May 14, 2010

Hello from NZ!

My injured neck continues to improve. I STILL can't lie down for any period of time, though, without my right arm starting to tingle and ache ('referred pain' from the nerve being pinched in my neck). I'm more-or-less pain free, though, which is nice. Still can't move faster than a quick walk, though, which is a bit frustrating, and still can't work at a computer for too long.

The weather here has been amazing! It was really warm yesterday outside; it felt like summer. Apparently, this is a realllly long autumn, and not typical of the Christchurch autumn. We're hoping that this weather lasts right through winter.

I'm working in the library these days. I'm trying to get some data analysis done, so I can get some of the data from my post-doc work published. It's pretty interesting stuff, so it's easy to stay motivated. Hopefully it'll get done soon, but it's hard to work long at my computer before my neck/back/arm start to get sore.

Lately, we've been missing going out for breakfast here in NZ. There are breakfast-type places here, but going out to break the fast seems to be a bit of a special occasion (like brunch in Canada), and as such, it's fairly expensive (about $15 for bacon / eggs / toast). So we just eat at home. Such a shame. Not being able to eat out for breakfast makes us miss our "best breakfast friends" in Canada (1. Steve, 2. The Gagnons, 3. Laurie and Conan). All three of these groups of people are especially entertaining (and generally educational) over breakfast. *sigh* I miss medium basted eggs, bacon, brown toast, and endless cups of weak coffee.

We've been thinking about where we should visit next in NZ. My vote is Kaikoura, so we can see seals, and eat crayfish (which, in NZ, refers not to what we would call crayfish in Canada, but rather to a large lobster-like creature without the giant claws).

I'll keep you posted!

Trent.