Eh oop

Manchester. A busy frantic town at 4.30pm of a Friday afternoon. As we took to the streets after an hour long train trip from Liverpool it felt like the whole population of Dunedin was walking around with us and at times we were swimming against the tide. The photo doesn't do it justice at all.

Saw an obligatory episode of Coro St, had to really. As we rode in on the train you could look down onto rows and rows and rows and rows and rows of houses and backyards exactly the same as the legendary opening shots of Weatherfield. And although the town may be fictitious, everything else around us - the accents, the kids, the chain smoking - everything is just 'like on' tele!' And I loathe to give away spoilers but let's just say it had Deirdre back on the witness stand hyperventilating again. Her glasses seem larger over here and Ken is of course, perpetually perplexed.

It's odd really, we were walking around the Tate Gallery, Liverpool looking at an exhibition of photos of Liverpool from the war through to the late sixties and even though we're little kiwis from the other side of the world, it was kind of strange how easily everything came back...as if this were our childhood and history as well. We really were colonial kids back then although I doubt that the OC will carry that sort of recognition through to her adulthood, which clearly is a Good Thing. We really are a different country to England, although we share so much in common. We're finding our nationhood and leaving Mother England behind.



On our walk yesterday we found a little oasis of ye olde atmosphere in the middle of wide screen teles blaring out the latest news (Bladerunner eat your heart out). I couldn't resist posting this for Miss Sinclair - is Molly any relation to you?:

I think we'll hunt down 'Molly' again when I can get a break away from the conference. The Cook found a restaurant close by serving a large range of fish and I think Rick Stein would approve if we had a little taster.

Unfortunately for the kids we're staying at a University of Manchester hotel and it doesn't have the CBeebies...a lovely little children's channel we've enjoyed since landing in England a week ago. It may be a long day for The Cook (although he'll make the children endure BBC1 even when we can get CBeebies - because, well, in a small hotel room one can only take so much of squeaky voices and sock puppets).

My NATE conference starts at 9.30 this morn. I've signed up for some internetty things and it promises to be entertaining. Do you think they'll notice a cuckoo in the nest? Kiwi reticence might be the best form of valour in this instance.I hope I can understand the presenters, both their accents and their content ;-)

A Day late....

...but they finally recognised our arrival *tsk*

We awoke this morning to find this had moved in It reminded me of the book "Marion's Dreams" because last night, it was safely over the other side of the dock.... Today it gradually lit up over the day to become this - right under our window:


Today after a hearty breakfast, The Cook, my son, his chair, and my daughter, and I parted ways. I went off to Broadgreen High School, while they stayed behind to be entertained by CBeebies (aka the Brit children's channel) and a walk around Liverpool.

It was with a bit of trepidation that I entered Broadgreen High School this morning. Two locals had raised eyebrows and seemed a bit bewildered as to why I’d want to visit this ‘inner city school.’ I was of the feeling ‘just bring it on!’ – I was not fazed in the slightest but arriving in a taxi to be met my two yellow-coated men wanting to know my name and who I was visiting put me a little off guard. I am still unclear as to whether they were teachers or bouncers but they waved me right through.


From that moment on I entered what felt like a very ‘usual’ school. The students were boisterous and good natured and each class I visited was focussed and a delight. The school ‘felt good’ and that says a lot on first impression I think. Memo to Mr Durrant, I have virtual gifts for you from the MFL of Broadgreen High. I visited a great Spanish class working on revision with the Smartboard and they were also being shown how to access their V.L.E so they could revise over the Easter break.

A very VERY cool school with yet again, open, friendly international colleagues who shared their knowledge and are fully paid up members of the school of collegiality. It's kind of cool to be part of a network that has an empathy towards, and a dedication to ensuring that our next generation does better than the last. That people go so far out of their way does me good, it brings my heart to a stop and I hope I repay in kind albeit across the other side of the world.

I was impressed by the laptop scheme which enables any student without internet access at home to hire a laptop for 10 pounds (approx $30) a month. Like Longfield the interactive whiteboards were in full swing and another key function was their work with the 24 deaf students at their school. A Smartboard is a vital tool for teachers of these young people. Along with an entertaining Spanish class I was able to view a tutorial with a young deaf lad who was having extra sessions in science for his GCSE's. The Smartboard was at the forefront and he was also interacting with it under guidance from his teacher.

