News from Nelson - December 2012

Hi everyone,

Here we are, hitting the last month of the year – where did it go?

Firstly, we have had a MAGNIFICENT parcel from Germany! Jan’s Aunt Uta from Neu-Ulm has sent us a huge box of lebkuchen, chocolate and all sorts of special things. She also sent some Hawthorn capsules for my Father’s heart condition, which was incredibly kind of her. We are so lucky – and will have a very German Christmas with all of our wonderful bounty (mmm – lebkuchen chocolate hearts filled with apricot!)…

Camila is back from her South Island Tour and the Milford. She had a great time, and is now planning her next shindig: to get all the Rotary Exchange students from the deep south to Nelson before she leaves to return to Brazil. The process of her getting a load of students from Cromwell, Dunedin and Invercargill all to Nelson on a shoe-string will be interesting!

Bonnie has had an eye ulcer, which has meant a few trips to the vet. We were worried as she had quite a bad one a couple of years ago. However, this one has healed well. I will take her in tomorrow for her final check up, but when I went last Friday, it was almost completely gone, so I would expect the all-clear tomorrow.

This weekend we are in Wellington for my last CDANZ Exec meetings of the year. Jan is coming up as well, and we are going to see Doug & Morv, then head around to catch up with everyone else (we hope) at Guy & Sonia’s. Will be great, and I am really looking forward to it.

Last weekend we had Frits here, who did loads of brush-cutting. I attacked the grass and weeds around the house and Jan got all enthusiastic about planting veges. Hopefully we will get a bit more rain in the near future, as it is getting pretty dry already. However, we caught the tail end of something on the radio about NZ being in the middle of a La Niña / El Niño pattern this summer, where we would have fine weather, but it would be cooler with southerly winds. I think that was the pattern when we built the house. It was certainly windy that year, and largely from the south.

Tessa, her girlfriend Sandra, my folks, Hui-Ping and her brother Burt and his wife Rita, Hui-Ping’s mum, Mae, and Burt & Rita’s son all visited on Saturday as well. We had a great lunch together, and the afternoon melted. There is nothing like good company.

I made my first prezi (http://prezi.com/nz4vil20umpa/lara/?kw=view-nz4vil20umpa&rc=ref-18076696) for Lara's birthday. She seemed to enjoy it.

I also found a photo of frost on the ground here during winter:

Also I have taken some photos of the office:

And we finally have blinds in the lounge. It is useful to be able to shut out the sun sometimes (I never thought I would say that!) - especially when we want to watch a film before 9pm :-). They sit very discreetly above the aluminium rail over the windows, and don't really intrude into the room.

All my NMIT stuff for this semester is done. Now I have only to review and update this year’s contetn for next year, prep some new topic materials for next year (writing a new section on Social Media for Sports Comms), record some AUT lectures and post them online, and do some study. Piece of cake!

Had a ruling: can’t go straight to PhD, as they gave me 60 credits off the Masters. However, they did say that if the depth and quality of my work continues to  exceed masters’ standards, it will shorten the PhD path if I chose to continue. However, I am not being entirely let off the hook. There is an International Leadership Association conference here in Auckland next April, and Brad has asked me to present at that. I asked him “You mean, 2014, once I am nearly finished?”. No. Next year, so I can get feedback before I do the research. Nice. Only presenting a draft research project in front of the really big guns in the field. No pressure.

The NSO concert went well, as did the Greenhill Concert on Sunday just gone. So that is our music scene completed for the year (though I am still working on Nelson Symphony PR materials for next year). I scratched my eye just before we left for the concert, which wasn’t flash. I got Jan to drop me off at the emergency doctor's, then sat in the concert audience with a big white patch on my eye. All good though now: patch off, antibiotic ointment is doing its job, and it feels fine.

