FDA approves new drug for the annoyingly cheerful

The laptop re-build

So it is time for a new ramble.  I spent the last few days re-installing stuff on my laptop as I finally bit the bullet and asked my beloved to do a re-build.  The last straw was crappy skype quality and then my ipod simply would not sync and there I was left stranded with no mobile music - arrggghhhhh!  This was a desperate situation - much like running out of wine -  and thereore time for some desperate measures.  So I have been chained to the littl beast for the last two days and fairly sic of it.  Mike says I should try and so it all day every day.

Less than a week and I have to fly back to Oman, not looking forward to that.  But the bright side is, once I get on my way I'm cool - I just hate leaving home everytime.  Cest la vie - somehow we have to pay for the new toys.

Mini-milism

This is totally going to me soon!

Well maybe not the sunset over the sea, and definitely not the white stripes and totally more chrome...but tonight we signed the contract to get the new wheels - giggles wickedly - sorry Helen! - nah not really...

Lovely Christmas present for Sue, except it wont arrive for another couple of months. Nothing quite like the aniticpation. In fact the anticipation is sometimes way more fun than the actual event - me thinks!

I must say ever since many moons ago when treated to a ride to Waitara with Ms Belcher, I had secretly coveted a little slice of Britain - but believe it or not BMW bought them out and they are now made in Germany - WILD! Actually who knows where they are made - but cute and sexy all the same.

First Snow fall

Australian Citizenship Test

The Australian citizenship test has been designed to assist people who want to become
Australian citizens gain an understanding of Australia’s values, traditions, history and national symbols.

The test is an important part of ensuring that migrants have the capacity to fully participate in the Australian community as citizens and maximise the opportunities available to them in Australia. It will promote social cohesion and successful integration into the community.

Test Rules
There are some basic rules which you must follow during the test:
- Test is timed - You will be allowed 45 minutes to complete the test (or 90 minutes in
the case of an assisted test). No additional time will be made available.
- This is a closed book test - You must not bring any test resource material into the testing
centre (this includes note paper, the Becoming an Australian Citizen resource book,
study notes, etc).
- Personal belongings may be taken into the test site however these must be stored under
the desk for the duration of the test. Mobile phones and all other electronic communication/gaming equipment should be switched off while you are within the test
centre.

If you do not follow these rules, you may be asked to leave the test centre and may have to sit
the test again.

Test Questions
You may begin writing only once you are advised to do so by the test supervisor.

(1) Do you understand the meaning, but are unable to explain the origin, of the term
“died in the arse”? Explain the meaning:


(2) What is a “bloody little beauty”?

(3) Are these terms related: chuck a sickie; chuck a spaz; chuck a U-ey?
Yes / No

(4) Explain the following passage:
In the arvo last Chrissy the relos rocked up for a Barbie, some bevvies and a few
snags. After a bit of a Bex and a lie down we opened the pressies, scoffed all the
chockies, bickies and lollies. Then we drained a few tinnies and Mum did her block
after Dad and Steve had a Barney and a bit of biffo.

(5) Macca, Chooka and Wanger are driving to Surfers in their Torana. If they are
travelling at 100 km/h while listening to Barnsey, Farnsey and Acca Dacca, how
many slabs will each person on average consume between flashing a brown eye
and taking a slash?

(6) Complete the following sentences:
(a) If the van's rockin' don't bother ________________________________
(b) You're going home in the back of a _____________________________
(c) Fair crack of the ________________________________________

(7) I've had a gutful and I can't be farked. Discuss:


(8) Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a wedgie?
Yes / No

(9) Do you have a friend or relative who has a car in their front yard "up on blocks"?
Is his name Bruce and does he have a wife called Cheryl?
Yes / No

(10) Do you or your family regularly eat a dish involving mincemeat, cabbage, curry
powder and a packet of chicken noodle soup called either chow mein, chop suey
or Kai see Ming?
Yes / No

(11) What are the ingredients in a rissole?

(12) Describe the correct procedure for eating a Tim Tam.

