Kiwi food

Right. Where to start??? I spent a month in New Zealand, which meant plenty of time for eating delicious food! Unfortunately (what a terrible shame), my kiwi aunt and uncle and my cousin and his partner all appreciate really nice food, and my aunt is lamentably good at preparing it. And we all really enjoy going out for a bit of foodie delight as well. And as it was only the second time in our lives that we’ve had the chance to all be together, we decided to make it count. It’s a tough gig, but someone’s gotta do it! 😂 I am going to struggle to limit the pictures. Prepare to dribble…

🥇 No.1 food in New Zealand: ice cream. Hokey Pokey flavour (sort of honeycomb) is a particular speciality, but actually they have more flavours than you can shake a stick at. The day of my arrival I ended up with one the size of my face! I’m putting Les’ picture up as well to prove it was peer pressure!

Breakfast, Ken and Les style. Ooooh but this was good. Drizzled with a drop of maple syrup:

This was a fairly typical banquet that Les served up of an evening. All delicious, all healthy……except for the dessert. It so nearly could’ve been healthy with that delicious fruit salad! But they told me (a) ice cream is a New Zealand thing and (b) this particular type of meringue is a New Zealand thing too (very different from meringue you buy in England). So what was I supposed to do?? I had to try them all, right?:Our first meal out at an Asian fusion place with my cousin Stu and his partner Tash 😋😋😋:Another spectacular offering from Les:I did probably eat more meat in New Zealand. But I very rarely have this sort of breakfast. It was a real treat we enjoyed on my first weekend:

Ok. So those were food highlights of the first weekend. Of a month. Oh la la!

Packing and the forgetting of things

So I’m off to visit my folks for Christmas now. And in the rush of finishing last tasks and getting ready, it’s been amazing how much easier packing has become for me. Admittedly, it’s a lot easier going from my own home to mum and dad’s than packing to go from one unfamiliar place/country to another, of course. But also, I recognise just how skilled I’ve become at packing, through practice. I know the dimensions and capacity of each section of my suitcase inside out and back to front now! And I know how many clothes I need for 2 weeks. (It’s pretty much the same amount as for any length of time.) And I know that it’s really worth limiting the amount of footwear you take to save space in the suitcase. (I also am able to be more realistic about what footwear I will find useful.)

I’m hoping I’ve not forgotten anything, having said all that!… Ah. Tights. I forgot those. But if I really want to wear them, I can buy some new ones. (Always useful.) This is another perspective I’ve come to through travelling. It’s really not the end of the world if you forget something or leave something behind. Saying that, I don’t think I actually lost anything on my travels. (Or if I did, I’ve forgotten about it already, so it can’t have been that serious.)

The worst forgetting of things I did was accidentally leaving a pile of currency behind at my Aunt and Uncle’s place in New Zealand, when we went travelling for three and a half weeks! That was a boo boo. I wasted a lot of time and energy mentally berating myself about it, before realising that I could just spend the money using my bank card and then do a transaction with my relatives when we got back where I gave them cash as they transferred the same amount into my account. It was a faff, and I really should’ve listened to my Uncle and got him to take the cash out and give it to me as then I’d have avoided the bank charge and the hassle for all of us of doing an international bank transfer. But then the lady in their bank was so nice, it was a delight to give them some business, actually. (Can’t believe I just said that! Normally I hate banks on principle. [Sorry if you work for a bank!])

That story gives you an indication of just how systemically culturally lovely people are in New Zealand. Even bank employees at work! Nothing too much trouble, and a lot of chat about our holidays and hers while we waited for the hamster to run around its wheel on her computer. What a breath of fresh air!

Things I learnt while travelling #256 (there must have been at least that many): there’s not a lot of point wasting time and energy mentally berating yourself when you make a mistake. Better to think, ‘Oh well, I could’ve done that better, but I didn’t manage to’, let it go and move onto more useful questions like: What is the situation now? And how can I move forwards in it?

The thing is, while ever you’re mentally berating yourself, you are not able to be fully present. You are living in a very negative version of the past, rather than noticing the gift of the present moment. I set out on my travels knowing that I wanted to be fully present in all the wonderful places I would go to, and with all the people I would spend time with. I hope I can carry that sense of presence with me now, even when I’m not travelling…

Time for more food!

Time for another food post I think… So, I’m working my way backwards, so have reached Australia. I didn’t spend very long here, so it’ll be a short one.

