A weekend at the Glaciers

Its been a while since I last posted, mainly due to working a twelve day stint which came to an end on Friday.  To mark the end of this mammoth work session Dan and I planned a little escape to the glaciers.  It was wonderful and not without its Wattley dramas...

We started Saturday morning amazingly promptly, proving that when necessary, or when incentives are great, Dan and Sarah can get themselves into action.   We left the house at 9.10am Saturday morning, my first day off in 12 days, feel free to be impressed.  We drove in glorious sunshine to Hokitika where we stopped at a French cafe for breakfast and coffee (Ok so we left at 9.10 without breakfast or coffee but still!) Dan was very excited as he had a rather spectacular cooked feast.  This start made for a very good day as a fed and coffeed Dan= fun, singing and general Dan-ness.   However as we drove away from Hoki we seemed to be leaving the sunshine and heading towards cloud.

Franz Josef Glacier

On arrival to Franz Josef we were greeted with a beautiful town surrounded by snow peaked mountains which were a little obscured by a grey smudge of low cloud.  We went to the information centre where after discussions we decided the 8 hours glacier hike was not for us, nor the $700 heli hike.  We will do these another time but this weekend was about R&R, rest and recuperation.  We did decide to go on a little hike to a tunnel where you can see glow worms.  To do this we were told we would need a torch, Dan looked a little disappointed as we didn’t have one.  Luckily Dan has been a very good boy this year so Santa snuck him an early present of a head torch, amazing how Santa always knows what we need ;) Apart from the head torch we haven’t quite managed to accumulate or buy tramping gear; we have our boots but that’s about it.  So off we went with walking boots and Dan’s man bag not forgetting Dan’s rather dashing straw hat.  As we reached the mouth of the cave we realised our boots were in danger of getting soaked in mid-calf high freezing water which would put them out of action for the foreseeable future.   We had however bought along other footwear, my converses and Dan’s flip flops (we had predicted the potential problem).  So we took off our boots and socks, tied the laces together and slung then round our necks.  The proceeded to wade into the dark, wet tunnel, head torch, man bag, straw hat and walking books all creating the attire of this adventure.   The water was literally freezing (Dan’s addition: clearly it wasn’t or would in fact be ice but it was running off a glacier) and as we got deeper and deeper into the tunnel I began to wonder if it was only pot-holing I didn’t like or whether this posed any logical and substantial threat to my wellbeing.  I made Dan stop every couple of minutes to check for glow worms as this was the main, well only reason this dark wet cave had become the scene of our latest quest.  Eventually the moment came where everything went dark and we could see the tiny glow of the worms.  We proceed into the tunnel further until we had thirty of forty above our head. (about 300 meters inside)  It was pretty special.  We then turned back and I think I almost ran out.   By the time we reached the light Dan’s shorts were soaked from the constant flicking of ice water from his flip flops.  So Dan did what any logical man would do, took his shorts off and hung them in the sun.  Thankfully it was a secluded area!

The entrance to the tunnel

We had walked almost all the way back to the car when Dan suddenly announced he thought the hotel key may have fallen out of his pocket when he had taken his shorts off.  It was one of those moments when you think to yourself ‘as a wife how is the best way to handle this’ frustration or anger are rarely productive so I optimistically said perhaps it was in the car and we proceeded on.  Dan was a little grumpy as he really didn’t want to hike back up the hill to get the key.  As we arrived back at the car we were relieved to see the key was indeed on the dash board.  My relief was heightened as we then realised Dan had left the driver’s window completely open.  Completely open.  Nothing was taken, our passports were still in the glove box and Dan’s ipod sat clearly in view.  Dan still maintains it was actually very clever leaving the window completely open as by leaving the window open it looked shut.  That (apparently) is much better than leaving it part open.   Another bite my tongue smile and learn a vital lesson- the keys and passports now stay with me!

The rest of the day was wonderful.  We stayed in a lovely forest lodge and had a wonderful dinner by a log fire.  My only complaint about the venue would be the people staying next door.  I understand trying to fill your room thus making family holidays more affordable but I am not joking when I tell you there were 12 Chinese tourists ranging from 6-60 years of age staying in this two bed lodge.   The constant flurry of Chinese chatter died to a lull at 10pm (respectable) only to recommence at 7am along with tooting car horns and slamming doors.  But nothing was going to dampen my mood as for Dan and I Sunday morning was Christmas morning and we had stockings to open...