I was looked after for the day by a wonderful network manager called Brian who fed me with chocolate from the ongoing stash the computer team had up and running for dealing with worms and the like. Here is that team working hard. Note, Mr Smith, that there are more of them. They seem to clone themselves every hour. Why can't we clone Mr Smith. They seem to be able to do it.
And here's one just for you Mr Murley...
Met up with the family at the end of the day. Had a quick wander about town. Seems Liverpool is the European Union Cultural Capital for the year. Suits me! Suits the family. We all managed to dine out alfresco on some pretty nice kai from the markets. That we managed to kind of serendipitously move in next door to the Liverpool branch of the Tate Gallery is another bonus that you just run with. So we did that as we walked to our hotel room - as you do!

The media is full here of the navy/military folk who are now resident in Iran. Wall to wall stuff really, and actually no different than CNN and Fox and it's all about ratings at the end of the day. One has to wonder if they really cared, they'd be talking about the hundreds of thousands killed in Iraq, the millions displaced and the WMD's that presumably the navy/military folk were busily looking for.

The other biggish thing that's about the media is the 200 year anniversary of the abolition of slavery. It ranges from folk demanding an apology to folk falling about the floor laughing about it (as seen on some decent Brit satire tonight which only made me hunger for immediate satirical talent on our own screens...one can dream). And on a very local front, some real dispute that went all the way to the House of Lords (where it was narrowly defeated) - a Super Casino for Manchester (fighting against Blackpool). Has anybody ever been a winner?

PS It still hasn't rained. Ha Ha!!

And the Chinese Sculpture sits eerily outside our window, making no noise whatsoever, it better not be hunting us down. But just in case we are consumed by the glowing orbish thing, we're meant to be in Manchester tomorrow - just putting it out there. Actually we are more likely to be consumed by smoke coming through the air conditioning - it remains the lowlight of our stay so far. Could everyone please just go outside!

Lovin' it in Liverpool

Took the train from Durham this morning heading for Liverpool. Tomorrow I visit Broadgreen High School which was runner up to Longfield (from Darlington) in the ICT awards last year. We had to stop at York and change trains and thought this a great opportunity to visit that wonderful town but alas alack, the cost of storing our luggage was 4 pound per piece. We are travelling with two suitcases and a backpack (carrying our sleeping bags for the campervan leg) and honestly, NZ$36 was just a little too steep just to have a look around. So on we went to Liverpool.

We’re staying at Albert Dock and it’s rather magical – and ghostly - due to the fog that’s set in. The Beatles Museum is right next door. What to do? What to do? We experienced true spring weather in the upper north-east of England but heading west it has got progressively grey and misty – just like the forecast said. Still, it hasn’t stopped us exploring the streets and their regeneration. Cranes and concrete mixers abound as the restoration of much of Liverpool’s heritage is being replaced brick by brick. Some three billion pounds (nearly 10 billion dollars) are being spent, apparently revitalising this part of Liverpool. It puts the Viaduct Basin in Auckland into some perspective I guess. But it’s going to make a big difference. This is the view from our hotel room - the glorious Albert Dock.

All of the brick buildings in the lower part of town are being stabilised and gutted and then completely rebuilt – truly a wonderful conservation effort which I think will be repaid. I certainly want to come back in a couple of years and check it out.

It’s colder here, but that’s just the front that’s set in and isn’t unlike the kind of changeable weather we get in New Zild in the springtime. Looks like we might get our first English rain. No big deal. It’s still warm enough. I am sitting here on the bed with the blinds open and I can see the river Mersey just off in the corner. The Cook keeps singing “Ferry Cross the Mersey” and the OC has no idea what he’s talking about (which is probably a Good Thing). Took this pic out walking in the late afternoon, murkey as it was. Just added to it all I reckon.


The people we’ve met and chatted with…and forget the supposed English reserve, they natter as anybody natter, and they’re as inquisitive as anyone, have all been wonderful. Yesterday at Longfield a young girl asked me where New Zealand was and I explained it was beside Australia to which she asked ‘Can ya ge’ a tan?’ Clearly the slip slop slap message has got through to me because I’m as pasty as pom at the end of winter!

Had a wonderful experience with the taxi drivers in Durham. Suffice to say they are the laziest, rudest, least supportive, educated or dynamic people in the north-east that we have come across. That’s probably enough on that, except part of me would like to send Mad Dog Prebble over to deregulate the taxi companies.