Here was the best meal in Melbourne, given my less than a week experience! 😂 This meal was so fabulous partly because of the view and the weather as well as the food. And the jazzy music quietly playing in the background. And the fact that there weren’t too many other people there so it was quiet and I stayed quite a while, journalling away. Brunch at St Kilda beach pier café. What a delight:

This little meal and the coffees, Italian cake, wanderings, wonderings, moseying around a local craft market and praying that followed it were also a winner for me. What a delight a good friend and fellow theological nerd is in a very unfamiliar place, halfway round the world from home! Thanks for our extended prayerful brunch-craft market-beach walk-coffee and cake, Sally 💕:And this splendid offering was my hostess Carol’s banana bread, which I can testify is indeed a wonder and delight, especially when dry fried and slathered in butter, as recommended! 😋:

Election night

Well, they managed to take so long over organising the election that I was back in time to vote. I’m thankful for that, at least. But otherwise, I have to say the mood here is gloomy and not a little anxious. And I feel frustrated that some of the people hardest hit by the policies of our current government somehow still don’t link their own struggles with the cruel policies that have by and large caused them.

And I’m annoyed that so many people who live here and work and contribute in many ways to our society don’t get a vote, because they are from somewhere else.

But none of this is significant compared with the daily torrent of horror stories I hear about people stuck in our totally dysfunctional asylum system, under constant threat of being sent back to life threatening situations. And the stories of ordinary local people taking their own lives because they just can’t see how they can feed themselves and their families, even though they are working, because they are not paid enough and the work is based on a zero hours contract which, let’s face it, is no contract at all.

Then I remember my own story. Not so long ago, I was diagnosed with cancer, and became the grateful recipient of thousands of pounds worth of world class medical treatment on the NHS. My oncologist friend quietly informed me at the start of this that if I had loads of money and went for private healthcare, it would make no difference, because the private system would refer me to the NHS for my treatment anyway. Because our NHS is that good, it can’t be beaten by private healthcare when it comes to cancer treatment. Just stop and reread that for a moment. And I paid nothing for this, because the NHS exists to treat people at their point of need, irrespective of their income or social standing.

And yet recently, I heard of a guy stuck in the asylum system for over ten years, who’s been sent bills for thousands of pounds for his life saving NHS treatment, because our current government is committed to creating a “hostile environment” for all asylum seekers. He literally came out of a coma to be presented with a bill he can have no hope of paying because this government won’t let him work. He’d love to work, but he’s not allowed to. But they want him to pay for his treatment.

I am appalled that anyone in our country has voted to let this type of situation continue, and no doubt get worse. And this is not some random urban myth. I know the guy’s Dad, also stuck in the asylum system for over ten years, who was released from detention and threat of deportation just a few months ago only because of a change.org petition, which went viral instantly due to the guy’s tireless voluntary work in the city, and a Guardian headline, which forced the Home Office to give him a reprieve. Temporarily.

These stories are the stories of my friends. I am ashamed to live in a country where we not only think this is OK but we vote to let it continue. I’ve stayed up this late watching the election. I hope the result is not as the predictions suggest, but I fear it will be.

Whatever happens, there is tomorrow. We’re never beyond redemption, but we are going to need to help each other and encourage each other in the days ahead. And I’d love to challenge myself and everyone else to consider people who, often through no fault of their own, have fallen on hard times. Anyone can get cancer, or be made redundant, or suffer a mental illness that makes it impossible for them to work. Today it might be someone else, tomorrow it could be me or you. I’d love to see a government that actually gave a damn about those vulnerable people, and made some provision for them.

…And don’t even get me started on climate change. Until we start taking that much more seriously the world literally is going to hell in a handcart.

Things I took

Another break from all the food posts!

My friend Laura taught me how to make the print on this bag, and gave me the materials, space and time to make it. Then, inspired by the poem Beyond by Sh’maya, and by the book The Thread by Victoria Hislop, leant to me by my friend Katharine, I sewed the words onto it probably a couple of years ago, long before I had any plans to travel around the world. What a gift it turned out to be.

I took the bag with me (of course). It’s very useful when you’re on a train or coach with a big backpack and maybe also a suitcase but you want your water bottle, ticket, purse, passport and snacks etc close to hand.