We have a few BBQs coming up. Firstly, we have a lunchtime one for Camila’s birthday (her birthday is actually on December 6^th, and we go to Welly on Dec 7. Bad timing) which we will celebrate when we are back in Nelson, the next weekend on December 15^th. Then we have an evening BBQ for Justine on December 22^nd (Justine is back in Kiwiland for Christmas next week). Then a Roses Road lunchtime BBQ for New Year (New Year’s Day). Then a farewell lunchtime BBQ for Camila with all the Rotary people on January 6^th.

We also have the Chamber of Commerce Christmas Party tomorrow night, the AUT Graduation Party on the 13^th, Kevin’s graduation party at Masu (Japanese restaurant) on the 14^th, Mud Castle’s Xmas party in te 23^rd, and no doubt a few others that haven’t yet made it into my calendar.

Speaking of calendars, Jan finally has a blackberry. He was swearing at the keyboard last night, attempting to send a text. I had forgotten that transition, from phone pad to keyboard. The keyboard makes life so much easier.

When I am up in Tauranga for an AUT leadership training session on 7-8 February, I will catch up with DJ & Dilani. They have been kind enough to put myself & my AUT colleague, Lynn Kidson, up for the night. Bless!

Magda sounds like she is settling in in Christchurch. I do miss her, but it sounds like she is having a good time.

Happy birthdays over the coming month to Christina, Camila, Jamal, Tina, Murray, Karl, Cherry, Christél, Gareth & Wayne! 

Right – back to the salt mines.

Jan Kuwilsky & Sam Young

News from Nelson – September 2012

Hi all,

We hope you are all fit & well, whether it is autumn or spring where you are.

Our pool is improving: Jan & I played three games on Saturday night before we went to bed, and the games are going much faster now. Jan won two and I won one; though I was only one ball off the pace on both the games Jan won. 

We had Robbie, Janet, Fergus & Mac here last weekend. We stayed up far too late, watched lots of films, played lots of pool and ate too much! In other words, we had lots of fun, and hope to do it again soon.

I have nearly got my research proposal for my Masters knocked into shape, being currently lost in the world of ontology and epistemology. I am up in Auckland on the 19^th of this month to meet with a load of people at Auckland Uni, and will catch up with Tessa for Japanese at the Stamford. I am doing a lecture on Leadership diversity at AUT in Manukau on the 20^th, on my way back to the airport, which will be interesting.

Jan & I had a lovely dinner out at Hopgoods for his birthday. I bought him a new viola case (when I was in Welly a couple of weeks ago for an Exec meeting) and got Camila’s folks to send some guava paste from Brazil (Beto & Célia also sent Jan some lovely peanut lollies that he likes - paçoquitas). Tina & Jeremy got shoes & socks for a child in poverty (what a great idea!) and we got a handmade card from Otto & Lara. My folks bought him a Mitre 10 voucher, Midori & handmade hazelnut chocolates, Kathleen & Frits got him Monopoly: the chocolate version :-)

Jan had a family & friends birthday lunch at Lambretta's – it was great to catch up with everyone, and the sun was kinda-sorta out too. Then he went off to rehearse with the NSO and I went to Kathleen & Frits’ place to mark.

We went to Lake Rotoiti a few weeks ago and presented “what happened on the North Island Tour” to the next intake of exchange students. They are a great crew and we should have a really good time next year on the tour as well.

We also caught up with Hui Ping & Mae at Bill & Cornishes’ place a few weeks ago, along with Murray & Julie. It was a lovely night with LOT of lovely pizza, which Hui Ping made for us all. Wonderful. Hui Ping went skiing, so had her dream stop in Nelson. 

Speaking of skiing, Camila has been, and probably now has the show bug as badly as Ana Silvia had it. Unfortunate that the snow has almost gone now; but I think overnight there has been a bit (it is chilly enough this morning to light the fire again).

Tina & Jeremy hosted me brilliantly in Welly a couple of weeks ago, and not only did we have a birthday party for Uta with Hartmut on Friday night, but I spent time with Otto & Lara watching Mr Bean on Saturday night. A great weekend.

Interesting sunrise recently with a halo around the sun... very thin cloud about.

