The Mangos are all go

The Mangos are all go. Viv came home from the market yesterday with a basket full. It’s good to have another fruit cos lately it’s been only bananas and grapefruit.

With only few months till spending Christmas in NZ - the kids are beginning to ponder that time and our return to Talua. Thoughts like ‘what DVD’s should we get for 2007’ and ‘what will be the first thing I do when back in NZ’. Phillip has been searching the net for the latest CD’s by his favorite music groups. Simon intends buying a 1kg block of Cadbury Chocolate as soon as we land. The first thing William wants to do it ring up some mates. Connie wants meet up with friends but first get some chocolate skittles and buy a certain book. For Viv it’s some new clothes (being sick of Island Dresses) and strawberries and apples (fresh fruit). For me, I am not sure what I miss as we can get most things here, there are times when we can’t get a good supply of fresh fruit, or fresh vegetables or something else. But most of the time we wait till going into town, we either get it or if its not there, we wait till next week when it might be in stock. One of the beauties about this is simple things have become special again. We can only buy small blocks of chocolate - so we only get a few pieces each, each piece becomes important. Perhaps for Christmas 2006 - the meal will be truly special, sure in the past it has been a good meal - better than normal but because every meal, every day of the year, is good - the Christmas meals (yes plural) loose their significance. So Kiwi food is one thing I miss, but most things are sort of available here. I do miss being able to blob in front of TV to chill out and slow my mind - some nights we watch DVD’s of TV programs we’ve never watched (Lost, 24) or old reruns (MASH). IN all thought, I think what I miss most is convenience. In NZ, we can just pop down to the supermarket and get whatever. We are never out of anything cos of the convenience and because of that, we never have to think much. Also there is a sense of security. Think to Christmas time and the supermarkets being shut for Christmas Day, “oh…we will have to stock up just in case”.  There are other ways at Talua we miss convenience; we had hamburgers last weekend. We had to make the patties, make our own buns, cook on a small fry pan etc. Not a meal of convenience whereas in NZ, if feeling knackered, we just pop down and get some Chinese or Turkish or Indian or burgers etc. So after giving some thought to it - I miss convenience most.

I finished teaching the Gospel of Luke yesterday. I really enjoyed it; found Luke very challenging (this is one of the reasons I like Luke). Today I mark the exam papers.

We are all well, it’s a bit cooler - I guess somehow linked to the blast of cold weather NZ just had; wore a shirt in bed last night and had two light blankets on the bed.

Take care and God Bless
Jon