It was also very good at reminding me of the enticement and adventure of the unknown, which otherwise can feel pretty scary. And that every ocean does ultimately bring a beach. When feeling far from home it was good to remember that all of these places are somebody’s home. Even a remote desert island would be home to some creatures and plants who are all part of the same big creation as us.

Beyond was commissioned by someone setting out on a new venture, facing all the risk that entails. To hear Sh’maya recite his wonderful poem, go here: https://youtu.be/nqqnJ9kqSgI

Vietnamese delights

One of the highlights of my time in Vietnam was the food. Another great place to sample interesting dishes that don’t cost much. Here were some favourites:

Hanoi

The Devil’s dumplings, or so I named them! Doughnut-type things that I accidentally bought. The lady gave me one to try before I had realised that this is the ploy to pressgang you into buying some:

Vietnamese coffee. Very nice:This meal (below) was from a very good restaurant in Hanoi, except the only veggie option I could find on the menu turned out to be off. I gave in and had these Hanoi special prawn things and a chicken noodle soup dish:Tam Coc (near Ninh Binh)

Vietnamese egg coffee… ooooooh this was goooood! Sweet, with egg white fluffed into it:Smoothie:Delicious tofu and papaya salad dish, with a characteristic sweet chilli type sauce. Really really tasty!:The waitress gave me a couple of little bananas, I think as an apology for having muddled up my drink earlier. These little bananas (green and yellow) were growing everywhere in Ninh Binh.

Ninh Binh

An enormous plate of shredded cabbage and carrot, with noodles and soy sauce and some other kind of flavours made a great lunch one day in a backpackers pub place opposite a beautiful lake:

Breakfast at Mai Spa Homestay – the best banh my Vietnamese sandwich I had. With pork here and omelette. Nice coffee too:Our meal prepared with lots of teamwork at the Homestay was a real highlight of my whole trip:And the 🥇 veggie pho I mentioned in an earlier post for breakfast on my last morning at Mai’s place was just beautiful 👌🏼😋

Having walked for an hour and a half with a big backpack from the Homestay towards the station in the centre of Ninh Binh, I found a place to stop for a cold coffee, and a custard apple smoothie and the obligatory warm green tea:This was the hot meal they were serving on the night train if you paid extra for it. They somehow managed to wheel a trolly containing all this down the incredibly narrow corridors and dish it up right outside your carriage:

Hoi An

Claypot restaurant… Maps Me had a note on it saying “Eat here. It’s delicious” or something. It was correct! Another smoothie, with complimentary nuts:Aubergine and tofu dish cooked in the claypot slowly. This was another contender for the 🥇 best meal I had in Vietnam. It was heavenly!Iced coffee I think (though it looks a bit big?):Tra Qué Vegetable Village. This whole tour was remarkable… I think qualifying as the 🥇 best tour of my trip. It ended at the restaurant, which uses the vegetables grown in what is essentially an enormous community allotment on really rich fertile soil in the area. Here are all the dishes we tried as part of the tour. They were all delicious. As you can see, we got to see one of them being prepared as well:Best Street food experience definitely in 🥇 Hoi An – these are in a previous post too, but just to have them all in order here:

All in all, actually I reckon Vietnam comes joint first for 🥇 best place to eat out cheaply and adventurously, along with Singapore. I’m dribbling now, just remembering it all!! 😋😋😋

More food…

Penang Island, Malaysia

In post colonial Georgetown I was ridiculously delighted to find toast, butter and marmalade available at breakfast in my hotel. And cereal. Alongside many more exotic foods that I had absolutely no interest in (apart from the fruit). It was so lovely to have something familiar for breakfast at this point:

The now famous (on my Facebook page!) two flavoured ice cream at the top of Penang Hill. Sweetcorn and butterscotch flavour, allegedly. It was very tasty (and half the price of the guy standing in a more obvious place further down the hill):

I don’t seem to have eaten very much while in Penang (or at least I didn’t think it worth photographing). But this vegan salad was exactly what I was after. I remember it was unusually late finding somewhere to eat after a long day of sightseeing around the island. I was grateful they stayed open for me! The drink is a fruit smoothie, and I had salted edamame beans with the salad, and vegan fruit jelly for afters 😋:

A pint of smoothie, a hot chocolate and a bottle of water. A good opportunity to escape the rain and read my book after a museum visit:South Indian dosa pancake with potato curry inside and various dipping sauces next to it: