Friday, February 6, 2009
Today is Waitangi Day in New Zealand, which is sort of like the 4th of July in America. It celebrates the Treaty of Waitangi, which was signed on 6 Feb 1840. Since it's a public holiday, it meant Mark couldn't get any CT scans for his patients at work today. It's a little lower key than the 4th of July, though, unless you happen to be in the town of Waitangi itself. Around here, there was just a sunrise Maori observation of the holiday on top of Mount Maunganui. Alas, no fireworks.
Front entrance to the hospital. Ambulance bay on left
Ro and Sherry took it easy today and hung around the motel. Ro spent much of the day playing with Luke and Aidan (the innkeepers' kids). He was doing front flips on the trampoline, which even the 8-year old didn't know how to do. Credit Miss Brittany (Ro's babysitter in Asheboro) for that. Ro is so much like Luke in personality it's scary, and both Sherry and Tracy (Luke's mom) noticed it right away. Ro has even started picking up a hint of a Kiwi accent; his O's get longer by the day. We giggle every time he says "home." Sherry has become quite the domestic goddess; she whipped up a ham and cheese omelet for Mark before he headed off to work today, and had dinner waiting when he got home, complete with a bottle of wine to celebrate our first week here. She loves cooking with kumara, the NZ version of the sweet potato, which Ro devours. Even though we have maid service, Sherry seems to do an inordinate amount of laundry; there's always something hanging on the line - must be because Ro gets dirty so often.
Ro and Luke clowning around
The animals are loose! Luke (5), Aidan (8), and Ronan (4)
Not sure what they were looking at. Frankly I don't want to know
Mark and Ro spent the evening playing on the "tramp" and climbing trees in the yard. Sherry is on a quest to find our next place to live. Hopefully, we'll have enough room for guests, but we'll squeeze you in regardless if you want to visit!
For those of you who weren't aware, the USA rugby team is in Wellington for the NZI Sevens Rugby Tournament, losing to Samoa 26-17, but beating Fiji 15-10 and Cook Islands 36-0, finishing the day tied at the top of Pool D. The fans we see on TV put even the most rabid Raider fans and Cameron Crazies to shame with their costumes and antics. The big match between the NZ All-Blacks and the Aussies is the nightcap tonight. The international tour comes to San Diego next weekend for anyone who's interested.
http://www.nzisevens.co.nz/Tournament/FullSchedule.htm
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