The rest of the weekend was filled with glacier spotting, lake walking, hot pool swimming, beautiful views and the police. 

As we left to drive back to Grey at fiveish Sunday evening our eyes were bombarded by stunning views around every corner.  Purple digitalis grows on the verge of turquoise rivers, lush forests sit in front of vast snow peaked mountains, green fields and dairy farms slot between peaks and streams creating a delight for the sensors.   The roads curve and wind then every now and then open up to a straight where the views are incredible.  So incredible it is easy to lose sight of one’s speed until that is you are pulled over by the police.   Not only was Dan mortified to have been (caught) speeding but he was also driving in flip flops.  As the policeman went to his car to write Dan’s fine and twenty demerit points Dan did a quick shoe swap.  Dan was very upset to have got a speeding ticket.  I just found the whole thing quite exciting (it’s not illegal to drive in flip flops- just not recommended).

So we are back in Grey, have had a wonderful steak dinner and are now about to skype family in the UK.  All in all a wonderful weekend making the twelve days of work a distant memory.  

Merry Christmas everyone

Glacier Hot Pools

Mount Cook and others

The Southern Alps reflected in Lake Matheson

Us with Fox Glacier in the backgorund

Much love x

Walking in a Winter Warmerland

This is so weird, I’m sitting looking out of the window at the tropical bush and sunshine whilst behind me is my Christmas tree!  I’m going to decorate it today but it feels very, very odd.  I’ve not always appreciated the dark days and cold nights which lead us into Christmas in the UK, but now I can see how this English climate provides an almost magically environment for Christmas which only when it is absent, you can truly understand.  Not that I’m complaining about the sunshine.

Dan and I had the most fabulous weekend just gone.  On Saturday we (I) got up late, did all those must do chores and then we headed to Punakaiki.  It’s a beautiful drive along the coast about 30-40 minutes north of Greymouth.  As we approached the car park I turned to Dan and stated how busy it was!  He laughed, there were about ten cars in the car park.  It’s official: I’ve slipped into west coast life, I’m practically a ‘coaster’!  We saw the Pancake rocks, an amazing formation which literally looks liked stacked pancakes, and then decided to walk the two km to the start of the next walk we wanted to do.  This distance in the UK would be a very innocuous twenty minute wander.   Add to that the hair pin bends on the coastal road, the caves to explore, the beach, the river and the secret bush walk to the deserted lagoon and an hour and a half later we reached our second walk. Amazing!

Sunday was very wet.  It was Sunday that made us realise really quite how small Greymouth is.   In the morning we went to church, which was very friendly, and Dan saw a patient’s relative.  Thankfully it was a pleasant encounter.  Then we decided to go and watch Skyfall as the rain was of British standards.  As we arrived I saw one of my consultants walking up the road, he was also going to the cinema.  This caused a minor dilemma in my mind.  This particular consultant is an old American Surgeon.  He is kind and very friendly.  Should you engage in a conversation about a topic of his particular interest it has been known for people to become fossilised before they get a chance escape.  I jest.  However enjoying a weekend with my husband, in my mind at least, didn’t involve my boss.  We kept our distance (we are British after all so this comes very naturally) and watched Bond do his thing on the big screen.  Crisis averted.  You may not have realised this if you watched Bond in the UK, but being in NZ highlighted to us how fantastically British the film is; M, London, Daniel Craig even the china bulldog with the union jack on its back!  Very exciting.  I spoke especially loud in my British accent the rest of the day- proud to be British.

Dan worked on Monday but for me it was a bank holiday.  Holly and I went back to lake Brunner with kite surfing equipment filling the back of the car.  The wind wasn’t consistent enough to actually use said equipment however we did have a lovely walk. 

 

On Wednesday Dan was invited to go sailing with another one of my bosses.  Again this was a little odd and would not happen in the UK.  Dan was a little torn as he felt exhausted from two long days at work.  However this seemed like one of those pivotal invites; you accept and become sailing buddies for life, or decline and never get invited again.  So Dan went and he had a great time.  I stayed at home, ate avocado, strawberries and chocolate and drank red wine.  Hard life!

