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November 05, 2006

Finally the Summer is Here!!

Ok, summer finally arrived!!! We were about to loose hope that it will ever come. Since April we experienced a lovely autumn, had a glimpse at winter (they say it was the harshest and longest winter in 35 years!), grunted through extremely wet spring, and... This weekend basically opened the summer season for us!!!

Having Helloween and All Saints day in summer feels quite odd. No children came down to our house to beg for "lollies" (This is how kiwis call candy. Tomatoes are toms, avocados are avos, chicken are chuk, what else?), but we saw lots of "witches" on the roads and quite a few Santa Clauses!!! Well, thats a cool dress for Helloween?!? Talking about Santa Clauses here, I was stunned by the unexplainably funky look they all have (yes, the shops are Xmas decorated already!) It took me a while to realise that most of the times they're sporting sunglasses!!!

Yesterday we had yet another festival (fireworks and all sorts of firecrackers were going off at nights for a few weeks already). Guy Fawkes Night is a big deal here, because its the only time in a year that they sell fireworks at shops. And everyone goes crazy about them, shooting fireworks at all times, all directions, etc. Apparently it causes huge damage (houses on fire, hands and eyes ripped off, etc) every year and there are talks of stopping fireworks sales next year (one of the ministers said "ok guys, I warn you for the last time, if you don't behave this year, no more firecrackers next year" Ha ha, I'd say...) We haven't read Sunday papers, but judging on the sounds of fireworks last night in our quiet neighbourhood and judging on what we've seen of people's attitudes otherwisehere, there will be no more fireworks next year! Good.

We also visited my colleague Helen at her house in the country at Helensville (how appropriate for Helen to live there!!). She's a film critic and she's been supplying us with a steady flow of NZ films DVDs for a couple of weeks already. Its very interesting! I guess local films is one of the better ways to get to know the country! I've seen Helen dragging heaps of plants from the plant shop at Unitec (students grown!) and now I know where it all ends up! Her house and garden were lovely! (Not sure if I'd be able to spend almost 2 hours every day to go to work and drive home though...)

So yeah, ever since the weather got better, we're in much better moods (although our car mirror was smashed last Friday while it was parked by the side of the road. Someone drove too close to our car?!?!... I'm so happy we didn't get a better car, its already dented and scratched, so now it doesn't hurt too much... just that we have to pay for the damage by all these reckless people around us... as long as we're both healthy and alive...) and 2 days of surfing at Muriwai helps a lot! :) Compare this with the pictures from just 2 weeks back! Quite a change, isn't it?!?!

Posted by gkligyte at November 5, 2006 05:31 PM
Comments
gack.. you do have t-shirt weather tyttö Posted by: abc on November 11, 2006 10:34 AM
Sveikinu sulaukus vasaros!!! O mes jau "dziaugiames" ziema - vakar sniego buvo iki puses blauzdu, ir vaikai jau issitrauke visa rogiu ir slidziu arsenala. Jiems smagu, o keliuose buvo liudniau. Siaip man NZ vis labiau primena LT - elgesys keliuose, su fejerverkais... gal lengviau butu sia sali prisijaukinti ziurint i gyventojus ne kaip i britus, o kaip i lietuvius? :) Posted by: Dalia on November 6, 2006 01:56 AM
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