And another one!

I’ve been in New Zealand for 5 weeks now and feel like I’m starting getting the hang of how things work. I feel less uncomfortable greeting people with g’day, I’ve figured out how to negotiate the very odd chip ‘n pin machines and most importantly I’ve learnt to avoid Wattie’s Baked Beans like the plague. They’re package just like Heinz, but my god are they different.

Since I last updated you I have driven over 2000km in the rented car. This country seems small, but it really isn’t. Driving around here is so damn easy though, there are basically no roads with more than one lane and there is so little traffic that it is just a totally different experience to the UK.

Last weekend I spent 3 days hiking in the West Matukituki Valley near the town of Wanaka with my university friends Hawys and Jonny. We left the car at the start of the track and walked 12km down the valley to a mountain hut where we spent the night. These huts are dotted all over the country’s mountain ranges and are super cheap to stay in. They have no electricity or running water so you need to bring all your sleeping and cooking gear with you, but they are warm and comfortable and you meet a really cool mix of people whilst staying there. On the second day we walked on up the valley and climbed one of the mountains off to the side, before returning to the same hut for our second night. On the third day we walked back towards the car, with a detour up to the base of one of the glaciers, which was a further 9km walk. By the end of the weekend I was thoroughly exhausted, having walked about 40km in total, but it was probably the best weekend I’ve had here so far. The scenery was absolutely stunning.

This weekend I drove up to Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in the country. I’m running out of adjectives to describe how good looking everywhere is, but again, just an incredible place.

Nothing really to report here in Timaru, the hospital is still fine, but I’m beginning to feel ready to not go in any more. Only another 3 weeks to go though so not too tedious. I went out for dinner with all the junior doctors this week, which was good fun; food here costs a fortune though!

I took the day off on Friday to watch the election. Boy was that a mistake. I had a conversation with a man up a mountain today about politics; he explained that the political landscape over here is very similar to how it is back home. His solution to all the terrible things his government want to do: “I just spend a lot more time in the mountains”. Solid advice I think. I will definitely be spending the next 2 years working in an NHS, which I expect will see some pretty big changes over that time, but the thought of moving back over here for a couple of years after that is becoming more and more temping by the day.

Miss you, see you in 6 weeks!

Scottish Update

So, rather less excitingly than Billy, here goes.

Still living in Edinburgh, loving life in Geogie's stunning Morningside flat.

That's Georgie, Emma, Martha and me - on Halloween, in case you were concerned.
(Martha being the flatmate I replaced and whose old room I'm currently writing this from, Georgie and Emma being my current live-in lovers.)

Been working at the Scran and Scallie for the last 6 months. Where thanks to the insane turn-over of staff I am now the Assistant Bar Supervisor.
Is a made up title that means I have all the work and all the responsibility but without the monetary compensation that comes along with an actual promotion.

This is the Scran. This is our Twitter. Sometimes they post awkward photos of us.

That's me, Ervy and Cammy.
Plus 3 Sloe 75s, a couple of Old-Fashioneds, a Stockbridge Sling and what looks like an Amaretto Sour.

Mostly it's just photos of food.

That's our braised roe deer shoulder and roast loin.

There's some scallops, cockles, mussels, clams and wild garlic.

I essentially work all the time. A normal shift is 10am to 11:30pm, or midday to 1am. The most I've done is 10 days in a row without a day off. If I'm not working, I'm either sleeping or drinking.

Occasionally I find time to apply for shit.

So far I've had interviews for PhDs in Cambridge, Cardiff, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Frustratingly despite going well, and everyone being so lovely and positive towards me, I didn't get any of them.

Very sick of the 'You're great, but someone else was better' rejection emails.

After spending a week miserable and panicking that I'd run out of time and completely fucked myself for next year and that I'd be stuck at the Scran forever, I decided to change track and yesterday applied for Masters in Glasgow and Newcastle. 

Gloriously the deadline for a lot of Masters courses isn't until August, so THERE'S STILL TIME.

If all else fails I shall disappear into the highlands.
If you never hear from me again, please, remember me this way.

Still here

My plan of weekly updates has somewhat fallen by the wayside, New Zealand is a big place and I’m trying to spend as much time as possible exploring.

Since my last update, not much has changed on the work/hospital side of things. It has been confirmed by the lab that I don’t have MRSA growing on me, which means I am now allowed to touch people so I’ve been able to get stuck in a bit more in the emergency department. I’ve been feeling like part of the team here, as I’m allowed to see patients on my own, and get to come up with diagnoses and order tests and so on (always with the consultants supervision of course). Everyone in the department continues to be really friendly, and it is just an enjoyable place to be, even on the few occasions where there have been absolutely no patients.

