's a Hard Knock Life. There was heaps of other stuff, like sitting on the friends couch and hanging out in Amanda Peets Studio 60 office etc etc. After our tour we pretty much just sat on a cement wall for a few hours until we could go into Jay's studio. We took turns leaving to make some phone calls home and grab some lunch/supper...after consecutively going into the same restaurant we were told we looked like sisters because I said my friend was just in here and I'll have what she has. Not too much later a lady from the line proclaimed "there are the twins!" Turns out Jo and I really were spending too much time together! We were in the front row of the ticketed guest, turns out the floor seats are reserved for hoochies etc. The studio was absolutely freezing! We felt a little gipped on our tv time, and the game show portion of the show wasnt live so we just watched it on a tv like you guys did. And the singer...omarion? What? who? exactly? Plus they bring the huge cameras in and place them inbetween the audience and the stage so that rains on your parade a little too. Other than that it was funny and better than hanging out at the hostel. The next day we did the typical take your pictures with Marilyn Munroes star, check out the Kodiak Theatre and "walk the red carpet" while being bombarded, and I mean bombarded by people trying to sell you maps to the stars homes and tours to creep around looking at rich peoples front gates. Then we took a very long bus ride to Santa Monica beach through Beverly Hills after discovering Laguna Beach was hours and hours away! Santa Monica...what can I say...the pier looked pretty cool...the beach was lacking a little je ne sais quoi and there were signs saying dont swim here because of sewage pipe...mmm...awesome. We didnt stay long, the blasting heat we experienced in the city had faded by the time we got to the coast. We did some more upscale Hollywood shopping before heading back for another spa night and fun suitcase packing. We left fairly early for the airport on our last day because this time we anticipated the repacking delay. Our luggage made it through and we hung out in the airport lounge for a few hours waiting for our flight to TO. I was feeling pretty sick and called home to say my wondering feet were ready for a rest! We finally boarded the plane and I was getting worse, I asked the attendant for some Gravol and that might have been my first mistake. We sat on the ground on the runway forever because the plane didnt have any water so they had sent someone out to the store (I'm guessing in New Mexico) to pick up wetnaps so we could wash our hands in the bathroom. I had taken my Gravol and discovered that I dont do well with this type of medication so my dizziness had increased ten fold and I felt like I was going to vomit all over the nice man beside me. Hours later we finally took off and they let us know chipperly that they were going to give us a free drink to make up for the delay...yeah awesome...booze...thats just what I need right now. I got a gingerale instead and tried not to let everyone see me crying in pain. Jo did not have good company for this portion of the trip! We were in a bit of a panic at this point as the delay had eaten into our plane transfer time in TO to catch the next flight home, when we landed we had half an hour to switch planes. Only....of course...we werent alowed to get off the plane because someone was blocking our gate. Seriously... With 16 minutes to catch the flight we took off amazing race style and sprinted to the baggage claim (heres a tip, if you are vomiting, sprinting is not so much a great idea). We got to the claim and no luggage was coming...we ran to find out what our options were. Jo- Hi we have to catch a flight in 16 minutes and we were just wonderi... Desk Dude- You wont make it ...Jo- It's the flight to Halifa... Dude- You wont make it...So there was our hope crushed. The two of stood there on the brink of losing it...teetering on the edge of tears and hopelessness we slumped down onto the floor and waited for our bags. We depressingly made plans to book the next flight, and Jo read over her travel insurance which assured us a hotel room if we missed our flight due to plane delays. Jo called home to let everyone know we wouldnt be there afterall...that after days of wanting to be home we were going to add one more. Our bags came and we sluggishly picked them up and shuffled over to the section where we would book our new flights. We walked through a security check and then as we went through another room a lady stopped me and asked where I was going...Halifax...Her eyes lit up and she quickly pushed me toward a conveyor belt, Quick put your bags on, that flight has been delayed, you can still make it! Amazing Race action ensued once more as we rushed off to another security check...we ran through and there it was...heaven in a delayed plane! They were just boarding the last people so Jo ran off to call home and tell them that the travel gods had rained down some luck and we would be home afterall....just an hour late! The check in lady said I may be the only person to have ever thanked her for having a delayed flight. We got on the plane all smiles, beaming in our fortune...and then they announced a further delay as they searched for someone to fly the plane. An hour later we were headed home and my heart began to swell...ah home! Mom, Emily and Lisa greeted me at the airport, we grabbed our bags and I dont think I stopped talking until I was forced to walk outside. Thats when the fake sobbing started haha. BRR!!! In the car cheesecake was waiting for me and I told stories all the way home! I stayed up all night showing mom stuff from my trip and telling stories and then went to bed a little after Emily left for school. I went to bed in my own bed! With my happy little puppy!

Oh so you want to be able to read it?

2007-02-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

Oh wow, english! Last night I was on a chinese computer, and as I typed it was switching it over to chinese characters. I actually found it to be pretty funny. It was very fitting seeing as how we are now back in Auckland. I am on the same computer, but today it is letting me be english. Oh and dad, did you know that you named me snow in chinese...cool as. Also in another form I was told it means honey flower. We are staying at Jeanette's place, the nurse from Putauma, and she has some home stays living here and one is from China. In all those symbols it said that I havent heard from many of you lately and am hoping that you all didnt try to go out and do your own bungy! Today we are just repacking our suitcases, rearranging all the souvies we bought our fans, and washing our clothes. I have a pair of socks that actually walk on their own. We have the run of the house because everyone is at work, so its just us and the cleaning lady as we prepare to leave behind my new home New Zealand. Once we have all our stuff organized we are going to walk around Takanini and maybe I will get to say goodbye to the Becks one last time. I am not super excited about LA, after being in NZ for so long. But it might be nice to relax on a beach for awhile and heal my aching trekking muscles before going home to what Jo's mom warned us was minus 30 temperatures. Dear lord I think my body will just seize up the second I walk outdoors! My body has already begun to realize I am leaving this subtropical paradise, as pretty much this whole trip I was able to eat ice cream with Jo and not get sick...but after trying the NZ famous Hokey Pokey last night after supper...there it was back to normal. Stupid milk. My icecream days are over haha! I dont think I will be able to write in the states, so I guess I will just see you all when I am in the hospital back in hali suffering from frost bite.

哀怜没收台

2007-02-14T02:12:00.000-08:00

壹哈和蔼认得防满意. 壹奥妙同样平铁哦内啊吃呢色．　哈哈　哦年册　壹　哈色恩　铁　瀑布里舍得　壹　色额　铁哈台　吨　十　年　吃呢色．　么历史撒　

On Top of the World

2007-02-12T22:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I think I actually have it out for myself. I had the brilliant idea of climbing a mountain today, an 8hr trek. You might recall that I have spent the last 2 days celebrating my birthday, not to mention my body is just about worn out. About 2 minutes into my climb I started questioning my sanity. I was going to cheat and take the gondola up the first part of the climb because I had a late start due to my muscle cramp, but they only sell the tickets one way from the top...the guy said legally they cant sell a ticket that leaves a person stranded on a mountain. I told him I was quite capable of climbing down, it was the up part I wanted a little help with. He didnt laugh, he said there were more ways to get down the mountain so you could get lost but on the way up theres just one way so its easier. Thats when I laughed, and it gets funnier later too. Simple calculations would presume there are as many ways up as there are down. Anyway I started climbing because I am cheaper than I want to cheat. I tried to take a short cut up the mountain, as I had on the way down last time...but I didnt follow the same trails and wound up unsure of where to go next. I climbed up some sections that looked like at one point they were trails but were no longer in use for good reasons. At one point I came smack up against a rock wall and was quite close to scaling it, when reason kicked in and I had to remind myself that I actually could die...plus I was carrying my cameras in my bag! I had to back trak a bit down the steep slope but eventually came out back at the luge area. I didnt take a bottle of water because I didnt want to carry it in my hand because I like to have them both free when hiking (note to self, pack a day pack for trips like this), so I stopped in the washroom there and drank some out of the tap hoping I could conserve this like a camel until I reached the summit. I made my way onto the Ben Lomond track and started heading out. It really was quite remarkable scenery when you get around to the other side of the large mountain right at the edge of Queenstown, because it hides from view some more of the range. I should I guess at this point mention that not only did I enter this hike waterless, I also did it wearing my flip flops. Sometimes my reasoning is different than others. Anyway I continued along and was doing well, it was a nice steady hike and I stopped for photos and a german girl that I kept passing back and forth also took some shots for me (we saw each other a few times throughout the day, she was a sweetheart). It wasnt too much longer before dire thirst set in, I have no camel abilities whatsoever. After a couple hours I was beginning to struggle. James had really recommended this hike though so I plodded on. He also promised I would see mountain goats, so when I got to the top of the first trekking part I was doing I sat down on the ledge and scanned the hillside until I found one. I figured this would be another penguin moment. It was around this point that I went to take another stunning photo, but when I turned my camera on I got that all too familiar black screen and beeping noise telling me to shut my camera off. So many instant things rushed through my mind, not now, not now, can I find a sony shop, will they be as fast, etc etc. But I gave it a minute and it sorted itself out, luckily too because the hike truely was amazing and I cant wait to share it. The feelings of nausea were beginning to pass so as I sat there I ate an energy bar and just stared at the mountains and Queenstown down below. The same dwarfing effect that took place in Milford was happening here, because as a plane took off from the airport and came into view behind a mountain on the other side of the lake, I got a scale to remind myself just how massive these ranges really are. As I sat there contimplating the more important things in life, enjoying my energy in chocolate form...I heard blaaaa blaaah. Oh score, my eyes quickly scanned around me until I spotted it, a goat. Then I found a few of his mates and watched them eat for awhile. It was about 3 o'clock at this point and I was quite ready to end my trek there and go back down to town, thinking I saw what I came to see, mountains and goats. But my curiousity was getting the better of me as I kept gazing over at the next hillside...I wonder whats just beyond that? I picked up my weary body and assured my legs we would just see what was on the other side, get a nice photo then go back down. But of course, once you get over that hill, you rationalize, well I may as well see whats over the next since I came this far. Before too long I found myself at the bottom of the summit track. I leaned up against the sign saying summit 1 hour and moaned. I felt near death already and the thought of going drastically upwards for an hour made my insides turn. I couldnt do it, I just couldnt...I was on the verge of passing out and was literally having dizzy spells. Next thing I knew I was walking on toward the summit track...I even remember thinking to myself why am I still moving this way? By this point I was stopping every ten minutes or so and catching my breath before continuing on so the trekking was more laboured and slow. I came up to a point and as my head began to clear the hill in front of me to see what was off in the distance my jaw literally dropped. It was so beautiful! What lay before me was unlike anything I had seen before...miles and miles of mountain peaks. I thanked myself for pushing onward and pushed a little farther. I was just making my way up to the steepest portion of the track when I ran into the german girl again. She was really happy that I had decided to go all the way to the top, she said that she too had wanted to give up, but a french girl who was coming down told her it was worth it if she just made it up there. She warned that it was quite steep and said go slow and take breaks instead of turning back...she said what was up there was definately worth the abuse. I thanked her and began the last leg of my mountain journey. I was now beginning to take breaks after every 10 steps...I was pushing on my knees as I trudged upwards. Eventually my breaks became collapsing moments as I threw myself into the tusset grasses along side the trail. My body despised me and was letting me know it...I was beyond dry (I know this because at one point I actually sat down to cry but all I did was heave slightly because nothing came out...dry sobbing we will call it.) my feet were aching my thighs were burning, my stomach was turning and my throat felt like it was in a grip. It was a constant battle upwards between my mind and my eyes, and the rest of my body. I just so badly wanted to be at the top so I could see everything, and I so badly wanted to curl up into a ball and roll all the way back down. It was the toughest thing I have ever done, it was mind over matter for over an hour (stupid sign). I was becoming a little clumbsy in my weariness and scared myself a few times as I came close to the edge, or slipped slightly. I met a few people coming down and each time I asked them all for a drink of their water...inside my head...haha...I couldnt bring myself to actually do it. The sun was beating down on my and I was covered in dust, I was beginning to actually take a break after 5 steps...it was brutal. But I did it. I made it to the top, and it really was worth it. The really great things never come easy eh. It was almost as though as soon as I got up there I felt so much better...I had imagined myself collapsing in a heap and napping for a bit before trying to make my way down...but instead I was bouncing around taking photos and just loving everything! By 6 I was on my way back down...a tricky accomplishment as well on the narrow rocky path that zig zagged down the cliff face. When I reached the bottom of the steep section I took a breather on the park bench to soak up the view one last time. I lay back and put my feet up on the back so that the blood could drain out of them and closed my eyes and just appreciated the sun. A few moments later approaching footsteps brought me back upright as a young guy came over the peak. He looked quite weary as well and was wipiing away the sweat. We chatted for awhile about how beautiful it was and our travels...while I tried to place the accent...I really liked it so I figured it was Scottish. I was correct. He then tried to place mine, he eyed me up and then said...say about...ah yes you are canadian. He had lived in Whistler for 8 months so had a bit of a low down on the accents. He said that I didnt sound so much NS'ian as the guy he knew from there, he thought we sounded more irish...a very harsh accent...I hypothesised that perhaps he was a caper. We travelled together back down the mountain talking about this and that when he paused and said oh I never got your name, his name you ask...yes...it was Jamie. Jamie from Scotland. swoon. His last name unfortunately is english but we will just ignore that part. Everything else, aside from the hair colour, measured up. I just kept thinking oh this is priceless...we then caught up to his girlfriend farther down the trail because she had given up and was waiting for him to return (he had run up to get a picture of the view beyond the hills for her. Her name...no not claire...but Mary so still...She was however english. I definitely got a picture of them when we came out of the trail. We parted ways at the sky line (they both were super nice people and I enjoyed chatting with them...they are off next week to nepal to climb mount everest!) and I rushed into the bathroom to drink some water before I died. While in the building I wondered over to the gondolas to watch them go down...and remembering Jo say they didnt even check tickets once you purchased them I watched to see for myself. It was true...you just walked on and rode down and got off. I couldnt pass this up...so I joined the line and travelled down the final stage of the mountain in style with a german chap who was disappointed his sky dive was cancelled today. As I sit here typing I can see that my feet are black as anything and I have the imprint of my sandle straps etched in dirt across the top...so I may head off and wash up before everyone gets back. I did definately enjoy my last full day on the south island, being on top of the mountain was beyond description, and the effort it took to force myself onward was something I had to be proud of myself for...it was a very New Zealand day, the ones I enjoy the most. I'm going to hate to say goodbye to it all. This is a website about the hike up Ben Lomond: http://www.onedayhikes.com/Hikes.asp?HikesID=53

Time's running out

2007-02-12T13:59:00.000-08:00

I swear, if another sandfly attacks me I will not move to NZ! haha...these things are absolutely vicious! I may be permanently scarred. In other news yesterday was Milford Sound Eco Tour day! The ride out was great and a lot of the scenery consisted of the back of my eyelids. I woke up around Te Anau (I should write these posts with a map beside me because I can never really definately remember the spelling of these places) and we had a stop to grab some lunch food because we wouldnt get another chance. I went in a cafe and got a turkey and cranberry sandwich to go (it tasted just like thanksgiving!). When we were re-boarding the bus (the driver made it quite clear that we were on a schedule so you had to make sure you werent one minute late) I recognized a guy getting on at this stop from our bungy the day before. He looked like he had all body parts intact too. We drove on into the Milford Sound National Park and took a picture stop at the mirror lakes and started talking to James who was the fellow bungy participant. He had pretty similar things to say about his plunge! Our next stop was a restroom because we wouldnt see another one of those in awhile either. At the end of one of the huge walking trails (it takes three days to get out of it) we were supposed to pick up 2 hikers to join our tour...but there were 5 there waiting so the driver moved James into my seat and used his seat to store the hikers packs. So I had a new buddy to talk to for the rest of the trip and he joined our crew. We stopped again at a chasm for pictures but had just 10 mins to get in and out of the hike that takes 15mins...it was quite some tour I tell ya, every stop we made was pretty much run, snap a picture, run a little farther, snap snap, run back to the bus. The trail to the chasm was PACKED with tour bus people, it didnt feel very idyllic to me at all as I weaved around tons of people in the rainforest as though I was on Spring Garden at 4pm. When we crossed over the mountain ranges, we actually crossed under them. We drove through a tunnel that had been built during the depression and had created a lot of jobs in the process. They made it with blasting material and hauled ALL the rock out in wheel barrels, it was really cool that they had left the tunnel the way it was so the walls were all rough and jagged. The driver said they only thing they did was add the lights on top and that was just 2 yrs ago! In the summer they had traffic lights so you could only drive one way at a time for safety due to the higher volume of campers and tour busses, but it was really a 2 way tunnel. We got to the sound in time to catch out 10 to 2 boat. We had the smallest boat in the harbour, which made us give each other slight glances, but in the end I liked it that way much better because it was more intimate and of course...eco :P We had a 2hr sail around the sound and what they say about the dwarfing effect is quite true...we had stopped to watch some dolphins swim around the boat and I could see these tiny things floating over by the rocks, so I asked one of the workers what are those as I pointed out to the water....he looks at me and goes...kayaks. hahahahaha...I felt pretty daft, but my scaling was all messed up from staring up at huge cliffs! The dolphins swam around us for awhile and were even jumping out of the water and flipping! One of the kayakers jumped out of the boat and tried to swim with them but they werent having any of it and they left haha! I can only imagine how cold that water felt. It was a great little sail and the scenery truely was spectacular! However, sometimes things can just get too touristy for my liking...it really takes away from the experience when you are trying to lose yourself in the nature and you are surrounded by huge tour boats, swarms of people and heaps of tour planes buzzing around. It wouldve been so much better on a little boat with just a few people! But even so I loved it! Coming back out of the sound and through the national park we had more picture stops and I heardthe little bell of dispair as my camera screen flashed at me "memory card full....memory card full..." Oh crappers...I rushed to delete some of the non-keepers from the days so that I could keep adding some winners to my collection and we stopped at the other end of the tunnel where I got my picture taken in a tunnel of snow (thats how high up we were) and then we stopped at a glacier spring and filled out water bottles (tasted 100x better than the tap water I had). The driver had passed around a menu from a ranch restaurant back in Te Anau for our evening tea and I had ordered a bowl of vegetables so we headed in to enjoy that. James bought my my first birthday present of the year in the form of a Speights Pint. We even had to rush through supper because of our schedule. I cant believe Eddie and Jo didnt vomit as they shovelled in icecream and cheesecake that arrived while everyone was paying their bills! Our last stop on the tour was the wildlife sanctuary...or bird place or whatever where we found my new favourite NZ bird, a relative of the Pukeko but bigger. The Takahe was thought to be extinct but the rediscovered them and now have 312 birds on the island, and well in the world. They were quite cool I must say...blue and green with red beak and feet...very funny to watch. James got off in Te Anau and I gave him my email so that when he gets to Bondi beach he can send me a picture of the funny lifeguards! For the rest of the bus trip we watched The Worlds Fastest Indian...it was a super cute movie, and of course was kiwi. Back in Queenstown we got some beer and headed back to the hostel for a night out with the Kiwiexperience tour group. Well, I headed out with the group and Jo and Eddie stayed in. They were heaps of fun, and its really great to get out there and meet new people...all very nice people! They helped make sure I really celebrated my birthday and dint use beign away from home as an excuse. I had a lot of fun! One of the guys, Zak, from San Diego even had a plan to get up on stage and sing happy birthday and propose to me so I didnt feel left out, and I was going to jump up and scream and wave my arms around as I accepted, but the kareoke portion ended before we got our chance so we had to just do it amongst the crowd. SO yeah mom...I'm engaged...but the ring was too big and it didnt have a rock so I sent it back. I think we are going to call off the wedding. While I was sitting there having a good ol laugh I look up and see this guy walking by...and the first thing I notice...his pale yellow tshirt that read DALHOUSIE university across the chest. Of course I reached out my arm and stopped him exclaiming dal...as in halifax! Oh yeah! It was too funny! The guy didnt go there, but his sister did, and he said out of the 5 tshirts he packed 2 were dal shirts. Poor guy. :P He also said he was pretty glad to run into a Canadian because he hadnt seen one in awhile...plus he said its true what they say about Canadian girls...we're all hot. He said he knows quite a few brits who want to move. SO yeah...good birthday over all I would say :P Today I think I will just hike up some mountains and see how many pics I can fit onto my poor little camera which is going to be returned when I get home. It's possessed I swear...it constantly changes settings on it's own. Jo and Eddie planned a day out on their own so I have my own schedule to abide to.

