Today I've been here 4 weeks.  Something of a mini-milestone.  Such a lot seems to have happened in that short space of time - the time I might have set aside to write an assignment any time during the past 3 years (thankfully no more of that, for the time being anyway).  But whilst I've been busy since I last blogged, there has also been a sub-text of what you might describe as mild homesickness.  It hits you after about 3 weeks that actually this is not a holiday, this is now 'it', and familiar patterns and routines and relationships are not going to be resumed shortly.....  Not unexpected, I guess.  Once the adrenalin stops coursing through the body at mach 15 there's a bit of a dip in the whole endorphin business.

Not helped by the curious disappearance of two of my stoles from St Philip's vestry, including my rather special and treasured ordination stole. Can my stoles really have been stolen?  And why would anyone take them?  The fact is they were there and now they are not.  No-one can explain it.  But it didn't help the way I was feeling, that's for sure.  My other beautiful green stole, made for me with such love by Rose, is now locked away in the safe!  I'm so thankful that one was in its custom-made pouch and less obvious.

Lucky for me, then, that there have been distractions. Roy and I have started Te Reo lessons with Haare Williams. That means that we're learning Maori language along with some traditions and culture.  I can now tell you my name - Ko Hera taku ingoa; where I now live - Kei Kohimarama taku kainga inaianei; where the home of my heart is - Kei Tollesbury taku kainga tuturu; and what my 'tribe' is - Ko nati ingarihi taku iwi!  How about that?  You can learn alongside me!!  Haare went at a breakneck speed leaving us rather reeling, and I found myself waking up in the middle of the night murmuring words and phrases as they surfaced and submerged during my sleep.  The course is to last 8 weeks.  I wonder if we will?

We also had our first experience of the APO - the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra - who hit on the clever idea of inviting guests and subscribers to a taster evening, where the programme for 2012 was outlined, thematically, and the orchestra got to strut their stuff in several different genres.  They had FIVE percussionists on duty.  Great stuff. Now we just need to identify some evenings to go to the real thing.

On the church front Nyasha and I teamed up to run the show last Sunday as Michael enjoyed the rugby. That was so much fun we're doing it again this Sunday!  I get to be liturgist, Deacon and do the prayers. I've done some more home visiting (people are really hospitable with the home baking - not so good for the waist line), assisted at two communions at rest homes (one of which was a typical setting; the other, however, was like walking into a Hilton hotel!  very strange) and attended funeral planning with a husband and wife in their 80s who are both still alive and well.....

And then there's been the rugby.  It's become very obvious that if the All Blacks don't win the World Cup the nation will go into a major depression!  They are passionate about rugby.  Many say it is their religion. They certainly seem keener on worshipping the All Blacks than God. It's a bit like the football in the UK - except here there are the All Blacks and the Warriors, and they're world-class and don't keep falling over and pretending to be hurt....