A Day Out

Hi everyone, I know it has been ages since I last updated this, but we haven't really done much, most days been spent unpacking and working on the house. It's coming together now though, we have managed to decorate the two downstairs living rooms and both the girls bedrooms. We have also employed an architect to draw up plans for the major renovation work that needs doing upstairs. In New Zealand you need planning permission for just about everything, so until the plans are draw up and approved we can't really get on with the big jobs.
The main work is in the bathrooms, currently we only have one bathroom in the house and it is ghastly! We are planning to remove the entire roof from it and build a new gable so that the bathroom can have a high 'cathedral' ceiling with skylights. We are also turning the existing sun room into an en suite bathroom and extending the veranda upstairs to create a sun deck off the new bathroom. So we will most likely be busy for some time yet!

We have managed to get out twice though since we've been here! A few weeks ago we went to the 'Gypsy Fair' which was great. They are a big group of travellers that tour New Zealand throughout the summer months, they pull into towns along the way and make money by performing, selling crafts, reading palms etc. You should see the vans that they live in, they are so awesome, there were a couple of them for sale and the head of the group was looking for people to join them for the next tour! I tell you it is a good job that we have bought this house and couldn't afford to buy one of those vans because I would have been off like a shot. I'd so love to go and join the Gypsy's, even if it was just for a year or two - maybe next year :)

Last weekend we went up to our local Tibetan Buddhist centre, they have a wonderful meditation centre in the hills, it is an amazing place. It was their annual family music day, which was a lovely event and such a huge turn out. it has been years since I've seen so many happy and colourful people in one place.

If you check out the sidebar you'll see that I've added a few links. One is to some sites that have loads of info about Nelson, so if you want to know some more about where we live, check them out. The other one is a current weather forecast! You can see it is actually about 20 degrees warmer here than the UK but I am still freezing!!!!

Pic above is of one of the Gypsy Vans, the name on the side is 'Sewerside Farm' lol! that really amused me.

Gypsy Dancer, this girl has a really gorgeous tattoo on her foot. I am planning to get flowers tattooed on my feet soon :)

Drummer from the music day.

Lu painting a Tsa Tsa (image of Buddha) at the music day (she is going to send this to the young monk that we sponsor at Kopan Monestary in Nepal)

No Torch In Tibet

No Torch In Tibet

One World, One Dream
“One World, One Dream” is China's Olympic slogan. But the reality of China's occupation of Tibet is a nightmare. Thousands of Tibetans are being arbitrarily detained, beaten and killed for speaking out for freedom.

The Game is Over.
On March 24th, China launched its Olympic Torch Relay. In the next two months, the torch will travel to cities around the world in a blatant attempt by the Chinese government to gain international acceptance and to divert attention away from its illegal occupation and current military crackdown inside Tibet.

As part of its global “Journey of Harmony,” the Chinese government plans to run the Olympic torch through Lhasa and other Tibetan territories, including to the top of Mount Everest, in a propaganda campaign designed to convince the world that Tibet belongs to China. Join thousands of people worldwide in calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to immediately withdraw Tibet from the torch relay route.