Yay for time zones

2007-02-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

I am now starting day 2 of my birthday, since it is only the afternoon back home of the 11th. I love the date line! So today for my birthday we are taking a bus tour to Milford Sound! Last night we made friends with the guys in the room next door, they are from San Diego...my cheeks hurt from laughing! Check ya later!

AHHHHH!!!

2007-02-10T21:45:00.000-08:00

Is not what came out of my mouth when I decided to leave the safety of the ledge 143 metres above the ground. Instead it sounded more like "ah_______________" I started to scream once I realized I no longer had firmness under my feet, but as soon as I looked down and saw the Nevis river rushing at me nothing else would come out. Not a peep... I dont even know how best to describe the experience I had today. We arrived an hour before the bus to the jump left, so you had plenty of time to pace around and fidget, and wonder what was wrong for you for signing up for this. Then once on the bus you had another 45 minutes to talk yourself out of it, while trying to pump yourself up. The music on the bus was all intense and suspensful too which was funny. 20 young adults sat nearly in silence on the trip out there...the air was a buzz with nerves...I had to laugh when I heard the driver say into the CB I have 20 jumpers on board this afternoon...it reminded me of people standing on a ledge ready to end it all. The people behind me were talking right before we started the drive aout if they were excited or not, and one girl says oh we're here for my mates birthday jump...I turned around and said me too! SO we had a little bonding. The guy next to them was like so you are making a clear definate age of death then, a nice clean date on the tombstone. Death by Nevis the girl said, put that on my gravestone! So we get there and they harness you up and then weigh you in your gear...heaviest person jumps first. JoAnna and I were the last to go. I dont know if I preferred that... We watched 18 people jump before they strapped our feet up. As it got closer and closer to our weight class "super light weight" I began to shake. I cant do this...I cant do this... My legs were numb but I kept watching people jump off the ledge and not one of them hesitated after the guy said go. I could not be the first one to hesitate. Finally it was my turn and by this point the only people left in the cable car were Me, Jo, Eddie and some other spanish guy. Everyone else had jumped and was back on the safe ground while we still hovered over the gorge on a cable wire. They sat me down on a chair while he strapped on the bungee to my feet straps and my chest strap. After 2 bounces I was to pull the cord by my feet which would turn me back up right (or I could be raised back to the cable car upside down). My stomach was in knots. I still didnt think I could do it. I had to penguin wobble out to the ledge because my feet were strapped together...and this was the worst part...inching your way out so your toes were over the edge. I didnt want to look down too soon before I jumped, but if I didnt look I might accidently inch myself right into a plummet. The the guy says youre going to feel a little weight on your ankles as he throws your bungy over the edge...I thought I was going to go right with it. I stood there maybe 4 seconds in total. I got to the edge and stared at the cliff in front of me...for a split second thinking I would just scream NO and throw myself backwards onto the ground. The guy says ok 3 2 1 jump. And I did. Just like that...I knew I couldnt hesitate, I just had to do it. And like I said the first second when you realize you did it you scream...then you look down and youre in a free fall (I think ours was about 8 seconds) and you cant do anything. The feeling...youre just falling...face first...but it didnt even feel the fast...like I was floating down...I thought it would be hard to keep my eyes open but it wasnt...the river just kept getting closer and I could taste my heart in the back of my throat (quite possibly the reason no soind would come out)...then you slowly begin to decrease speed....theres a slight pause and then youre rushing back up into the air...you pause for a bit....then youre hurtling back towards the river just as fast as the first jump...I think I screamed again at this point...then you are going back up and you feel yourself getting lighter so you bend up and pull the cord and are jolted upright. I sat there swinging around in the canyon in a bit of awe...I couldnt believe that just happened to me! Anyone that really knows me will atest to the fact that I will stand for 10 minutes on the side of small bridge before jumping into a river! (haha remember gaspereau Emily?) Once you are upright you have a little more time to enjoy the view, which really was amazing. I think if anyone is going to bungy jump this is the one to do! Jo said she was researching it and this jump is labelled the 2nd most extreme sport activity IN THE WORLD...out of anything! We drove past another bungy on the way home and it just didnt look like it would be as good after the one we did...8 seconds is a long time to watch the world rushing at your face! I was pulled back onto the platform shaking slightly while Jo sat in the chair getting harnessed up. That was the only hinderance to our day...because we were back to back it made pictures and videography difficult as Eddie had to capture the day for us both. JoANna somehow managed to scream the whole way down...I dont knwo how the sound squeezed out past her heart. When you get back on the ground they show you your jump that they videoed for you...and you experience a little of the rush all over...theres nothing like watching YOURSELF leap off a ledge over a gorge! I loved it. I really loved it. Theres something to be said about scaring the crap out of yourself. But I really did feel safe as I fell...maybe something to do with the tightness around my ankles haha. When we got back to Queenstown we went out to a buffet for my birthday...which was subpar so the pressure is on back home! Tonight we plan on having some drinks and then perhaps checking out the night life in the Q-town. 26...I should go to the bathroom and check for wrinkles...or hopefully jumping face first into a canyon smoothes those right out! 4 more days in the NZ...eep! Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes I love and miss you all!

Proper post

2007-02-10T01:55:00.000-08:00

Ok so it has been a whole week without a proper post...you'll have to bare with me here. It is Sunday night and we have checked into the Alpine Lodge in Queenstown, which will be our home base until we leave on Wednesday. He was giving us the tour and I was in pretty much a daze which you will realize why later, but I heard things like here loung, movies, here bathroom, FREE INTERNET JUMP ON WHENEVER YOU WANT, you upstairs, bathroom, laundry...I was still fixating on the computer message. We were pretty amped on that on! The Alpine is sweet as! We really lucked out here. So now for the update, since I have the time...all the other lodgers are out at the pub getting their free beer...I am typing my life story:

Friday Feb 2:
I managed to get out of work with out crying and took my last train ride out of Takanini...probably ever. I stopped at the front desk to take care of my rent and while he was sorting that out he asked if I knew about the other charges to our room. Obviously I didnt...I mean we never ordered room service? Hahaha...so yeah he goes your phone bill is outstanding...phone bill I say incredulously...we never used it. He said yeah we were quite shocked by this too...and starts printing out these pages with lists of numbers called...he goes they are all from your mates room pretty much...so I look it over yeah yeah thinking no big deal...then my eyes scan the total amount due...$1500!! I dont know how to describe the noise that came out...a guffaw maybe? I pretty much just told him she wasnt going to pay it...end of story. So we worked it out that she wouldnt have to...BUT...he gave me the bill so I could "go up and scare her." I liked his style so I took it and sat in the room anticipating a great joke. Jo walks in the door already with a weird look...darn I was thinking...she already stopped at the desk...What? I said to her...she just grimaces and looks at me then steps to the side...and in walks Eddie. And that's when everything changed. SO I still got to pull my joke but she had a diamond ring on her finger so she didnt get as phased about the bill as I was hoping haaha! We then all went to the rugby game and OF COURSE, just as the guy at the rugby shop told us...it always rains at rugby...it rained. But we just moved up into the pricey seats and continued on! The blues won. If you cared. They rucked and mauled and scored tries and stuff...yup.

Saturday Feb 3:
We packed up all our remaining luggage into our hiking packs and set off to change all our south island bookings to include Eddie...part way down the street I was already compiling a list of items to remove from my bag. While those two sorted things out in the tourist builidng I continued on to Becky's and left a pile of stuff I didnt need to bring to the SI to lighten up my bag. She has been very helpful with our plans...I'll miss that kid! Then we took the shuttle to the airport and flew to Queenstown. I dont know what I had pictured in my mind...but it never compares. We landed in a little airport outside of the township, and I got of the plane and walked across the strip just in awe...we landed in a valley surrounded by mountains...very cool. We drove into the town and I simply love it. Queenstown is cute cute cute...surrounded by mountains and built around a lake...cobble stone streets little shops and cafes...its great! We dropped off our stuff at the Discovery Lodge and praise the heavens mine and Jo's packs fit into the same under bed locker! We had an 8 bed share so I grabbed the top bunk above an english bloke who was still sleeping at 1pm. We then went out to explore the town and take 2000 pictures. Having Eddie around has been handy in the photograph dept! We had supper at a place that gave us a coupon for a free drink and our waitress was from Hamilton Ont. Back in our very messy hostel room...I told Jo to take a pic but I dont know if she did....I mean it was pretty funny...all the stuff you hear about staying in hostels about protecting your belongings and being safe did not apply...these 2 girls had their packs strewn out over the whole room...we couldve gone shopping in their stuff if we hadthe notion. Both girls were quite inebriated when we returned and were ina nd out of the room as they got ready to go out...then the 3 UK guys came in and I talked to one about bungy jumping because he had the tshirt on and had done the jump that day that we were going to do. His advice was to just shut off your brain, stand on the edge and pick a point in fron of you and just stare at it...only listen for the guy behind you count down then just do it...he said the feeling was spectacular! I slept through the girls return, but awoke to the UK guys' friend come in quite loudly cursing and stumbling around. The guy under me tried to get him to settle down saying he wasnt making a very good impression on the new people...and he said something loosely along the lines of I dont give a... He then set his alarm for a few hrs later which went off repeatedly to no avail until the guy under me went over and punched him. I dont think they much enjoyed travelling with him either.

Sunday Feb 4:
We got up early and caught the bus to Dunedin. It was an awesome drive, we followed the Kurakawai (or something) river most of the way, and it was like whoever coloured it in grabbed the wrong shade of blue...it was so brilliantly bright! I also saw the red deer that Dad wanted me to get a picture of...I sat in my seat poised in fron of the window camera in hand awaiting the perfect shot and all I managed was a blur of spots which I can claim to be a herd of deer. The majority of the trip was me fighting sleep, and fighting it hard as I tried to take in all the scenery and my head bobbed along with the winding roads! Dunedin was much bigger than I imagined, I pictured a cute little town. After taking the long hilly sweaty detour to our hostel we set off to find the steepest street in the world. Turns out this street is an hours walk from our hostel...Eddie was none too impressed...Jo and I are of course seasoned veterans so it was nothing. We played around on the street taking pics, walked through some parks and went back to the hostel with plans of watching a movie. But Eddie fell asleep so we put it on the back burner and caught up on our journals.

Monday Feb 5:
Our plans for today were to catch the morning bus out to the peninsula so Jo could tour the castle and Eddie and I could search for penguins. We missed the bus by seconds and were forced to wait about 2hrs for the next so we went to the Cadbury Chocolate factory which successfully stopped Jo from crying. I think she floated around the place sucking in as many chocolate fumes as she could. We then grabbed some lunch food at the grocery and took the bus out to the Otago peninsula. The bus dropped off us at the bottom of a mountain and we began our very long very steep ascent. Hours later...haha...over an hour anyway we were finally at the top. At the gates to the castle we discovered that you actually had to pay just to wait out fron of the castle...Eddie and I exchanged looks...he paid the money and I stood there...not ready to pay just for sitting by flowers. So I bowed out and said I'll just wait out here...you guys go in; eventhough we had some plans to make a CSI story for Kelly and LoriBeth. They went in and I stood at the end of the driveway for awhile because the grass was too wet to sit on. Then I started walking down the road past the castle to see the view from the other side of the hill. As I walked the fence around the garden just ended...oh I thought to myself...I'll go in and take some pictures for the CSI story...so I did. Then I found Jo and Eddie and we took some more and were about to leave when they made me go into the castle and ask if a bus would pick us up on the other side of the hill (so Eddie and I could finally search for penguins) and thats when they recognized I hadnt paid to come through the front gate. I told them we were leaving anyway and so we did...I left by the road I had come in but when they went out the front they made them pay for one more ticket anyway. Thats all...no jail? I dont kmow what Jo wrote because I didnt have time to check but I got emails from home that were pretty crazy! There is no fighting over here. So anyway we didnt even get to do the hikes I had wanted to do and spent the whole day just climbing the mountian to the castle and then back down.

Tuesday Feb 6:
Finally, my kind of day! We rented a car and did the Otago peninsula proper! Our itinerary included: Sandfly beach, sandmount hike, gannet colony, tunnel beach, glow worm caves. Jo was the frist driver so we started out our journey in terror...haha...let's just say she hugged the left shoulder pretty tight and made me gasp several times! There were quite a few yells from Eddie in the back. When we got into the highlands of the peninsula visibility decreased substantially from the fog and the fear factor rose as we drove through nothing but white and grey and all you could see was the plummeting cliff to the left. (yeah the side she was hugging...hence the gasping). We managed to make it there with only attacking one curb. Due to the conditions we missed sandfly so we back tracked and found sandmount. We parked in the car park and sat there for awhile...all hesitant to leave the car and enter the white mist. We finally got out, hoods dran up tight and headed towards the forest the was the beginning of the hike...it wasnt so much raining, but it had been so the trees were wet, and in the rain were dropping this water down into the forest as though the trees were raining. Jo pulled out her umbrella and trodded in...Eddie and I paused. We all stood there and decided this was not the best time to do this hike since we couldnt see anything. We went up to the tip of the peninsula and decided to work our way down instead of up. It was freeezing up there. I was shaking and chattering as I filmed sea lions or seals (I couldnt tell) spotted shags and gannets. When we got back to the car it wouldnt start...the lights had been left on b/c eddie thought they would shut off automatically. No worries though because a guy working there gave us a boost and we were back on the road. Then I took the wheel to sandymount....whooohooo. Sheep ran out in front of me more than once! But we made it back safe and sound and I stayed on the left side. The hike was definately worth postponing...the views were out of this world unbelieveable! The chasm was amazing, I stood on the edge and felt like I was on the edge of the world. Looking out out into the ocean horizon you saw nothing but clouds and water. You could see the mountain peaks over the clouds! The hike took us in a loop around to lovers leap, a hole in the rock that had wind rushing thorugh it that sounded like screaming, then up to the highest point that gave a great panoramic. A lot of the trail was sand and uphill so quite the workout. We moved on to sandfly beach and had so much fun entering the site as we jumped ran and slid down huge sand dunes to get to the beach that had amazingly huge waves. We hiked down to the hide out and waited for penguins. Eddie and Jo gave up but I was relentless...filming the sea lions dance and play in the bull kelp wasnt enough. SO my wait paid off and I founf 2 yellow eyed penguins higher up the dune and rushed back to find them. It felt like we were on a real expedition as we crawled through the dunes to see them! We didnt have time for tunnel beach and the glow worms but I was on cloud nine nonetheless! Slept with a smile that night for sure...my heaven!

Wednesday, Feb 7:
Stopped at a surf shop to ask why I wouldnt have seen any surfers at sandfly beach since the waves looked so great. His reply: oh yeah well you know there's heaps of wildlife there and the surf can be inconsistent, his buddy looks at him and says wildlife? in a sarcastic voice...i think what you mean mate is sharks! Yeah he meant sharks! the place is swarming with them because of the wicked fishing grounds around the rocks! ahhhhhhhhhhh! I almost swam in that!! Took the bus back to Queenstown and got moved into the aspen lodge because the alpine had overbooked.

Thursday, Feb 8:
Picked up our rental car and started our road trip to Franz Josef. Took many many photo stops along the way, and I even got a proper red deer shot because I wasnt on a bus! You should see the antlers dad! sweet as! We had great stops and you will see the pics of course...and it turned out to be a very hot day...and I dont know why Jo and I love climbing mountains...but we reward ourselves with waterfalls. The roads were nuts nuts...and Eddie and I took to judging the curves by their speed limits....ooh a double 25....ooooooh a 15, a 15! Hairpins all the way! Arrived at Franz Josef somehow still sane after all day in and out of the car with no radio at all! I think they loved my singing though. They checked into their hostel and Jo passed me a sheet and blanket out the window and I turned the car into a sweet fort and hunkered down for the night. Started raining at 2am and I layed there hoping they dont cancel galcier hikes due to rain.

Friday, Feb 9:
They do not cancel glacier hikes due to rain...weeee! Youre also not allowed to wear jeans on the glacier so I went in my skivvies under the trouser pants they provided. I'm cool like that. It was awesome, a great day on the ice...actually felt like winter for once as we shivered in the cold wearing touques and mittens. Our guide loved us canadians but teased us relentlessy about how we loved to take pictures. Eddie spent the day fishing the rivers with his day lisence and then we met up again and went to Lake Matheson which was a let down. And I was attacked by an eel. Then we popped in to see the fox glacier and travelled the long journey back. We got back to Queenstown at around 1:30 and we all slept in the car this time until we could check into the alpine. 2 nights in the car is definately my limit...I could sense grumpy under the surface...Eddies had bubbled out...haha...

