Family Life these days and winter impressions

Matthias, Valentina (Claras almost-sister from Chile), Elena, Clara, Christoph (one of Lucas' classmates from Germany)



Lucas, Christoph (at Cathedral Cove)






Valentina and Clara (at Whangamata Beach)






Matthias and Lucas



Typical Kiwi food for lunch

Beach Idyll, on a late Sunday afternoon

Daniel and Felix (and Elena) at Waiomu Beach, 12 km North of Thames

Four seasons in one day...

Four seasons in one day... that is really true here. Today I swayed between t-shirt in the sun and five layers when clouds darkened the sky, and when I went barefoot from the coast up to our home (because I started to get blisters on my feet in my shoes, but it was fine) we got caught by a heavy rain and were soaked when we reached home.

Midwinter

In Our Garden



Clara chatting on the computer


This weekend was marvellous. We were able to sit outside in the afternoon for both days. Yesterday we got to know a very nice Swiss couple, who immigrated 18 months ago. It is amazing how our social net is increasing (especially the one of the older kids). Of course the computer and the cellphones play a big roll, even more than in Germany.
At work I am busier than I was in summer, more patients, but I also try to get involved more into the organisation I work for. But weekends are for family life!

Elena teaches NZ how to make Garlic Soup

One of the characteristics of Luis' class is that the old Maori values, the intrafamiliar ("whanau") support are held high. So came that Elena, as well as other Mums and Dads, were compelled (verdonnert) to share her deep knowledge with the Pakeha and Maori classmates of Luis. Even so, she was allowed to choose the topic; and she chose to give them an understanding of the healthy Spanish Kitchen.
As many Maori are poor, and for convenience, she elected the Garlic Soup as the most suitable dish to pass on. Here a few pictures and a video:

Lonely Winter Beach

Enlarge this picture by doubleclicking on it to admire the shells.
















Hier ist es inzwischen ordentlich kalt geworden. Gestern musste ich morgens zum ersten Mal die Windschutzscheibe freikratzen. Dabei kann es aber tagsüber dennoch so warm werden dass man zum Mittagessen draussen sitzen kann, sofern die Sonne scheint, und das tut sie etwa jeden zweiten Tag für einige Stunden, Tendenz sogar eher mehr. Der Unterschied zwischen Tag und Nacht ist aber gewaltig, anders als im deutschen Winter. Vor allem ist es hier morgens im Haus kaum wärmer als draußen - das ist wahrscheinlich einer der Gründe warum die Kiwis selbst sehr abgehärtet sind und im Winter oft noch mit kurzen Hosen und Sandalen rumlaufen - vermutlich der gleiche Grund warum die Hasen im Winter draußen nicht sterben.

June in Thames and Hauraki - and still (looking like) Summer

New pics on our blog... Strange, somehow I can't get around to writing again... things seem too complex, too many viewpoints, and my thoughts being still a construction site of opinions and attitudes... what I can say is that all of our kids are beautifullly on their ways and so are we... Elena has found really good friends here and I am well at work, so far. All the kids have their friends as well, that means all manage to socialise (which is one of the most important things). School is very different, it's more a working together than lectures but even our older kids get used to it.
In short: This society is very liberal and egalitarian as a whole and consists of several parallel societies which do not mix too much. We have certain contact to Pakeha (Caucasian Race), Maori and Chinese, which are quite different from each other. Each of them contribute in a different way and it is interesting to see them in their way of interpreting the same world in a different way!


Me at the GP Conference in Rotorua



Our House



Our House, in the left lower corner, seen from the hill behind Thames



Bird Hide at Miranda Bird Coast



Hangi at a Maori Festival (Maori New Year) with Luis' Class



Clara and her friends, prepared for a grand and long anticipated ball




Mangroves at Miranda Bird Coast (at the opposite coast of the Firth of Thames)



Thames from above (from a walk up the hill behind Thames)