3 posts tagged “new zealand”

Shopping in New Zealand

Apr 25, 2008
8 comments

Well as close to New Zealand as we can come for the time being.

Kiwi hubby and I went to San Diego last weekend for a wonderful get-away-from-reality, type get away.

As I already mentioned it was all it should have been and more. The Omni was a great place to stay, very central to all the goings on for a hit and happenin' down town area. We were right on the edge of the Gaslamp quarter, next door to Petco ball park (Padres home) the mass transit (electric tram) was right next door and that is THE best way to get around. We like to ride it just to see what areas it goes to, it costs something like $5 for an all day pass. We took it to dinner for Mikes Birthday, over to "Little Italy" and found a GREAT little Italian restaurant. The atmosphere was incredible, reminded me of an authentic Italian street, much like the Paris in Las Vegas has dressed up its interior to resemble the quaint, eccentric look of the streets and villages of France. Anyway the name of the place is Mimmos and the food is exquisite. The Tiramisu is to DIE for. Absolutely home made and made fresh. Puts Olive Garden to shame and now I am spoiled. Will be very hard to go back to chain Italian rests.

Ok so anyway back to the shopping. One of our favourite places to hang out, especially to get coffee, or expresso is something called Upstart Crow and it is located in Seaport Village just a quick tram ride from our hotel. So off we went and had our morning coffee whilst browsing some of their eclectic book selections. We finished and headed out to explore some of the other stores in the village and also to enjoy the sea breeze blowing in over the harbor.

By accident we stumbled on a brand new little place called The Cabbage Tree. For those who are familiar with New Zealand you will know what the cabbage tree is . As for me, I am a silly american who had no idea so we went in and asked the proprietor. She was a lovely women who told us the story. Even Mike was not sure and he is a Kiwi! Some Kiwi, I worry that he is loosing touch with his NZ heritage. She told us something about how when Cook discovered NZ his crew was suffering from scurvy. They found these trees and cooked the leaves which looked and tasted much like cabbage. Not sure if it is true, but is sounded plausible. We had a great time browsing and looking at the imports from their native homeland. Mike bought me a necklace made from Paua shell, which is similiar to abalone, very pretty, rainbow-y looking thing. Anyway, it was fun to talk to the owners Mikes accent is not near as pronounced as theirs were, and for that I am a little disappointed. I love the accent and love to listen to Mike talk, but I fear that he is getting to "americanized" He no longer says things like "rubbish" "g'day", brilliant" and "peckish" its now garbage, hi, cool and hungry. After our visit to The Cabbage Tree, I silently vowed that I would get Mike back to NZ as soon as is feasable.

Bloody foreigners

Mar 23, 2008
1 comment

As I have made mention a few times here, my husband is a (gasp) foreigner. I know, I know, don't lecture me...we seem to be a nation who, all of a sudden, feels that foreigners are...well just that - foreign and do not belong on our soil.

Now bare with me here, I am living smack in the middle of the mess that is illegal immigration, but I still feel that there is a place here in the US for anyone who wants to come here to make a life, and does it LEGALLY. Its the "illegal" part of immigration that I find distasteful and hard to swallow. And all this coming from a woman who she herself, married an illegal alien. I guess that there are degrees of illegal-ness of which I am willing to consider. I do not believe that my husbands illegal-ness was as illegal as say, swimming the Colorado River and stealing through the night towards the lights in the distance. My husband came to the US with his late wife on a visitors visa. When we met he was considered an "over-stayer" So he entered legally, he had overstayed his visa and though, they were not actively looking for him, they would have deported him all the same had he been found out; not only deported him but a 10 year ban would have been placed on him for return to the US. So one of the first things we did after we married ( I refuse to tell you what some of the other first things we did - there is a modicum of modesty that should be maintained :wink:) was to begin the long, excrutiatingly detailed, EXPENSIVE process of applying for his green card.

Mike is a New Zealand national, probably one of very few here in the US...I know if I was from New Zealand I would be more of an opinion of "the USA is a nice place to visit, but wouldn't want to live there" I mean come on, why would you leave a country as breathtaking as NZ for the concrete jungle of the US? Can someone say insanity? I guess I shouldn't pass too much judgment as I am not sure of the state of economy of NZ. Sure the country is beautiful but if you can't afford to live there, welllll....

Anyway, the process to obtain legal permanent residency for Mike was a long arduous journey, but finally it was complete and he was issued his SS number along with his green card. He proceeded to get a job nearly immediately and it seems with a very solid, good company that he has a future with and can grow with.

Mike is always asking me things that have to do with our election process, the differences between the party's and their beliefs. I have to confess I have not paid as much attention to politics I maybe I should have and find myself as stumped as he is sometimes with the questions he asks. But it has forced me to do some researching, and learning, which is a good thing - right? Although sometimes with politics you can learn too much. He asks me about historical events in politics ie: The Kennedy's, Watergate, Reganomics...etc. Or things like just what is the electoral college? What is a super delegate? I try to answer, but fear that I am a poor teacher. So I have found myself reading more and paying attention more.

I have tried to impress upon him the historical stage that is being set with this years elections, and hope that it all plays out well for us as a nation, but I have some fears. Fears that I would rather not reveal here as this is not meant to be a political blog. With change in anything comes growing pains and adaptation, and I think that we are in for our fair share to be sure. I pray we all come out on the other side in one piece and stronger then ever.

As an aside: I just heard a great definition of a super delegate - uncommitted party activist.
One other aside: with friends like Gov. Bill Richardson, who needs enemy's?

Blogs and more blogs

Feb 13, 2008
4 comments

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1 comment

I have decided that I need to get some blog friends in another time zone, preferably in another country - a country that is opposite me on the clock.

I like to read blogs, especially when I know I have something in common with the person I am reading. Sometimes I think I am addicted to reading blogs, some blogs are so good they are like a great novel unfolding before me, reading each day to find out more and more - getting deeper into the storyline and characters.

So whats the problem? Weeeeellll...I guess I check these blogs too often, most mornings when I wake up I have about an hour to myself before I have to get ready and off to work. During this time, I like to read. Blogs, message boards, the news etc. Most is new information, but I find that most blogs are not updated so early in the morning. Then I realized that most of my blog interests are located in the USA. So its morning to us all and alot of you just have not gotten around to your blogs yet.

So I am going to go actively seeking bloggers who live around the world to give me more of a variety, for one thing, and also to up my odds in running across blogs that have been tended to when I wake up in the morning and go on my reading spree.

So this is a call to those who live in places like England, Germany, Australia, New Zealand etc, etc - let me know you are out there! I WANT to read you - get to know you and your life!!