Hi all,
Latest news – we have a new addition in the family: a pool table. I have had a search on TradeMe for a couple of years, looking for an old pub pool table, and we hit pay-dirt last weekend. We went to Blenheim to pick it up, avoiding the rain, and installed it in our lounge on Sunday.
We played about thirty games and we were both RUBBISH, but I was by far the MOST rubbish. No down-trous (Kiwi rule: if you don’t sink any of your balls, you have to take your trousers down), but close at times. It was fun. I see budgie-smuggler free pool parties at our house coming up (translation: budgie-smugglers are Ozzie for tight fitting swimming trunks that look like shiny undies).
“Deutschlandreise 2012” has arrived from the printers, so I am now waiting for Jan to write a couple of letters before the copies will wing their way to Jan’s grandmothers.
NMIT & AUT teaching is going well; I have sorted out all my courses and my semester's teaching is going smoothly. My study is going slowly, and I am constantly getting lost down side-alleys in UA’s LOVELY library where I have access to journals for Africa! Ooo Grommet!
My brother’s 40th birthday was last weekend. My family came together for a party, which was great. My sister is off to the US in a couple of weeks for a holiday, and to meet some friends whom she has met online (in Washington DC and Pennsylvania).
Dogs are all well, if put out by the rain. They keep going to doors and expecting me to open them onto sunshine, I think. However, they certainly don’t mind splashing through puddles, if it is a walk. It is only toilet stops that are infra dig in the rain. Photo of a weird sunrise attached, and a night shot from Princes Drive.
Only a couple of months until Camila comes to us for the last three months of her Rotary exchange year. I suspect that we won’t see too much of her during the weekends though as she has lots of places to stay in town. However, she does enjoy pool, so perhaps the pool table will provide a key attraction!
We are going to Lake Rotoiti this weekend to present “what happened on the North Island Tour” to the next intake of exchange students. That should be fun.
Andreas, Katrin & Christian will be in New Zealand this coming Christmas and New Year, and it looks like either Christmas in Nelson, or Christmas in Wellington at this stage – but we haven’t heard back on a final decision from Eppingen yet. Hopefully this will spur a response!
The weekend after next I am in Wellington for a CDANZ meeting. I am up in Auckland on 19th Sept for some Masters stuff, to joint-present a lecture at AUT’s Manukau Campus and to have dinner with Tessa.
Happy birthdays to Neil L, Gary B, Uta S-K, Oma Lieselotte, Hui-Ping, Raeywn TeH, Otto, Bob, Warren, Doug, Helen, Andreas, Leigh, Max, Karen and DJ!
Right – I am sure that I have forgotten lots, but this will do for now. All the best to everyone :-)
Jan Kuwilsky & Sam Young