As for work, what can I say.  On Tuesday I was the gynae/ ortho/ gen surgery/ urology RMO (SHO) on for the day.  Four jobs in one- why not! There are massive changes happening in the service here.  It seems where ever you are in the world medical politics and service provisions have a dynamic relationship; they both know what their aim and desire is yet neither quite knows how to get there or care about the collateral damage along the way.  Perhaps that’s a little unfair.  Generally work is good.  Being a doctor anywhere is time consuming and challenging, but it’s what we trained to do so we will continue to persevere and smile. 

 

People of England- embrace your winter and enjoy it.  Drink hot chocolate and mulled wine, wear thick socks and onesies and enjoy watching all those Christmas movies.   Christmas is coming...

Hugs

 

S x

 

 

First Day of School

29/11/12

It has happened.  We have started work again.  Granted the first three days of this week have been orientation.  The most important thing Dan learnt was to ask for the big portion of food.   Having been asked what size he wanted by the canteen staff the first time, the second he was just automatically given a small portion.  It was roast Tuesdays and Dan was mortified to only get one roast potato (won’t be making that mistake again).  He contemplated going back for seconds but decided against it.  You also get free coffee which is great however I didn’t anticipate the strength of this coffee and had two (one at home and one at work) on the first day and experienced all the side effects associated with caffeine, the worst being the diuretic effect (it made me pee a lot)! 

Yesterday we went on a mini road trip with Carole the Chief Medical Officer.  The aim was to show us some of the rural practices.  We met at 7.15, piled into her people carrier and off we went.  At 1600 we arrived back in Greymouth.  We visited rural centres where GPs run small community hospitals.  This is Dan’s dream job, being GP one minute, A&E Dr the next and then the anaesthetist as you intubate a patient ready for helicopter transfer.   I did not share his enthusiasm for the rural GP career but enjoyed the scenic drives.  I also proved to be in the minority of those who could handle the back seats without getting travel sick.  Dan and Katie had to rotate the front seat!  At one point in the trip it did occur to us that had we had a crash or accident that it would have put all RMOs (junior Doctors) on the west coast of New Zealand out of action...

On the recreational side Dan and I had a bake off one evening.  Dan make a victoria sponge and I made brownies.  Both were moderatley successful which is a great result!  Dan has joined a gym called Fat Max's- excellent!  This evening we went out for drinks with some Greybase peeps.  Dan's planning to run a hospital comedy review which our new friend Holly is very excited about.  Two words to describe Holly- Jazz hands!  We went to a baptist church at the weekend.  The pastor was really cool, great movember effort.

Today was our first day on the wards.  It reminds me so much of my first week as a HO in England.  It’s the first time I have done general surgery since then and the first time I have had to work independently since then as well.  I don’t relish the idea but one hopes the experience will be valuable and helpful.

Dan had a crazy day having to transfer three patients by air to Christchurch and one to the high(ish) dependency unit.  Baptism of fire!

Keep smiling

S x

Ironing

24/11/12

We are now preparing for work and this involves the inevitable ironing marathon.  I decided to set a new trend as this is a fresh and exciting place, hopeful this enthusiasm would spread to the ironing arena.  However I am a realist so expecting Dan to do all his ironing is NOT realistic.  He’d start to do it then his hands will start to hurt (oh no sorry that’s the washing up) anyway like I said not realistic.  So I ironed my clothes and three of Dan’s shirts and his trousers leaving him 2 shirts.  I am pleased to say that during his student days Aimee taught Dan to iron so he is not as ignorant to the sport as he lets on.  So I left him to iron his shirts and at the end he proudly summoned me to inspect his craft.  It was pretty good to I ooed and ahhhed in all the right places.  Dan then went to hang it up and promply dropped the shirt on the floor.  He stood there distraught staring at the crumpled heap which five seconds ago had been a picture of smoothness. I suggested he pick it up and shake it out and quickly hang it again.  He did this and unperturbed he went on to iron the second shirt.  I think I got away with it... 

Dan by a rope swing at Lake

Life here in so many ways is the same as the UK.  The sun rises every morning, sets every evening, there are trees and rivers, hills and mountains.  Yet I look back over my life and feel amazed and excited at what we have done to get here.  As a child I made my mum promise I would never have to leave home, as a teenager I dreamed of changing the world and as an ‘adult’ well what of me now? 

