The GF’s mother put it like this, and it seems accurate. So safe, so clean, so faraway. Today was the first day I felt well, afer the first full night’s sleep. But I was very tired with work. In the evening I strolled down to Onetangi beach where I was to meet the Gentleman Friend […]
Sick week
Over a week of illness, first me and then the Gentleman Friend, has made Waiheke a place I am eager now to escape. My flu is now gone, but a cough remains thanks to congested lungs, and my voice sounds strange. He has had a less terrible time to begin with, but had a relapse […]
Road to Ostend
A sleepless night but a less ill one. I felt strong enough in the morning that I accommpanied the Gentleman Friend on a 5km walk to Ostend, the nearest town, there to buy some groceries. It was a plesaant walk past fields and vieyards and hills and bays and marshes. Along the way we saw, […]
Day two
The flu continues. I slept better than before but woke with a truly terrible headache which persisted for most of the day. Finally I gave up on working and emailed asking if I could send the work back later than proposed. With the worry of not having done the edit lifted, I dozed for a […]
All is explained
I no longer feel foolish about not leaving the airport, clearly my body knew what was what. Towards the end of the longer flight, from Beijing to Auckland, I was coughing and feeling a little raw of skin and by the time I arrived on Waiheke I was ready to collapse. Then, around 3 in […]
Cold feet
I am in Beijing airport. I stupidly lost the will to leave the airport at the last minute, having had a terrible flight from Karachi, feeling nauseous and uncomfortable, and assigned to an emergency row seat. I know most people prefer these, and certainly it is nice to have space rather than a close row, […]
Leaving, finally
Tonight I fly back to New Zealand. Yesterday my sister’s new in-laws came over for a final goodbye, and then I went off with them to Zainab Market, once the go-to place – the only place, really – for clothing meant for export. Back in the day I stocked up on trousers and t-shirts and […]
Cold wind
Yesterday was a restful sort of day except in the afternoon my father and aunt insisted I join the latter to attend a tea party hosted by the groom’s aunt. I had originally said I wouldn’t, but the social pressure was strong, and I felt obliged for my sister’s sake, so I went along. We […]
Final event
The valima has occurred, and it’s all over now. It struck me for the first time that this is clearly intended as a sort of reward for the girl’s side; we do the arrangements and hosting for most of the other events, and then when the rest is over, we sit back and get hosted. […]
In Karachi
The morning was frantic. I woke up at 5 to finish up some work which had to be sent to a higher office for comment and having lost all of Monday to busy-ness I was far behind; moreover, materials I had requested had not come in before so there was a constant stream of emails […]