It has been more than a month-I honestly don't know where the time goes. As I write I am listening to Randy Bachman's Vinyl tap on CBC. Just heard a comedy routine about a Canadian who is asked to say Oot (out) and Aboot (about) wherever he goes. This has actually only happened to me once but our peculiar and "cute" pronunciation is well known world wide!
So we are well into a NZ winter and the city is transplanting annuals in the public beds, on frosty COLD nights (of 1-- -2 )people head out to their cars with a jug of warm water to defrost their windshields (no winter washer here!), lawns continue to be mowed, Road works are in full forces- and just as slow as at home, Best of all there is no need what so ever for boots.

Despite dire warnings every week that this is the coldest winter in years (daytime average so far 8-14 and night -2 to 4-5) Afterall it is what you are used to right!! On sat afternoon and most evenings in the dark there are close to 200 young women in bare legs and very short shorts/skirts playing a game called netball. Like basketball but no travelling. VERY big this side of the world and almost always played outdoors it seems except at the pro level of course.

(early morning rain GL on now) "I am a long way from home and I miss my loved ones so" which of course is true but i cannot say I am homesick a such because with the technology it has been so easy to stay in touch. I see Mom and Dad every week on the cam and have joined my book club via phone and webcam as well. Long distance calling is dirt cheap with the phone cards so i call friends and family fairly regularly (esp favourite son and daughter) once the time difference get sorted out! I kep a clock here set to Hfx time ( I am currently 15 hours ahead of Hfx) and now I have to figure 9 hours ahead of Italy where Lesley is for the summer.

It would be much different if not for being able to stay in touch via phone, email, cam and now i am playing with facebook a bit but i think i am too old to really get it. One of the younger nurses at work Debs -she is a Brit or pom- and she is determined to make me facebook savvy and has promised me a lesson! Don't hold your breath facebook fans- still more likely to repond to emails. I have to{ suzanne by Leonard Cohen now} admit it is fun looking at walls!!

Have read about a zillion books- I guess that is an exaggeration! but i am making up for lost time when I was studying the last 6 years. ( maybe that is why I never get around to doing the blog??) Just finished "still Alice" a great read- very quick- about Azhiemers from the persons pint of view. Thanks Francoise! I hadn't cried at abook for years and was afraid I'd become untouchable but this one bilndsided me twice.

Although I am not in a palliative setting we do have patients who die and as is the case the nurses are the advocates for patients alot of nurses here want to do abetter job this way and It surprises me when they acknowledge I do a good job because it seems second nature to me. I received a real complement the other last week when they let me look after a patient they ahd known and loved for years as he was being discharged home to die. It meant a lot that they trusted me to care for him. Of course they still don't trust me to care for brand new transpalnts and that is JUST fine with me.

I ahve connected by phone with the community palliatve care team and will spend a day with them sometime this summer.
My half hour is up! I have to get ready to go work. An evening shift. Colin si away this weekend with his hockey team in Aukland. I would have gone but my schedule was done before his! So I'll go in August. His expenses are all covered and domestic flights are quite cheap so should be fun.

NZ life:
Outsider is a workmate
slice is what we call a square(a sweet)
you can order a bowl of fries and fish and chips are really good, dirt cheap and on every corner

written by  RTW2009 on June 27, 2009 from Christchurch, New Zealand
from the travel blog: RTW/2009
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sorry about the cold winter weather...ha ha aha...the cool rainy delights of a Nova Scotia summer ..the rain soaked winds and the wet surfaces as you slide to your car on wet pavement only to be outdone by the damp limp paper you pull off your desk in an attempt to chart yet another 1000 word essay on the visit you just had with a patient and his family..nope your not missing much enjoy your winter vacation..Hope all is well..Love Barb

written by  b stewart on July 27, 2009

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written by  Shelly on September 15, 2009

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