Saturday, Feb 10:
Not able to check in until noon but left our bags there at 8 and just walked around town...we were zombies! Back in the hostel we napped for about 2 hours....sweet sweet beds that I love love love! Got up and headed up another mountain...what is wrong with us! Standing at the bottom it didnt look too bad...but the trail however did not go straight up...I started to think we were going to loop the sucker like a candy cane! It was the first time my legs were actually pleading with me to give up. It was the hardest trek yet. But we made it and we did the luge at the top and Jo and Eddie took the gondola to the bottom because Jo was not going to take that walk again in reverse. I decided to use the 10 bucks on supper instead of the ride down and started headign down the mountain not taking the walking trail...I was out and in the parking lot at the bottom in 15 minutes. I couldnt believe it! Some points were a little scary as I slid down but it was way faster (I followed a mountain bike trail and would never ever do that on a bike!) Then we had supper at Hell our favourite place to eat and came back to the hostel with plans of going out for a beer. But we didnt make much of a move once here and just sat around, me drinking my L&P, Jo eating her fudge. So I am out here updating this instead...waiting to turn 26!!... oh look...3 minutes ago technically I did! "Today" we bungy...Tell nanuk I loved him! We watched soem people bungy today and I think Jo nearly threw up...this is going to be interesting!

quickie

2007-02-07T12:34:00.000-08:00

I dont have long but I must say I had an absolutely amazing day on the otago peninsula yesterday...took my breath away. And I drove! and sheep ran out in front of me more than once! And I dont care who you are, or how happy you are for a couple....nobody signs up to travel around as the huge third wheel (imagine a couple that hasnt seen each other for over a month, then throw in a diamond ring...i travel off by myself alot) Its all good though, Eddie and I now cancel out Jo's insanity when it comes to travel...and he just yells at her when she gets out of hand...hahaha. Oh the bickering...I just tune it out! I love NZ but I think my little travelling feet are getting ready to go home for awhile! Emily I saw penguins...it is quite the story. Dad I got a pic of red deer but its not great because I saw them out the window of the bus! It is cooler down here on the south, but I am getting used to it!

Be Still My Little Heart

2007-02-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

Not much to report on for Wednesday, just went down to Beckys in the evening. Thursday was our day out atthe Long Bay beach for the activity that was run by myself and JoAnna. I was really impressed with how much the clients actually participated! Everyone had a really great time and gave heaps of praise in our direction! Last night we went down to Beckys and Bella, an OT from West Auckland, and Stefan, Jo's preceptor also were there. We took our packed suitcases with us because Becky is going to kepp our bags at her place, then bring them in and Jeanette the nurse at my work will take them. She ever so graciously offered to pick us up at the airport on the 14th, take us to her place so we can eat, do laundry, shower and sleep and then she will bring us back so we can fly out to LA! I thought that was just so nice of her. SO we are definately being well taken care of! The walk down to Becky's however was no strll in the park...I felt like I was lugging a load of bricks! We had some drinks at her place then went to O'Hagans and I didnt pay attention to the names of the next two places. Jo was saying it was time to bring out the Beeze :P It was a really great time, very fun! On the walk home Jo and I were talking french for some reason, and we were stopped by a group of pacific island boys just so they could tell us hwo cute we were. I was told I looked like a kiwi for sure, until I spoke of course...again...because I had on a fish hook necklace and a sail boat dress (yes the same as the sky tower, have to get your moneys worth!) and jandals. They taught me how to speak the language from the Cook Islands but I couldnt for the life of me repeat any of it now. Then we went and, you guessed it, got some 50cent icecreams from micky dee's. I thought maybe Jo was joking when she woke me up thsi morning because it was still dark and it felt like I had just lied down. Our usual routine is she calls out "are you awake?" and I say "yes", today though all I could get out was ynnh. It was a rough morning to say the least. I rushed down to the train this morning because I had to add time on for buying a day tripper pass, but when I got there the lady wouldnt sell it to me until 7:30 even though I told her I wanted to catch the 7:20 train. She told me I couldnt use the day tripper until 9am anyway. gah, I thought I was going to have to wait around but decided to get the ticket and just get on the train regardless...worst they could do was kick me off in New market I guess. On the train I read it and it said I could use it from 5am onward...she almost made me wait around for nothing. We went to town today and printed off some of the pictures that I took yesterday and I mailed a letter. Today is my last day at work and when we got back form town there was a tea ready for us and...just when you think a country cant get any better, and you love it unbelievably...your work place buys you a going away cheesecake. They know how to melt my heart I tell ya! And they got me a present, so cute of them...all wrapped in fern paper it was a tshirt that said Aorteora and a nice bag with a koru on it, that I actually debated buying for myself but couldnt decide on the right design or could shell out the money for it! So very very nice, I was very appreciative. A client also gave me a little gift, a kiwi keychain :) So tonight it's the Auckland Blues vs the Christchurch Cruisaders...my money is on the cruisaders. Then Sat we go to Queenstown, Sunday bus to Dunedin for hopefully wildlife spotting, and kayaking, back to queenstown on Wed, Thurs we are renting a car and driving to Franz Josef and back to queenstown on sat, sleeping in the car. In Queenstown we are staying at the Discovery Lodge each night and taking trips out of there like Milford Sound and Bungee jumping...the rest will be filled in when we discover what is to be found! Since I am not sure about internet and such I dont know when I will be back to update. But for my birthday I will be in Queenstown...and I havent decided yet if I want to spend it cruising the Milford Sound or hurling myself off a gorge!!

The Mile High Duo

2007-01-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

Tuesday and we were back to the ol grind one last time! I heard back from SWIF and "congratulations you have received $1000" Thats great guys, when do I get the other half? Needless to say I have commenced the appeal process. We had our OT support meeting and Jo and I both presented on our projects that we had worked on while here on placement. I created a new kitchen assessment to be used by the facility, and everyone said it was heaps better than what they had been using, so job done. Becky and I were then off to complete a worksite assessment on a guy who was injured playing tag rugby (I didnt ask). Becky handed me the assessment form in the parkign lot and said here do you want to complete the assessment. I joked about how she spent the OT meeting complaining that she didnt have enough training for these assessments and now she was handing me the form and sending me in cold...but I had a hard time refusing since its a type of work I enjoy and I havent done much else lately :P So I completed that assessment without destroying the poor boys faith in our profession and we were out of there by 2. The weekend had taken some of the wind out of my sails and Becky had noticed so we decided to call it a day at 2! To relieve the stresses of travelling and money Becky and I went for a great hard run, it was so great, I didnt even feel out of shape, I kicked it really hard and just ran and ran! At her apartment gym I showed her some exercises that I had learned from Laura and from around the gym and then swam some laps in the pool. I finished off with a quick dip in the hot tub! Becky lives in a very posh place, and I also finally got to meet her much talked about bloke Frank (whose name is actually Kevin...dont ask). Walking home I could feel how rejuvenated I was...a new found energy! Back at the apartment I showered because I had a hot date! Jo and I had reservations for the sky towers orbit restaurant that slowly spins high above the city. Because of the special occasion we both donned our cute dresses (her in polka dots, me in sail boats) and made our ascent to the main observation deck. It wasnt AS impressive as I had imagined but cool as none the less! They even had a glass floor so we could practice psyching ourselves up for the bungee jump! We were seated in our seats up in the restaurant, in the 2nd row which meant another table was between us and the window...bummer. Jo asked to get us moved but no can do. Our mission: stay as long as possible. Our time of exit from the tower: 11pm. Mission status: success. The key element to the success in our mission was our well timed staggering of ordering items, so that while one ate or drank or nursed her free glass of wine (yes we had a coupon!) the other preoccupied herself with another dining experience. I am pretty sure we were not well loved by the waiting staff who wanted to turn our table over...we however were going to soak up as much of our moneys worth as possible. Upon our first order the waiter asked us if we would like bread, Jo who had just earlier mentioned they should have bread here which ensued into an east side marios talk piped up and immediately said yes...the result was a 4.50 addition to our bill. Sneaky little buggers...our revenge...we counted that as his tip. muahahaha! We left the tower when we were told "the deck will be closing in ten minutes ladies" We walked home stuffed to the gills, how stuffed were you melissa? JoAnna offered to treat us to 50cent icecreams and we both declined if thats any indication. I woke up this morning (Wed) feeling pretty sick to my stomach....likewise for Jo...hmmm?

Auckland Day weekend

2007-01-29T12:47:00.000-08:00

Friday evening was spent in New Market in search of the perfect calendar…again I returned home empty handed. They do not make it easy to find a good NZ calendar in late Jan., I guess you have to be on the ball as soon as they come out…perhaps in October. Store clerks all tell me more will be in when the 2008 stock arrives…thanks for the help. My mission is still determined though, I will find one! Other than that I met up with Jo and we did some browsing, and I got 2 shirts that are NZ souvies. In a record store Jo finally found the theme song to our trip which she has been diligently searching for. The next part was a little entertainment for myself…she popped it into the stereo and was listening to it through the headphones, and mustve had it up to quite the volume because when she turned to talk to me about it she was yelling throughout the entire shop “I AM SUCH A HAPPY GIRL RIGHT NOW” pause… “ I AM SO EXCITED I AM SWEATING” haha…the guy behind the counter and I shared some muffled laughter and I tried to let her know she was being pretty loud…but well she couldn’t hear me. So as you can see, she was pleased to find the cd and immediately purchased it. I browsed through some NZ bands and found Evermore which I really like. I was wondering if someone…perhaps young hip Christopher, could browse around and see if the CD is available at home to save me from having to purchase it here best price here is $20 CND. Sunday morning we took the ferry to Waiheiki Island for some exploring. Apparently most people book tours etc before they get on the ferry because we quickly realized all the busses out of the terminal leave pretty much as soon as the boat is cleared. I had my heart set on horseback riding, and this was my plan for this trip…ride then go to the beach. Unfortunately all the guidebooks that assured me this was a possibility were wrong as all outfits had stopped riding over a yr ago. My heart dropped. So instead we booked a bus tour that came with a free bus pass at the end so we could go out and pick the best beach etc. We had an hour or so to wait, for the next batch of busses that coincided with the next ferry arrival…so we hiked up the mountain by the docks and explored the Art by the Sea. It was pretty interesting, some neat sculptures like peek through sculptures that frame the cliffs, a xylophone bridge, clear towers full of fluorescent orange hats and pink sashes that you were to model for the rest of the hike, a huge bathtub plug floating in the ocean (which funnily enough had a sold sign on the label) and so on and so on. Some of the pieces were nice to look at while others were just odd…but that’s how art goes. I was broiling as we hiked around, at a quicker pace than the average participant as we had to be back to catch the bus. I was also wearing jeans so that didn’t help. We made it back in time though and began our winding tour of the residential area of the island. The homes there are immaculate….contemporary styles and huge windows in order to take in the spectacular views all around the island. Homes start at around 4mil if anyone is interested. The island is mostly comprised of artists, musicians, writers, tv personalities and sports related famous people. After the tour we settled in Onerewa I think and browsed shops before setting up camp on the beach. Another lovely swim for me. Upon retiring form the beach for our evening tea…we quickly came to the conclusion that Waiheiki does not partake in evening tea, and all the shops, including restaurants were closed at 4. We walked up and down the streets and found a fish n chips shop so I got a kids pack chicken and chips…Jo wanted something cold so we walked on and found an upscale place that served salads. We couldn’t sit down to eat because I had my takeaway box so Jo ordered it to go…only when it arrived they did not have to go forks so we both had to sit in the waiting chairs in front of everyone and eat our of boxes because we couldn’t leave with the fork. I felt like quite the knob. Every minute that passed felt like I dropped a notch on the cool scale. On the bright side the bartender was a work of art himself so that took away some of the sting. We then headed out to The Little Day In, Waihieke’s version of the Big Day Out held in Auckland a few weekends ago. The band playing when we arrived was My Life Story, and I also enjoyed their music, another recommend. Next on was Kora who was a more pacific style band so not exactly my style but still presented a good beat. I think they are pretty famous here as the crown went wild and knew their songs. I was in the crowd mostly by myself and I think I stuck out like a sore thumb…could also be why I didn’t enjoy them as much. Saturday…was not a good day on the Melissa Jo front. People who know Jo and her OCD tendencies will understand that Jo had to be at the tourist centre at 8am to check for the best rental places. I tried to tell her before that it wouldn’t open until 9, but again Jo is not easy to reckon with on these matters…she needs to check for herself (like the time we were half way to Queen street and she had to run back to the apt to make sure I locked the door even when I told her I had…which I had). So anyway…I don’t know how she passed her time until the place opened at 9, but I ate breakfast and packed a beach bag and paid the rent. When I arrived at the centre at about 10 after 9 I saw that she wasn’t there and assumed she had gone for a walk while waiting for it to open. So I browsed the pamphlets picking up maps and such on our destination for the day Coramendel. I was getting pretty excited about our first road trip! After awhile I began to think about how odd it was that Jo still wasn’t here and it was 25 past… I was staring aimlessly out the window waiting for her when a guide asked if I needed any help…I told her I was just waiting for a friend because we were looking into rental cars. That’s when another guide popped up and said oh she already left, she was waiting outside and when we went over the schedule she decided it would be easier to take the ferry than to drive so she had to run to catch the 9 ferry and told us to let you know. Ok so I asked when the next ferry left…9 am the next day…oh ok what about a bus…the bus leaves at 1 and will get you there at 5 and your friend will be coming back by then. I stared at them in silence, mostly because I couldnt speak. My options were swirling around in my head along with all this info, I tried to process this all, of course without crying in public. I managed to ask about what else I could do today. You could go to Waiheiki Island, its really nice there! Yes I know, we were there yesterday. You could go to Devonport they have a great beach, yes I know…we have been there a few times. Everything they suggested was old news and their surprised faces diminished when they heard we had been here awhile. They were truly sympathetic but didn’t have much else to offer. I looked into going to Piha beach a day early, perhaps hiking Rangitoto, or a trip up to cape rainga... even considered renting a car myself but that was too expensive to do alone…and well I couldn’t even imagine trying to navigate on my own. I walked the streets trying to get rid of the ‘burst into tears’ feeling and went to Becky’s building to see if she would like to do something. The apt building intercom wasn’t labeled and I didn’t know her number so I sat on the steps and collected myself. I wound up back on the north head where I spent the day on a secluded beach reading a book, just me and my ‘ol pal rangitoto. I caught the Red Checkers on my way back, NZ’s equivalent of the Snow Birds….and I caught the tail end of an outdoor concert a block from our apt (funny the tourist guides neglected to mention that) and then did some laundry (finally washed my staple sweater!) I had gone into a few hostels on my way home to ask about transportation to Piha beach, as I was losing faith in any previous plans. I found out about a shuttle that runs once a day and got the number but no answer when I called. I got up early Monday and booked seats out to Piha. Jo assured me she wasn’t leaving anywhere without me today so I booked 2 seats. We have taken to blaming the people at the tourist info centre as they gave us both different information. Our driver was quite chatty on the way out so we got more NZ lessons (Maui dolphins are the most rare in the world and were spotted the other day off Piha, maui is the name of the Moari legend who fished the north island out of the sea from the south island, minah birds came over from India with immigrants as pets, manuka is tea tree, pukekos are the only native bird farmers can shoot on sight), even a bit of Bible FYI (Ezekiel describes a helicopter in his chapter). Part way into our journey it began to rain. And we then aptly entered the rain forest…more breathtaking views! You could actually see the steam rising from the trees as the rain hit. Yes, I was shopping for property in Piha also. He told us about a great hike up the mountains and a route we could take to get to the 5 stage waterfall. Taking cover under the trees in the rain sounded better than hiding in a shop or sitting on the beach so we took off in that direction. It began to rain harder and I wrapped myself in my towel to protect my bags and then we were under the canopy and fairly protected. It was a sweet as hike and the waterfall was just large enough to be very impressive. We hiked up to the top and back around and exited the trails at around 12:15 (I believe we entered at around 9:30-10). At the top of the falls we got separated as while we both carefully watched our feet as we made our way across the treacherous terrain we were unable to watch the other person heading in the opposite direction, kind of funny really, Jo had headed back the way we came up and I had continued on the path. I assumed we would meet back up in a loop, Jo said she was screaming my name but any sound was absorbed by the lush vegetation (a thought that would make a lone explorer nervous I would think). After 10 minutes we found each other back where we separated after I trekked back not finding her, Jo was yelling and cursing while I laughed on the inside as I recalled how we handle our anger differently and I chose not to speak at all when returning on Sunday. She thought that this would make us even, but I figured it would only be even if I left her in the forest all day and send a messenger to tell her I was having fun down on the beach. It's a good thing we love each other eh? Nearly out of the forest a group of Spanish speaking tourists approached me whilst taking a photo of Jo on a bridge and volunteered to take our pictures together…or that’s what I assume she said as all I truly comprehended was Hola…the rest was sounds and gestures as she spoke rapidly and pointed to jo and took the camera. Luckily she didn’t run off with it (I definitely could’ve caught her). She took our photo and their interpreter asked if we were from Australia….that was a new one for sure. They seemed pleased that we were Canadian. Back in town we stopped in at an art gallery….very exquisite pieces I must say…some even copy-able and I think Jo took pictures so we can do just that. We went into the bakery so Jo could buy lunch, nothing to her palate, then into the surf shop because I was interested in renting a body board….but changed my mind with the prices. Jo got lunch at the surf café by the beach and we set up camp in the black volcanic sand in front of the lifeguard hut. Emily…I’m sorry…no funny Bondi like beanies…sigh. Now onto the swim. It was the first thing I did because I was pretty muddy from the wet hike (we had to cross many streams and tramp through the mud) so before applying more sunscreen I needed to “bathe”. I donned my rash guard to protect my shoulders while in the water and headed off toward the surf…passing a film camera on my way (I had seen a poster at the café looking for extras for a Nickalodian movie they were shooting on the beach late jan early feb….ages 25 was there with a fee of 150/day). Walking out for a swim was pretty tricky, as rushing water was constantly upsetting your footing in many different directions. It stayed shallow for pretty far, but at variant degrees because the ripple on the sandbar was 200x magnified what the little ripples at home are like…so it was deep shallow deep shallow. The waves put magic mountain to shame, and Lawrencetown would be jealous! For someone who is not a huge fan of the water it was a nightmare of fighting for survival. The broken waves were the toughies, large white walls of rushing sea water would pound you with impressive force hurling you back toward the shore, as if saying you weren’t wanted on its turf. I would dive under the waves and feel the awesome sensation of the huge rolling wave tunnel as it passed around me and then emerge on the other side. I would sometimes emerge and have the opportunity to push my hair out of my face, take some breaths and wipe my eyes before diving under the next or I would emerge to immediately see another oncoming white wall forcing me to take another gasp and dive under once more…or if unlucky I would emerge only to find out I wasn’t truly emerging but more so being rocked by the next wave and tossed and tumbled. My heart was pounding, my eyes were stinging, my throat was burning, I was constantly clutching my suit bottoms as they were struggling to stay on…and I was having the time of my life. What a great swim!! I had to pretty much force myself out of the water, eventhough a good solid rocking by a massive wave made it a little easier, so that Jo and I could do some more exploring. However, returning to the towels it was later than i thought and we rushed off to meet our shuttle, me still just wrapped in a towel! On the way out the strip of plastic that I proclaimed "looks like a slip and slide" was indeed such....and we watched some kids whip down the hillside and into the river. We stopped at the top lookout spot before making our way back to the city to take before and after shots of the coast line because it was rainy when we drove in. The shuttle driver took a great shot of us on the top but when reviewing the photo Jo discovered she had visible sunscreen all over her nose. I thought she had done it on purpose and had forgotten it was even there by that point...perhaps they can photoshop that off? My version is in Sepia colour so you cant even notice. To end the day and the long weekend, and our last weekend in Auckland there was only one perfect thing for us to do...one guess. Ice cream! Movenpick ice cream of course...we went out to Mission Bay and ordered our much loved Carmellita and tried a new one Vanilla Brownie....to die for! Did I neglect to mention that Jo and I were dressed in matching outfits? Atesting to the fact that our love has gotten slightly out of hand? We matched right down to the necklaces...we figured it was our last weekend here and if we hadnt been noticed yet it was time to take some drastic measures. And I report success...people stopped dead in their tracks to comment, some requesting an explanations, others just gawking, and the ones we liked best, adoring! We were like peas and carrots jo and me or should I say just peas and peas? On the way home our lazy butts decided to walk up the hill instead of bus, and this decision of mine ended up with us walking all over the city until midnight! We went to cut up throught the park by our apt aptly stepping over some papers strewn on the stairs...I looked down and read the title on one "tips on takign better vacation photographs" of course peaking my interest I bent to pick it up...and under neath lay a guys passport photos...dear me! I called out to Jo and she picked up some of the papers near her and exclaimed "He's Canadian!" Our maple leaf blood forced us to help our fellow travellor out so instead of securing the scene of the crime and searching for his body in the park (a la Kelly and LB) we brought his stuff (tickets, travel cuts stuff etc) to the cop shop across town. With our good deed out of the way we went home and collapsed into bed for much much needed sleep!

