Hi all,
Still
busy - but today was a not so good day. One of my students - Freya
Snadden-Wilson - was killed in a car crash last week & today I went to her
funeral with a mini van full of NMIT students and a fellow tutor, Chris Turner.
Freya was about to have her degree conferred on the 19th, so the loss of all
that potential was particularly poignant. There would have been 3 or 4 hundred
people at her funeral at St Arnaud (the wee township at Lake Rotoiti, an hour
& a half away from Nelson); far too many people to fit into the tiny
lakeside Chapel. So those of us who weren't Freya's closest friends &
immediate family - probably 300 of us - stood outside. Soft rain fell
throughout the service, the smell of peaty mulch and beech forest, the silence
caused by soft rain and low cloud, and the haunting call of the Tui made it all
very special. Freya's family has many military connections, and they read a military
prayer ("They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old. Age shall
not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the
morning, we will remember them"). Very, very sad. As was driving back home
to Nelson past the site of the crash.
On a
happier note, Ana Silvia is busy, busy, busy too. She is trying to do as much
as possible before she leaves on Boxing Day - for example, this past week she
went out gliding, got a ride on a very fast motorbike (not Jan's!), went to two
formal dinners, three parties and has had three friends over to stay! She loved
the Milford track but unfortunately soaked her camera when there was a sudden
deluge and the storm flap on her jacket pocket was tucked in instead of out :-(
But at least she has saved her memory stick.
We went
to Golden Bay for our anniversary; it was fine for the first two days, then it
chucked it down solidly for the remainder of the time we were there. When we
left on Monday, apparently the Takaka Hill was closed for slips soon after we
had gone over. However, we finally did the Farwell Spit tour, and had a
wonderful day with a coach load of Dutch tourists and the most inane Kiwi tour
guide you have ever heard in your life. Jan was nearly ready to strangle her -
the dropped plurals and repetition was driving him mad - but I got the giggles
and started mimicking. We spent the rest of the weekend finding the silliest
plurals to un-plural that we could. We also caught up with Fleur & Neil and
their brood (all well!) and had dinner with Merrill & Colin at their new
place in Collingwood. We even managed to have lunch at the Mussel Inn.
We have
also been to a few functions - we had a farewell for an old Manager and a
welcome for a new at Founders Brewery, which was wonderful; went to the
fundraiser quiz night for the Hospice at Monaco Resort; had our black tie
Rotary Christmas dinner at Fairfield House, and a Nelson Pine supplier formal
dinner at Monaco Resort. Lovely food & wine throughout.
On our
way over to Golden Bay we called in to see Leigh, our plans man. We now have
concept two of our plans, which we have accepted. Leigh will now be preparing
working drawings from those. If you are interested in seeing concept #2, click
here. On our way back from Golden Bay we called in to see Leigh again, and
Nute, who is to be our excavator driver, to work out how much soil needs to be
moved, and where it should be moved to.
Brigitte
& John came to visit on the 29th of November. The weather was great and I
think they enjoyed their time here; Brigitte did lots of Christmas shopping. We
took them to the land and pegged out the building site to approximately where
the house will sit, so they know how it is going to be. We dropped them off in
Blenheim on Monday after driving through to Picton for John to see his Mum on
her birthday.
While we
were in Blenheim we caught up with Magda for lunch, and she is about to move
back to Nelson. She has got a job starting at Nelson Hospital early in the new
year, which will be fabulous. I will have my tennis partner back again!
We have
started buying some low energy use appliances for the new house; we bought an
Asko washing machine last week. We also have had a quote for the remainder of
our kitchen appliances which is about what we expected for cost (ouch); all
energy saver and all European. Apparently the prices are due for a major price
hike in the new year, so we are in a quandary about whether we do buy
everything now & store it, or wait to see if the price hike is a myth and
vanishes like early morning mist.
Jan
played in a concert yesterday at the School of Music, with the Greenhill
Ensemble. It was great to go & listen to what they have been working on.
On Boxing
Day at 9am, Ana leaves to head back to Brazil, and at lunchtime we hop in the
car to head over to Picton, to pick up Otto, Jeremy & Tina.
Right,
that's it for now. Take care & alles liebe!
Sam & Jan
