August Moon day 6 & 7

August Moon Day 6: Zeniths and Nadirs

Kat writes:

Where have the highlights and low points been for you so far in 2013? Where are you now?

How would you like your year to end?

My highlight would definitely be the feeling of achievement when cycling around Samoa. Actually the high point was one particularly long down hill section where I felt so free - speeding past coconut plantations and cattle farms on my bike with a view of the ocean and steep cliffs to my right. It was probably made better by having just walked my bike up the steepest and longest hill. It was so hot and I was struggling. I was counting 20 steps, then resting a few seconds, then counting another 20. At the top I collapsed under a breadfruit tree barely able to move. A woman came down from her house to say hi and didn't speak any English. I could barely speak at all but we shared a moment.

A work highlight was working The World's End premiere. It was such a fun day made better by starting my day by watching the film, even before the premiere invitees saw it.

My absolute low point was actually in Samoa as well, but American Samoa. I had spent a fair bit of money to get there and was immediately struck down with the worst food poisoning of my life. I was lying down, so ill I couldn't even pick up the remote to change channels. The 100m trek to the shop between time spent in the bathroom to buy sprite was so challenging. There was free wifi when I started to feel slightly better but I could not buy the right adapter anywhere. So I was alone in my room, lying on the bathroom floor for most of the time, wishing I could just go home already, watching CNN's footage of the women kept locked in a sick guy's house for a decade and unable to change the ruddy channel! Sunrise on the last day with a cruise ship entering Pago Pago harbour was beautiful though so it wasn't all bad.

I know I'll be working right through December so I am looking foward to spending my breaks on the roof, soaking up some sun and making the most of that harbour view. I'll have been to Melbourne on holiday by then, and home for a speedy visit, so plenty to look foward to. Hopefully I end the year with a tidy amount of savings. I've been dropping the ball a bit lately (read: booking too many holidays, eating too many takeaways, drinking too many cocktails) so fingers crossed...

August Moon Day 7: Opportunity

Meredith writes:

What once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity(ies) came your way so far?

I was so lucky to be invited to Malborough for a day towards the beginning of the year. We were flown over to Blenheim in a tiny plane, given a tour of Seresin vineyard and then taken by boat to Waterfall Bay in the Sounds for a 5 course degustation lunch with matching wines. The chef was flown out from Australia to cook for people who paid to do this (and paid a lot) for 4 days. The 5th day they invited people involved in hospitality in Auckland and Wellington to enjoy the same menu, on them. The food was simply phenomenal and we tasted the entire Seresin portfolio including their high end single terroir pinot noirs and an experimental co-fermented wine. This foodie/wino was in heaven!