Shopping for Property

2007-01-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

Been busy at work this week, and I use busy in a loose sense. Havent had much time to do the school work we were supposed to do however, I have no idea when they expected us to fit that nonsense in! I took the bus up to the Sony Solution Centre this morning instead of heading right to the train. It was a tearful reunion as my camera missed me very much. She was so delighted to see me, well frankly she was delighted to see anything as she had been blind for a few days. They replaced her lens so she is like brand new. Wait....she is brand new! Total cost was 134.50, total cost out of my pocket 0%. That's how I like to do business. The church where the bus let me off was St.Davids Presbyterian...I didnt know we had another branch. I think I will start going to that one instead...who's with me? Today we went to a beach on the Tasman sea....much different than the Pacific ones...very rough and the sand was black! Everytime we go on another outing I find new places I want to live. I cant even describe the scenery...hardly anything is flat, massive rolling hills and mountains that peek through to the crashing sea! I enjoyed the area around Awhitu if youre looking for me when I dont return as scheduled.
I think Jo is going to come to work with me tomorrow and then we get a long weekend, Monday is Auckland day so dont forget to celebrate! Each city centre has its own holiday and they dotn really have a NZ day as we have Canada day...and I hear they dont care...no fireworks, no parades...just a day off. Hogwash...give me a party! This weekend we will be renting a car and driving out to the places we need to fit in before we head south! Next weekend! We are on real holiday NEXT WEEKEND!! Piha beach is on the schedule, it's quite popular...and Dad and Emily do you remember the Discovery show we watched that had Bondi Beach...I have been told the lifeguards look the same...I will be taking a picture of course...because I have a camera...I will be taking pictures every time I turn around. I will not let the camera out of my hand for the rest of the trip. I almost bought 10 new tapes at sony today, but I am going to shop around for the best price first...there it was $90. Oh and when I got back from the outing there was a msg from mom on the phone! She found me! Havent heard that voice in awhile!

oh joy

2007-01-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

I only have a quick second, but I just had to had to say MY CAMERA IS FIXED! I LOVE NEW ZEALAND! They did it for free in one day...I only dropped it off yesterday after work at like 4pm! They emailed to say i can come pick it up!!! oooh so happy so happy! Also heard from SWIF and they said I should knwo more by the end of the week because their paper work takes awhile.

Bay of Islands

2007-01-21T18:10:00.000-08:00

We didn’t actually get to do a tour of the winery, more just a tour of the shop area. More importantly we were able to sample the different varieties to choose the best one for purchasing. Out of my many attempts to find the perfect bottle I chose a light Chardonnay, and no, I don’t know how to spell that. Canadian customs will only let us bring back 1L of wine so I am hopeful they do not sell this at the local LC. Jo said even if they do we can just take pleasure in knowing it came from the real deal. I had to do a little work in the vines to pay off my bottle but I think it will be well worth it. After that we went down to a little fruit place to browse around and perhaps pick up more lunch food. I did find some quirky little things…like Italian ketchup in a toothpaste style bottle with only Italian labels (very tempted to buy it for a laugh but couldn’t part with the $5). I did get some curries etc to have a go at making a meal with Emily when I get back because I didn’t think they would have the proper stuff in Pictou (seeing as how they don’t even know what Hummus is, and don’t get me started on baba ganouch, no I cant spell that either). We attempted to go watch some of the international beach volleyball tournie at the tennis stadium but I was not even near close to willing to part with 12 precious dollars to watch it. On the upside after leaving the stadium we discovered sweet as walking trails right in the middle of the city that make you feel as though you fell into the middle of the rainforest! Saturday morning we caught the bus to the Bay of Islands. After some trouble at the booking booth (trying to agree on our weekend plans) we decided on the excitor jet boat for sat and the ferry to Urupukapuka for Sunday. About 30 seconds on the boat my head scarf blew off and from there on in my hair was just whipping in the wind as the scarf had been my only line of wind defence…Lisa…all I have to say si you may need to prepare the clippers as I had some very lovely dread locks by the end of the hour and a half. I didn’t even attempt to brush it on Sunday and opted for the classic Melissa buns. We went through the hole in the rock and we saw bottle nose dolphins (whoopee eh Emily?). Hahaha, they were actually cool, I mean I don’t not like dolphins, I just have a respect for them as wild animals. The little kids were ooing and awing about how badly they wanted to jump in and hug them…while I gripped the side of the boat in awe and fear. The mere thought of falling in and “hugging” the dolphins made me nauseous! I couldn’t even imagine what scene would’ve unfolded had I dropped into the water….a series of desperate screaming and then dead silence perhaps as I slipped into a hyperventilated coma and drowned. Ah yes so we moved on and left the dolphins and their massive bodies (they were much larger than I imagined…with a mottled grey colour as opposed to a solid grey) with huge sharp teeth behind and continued to sail around the beautiful islands. Much like how I imagine the cliffs and crags of Scotland! Oh how nice it would’ve been if I could’ve taken pictures of these beautiful scenes but alas…my camera has died…and took a chunk of my soul right along with it. As such a lover of photography to have your camera die, to look down at the non responsive screen, hear the beeps of failure...was like punching me in the face. All my insides melted and I just didn’t know what to do with myself. It’s really not explainable how I felt. I took it to a photo shop and their only advice was send it back under warranty and buy disposable cameras for the rest of my trip. So we sat on the beach for a bit that evening and I found 2 free dockets (coupons) for beer at one of the pubs. Ah just what the doctor ordered…I guess god can only test me so far and then provides a little treat. They were only valid between 9-10 so I ordered fish and chips at the shop announcing they were voted best in the northlands. I had Hoki fish if anyone knows what that is because I do not. It was good none the less. However you had to pay extra for tartar sauce and ketchup so I ate it with just the lemon. Then we went to another pub to try and get the pizza deal for Jo but they only had that at 7pm and it was 8 something so we left empty handed. We went and found the Lighthouse where our dockets were for and I tried a beer that I saw was brewed in NZ, Lion Red and Jo just watched me drink it as she wouldn’t drink any herself. The pub was quite literally empty aside from the nice bartender the big friendly bouncer, some one playing vlt and a guy waiting for the wet t-shirt contest. Wet t-shirt contest you say….hmm perhaps the answer to some of my money problems with that 500$ prize….uhm yes dad I won some money…haha…never in a million yrs…we nearly ran out of that place. We went back to check out the spa, but after changing into my togs (swimsuit) I realized that what Jo meant by going in the spa was really translated into watching me go into the spa. That sounded about as much fun as her watching me drink my beer so I decided to change into my pj’s and just go to bed….at 10pm. We are the wild ones eh? We went to bed but did not sleep as our lovely hostel mates decided it was party time…in Spanish I believe was the language. I tried a few times to get them to stop to no avail. Sunday we set off and tried to visit the Waitangi Treaty house…we were told it would be a 15 minute walk but it was in reality 50 minutes…plus a fee to view the house and a ferry time to catch left us turning right back around and walking back. We had a nice ferry ride out to Urupukapuka (I think we renamed the island about 10 times on our video, my video camera was taken out to replace my camera) We had a nice tramp around the island and then settled on a nice beach which was practically our own, had fun with picture taking and then I went for a swim while Jo filmed onshore. I am getting better at the sunscreen and am now only red behind my ears, a little behind the knees and I can see the outline of my sunnies on the right side. The water seemed a bit colder here, but very clear and once in was very nice! I took some sand home because it looked like neopolitan icecream! I also found some superb shells! Back on the mainland we got icecream (mint stratacellio or something) I believe Jo had 4 icecreams this weekend. Then went home.

AUT School of OT

2007-01-18T16:38:00.000-08:00

I am at Jo's workplace in Kumeu so I did get a chance before Monday to play on this. I was able to fix the pictures on the post titled Week One, so I hope now they are viewable. We were picked up this morning outside our apt by Mathijs the AUT fieldwork coordinator and we got a tour of the OT school and a history lesson on NZ (his favourite subject in school!) Their school si quite spread out and intertwined with physio, nursing and pediatry so there is no real clear OT section (aside from a cubby space in the office he explained). He thought it was pretty funny when we took pictures. He thought it was too bad the students wouldnt get to meet us, although he said we wouldve been swarmed with questions! We popped into the bookstore to see if they had AUT OT merchandise, but they didnt. They did however have a lot of the same texts as us...aside from the Maori culture sensitivity ones etc. We then took the bus into Jo's farm to "work on our project" and now we are going to do some more research at the winery down the street! The weather is beautiful and we are goign to stop in at another fabric store in Henderson and then see if we can catch the beach volleyball tournament at the tennis courts by our apt!

Star Ship envy

2007-01-17T18:47:00.000-08:00

:D SO Bev has had what I believe to be an excellent idea! Donations to the "Save Melissa's New Zealand Memories" Fund can be made out to myself and either deposited directly into my account or given to my mother for transfer! This is prime entertainment by the way...I would think better than a movie...hahaha!!

It’s always difficult to start the posts that are a few days behind. Today I am at the Star Ship Hospital which is a children’s hospital a ten minute walk from our apartment. Why they weren’t able to place me here I am unsure, as after 10 minutes of being here I was really wishing this was my complete placement. There already is apparent a vastly more wide range of learning opportunities, so I told them if they ever want me to come back I will be here in a second…well maybe ten minutes. Yesterday with Becky I did an in home pain assessment in Cambridge which is about a 2 hour drive south east toward Rotarua. It was the only thing we did all day as the rest of our time was spent travelling. We used one of those print out internet maps which tells you which street to turn onto and for how many km’s to drive down it etc…Becky says I jinxed us as I immediately told her the story of how the last time I used one of these I wound up on a dead end lane in the middle of the woods. We got lost. Of course. I believe we stopped at 5 garages to repeatedly ask directions. We even stopped a film crew to ask…and I really wanted to ask them what they were doing and whether or not they could make me famous…but I held back. When we found the mans house it was simply amazing…what a back yard! Mountains and rolling hills, fields of sheep and deer and cows and rocky crags. Very very nice. That evening Jo and I went back over to Devonport where we were met by some distant something or other somehow possibly related to Jo family. The father David and his two sons Christopher and Luke met us on the dock and as we walked to the car I couldn’t help notice how the 2 boys kept looking at me…then one says to me You look like you live here. I, however, heard you look like you love here…as they had pretty strong accents. I said that I do…and was surprised by their surprised looks, as they would’ve heard I was Canadian. After a bit we had it all sorted out, and it was by far the best compliment I have received since arriving! My assimilation is successful. Luke was even training me on the accent…but they said I often sounded to Aussie. So I am working on it. The supper, or evening tea, was simply delicious…we definitely appreciate food. It was really cute too because they brought out a birthday cake for JO. Today is Jo’s bday and we are heading out for a buffet meal tonight where hopefully Jo’s meal will be free. Tomorrow we are touring the Auckland School of OT and then on Saturday we will be heading off to the Bay of Islands for fun fun fun! My hopes are to go sea kayaking and get some amazing photos!

From week one

2007-01-15T15:57:00.000-08:00

Another shot from the New Years celebration of my embarrassing attempt at pacific dancing, Jo made sure to capture it all
Taking in the view at Western Springs, I am pretty sure we are sitting on the lava flow

Rediscovering our inner child at the Auckland Zoo...yes I did ask a stranger to witness our foolishness and take the picture for us!

Jo and I getting in touch with our inner wild side at the Auckland Zoo
Arriving at Long bay Beach before the sun had a chance to brand me

This our first trip to Takanini when we couldnt find my work placement, here we are sheltering ourselves from the rain at the train platform in the middle of nowhere

Internet Dungeon

2007-01-14T22:57:00.000-08:00

So I came to the internet basement dungeon to post pictures, paid the man my money and now I am sitting here watching nothing happen. You cant say I didnt try. I love watching that hour glass just sit there....well worth my food money...

P.S. They just opened another asian restaurant in our building and I couldnt be more delighted but that sweet as suprise when I returned from work...

woohoo it worked...me on Devonport Island with skycity in background

New Years Eve on stage with the Sarong ladies

Long Bay Beach

Our very first sheep siting at One Tree Hill

Our handy work at one tree hill...bigger than appears!

Well thats my time up...argh...maybe more to come...if I get a laptop?

Bathing in Sunscreen

2007-01-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

So I havent quite gotten to the point where I need to swim in SPF 200 before leaving the house, but that may be the next step I have to take.
I cant quite remember what we did on Friday, so I am sure it was exciting. I am still getting dizzy spells, and while we bumped around downtown looking at souveneirs I almost toppled over a few times after bending over to pick something up. Not sure what could be causing that, as I am drinking a lot of water etc. Saturday was a rubbish day, rainy and dreary most of the time, and if not that still dreary and then drizzly. We figured we may as well head over to Devonport as it is a free trip and Becky recommended the view from the Northhead. When we had headed out it actually looked like it may be a nice day so we were equipped in swimsuits. The only use they served was as unders that day though. I did however get to quench that cheesecake craving at a bakery. We hiked up Mount Victoria or something, I really should bring my journal to work as a reminder when I type these things up. Even with the weather as it was the view was great! That I played with my secret remote in the TV lounge preparing for our movie night on Sunday. We went down and watched Anchor Man later still that night and had a good laugh! Sunday we decided to go back to Devonport to give it one more shot at wowing us. And needless to say it did that and more. JoAnna had given up all hope on using her swimsuit and traded it for an umbrella...but I clung firm to the belief that the day would turn around for us. I am pretty sure the quote I gave Jo at the elevator was "You'll be sorry when I am working on my tan on the beach as you sit there in your jeans." As we sat on the ferry on the way over out broke the sund through the clouds creating an instant heat wave. We explored the farmers market for a bit, but were a little disappointed that it was just food items. Not that I frown at free samples! MMM puhatakana honey! butterscotch and brandy pancake topping! venitian olive oil and bread! We so very much wanted to buy some of the dessert toppings, for the bottle presentation alone was purchase worthy...but we could envision arriving home with passionfruit sauce all over our belongings. It may still happen...if we return to the market in 2 weeks. We went off in search of the beach Becks had recommended and almost settled for a strip of sand by the Yacht Club. I am very glad I asked a man for his recommendation of a good beach in the area (first thing out of his mouth: 'youre from North America...at least he didnt say american) then pointed us in the direction of the best swimming at Chelteham Beach beyond the north head. Appearantly we climbed the wrong mountain the day before...oh well. We found the beach and then proceeded to crisp ourselves accidently...I swear to you all I was coated in SPF 50, I am now getting this down to an art....practice makes perfect...my coating technique needs work...as in dont worry about getting the cream on your suit as you will burn in a line all along the edge, dont forget to cream your eye lids as they too will burn, and dont forget your toes. As in the bath of SPF 200 that is in my future. The sunscreen Jo borrowed from Annie failed to do a proper job as now Jo is unable to stand under the shower without endearing pain. Aside from the scorching sun (I have never been so hot in my life, no exaggeration) it was a great great day. I went for my first NZ swim on Jan.14th! SO very very nice...I swam with mount rangitoto in the background in the Hauraki Gulf. And if I didnt fear all water creatures it wouldve been a longer swim ...but as fate shoudl have it a little fish wouldnt leave me alone...I swear the thing bit me...I swear it...so i ran back to my towel. Jo and I then explored the North head which has heaps of World War relics built into the mountain. We may have to go back equipped with a video camera and a flashlight. There were neat caves and lookout points, and the walk around the mountain, on a pathway that jutted out from the cliff face wall above the water was...beyond words. At another little secluded beach I had to run back into the water as by this point I had dried off again and was over heated. Definately a very nice day trip which cost nothing at all, and yes chris I took heaps of pictures. Yet even after getting my pictures onto CD (ah yes that did work on Friday, I stayed at work until 5 to make sure of it...however unable to email them to myself and therefore unable to post yet) I am scared to delete them off my camera...we will see how long this struggle lasts. I guess I could delete the 20 pictures I have of spider monkeys. And the 300 I have of Rangitoto! I may make it to a library tonight to see if I can upload some pics. Last night we watched Whale Rider, and it was a different experience to be able to watch it after I have been here for awhile... there are more things that you pick up on that I wouldnt have known 2 yrs ago. I definately recommend the movie to anyone...as I have been for the past 2 yrs...and to be quite honest is probably the reason I am here right now :P Oh and mom you were askign about mailing things, Jo's mom was to send a parcel but when she asked at the post office how long it would take to arrive they said 2 MONTHS! Incredible. Planes come here everyday, I guess after Tom Hanks crashed the fed ex plane they are making fewer trips. Speaking of Tom Hanks, Jo and I will be living at the airport for valentines day...hopefully we can have as much fun. Didnt he have some scheme worked out with returning luggage carts? Do you get money when you return them? That would be sweet as...maybe we could eat...

Hard to Catch up!