 

Jan & I are both in Welly from 7-9 December (next Exec meeting) so we will be in touch to try & catch up with as many Welly people as we can then. 

Andreas, Katrin & Christian will be with us for Christmas and maybe New Year in Nelson. Flights are booked, should be loads of fun, and we are really looking forward to it!

Happy birthdays to Otto, Bob, Warren, Doug , Helen, Andreas, Leigh, Max & Karen, DJ, Tony G, Andrew and Ana Silvia! 

Right – better finish my marking. All the best :-D

Jan Kuwilsky & Sam Young

News from Nelson - February 2012

Hi all,
Wow – here we are a sixth of the way through the year already! How did it get to be mid-February so fast?!

Brigitte appears to be recovering well from her hip replacement in Germany, and Jörg is slowly making progress following his head injury. My brother got swarmed by a wasps nest recently when mowing the lawn. He appears to be OK, but that is not the nicest experience either. He was very lucky. 

I had a minor fall – Coco towed me over on the neighbour’s steep gravel driveway, leaving me with lots of bits of gravel to pick out. Thank goodness for Christian’s high pressure winery hose – that cleaned the bits out pronto :-)

As I write I am reading over what we were doing last time I wrote; and I am pretty much at the same space! I am still trying to commission my new PC. Jan has finished building shelves in the cellar – though; and they look great. 

I have pegged back my teaching for this year; only teaching three papers, and they are all now underway. I am still trying to mop up summer school though. Getting there, but it feels like the mountain is very big at the moment.

Each week I have been helping the Nelson Symphony Orchestra secretary set up some new systems. Their previous secretary, who basically carried the whole shebang for several years, recently left. No one knows how to do anything as everything was in his head. At least while we are reinventing everything, we are writing it all down, and putting it into Google docs, so that everyone can access everything.  

We are definitely now driving the Rotary International exchange teenagers around the North Island at Easter for my birthday. Camila, Ana's sister, is here from Brazil, and is coming to stay this Friday night with us. We are going into Able Tasman on Saturday for a day cruise in and a walk – or part walk, part cruise – out, depending on the weather. I hope Camila enjoys the dogs as much as Ana did.
Last weekend we had a great time up in Wellington. Jan had lunch with Doug, and Hui-Ping came around to Tina & Jeremy’s along with Pae-Ling, whom I vaguely remember from Auditing class many years ago. It was great to see everyone. We had a lovely family brunch on Sunday morning too, with Hartmut and Uta, and another friend of theirs. Tina & I tried to take a run – well, Tina did, and I puffed along beside until nearly asphyxiating and having to walk! I was up for a CDANZ Exec meeting, and so had eleven hours of meetings in two days. It was a bit full on – I got a pretty bad migraine on the way home, so will have to cut down what I try to fit in while I am up in Welly.

Kathleen & Frits came to stay at our place for a weekend, which was really fun, and we had Erin, Simon & wee Isla up for a meal while they were on holiday in Nelson. 

Right, that's it for now – this weekend we have the Abel Tasman trip, and a Roses Road BBQ on Sunday. Then I am ensuring that we don’t add any more back in for the next two weeks!

* Justine – the earphones arrived perfectly! Send your CV!

All the best - hope to hear from you all soon!

Jan Kuwilsky & Sam Young

News from Nelson – December 2011

Hi everyone,

Another short one!  Where has the year gone?!

We had a great weekend this last up in Wellington – and have another five weekends planned for the Capital next year. We caught up with Jeremy, Tina, Otto, and Lara; Hui-Ping, Guy & Sonia, Doug & Morv and Birthe and Mike (who hosted us out at Whitby) and Hartmut. A fantastic, relaxing weekend with good catch-ups! We didn’t get to see Wendy & Gerry and their little one, or Uta, but next time we hope. A flying visit, but completely unpressured.

Magda came and dog- and house-sat for us (Yay!). John is away on tour, so she looked after Bonnie as well. I think she survived OK!

We are also planning on having a week or so away at Easter; somewhere a bit luxurious as both of us have had a really busy year. We will see what we can come up with!

