Greetings all from Aotearao (land of the long white cloud) and by the look for things from outside, it is a dark rather than white cloud. Actually I must take a photos one of these days, especially considering my days are numbered here, of the cloud formation that happens. I can assure you that the long white cloud is literally does exist. On the southern island we have the Southern Alps that run along the west coast and when the wind comes from the west it literally bounces off the Southern Alps and causes the cloud to become a long white cloud.
Anyway, the year has finally come to an end and what a year it has been. I have transitioned from full time employee to full time student with the next six months due to me one of the most challenging for me. Five papers (topics) to complete in one semester. The Doctor says it will be easy, but after all he is a doctor - study comes easy to him. I'll just focus on what I will achieve and that being a Bachelor of Business - not bad for a high school drop out...
The second half of next year is my real exciting time. The Doctor has accepted a job to work back in his home country - formally known as Formosa and is due to start in August. Taiwan is were we both lived before moving to Aotearao (land of the long white cloud). Last time we lived in Taipei but this time we will be living in Kaohsiung. So I'm look forward to not understanding what people are saying (ignorance is bliss) finding my way around a new city and re-learning all those non-speaking skills that I developed last time. It'll also be my turn to be a man of leisure (for a little while anyway) while The Doctor goes to work and I'll have language class for two hours a day. Roll on the second half of next year...
As the world prepares for the countdown, and Aotearao (land of the long white cloud) will one of the first - Happy New Year and may it be a properous and filled with good times!!!
Till next time, haveagoodone,
31 December 2008
28 December 2008
Reprimanded
Well I guess I have not be as diligent as Mother Blog was hoping I would be. To tell you the truth, there has not been much happen in my part of the world. Most of my day has been dedicated to study. The highlight of my weekend was watching my favourite financial lady - Suze Orman - on CNBC. One of The Doctor's and mine favourite segments is "Can I afford it". We try to guess whether Suze will approve or deny the caller.
Some of the callers to Suze Orman are so funny (as in OMG can you believe it - and not comical) . There was one caller a couple of months ago that called in asking how to get back US$50,000 that was leant to someone who appears to have disappeared. Upon further proding by Suze, it was revealed that the caller didn't lend the money from her personal savings, she had to borrow the money from her bank to lend to this person that has disappeared. Now you can imagine the disabelief that is going on at this point it time, but it gets worst. Suze, after getting over her amazement, asked the caller how she met this person - but before the caller could answer Suze quipped in asking "did you met this person on the Internet"? Sure enough - this is how the caller met the person who took US$50,000 from her. More disbelief!!! But there is more... To top this off, Suze finally asks the caller, "did you actually met this person face to face"??? Can you guess the reply??? The caller said "No I didn't". Can you imagine??? Unfortunately for the caller, the money has long gone and the only advice Suze could offer was to write it off on tax as a bad debt.
Anyone who has access to CNBC, I would highly recommend watching Suze Orman or visiting her web site at http://www.suzeorman.com/ . She has lots of great financial advice and the uncanny ability to see beneath the questions to the real problem...
Anyway thats about all for today, I promise Mother Blog that I try and be more diligent.
Till next time, haveagoodone...
Some of the callers to Suze Orman are so funny (as in OMG can you believe it - and not comical) . There was one caller a couple of months ago that called in asking how to get back US$50,000 that was leant to someone who appears to have disappeared. Upon further proding by Suze, it was revealed that the caller didn't lend the money from her personal savings, she had to borrow the money from her bank to lend to this person that has disappeared. Now you can imagine the disabelief that is going on at this point it time, but it gets worst. Suze, after getting over her amazement, asked the caller how she met this person - but before the caller could answer Suze quipped in asking "did you met this person on the Internet"? Sure enough - this is how the caller met the person who took US$50,000 from her. More disbelief!!! But there is more... To top this off, Suze finally asks the caller, "did you actually met this person face to face"??? Can you guess the reply??? The caller said "No I didn't". Can you imagine??? Unfortunately for the caller, the money has long gone and the only advice Suze could offer was to write it off on tax as a bad debt.
Anyone who has access to CNBC, I would highly recommend watching Suze Orman or visiting her web site at http://www.suzeorman.com/ . She has lots of great financial advice and the uncanny ability to see beneath the questions to the real problem...
Anyway thats about all for today, I promise Mother Blog that I try and be more diligent.
Till next time, haveagoodone...
