Sunday, July 08, 2012

Feeling a bit Homesick?

In the almost 8 years we have lived in New Zealand I have never really felt very homesick. Miss my family - yes. Miss friends - yes. Proud of my Scottish heritage - yes. But homesick - not really. Until now.
It started by complete surprise. Lloyd and I went to the cinema to see Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.
(Wonderful film) Part of the film is set in Scotland, in the Highlands and it looked so stunningly beautiful that in the middle of the cinema my eyes filled with tears and I got huge lump in my throat. I honestly thought I was going to start sobbing loudly!

The following day I was back at the cinema to see Brave with Claire and Amber.  Another absolutely amazing film from Pixar. I loved every second of it. Again another film set in Scotland, all Scottish accents, lots of incredibly realistic looking Scottish scenery and one character who was completely unintelligible to everyone in the cinema bar me as he was speaking the Doric dialect. My dad speaks like this, as it's local to where I'm from in the NE of Scotland. This set me off , again.

Then Andy Murray got to the finals of Wimbledon. First time since the 19th oatcake that a British person has made it, perhaps the first time in history that a Scot has! We're not exactly known for our tennis prowess.

(From wikipedia - explanation of 19th oatcake, as when Lloyd read this he said "what's the 19th oatcake?" I thought everyone know this!)

So, all these things have conspired to make me very homesick this week. I'm sure it'll pass. Any other migrants out there had this? And what do you do when you are? I'd love to know.

Anyway, to make me feel better I went diving. Diving is good for my soul.
Anemones spawn twice a year, when the moon is right and the tide is high. Oh, and for a whole half an hour. Northland Dive timed it perfectly and we arrived as they started and ended the dive as they finished. It was amazing.
I have to get up  nice and early and catch a ferry to get to the boat launch site, and this is what the weather was like - stunning.


Now, if you've never seen anemones spawning, this is what they look like! Gazillions of tiny eggs squirting out, all over the place. These anemones would be about half to one cm in size. My new camera casing did me proud!

I'm now going to post an overkill of anemone photos, cos they are so cool ( I think!)




Ok, that's enough, you get the general idea! That's it for another year.

Yesterday Lloyd and I and some of our friends went over to Russell for the Russell Bird Man festival. There are lots of events going on in the town, and it's just a really good family day out, finished off with a bunch of folk in fancy dress launching themselves off the end of the pier to see who can fly the furthest before landing in the sea. It's very good fun. This year the weather was amazing and there was an absolutely huge turn out.


A tiny fraction of the crowd watching the birdman

My viewpoint was the pier - it was too far away to really see properly, but it was still excellent. I'm in here somewhere.

So, I look at these photos, and think how lucky I am to live in such an amazing place in such an amazing country. How on earth can I be homesick? But I just am for now. I think it's winter. It always messes with my head. Bad winter.

33 comments:

  1. The only time I feel a little nostalgic, not homesick, was watching the royal wedding last year. Thought about how amazing it would be to be there, then I saw the crowds and thought of all that pushing and shoving and being packed like sardines on the underground trains and thought nah! I'll stay put thanks! Think of the midges Laura..that's enough to cure ya! :D

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    1. I was actually in the Uk for that - it was my last day - I flew back here in the afternoon and I have to admit to being pretty happy, I watched it on tv though!! Ok the mention of midges cured me xxx

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    2. We had arrived the weeke before, and couldn't think of anything worse- sorry not a royalist

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  2. Such beautiful underwater pictures!! Yes indeed your camera did you proud!!

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    1. thanks! it did! the underwater housing is new and I was so glad it worked

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  3. Wow, those pics of the anemones are great - what a sight to see.

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    1. i know! It's only a wee thing, but I loved it - definitely going to do it again next year.

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  4. I'm sorry for you home sickness. I'm sure it will pass. Your photos of the sea anomie are absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for showing them.
    Hugs

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    1. Thank you, Kay, you always say such lovely things, and I know you're right, it will pass. xx

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  5. Wow wow wow re the photos.

    Laura, all of us in this house will be cheering for Andy tonight, much as we admire Roger.

    I hope the home sickness passes soon.

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    1. Thank you Rose. What's the time difference with you guys? I know that I need to stay up till 1am until it starts - thinking I may go to bed early ish and set my alarm!!

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  6. Kay is wise, she is the wisest lady I know, and a very special friend....xxx...I hope that your homesickness passes...I must say when I see all the gorgeous photos you post of where you live that you are SOOOOO lucky....all those beautiful animals, your home, your land, your diving and friends....maybe you need to go and make another batch of tablet......xxx :)

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    1. Good thinking! Another batch of tablet. Actually in all honesty we only finished the last batch the day before yesterday!! I'm sick of the sight of blooming tablet!
      I do know I'm lucky. All I really need is Lloyd anyway :)

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  7. I showed the kids the pics of the anemones - they thought they were pretty cool (for about 30 seconds!) I think they're pretty cool too. Bummer about your homesickness, just think of how cold winter is in Scotland, you'd never be watching a birdman competition in midwinter there!

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    1. heehee glad I could occupy them for even a wee while! I know, but I actually miss the snow!!!

