Tank in Martinborough 8/27/22

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August 25-27, 2022

This is Tank (black labrador) and Spot from New Zealand. I've always wanted a black lab. Going to share with you how I met Tank.

Mom and I set off from SFO to New Zealand. Destination: Martinborough, New Zealand. North Island. Rural. Wineries. Kind people I'll come to know. 

Mom was looking for something in Cantonese or something old and funny like: I Love Lucy or Three Stooges. That wasn't offered on Air New Zealand. We opted to watch a movie together: Zero to Hero about a person with cerebral palsy who represent HK in the Paraolympics mulitiple times winning gold medals. I highly recommend this movie. It was won some awards. 

The butterflies are the wall paper in the bathroom of our plane. I thought it was really pretty and the music played in the bathroom was a cool touch too. The plane was FULL of people. It really looks like people are back to traveling again with COVID. There were a couple of people coughing on the plane and mom kept saying, "I think they have COVID." We kept our masks on the entire time except for when we were eating. But mom did comment that since we had our masks off while eating, we could be getting COVID too. Yup, yup. 

After 13 hours, we arrived in Auckland, New Zealand to this beautifully carved gate/doorway. 

We went through customs where I declared that I had "lap cherng". I knew I was taking a chance when I packed this in my suitcase. From what I read online, the most important thing was to declare it. If you don't declare, you can be fined $400. I asked a staff person whether it'd be taken away, and she said "no". She's seen people get through with this item. When our turn came to be inspected, the kind inspector who was speaking to mom in Mandarin (mom doesn't understand Mando, only Canto), told us since it doesn't have the FDA seal and the package doesn't say "pork", we can't take it into NZ. Oh well, that would've been some good "lap cherng fan."  

We left the Auckland International Terminal and "followed the green line" for about 10 minutes to the domestic terminal. We opted for the walk to get some fresh air and to stretch our legs. Mom was great about pushing the cart so that I could take photos and videos. She's also walking faster than me because of my bad feet (plantar fasciitis and bum ankle). Happy that the rain that was coming down for the last two weeks stopped when we arrived!

Though we ate breakfast on our international flight, we were hungry again. We had familiar pancakes, hashbrowns and egg and sausage mcmuffin from McDonald's. The "special" items on the menu were the beverages. We shared a soy chai latte. Yummy!

Waited for our next flight to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. Walked around a bit and found a couple of massage chairs where I sat for about 10 minutes for a complimentary massage. So relaxing. Wish we had these at SFO.  Maybe we do and I just don't know about them?

We arrived at the Wellington Airport to some big birds hanging from the ceiling!

Mom and I easily found the AX bus from the aiport to the Wellington Train station where we needed to take our next mode of transportation. 

We stopped at the Waterloo Hotel and Backpackers to rent a couple of lockers for the next few hours so that we could go out on a walk without lugging on carryon bags all over. 

We first shared turkey Subway sandwich at the train station before heading out on a walk. 

The walk along the wharf was beautiful and cold. It was exciting just to be out and about in a new city and country! Water scenes are always so pretty and I'm grateful that we live near water at home. 

We visited the National Museum of NZ, Te Papa. Free admission. We first walked into an exhibit on WW1. Mom's words: It's so depressing seeing this and people at war. 

We walked quickly through the Gallipoli exhibit and then headed to the nature exhibit. We got to see so many things New Zealand: animals, people, etc. Note: mom doesn't like dark spaces and the museum had plenty of those. 

Robin White, NZ native artist, was on exhibit! She has an array of mediums she uses. Watching this inspired me to tap into more mediums like print. 

6:55PM and we took the one hour train ride to Featherstone. It was a pleasant ride and we both napped. So tired from all the travels. 

It was dark already. We got off the train at Featherstone and as was told to us, a bus to Martinborough was waiting for us. We took the 15 minute bus ride along with five other people to Martinborough. I told the bus driver, Heni, that I didn't know where we were going and if she could let us know when we got to Dublin Street. She said: sure and we were on our way. When we got into town, she let everyone off and asked if we wanted her to take us to the address. WOW, what service and kindness. We gladly took her up on her offer. Heni drove us down Dublin Street. We stopped at every few driveways to look for the number 142. Twenty eight. Too early. Go further down. Sixty something...go further down. She drove down Dublin until she reached the end. Oh no! We must've passed it. Heni tried to do a three point turn. She asked for my assistance by giving me her flashlight and flashing on the ground so that she wouldn't drive into the ditch. The area was too tight and she couldn't turn the bus around. Sooo, she put the bus in reverse and we inched our way backwards down Dublin Street. 

This entire time, mom was saying things like:

• pray okay?
• Is everything okay?
• I don't want her (Heni) to lose her job. 
• Let's go to a hotel. 

Heni got us out of Dublin Street and mom and I agreed that we should go to a hotel. 

Heni drove us to Martinborough Hotel/Union Square Restaurant where I tried to get a room. No one was at the reception desk after 7PM. So the restaurant staff person helped me call the hotel manager. No answer. I decided one more effort to find the house. Call a cab to take us there. The cab/van came. Carson was our driver. Super friendly. Took us onto Dublin Street. It was dark. We found a house, but our key didn't fit. We drove in and out of areas in the driveway and couldn't find it. Carson didn't want to leave us stranded, so he called his partner Deb and told her he was bringing to ladies home to sleep out in the "sleeper."

Here's mom and me in the "sleeper." It was freezing in there. Deb brough in some blankets a small heater and we finally went to bed. Mom had a lot of thoughts going on in her head staying at this stranger's place. But we both went to bed grateful for Heni, Carson, and Deb for getting us through the night. The kindness of people in NZ!

Mom and I woke up to beautiful Martinborough! It is so beautiful in the daylight. 

Tank, the black lab, belongs to Deb and Carson. Mom fell in love with him immediately. So did I. And this is how we met Tank. 

We said goodbye to Deb and Carson for now knowing that we'd meet up again this week. Carson took us to the house (Sage Cottage) on Dublin Street. We easily found it in the daylight! So happy to be settled in to our home for the next three weeks. 

Some of the things mom brought from SF in case we got diarrhea and COVID. Gosh!

Mom in her element. She wiped down the kitchen and made herself at home. 

We took hot showers and made our beds and are ready to go out to town. 

So nice to have our first meal in Martinborough- In the Neighborhood.

Visited the Martinborough Museum - open on weekends and holidays only. 

We hoped to stay here last night, but stayed in the "sleeper" instead and met a lovely couple. 

Mom and I bought some groceries for meals at the house at Four Square. 

 Lots of lamb along our walk today. 

When we walked by this cow, mom shared that my Gong Gong and Po Po (maternal grandparents) did not eat beef because of how hard cows work. In China, they saw that cows helped to farm and grow food, so that didn't want to kill/eat them. I've heard this story before, but it was good to be reminded. 

So what did we eat for dinner instead of beef? Laaaamb. 

Dinner was delicious and we are so grateful to be in New Zealand. 

Today, Mom is grateful that:

•  we found the house this morning
• we got to go to Martinborough Museum
• we got to buy groceries and have lamb chops.

Mom is looking forward to getting on a bike tomorrow and practicing to ride. She also hopes that dad is okay at home in SF. 

Today, I'm grateful for :

• the opportunity to come to New Zealand and the offer to stay at Sage Cottage. (thank you!)
• the new people I am meeting, Heni, Carson, Deb, Kate (storekeeper at 17 Blondes)
• my time with mom. 

Goodnight. 8/28/22, 7:56PM.