June 9, 2010

Kia Ora from the Wintery Lands far to the South!

It's been wet and cold here, lately. So wet, in fact, that it's left me with a distinct feeling of deja vu, and a clear reminder of what I didn't like about Vancouver winters. The cold has not been particularly onerous (usually daytime highs around 10C), but when combined with the damp it's made me feel a bit chilly.

Aya's accent continues to evolve. She has now lost her "a". It's been replaced with another, new, sound. So far, that makes two of her vowels. Furthermore, based on careful observation, Shelley believes that her accent is even stronger when playing with her Kiwi friends (small NZ children at her preschool, not furry flightless birds).

We were at the mall on the weekend (Shelley needed to buy rainpants for her upcoming field trip), and we walked past several tables set up in the middle of the concourse with discount books. Amongst the books about baking, kittens, vintage cars, and romances, I spotted a copy of China Mieville's collection of short stories "Looking For Jake". Excellent! I purchased it (for $4.00 or so), and have been working through it. [n.b. Jonas, you should find a copy in the library, several of the stories you would find very enjoyable.]

On Saturday, we travelled to the Castle Hill basin, where we hiked (and did a little bouldering) with our friends E_ and P_, and their lovely children S_ and L_. We had a great time (especially Aya, who loves Castle Hill; I think she climbed as much as anyone), although I left somewhat depressed about my current state of climbing fitness (none). My injury really prevents me from climbing, as I can't fall more than about 1 foot.

In the rain yesterday (Monday, the Queen's Birthday holiday), we went for a bit of a drive through the countryside. We went to Lincoln, a small university town just outside of ChCh. It seemed very nice - lots of brick buildings, very academic-seeming.

I have to confess, though, that the wet cool weather makes me wish I could step on a plane to Fiji or the Gold Coast; both are just a few hours flight away...

Take care! More soon!

Trent.