2007-01-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

So even on the days where it may seem to us like we arent doing very much, I still seem to take a long time to get it all out on my journal. So, to have to catch up an entire week seems difficult right now! I should always read my last post before I start a new one because now I dont know where I left off. Rotarua? Turns out I just missed seeing Kelly MacDonald in Rotarua because her email arrived when I returned to Auckland. Now I'm not sure if we will get a chance to meet up on the other side of the world. :) Some of the things Jo and I have been doing: Tuesday we were going to go to the thermal pools but it was raining and we both got in late from work (also the last bus leaves Weiwera at 7:40 so we wouldnt have had long there). So instead I found a flyer on a free slideshow about tramping in NZ put on by Active Earth which is a company that runs tramping tours. It had some amazing photos and really looked like it would offer a sweet as trip, seeing teh side of NZ many tourists dont get a chance to be a part of since it is so far off the beaten path. It also wouldve given us a chance to further explore our new discovery of ourselves eh? However afetr we really thought about it, it seemed like the kind of trip you needed to have more time for...there was so much we wanted to do on our time off that we wouldve missed by being in the back woods and on several mountain tops. We have also discovered it is most often cheaper to explore on your own and just pay for travelling there. It is good though to see what is out there. At this event they had free wine (from a box mind you, but I rarely turn down requests that say free in them) and you got 20% off everything in the store so I bought a pair of "jandals" which I havent been able to add to my vocabulary here because I still prefer sandals :P They are heaps more comfortable than my old ones (which I discovered during cleaning the Rotarua mud off them have a heel that is pushing 2mm thick). We went down to the sky tower on Wednesday to explore the casino...JoAnna won few cents on the slots so that was exciting...we spent it on more spins! hahaha she played the 2cent game and I tried to play a dollar but you couldnt, it had to be 2 dollars so I just watched and took a few of Jo's button pushes. There was a little band there playing and salsa dancers (supposedly from the audience, Jo thinks they were paid because they were too good to be randoms) entertained us for awhile. We were ID'ed twice so we will thank them when we turn 30. We checked out the orbit restaurant prices while we were there (the spinning eatery at the Sky Tower observation deck) (oh and also saw our first transvestites which took some convincing for jo to believe one was truely a boy- thats how good he was, to be quite honest the bugger looked better in a dress than I ever would) The prices at the restaurant are quite high, so I am dragging my feet and beign hesitant on commiting to going, there wasnt even really anything on the menu I wanted...it would be more for the experience of eating there. If they had lamb chops in mint sauce I might be more willing because its soemthing I want to try somewhere nice....or even good fish. We'll see. As I continue my tales you will see why I am even more hesitant now. At work I also got to go out on some community runs, and my first client had quite the story. He was a missionary for yrs and played in a quite famous christian rock band which has tourned North America but I cant breach confidentiality, and got a brain tumour and chemo that resulted in brain damage. He and his wife stopped their missionary work but quite often thanked god during the assessment for what they had, ie. a very accessible home, very helpful children etc. Actually they are attending a huge outdoor weekend christian music festival in the area this month called Parachute if you mightve heard of it Sarah or Bev? Maybe if you google it you will recognize some good bands. The next client was Maori and the nurse travelling with us was quite rude to him but I dont have the energy to go into it, I was just quite appalled by her manner of interviewing. Yesterday I got to go to the zoo again with the clients. Definately a different experience than with JO. Definately more fun with JO, plus we had better animal viewings. I took on the role of describing everything to our blind client who loves animals, so that was actually quite fun. I later heard her back at the house telling people what she had seen so she was definately paying attention. This lady is always givign me hugs and saying oh youre such a sweet girl, such a good girl. SO of course I like her hehe :P I'm still getting sunburnt even with spf 50 and spf 30 on top of that! It boggles my mind. Jo's approach is to wear long sleeves and pants but I just cant do it. Last night Jo and I went to Mission Bay and had THE BEST icecream we ever had at Movenpick a switzerland company. I cant even type the flavour names because they were unpronounceable. We planned on walking the beach with them but I couldnt walk and eat it at teh same time...thats how good it was! One scoop I think was carmaletta and had chunks of carmel in it....the other was...no i cant do it...but it was vanilla'ey with chocolate chunks. Then we walked the beach picking up shells and wading our feet...still havent been in swimming. After work we booked our flights to the south island and that ran us about 330NZ. We then went down to look into Bay of Island tours for this weekend...and the lady there was...oh dear...she left me speechless...it was like when we entered the tour shop we had walked into her family home and she had no idea why we would be there. Jo tried to inquire on bus prices to the Bay of Islands...and its really hard to describe...the woman acted so stunned...long pauses and weird looks at us...blunt bitchy responses...Jo and I kept lookign at each other unsure of what to make of her. We were even trying to be extra polite to see if her attitude would change. No luck...we walked out onto the sidewalk and stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. neither of us knew what to think...she had me so shocked I could barely get words out....but as we walked up the street I definately thought of some things I wouldve liked to say to her. At the tourism centre we did book through I discovered that I reached my limit on my Visa. Something that until that moment had crossed my mind. Oops. I cant even explain the thoughts that ran through my head after that. Jo did her best to reassure me that everything would be fine, and she paid for what we had booked for now. I am hoping that the SWIF funding was reviewed today so I can get some money enough to leave the country at least. Jo also took care of our first two weeks of rent so I am going to have a heap load to pay when my time comes around :P I didnt want to have to tell anyone about this because I couldve very easily kept it a secret. But a bird plopped on my shoulder while at the zoo, and my only witness was blind. However when one of our clients lit therubbish bin on fire and my preceptor broke her shoe trying to get to it I offered up my tale to her to ease her suffering over the loss of her shoe. (she had to walk the zoo barefoot). And I only tell you so that we can put an end to the myth of it being good luck. Whereas I missed my train home that evening, which I ran all the way to catch skipping a much needed trip to the loo, which I then had to hold for the wait until the next train and accompanying ride and walk around Auckland booking our trips, plus the odd lady at the tour shop, plus the sunburn, plus the declined VISA etc etc. I figure is enough evidence to reject the hypothesis. We have no real plans for this weekend because Becks told me she heard that it is calling for rain all weekend, and the tourist info lady confirmed it, so we booked for next weekend. As I sit here in the little office on the prarie...it is indeed pouring. My new raincoat is proving handy. I was allowed to leave work hours ago but chose to stay because well, its shopping day so I can stay and eat and also Jo wouldnt be back until later anyway. I had my meeting with Mathijs (Mah-tace) today, the Auckland University liason to talk about the placement so far...he was really nice. I also tried to get our non communicative autistic qualities TBI client to interact with me today to no avail by dumping out different coloured blocks in front of him and then proceeded to sort them to see if he would at least watch me (he instead kept his eyes squeezed shut laughing (I thought crying at one point) to himself). Our other non communicative client played pool with me, beating me once again....and answered some questions in the communication book with me: fave tv show is coronation street, liked the monkeys best yesterday. SO I am starting to do stuff on my own while Becky does paper work. Jo and I might do the thermal pools tonight, she was going to look into see if the tuesday special really exists and if not we would go even in the rain I guess (which has just stopped suddenly) I think this would be a good time to run into the main house and eat some lunch. I have missed a lot of stuff but you will hear it all I am sure when I get back and dont stop talking for a month straight. Jo says I talk too much. I'm trying to cut back...savign my stories for Emily, I know she will listen. Chris too...I may have to get them together so i can save some breath. Maybe rent out the hall and show my pics and tell my stories all at once...hahaha....oh later today I am hoping to work on getting pics up....I think I will go back in and put them with corresponding posts so you will have to search (we'll see about flickr colleen). I asked the lady with the laptop and she said after her work is done so we will see what I can get done (I got blank cd's last night chris so my potential to take pics has just exponentially expanded!)

I'm in Love

2007-01-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

I really cannot get over how much in love with this island I have become. It is like every time I blink I am visually assulted with more beauty than I can withstand! It is somewhat like the screensavers you have on your computer of places you wish you were instead of in fron of your computer...and that is what I see everytime I turn around. I couldnt possibly take all the pictures I wish to take...or I would quite literally have a bajillion kazillion pictures! I have been taking care to moderate my picture taking as Jo sometimes makes fun of me...but she has applauded my good eye so it equals out. So where did we leave off? Friday afternoon seems so long ago...we tried to purchase tickets to the rugby game but it turns out they dont go on sale until the 22 of January, so we have to bide our time on that one. We went out to the museum after that because on one of my work outings I saw signs up for night in the Auckland museum and thought that would be a good chance for us to see the museum and get a little tour (as we are at work during the day). The sign could have perhaps mentioned that this event was geared towards children...I dont think Jo was impressed with our evening plans. Harry the museum security guard came out to let us know that they started up these tours because they got bored in the evening and wanted to make some extra cash (28 of those dollars were faught out of mine and jo's hands once we noticed the alarming amount of children). They also infromed us that things get quite strange in the museum at night and they often hear odd noises but that we arent to get frightened. We ran into a ghost in the aviary section and he taught us a bit abotu how the museum was back in his day (he was one of the founding members but died before it was built) ie. they didnt have enough birds for a spectacular display so they went out and shot some. He also taught us about the creatures we saw ie. the Wandering Abatross ahas the widest wingspan of any flying creature ever which is 11ft. As we were coming out of the ocean section we caught sight of a running dino (the costumes actually were quite impressive, aside from the children yelling 'nice legs'). Then we got to see baby dinosaurs and fend ourselves from being eaten by the father. After that it was pretty much over, Harry asked the kids if they had any good jokes...they didnt...they were rubbish...oh expcept 'why did the pirate cross the road- to get to the second hand shop' I did giev a little giggle for that kid. Saturday morning we got up early and caught our bus at the skytower to Rotarua. The trip takes 4 hrs. The people sitting infront of us were from Alberta. The scenery on the trip was of course superb, but I found easier to enjoy on the way home. We were let off at the Rotarua tourism centre so we went in straight away to check on seeing a Maori show and taking part in a feast...because we had been given conflicting information on whether to book or not. You did need to book so we had to make a choice between 5 shows. The 2 in hotels we ruled out. And then Chose Te Puia because it also had thermal geysers and mudpools (over the village demonstrations and glow worms at the other 2). When ordering a show you got a free voucher to a choice of three destinations 1. The spa 2. The thermal fields mud baths and 3. the museum. Which one do you think we chose? Did you guess the museum? Because that's where I reluctantly went because Jo didnt want to get wet or dirty. haha! So the museum was an old bathhouse that was running until the 60's so we saw old tubs and stuff. And a section on the latest volcano eruption Mt. Tarawera in the early 1800's that destroyed the fabulous pink and white terraces which were at one time the 8th wonder of the world...if we hadnt found out they were destroyed we wouldve wasted a lot of time searching for them :P There was a sweet as cinema viewing on the event with seats that rumbled when the volcano went off etc. There was also a Maori section on war vets and artifacts. The shuttle to Te Puia picked us up in front of our hostel Treks at 5:30. We took part in a welcoming ceremony that was just as if we were a visiting tribe...we even had to pick a chief to be a leader...and no they wouldnt let girls do it. A warrior came out to offer us a peace token which was a leaf and our chief had to accept it. The a prominent woman sang us welcome to enter. Upon entering the Moari (or morae I saw it spelled also) we had to remove shoes, sunglasses and hats and only men were allowed in the front rows, which we were assured wasnt a sexist idea, but more so that if war did break out between the tribes, the men would be there to protect the women and children...I still didnt feel safe from the looks of our tribe and the looks of theirs. The formal ceremony then took place and after that hoopla was done we were allowed to move up fron as the local tribe entertained us. At the end we were invited up to learn how to do the Haka dance, no correction...the men were invited up and I had to sit on my hands. AFTER THAT the women were invited up to twirl balls on string. I am rubbish at twirling a ball on a string and catching it all the while singing in a foreign language. I have it on film so you dont only have to laugh at the image in your head. After the show it was Hangi time, the traditional meal which wasnt so traditional as some things seemed unMaorian like sushi. JoAnna and I were amazed by all the food as we hadnt had access to that much at once in a long time...we were planning on eating 85$ worth! I think we managed on the dessert table alone. I also got to have my first taste of lamb and I did like it. I did not like some of the other things, and the sweetpotato soup wasnt so great. I have also been finding that lettuce here tastes more like grass and puckers up my face. Also the people there were putting ketchup on their salad...I had to ask 3 times what the red sauce was because I just couldnt believe, I figured they must be mistaken...but I got ketchup as an answer 3 times. My other option was mayonaise....so I just tried the lettuce straight up. Dessert was amazing! That's all I have to say. As we sat there running out of places in our stamachs to squish more chocolate mousse I began to realize the evening was drawing to a close and we hadnt yet seen any thermal activity. So we snuck off and ran around the grounds and were so lucky to get there when teh geyser shot off! Jo and I are feeling very blessed by our luck lately and are having a lot of fun together being silly!! When we returned we saw the group coming towards us and thought that perhaps they were actually going to do a tour and we would have to go through again...but all they did was look down at the geyser from the look off and exclaim that it wasnt active right now. The crowd in unison "awww" Jo and I give sly grins to each other ;) I actually thought we were going to get in trouble as the security guard came towards our group saying something about 2 girls group into a walkie talkie...so I blended further into the group and we walked out without being approached. When we got back to our hostel we refreshned up and grapped our free drink voucher and went to the Pig and Whistle up the street for a glass of wine while listening to The Sesames from Tuaranga. They were an alright band, even playing some snow patrol and green day. We had a good laugh at some of the patrons and their dancing techniques. The next morning I went Zorbing, and JoAnna watched because again it involved getting wet (but we have it in writing here that she promised promised to go bungee jumping with me) I chose the zigzag route and when i got to the top made sure I got a nice and clear zorb ball so JoAnna could see me when I came down (she was lead video director). I was to wave when it was my turn at the top, however the guy in front of me also waved down (quite frantically Jo said) so she filmed him all the way down with commentary on my style...or lack there of (as I had said I was going to do my best to hurl myself around inside the ball) She got a surprise when out popped a guy at the end. Luckily she filmed the next zorb which was indeed myself. We then walked up to the sheep farm and looked around there for a bit. As we were taking pictures we missed the return shuttle that comes every hour so we walked to the Kiwi encounter. Neither of us had appropriate foot wear for such a journey and were melting under the heat. We stopped at a B&B to get a drink of water, she asked where we were coming from and Jo said Canada, we are walkign from the agridome...and she directed us to the hose out back. Pretty funny as this hose had only one setting I believe was called spray yourself in the face. Refreshing at the same time...with that awesome hosey taste. Jo finds it hard to believe we managed to find the one B&B without a sink and a cup. Haha...I said at least they didnt direct us to the creek over the hill! We eventually made it to the kiwis mostly in one piece where Jo downed an apple juice in record time, and I refused to pay 1$ for a banana :P We caught the shuttle at this place (and saved a whole doller...I couldve gotten the banana I suppose) and he dropped us off at the (I will fill in name later) lake (starts with K is all I remember). This is a thermal lake that steams up all around you as you walk over the boardwalk...very cool! We then ate at subway and bought our friends and family souveniers before catching the bus home. We got a pizza with a coupln our way back to the apt that I will finish for supper (a large pizza from dominos here looks like a medium and the classic crust is thin crust, we cant imagine what thin crust is...so jo finished her half because it was just enough to fill her up...still tasted good though! Hard to fit in our mini fridge though!) Today at work I did a lot of 1:1 work with the clients so that was fun...started some kitchen assessments. Tonight Jo and I are going to try and book our South Island trip!! We are so excited!! We may try and join a tour group if it turns out to be cheaper then hiring a car, purchasing the petrol and hostels stays along with the activities we want to do....and inculded trip may prove to be more cost efficient plus provide us with the opportunity to meet more people. I can leave work as soon as I am done with my stuff in here on the computer so i am off to check all the fabulous emails you guys write me :)

Ah weekends...

2007-01-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

Last night Jo and I met up at the travel bureau and booked our coach tickets to Rotorua. We will be leaving on Sat morning and then returning Sunday night. Although it turns out I am getting Friday afternoons off so we might've been able to leave earlier. While there we are hoping to go Zorbing, for those who I havent already told about this it is basically rolling down a hill inside a big rubber ball. You can opt for the wet or dry version. I am still contemplating this decision...wet sounds like it would be pretty exciting because you would fly all around, but the dry option offers me the chance to film the descent. Hmm...I'll perhaps base my decision on price. Either way it will be filmed...although from the outside it will just look like a ball rolling down a hill. :) We will also be visiting a Maori village where we will watch a show and take part in a feast. There are some other options in the area but these are our only for sures...so you will have to stay tuned on Monday, your sunday morning, for an update on our excitement! We didnt get a chance to book our rugby tickets because the place closed. We then ate supper at Dennys and had BLT's and fries for 7$ which is one of the best prices we had seen around...although the fries were not up to my fry standards haha! The Maori dictionary says that those fries were torouka (uncooked). We then stopped in at Borders book shop to check out their Maori section...JoAnna was hoping to pick up a Maori dictionary. We spent a long time reading through the books and there were so many we wanted to take home. However books are pricey and heavy so we had to leave them behind. I did purchase a new journal as mine is nearly full and a bugger to write in because it is small and stiff, and also a book on Maori legends. I almost got a new copy of Whale Rider as mine has disappeared but I am still hopefull that it will reappear soon! We were pretty tired at that point so we retired to our apartment to journal and sleep! Today was a pretty slow day at work as most of the clients who are communicative were out at day programs. Becky and I went over some goals and I read more up on the clients. She is off at a meeting and I am free for the afternoon to go home and "study" which she said is code for shop. I am very excited about our trip this weekend, it shoudl be a blast. Although Becky says we couldve saved a lot of money by renting a car and driving...but the travel lady told Jo it was more expensive. More research for next time I guess...and we'll save the kiwi's from having to experience us on the roads! Speaking of Kiwi's I see some here now, I may go eat my first NZ kiwi then catch the train home and "Study". I miss you guys heaps and so many times wish you could be here experiencing everything as I do!
Oh and my burn is beginning to fade, I have been lathering on the sunscreen every day and now wear a head scarf to work to protect my hair part. Also today I had the nurse put an antiseptic iodine spray on my hands and they already look better. If I see an aloe plant on my journeys I will be sure to rip one open and spread it on :) I also kept my long sleeves on all day even though it is hot hot! There...now my mom can rest easy...hehe

I missed a day

2007-01-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

I forgot about Tuesday. So tuesday we had planned on checking out Kumeu where Jo works and then touring a winery. SO I wasnt expecting to be out in the sun much. Jo ran into the transport station when we got down there to check on the bus schedule as I sat out on a bench peeling off a layer due to the increasing heat. She ran back out and sat next to me and said Well, lets go to the beach! The bus wasnt running due to holidays. We went to Long Bay Regional Park and the temperature fluxuated all day. Sometimes chilly othertimes scorching! Peeling and relayering constantly. WHen Kiwis go to the beach it is quite an event...huge groups of people playing games, singing, BBQ'ing...all with tents and blankets and all the fixings! Perfect for people watching! We hiked all along the cliffs and it was simply spectacular! I am in love with the vegetation here and all the colours. I may skip Canadian winters every year. We had sme great photo ops and video set ups on our long hike. Back down on the beach we rolled up our pants and waded (Becky calls it foot paddling) and collected some sea shells- Jo had the idea to write the name of each place from which we collect the shells. A few times we almost got stuck swimming as we suddenly be trapped by deeper water on the rollong sandbar. We sat on the sand for awhile and watched people walk by. I definately got way too much sun which I was really trying to avoid on this trip. But accidents happen and now I have better planning. After the beach we still had day light hours left so we went to One tree Hill because Emily said I had to go there. And when we got there we found our first pasture of sheep! Well I use the term pasture loosely because they had free roam. Again photo-ops and video set ups abounded. We chased sheep and wrote our names in the volcanoes valley in volcanic rock...a lot easier than we thought it would be and well well worth the effort! We were approached by two guys at the top to say ahppy new year and other greetings, even giving us hugs. A little unnerving as they wouldnt leave us. One even asked if I was was Samoan...I didnt think I had gotten any tan but perhaps I am mistaken. That new years wish to become pacific may be coming true. Buhbye freckles...
Oh the name of the wine we got last night was Montana Souvignion Blanc or however you spell that word, if you want to see if they have it in the home LC's.