The Cook was particularly taken with the Durham Cathedral yesterday. It might have been the 325 steps spiralling to the top that he took with the OC and the subsequent oxygen depletion but I get the distinct impression that he revelled in the history of humanity that just oozed out of the sandstone. That plus it’s a pretty bloody impressive building on the inside – even more so than the outside really. As the kids would say “A BIG shout out to our mate Olive” who really made the difference. It is so cool to see local things through local’s eyes. And especially when that local is an ex-history teacher. Bless!

Durham is quite the medieval town. Small streets chock full of 700 to 1000 year old houses and pubs and the like. The Cook went and visited an indoor market – his second in two days after going through one in Newcastle. Kind of reminiscent of the Farmer’s Market down by our railway station come a Saturday morning BUT butchers, lots of butchers, great cuts of meat, a variety of birds to cook and fishmongers . Dozens of types of fish and shellfish and you name it, if it’s fishy you can get it. I have never eaten trout and it’s excruciating to come so close to as many as I could ever want and yet so far from a frypan.

OC and YC have been good as ever. Pounding the km’s, avoiding the dog poo that’s been curiously missing and having to take drastic action to miss the expectorate. Apart from everybody smoking everywhere…which takes some getting used to…that folks spit with regular monotony is kinda offputting.

Tomorrow I leave them again to traipse the streets while I take in more innovations at Broadgreen High School, an inner city school in Liverpool. I hope the rain keeps its distance for them. On the wishlist before we go is a trip to The Tate Gallery, Liverpool and perhaps a visit with the ghosts of John and George.

We happened across a wireless caf with free wireless connectivity and espied the fab four looking over at us and I couldn't resist. Apparently only two are alive (as the OC told us - where on earth does she pick this up at seven and a half ?)



We shall see.

I had a dream

No truly, I really did. Or perhaps it was a nightmare. I dreampt that I was at the conference in Manchester (coming up this weekend) and I had to go to bed so would miss the Karaoke (as if!). They assured me that it was ok because I could go to the internet and it would be podcast back in my room. The strains of a mean sax playing 'Ugly Bug Ball' were playing through my head as I woke up in the darkness of our Durham hotel around 3am. I could only put the vividness of my dream down to my visit to Gateshead CLC. There I spent a morning being stunned and awed by the possibilities for our school if we wanted to set up a virtual learning environment. If a student missed 'the karaoke' or in more normal terms, one of our lessons, they may well download it from our OGHS V.L.E

I will have to take more time to digest all the wonders of Gateshead and upload the piccies of their amazing facilities when I'm back home as there is much more to say. In the afternoon I was taken to Whickham High School which is closer to where we are in our thinking around ICT. Longfield School in Darlington, Durham today was a totally different story. Promethean interactive whiteboards in EVERY room. EVERY room had it on and every teacher was using it from the food technology teacher to the art teacher and so it goes one. Mindblowing and visionary in its practical use. I loved it. The kids were just hilarious and just as good natured as the ones we see in front of us every day.


This is a pub in Durham which was at one stage (centuries ago) a theatre where the Bard's plays were put on. Wonderful tiny gorgeous streets!


Late afternoon we met a family friend who is a retired teacher and now volunteers as a guide around Durham Cathedral Saw a portrait of St Margaret who was the wife of Malcolm of Macbeth fame - (Year 11 take note). Couldn't take a piccie because it's forbidden - she wasn't very attractive though girls, he could have done better.


Tomorrow we go to Liverpool via York and I visit Broadgreen School (runner up to Longfield in the ICT awards 2006). Yeah Yeah Yeah!

London town

We're here. London. Kings Cross. Internet Cafe. OC and YC are drinking a diet coke and all is well. The flight was great. We made up an hour on the way over and the flight ended up a little over 12 hours. Today we travel by Britrail to Newcastle where I start my research 'proper'! I'm going to visit Gateshead Learning Centre and go and see a secondary school in action.

We have been very impressed with the friendliness and utter helpfulness of the English people since arriving. The Tube was an exciting adventure coming in from Heathrow being Saturday night and party crowds joining us along the way into London. With the wheelchair it was kinda exciting and getting off the crowded tube was a miraculous feat but we did it. Getting up the steps with the wheelchair at the tube station was made so much easier by friendly locals who grabbed the front unbidden and just helped me up while The Cook carried our two suitcases and minded the OC. It bodes well.

