#25. Sleep under the stars

Another item crossed off my 101/1001 list this morning. Have I mentioned how much I love crossing things off lists?

#25. Sleep under the stars

Last night I set up the hammock on our front porch and camped out with my favourite doona and my ipod packed to the brim with my favourite songs (I can’t fall asleep without music). I lay there for hours looking at the stars, watching the clouds float across the sky and listening to the water lapping on the lake shore, it was lovely. After a while I fired up the pod and rocked myself to sleep in the hammock. And, best of all, I woke up just in time to watch the sun rise over the mountains, what a great way to start the day.

 

Today I got to pee standing up!

You know your life is pretty boring when the most exciting thing you can think to blog about all week is the fact that you got to pee standing up but as sad and strange as that makes me, I’m excited!

A couple of months ago I was doing some research on female urination devices and after looking at just about every website for these products (who knew there were so many options!) I decided that the one I liked best was the go-girl. I was very excited but then I realised that they didn’t ship to New Zealand from the website, or from Amazon (how frustrating!). I scoured the internet trying to find a way to get the thing delivered to me and in the end decided to contact the company directly and ask them to send me out some samples, preferably in time for our trip to India. And they agreed.

My parcel arrived today! Wahoo!

I was especially happy to see that they included an alternative to the pink packs. I know it’s silly but the whole pink for girls thing really bugs me sometimes, so it’s nice to see they have another color available! Anyway I won’t go into graphic details but I used the go-girl today for the first time and it was great! Who knew peeing standing up would be so much fun! I was a little worried I would end up with pee on my shoes until I got used to the thing but it was really easy to use. The only thing that wasn’t easy was rolling the thing back up to fit back into its little plastic cylinder again. I got there in the end though and I figure with some practice that part will be easy too. Now all I need to do is master using it while on a shaky Indian train and I’ll be set!

LOL. I sound like I’m writing an ad! Just for the record, I didn’t get paid to write this, and the blog entry wasn’t part of the deal for sending the freebies or anything like that! This blog remains an advertisement free zone!

So, any of my readers had the pleasure of peeing standing up? Which device do you use? Any recommendations?

PS: I really wish I had put “peeing standing up” on my 101/1001 list!

 

Like something out of a Hitchcock movie

Maybe I am watching too many movies lately, but the seagulls that have started hanging around my house the last few days are really starting to creep me out. There are hundreds of them and I’ve no idea where they came from, one day there were none and the next they were everywhere!

I’m hoping that it’s not some kind of animal kingdom sixth sense warning thing about the next big flood, like the way dogs can predict earthquakes. The lake has been steadily rising the last few weeks and I’m really starting to get nervous that we might get flooded out. The last big flood was in 1996 and the water level was so high that our loungeroom was completely submerged – obviously we weren’t living here then, so technically it wasn’t “our” loungeroom but you know what I mean.

The big flood before the last big flood was about 200 years ago though so I’m hoping we have another century or so to go before we really have to start worrying, but I just can’t help but sneak a peak at the water level each time I walk through the house, just in case.

 

The Itinerary

Well our trip to India is still a while away (77 days, not that I’m counting) but I’m just about through with all our planning and booking so I thought I’d do a quick update and tell you all about our plans for the trip:

April 7: Fly from Queenstown – Christchurch and spend the night. We have a meeting with a woman who we are hoping to get a puppy from (did I tell you about our prospective puppy? Oh dear, well I best put that on my to blog list!).

April 8: Fly from Christchurch to Sydney, get some dread maintenance at Furr and then we’re meeting our dear friend Kristie and her daughter Tara for lunch at the Green Gourmet (OMG just typing that there is making my mouth water, I miss that place so much! Go Vegan Yum Cha!!!). Then, in the afternoon we’ll head back to the airport and catch our flight to Mumbai (thank goodness we are both the kind of travellers who can fit everything into a carry on sized backpack otherwise we’d be lugging luggage around with us all day long!).

April 9: We arrive in Mumbai at 02:40 AM!! Ugh! That will be fun! So, arrival in Mumbai, mad dash to the hotel and probably sleeeeeep. (hopefully) I’m sure we’ll wake up at some point and we can ease ourselves into the madness that is Mumbai.

