Before Christmas I headed up to Rotorua to meet my friends Mark & Lorna (who are now happily engaged!). It was lovely to get away from the pretty dreary weather ChCh has been experiencing over the last few weeks.

Nice views out over the Tongariro crossing. You can see Mt. Doom in that picture. At least I think that’s the one.

We spent a very pleasant day in Rotorua. It’s really McMaori… in that you get the dances and shows put on for the tourists. Quite well done though. We had a hangi for dinner. A Hangi is where they dig a hole in the ground – fill it with hot rocks & then the food. Seal it all up again and it basically becomes an oven. Quite a delicious taste to be honest.

I shall just put some pictures up now..

And a panorama.. though it didn’t merge quite as well as normal..

Then Mark & Lorna very kindly dropped me to my Aunts house at Palmerston North where I enjoyed a lovely Christmas day.

On the 26th I bussed up to Auckland and stayed the night in a pretty dismal hostel – before heading on the 10 day meditation course. The meditation course itself was actually a little too hard for me… In fact I had a slight brain meltdown afterwards though am feeling much better now. Looks like the pop survey was correct.. I did go madder :)

So it has been an interesting last couple of days to say the least.. currently I’m am just trying to digest the last few days of the course.. and I expect to be back blogging again in a week. I think 10 days of no talking really was a little bit too much for me ;)

In the meantime.. my friend Lorcan has started a blog…

For those who have been wondering.. I am both alive and well. In fact, extremely alive and very well… :)

However, I am exhausted! Easy is something vepassna is not!.. but the benefits…

So a restful sleep for me – and more details to come. If you’re lucky ;)

Arohanui (means big/love or lots of love – in Maori)
Patrick

Dear God! I’d forgotten how much fun 10 hour bus rides (in the sun) can be. Left Palmerston at 10:40 and arrived into downtown Auckland at 8pm.

My hostel is… jammers. Not travelling with friends and therefore no separate room..

My roommates seem ok… though it’s an odd set up. A central common room and 3 four bed dorms leading off it. With lots of loud Spanish speaking people who, no doubt, are lots of fun.

I took pre-emptive measures to counter their suspected late-night merriment by purchasing ear plugs. Honestly.. best travelling tools is an eye-mask and ear plugs.

I am almost looking forward to sitting in one quiet spot and not talking to anyone! One of the reasons I came to NZ and not downtown OZ was to get away from the more obvious backpacker scene.

Maybe I’m just getting old.

And I was thinking of going to see Cirque Du Soleil (Vareki) in Auckland when I get out of the course. But I think I’d rather try to organise a few ppl to go see it with. Last year Mhairi’s family took me to see Electra which is another of Cirque Du Soleils productions.. but I think I’d rather share it with other ppl than go on my lonesome. Though it would be well worth seeing. We’ll see. I have a feeling I’m up to Auckland sometime in Feb so I will try to organise to get to see it.

Well.. off to finish off my sandwiches and then try to find some sleep in this madhouse.

See you all in 10 days.. well, e-see you all in 10 days.. or so…

I had a lovely couple of days travelling with Lorna & Mark – two friends from Ireland. Pics to follow – though I did put one up on picaweek.blogspot.com.

Another year gone. It has been a good one, though not quite as active as the last couple (back still sore darn it!). Funny to think this time last year I was back in Dublin.

It has been fun though – pretty happy with the success of snowpool.org.nz. Work went well, and I am excited about the prospect of my new position next year. Nervous too of course.

I thought I would finish by wishing one and all a very happy Christmas.. and couple of silly poems I read today in a book called ‘Verse and Worse’

ADDENDUM TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife,
Nor the ox her husband bought her;
But thank the Lord you’re not forbidden
To covet your neighbour’s daughter.

Anonymous

and

NO GRACE BEFORE MEAT

Does any man of common sense
Think ham and eggs give God offence?
Or that a herring has a charm
The Almighty’s anger to disarm?
Wrapped in His majesty divine,
D’you think He cares on what we dine?

DEAN SWIFT