Another "summer" in Dunedin

July heralds a long and arduous journey from the desert of Doha to the icy cold of Dunedin for both Teagan and me. This year it started at 1 am on hot Doha "morning" and ended 36 hours later in a cold and dark Dunedin tumbling into bed after rediscovering the long lost Grandma toys.






There is something quite soul warming about landing in Dunedin. The single runway is surrounded by paddocks and once you come out of the "enormous" twin propeller aircraft and descend the stairs, you are hit with that combined sweet smell of silage and animal - absolutely perfect for my little international city slicker of a kid.





In honest confessions, this is the point where I admit my over confident traveller mistake. One always travels with insurance, however, One never wants to use it. One always thinks that she can get through any bag collection and airline transfer quickly. And yes, everywhere else this works! Auckland for some reason on the day we arrived could not deliver to my expectations. Three A380s (larger than a 747) and one 747 landed within an hour of each other and the airport turned into a stock sorting yard. Sixty minutes into our luggage collection wait, I informed the madam that we would miss our flight to Dunedin; as her tears began to quietly flow I assured her that all would be okay as we would get there and if we didn't we could stay with her cousin or at the airport hotel. We did make it down to Dunedin adding extra flights onto the trip with a pleasurable reunion of long-lost cousins at Mary's Sunday School less that 12 hours later. Lesson learnt - the only place in the world I ever need to use travel insurance is New Zealand (last year a lost suitcase and this year a missed flight).

Settling back into the kiwi routine was instant. Arrive at Grandma's at 9pm, hit church the next morning, enrol in school the day following, and then get yourself into a school holiday programme soon afterwards. Thou shalt not suffer jet-lag when the best place in the world to be is Dunedin!

Location:Hobson Street,St Clair,New Zealand

A few changes in the wind....well not a lot but sometimes one change makes a difference!

I think that "I" am so lucky to have got Teagan into a new British International School for her 4th year of her formal education. Starting in September, no longer will I be making a 30 minute one-way rally car drive through chaotic streets to the other side of Doha hoping like heck that my twelve eyes are driving defensively enough. We have been in a car pool for the past two years which has been fantastic, however, it does not take away the time and danger of the trip. We have valued the school Teagan has been at (Sherborne Qatar) but now it is right to move her very very very close to the compound to another high quality British International School, Doha College, West Bay Campus. A few of her school friends are moving also and will be in the same class!

The compound should have some changing dynamics looking ahead. Currently it is about 75% french as the french schools are closest, however, I expect it will start to turn quite english with the school being a 15 minute walk from the gate - maybe there will be more girls around. For some strange reason there seems to be very few girls; currently Teagan's class is over 2/3 boy and all of the children of a comparable age with Teagan in the compound are boys!

As a key result of the school change, I am freed up from at least 2 hours of driving per day. This bodes so well for my other activities, one key one for this coming school year is planning out a large 2 month trip via land and sea from Canada to Turkey - yes, another epic for the backpacking meanderers.

Below are some annual photos - wearing the same uniform throughout. At age 4 yrs it is huge at age 7 3/4 it is time for a new one! Weight change 13 kg up to 19 kg.

Location:Hobson Street,St Clair,New Zealand

Of cats and damage and extensive expensive garment repair .....

This household supports two cats.  Both have been rescued in their own ways and could not be more different.  Raisin is an elderly lady and Tiny is an intelligent wilder-beast of the "doha special" variety.

Raisin came to us already well loved for a goodly portion of her life.  She continued on happily establishing her spots and showing a delightful tolerance for Teagan.  However, she has a fettish for electronic cables having eaten through two Bosh and Lombe headphone cable sets, two apple iPod headphone sets and a variety of other cables - when will I ever learn not to leave them lying about.  Overall, however, she is a tidy and compact wee soul establishing herself during the day in the same room as me and moving when only absolutely necessary.

Tiny, on the other hand, came to us from the side of an expressway, aged 3 weeks, riddled with worms and with a great spread of ring worm.  He was a mangey and mankey piece of life.

After a good dose of love and an even larger dose of money, Tiny has established himself as the king of the household.  One can never describe him as compact as one couch is simply not big enough for "himself".  Tiny has also displayed an extreme fettish with yarn.  A fettish that has me incredibly furious!

As the Merriman's Meandered around the Orkney Islands. One purchased some North Ronaldsay Island yarn (seaweed eating sheep).  It is coarse and not high on volume.  Accordingly, I knitted up a rather complex aran weight jacket called the "Kelmscott" by Carol Sunday.  This jacket took some weeks to knit in the hot summer nights in Doha.

 One evening rather recently, I was readjusting the button placements and left in on the dining table overnight.  Seven chewed holes later, I sat repairing those "said seven holes" for nearly three hours.  My method was that of creating a ladder across the row using orginal yarn and a basic darning technique.  Using the ladder I crocheted the correct style of stitches.  Had the yarn been more fine or less "hairy", I doubt that I would have been able to patch repair it! 

While I do not have a photo of the hole presented here, the pin marks the original position of the 2 cm square hole!

One of the seven holes - you can even see cat dinner on the yarn!