April 10: Explore Mumbai during the day and then jump on our first overnight train and spend the night travelling.

April 11: Arrive in Aurangabad at silly oclock in the morning. We have a car picking us up at the station and taking us out to the Ellora caves.

April 12: Head out to the Ajanta caves.

April 13: Catch a bus to Jalgaon in the morning and spend the day sightseeing before jumping on another overnight train for our very long trip to Varanasi (20hrs).

April 14: Arrive in Varanasi. Relax!

April 15: Take a boat tour down the Ganges and do that whole tourist thing.

April 16: More sightseeing during the day and then another overnight train!

April 17: Arrive in Agra. Relax!

April 18: Visit the Taj Mahal!

April 19: Train to Delhi (day time train this time!)

April 20: Sightseeing in Delhi

April 21: Flight to Goa

April 22 – 25: Relaxing in Goa for 5 days after the mayhem of the first part of the trip!

April 26: Nighttime train back to Mumbai

April 27: Last night in India

April 28: Fly Mumbai – Sydney – Auckland – Christchurch

April 30: Fly Christchurch – Queenstown

Phew! I think it’s going to be pretty hectic!

Who wants a postcard?

 

Happy New.. okay so I’m a little late..

Jan 13th and I’m only just getting around to writing my first blog post for the year! What a slacker! 2010 got off to a great albeit slightly belated, start with a glass of champagne with Luke when he got home from work at 1am. Before he got home, I had spent the night skyping with friends all over the place and listening to my favourite songs (and feeling a little sad, if I’m honest!). There were loads of people along the shore of the lake huddled around driftwood fires and setting off firecrackers, it was all very festive. After our glass of champagne to celebrate not only the new year, but also our 7 year anniversary, we snuggled up in bed and watched a movie and then fell asleep.. what party animals we are!

Jan 1st I woke up all motivated and ready to get started on my new years resolution to somehow figure out how to climb the damn mountain near my house and get to the lookout at the top. I figure if I can climb just a little bit further each day then I will eventually get there. I took a photo for you, but it doesn’t seem to truly illustrate just how high that thing is.. oh well,  it will give you an idea!

So for three days I walked and climbed for as long as I could and then had lunch on whichever comfy rock I could find, before walking home, exhausted. So far so good (well except for the fact that I’ve been sick and unable to get out of bed!, back to it tomorrow!).

Jan 3rd was our first wedding anniversary, Luke worked again but when he got home we celebrated with a midnight picnic by the lake which was very lovely, if a little chilly. Summer seems to have passed us by here on the South Island, much to the disappointment of all the summer folk who had plans for a long relaxing summer and have all abandoned their summer houses and headed back home because it’s been so cold.

Jan 4th, after our very lovely midnight moonlit picnic, I promptly fell sick and didn’t get out of bed for days and days and days. Lots of movie watching and herbals teas later, I’m finally feeling half way normal and so here I am finally updating! I hope you are all having a safe new year so far!

 

52. Write a letter to myself 10 years in the future.

Just a quick update to let you all know that I’ve crossed another thing off my 101/1001 list.

52. Write a letter to myself 10 years in the future.

I stumbled across the future me website this afternoon and was thrilled to discover that not only would I not have to hand write my letter to myself, but that I wouldn’t even have to try and think of someway to remind myself to read the letter ten years in the future – which is a relief, I can barely remember what needs to be done today let alone a decade from now! You type up your letter to yourself and then Future Me will email it to you on whichever date you specify in the future. Pretty handy!

I hope everyone is enjoying the silly season and that you all have a safe and happy New Years Eve followed by a safe and happy 2010!

 

A New Zealand Christmas

Normally I am quite the Christmas grinch, scowling at speakers daring to broadcast Christmas carols in public places and grumbling at the idea of buying gifts for family members I don’t really like all that much out of obligation instead of goodwill. I have to admit that I judge you if I go past your house and find it covered in Christmas lights or with a Santa sticking out of the chimney. Not only do I not own a Christmas tree, but Luke and I have never exchanged Christmas gifts.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to give gifts to the people I love, I love thinking about finding the perfect little thing, thinking about what you would want more than anything else. My issue isn’t with the giving, it’s more with the idea of giving for the sake of giving, filling up stockings with useless junk that people don’t want or need, my issue is with the wasting of resources (both financial, and environmental) on the idea that at Christmas time we have to give gifts, and so we do.. and usually they aren’t even gifts you want, just junk to wrap for the festivity of it, which seems like it’s kind of missing the point.

