Greece so far

Got here finally! he plane was late getting in and the guy from our tour place that was picking me up hadn't wanted to wait but dad made him fortunately cos otherwise I'd have been somewhat screwed since didn't know what or where the hotel was.
Didn't do much yesterday, wandered round a bit but that was about it.
Went on a morning tour of Athens today, saw Hadrians arch, Temple of Zeus, acropolis and Theatre of Dionysius. I went the national museum after the tour and mum and dad went to the agora but couldn't actually get into it because there was some strike on.
Tomorrow we go on a 4 day trip to Delphi, Olympia and the Meteora monastaries where apparently women have to wear skirts. Not so impressed with that but fortunately do have a couple for the wedding. Mum doesn't so might have to have a skirt buying mission before we get to the monastaries.
Kat and Kaz, let me know if you want photos emailed to you and Kat, relax, the chances of me actually going to Italy after the course are bloody small (think snowballs chance in tartarus) because don't have shitloads of money and have to save it so I can actually live before I get my 1st pay.

The day in Hong Kong

Well, finally finished packing on Saturday night and made Rob get up at 6.45 to take me to the airport. Rob, being Rob, decided that despite the fact that it was early, winter and freezing cold decided that shoes weren't a necessary item to wear and wwent barefoot. he son=mehat regretted this oh so smart deision when we had to walk from the carpark to the airport across freezing cold concrete.
Got to Hong Kong and then had to get a taxi to the hostel which was bloody expensive and I was so not impressed with especially since the dude didn't really seem to know where he was going and kept asking me. How in Tartarus should I bloody know? a) I've never been to Hong Kong before and b) travel/transport is not my responsibility, it's Hermes'. Hmmm, that could explain the moronic taxi driver...
Spent today shopping and have found that Hong Kong is at least as bad for owl stuff as Japan is. So naturally I now have even more owls to add to the ever growing collection. Got an owl change purse (I'll probably never use it but that's not the point), an owl phone charm which is currently on my bag since I haven't got a cell phone, 2 owl figurines, 1 big and 1 small, made out of the same stuff as the salt and pepper set I got in Singapore, a gold and crystal owl that sits on a branch and opens to put sonmething small inside, a clay owl incense burner and some cones, a new owl tummy button ring t replace other one that came off the ring and best as far as I'm concerned a silver owl ring. Been looking for an owl ring for ages and finally found one. I am a happy goddess. Also got a top, a pres for mum adn a birthday pres for dad along the way too. Soo, all in all, it was a god day for shopping.
I leave tonight at 11.10, get to Munich at 5am then eventually get to Athens at 2.45pm.
BTW Kat, I'll probably have a month or so between the course and actually working so plan on travelling a bit, including Italy. Might send you a postcard if you're lucky.

I hate packing

Am currently in the process of trying to pack. Great fun. Especially when I have to pack both work clothes and normal clothes, along with shoes, textbooks and stuff for the course, spongebag etc. I really hate packing.
This time tomorrow I'll be somewhere over the ocean going to Hong Kong where I have 1 day but have the feeling that I won't be able to do nearly as much shopping as I'd like because a) lack of money, have to save most of it for Greece and b)won't be able to fit lots of stuff in my suitcase and still be under 20kg.
Am highly unimpressed with the fact that I have to be at the airport at 7am tomorrow morning. Grrr. I hate mornings even more than I hate packing. Still, at least I get to share the torture of having to get up hideously early with Rob because I'm making him take me there. Got to share these things round you know.
Smyths got back yesterday so we're about to go over there for tea and then I get to come back to the joy (or lack thereof, depending on your perspective) of packing.

So glad I'm not in Canterbury at the moment

Zeus is once again having a temper tantrum and has sent a shitload of snow down south. They have the whole, no power, no school, icy roads etc. It's cold enough up here so Rob adn I are pretty much living in the lounge cos it's the warmest room in the house. Gotta love heat pumps.
Haven't started packing or getting organised yet, figure that's Saturdays mission although in theory I'm only going to pack clothes I'll actually wear as opposed to stuff I won't wear but take anyway. At least that's the theory whether or not it actually happens is another thing alltogether...
Freezing cold in the study so I'm going back to the nice, warm sitting room

And the curse continues...