Poutama Lodge

2007-01-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

Wednesday was my first day at work, and oh boy what a rough go! Haha. Not at all. It didnt take me too too long to find the building when I arrived in Takanini that morning, I was given directions to the street by a man payin gfor his petrol at the cash which was super lucky. I walked up and was suprised by a girl who walked out to see what I was doing (I was of course taking a photo of the builiding because I was so shocked). Its just a house on a normal residential street. The girl who came out turned out to be my preceptor Becky who is from Wales and over here on a work visa. We took a tour of the facility and I learned that it is not as much hands on rehab as I had thought it would be. We sat in the yard and did some chart reviews so i could get to know the clients that live here, and talk about what the OT goals for each were. (Becky just came in and said I hope you arent saying its one big skive, which means I get away with doing nothing...so now I have to make something up haha)Once people were all up and about we went on an outing. Our first stop was to one of the workers house to play with her new puppies. Oh I am in the right line of work. Then we were off to the bakery where they purchased my lunch and we ate it down on a gorgeous beach. I swear the water here changes colour every day. We then went to a different beach to walk along and collect shells for my collection. When we returned to the lodge we wrote up the client notes (because a lot of the goals have to do with how they interact on the outings and physical activity) and then I was off work at around 3. Becky is super nice and she is just 24 so we have heaps to talk about. She has done a lot of travelling and since she is a new kiwi herself she has already done the travelling around here so she can give advice on where to go and what to skip. I think my only new friend here will be her...:)
I learned heaps on our outing from Becky and Eileen another staff member, like names of flowers we have pics of, that rangitoto is the landmark of New Zealand and you can see it from all over the island, and it is the oldest volcano here apparantly...it last erupted 600 yrs ago!
JoAnna also loved her first day so we are off to a great start and are in right proper moods. We spent the evening walking around the water front looking for apartments because Becky lives down there and says she pays the same rent for better. We couldnt find where she lived so we just went into a rugby shop. I asked if they had posters and from that one question we ended up having a 45 min convo about rugby. We even got an autograph and our picture taken with a rugby player in the store. We found out that the first game here is the 2nd of February, so we are excited that we will get a chance to see some all blacks in action. The teams playing are the Auckland blues and the Christchurch cruisaders.
My second day has also been great. We had a meeting with some social workers on a potential new client, because Becky has found that working in private practice has resulted in clients being accepted that are not so much rehabilitatable but just because they have the money to pay. She shwoed me around the new property that was purchased next door to be turned into a transition house so that clients could practice living more independently than they do in the house currently. She is hoping that the two of us will get to create this new program together (It was supposed to be open in December). We went on an outing again to the beach but we took a picnic this time. It was out at mission bay which is where Jo wanted to go yesterday but it was pretty late by the time we wouldve gotten away and too cool outside to enjoy a beach. After our walk we went up to Baston Ridge with is important in the history of the Maori people and their clash with the Europeans...The europeans arrived and tried to just take the land and gave the maori village 10 days to remove themselves...but the Maori refused and protested for 100 days but in the end lost. Now they have the Waitanga which allows maori the right to protest the taking of their land in court and receive monies for their losses. However there is only one year left on that law and after that no more claims will be taken. The computer here doesnt have a hard drive connection so I am not usre how I will upload pictures. Today I learned more about the Maori culture and Becky is looking into getting me into a course to learn more about the Waitanga. The hut that is across from my apartment is called a Moari (pronounced moe-rye but dont say it slow like a canadian or they will laugh at you...I speak from experience) and they use them for a gathering place (like our church) funerals etc. The maori people have different tribes...just like the native american has micmac and mohawk...and they all have their own maori. Also Poutama means stair way to heaven.
Well I am in the office surrounded by people so I best be off...cheers!

Kia Ora 2007

2006-12-31T20:52:00.000-08:00

Last night we went downtown for the new years festival "First Night, Pacific Bright". New Years here is a very pacificy celebration, I cant think of any other way to describe it. Other than hawaiian for a reference. There were flowers everywhere, strung from the ceiling, in peoples hair. Women had booths in the building stringing flowers together for necklaces and hair halos. There were hula dancers and island music....all very tropical! It was really something else to be among another culture ringing in the new year. JoAnna and I were walking into the building to see what it was all about when we passed a long line up...we checked to see what it was for and it was free face painting...we laughed to each other about how long the line was just for face paint...until one girl turned around and it looked amazing! So of course we did an immediate 180 and got in line. We waited for 45 minutes and then someone came and told us they were going to stop now so we could leave unpainted. Oh well...things like that happen. It wouldve been nice though if they had gone down the line earlier and said look, we're not going to get to you...go have fun somewhere else. So we went upstairs and watched the women flower, and then listened to the island music and watched a fashion show with hula girls showing you how to tie a sarong. After they went through their different ties they called for volunteers from the audience to tie one on themselves. No one volunteered...so the lady started pulling people out of the audience...she grabbed on girl who 'no speak english' and me. So I stood up on the little dance floor and showed them all how I would get ready for bed. Then they made me dance. The MC said that we should go home and wish that we were pacific ancestry. I hope that wasnt a burn on my dancing moves. Because my hips dont lie either! pfft. hahaha...I dont even want to know what I looked like up there! After all that we went in and watched a lady singer, who was apparantly #1 in NZ. It was getting close to countdown so we got a spot in front of the balcany where we had learned from watching the little kids make glow flowers and learn to drum a beat that there would be a parade. It was pretty neat when all the kids came out with the crafts they had made and the drummers added a nice flair. Then a haka or haku or something singer came out with the warrior dancers to bring in the new year. Just like on whale rider...then the sky tower erupted with fireworks and it was 2007. And for you all in NS it was 2007 just an hour ago. I will go home and toast it twice. Today we got our train/bus/ferry passes and tried to find where we both worked. We had no luck with either. I didnt have the exact address for my work building and nobody in tankinin had ever heard of such a place...even the hospital...and one lady said she couldnt believe that they would send us both out into the middle of nowhere. Over all it was a pretty discouraging trip, but I tried to remain optimistic. I will find it. We ran out of time to search for JoAnnas because the busses only run back to the city at 9pm so we wouldve had to be there all day. We came back to the city and instead had supper and went to the sky tower to see if we could go up it. It cost 18$ to ride the elevator up so we declined. We are going to ride the ferry somewhere tonight just to see the city from the water at night. And tomorrow go try and find JoAnnas workplace and tour a winery. I think I pulled a ligament in my foot (one of the calcaneo ones) so now I have a very attractive limp. The first thing I will work on with my clients is fine motor and strength in the fingers as they use massaging my feet as therapeutic activity. Sounds good to me. I had been trying to get the phone to work for three days now and finally got to call home this morning from jo's room...talked to dad for awhile and everyone else was away.

You Gellin?

2006-12-30T23:46:00.001-08:00

After three days walking around New Zealand I am so not gellin! I am not sure when my feet will get their chance to recoop, most likely that week before classes start. Mom, if you are reading this, I hope you are prepared to wait on me hand and foot!
Yesterday we were supposed to go to the Zoo but it was raining when we got up, so we figured that wouldnt be a fun way to spend the day. JoAnna had been reading about Newmarket where they had some upscale shopping centres that she wanted to go check out, and I also suggested we check out the outlet shops in Onehunga since that would be a little more in my price range :) We took a zig zaggy route down to the bus stop where we were going to ask how to get to these places. We stopped into a really neat little boutique called Untouched World, New Zealand that had a few things I really wanted but were REALLY expensive. It was pretty depressing haha...we walked around and day dreamed for awhile and then after sighing over the prices decided the outlet mall was a must! We got an all day bus pass and headed out to Onehunga...where I quickly discovered that even outlet prices are not in my price range. After stopping in Newmarket we headed back home to massage our feet and change our shoes before going in search once again, for edible affordable nourishment. We trudged around downtown scouring at the asian food restaurants, and cursing the high prices of the euroupean food...I was getting to the point where it was becoming hard to overcome the urge to lay down on the sidewalk. We finally found an Irish pub where we decided we would order some side dishes. There was a platter on the menu with fries and stuff for 50$ no joke. And a budweiser cost 7.50. However the waiter was an authentic irishman so that took a way a little of the sting. I wanted to record him talking to us. When we walked in the sign above one of the booths said in Gaelic 'A hundred thousand welcomes' and I pointed it out to Jo saying hey my home town motto. And one of the men at the booth asked if I was pointing at his hairline. I explained to him why, and he asked if I was an Irish gal...he said they like the Scottish lassies. Turns out they are all Irish and had just gotten to Auckland and were very happy to find the little pub (as were we!). After supper we got some groceries and lugged them to the bus stop...I had to stop and reattach my arms every once in awhile. This morning we went to the zoo out by Western Springs. The weather today was very feisty, and would change at any little moment from dead hot to cool back to dead hot. I as a result, have a new pink glow...or a red tinge you might call it. I LOVED the zoo. But, hey, I love nature and animals so I was in MY ELEMENT. I think Jo may have been getting a little impatient with all my videos and pictures and silly shananegans. But silly shenanegans is my thing...its to be expected. I will be the next steve erwin. The last thing we did was try to find the elusive Kiwi. We were in the little hut for quite a while trying to capture it in all its glorious essence to show to you all back home. It was a wild adventurous kiwi hunt and I think you will be pleased with our captures. I really need to upload pictures soon. Work starts on wednesday and that will be something I will check out right away. After the zoo as we sat in the bus stop I read an ad about the park behind us saying can you spot the old lava flow in the wetlands...ok...that wasnt something I could pass up. So down we went to the wetlands (Jo walking barefoot in the grass sighing in pleasure at the feeling of anything that wasnt her sandles under her feet) and we found the pond with teh lava flow which was grown over. We sat down there for awhile talking and just taking it all in. It was so beautiful! All the trees and the water, the flowers and the singing birds, the warm sun...a great great way to spend the last day of 2006! So now we are getting ready to go bring in the new year at the free park in the concert! It feels weird to be headed out for teh new year celebration while everyone at home is still sleeping on sunday morning (its 4am in NS) HAPPY NEW YEAR you slow pokes. I will let you all know how wonderful 2007 was while you guys were sittign around waiting for it to make it your way. And you guys can let me know how Dec 28th was...because I lost it somewhere over the pacific...

Auckland the asian capital of NZ

2006-12-28T23:28:00.000-08:00

We arrived this morning in NZ, finally. It was a long journey that was not always smooth sailing (and I only have 14 minutes at this online cafe to do it all justice). It involved a lot of standing in cues and a lot of waiting around and a lot of sitting on an airplane. Thats the short version. I will detail it later. We got to our apt and had to sit in the lobby for awhile because apparently business hours are just a suggestion here (something we noticed). We finally trudged up to our room weary and groggy eyed, desperately desiring showers...I turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door...someones shoes were in the front...food on the counter...mess everywhere...I turn to Jo "Um...someone lives here...no wait...yeah someone is in the bedroom" We slowly back up and go back to the lobby. New keys, new room. Up in this room we discover it is quite gross. Jo says unacceptable and tries to call Auckland U to make new arrangements. Phone just beeps at us. Back to lobby. New keys, new room. Trudge up to new room. Walk in...one bed, 2 rooms...back to lobby. New keys, new room. One bedroom door is locked. Back to lobby. Manager opens room. New key. Doesnt work. So we left to go exploring. We went down to some souvenier shops and to a neat little market, then made our way slowly down the main street stopping into shops where our wallets got a little lighter. I chatted up a surf shop guy and got some good tips. He however did not invite Jo and I on his New Years surfing trip. Better luck next time I say. We walked around by the water, picked up about 10lbs of brochures and lost about 5lbs in body fat. We searched for I would say hours for something to eat that wasnt raw fish and finally ate at a food court thing which I am pretty sure I am going to vomit up any minute now. Ugh. I dont recommend it. I think Jo desperately wants to call her mom and complain for awhile but it is 3:30 am back home so we stopped in at an internet cafe instead. 1$ for 30mins. Not too bad. We are going to see if the library has free internet maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow should be great. We are going to go to the Auckland zoo and some other museum the bus station guy recommended. We discovered a great deal on transit passes so our adventures should soon become more widespread. And the surf shop dude has given us ideas on where to go. Mom can I buy a surf board? :) Oh and I love the accents. I have also taken many many pictures and JO obliges every one of my stops to take a pic of somethign I saw on the street...and doesnt tease me when I strike odd poses. I wish I could upload some now. Hopefully once we start work. I am a little worried to charge my video camera in these outlets :S OK so this was the quick update. I made it. I am alive. And every now and again I stop and think: WOW! I am in NZ! Still seems surreal. I am in NZ. :D Too bad about the food...haha...

SNOW!

2006-12-05T20:07:00.000-08:00

Fun Week

2006-12-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

It is exam week (ish) leaving me with 9 more days in the school environment. When thoughts should be on neurotransmitters and evaluation principles, they are instead on Kiwi’s and hiking packs. My dreams are all about New Zealand, including my day dreams. I just wish exams were over so I wouldn’t have to pretend to think about synapses and randomized control studies. That’s not easy to fake! In other news winter decided to come early just for Jo Anna and myself! Mother Nature knew we were taking a brief hiatus in the other hemisphere and decided it would be nice to give us a little taste of snow before we left. I hope it sticks around for Christmas. Last night was pretty crazy, and I think everyone in Halifax forgot how to drive as soon as they saw white. By evening everything had gotten pretty slick, since all morning it had just been raining before becoming slush rain and eventually snow. It is now just typical snowing out, or from what I can see out the library windows.
What I am really learning at the library:
I love to watch people
Eating rockets then drinking water is gross
Clicking keyboard keys can be both white noise and irksome
It is impossible to remove all the dog hair from your fleece pants…impossible
I have the attention span of a may fly, or an ephemeral attention span if you will…
Tips like ‘if you don’t have time for the entire handout, just read the last page’ should be placed on the first page of the handout, rather than the last…
My intrinsic hand muscles are under-developed resulting in a weak webspace, and therefore I shouldn’t have to take so many study notes…
When the school network goes down…the library clears out
People do not understand what a network is, and will go from computer to computer trying to find one that will let them log in
Have I mentioned I enjoy watching people?

Zoom Zoom

2006-11-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

School has been pretty busy, so my free time has been spent on that instead of this. Oh and a little thing we like to call occupational balance just so I dont go completely batty. The New Zealand plans are coming along pretty well, I think we even got ourselves an apartment yesterday. JoAnna and I both sent of our letters of acceptance to work in Traumatic Brain Injury, which neither of us, to say the least, is very excited about. I did mention in my letter that I would be interested in making the most of my visit by exploring many different types of occupational therapy and put a hint in about pediatrics. My passport arrived a few days ago, so now I am just waiting on my loan history to complete my SWIF application to help me pay for this whole thing. Exciting and scary all at the same time...isnt that my life! :)
We had a career fair the other day, and I must say it made my head spin. So many unanswerable questions...where will I go, what type of job do I want? I have no idea. It just seems to be coming up so soon. Maybe I just wont come back from New Zealand. I will hide out on some sheep ranch. If I go missing hopefully you wont be able to use this as a clue in the search. Or maybe I put it there to throw you off my track...
Regardless graduation is approaching. We had grad pics the same day as the career fair...just to keep everything in perspective of course. I have a feeling I may be going for the retake option (I wonder if you will actually be able to see the fear in my eyes?) I'm really looking forward to being done of school, but at the same time so many life altering decisions are on the horizon. I'm hoping that with time it will just all sort itself out and the right option will present itself clearly before me. Optimism will be my frame of reference for this intervention!
For The Health Of It is actually starting to come together, even after we had to start from scratch 4 wks before the show! I dont know if we will blow them away, but we will at least put on a good show! It is going to be a busy next few weeks as I try to learn how to dance. Luckily I only wrote myself a few lines so I am pretty sure I can master those in time.
I have been playing broomball every Sunday, and I am starting to get the hang of it. It's actually a lot of fun, and it's nice to dig out the competitive side in me once again. Rejuvenated by team sport every weekend so that I am ready to face another Monday with 3hrs of Diane in the morning. Thanksgiving and Halloween came and went, both of which were a great time. Nanuk was living with me in between the two holidays and it was really nice to have him around. You never get lonely when someone practically wets themselves with excitement everytime you come home. It also got me out of the house a lot more, an excuse to go to the park which is harder to find now that he is gone. But, he just didnt like it when we went to the class and he was getting too lonely himself so it was for the best. And with FTHOI coming up I wasnt going to be able to give him any more time than he was getting. The Remembrance day long weekend is coming up so I will get to go home and see him again.

Catch up

2006-09-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Things got pretty busy the last couple weeks of placement and I didnt have time to sit down and fill everyone in on the goings on. I had a great great time in Miramichi and made some great new friends. But the best part was the confidence I gained as an OT. I really felt like I was in my element there. Neuro is definately shaping up as a possible career path. Krista let Betsy and I out a day early because Jeff offered to drive me home on his way to a wedding, so I got home early and a drive; nice deal.

I spent a lot of time re-bonding with my little sister (we even had a renegade skivvies swim at the beach!) and playing with Nanuk. Chris provided a lot of entertainment and even let me play with his toys in the wood shop. I was pretty bored so I decided to build a shelf, then my very imaginative mind sort of got away from me and I ended up designing a tanker. Ok so maybe its just a really big shelf with box compartments. I had planned on putting it in our front hallway at home but upon further investigation...yes...there is no way it is going to fit unless I get dad to re-wire the front hall light switch :) I also thought this 'little' project would be finished in an evening...hahaha! It's still sitting in the wood shop waiting for me to put all the pieces together, if that gives you any idea what kind of a project I got myself into that cutting and routering and sanding and staining took 2 days.

