Gingers on the run: November 2007

It seems so long ago (no, not the last post on this blog), but between May and early September I lived a very different life to the 9-5 I am now experiencing. Writing each morning I worked on yet another California story (I WILL get it right), published an article on dams in Tibet, wrote a feature on my January rafting expedition into Arunachal Pradesh, India, applied for many jobs, but spent the majority of my time walking the various dogs we looked after along the beach looking out wistfully to Kapiti and Mana Islands – Mana is the spitting image of Eigg off the west coast of Scotland with a flat topped ridge dropping away steeply to the sea.

Between those months, as house sitters, we looked after 4 cats (Bunter, Pippa, Tiger, Derek!), a lively Doberman (Zec), a highly responsive Labrador/Rodesian Ridgeback (Red), and a light footed elderly Border Collie (Holly). We were lucky to live in the laid-back community of Te Horo Beach, looked after a three storey house above Plimmerton (a bit like Dunkeld in Perthshire), and spent many an enjoyable hour wandering around Titahi Bay (Queensferry maybe? but not as old).

The weather was largely great, May and early July in particular. I took windy bike rides along the Kapiti Coast on Helen’s 4-speed retro cruiser (tough on those hills), enjoyed a daily dose of Guardian Weekly reading, and took on part-time work to keep me sane at the Lighthouse Cinema in Pauatahanui.

It was something of a boyhood dream to step into the projectionist’s booth and operate the machines. Many people seem surprised that the system is still so old school, requiring film to be thread and lens’ to be focused. Helen and I are fans of the Italian coming of age film, Cinema Paradiso, especially the sweeping Ennio Morricone soundtrack. So much so that we asked Dorothy to play the theme at our wedding on the piano. The film follows a boy who befriends a projectionist in a sleepy Italian rural town that comes alive during screenings.

Due to the cold snap that hit in late July-August I soon resembled Alfredo from the film as I bought a dressing-gown and fingerless gloves to enable me to write at home. The following video was shot by my colleague, Phil, at the Lighthouse Cinema. It shows me readying the machine for a screening.

During this time I finally found a permanent position (not horizontal on the couch watching Sky Sports as I may have liked) at ACC in Wellington. They're the equivalent of the NHS in the UK, taking care of your recovery from accidents if you can't work/earn etc. Doesn't cover you for illness unless work-related. Anyway, Helen worked for them in Christchurch, Nick currently works for them in Wellington, and now I have joined the extended family. I'm part of the team who takes care of their website related shenanigans.

The timing was great, I got the job and two days later we flew back to Scotland for three weeks of travelling and socialising. I'm working on a video of Ross and Mary's wedding at the moment, so that will come soon. Needless to say we had a ball. Probably went a little too hard the first few days. After an evening with Ross and Mary in Glasgow I took off to Edinburgh and zoomed around the city meeting the new babies and then went to play an 11-a-side testimonial match (in my honour). The jetlag really kicked in by half-time (that's my excuse for my pitiful performance - sorry Stew for never passing the ball to you) and after a bright first 45 minutes where we led 2-0 by the end we were chasing shadows and got thumped 5-2!

Onwards and downwards we hired the use of a basement room in a bar (thanks Higgins and Gaz!) and hung out until we were forced to relocate to one of our old stomping grounds, Negotiants.

From there it was like a rerun of our teenage years ending up in Toby's flat where we zoned out in front of the TV until it really was past our bedtime.

Walking down the street with Gaz and Luke I was soon berated for only spending one night in Edinburgh despite a 3-week visit to Scotland. I pleaded my case and argued and from nowhere emotion overwhelmed me. From fisticuffs to group hugs. It was like being at a Scotland football match.

First thing next morning I was whisked back to Glasgow where I met Ross and his stag party. An all-day affair including the wonderful Scotland-Lithuania match (from fisticuffs to group hugs once again) and various watering holes and curry houses. When I returned to Helen at 1am I could barely walk. The 11-a-side game had ruined me. It took me almost a week at Dorothy's to recover from this initial weekend.

Ross and Mary's wedding was next. Video to come.

Then up to Aberdeenshire, sharing the drive with Douglas, Janette, Helen and Granny Harper, who had the best quip of the trip. Arriving at a restaurant after some 5 hours of driving she was heard to mutter, "Oh, I feel a hundred." She is currently 98!

Up to Shetland where I was reuinted with my siblings at the place of our collective births where we hadn't all been together since 1979. The following video says it all.

From there it all went into fast forward. A brief visit with Sorley, Wendy and Ben, where we 'stole' some furniture to be shipped back to New Zealand. Back to Dorothy's. Then Glasgow for one final night. And then suddenly we were returning to our new home.

It felt good touching back down in Wellington, despite the 6-leg flight back and missed connection. We house-sat in Korokoro, just outside Wellington, looking after Roxy (below).

Then arrived G-Dog Simpson fresh from another whitewater season in California. Helen and I were attempting to buy a house in the city and with our minds somewhat preoccupied G-Dog took care of us, cooking fishcakes, roast chicken, steaks and all sorts in just one week.

And miracle of miracles we bought our first house! Thanks to Jonathan 'Jono' O'Connor, an old friend of Nick's who works for Rothbury Financial Services, who talked us through the entire process, we were able to make it happen in one week! Must be some kind of record.

Perhaps due to the speed at which the whole thing happened we became a little uneasy this past few days. But we went back to see it and take measurements and all our fears were quickly dispelled - as you can see by the inane grin on Helen's face in the pictures below. We move in December 7th and it will be the first house Helen and I have had of our own since Glasgow 2001, unless you count our bamboo shack in the jungle in Thailand. Strangely our new home is very close to the Zoo and it may be possible to hear Gibbons whooping in the morning as we could in Thailand.

It's tiny, so filling the place up with our lack of possessions will be easy. It is perhaps a more Johnston-like abode than any other Johnston house I know. This is the living room with wood-burner.