I am sitting in the cool shade out of the hot sun in a little courtyard lined with red bougainvillea. I’m sleepy and there are a few mosquitoes hovering about but otherwise it’s not a bad place to be. Last night I left San Francisco, in a somewhat eventful departure. First, a mountain lion besieged […]
A full, embarrassing, week later
Much has happened, not least the arrival of the Boddhisatva and then her departure along with the Gentleman Friend to a conference while I have stayed on in the Bay Area. It’s easier to be with difficult relatives when there are not others around as I am not on guard and trying to keep everyone […]
Island in the sun
In Hilo. It was a very long journey from the Doyenne’s house to our current abode, with some panic and disruption along the way, particularly when we arrived at the airport to find that we needed to show proof of outbound travel not from the US, but from countries contiguous to the US, so our […]
To the sounds
In the morning we left Nelson. It was rather sad to say goodbye to the Gentleman Friend’s mother, she is in a place second only to my own mother for me. She was flying to Auckland later that morning and then on homewards to London afterwards. (I am writing this sitting on a jetty, watching […]
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 […]
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 […]
Thwarted
Well, my attempt to enter the city was thwarted as the immigration officials refused to let me in due to the short stop. (Also it was -13 when we landed, which dissuaded me from arguing too much). So I have spent the day in the Air China First Class lounge, and though I have eaten […]
On the road
Today was my flight. The cousin who is a former rally driver, and can drive indefinitely it seems, offered to take me to Whangarei airport by the long, scenic route, and the Gentleman Friend would go as well to see me off. (Something very alien to the British side of him, though a way of […]