Talking to my friend Troy one night we both realized we were looking for places to live in Halifax, so we decided to live together. We finally found a place after a few days of classes, that's not in too bad of a location. It is farther than I have been from school yet, but I am making use of the public transit system. Nanuk is even allowed to live here, but I am still nervous about leaving him alone while I am in class. He is here right now on a weekend visit. Before moving into my place I stayed at Jo's and we planned our trip to NZ. We are leaving Dec.27th and then flying out on Feb.15th but staying in LA until the 18th. It's pretty funny, because we fly out of NZ at about 8pm on the 15th and land in LA at about 10am on the 15th. We have become time travellers! We bought our plane tickets so it is slowly starting to sink in, I would say I have never spent that much money in one place before but you all know I am on my second degree so you would know I was lying!

We're all back to school and I must say I find it pretty overwhelming! My mind is so used to hands on learning after 3 weeks I am just starting to get it re-trained to be able to listen and just sit there. Not to mention the sheer volume of assignments being thrown at us, on top of major projects with outside professionals. There is a lot to do and I still have only bought one book. I'm having some trouble parting with my money after buying that plane ticket. We had our grad class photos done last week, and talk of grad photos and grad rings circulate the class discussions. I am still in a whirlwind and hardly believe all this is coming up on me so fast!
I also got my passport photo done so my next step is getting the passport and then work on getting my SWIFT funding so I can eat in NZ :)
NZ countdown: 95 days.

The ever elusive, Orions Belt

2006-08-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

*Sigh* What a weekend!
As I sit here I am editing content in my head...what is publishable? What do I save for our first weekend back as we sit around my cardboard box in the commons drinking out of paper bags? (You guys will hang out in my cardboard box right?)

Anyhoo...Thursday came around I didnt get my paycheck so I held off on doing my NZ errands and went to the beach with Erin, Jeff and Danny. We played throw the rock at each other and TV tag. Note to readers: TV tag is hard when you grew up without tv. Plus, everytime it was my turn they were like "well we know the show had to be on cbc!"
Friday I went out and mailed the foreign bank draft to NZ so step one is under way. Whale Rider here I come! Back home Sam, my roommate, read my tarot cards about my love life. If I read into it right I will be a fortunate woman. However, my rationalism is holding me back, I guess I over think things...and I dont want love to get in the way of my own goals and finding myself. Interesting. Then I went into town to hang with the crew at Dannys. We played card games, sang along to Danny on the guitar, played a little spin the bottle and went home...5am.
Saturday we headed off to the beach chocolate milk ice caps in hand! It was a tad windy at times so I ended up with about a cup of sand wedged in my hair. We got a campsite at the beach and layed back listening to some tunes. I played a little barefoot soccer with the fence and Tinks car until I split my toenail. Then I tossed the ol pigskin around with Danny until it hit me and I started bleeding. Then I played tipsys with Jeff until my knees bled. Wait...am I the only one sensing a trend here? Good times had by all. Tink made us steak and potatoes and carrots on his little bbq and we roasted mallows on the fire for s'mores as we stared at the stars making each other laugh for hours. I snuck off at one point to sit on the beach and watch some falling stars by the ocean...it was great. A great night. NO idea what time we went to bed.
Sunday we are up and after Tink makes us bacon and eggs on his bbq we are laying on the beach. What a life. Less windy, and very warm. I turn a nice little shade of rose. Slathered in spf 45. Thank you scottish heritage, I love your freckly presents. We pack up and head back out to Erins around 4 where we gather up our wits and try and salvage a 12th wind. The gang meets back up at Jeff's and we start catching our breath. We head out to a cottage and night 3 gets on its way. We are ready to dance, and bay du vin days is our destination. Wow. The lobster carnival has some competition here. What a GREAT night...so much fun! But, as Jeff says...what happens at Bay du Vin, stays at Bay du Vin! teehee!
Monday we wake up...and I feel great! What? whaaaat? whaaat? I dont get it? Yes I am fine. 4 days later and hello world, I greet you with a smile :) We have dixie lee for breakfast...hahaha...ok maybe that was a mistake but it sounded so good as we ordered it. Watched The Boondock Saints and then I was back in Trout Brook. I started to watch a Disney movie with Tavi, but before I knew it my eyes were opening and the Zebra had just won the race and I had drool down my cheek, it was 6:30pm. So much for catching that 15th wind. I thought what I needed was a Siesta...but turned out I need to sleep until the next morning! Yes, do the math...12.5 hrs of sleep. And still today at work I had the "slows", we had a new client coming in and Krista was explaining how to assess scars etc and I was getting about 1/3 of it. I spent a lot of the day snapping out of dazes and day dreams. I shudder to think of how I wouldve been if I had gone to bed at 11 as planned.
It's week 6. Where has the time gone? I am stuck in that place between wanting to be done, but not wanting to leave. This year is going to go fast ladies. Dont forget your camera.

thank you spwinkaluh

2006-08-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

So where did we leave off? I cant believe that was only 2 weeks ago. Everyone here has been keeping me fairly entertained, and I am having a lot of fun. We went to the exhibition and I had a good laugh watching Tavi chicken out of rides then pep talked her into some, as she screamed " I can do it!" and "I did it!" We went on some rides after that, I've discovered a new one that I am going to put in my backyard when I am rich. I got lucky and found a ride home for the weekend with Jeff, that was truly entertaining! After being held captive and forced to help Sarah pack we got out skim boarding again, sarah took some pictures so she probably has some pretty funny ones. Emily was having a rough bout with gravity. I didnt see many old friends at the BBQ, but I was lucky enough to get the job of serving pop to everyone, which consisted of standing in the sweltering heat and then periodically dipping my arm into ice water fishing for orange crush. Quite the sensation. Emilys birthday party was a bit rushed for me because I had to get back to the chi, so I missed the present opening, except mine (which of course she loved :P)I didnt even get to say goodbye to Sarah because she was driving our cousin home. I get up the next morning to go to work and upon packing my lunch into my backpack realize that in my haste I left it at home. Ah right, great, no problem...it just has all my work stuff in it...and it just happens to be week 4. So my midterm was postponed until I could get my objectives sheets sent up on the bus. :) Midterm went great, she of course loves me! haha. Oh yeah and I got an email from Sheila Banks asking me to send her some quotes encouraging masters students to enter OT and to talk about my fieldwork experiences...does anyone else find this ironic? What was she thinking? I did it anyways...I must not be the only one she asked though. I even had to take pictures on fieldwork so we had a photo shoot while I made a splint...look for me...my mug may be plastered on the side of the school when we get back! hahaha and one of my quotes is about how we save lives...I love it...I cant wait to hear back from her.
Last weekend was action packed, we all went tubing at Betsy's then we went out to the beach and in to Barnaby days, I stayed over at Erins and then we went to the beach again the next day. Good times. We have some great plans for this upcoming weekend too, but I'll leave you in suspense.
JoAnna and I got emails about NZ, well actually JoAnna and Margaret got emails about NZ because the school is trying to test my patience in regards to fieldwork. JoAnna called and has me all excited about going now, we had to fill out application forms and send out NZ money to register soon. I just have to wait until Thursday when the bank stays open later so I can get the foreign money exchange. I went there monday and they were like, what is NZ money? HAHA I was like uh...I dont know, I was kind of hoping you guys would know...they didnt seem to know much about exchanging money.
So, yeah,placement is awesome, I have 8 clients and I am going through the waiting list to pick out which ones I want to add and then discharging the ones I think are ready to go...I tried to talk one of the cute guys into staying on by doing a work hardening program but he didnt want to use the machine so I may have to DC him anyway...Betsy said to just tell Krista he needs 2 more weeks of my massages...hmm...

Dr.Grant

2006-07-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

We're into week three and things seem to be zooming by. I'm settling into a comfortable groove at the hospital, I have a bunch of my own clients so I can go off on my own, or I can just watch her do whatever. My preceptor Krista is great, really funny; and she has a lot of experience. The clients all seem very appreciative because I can offer to do extra things for them like make up handouts and reminder sheets to take home. I am doing some NDT and hand therapy, making splints etc. Yesterday we had a client who was coming in for a carpal tunnel splint, because she had pregnancy swelling, that I was supposed to make (we had been getting cancellations so I had missed out on a few) she was 40 mins late for her 11am appt time and demanded we not only make the splint but we make her two. She said she had been sitting in the waiting room for 20 mins, and that the receptionist told her we were with another client (haha yeah right)I thought Krista was going to go through the roof. The she brings in her fiance and her 2 yr old into the little splinting room. SO I tried to assess her as Krista got the splinting material ready and we eached splinted one hand. This lady was nuts...and she was like can you make it longer? haha....no lady. Then she had the gall to tell us about how she was diamond ring shopping before coming to the hospital. She was in a rush to get out so she could go have a smoke! AH! All my other clients have been dolls though.
I watched a total knee replacement last week, that was pretty intense, you can definately see why they are in so much pain afterwards, they are nothing close to gentle with you while you are sleeping :P I had to ask for a stool so I could see better and they were hesitant to let me up incase I fainted, I assured them I was fine. After a year in the cadaver lab it takes a bit to faze you...like perhaps your friend standing in front of you with his latisimus dorsi hanging out covered in pottery...haha! I admit that fazed me. Other than that though, bring on the surgery. The anesthesiologist tried to recruit me, he figured another 8 yrs in school was nothing to a young person, and actually...the money would be pretty nice; considering he put the lady to sleep then left the room for a couple hours. He was showing me all the gadgets and what to do if something went wrong. Maybe that will be my next career.
Betsy, her boyfriend, Tavi and I went swimming in the river, it is a lot warmer than the ocean. However, I am unaccustomed to swimming in flowing water so I had to go out and buy some equipment for next time. I got water shoes so I could anchor myself in the rocky river bed, ear plugs because I was clogged up for an hour after the swim and then proceeded to get sick for a few days...I am tempted to get a nose plug and a mask. Oh and an anchor.
I went home last weekend for the lobster carnival, had a mini high school reunion which was nice. And spent some time on the beach. Katie's friend had a skim board so he taught us how to use it, that was a lot of fun, and we were actually pretty good by the end. I think we are all goign to get a skim board because thats the only thing you can do in Toney River.
Last weekend was the Irish Festival here in the Chi, I went to the beach with Erin, Suzie, Allison and Jeff and his friends. It was super hot, so the swimming was nice. However you can tell which spots were not protected with sunscreen...like my lips. I woke up the next morning with a swollen bottom lip that was pretty tender. Then last night it started to blister. My preceptor called staff health so now I keep them all lubed up and it has spf in it so hopefully it doesnt happen again. Suzie had some pretty hardcore racoon eyes hehe!After the beach we went to a party at Jeff's friends and then off to the Irish Festival where we did a lot of jigging!!
Last night was the OT/PT Aid appreciation pool party so Betsy and I went to that after work. I am enjoying all this swimming. They also served salmon that was really good, and a homemade oreo icecream cake. I brought bits and bites...oh yeah...I am awesome!
There is another OT student from U of Ottawa there that is really nice too, Ariane. She is really French so she helps me out sometimes, she didnt start learning English until grade 5. We get to play together with the splints and whatever else we want to do. Theres also a Rec student, Mike that I mostly just make fun of for having such an easy job.
I am planning on going home again this weekend because it will be Emily's 16th Birthday, and Sarah is moving to Alberta, and it is also the humongously famous Toney River chicken BBQ.
I leave writing in this for too long and have too much to fit in when I finally attempt a post...so I will try and get better at that. Even though Chris's dad may be my only reader...haha. Come on girls get working (LB I am proud of your attempts...but I need more...keep me busy). Until next time, I am off to rest for a busy day of saving lives tomorrow (as Jeff says)

Welcome to miramichell :)

2006-07-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

So I have been away from a computer for 2 weeks and have found a chance to sit down and give an update to my loyal fans! :P It turned out to not be my last weekend in Freddy and Suzie, Lisa and her boyfriend and I went out on the town that Friday, I have pictures but they are on my computer and I am not. Saturday morning Suzie and I went down to the market one last time and I got somosas (I also even took a picture of them, but alas...) Mom came down Sunday and we left Monday for home, with a pitstop at the blue door so I could have some Thai food before returning to the woods. I had a great time at home, spent some time on the beach, got to go swimming and so did Nanuk (I have the scratch and bruise to prove it), watched movies with my sister and Christopher and went out to Westville for the Canada Day celebrations (can check that off my to do list and never return).
Found out that I lost the apt in Hali and walked home from my aunts in tears, called for the place in Miramichi and found out I lost it too. Had a panic attack. No joke. Haha...christopher had the voice mail to prove it but he deleted (I would have kept it for a good laugh and possible bribe material later but I guess Chris doesnt plan ahead). I am staying with Betsy at her place with her boyfriend, a couple and their 4 yr old daughter. I am quite the novelty to the little girl (Octavia...took me 2 days to realize that was her name, I thought it was tabitha?) She just calls me "that girl". I am her new play toy. She asks Betsy when we get home "Is that girl with you again?" and then shows me a new game we are going to play. I dont think she has realized yet that I live here. The other night at bedtime she didnt want to go and was starting to whine when her dad said, she will be here tomorrow, she said oh, and went to bed :)

Work so far has been great! Interesting clients again, and so far very different from anything I have done so ample learning opportunities! Retraining after a stroke, fitting splints, doing assessments etc. I've gone with physio ot see what they do with my client who was in a car accident and tore his FDP and is now all adhered, I may get to put him on the BTE so thats exciting; I cant wait to set up some programs on that. I watched a carpel tunnel release surgery today and I am pretty sure I could do it myself. It would have to be my specialty though. Only CT releases haha.

And this weekend is the exam for OT certification so I am getting a ride home with Erin so I can see Nanuk and catch some of the lobster Carnival!

oh geeze, I forgot the best part. Betsy's family owns an outdoor adventure business! So I finally get some adventures for Melissa's Adventures. She said I should be able to get some good pictures on our tours. Last night we went there for a Northumberland Salmon Protection Association meeting about how the river is plugged up with gill nets etc....then we had a barbeque...fantastic! I got a bumper sticker from her mom "I fish- I vote" :)

Kill Arnie

2006-06-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

Shortly after getting home from frisbee on Tuesday, the skies opened up!

It is getting harder to say good-bye. Tomorrow is my last day of placement, but today was my last day with the early psychosis program. I really thought the 8 weeks would drag out longer than this. I am going to miss my clients. I have too curious a personality for these silly placement things. I need to know what happens to them next. I snuck into work before my preceptor this morning because I bought her a big multi-frame for her office. She has mulitple photgraphs around the room and none of them were framed, so I picked out some good ones and put them in and then put the frame up on her shelf. I then went to meet with the psychologist who did a personality test on one of my clients (which by the way was eerily dead on, I want one done on me!) and Sharon ran in late. After that we had a meeting with the team nurse about our new youngest client who was being screened that aft. Sharon had a meeting after that while I got stuff ready for my afternoon sessions and packed for our trip to the lake. I wasnt sure when she would make it to her office. She did however finally find it, but I wasnt there to see it, she absolutely loved the idea so I was very happy about that.
We headed out to Killarny lake with our health in action group and had a picnic and waded (one swimmer, there wouldve been 3 if I hadve had the notion to wear my suit! The water was so nice!) Back at the clinic I met with 3 clients back to back and explained to them how Sharon would be taking over after I left. They were all so cute, "youre leaving?!" They were sad :P I thanked them for being so open with me and told them how much I appreciated them allowing a student to take their case. Sharon has promised me some updates in code through email, so we are trying to give code names to everyone :P Most of my clients I wont get a chance to even say good-bye to. I tried filling out my evaluation form but I hate doing it, so instead I uploaded my pictures from today :D
Tomorrow we are going out for lunch, and I have to find time to write up 4 notes! Then Suzie, Lisa and I are going out on the town to say goodbye!

Sharon at the lake side watching another client swimming

Blogger is being a little bitch and wont post any more of the pictures...

Almost done in Freddereecton

2006-06-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

It's my last week of Fredericton placement. Feels like I am running out of time, we book clients and I realize I wont be there, I plan my one on one's and realize I cant do the follow up, I'm even missing some field trips! I have a lot of clients booked for my last day with EPP to try and fit them in before I leave, then Sharon reminds me I will have a lot of notes to type up after that...I have no idea when i will fit them in; so I told her I wasnt going to do any therapy. I am just going to tell them this is our good-bye session and to make sure they dont talk to me about anything that is documentable, if they start talking about their functioning I am going to plug my ears and humm. That should work. We had, well I had my last frisbee match tonight, because I wont be there for the rest of the league. Luckily it was also the night of the frisbee party, so it was like a goodbye party pour moi!

Lauren and I on the sidelines

Suzie and I after the game

Suzie and I were chosen for the spirit game again...what is with that? Getting ready for the sour worm race!

Most of Franklin's Army, named after the turtle...we still have to Iron on the logos

Oh and Jo, Ziggy who is a friend of Jeff O'neils...has a sister who runs a horse farm in NZ...and yes we can stay there hehe...I told him to hook us up!

Last weekend in Freddy??

2006-06-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Myself and my preceptor Sharon fraser, in the day therapy room at Chalmers.

We presented yesterday and it went well, they really enjoyed it. Betsy was there, and I wasn't expecting that! But there were less people than I had imagined so it wasnt too bad. We went to the market today, Erin is in town from Miramichi and we met catherine down there. I got the necklaces for everyone also, I got my sisters the nicknames I gave them. I got to try the famous Somosas from the OT, I had the turkey one, it was good. I also had the new green ice tea and I like it :)
When we were headed down town we stumbled across an event, I think it was called something like free day in fredericton? A lot of things were free like the museums etc. Example for JoaAnna- free icecream! They had a whole bunch of corvettes new and old all lined up down the street (of course Suzie took my picture vanna'ing an old classic convertable) and there were vendors etc. We watched a bit of a kids science show and the guy had a little boy put a pile of mentos into a bottle of Pepsi and the thing gysered about 15 ft into the air. Now there's a party trick! We walked around in stores and I almost got new runners, the girl said I could run down the street in them but I was wearing a skirt so I might've looked a little silly...add to that all the people around downtown for this festival of sorts. None of the shoes really meshed with me so I left empty handed. I did see a couple people I know in the store though. It was good to hang out with Erin today because she will likely become a source of entertainment for me when I move on to the Chi. Tonight we are going to an all you can drink wine thing and then to see Grand Theft Bus. Should be a fun night.