(13) Do you have an Aunty Irene who smokes 30 cigarettes a day and sounds like a
bloke?
Yes / No

(14) In any two-hour period have you ever eaten three-bean salad, a chop and two
serves of pav washed down with someone else's beer that has been flogged from a
bath full of ice?
Yes / No

(15) When you go to a bring-your-own-meat Barbie can you eat other people's meat or
are you only allowed to eat your own?

(16) What purple root vegetable beginning with the letter "b" is required by law to be
included in a hamburger with the lot?

(17) Do you own or have you ever owned a lawn mower, a pair of thongs, an Esky or
Ugg boots?
Yes / No

(18) Is it possible to prang a car while doing circle work?
Yes / No

(19) Who would you like to crack on to?

(20) Who is the most Australian (pick one answer):
(a) Kevin "Bloody" Wilson
(b) John "True Blue" Williamson
(c) Kylie Minogue
(d) Warnie

(21) Is there someone you are only mates with because they own a trailer or have a
pool?
Yes / No

(22) What do the phrases “sinkin piss at a mates joint” and “gettin paraletic” mean?

Please submit this paper back to the test supervisor when you have had a fair crack.

Winter Early Morn

Just took some pics of the sun coming up this morning. I thought it looked quite spectacular - it is -6.5.

Pics of the Christmas Lights

O Christmas Tree

This weekend saw us shopping for a Christmas tree and some lights for the house. Even though we put up a few twinklers in New Plymouth once, this is the first time we have seriously lit our house up for Christmas and I think it looks groove. Complete with Reindeer pulling a sleigh and some Kerst Mannetjes (literally little Christmas men) - loaned from the neighbours! We spent a 2 degree Sunday with a minus 4 degree wind outside putting up the lights. Even though I took some photos it was not really dark enough, so will have to get some and blog them tonight.

Kris and Greg came over also and wanted to see Frodo and Forrest open their Christmas presents from them. Now they can go frolicking in the snow without getting wet and cold, check this out - tres cute!

The Cutting of the Trees

So for months now we have been telling of the tree cutting. As you can see we had huge conifer hedging around the whole section and we have pretty much cut all of them down. They were too woody to save and as a consequence we now have wood for several winters to come. Here are some photos to give you an idea of the expedition...and the frois gras and wine on the lawn...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Leaving Mukhaizna

Oh my goodness there is so much to say about the last 6 months - but let me start a-fresh with today...

I left the field today after only an 11 day stint this time. This is actually the longest time I have done in the field because for the last year I have been working with office types at the head office and now I am "at the coal face", which I must say I enjoy more.

One of the things I most enjoy about being in the field is the many different cultures that are there. Sure in the office there are Indians, Pakistanis, Omanis, Brits, South Americans & the odd splash of Americans and Canadians, but there is so much more in the field. Believe it or not this time I was there, there were 3 people who were brought up in New Plymouth, New Zealand. OMG I hear you say - yes one of them lives there now and the other went to Hawera High School - too wild! Umm the other one was me. I am in the Middle East and in the middle of the Omani desert and I hear an accent I just can not ignore - so I say "You must be from New Zealand, I can not mistake that accent", and it turns out he has lives by the New Plymouth racecourse. The other one has just bought a house in Christchurch - too many coincidences!

It's almost like going home somtimes, I am also working with a 'fulla' from Western Australia, whom when I see I relax as I can speak my own language - at luast a liddle....I said to him the other day - "How's this I have been practicing my Orrrstraaleein" ...so I say, "Airs Gun Cobba? Geez faire suk of the sav mate!". To which his reply was, "umm I don't know anyone that speaks like that mate". Here is a photo of my Aussie mate, Rod, guess which one....

and the other is Yasser, he is Omani but was born in Rwanda. I have learned such a lot about Africa these last couple of weeks. I think that is what I do so enjoy about working here is it is OK to be different and we all learn from each other.

And then there was blog anew...

So here we go again. I've realised it has been almost 6 months since my last blog. So here I am with a new beginning. To tell the truth we made the last blog private due mainly to issues of some other crazies on the wiwiwi. Yes there are some people crazier than us we found out! And then our beloved ones had trouble logging on - so they gave up and rightfully so.... when others gave up reading - I gave up writing. So here we are again after a period of grace to weed out the nutsos and we're back into it....