The inspector has been and given us a list of works to do for the CoC. Our builder is coming out this week to organise a couple of small jobs, then we can get the inspector back out to check everything off. And we will at last be legal!

Jan’s search for an Electrical Engineer continues – no bites still.

My students for Semester 2 are all done and dusted; and I have just started teaching summer school with 91 students! At least I have a graduate that I am hiring as a tutorial assistant to help with the marking. I am seeing her tomorrow – an ex-student who has been overseas and is just returning at the right time! – and that will take a load off. Phew.

We had a great time at the Business Awards, Jan’s concert went really well, and he and my mother went to a choral performance of Handel’s Messiah last week with the choir that Frits sings in.

Speaking of Frits, he has not been so good lately – a few problems with blood pressure, and getting his medication right has been a real problem (boy, do I understand that!).

Also a party at our place on New Year’s eve – about 6pm onwards. BBQ, BYO. All welcome :-)

Right – I think that’s all for now, aside from wishing all the party season’s birthday people a wonderful coming year: Jamal, Tina, Murray, Karl, Cherry and Gareth.

Some  photos of quail on the car park & the Richmond Ranges :-)

Catch you all again soon.

Alles liebe!

Jan Kuwilsky & Sam Young

News from Nelson - January 2011

Well, what a busy few weeks we have had. We are both well; Jan narrowly skirted getting a summer cold, but it didn’t quite eventuate. Jan’s work isn’t too busy, and my study has reached a stall-point as I am waiting for my next lot of materials to be sent to me, and I have completed all the on-line work available. So for the next couple of days, I guess I have to read a few books and go for some walks instead.

We are still battling the gorse in the gully, and we now have a large pile of it against our shed, drying out to burn in autumn once the fire danger is low and we can get a fire permit.

Not only do we have cars in our garage, we also have one wine rack built and full of bottles. Jan did a great job welding last weekend, and we stocked it up. That has freed up a lot of space in the cellar, though we still have one more rack to build, and then some benches and shelves down there before we are really organised. There is still some timber and a few remaining workshop items in the garage that need to go across to the shed.

Our new tandem axle trailer arrived from Briford in Christchurch just before Christmas, which was great. Jan managed to clear some space in the shed for it, so it is stored out of the rain.

We have had lots of visitors – in the past week we have had Kathleen & Frits and John F for an overnight; Megs, Will & Emily along with Noreen & Paul and Max & Karen on New Year’s Day for brunch; Hui-Ping, Ella & Nikus a couple of days ago; Kent C & his wee boy Cameron. Kathleen & I played tennis at the Moutere Rec Centre courts, which was great fun. 

The Chamber of Commerce Christmas function was entertaining at the upgraded Theatre Royal – the restoration team have done a wonderful job of the theatre, including recreating the original wallpaper. The AUT graduation party, NMIT’s graduation and the Business School's farewell get together all went off well. The Roses Road Christmas Party & our family pseudo-Christmas lunch went off well, but we ran out of steam for the Neudorf Road Neighbourhood Party (at Glenys & Kevin's) & put in our apologies instead. We caught up with Glenys & Kevin a couple of nights later & caught up with their news first-hand anyway.

Our Wellington trip went well – read the entry immediately before this one to catch up on that info. Unfortunately we missed seeing Guy & Sonya, but hopefully next time; and also didn’t manage to catch up with Sam & Moose or Gary & Karen on this side of the Cook Strait either.

We have Bon dog here for a couple of months while John F is off on tour. Fliss & Coco are thoroughly enjoying having their partner in crime back.

John, Brigitte and Tanja are coming down to visit us for a few days next week, and I have a few brochures for them to decide what they would like to see while they are here.

We have a barbecue on January 15^th from 3pm if any of you are about Upper Moutere & looking for a party :-)

Right, I think that's it. All the very, very best for January, and we look forward to catching up with you all sometime this year.

Take care

Jan Kuwilsky & Sam Young