An eventful day

I got some bookings done today, accommodation for Ireland and Milan and a car for Ireland. I love how I can plot out my route on Google Maps, see how far it is to drive as well as how long it may take. The roads in southern Ireland are apparently a little narrow and require caution. My car is little, a small VW so I should be fine. I'm planning to drive from Shannon to Bantry then around the coast to Rossbeign, stay the night then drive to Dingle and back to Shannon. I didn't book a satnav because the instructions on Google Earth looked manageable. Famous last words I know after getting lost in Wales.

My first stop organised, I booked the two nights in Milan. It seems like an expensive place, the Airbnb apartment I've booked looks great for Sandy and I, central and near the station but in a quiet spot. Not like the one that said in capital letters, light sleepers need not apply we're on a busy street. That was a no, I'm sure Sandy will appreciate how quiet this one is after her long journey from New Zealand.

Although it was a bit stormy here today, I decided a beach walk would do me good so off I went, right into a rain squall. The sea was rough, the beach largely deserted except for a lovely couple from Washington, the state not the town as he told me. He thought I was an Aussie, he knew to apologise and we laughed at that. Seems they had met Aussies and a New Zealander on another trip so knew more than the average American about down under.

They had just arrived, he wasn't quite as excited as she was at the prospect of a swim in the sea. She wanted to see a fish. Well, Cemetery Beach is just the place for that. Ask the pelicans, I saw several today diving and succeeding. Off I went, telling them I was coming back for a swim fter some much needed exercise.

I wandered along to Public Beach, about a 4.5km round trip and on the way back I noticed lots of activity on the water. Police boats, other small craft and the police helicopter frantically looking for something. I thought at first that there may have been asylum seekers in one of the boats because the police boat seemed to be chasing it. That's happened lately after a rough trip from Cuba.

Crowds were forming from the condos along the beach and I asked a policeman patrolling the beach what had happened. A missing swimmer it seemed. Not an American woman, I asked. Yes, said the policeman. I felt terrible thinking it may have been the lady I told it was okay to swim. With a feeling of dread, I arrived to find the couple gone. I'm hoping that it wasn't her, they seemed so nice and so excited to be in Cayman on their first visit.

The action moved down the beach and the helicopter hovered over the big police launch and it seemed like someone was plucked from the water. A happy ending I hope. I will keep checking the news. The sea was rough and there was a small boat advisory out. Not good weather for a J22. I had a swim because there were others in the water, not too far out and for not too long.

I will miss having the sea available all year round when I leave here. My contract has been extended until the end of July so my leaving date from NYC is set, hence booking as I did today. It's nice knowing I can make plans, nice to know that in a little less than 6 weeks I'll be on the road again. Looking forward to it now.

Well, after the kiwi roast....

Came the Hunger Games. Young Ruby shared the basic story with us over dinner in pre quake Christchurch, so a few years ago, when she was engrossed in how Katniss defeated Snow. And all the gory bits in between of course. I wasn't inspired, dinner and gore don't go too well with me, so when Gillian offered me the books I almost declined. I'm a voracious reader, powering through many books in a month and I was almost at the end of the only one I had left so I took them with a smile. 

Was that only a week and a half ago? It seems so, and since then I've read the book I'd almost finished, and another, and The Hunger Games trilogy. In fact, for the first time in a while, I've lost sleep over a book. I really didn't want the last book to finish and can understand why others have read them twice. An engrossing read, a scary read when you relate it to today's world. A read similar to one of my very favourite books, Winter of Fire the story of the quelled and the chosen. 

Sherryl Jordan must be one of the unsung heros of New Zealand literature. My kids loved to listen to the Denzil stories, family favourites, and my class of big kids really enjoyed Rocco and Winter of Fire. Ruby got to enjoy them too. So The Hunger Games are in their ilk, fantasy about a future world where things are not quite the same as they are now. Where people have to fight to claim and reclaim their heritage.

Well, not exactly a future world if one looks at the stories and compares them to some of the histories being written now. The quelled and the chosen; a nuclear winter; districts in a changed world with a capitol. There are are parallels. The Palestinians and the Israelis come to mind. That reminds me of a story that needs to be told, photos that need to be shared. I promised I wouldn't, enough time has passed that it should be okay. An entry for the weekend when I have some time to write. 

So for now, it's do I start a new book or continue to enjoy thinking about The Hunger Games? The later I suspect. My supply of books os so limited with my downsizing to shift that I may need ot go shopping tomorrow for a new title. George is right, I really do need to get over myself and buy a Kindle. Especially for traveling in places where books in English may not be that easy to find. Places I'm going very soon with a limited baggage allowance. 

Tomorrow is my last day at work for this contract, although there is a promise for an extension for July. It seems the work I'm doing is important and needs to be finished. As of Sunday I'll be an overstayer if the contract doesn't come to me by the end of the day tomorrow. I guess if it doesn't my holiday begins on Monday, looking forward to some down time. I will await what tomorrow brings, the promise of a meal out with friends and the odd loaded soda something to look forward to. 

The quelled or the chosen? 

Some days....

Are out of the bag. Right down to a storm with plenty of rain, thunder and lightening as we tucked into the roast that Rob cooked watching the rain fall, listening to the wind and the chatter of New Zealandish. Pretending, in a small way, that we were watching a winter storm lash the windows and preparing for snow while snugly warm inside. We must have all been doing the same, the five adult kiwis dining together because when one of us said this, we all smiled.