Lisa and I after the presentation

Striking a pose in our matching uniforms :)

Sweet Potato Fries

2006-06-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

They are my new love. I went out for supper last week and ordered them on a recommendation, they are great! I had to go out to sobeys and buy some so that I could try it at home myself. They are pretty hard to cut up! We went out for supper again tonight, the OT girls were in town for orientation or what not so I was with the former 4th yrs (Suzie, Catherine, Jen, Julie and Victoria). I, of course, split an order of sweet potato fries with Suzie.
Lisa and I do our presentation on Friday about community mental health, every time we work on it we almost choke laughing. We are supposed to discuss the issue of the lack of OT representation on mental health teams so I came up with the idea of taking pictures of people doind OT activities and cutting the OT out of the picture so there is a white blank space. The series is titled, what is missing in our communities? Then at the end of the presentation we have Occupational Therapy, changing the face of our communities: which is the same pictures with the bodies back, only they have our heads now. Larger than normal heads. We did one, and it was just a picture of someone on a bus (ok that someone happens to be in a bunny suit) and it really looks like we are on the bus too. I die everytime I see the pictures. I just really hope they share our sense of humour.

Me and Lisa...des ergotherapeute

Lisa running a group, and I doing a 1:1

Lisa meeting with a client who has an addiction

Me running a relaxation group

If it lets me I will show you the Bunny pictures some other time, perhaps after the presentation it will let me :)

Pre-Script Post-Script

2006-06-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to add these to my last post, but it wasnt allowing me that option; so here are some images to go along with my ramblings...

This is a fiddle package much like what I would be getting.

I took this the other night from the balcony, I wish I had somewhere to go to take better shots that night. I couldnt even get my roomie to get up and look at it...I need some photographer friends.

The necklace I got at the market!

Plodding Through

2006-06-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

I guess I was getting bored with this thing, but I have been strongly encouraged by un-named persons to continue on with my tales.
Work has been pretty continuous, still running morning meeting, taking them for walks, running group, running relaxation and doing initial interviews. I am not looking forward to documentation when I reach the real world. I took a sick day last week and missed a Health in Action day where they went and worked out at the Y, so that was disappointing. My partner Lisa and I have been working hard on our community presentation, we are trying to make it as humourous as possible. Lisa's roommate is on my frisbee team and he had to ask her if we were related; we look alike and have very similar personalities, its actually quite funny. We even dress the same, identical even, we've got it right down to the freckles and green eyes, 2 sisters, fisherman fathers, the melissa-lisa name thing... When I go to Miramichi she will be in Cambellton which I guess isnt too too far away considering I wont know many other people. My preceptor gave me a pamphlet on an Irish Festival they have every summer in the Chi which is apparantly a good time, and Suzie is going to come up for it that weekend. David also told me about a canoe run thing they have where they drink and canoe to different parties all along the river (dangerous no?) So I am accumalating entertainment to fill my 2 months. Suzie and I went to the market last weekend and I got a necklace like Martha's and Janelle's. I am going back this weekend to get some more, plus I saw a purse there that screamed out my name and said buy me, which I didnt, however Suzie says it is a sign if I am still describing this purse to people, I must own it. We also went to a music store and picked out instruments; she is going to buy a guitar and I am going to buy a fiddle. So I will learn to play that in Miramichi (my renter is sure to love that!). I have always wanted one, and I saw that they arent as expensive as I thought, so why not right!?

I went home last weekend which was great, got to see the pup and the famdam. Emily and I took Nanuk to the beach in the rain, but still enjoyed ourselves! I got to give them all their Crocs, except Sarah, I didnt see her because she was busy with work. I had fish both nights in a row, but no lobster. Dad tried to get me to go out on the boat saturday but the thought of waking at 3:30am didnt appeal to me at the time. I also finally got a haircut, so it is a bit shorter. Christopher came over and we watched a couple movies, I do not recommend the Producers. haha...we can do it! we can do it! We are planning a trip to NFLD at the end of the summer for a picture taking excursion! Should be fun, the guys will all bring their guitars and I will bring my fiddle, because I am sure by then I will be almost pro. Colleen and I are also toying with the idea of going to surf school, another thing to be a pro at I'm sure...

I am enjoying my time here, and I wish I could stay longer, but I am sure I will feel the same way about Miramichi at the end of August. It's all about attitude. Well...Suzie and I are going shopping, I want to pick up some more board shorts if I can find some good ones.

Evaluation Week

2006-06-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

So I get back to work on Monday, and the client who I spent all that time convincing to stay had left over the weekend, which is very discouraging. I have been running all the meetings and groups lately so that has been interesting. While the clients do their relaxation I sit there and sketch them, its pretty funny. Although last time I just did a lake scene because my mind was still at Toby's cottage. We have some pretty interesting clients in now. One guy is pretty annoying, Sharon and I have him diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, so you can just imagine what he is like. We even got out the DSM to check on the traits. One girl and I get along pretty well, she's sweet. She also thinks I am hot and smart, so of course I like her! :P We flirted with guys down on the green when we were on our walk yesterday, she cracks me up. She was making jokes yelling to them about how she gets out in a few days. Things in both dept's have just been puttering along, I cant believe 3 weeks to go.
Ultimate Frisbee started on Tuesday, we are the Franklins Express.Suzie got beaned in the face, but she is ok! :)Last night I hung out with maggies brother David, we rented Date Movie, it was slightly funny, but we shouldve gone with the history of violence one I think :P Toby is doing well from what I hear in my reports, although none of you left any comments! I dont think anyone even reads these...Hi Mom! Hi Chris! Hi Jo! hahaha...

Summer Kick-off

2006-05-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

When I got to work on Friday one of my clients told me that he was leaving AMA (against medical advice). After talking with him for a while in the lounge about how he felt about going home and what his plan was to stay clean we learned that he didnt really want to leave. He had a bad day on Thursday and called home to get picked up and thought it was too late to cancel the pick up because his dad lives an hour away and would be there soon. He mentioned wanting to go into rehab so that isnt something I let slip by and I looked into getting him into a program in st john. Its not as easy as it should be. He would have to call the health centre when he got home to make an appt with an OPC, which could be up to 3 weeks, and then they would screen him and get to know him for awhile and then try to get him into a program which could be a month or so after that. Meanwhile he has to stay clean on his own. Long story short I managed to talk him into staying his full term in detox and I think he was able to communicate a lot of concerns, so it felt good. And all the others told him how proud they were of him for staying. He asked me to be his sponsor, I sort of wish I could, but I know thats not reasonable. I took the group on their afternoon walk by myself Friday because I was supposed to be working on the self reflective essays while my preceptor did paperwork and the walker guy didnt show up so I of course volunteered to go out on the nice sunny day! On the way back into the building they even all stuck up for me when the commissionaire gave me a hard time about opening the door to let us back in, it was funny...they were like you dont talk to our girl like that!

Then Maggie picked me up and we went out to Tobys cottage for the night! It was a lot of fun even though it rained a little off and on. He has a hottub and the cottage is in a great spot (although I may have lost weight from the mosquitoes)! His brother Joel took Maggie and I out on the 4 wheeler which was great. We had a bonfire and sat in the tub all night. I got up early and went and sat down by the lake for a while, it was very peaceful. Later in the morning Toby had an accident involving a coffee mug and ceiling beams and had to be rushed to the hospital to take care of a wound which I will describe as a steak oozing out of his back, which was I presume his lats. I almost cried, or threw up, it was intense for a bit. It was a good thing that Maggies friend Jeff is a medical resident because he took fast action. They went to the hospital with him and his parents and we sat around talking about all of Tobys accidents for awhile. Janek and I took the canoe out and were going to paddle over to Joels cottage on the other side of the lake but gave up and just went down the lake. We played some frisbee, BBQ'ed and lit firecrackers. Everyone eventually went home except Bob and I and we talked shop etc until Maggie and Jeff got back with news that our Toby was waiting for a surgery consult. Until I hear from Toby I can just hope that everything went well. When I got back to Fredericton Kevin and I went to see the DaVinci code, sometimes my tired cottage mind got a little lost...but overall it was good. Then I talked to my friend Chris on MSN, that is always exciting. He is planning a trip up here with the excuse that my goonies tshirt logo finally came in the mail. (Look Chris, you finally made the blog)

Tobys cottage from the bottom of the stairs to the lake

Standing on the deck

Stairs to the lake

Jan thinking about how wonderful OT's are

FTHOI plotting

Maggie preparing for S'more time

post s'mores

Practicing my j-stroke with my new friends

Actual j-strokin with my actual new friend

Kickin back while Janek brings me on a tour

Crash Landing

2006-05-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

I ran my first group today, the clients made me do it. Sharon said I would run the one on Wednesday last Friday because they wanted me to teach them instead of her, but she had forgotten and we had plans to skip group and everything to go shopping! However, the clients remembered so of course I had to oblige them. I played a game with them about occupational balance in recovery. Its hard to really get your mind into that of an addict, but watching them today was a little bit of an eye opener. They just didnt know how to live anymore. Some had been addicted since they were young teens, and their days had been consumed with scoring and using. One guy said " I am not often at a loss for words, but when you asked me about leisure, I really couldnt for the life of me think of what that could be in my life." They seemed so distressed afterwards, how do they know what to do, what do you do in a normal day if it isnt searching for that high? It was an odd experience. Trying to explain to people what just comes so naturally. They started talking about something that happened the night before and how they laughed until their knees were weak, and then it dawned on them that this was the first time they had laughed like that and were sober. It almost made me tear up hearing them say things like that. I want to wrap my arms around each one of them and kick the ass of any pusher that comes near them. But I have to be like the momma bird and kick them out of the nest when discharge comes and just hope they can fly on their own.
My preceptor forgot it was midterm time until a silly nurse asked how much longer I had left here. I was just going to let it slip on by, you may have noticed she can be a little scattered sometimes, I love it! She is always talking about how she is supposed to go to some stats meeting but lets the lady forget; so I told her I was doing the same thing :) She was like yeah you have 4 weeks left isnt that something! Wait is this week 4! I tried to convince her it was week 3 but she got out the calandar...foiled again. So we do midterm Monday. unless...

Oh yeah Jo...look a present...

I got this from Maggie

2006-05-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Melissa!

Owls cannot move their eyes, because their eyeballs are shaped like melissa.
About 100 people choke to death on melissa each year!
Pacman was originally called melissaman!
Melissa is the world's smallest mammal.
Ancient Chinese artists would never paint pictures of melissa.
Melissa was invented in China in the eleventh century, but was only used for fireworks, never for weapons.
In 1982 Time Magazine named melissa its 'Woman of the Year'!
Only one person in two billion will live to be melissa!
Melissa was originally called Cheerioats!
Devoid of her cells and proteins, melissa has the same chemical makeup as sea water.

Cure for the weekend 'Blahs'

2006-05-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

So its the middle of the long weekend! I have hardly seen the girl that I lived with since I got back from the valley, her family is up from Manitoba so she is often out with them. I went back to the croc sale, which is a fundraiser for the Canadian Mental Health Association, and got pairs for Sarah and dad as well; so my little croc family is growing!

Sarah said she wanted a bright colour, but I am re-thinking the orange. The crocs come back on Wed so I am going to see if I can switch them for bright blue. Also on Wed as another fundraiser there is a clothes sale! They are turning my pad in the health centre into a changing room and selling clothes that were worn once in fashion shows and were donated to the CMHA. They are going to make so much money its great! Even off the crocs alone they must be making a mint! When I came into work on Friday it was nuts in the entry way with people grabbing crocs up left right and centre! I wonder if our grad class can get into any of these ideas, asking stores for donations etc and having a sale in the SUB or tupper.
I had another one on one at the Detox which was really hard. I just didnt know what to say, sometimes I am scared that I dont know enough to make recommendations you know? He was telling me about what began his problem with substance abuse and was asking what he should do. When he was 13 he went to his best friends house because him and a group of friends often hiked up to go swimming. His friend was sleeping and his mother said to just leave him, he wouldnt go today, but he insisted and woke him up and made him go. On the way there while they were all crossing the street he felt a push on his back and he fell forward. He heard screeching and turned around to see his best friend get hit by a car driven by a guy a couple yrs older than them. The guy had done the speed up to scare them trick but then lost control, and his best friend died saving him. He never got any counselling and still feels all this sadness, guilt and anger. I didnt know what to say. All I could do was recommend he get help for this or he would never overcome his addictions because he was trying so hard to numb himself. Then he said something that really clicked for me as a learning tool..."Thank you so much for your ear". I guess we dont always have to be the experts, sometimes just being there and listening can mean so much for a person (therapeutic use of self anyone?). I gave him some resources on grief counselling.
I wanted to go to a concert on Friday, and the market on Saturday but no one was around this weekend. I started getting that feeling where I am more than ready to just go home. BUT then Maggie called and invited me to her house for a BBQ! Her family is really great and it was a good time. We went out after to her brothers girlfriends and then Maggie and her fella went home and I went out to Dolans with her brothers and their friends. They were all super nice making sure I had fun and felt like a part of the crew. Her brother even goes to the Chi a lot and said he would entertain me when I got shipped out. However, during my adventure I lost the cap off my "I read the Coast" pin that scott gave me at the Junos concert that he had to pee on a wall to get! Haha...so that was a little sad.

This is part of my grad gift from my older sister, its hilarious!

The yellow rain in Fredericton?? Please please be pollen! haha... After a heavy rain this is what my roomies boots looked like sitting on the balcony. I had seen the yellow rimmed puddles before, but this was a curiosity.

The view from my balcony, I love how there are so many trees in Freddy, makes for a nicer walk to work.

Caps and gowns and crocs

2006-05-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

Ultimate frisbee was pretty entertaining, I wish I had taken my camera! There was definately a lot of nice things to look at. One guy even said I was a natural, because frisbee is one of my innate talents just waiting to be released. The whole time they were showing us all these different types of throws I was thinking, oh repetative strain injury, oh ulnar deviation etc etc haha! Its a dangerous sport! The concert was also great, I love InFlight Safety! We even met Tara there and I ran into a couple people I knew from Acadia.
I left Fredericton this weekend, which was a nice change of pace. I spent 7 hours on a bus to get there, but it was so nice to be back. I had to hang out at the hospital for a while waiting for my dad and did a little OTing while I was there. I helped a lady getting her hip xray :P Nanuk went bezerk when I got home, dad was blocking him at the door and he tried to just plow his way through dad but it wasnt working (very funny!)We left early sunday morning to make it to WolfVegas in time for brekkie, then I remembered that meal hall wasnt cool! Oh well one last walk down memory lane. We took a lot of pictures around the campus, I love the Acadia grounds.

Those are paintings! I always loved them...

We had supper at Joe's of course, a classic, and then had icecream at Hennigars, yet another classic. Convocation was good, I was so happy to see the sun and they changed the ceremony since I went there so its a lot faster. I got a few Acadia memorabilia and framed my diploma and then we had to rush to catch the bus so I could make it back to Freddy. We missed the bus in Truro so we chased it to Amherst, so I didnt have to spend 7hrs on the way back which was a bonus. Some weirdos sat by me after the Moncton stop, haha, this one guy was like do you like reptiles? I wish I couldve seen my face...it was so random. I just said um...I dont know. So he picks up his backpack and says I have one want to see it, and proceeds to pull a crocodile gecko out of his bag. Nice.
Back at work and things are moving along, she finally thought to pull the Learning Objectives out today and it is the end of week 3. She told me to make up 3, I was like really last year I had one or more for each section...so she said I could do that too...but we decided 3 was fine! haha! I met with my own client today alone and she is doing great since our last meeting, said she is using the strategies we talked about. The crew in at detox this week were also full of spunk and liked to joke around. One of the girls is pregnant and is on the methadone so that the withdrawl doesnt cause premature labour. She was nervous someone would find out she was there when we went for our walk because she is a university student and her boyfriends parents are both ministers. She said she felt like such a horrible person being addicted to opiads with a baby to think about.
Today a lady walked in to the office while I was doing some documentation and said there was a croc sale down stairs! My preceptor let me go because I told her I had been trying to buy a pair for awhile now. I got 3 pairs!

Sky blue for me, red for Emily, and white for mom! I am going to call them to make sure they like those colours! It was such a great deal! I guess next week they have a clothing sale which is also full of great deals. What a sweet work place :P

It doesnt really matter...right now

2006-05-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

(title is the line the lady says over and over in one of our relaxation tapes, it is one of my favourites to make fun of...I find it hard not to giggle when she says it)

So week 2 has now ended! I am struggling slightly with realizing that the time we have left is as long as the whole time I was in Charlottetown, but other than that things are great. I am loving my placement! I cant get over how friendly and open the clients are. On Monday I started working on my community project, I am working with a student from the Uni. of Montreal and she is really nice. We are looking into the role OT could play in existing community mental health programs here in Freddy that currently dont have one on staff, they are hoping our project opens up some job opportunities that maybe I could come back and fill haha! We also went to a seminar on crystal meth because of its increasing popularity...I seriously hope it doesnt catch on because wow does that stuff mess you up! We had a meeting with parents of a young boy who were complaining about the behaviours he has been displaying lately (schizophrenia) and we educated them on the disorder and I think it was really eye opening for them (things they were blaming him for that he had no control over) and I think it really scared the mom when we got to the suicide and drug section. But hopefully they use the techniques we talked about on how to address the issues because she was pretty much just yelling at him or ignoring him (I get to meet him next week). I started doing initials this week, and I am hoping to get a lot more practice. I still feel a little disorganized and unconfident in my advice. I was interviewing one girl (schizophrenia) and she brought up how her leisure has declined because she is scared to go out in her neighbourhood because a boy on her street raped her. I had a slight pause as in my head I was screaming THEY DIDNT TEACH US WHAT TO SAY FOR RAPE! I was remembering all the stuff about suicide and was so nervous about saying the wrong thing (especially since the girl became teary eyed a lot in the interview and if she started crying I mightve started too!) So I just asked her if she had talked to anyone about this before and if legal action had been taken. My preceptor said that I handled it well and it is the sort of thing we will let her explore with us later when she is more comfortable (she had spoken with a counsellor about it). We also ran a health in action group which is through EPP so that is a lot of fun too. It was organized because so many of the young people gain weight on the meds so they do a healthy activity and then come back for a healthy lunch...what a job I have! I'm excited for our next outings. I got to go to the clubhouse, and friends and fellowship, and the job placement program as well. Starting to write OT notes also and am having a hard time focusing the info...I asked her if I could just write a story and forget about this DARP crap. I have a hard enough time focusing these blogs, maybe I do need to write more than once a week, I have so much more to say but this already looks long! Good thing I have a captive audience ;) I have been running in the park here and I love it, I think I even like it more when it is wet, the park is really pretty and has some great trails (and killer hills). Suzie, from the yr ahead of us is working here so we have been hanging out, tonight we are going to play ultimate frisbee and then go to In-flight Safety at the capital! I think it will be a great night! AND tomorrow I go to NS so I can graduate! I get Monday off for it and I will get to see my puppy for a night!