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  8. Anonymous7:46 pm

    As the mother of a Scot who lives in New Zealand (her not me) and one who has visited your islands a few times, can I just say you are so lucky to live in such an unspoilt country. We love visiting our daughter in Christchurch and feel New Zealand is our second home. The world is such a small place now with the internet and webcams that our daughter is only a click away. Cuddles are something else and we must wait for them, bu they are all the sweeter when we get them. Your Scottish heritage is something you will take to your grave and be proud of it, my daughter never liked bagpipes until she bacame an ex-pat and now wells up inside when she hears them, I think it is pride not homesickness. Enjoy your life and your adopted country. x

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    1. Oh I've always loved the bagpipes!
      But I know you're right.

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  9. We are sitting up to watch Andy tonight too! The scottish heritage of generations ago obviously never goes away. To be torn between two such amazing worlds, wow! Love the all I really is Lloyd anyway...xxx

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    1. Did you manage to stay up? I did! totally shattered now, though, It was a great match, feel so sorry for Andy Murray, But Federer was great. Murray's interview at the end was awfully sad though.

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    2. An English friend annoyed the hell otu of me (as a Welshna, I understadn this), as she claimed it was the first time she'd heard of Andy Murray being "Scottish", "surely he's Britsh"- this narks me as all Englishman are Englishman in British sport, but all other nations are "British"
      - Sorry for the rant!

      Have to add love the blog, so good to know a fellow Celtic ex-pat is succesfully living the homestead life on the other side of the world.

      As for the homesickness I hope your feeling more positive. I have to admit I miss my family, friends and love where I'm from (in good weather its the most beautiful place on earth), but then I think of cold and wet and look at what we have here and think- we'd never be doing this there. And at the moment, there's not alot there for us (work etc).
      Unfortunatley I know other "Brits" who suffer with it more than I do.

      Keep up the blogging, I really enjoy them

      Liz

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    3. Hi Liz :) Are you in NZ too, then? I am feeling better this week so far as the homesickness is concerned. I hoped it would pass quickly and it did = phew!

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  10. What fabulous photos, and how lucky you were with the anemone timing! I'm sorry you feel homesick, it's a horrible feeling. I have no advice, I just hope you feel better & more settled soon.

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    1. Hello kate :) SO lucky with the timing! The dive folk I go with have managed to get it right for the last 4 years :) and thank you, I know I'll feel better soon - better!

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  11. The homesickness will pass, how can it not when you have the ability to go out and get wonderful pictures like that right on your doorstep.

    I know how you feel though, at the moment we live in Berkshire, England and everytime we pass Junction 36 on the M6 motorway heading for Scotland my eyes fill with tears and I just yearn to drive off the motorway and into Cumbria, it was my home for 25 years and it's where my heart is, even though I was born in Manchester.

    Sue xx

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    1. Cumbria has a place in my heart too, as it's where our dog Bob was born. xx

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  12. Beautiful pics! Sorry about your homesickness,I hope you feel better soon :)

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  13. Laura, absolutely LOVE that you shared the pictures of the spawning with us and what a great opportunity to watch it live! Can imagine that WOULD be good for the soul. Homesickness is always a challenge but I think you're on the right track of appreciating what you have around you while acknowledging the longing that exists in your heart---sometimes it'd be nice to have the best of both worlds! Sending you a big virtual hug. Oh and I've changed my blog--still in progress the new one!

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    1. Oh I'm so glad you commented - I've been checking your old blog and there had been no updates so I was worried!!! I've got your new one now in my bloglist that I keep and check all the time - like a stalker!! mwahahahaha!
      I see that diving is on your to do list - I think you'll love it. The homesickness seems a bit better now. thanks xxxx

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  14. Those are some CRAZY awesome photos. What a sight to behold! And what timing!

    I am sorry to hear you're homesick. There are pros and cons to everything and place. Now I have no way of knowing, but if you were in Scotland perhaps you'd find yourself homesick for New Zealand. My sister moved across the country 10+ years ago and has always said she wanted to move back, but with kids and husband and...well it didn't happen. Then she decided to move back last year and was here for only a month or two before she realized that it wasn't her home anymore...that her home was now across the country from us with the people and places she gotten to know in that decade. It was a sad and interesting realization for her (and just sad for us!) but none the less that is how she felt. It just took coming back "home" to make her realize that it wasn't "home" any longer. I don't know what the point of that story was, but there you have in none the less.

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    1. When L and I went back to Scotland for my brothers wedding we were back for a month and I was incredibly homesick for NZ. When I go back to visit mum and dad I'm only there for 2 weeks and I miss lloyd loads, but it's not long enough to start the homesickness for nz!
      I know I don't want to move. Lloyd and I are very happy here. Sometimes life is just life and it gets you down a bit for whatever reason - I was probably feeling a bit fragile or something and then there was a whole lot of Scottishness going on ( which never happens here!!) so all my feelings came out as homesickness. or something!! Deep :)
      Is your sister going to move back?

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    2. Yup, she did move back to the coast, far, far away. Nah, that is being melodramatic in light of the fact you're talking CONTINENTS away. And, hey, it gives me an excuse to go to the coast once a year.

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    3. I think that's how my mum feels - gives her an excuse to come to NZ once a year!!

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I love it when you leave me comments, it lets me know there are folk out there reading my ramblings! Thank you, I appreciate them loads and loads
Laura x