I’m not going to lie, what Dan sees as an adventure I often see as a challenge.  There is still a part of me that echoes that child’s thought of ‘don’t make me leave home, where I know I’m loved and with people I love’.   Yet something has grown in me, a core strength that makes me want to embrace the challenge for the sake of the adventure.  There are two things that I think have contributed to this spirit.  The first is my love of Jesus.  When I was sixteen I asked the question, ‘is there more than this’, ‘why’, ‘what next’ and what I found was a loving God who moves us to action, triumphs over  fear and liberates us to be all we can be.  I still feel fear, doubt and worry but stronger than this is my faith that where God leads us, he prepares for us.   If you lose the desire to conform to the world you gain a life the world cannot conform to.   Secondly is my amazing husband.  People talk about the perfect man.  Dan is not.   I had the foresight to acknowledge this before I married Dan.  This meant that our relationship is based on a true understanding and love of who each of us are.  For me this means I feel utterly loved, cherished and supported in my imperfections and when I fail to be the person I’d like to be.  Where I fall Dan puts out his hand takes mine and places it in back in the Lords.  You don’t need perfection.  You just need a Dan. 

They've taken the hobbits to Isengard

 21/11/12

Its been a couple if days since i last blogged.  I have to say things have settled down a little which to be honest i am quite glad of.

Monday morning we took our car in to have its WOF done.  No this isn't in insertion of a miniature hound it is actually the car's Warranty Of Fitness, like an MOT.  We were assured it would pass.  It failed.  (It was all covered by garage though)

We realised the night before the WOF day that we couldn't pack our things into the car for two reasons, one- we couldn't leave them in the car whilst it had its WOF and two, Dan didn't have a proper a bag to pack things in.  So we asked the guy at the motel if we could leave them there and he agreed.  So at 8.30 am we lugged over Dan's oversized see-through Emirates carrier bag to the chaps lounge.  Yet again Dan's underwear was on displace for all to see.  I really hope this isn't a recurring theme throughout the year!

We needed a car for the day so we  borrowed a million year old rover whist they replaced the back tyres on Max. The Rover was so old and rattly i thought at one point the exhaust would fall off.  Dan and i exchanged knowing looks, chuckled and parked up.  We hoped our car was in a better state and we hadn't been 'had'. For relatively intelligent people Dan and I have no knowledge of cars so felt completely bind in our car quest.  I'm starting to understand Dan's obsessive (although annoying) love of Toyotas.

We also had medical council interviews, which were in a lady's home with her cockapoodle running around our feet and her disgruntled 'stand in' cleaner- awkward!  One of those surreal moments when your not sure if you're having an important meeting or afternoon tea!

Finally we got on the road to travel through the mountains to Arthur's Pass.  An hour into the trip and the topography completely changed.  Flat farm land turned into magnificent snow peaked mountains.  Dan was desperate for us to play The Lord of the Rings theme tune.  I wasn't sure if this complemented the scenery or caused me extreme anxiety as we twisted through the mountains on narrow (ish) roads to the sound of the armies of Mordor descending... I'm pretty sure i saw an orc!

We reached our swiss style chalet and settled down for beer, fish and chips and a few games of cards. Lush!

Tuesday morning we walked to a waterfall.  A twenty minute hike up steps which left us very breathless, we blamed the altitude- I'm sure the beer and chips had nothing to do with it! 

We headed to Greymouth after lunch and after a few minor navigational errors (rather scenic detours than errors I'd say) we arrived at the hospital picked up our key and found our house.

When we opened the door we were met with an overwhelming odour of cheap air-freshener.  As we looked round the small but adequately furnished bungalow (or house without stairs as Dan prefers to call it) it dawned on me exactly what we had left behind in the UK, our beautiful house with a bay view.  But when you think about it what is home?  Home can be anywhere and for me and Dan its Greymouth for six months.

Today we went back to the hospital and met the other Doctors.  The service provision here is mental!  Over the weekend there is no orthopaedic cover on the west coast so if you have an emergency you FLY people over to Christchurch.  One of the RMOs (SHOs) was telling us how she was called in the night to escort a patient to Christchurch in a heli.  Dan nearly wet himself with excitement at the thought and nearly died when he found out they pay you too.  What an adventure.

We also took a walk along the beach, ate lunch in a rasta/ art/ Internet cafe and bought a printer/ scanner/ fax machine which Dan has been trying to install for the last three hours. Time to cook some curry.