26 December 2008
Bargains and Bargains
It is the day after Christmas with many people visiting loved ones and recovering from the rather large meals where they have eaten way too much, there is a public holiday in Aotearao (land of the long white cloud) similar to Australia called the Boxing Day. I once heard that Boxing Day received its name because it was the day that all the unwanted presents were repackaged and prepared to be taken back to stores in exchange for something that they really wanted. I think nowadays gift vouchers are a popular present that avoid the Boxing Day culture, but still it requires a trip to the local shopping centre.
It also appears that similar to Australia, Aotearao (land of the long white cloud) has the same tradition called Boxing Day sales where all the Christmas stock suddenly become cheap. One of the qualities of The Doctor is that he likes to buy bargains and the thought of Boxing Day specials actually entices him to want to go to a shopping centre. So off we went with eager anticipation and with my gift vouchers in hand (the ones I received as a going away present from my old work place).
After finding a car park reasonably easily, the local Westfield is undergoing construction at the moment, we headed inside to choose our bargain. The Doctor believes in buying things that we would consider necessity and not purely for fantasy. One thing that I consider I need is the body butter from The Body Shop and this happened to be on sale - 50% off. You should have seen The Doctor's eyes light up. We did see other body butter that was on sale for just under 50% off but that wasn't good enough. So we quickly cleared the shelf in The Body Shop of the 50% off Cranberry body butter and headed towards the checkout. Actually it was a slight exaggeration, we did leave a few on the shelf for other buyers but we took ten of them and the shop assistant seemed a little bit amused but was happy to put our purchase through.
To take full advantage of the bargain, I have a Body Shop loyalty card that entitles me to $10 free for every $100 that I spend. I previously had a $10 voucher that I hadn't used and along with the first $100 lot of vouchers I received from work we put through 5 of the body butters. With this it generated another $10 free voucher so I used that along with the last lot of $100 vouchers I received from work and we were done (or so I thought).
After looking at what other bargains were on offering, The Doctor wanted to go back and claim the new lot $10 free voucher and buy more!!! The amount of body butter we have now would probably last me until the second half of next year - plus I feel a little guilty about depriving other people of their chance to grab a bargain but The Doctor is from a place where the culture is to grab it while you can or you will lose it.
In this instance, I think it was a good buy, however we haven't been so lucky in the past. On this note I'll end this posting with a quote that I saw in a local florist shop- "the bitterness of poor quality will far outlast the sweetness of poor quality" and I'm thankful that Cranberries are tart and not bitter...
Till next time, haveagoodone.
It also appears that similar to Australia, Aotearao (land of the long white cloud) has the same tradition called Boxing Day sales where all the Christmas stock suddenly become cheap. One of the qualities of The Doctor is that he likes to buy bargains and the thought of Boxing Day specials actually entices him to want to go to a shopping centre. So off we went with eager anticipation and with my gift vouchers in hand (the ones I received as a going away present from my old work place).
After finding a car park reasonably easily, the local Westfield is undergoing construction at the moment, we headed inside to choose our bargain. The Doctor believes in buying things that we would consider necessity and not purely for fantasy. One thing that I consider I need is the body butter from The Body Shop and this happened to be on sale - 50% off. You should have seen The Doctor's eyes light up. We did see other body butter that was on sale for just under 50% off but that wasn't good enough. So we quickly cleared the shelf in The Body Shop of the 50% off Cranberry body butter and headed towards the checkout. Actually it was a slight exaggeration, we did leave a few on the shelf for other buyers but we took ten of them and the shop assistant seemed a little bit amused but was happy to put our purchase through.
To take full advantage of the bargain, I have a Body Shop loyalty card that entitles me to $10 free for every $100 that I spend. I previously had a $10 voucher that I hadn't used and along with the first $100 lot of vouchers I received from work we put through 5 of the body butters. With this it generated another $10 free voucher so I used that along with the last lot of $100 vouchers I received from work and we were done (or so I thought).
After looking at what other bargains were on offering, The Doctor wanted to go back and claim the new lot $10 free voucher and buy more!!! The amount of body butter we have now would probably last me until the second half of next year - plus I feel a little guilty about depriving other people of their chance to grab a bargain but The Doctor is from a place where the culture is to grab it while you can or you will lose it.
In this instance, I think it was a good buy, however we haven't been so lucky in the past. On this note I'll end this posting with a quote that I saw in a local florist shop- "the bitterness of poor quality will far outlast the sweetness of poor quality" and I'm thankful that Cranberries are tart and not bitter...
Till next time, haveagoodone.
