‘The reason is because I’ve been busy doing exciting things’.
Today (14th August) marks the end of our first year in the UK. We arrived here on 15th August 2010. I have to say it’s been a very ‘different’ kind of year…
So, since I last wrote, Kira arrived back from her trip to Belgium and France with a jar of snail pate for me.Well, that was certainly different… I think it must be an acquired taste.
Not long after that was her 11th birthday, and we had a party at home for family, and a party for friends at one of the local ice rinks. When we booked the party we thought an ice skating instructor would be there to help the children. Unfortunately it didn’t work like that, so while it was good fun for those who could skate, those who weren’t quite so competent spent an hour slowly going round the edge of the ice rink holding on for dear life!At the end of June I went on a course run by the local police constabulary ‘Be a Detective for the Day’. Working in ‘police’ teams we had to analyse the intelligence information about a possible terrorist attack, profile the suspects and aim to prevent the attack. We attended briefings from a senior officer, worked through the intelligence, made decisions as to action to take and were interviewed for TV news updates.
I have to say it gave me a much better appreciation of the challenges the police have when handling difficult situations and why they give very little away during TV and radio interviews.
The first week in July was a strange time for Jon, as Jordan was away on another Army Cadet camp, this time in the Lake District, and Kira and I were in New Zealand, so he found himself on his own all of a sudden! I’m sure he managed OK. I think my mum popped round to check he was alright!
Kira and I had a lovely time back in NZ. It was three years since I was there and I wondered how I would feel going back. It was very nice, I have to say, and I felt very much at home.As I was working in Auckland for the first week, Kira flew on her own to Wellington and stayed with her friend Emily and Emily’s family. As it was term time in NZ Kira went back to her old school where Emily’s mum, Anna, is the teacher.
Thank you all for
looking after her (and me) so well. She had a wonderful time, it was great that she could catch up with her friends.
As a late birthday present, Kira got her ears pierced when she was there, and Emily got hers done too. It was hugely exciting, and she ran into my bedroom on the morning of The Special Day (14th July) to remind me in case I’d forgotten.It takes 6 weeks of cleaning and putting antiseptic on her ears before she can change the earrings - she is doing really well and is counting down the days till she can wear her new collection of earrings.
I stayed with Rowena in Auckland for several days which was lovely, and spoke at conferences over 4 days.
There was a bit of concern over the tsunami in the Pacific as it was expected to reach Auckland one morning – during the time I was due to give a speech - but fortunately everything was OK.(The lady in the front left is the former Governor General of NZ, I'm at the back)
A group of 3 Ugandan delegates were at one of the conferences, and it was good to speak to them – especially as my speech was about life in Uganda.
Another highlight was one evening’s entertainment where a group did a wonderful haka. It always brings a tear to my eye.As I hadn’t got over the jetlag by the time I started work, I was absolutely shattered by the end of the week.
I then joined Kira in Wellington – fell asleep on the plane on the way down - and stayed with Janice +and also Emily’s family for the week. I had one more speaking engagement and spent the rest of the time meeting up with as many friends as I could.
I went to see our house which has been rented out for 3 years. I was a bit apprehensive as to how it would look, but although the garden was a bit of a mess, the house itself wasn’t too bad and I was pleasantly surprised.
I also went to see my cat Frankie. I didn’t think I’d be able to, as I was heartbroken at having to leave him when we went to Africa, but I’m glad I went. Thank you Shirley and family for looking after him so well.
I would like to say a huge Thank You to everyone we met up with in NZ. Those who invited us to stay, took us out, met up for coffee, invited me round, lent me the car, gave me gifts… and more. I was absolutely blown away with everybody’s kindness, and very humbled to think that I have such wonderful people as friends.
Thank you.
And so we came back from a NZ winter to a UK summer and were met at the airport by Jon and Jordan … and a huge deluge of rain. It was hard to tell the difference between an antipodean winter and a British summer!A few days after we got back, we went to a wedding. This, I realised, was a bit of a milestone. It was the first of my friend’s children to get married! Aargh, we are getting old now.
And another milestone happened recently ... we bought a new living room suite. We had had the other one for – yes - 21 years! I got it two weeks after I started going out with Jon.When I looked for suites in 1990, I couldn’t find one I wanted, so I had one made. I still like it and the material hasn’t worn at all. However, although it looks alright, it has been used as a trampoline by the children over the years and the springs have gone. I was always a bit concerned when visitors sat on it as I could imagine them disappearing into the suite, never to emerge.
Our new suite is plum and beige. Very nice.
It’s school holidays here and we have been out and about at the pool, on treasure hunts, visiting the science museum, watching a wonderful air show, visiting a horse farm and so on.
The local park is at the end of the street so we go there fairly often.
One time we were there we saw a man taking his pet weasel for a walk in a little harness.
And on that note I will love you and leave you.
Until next time
K J K J x