The kids were being kids, having a ball with each other as kids do. The meal was delicious, roast vege for this vege and roast pork for the others, washed down with a Villa Maria sav blanc and followed by pudding and cake. Banana cake with a Caribbean flair. The mangos in the middle were a treat. Best of all was the conversation. People who knew people who knew people making links to places. It really is a small world after all.

On Saturday I met George, the lovely Rose's sister's husband from Blenheim. He was in Cayman on a promotional trip for Villa Maria. Rose put us in touch and I showed him the sights on Sunday. I suspect by his unwillingness to catch his plane that he may have wanted to stay. The kiwi roast was mentioned, his plane left a little too early. In his few short days here he got to swim with the stingrays, check out many of the restaurants, enjoy 7 Mile Beach and endure my driving in a round the island road trip. We were lucky enough to catch some exciting kite surfing at Reef Resort , photos below. He seemed taken with the place and I suspect he'll be back, bringing Barbara and the kids for a holiday.

Music

I admit it, I'm addicted to Netflix. Friends told me that would be so, okay so I haven't had television for so many years. I'm catching up. I'm enjoying watching Crossing Jordan at the moment. So nice to be able to watch without adverts and to watch one then another. So I occasionally watch three in a row, big deal. I finished my book last night, my last book so need another wind down. Ergo was the book, the book of the movie. I hope the movie was more thrilling than the book.

So one of the things I like about Crossing Jordan is the music. There are snippets of songs and I look these up at the end. It's a challenge to find them at times because they can be a little obscure. This evenings song was the one below. I found it from a few lyrics that touched a chord. I love music, music is the sound track to my life. A constant. I had never heard of Mary Chapin Carpenter before, although she is a contemporary of mine. I know I will enjoy more of her music.

Sail Club Ball

I was remiss, I didn't write or post photos of the Sail Club Ball last month. A lovely evening of food, music, dancing, debate and discussion and most of all social time with good friends. We scrub up well, was the comment made of the Mayhem crew. We mostly see those attending in sail gear, wet and windblown after racing. I love how the Caribbean black tie for the men looks. The top half is black tie, the bottom half shorts and sandals. It looks hilarious with some carrying it off better than others. Rationale, it's hot and sticky and ladies can wear skimpy dresses and open heels so why shouldn't the blokes keep cool as well. Can't fault that logic!

Mayhem in frocks. Jo, Didge and I with a Cayman sunset in the background

Sunday

I'm procrastinating. All dressed for a walk but it's a humid, sunny 30C here in Cayman and I'm not that keen to get out into the heat. No aircon on at my place but the fans are keeping me cool enough. And I've got to get out on the water soon as well. A Sunday afternoon sail planned. Plenty of excuses to keep laying on the couch reading my book. The main reason for waiting is the music on my radio, acoustic Sunday, a nice mix of classics and new tracks, interesting versions that are a pleasure. That and m iPod is flat and charging now.

I could procrastinate for ever and justify that procrastination so plausibly. It's a gift, a skill well honed with practise. Yesterday I didn't procrastinate. I took myself to the beach and enjoyed a leisurely snorkel and lay on the beach for a bit with my book. My music was the waves and I just may have drifted off. My belly is very pink, the white bits should go brown, the brown bits a bit browner. It was lovely.

All salty and sticky with bad hair, I met Jane and one of her friends for  a late lunch at the George Town Yacht Club. I wandered amongst the yachts moored a little envious of the open ocean lifestyle. I've just finished reading a book about a couple who sailed from the Caribbean to New Zealand via the Panama Canal and the Pacific Islands. It was a good read for this reader of fiction. Graham and Janet Morse, with their two crew, lived their dream of blue water sailing. I enjoyed their adventures and would love to do this type of sailing someday.

For now there's more planning to do for my trip. I'm getting excited, need to book a flight from London to Milan to be ready to travel down to Diana's place to meet up with Di to attend a retreat. I can't wait.

So that's the walk out the door, no time now. Ah the skill of procrastinating, such a strength!

Assisi, a little south of Piedmont

The Beautiful Country

Oh dear this one had me sobbing in my chair, what a story! Sadly one that's based on the truth that was and is Vietnam. Based on the trafficking and abuse of those less fortunate. I was ashamed to hear Maori spoken in this film, to show a New Zealander involved in the seedy side of the cheap labour that floods into America on rickety ships; dangerous men trafficking hopeful people. A side to New York City that  most don't see.

It was also a beautiful film of hope and connection, of sacrifice and love, of kindness in adversity. A very human film. Enjoy the trailer, it's well worth a watch.

A little quiet

Really, a little busy. Catching up on some social time and sailing before I leave. My silence has been noted, Lyn wondered where I'd been. The funny thing is that spending my day writing for work leaves me not feeling very inspired to write here. My shift in job means I get uninterrupted time to write the things that need to be written and to do the research that needs to be done. And more seems to land on my desk each day. You get that with the big jobs I guess.

The thing I know is that I have a plane to catch in NYC, well one to NYC first that I've yet to book. I did remind my boss of this today, she just smiled. I'm really excited. I'm heading to Shannon in Ireland and Frank printed me a map of places to go and investigated his home turf for activities while I'm there. It's only a quick stop but I'm going to Dingle. I'm so excited about going to Dingle. You see, while I was on my last trip to New Zealand, I discovered a TV programme on the plane. A recording of a concert Amy Winehouse gave in Dingle.

It was wonderful, inspirational, and now quite by chance I'm getting the opportunity to go to Dingle. Funny how things work out, I had never heard of the place before watching that programme. The clip for it is below, the whole concert I think. Enjoy. I've yet to book my car or accommodation there as yet, this weekends job. I wonder who will be in concert in the church when I'm there?