25 December 2008
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas from Aotearoa (land of the long white cloud), well today it is a long grey cloud, that saw the sun rise first - hence was first on Santa's delivery schedule.
The Doctor has arrived home from his rather long walk in the top part of the south island grateful that the experience is now over. To celebrate his return I cooked a Christmas Lunch - you know sweating over a hot stove for hours on end - hoping to coordinate the timing with his anticipated arrival. Considering it has been many years since I have cooked anything and The Doctor has
his own style, I am please to report that it seems to have hit the spot. Maybe because The Doctor has only eaten Miso soup and other dried food during his three day walk.
Christmas also has another event that is probably more about taking rather than giving. One of the reasons The Doctor wanted to buy our house many years ago was because it had a Cherry Tree. At the time, little did The Doctor know that our Cherry Tree was a 'Weeping Cherry Tree' and the fruit was not edible. Can you imagine the disappointment??? However there is one saving grace, our neighbour has a fruit Cherry Tree and as it hangs over our fence line, The Doctor has his wish. This is what he was caught doing a couple of years ago.
I think we better be quick this year or the birds will get them. Its a pity that Master does not do more in that aspect of keeping the birds away from our cherries...
Till next time, haveagoodone.
The Doctor has arrived home from his rather long walk in the top part of the south island grateful that the experience is now over. To celebrate his return I cooked a Christmas Lunch - you know sweating over a hot stove for hours on end - hoping to coordinate the timing with his anticipated arrival. Considering it has been many years since I have cooked anything and The Doctor has
his own style, I am please to report that it seems to have hit the spot. Maybe because The Doctor has only eaten Miso soup and other dried food during his three day walk.Christmas also has another event that is probably more about taking rather than giving. One of the reasons The Doctor wanted to buy our house many years ago was because it had a Cherry Tree. At the time, little did The Doctor know that our Cherry Tree was a 'Weeping Cherry Tree' and the fruit was not edible. Can you imagine the disappointment??? However there is one saving grace, our neighbour has a fruit Cherry Tree and as it hangs over our fence line, The Doctor has his wish. This is what he was caught doing a couple of years ago.
I think we better be quick this year or the birds will get them. Its a pity that Master does not do more in that aspect of keeping the birds away from our cherries...
Till next time, haveagoodone.
24 December 2008
Who is Master and who is Slave
Now that I have some of the my settings sorted out, thanks to Mother Blog, I'll start the first of introductions - the Master.
When The Doctor and I moved to Aotearoa - land of the long white cloud, we seem to have somehow obtained a cat as part of each house that we have bought. The first house, that I'm sure is cursed, had the poor cat locked under the house by the last tenant who moved out just before settlement. Luckily the real estate agent who sold us the house adored the cat and took her in. Last time I saw her, cat and slave were doing very well.
However for our existing house the previous owner, also had a cat and decided that Master would not move very well and asked if we would take care of him. Now I am allergic to cats but The Doctor decided that he would look Master. At that stage, Master was a little thing but The Doctor decided he would make him the biggest and fattest cat in the neighbourhood.
Doesn't he have a look of arrogance about him??? You should see the antics that he gets up to when he wants something. The only way to call him is by whistling, will not follow any orders given, walks all over your feet when trying to feed him and when given food that is not up to his standard - the look of "Slave how many times have I told you that this food is not to my liken".
Mind you I don't think Master goes hungry. The Doctor says that he has seen Master at the pub diner that is a couple of blocks away licking his paws presuming after having something. I wonder if Master has a beer with the meal as well???
Anyway better leave it for today (not to get too addicted).
Till next time, haveagoodone.
My First Posting
Hi,
As this year is about to end and the start of new year looms, I have decided to follow in my mum's footsteps and share with the cyberworld my going ons.
Next year has many changes planned, some of those involve finishing my studies that I have started four years ago and moving to another country. But more of that later on.
My first task is to start my blog and learn its functionality. So in the initial stages, please bear with me and let the journey begin...
Also, please feel free to leave me any comments and I'll take them on board with me.
Til next time,
Cheers
As this year is about to end and the start of new year looms, I have decided to follow in my mum's footsteps and share with the cyberworld my going ons.
Next year has many changes planned, some of those involve finishing my studies that I have started four years ago and moving to another country. But more of that later on.
My first task is to start my blog and learn its functionality. So in the initial stages, please bear with me and let the journey begin...
Also, please feel free to leave me any comments and I'll take them on board with me.
Til next time,
Cheers
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