Only this time I have managed to spread it, after all you have to share the fun around. Mum and dad went from the USA to Ireland and the airline managed to lose all their luggage. This was despite dad writing all the flights in vivid on the masking tape that he put on his bright red suitcase so he could tell it was his when it came through in the baggage claim area. Only problem was it never arrived. Needless to say mum and dad aren't overly impressed by Emirates at the moment. Haven't heard whether they've found it yet or not. Might have to put Emirates on our hit list as well as all the other people we have on there.
Bugger all happening here, looked after the kids and worked at the SPCA today and yesterday.
Only 8 days to go!
BTW Kat: if I do join this myth strategy game thing and you (or anyone else for that matter, ie Nick and Kaz) go near my cities I will kick your ass from here to Tartarus. And no, the fact that we're family won't mean a damn thing either. You have been warned

I'm cursed

That's the only conclusion I can come to. Either that or it's Kaz or Kat's fault. Took my suitcase in to get fixed yesterday. They can't fix it. Took my bag in at the same time to see about getting a zip fixed that won't close. They can't fix it. The wings on my owl watch came off so went to see about getting that fixed. Suprise, suprise, that couldn't be fixed either therefore either I'm cursed or certain family members are to blame.
Mum and dad left this afternoon. They fly to Minnesota for Carries high school graduation and then go from there to Ireland to see Auntie Netta and Uncle Ken, then to Switzerland to see Anita (AFS student), Fabi (AFS student) and Kate (cousin)then they meet me in Athens on the 27th.
Had a possible problem with part of our tour in Greece when part of it isn't on the itinerary. One of the reasons mum and dad chose the tour they did was to go see the monestaries at Meteora in Thessally. They were on the brochure, they were on the website, they weren't on the itinerary. As dad said we bloody better be going because that was one of the main reasons for doing the tour. Besides I want to go to Thessally. So the travel agent's looking into it for us.
Emailed Amazon.com about the missing parcel and since they can only reship to the original address they're giving me a refund instead so Vanessa, let me know if you still want the books and I can see about ordering them again and having them shipped straight to you. Amazon also hopes that I will continue to use them. Well, duh. Let me think, use amazon and order or pre order new books in about 5 seconds or have to either wait til they come out in bookshops and then buy them, which is usually nearly impossible since most of the series we read never show up in NZ stores anyway. Hmmm, tough choice. Think I'll go with Amazon, if only or the fact that it means I have to do less work finding the books. Good enough reason for me although mums not too impressed with this theory as she thinks I already have enough books. Serious question: is it EVER possible to have too many books? my thinking is no. besides it's not my fault all the Steph, DH, Anita, Merry etc series have so many books in them. Blame the authors. Actaully, don't because they might stop writing and that would be a very bad thing.
By the way Kat, email me so I know you haevn't dropped dead from shock or something over seeing me update 2 days in a row.

An update. Satisfied Kat?

Since Kat is yet again bitching at me to update here it is.
Went to the bay for Queens birthday weekend. Had shit weather most of the time but it was nice on Monday. We were going to take the boat out on Monday butthe battery was dead so that stuffed that idea.
Have now booked and paid for all the flights to Greece. have a day stopover in HongKong and a few hours in Munich on the way. Have a feeling will be doing a bit of shopping in Hong Kong.
Bought a new suitcase today since my other one is completely crap. Mum's comment was isn't it a bit big? I'm going overseas for a year and considering all the boxes I've had to send back from Korea and Japan I figure the bigger the better. this new one is big, expandable and has a shitload of pockets to stuff crap into. Mum and dad leave tomorrow for America, ireland and Switzerlad and then I meet then in Greece in 2 weeks.
Kat, got your pres. You do realise that since it's a Greek to English dictionary that you need to know the greek word before you can look it up. Figure it'll help with building vocab etc when I'm learning Greek which in theory I'm actually going to do unlike in japan and Korea when I planned to learn the language but never did. And sorry Kat but you don't get to kill anyone about not saying happy birthday to me. Although if you want to kill people for other stuff I'll help you.

Happy birthday to me

Not that anything exciting has actually happened today. Kat informed me that I had to update so here it is.
Going to the bay tonight for Queens birthday weekend and since the weather forecast is for crappy weather have a feeling I'll be doing alot of reading and x-stitch, in theory I could get my acropolis finished
Had to have Smugs put down yesterday because of the cancer so we're taking him to the bay to bury him there. He only actually went to the bay once when he was a kitten and the neighbours dog chased him first up the chimney and then under the house but knowing Cass if we bury him here she'll dig him up or something. That's mums theory anyway
Only 3 weeks til I get to leave freezing NZ winter for nice sunny Greece and summer. Counting down