The kids need to be out and about, and especially out of this caf - their smoking ban doesn't take effect until July - and that's just a little too late for my liking. EVERYWHERE people smoke. It's awful. I'm so used to fresh air and this is just awful.


Had a great first night meeting up with my brother who lives here in London. Don't know quite how long we were up for overall from go to whoa but I suspect that The Cook and I managed a record 24 hours plus. You can see that the YC was livin it up too and hardly sleepy. Don't worry - he crashed in the end!

Oooh Ooooh and that hour we made up in the plane flight?? Lost it in the change over to daylight saving *sigh*

Siven oye foive

The OC has mastered the art of international relations. She grew in confidence with the locals and got over the huge smiles she would get along with the many ‘hello little girl, where are you from?’ from elderly Singaporeans with their natural sense of ‘family’ She got to the stage yesterday where she would ask for the key at reception after each trip out and about. I think the crew at the reception desk just loved to hear her talk because I’m sure they made her repeat the number of the room at least three times (all the way grinning from ear to ear) before handing over the key to our room: Room 705

The Hotel in Little India. Naturally there’s a channel devoted entirely to things Indian. And by Ghanesh it’s boring. Always talking heads and you just know it’s worthy. You feel exhorted to do things, you don’t know quite what, but you know you’re going to be better for it.

Then there’s the SPORTS channel. You know that’s being stolen because there’s been no sound for three days. We’ve seen figure skating, beach volleyball (no audio needed there) and then there’s the fashion channel…from Pakistan. I note no mention of what the cricket team’s wearing…or the coach.

And then there’s CCTV9. The same as you get on SkyTVNZ by the looks of things along with CCTV4 which is another worthy channel and again, I know I’m being exhorted to do things and I’m not quite sure where I’m going to end up. Who is “MediaCorp,” Is this Rupert Murdoch in disguise? Two or three of these channels show hard core soap operas and by GUAN-YUN-CHANG ! the Chinese seem to be into Soap Operas big time…which is kinda cool because I ‘do’ drama!

The Malaysian channel shows nothing but the worst of TV – several of which are in English dubbed into Malay. YC isn’t as much interested in learning Malay as he is Dora teaching him Espagnol. One exception is that one Malaysian channel seems to be devoted entirely to all things Islam and we managed to catch a cool and interesting doco on Cat Stevens/Yusef Islam.

And don't forget the MediaCorp channel that shows the lowest common denominator stuff like "America’s Funniest (Not) Home Videos" to "Skating with Celebrities" (Nancy Kerrigan et al). OC entranced *sigh* And of course “Survivor” somewhere in the world other than Singapore (thank any God).

I was lucky enough to catch the Singapore national anthem at 6am. The YC seems to have sorted his time zones out and we were all up singing at 4.45am. Bless him!

Looking forward to seeing the ads in England. The Singaporean ones didn’t seem too different from what we’re used to. Perhaps products and their ads are universal?? Naturally I expect the English ones, and the programmes around them to be on a higher plane *snort* We shall see!

This crime is not a crime, it's just a great big mess.

OC fashioned herself as Hilary Barry this morning exclaiming the title above after our third mishap in Singapore. Yesterday morning it was lemonade and ice over the table at breakfast on Serangoon Road. Then OC was fiddling with my soup (don’t ask) and we had another flooded table on Orchard Road. Today was especially messy as this was coffee. The owner of “Du Toast” told me that he had predicted this would happen. He studied meditation in Malaysia and knew it would happen when we walked in. Why then, did he take away the plastic tray with a big rim that would have prevented this from happening. One can only meditate on that one.



“Du Toast” provided us with life saving Nutella – a family staple. I made the choice of peanut butter but wished later I'd gone with the kids. Had our first coffee since leaving New Zealand. It was my second cup that landed on the floor. Such is life.

We decided to bunk out of our Sentosa trip preferring to take in more of the local cuisine and shopping. There is a duality in Bugis Street. Where the MRT comes up you have the choice of faux old shops completely encased in a roof of glass where the whole area is air conditioned, or you can cross the road into Bugis Street proper and partake of the shopping in more traditional style: a metal roller door and a shop of 2 square metres, each shop crammed full, just absolutely bursting with product. A walk through and into Bencoolen Street we meet two wonderful temples, a Chinese and an Indian one. The temples have been twice rebuilt to accommodate growth and well worth the visit.