Anyway, I know what you are all thinking, first the post about the Melbourne Cup and now this! What a humorless old grinch I am! BUT, the point of this post isn’t to grumble about all things Christmas, it’s actually to tell you that this year I am actually trying to be festive! I decided that instead of eating vegemite on toast for lunch – which was my original plan, I was going to cook up something fabulous for our first vegan Christmas. Luke is working at night, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a nice Christmas lunch together before he goes, right?!

So, yesterday we went grocery shopping for all ingredients for our Vegan Feast, and when we got home I discovered that even just having all the ingredients in the house was making me feel all warm and festive and not only that but it was even kind of nice. Shock horror!

Then, this morning I went to get the mail and there was a giant package from my mother, filled not only with Christmas presents but with Christmas decorations (when she found out we didn’t have a tree she almost cried down the phone, poor dear!), so I figured I would set up a little corner in the house with the decorations. There wasn’t a lot there, a tiny little red metal Christmas tree (I think it’s supposed to be the top ornament on an actual Christmas tree) and some tinsel and this strange flashing badge thing with a Santa on it, anyway I constructed some kind of tree structure using some old candle holders and wrapped it all with the tinsel so that if you squint really hard at it you might mistake it for a very small (and funny shaped) Christmas tree, then, I put all the presents underneath it and lo and behold that festive feeling got a bit more festive!

So! Now I am going to sit down and have a MASSIVE Christmas movie marathon in the hope that that makes me feel even MORE Christmassy. I have two days to get through them all, here is my list:

Gremlins (well it IS a Christmas movie!)
A Muppets Christmas Carol
Joyeux Noel
Home Alone (In honor of John Hughes who passed away this year)
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Love Actually

Okay, so it’s not really a VERY traditional Christmas movie list, I realise that, but surely I get points for trying to be a little more Christmassy?!

Anyway, while I’m feeling all warm and festive, I hope you all have a really lovely festive day, whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hannukah, or are someone who is just damn happy that there are a bunch of public holidays in December and January.

 

Calendar Girl

I was very excited today to receive a package in the mail today from Yes and Yes. The calendar has arrived!! And what a cute little calendar it is – and I’m not just saying that because I’m Miss September! – Full of space to make happy little lists (you all know how I love lists!) and lots of little tips to have a wonderful Yes and Yes kind of year. I love it!

I took that photo during our New Zealand road trip in June (back when we still lived in Sydney!). The building is The Church of the Good Shepherd and it looks over Lake Tekapo on the South Island. Inside the church, instead of having a normal altar it has a window so that the congregation looks out over the lake and beautiful Mount Cook. It’s such a beautiful place. Here is another photo I took that day.

 

Bookcrossing

23. Send out at least five books on BookCrossing (3/5)

I had a bit of a genius idea with my bookcrossing books (even if I do say so myself haha).. when I first started my 101/1001 project I sent out two book crossing books relatively quickly but when neither of them were “found” I started feeling a little discouraged and so I hadn’t send any more out into the world since. Then, when my couch surfer asked if he could borrow one of our books, and mail it back wen he was done, I decided to turn it into a bookcrossing book instead and gave it to him, as long as he promised to pass it onto another traveller with their promise to do the same.. fingers crossed that someone joins in the fun and “finds” it on the website!

Have you had any luck with bookcrossing? Was your book found? Did you find one?

 

The story book

A few months ago, my friend Nathan, updated her facebook status telling us all that she was bored (or something like that anyway, it was a while ago!), on a whim I suggested to her that she and Jaz and I start a story book, each of us writing a segment of the story and then mailing it onto the next person. I thought it was a wonderful idea at the time, and continued to think so right up until the exact second that the book landed on my desk. And now? Well now I can’t think of a single thing to write so I’ve hid it under my Lonely Planet India guide and my worn copy of The Joy of Vegan Baking because every time I look at it I get heart palpitations.

Sorry story book buddies, I promise I’ll get to it soon!