Anchoring the damage

Laddering

Prior to final tighening

Who can tell?!

New luggage

It is time; the luggage fiends buy again!  Both Ross and I love our luggage.  The "relationship" began with my career as I began to travel and detest waiting for the luggage carousel.  

Ross and I successfully travelled for three weeks together through mid-winter Europe back in 2001 with merely carry-on board items.  This continued until we had the kid.

Ross (a long time ago) standing with our complete luggage collection in Frankfurt.

Travelling between Qatar and NZ has also necessitated somewhat larger cases as I stock up on honey, buttons and vegemite.  However, for the past year we have managed to travel on our European trips with backpacks.  These packs are of the tramping variety and do not facilitate ready access or quick train exits wearing long down-filled coats.

Teagan with her Lands End back-pack wheelie and Ross with his big pack

The net result was the expensive decision to purchase high-end travel luggage designed for the "one-bag" traveller and capable of going on-board.  

Teagan has had major value out of her Lands End wheelie.  It is more than big enough for her standard gear (even her helmet straps onto the front), it is a good size and fairly light in weight.

Helmet strapped onto the front of Teagie's wheelie

Tom Bihn was the answer for Ross and me after a lot of reviewing.  This gear is amazing and I am impressed with the company's marketing and innovation.  Luggage is made in Seattle in the same room as the company owner.  Now we wait for our expedited UPS package to arrive - in time for Ross to head off to Geneva for a work trip and in time for Teagan and me to head back to NZ (of course we will be checking on our super sized cases for that trip!).  If you are interested in Tom Bind luggage here is the link.  TOM BIHN.

A final note:  as we were trawling the internet for luggage reviews, we stumbled across a variety of luggage packing You Tube videos.  Did you know that someone can demonstrate how to "fold socks" and it takes 6 min and 4 seconds.  Needless to say, tears were streaming down my face as I watched the video.  Here is the link if you want to be "rather amused": How to fold socks!

Singapore - a great destination!

I don't think I can recollect how many times I have been to Singapore; whether it has been for work or a transit stop, the stops and stays are far too numerous to count.  However, I have never holidayed in the city and never contemplated touring a seven year old girl through it.  

Together, Teagie and I spent a week wheeling through the streets and shops of Singapore and it now fits, as a destination city, into my "will holiday again" category.  We have very good friends living in Singapore so we enjoyed a central location and a built in playmate.  For both of us the highlights were: the Cloud Dome (Gardens by the Bay), the Zoo - day visit and a second night safari, and finishing off with High Tea and Raffles.

As an honourable mention - Mr Micro Maxi, deserves accolades!  One has now discovered how to keep walking through city streets with a kid in tow (or in this case, in push).  Now that the Madam is too old for a stroller we had changed our travel style away from pavement pounding but WOW, a smooth gliding scooter returned me to the walk, with merely a hand on Teagie's back (or under her own power when not on a busy street) we covered some distances!

A few days in Singapore

It is the Easter break for Teagan in Doha and that means "holiday". This year we have handled it a bit differently with a friend and her young son traveling up to Doha for a week from Singapore and then Teagan and me traveling down to Singapore for the second week and it is flying!

Our Singapore time began with purchasing a new scooter - a Micro Maxi. A fabulous replacement for Teagan's beaten-up two wheeled heavy Razor. We have covered what seems likes miles and miles of ground using a scoot / push approach to movement. Needless to say, I have one incredibly happy daughter!



















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Location:River Valley Green,River Valley,Singapore

It is definitely over two months since.....

Computer activities in a threesome

It is definitely over two months since I last loaded a blog post.  The second school term is closing in on me and nothing "too much in particular" has happened; this I should be ever thankful for.  Which brings me to what to write about!  Normality, me thinks.

Villa and compound life has entered a "new" normal for us.  Mostly this is due to Teagan growing up.  Today for instance is a Thursday.  Usually it is a day where after school we do something special together: make something, watch something or draw something.  For the past term, this "together time" lasts less than 15 minutes so today, I didn't plan anything and thank goodness because, yet again, I am alone in the house as she is out and about.

Injury repairs!

Some kind of game

When you live in a gated community such as our compound, community is the operative word.  Teagan 7 yrs, IS. (7 yrs), D. (7 yrs) and A (4 yrs) spend their after school hours kicking around on their bikes between the street and the playground.  It seems that this mindless racing, playing, and competing is far more interesting than any adult could possibly imagine. If the children aren't outside making noise then I only need to look for a pile of bikes and I can guess they are in one or another of their houses "doing something just as interesting".  Once the street lights go on it is all parents to the helm to locate find and return moving, living children. Between all of us (parents that is), grounding has become the best lever; invariably if one normally present 7 year old is missing, that child has been grounded and is watching from an upstairs window feeling mortally wounded as life continues below without them.  Needless to say, I have a relatively well behaved child!

A BIG Brownie

One other thing I have noted is that  Teagan stays up a lot later and joins Ross and me for our supper, popping herself to bed for a short read after partaking in a cup of tea and a partial quality documentary.  Normal now is having a lovely second person for me to enjoy, with what ever moments I can get.

The vege man

Book week character!