A taxi ride to China Town which like Little India has some wonderful architecture but pretty kitch-y at the end of the day. However we crossed the road into the “People’s Park” complex. This is three of four high rise apartment blocks with shops on the ground floor and at the back one of the most impressive food halls that The Cook has seen. Nothing flash. It's all function over form but oh, how great, how absolutely mind bogglingly great. We were virtually the only foreigners there. Why on earth don’t travellers just cross the road some times to see what’s on the other side? Speaking of which, this is not a wheelchair user-friendly town. You notice the difference.


Then a taxi back to the hotel. These taxi rides are fifteen minutes long and the maximum price has been five Singapore dollars. One really only needs to walk to do a bit of pavement shopping, to experience the sights and smells. One certainly doesn't walk to save money. The Night Safari tonight. The rain that appears around 5pm each night better be gone by 7pm.



PPS
Night Safari went well. Saw ions and huge male elephants with metre long tusks doing their thing under the moon (that doesn't sound quite right but I'm up too late to care).

Changi Airport tomorrow morn for the London leg. God preserve us ;-)

Dateline Singapore

Here we are in Singapore. Plane landed in the midst of a tropical downpour – how can it still be so hot? Grabbed a taxi from outside Changi Airport and made our way to the hotel which is in the middle of Little India on Serangoon Road. Wonderful old architecture with two storey buildings lining the side of the road complete with old tile rooves. Everywhere there is the scent of clove cigarettes blended with curry. Saris in bright colours accompany the blue glow of the LCD on the cellphones. Young and old charge around with their phones glowing – and everyone seems to have one!

The hotel is certainly a two star outfit. I have a sneaking suspicion we were ‘upgraded’ to the room we were going to get anyway, but it does have an air conditioning unit that works but I doubt it could blow a candle out, however, it does the trick. Have I mentioned it’s hot in this town?









Hit Orchard Road today. Found us going into the shopping plazas just to cool down. There is a lot to be said for air conditioning – most of it good. Ate lovely kai all day chowing down with the locals at roadside cafs. Scrummy food which pleased The Cook, or maybe it was the ice cold Tiger Beer. I have a feeling he could easily ‘go native.’

The OC has taken a fancy to the clothes shops on Serangoon Road, specifically the bright rich colours of Indian clothes. The YC has taken to being chauffeured in his wheelchair very quickly. Mind you, in this heat, who wouldn’t!

We’ll try a Serangoon curry tonight and ‘people watch’ outside in the evening heat. We’re giving some thought to Sentosa Island and the Night Safari at the Zoo tomorrow – if the curry hasn’t got to us first.

The School Fair

One last major task before I left was to help with the Fashion Parade at our biennial fair. Despite thunder and lightning and a brief but dramatic hail storm before we arrived, the show did go on. In the weeks leading up to the fair, the wonderful women at Glassons in George St helped us to put some fab gear together. While other clothing businesses in town put us in the 'too hard basket' (and you know who you are!), Glassons came to the party with some great gear and of course they are wonderful supporters of Breast Cancer Awareness. Thank you to Louise and her team. They were amazing.

What's the title of the first post?

My teeth ache. I may have to put some gin in the soda water.

In four sleeps I'm going to do Europe. I'm fortunate to be the inaugural recipient of the Highgate Fellowship by virtue of teaching at Otago Girls' High School. Lashings of professional development ahead of me in England and a couple of weeks (school hols) in continental Europe...locals - beware!

So far have managed to delegate all the logistical nightmare stuff to The Cook. He has an idea that he may yet get some inspiration for my future cuisine during the trip.

He'd better.

The progeny have little idea, and I worry sometimes that we resemble each other too much.

However, what could possibly go wrong?

With four sleeps to go and this being the weekend before it's too late, we pack. Hah! Piece of cake. Friend pops round to drop off scales for weighing of suitcases and absconds with Older Child to incorporate into her family as they hit a local school fair. I expect the usual sugar high when OC returns. Her clothes to take are out ready for her perusal and veto. At seven and a half you can't be too careful.

Younger Child is quite content to watch Dora the Explorer. Unfortunately, we're not going to any Spanish speaking countries. YC is the wildcard for this adventure.

Let the fun begin.