Food seems to have formed a leitmotif throughout this week, mainly thanks to the number of lunches I've shared with others. Not special food, just special people. It begins with Nyasha, my fellow curate - seems a good way to get to know each other, so after a joint session of Mainly Music we grab an omelette at La Vista in 'the village' (as everyone calls St Heliers). Next up, lunch with the lovely Julie at Julie's bedsit at the top of a hideously steep road, which I fail miserably to climb even with the benefit of Betsy, my black beast of a bike. It involves lots of laughter and American chocolate chip cookies, which Julie is making for the US carnival the village is holding at the weekend.
A trip out to Waiau Pa (about an hour south of Auckland), country home of the McKinnons - Roy's caretaker predecessor at AWWM - follows our very wet celebration of the annual Battle of Britain on Sunday at the Cenotaph, sited outside the Museum. 71 years since the B of B, 70 years since the NZ Air Training Corps was formed. I'm reminded of both Dartmouth and Royal Hospital School. Lots of young cadets get steadily, stoically soaked: Roy, recipient of the deluge from two umbrellas, gets drenched. A trip to the dry cleaners becomes essential. Lunch includes lamb shanks, good conversation and a beautiful view of Manukau Harbour, as well as (blessedly for me) both fields and cattle, at last.
A toasted panini with my new Bishop and Roy next, a snatched 45 minutes at the museum cafe in the midst of busy diaries. No ceremony, just relaxed chat in mufti. Nice. And today a scratch lunch with Julie after Women's Fellowship (talk on Sustainable Living), at my place this time en route to the local cinema at Mission Bay. It's called the Berkeley, is up above some shops and is the sweetest (and cleanest) cinema imaginable. We watch 'The Help'. Excellent, pretty faithful to the book, and very moving.....
Should I mention dinner? Just the one, with the McDowells (what's with all the Mc business?), Kohi residents who were hospitable to Roy in my earlier absence, at Mama Rosa's. Not only really good food but also BYO at only $3 corkage a bottle (about £1.50). And we can walk to it! What's more Kohi does the best fish and chips I've had anywhere. Should allow me a night off cooking once in a while.
On Thursday I finally get to see where we're going to be living from late October. Roy holds his breath as I wander round sizing up and gauging space and light. He's done well. And yes, we can see Rangitoto (our nearest island neighbour) and the sea from the balcony. Phew! He can breathe again - and so can I. We will make this 'home' for a while. Good location, too, on the flat (a must for me), next to the tennis club, 400 yds from the beach, and near St Philip's. Ready to move now....
We take delivery of Charlie on Saturday. Definitely champagne. Roy visits the boat show and orders an outboard. Car - check. Engine - check. Berth - check. Now all we need is the boat!
Church on Sunday and I'm both liturgist and Deacon at the 8 am. That means 7 am at the church to set up and prepare, memorise the choreography and learn my way round the New Zealand liturgy. No mishaps, thankfully. Faces becoming familiar. I've visited Colin and Eleanor midweek (or Ellen and Colinor, as Michael styled them accidentally en route). Colin allows me to cut 2 lemons from his small lemon tree outside in the garden, then presents me with a camellia.... The McDowells bring us lemon curd and lemon liqueur, from lemons grown at their bach (pronounced 'batch', meaning beach 'hut' - anything from a small wooden dwelling to a 7-bedroom glass and marble mansion!) up country. Palm trees. Lemons. Something distinctly tropical.
Two visits to the Auckland city hospital to visit parishioners, and I begin to suss floor plans and etiquette. There's the new wing, wide corridors and low windowsills; then there's the older wing, neither, catering for recuperating 'older' people. Plus 'Starship', children's wing, as yet unvisited (by me). Zelma likes BCP (Book of Common Prayer), not that 'crazy modern' NZPB (New Zealand Prayer Book), so Michael obliges and I find myself making familiar ingrained responses whilst he concentrates on unfamiliar wording.
I thank God, daily, for his providence - for new friends and warm welcomes, beautiful scenery and constantly changing weather......and for modern communications, for skype, facebook and email that help us keep in touch with family and friends at home.
An old tussle with dehydration rears its ugly head. Strange feelings within the body. The acquisition of a (retro china) water jug resolves the issue. I gulp constantly until the body feels re-balanced. Shades of Crete 1979, without the temperature.....
And so to the kingfishers. I've seen sparrows, starlings and blackbirds here. But how often do you see a kingfisher in the UK? In my childhood I saw them occasionally, treasured sightings, flashes of blue in secluded watery places inland. But kingfishers by the sea? Here in Kohi/St Heliers I've now seen 4 - maybe the same one 4 times... But definitely kingfishers. They are known here as Sacred Kingfishers, protected, common (apparently), populating coastal waters where they eat small crabs and fish. What a delight to watch them sitting guard on the lava flows that form the shoreline at low water.
The rain finally abates, and so today does the wind. I visit the optician, only for him to confirm that it is as I suspect - I am getting older. The glasses I have are no longer strong enough for reading and I can no longer watch TV (not that I have since we've been here, other than the rugby) and still see people's faces. I have the option of using 3 different strengths to cover all bases, or pay $900 for a pair of 'progressives'. Three strengths it is, then.
Now to find a hairdresser...........
No comments:
Post a Comment