Hugs

S x
 
 

The seeds of the city

 

18/11/12

 

Yesterday was our first day exploring Christchurch.  We strode out, keen to explore, excited and enthused by the adventure.   As we turned the first corner heading toward the city centre we stopped overcome by what we were seeing.    I’ve grown up hearing about natural disasters, tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes and I always feel deeply moved with compassion for the people’s lives these events devour with their ferocity, but I have never been face to face with the devastation, not like I was yesterday.  Two years on and around every corner buildings stand half crumbling, derelict, dead.  In the bright sun you can imagine the awesome shadows which were once cast by these structures, now just gravelled open space.   The cracked buildings which are holding on to their foundations are unusable, their outsides derelict their insides disordered chaos as if it all happened yesterday.  No banks, no shops, no cafes even the cathedral and historic monuments are broken... 

So what of Christchurch now?  Out of devastation comes an innovative, funky city.   Here are some examples.  In a square in town is an outside dance studio.  The tiled floor is flanked by flood lights and a disco ball hangs in the middle of the floor suspended from the corner posts.  An old washing machine is the water proof home of the sound system, simply pay $2 and plug in your ipod and boom, instant dance studio.  Around the edge are wooden art deco style seats and a chalk board for people to book in their session.  I struck a pose for a photo secretly longing to bust a groove.  The infectious girls would love it!  

As well as the outside dance studio the retailers have had to find alternative premises.  Imagine if you can a matchbox city.  Units made of containers, some adjacent some two stories high but all vibrantly coloured and beautifully crafted with class and style.  An apple mac store, boutique clothes shops, coffee shops... Querky and fun, just being there makes you smile.  The hub teems with life, soul and energy unlike the surround ruins. 

container shops and cafes

So out of the devastation has come something amazing, a true triumph for Christchurch, the seeds of new life. 

We also spent the day opening a bank account (very easy) and buying a car (not so easy).  We walked miles and miles looking at tens of car lots and hundreds of cars.  The search was somewhat dry due to our low budget, high expectations, and Dan’s obsessive (and slightly annoying) love for Toyotas!  We test drove one car and were walking back to test drive a Jeep we had seen earlier in the day when a man appeared in front of us holding Dan’s bag.   Dan had taken the bag off to test drive the car and placed it on the back seat.   In this bag was an iPad, our passports and every single piece of important documentation we had with us.  Oh dear Dan, oh dear...  When we reached the place where we had seen the Jeep it had already been sold.  At this point I was exhausted from walking miles, my feet were sore,  my eyes burned with tiredness, my head was throbbing and I was beginning to feel broken.  Dan was a little twitchy too, but I’m pretty sure that was because he thought I was going to spontaneously combust (let’s just say he would have definitely been singed!)

In short we did manage to find a car- I think God took pity on my grumpy pleas, like Dan he probably just wanted me to shut up!  Both God and Dan are gracious and thankfully I think both have forgiven me.  I have named the car Max. Dan says it’s a 4x4 mistubishi estate, I say it’s blue.

Max

Today we went to church.  Dan really wanted to go and found a Baptist church where the pastor had previously been in Greymouth for 11 years.  We turned up hoping to slip in the back, listen to the service, have a few conversations and disappear as we both felt tired still.  I’m pretty sure Dan will have recurrent nightmares about what greeted us, tables with big sheets of paper, pens, play dough and lots of unknown people.  A ‘relaxed family service’ which as visitors requires you to awkwardly join a table, not wanting to take anyone’s seat and hoping you aren’t asked to describe yourself as an animal or hop backwards whilst reciting genesis.  It’s a God given gift that when in such situations I find an inner confidence which sometimes defies me in day to day life and I was very pleased to be able to encourage Dan to embrace the less traditional side of church life.  It was actually a lovely service and at the end Dan chatted to a lovely old boy whilst I heard one ladies sad story about the impact the quake had, and still was having on her life.  However - note to all vicars - if you intend to hold such a service why not have a table designated to visitors (write visitors table in big letter) with a couple of friendly people who can greet and seat you, this will reduce the social anxiety of your guests.

We went back to the containers for lunch and watched a street entertainer ride a five foot tall unicycle whilst in a straight jacked (this equated to shot nerves as I imagine all the horrible things that could go wrong if he fell off).    

Now we are just chilling planning the next phase of the trip before packing up.  We head to the mountains tomorrow for a stop over before going to Greymouth.  I love it here but I miss home.

Hugs

Sarah