Just a couple of highlights of the week...found the most amazing Mexican restaurant about 2 seconds walk from the building where Jacques works :) It's called Jalapenos and it's the best by far I've had in New Zealand! Yum Yum!
Also, have been able to watch all 4 Celtics v. Heat playoff games so far live on ESPN! Now just have to hope they keep winning...
My interviews last week went well (I also had one on Friday about working at a cafe to open soon in Takapuna, seems like it would be a fun atmosphere). I haven't heard anything back yet, but It's been a long weekend for the Queen's Birthday so hopefully I will get some news early this week.
Friday, I went to visit with Astrid and participate in her busy afternoon. Watching a bit of Kali's ballet, making sure her car passed it WOF and meeting Milo, the family's new puppy. At the end of the day, I drove her car back to Albany where I will look after it/drive it around until she returns from Belgium in the middle of July. fortunately, this fixes the car situation temporarily until we get a replacement for the honda.
Friday night we played some pool...skills that need practice, though happened to have some pretty incredible lucky shots! Saturday, hung out on Brown's Bay beach for a bit in the evening because the weather was nice and then went to see Men in Black 3. Sunday we went to a couple of sales (every shop seems to have them this weekend every year). We each got a new outfit discounted :) Then, it was time to prepare food for the evening. Felecia had about 16 people over to celebrate her birthday Sunday night. I made some delicious herbal appetizers learned at the master gardeners lecture day with mom. Glad I signed up for both cooking sessions. The spinach cakes were a huge hit. I also made brie bites, bruschetta and pasta carbonara. All very yummy! For dessert I made everyone a mini chocolate chip pancake which we served with ice cream or nutella or both. A novelty for most, they too were very popular. There were also chicken wings and meatballs, a nice big green salad, garlic bread, a fancy cheese platter, a beef dish, vegan/paleo chocolate cupcakes with homemade chocolate frosting, and rice pudding. It was definitely a night of cheating on food rituals for both Jacques and I, delicious and worth it though!
Today we went out west to Piha, another beach I hadn't seen yet (there are just so many to see in this country, each differently beautiful!). It was such a nice sunny winter day again! Lot of surfers in the water as well! I had my feet in the water and at one point felt like if I'd had my suit, would have actually gone for a dip. The water felt like early summer on Cape Cod, chilly but bearable for a few minutes.
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| Piha |
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| Auckland from the bus on the bridge |
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| Takapuna Beach |
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| Rangitoto from Takapuna |
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| Kali and Milo |
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| On the way down to Piha |
