remember when

i was just having one of those moments.
reminiscing.
back to a time 'before'.....
i had to go a way back but i found a time before i discovered the road. i had always dreamt about it, don't get me wrong; ever since i discovered i was born in england and had travelled round europe i felt a need to go back, to re-explore (aged 4 i made this self-declaration). and i was just trying to think of my first trip. was it the one where i went to australia and met up with my girlfriend kirst? we did a road trip up to sydney where we met another girlfriend vaness and partied out for new years...
no. not then.
was it when i went to bali with my ma for my 21st?
no. not then.
all aboard to australia with my folks when i was 16?
crumbs.
i remember a time when the 4 of us (my bro, me, my ma and pa) all packed into their old MGTD (two seater, me and my bro in the luggage bit, the luggage- my dad's old scout pack, strapped to the spare wheel, strapped to the petrol tank) hit the road, off for the weekend to go and hang out with other like minded folk and camp in an old shearing shed (tis a kiwi thing- where sheep have new hair-dos) for the weekend... aged 9. i learnt to ride a motorbike this weekend.
with adventures like those it was no wonder i was going to spend some 12 odd years exploring.
but the little details, you know the bits that pop to mind when you're hanging the washing on the line- like waiting for a bus in malaysia where the busticket selling dude tells you that, yes, there will be a bus. this afternoon. some time. and you have to be patient with that.
or when you're seaching a particular colour ( saharan sunset) or a particular flavour ( green mangoes and chilli and sugar on the train- how do i do that at home??)

but do you remember a time before blogs?
before email?
before travelling with a single piece of plastic that will suffice for funds worldwide?

i looked at calix and realised he will never not know these things. he'll only know mp3 and not records. mobile phones- video calling!! (man, that was the stuff of sci-fi) and all this fellow year of the rats, well, the future for them is unimaginable....

these days, i still imagine one day being on the road again; sometimes i even imagine going further than the shop!

but with plans for tree planting and future harvests and with memories as full as these i know i'm all stored up, like a squirrel, ready with stuff stored to nibble on, from time to time.

spare time

i've just noticed this button, a video whatsit
here's our beach visit the other arvo. when the wind is blowing in the good direction you can hear the beach, waiving, from our garden. no need for telly now!!
xxx
mama b tarantino (hehehe)

what have we been up to?

as this guy would have it we've been doing nothing but lounging about in the garden, eating sumptuos feasts and listening to the birds.

we've made a bit of progress- well, the professionals have: we have pipework in the bathroom, we have wires coming out left and right. we even have a plug and a light! but, the bath remains decidedly disconnected and leaning on the wall in the old laundry. we've had gas bottles delivered and we have a machine connected to the outside of the house ready to combine said gas and water and make for lovely long hot baths. but it's the season to be jolly, not the season to be plumbing so we will remain bathless until after xmas at least.
oh well.
it's kinda like having a camping holiday at home- getting all prepared to go have your shower elsewhere.... have i got the soap? where's the towel? oh bugger i left the shampoo behind...
and it's all in good preparation for when we do have a bathroom- oh what luxury! can you imagine?! a bath of our own! and a washing machine! well, that'll do nicely.
meanwhile, on the kitchen front, i've painted the kitchen unit on the floor so we can get used to where it'll be. we've practised leaning on it. we've had conversations over it. we're happy with that little number and can't wait for its installation.
so while the rest of the world is decorating itself in tinsel madness- wrapping up warm or hanging in the shade, seeking the company of their family and friends- we in the rara republic would like to wish you all a happy day.
xxx
b, p, c & the pirate

site foreman

hard at work hammering stuff

supervising.... and then we have time to play

tis hard work being boss
firstly i have to inspect all the work that's being done, check that it's straight and that it stands up to a good dribbling-on
there's a lot of inspecting to be done. a lot.
but mostly i like hammering

and then, when it's all done for the day (and sometimes inbetween) we pop to the beach to dip our toes in

xx
capt c.
(site foreman)

imagination

imagine: that wall there, what's left of it, reduced now to a frame, a shadow of former wall; imagine it gone. imagine the red curtain and the loo that's hidden behind it- gone. imagine in its place a big set of double opening doors. windows on 3 sides, light. this is currently the kitchen with ensuite loo (singing compulsory), slightly reminiscent of certain establishments in amsterdam.... tis the hub of the work, the heart of the home- the kitchen.

so, imagine, once again, the wall gone, a big door in, floors polished, new ceiling, nice lighting.... friends, music, sumptuous feast= home

welcome to the rara republic

time consuming

some things are tedious...

team rara

the boss

taking down the wall

the men, up the ladder, fixing (or un-fixing) stuff.

progress

tis a difficult thing to make, progress, in a bureacratic world that demands stamped pieces of paper left and right. there is only so far you can go before the local demi-gods want to come round and poke their pointy noses in to make sure whatever it is your doing is up to someone elses standards. verdict is still out as to whether or not it's worth while seeking said permit. but, i guess, if you don't, one of these days the watchdog will come and bight you in the bum.
so, progress... we are making loads. walls out, paint up. all sorts of things have been done. you should come round and inspect it yourself! beer o'clock is anywhere between 4pm and 6pm (and sometimes happens more than once)
xx
b