Onto more fun things, I have started going to the local pub quiz with my housemates and we’ve managed to come third on two occasions, winning the princely sum of $5 each (about £2.50).  The quiz is rather New Zealand centric with questions such as “list all of the female New Zealand back bench MPs” or “who coached the 1995 all blacks on their tour of South Africa?” I’ve managed a few questions here and there, but definitely don’t add a lot to the team.

I went down to Dunedin last weekend, visiting my friends Hawys and Jonny, both of whom are electiving in the hospital there. Dunedin is said to look just like Edinburgh, having been designed by a Scottish architect, but I wouldn’t worry Juliet, it really isn’t as beautiful, although has its share of fancy buildings. It is extremely hilly and very rainy, so reminiscent of Bristol really. Whilst there I climbed the steepest street in the world and walked along the Otago Penninsula.

This weekend I went up to Christchurch to hire a super cheap car for the rest of my time here. It is so much easier being able to travel under my own steam; the public transport here is not great. Whilst in Christchurch I went up the gondola which takes you up onto the Port Hills overlooking the city. Although it was a bit drizzly and misty, the views were still pretty spectacular.

I only just realised tomorrow is a bank holiday here as Anzac day was yesterday and is a public holiday, so everyone gets the Monday off instead. I think I might drive inland to all the cool lakes and  mountains and have a walk around. I think its going to rain again though, so won’t walk too far.

No other news really. I have four friends who are electiving in Kathmandu at the moment, so that's a bit worrying what with the massive earthquake and all. I managed to get in touch with one of them, and last I heard they are all safe and sound as they were out of the city for the weekend. I’m not sure what their plans are from here, but I’m sure the hospital could use all the help it can get, so they may well pitch in there if they can get back in to the city. Fingers crossed they stay safe!

Oh, and I’ve been uploading some photos to flickr of my travels to keep the not facebooking portion of my extended family up to date with things. Link here.

Speak soon!

Its been a while

I’ve just reached the end of my first week of “work” here in New Zealand and thought I might restart some blogging to keep any of you that are interested up to date whilst I’m on the other side of the world. I know all of you guys are real busy with your proper gown-up jobs, but if you had a few moments to update me on your lives’ too, I would love to read about it.

So, I’ve been away from home for about 10 days now I think, I seem to have lost a day somewhere along the way what with time zones and all that.

I had a perfectly alright journey out here, although did spend an unexpected night in Dubai which was not nearly as interesting as it sounds. Dubai struck me as an odd and very hot place; I was pleased to leave it behind me.

I arrived in Christchurch safely and was met at the airport by a family friend who kindly had me to stay for the night. I had heard Christchurch was still in the process of rebuilding after the major earthquake in 2011, but had only expected to see a bit of building work here and there. Instead, it seemed like every other building was either boarded up, being knocked down or only half built. The centre, which was one of the worst affected areas had only three 10+ storey buildings still standing, all of which were boarded up and awaiting demolition. In the suburbs there were whole roads, which had no houses left on them, there were roads closed all over the place and multiple bridges being rebuilt. In the centre, to make up for the fact that the main shopping centre was destroyed, they had a mall set up made from shipping containers, which had been converted, into shops. It was a really interesting to see and shows just how devastating the earthquake was and still is.

I was driven down to Timaru with the same friend and found my way to the accommodation without I problem. I am sharing a flat with first and second year house surgeon (F1/F2 equivalents) who have both been really nice and welcoming, We’ve had some fun evenings so far watching New Zealand’s version of The Bachelor, its actually surprisingly good!

On my first weekend, one of my flatmates drove me up to Tekapo, a small town a few hours drive away. There’s a beautiful lake that is surrounded by the Southern Alps on one side and Mackenzie Hills on the other (picture I took below). It is apparently one of the least light polluted areas in the world and there is a big observatory there. I’m planning on going back one night and looking at the stars, which are supposed to be stunning.

Working in the emergency department has been an interesting experience. It is a small department, staffed by only one consultant most of the time. Despite that, it is the biggest hospital for about 3 hours in any direction and so you end up with some serious cases coming in. This week alone we’ve had several patients we’ve treated who have then had to be helicoptered on to the bigger centres as they’ve been so sick.

This weekend I plan on exploring the local area on foot a bit. My flat is 30 seconds walk from the beach and I’m told you occasionally see penguins and seals along it as well as dolphins out in the bay so I’ll keep an eye out for them. Besides that, there is a big rugby derby match on TV tomorrow, the local side Christchurch Crusaders are playing their big rivals the Dunedin Highlanders in rugby’s equivalent to the Premiership, so I’ll give that a watch, either at home or see if I can find someone heading to the pub for it.

I am missing you all terribly and hope you get a chance for a wee blog sometime soon. I still maintain that each and every one of you should come out here for June and we can go see the country together, it is all so beautiful, you’d love it.