Its been a year and there has been all manner of good intentions of uploading something before this but alas, such is not the case. We had a few ideas for what we would upload and as the kids LOVE DRAWING and ART we thought we would try some COMIX and ARTWORK by the kids with a MOVIE or two thrown in... We hope you like...
MUNKEE
One of those opportunities was the chance to go to NZ for debating, so of course there's no way I'd let that slip! And it wasn't just fun and games, but a great learning and hands on experience for speaking and debating in front of public, not to mention finding ways to mind control your audience so they would agree that your argument was best and you deserve to win! (Natch! Jus' kidding! Still….)
COOKIE Comix
Unfortunately, the year wasn't just constantly amazing. There were the negatives that nobody likes and always get people down, but hey, that's just how life works I guess. And we're fortunate enough to always have people around us that will help us when we're down and out of the count, right? Whoo, being so serious is weird, but necessary!! I still consider the year awesome, but if it were put into percentages I'd probably put it at a 98% due to negativity! Once again, I hope all the family is doing well and having an amazing time with whatever they're doing, and if not than I shall find you and give you lots of muffins!! XD
Loving you all in every crazy yet cuddly way I know,
Morganne. (AKA: MUNKEE!!)
TERE
Moviemaking
My horror-movie Blood and Steel was easily one of the funnest things I've ever done.
My media studies project was to make an instructional video, and my response to that was; "#@$&% that, I'm making a full-on horror movie!"
This movie gave me ideas for another horror short, and all I'll tell you now is that it's called Hands.
Super-Special-Awesome-Epic-Apocalyptic Children's Card Games of Ultimate Destiny
The idea for this came when Te Tuhi was thinking aloud one day; "Why don't we ever play Yugioh during interval?" That idea stuck and so we dug up our old decks and ever since, we've ben playing regular games of Yugioh every interval and break to kill the time. Its gotten to the point that we even add-in dramatic orchestral music to make our duels cooler (or more ridiculous depending on your opinion on card games).
For this year's Xmas decorating, everyone else was too lazy to do anything, so it fell to me to save Christmas! Digging up the tree and decorations from the darkest depths of the hell-hole that is the storage room, I battled my way through the foul denizens that lurked in the shadows between boxes such as the DREADED AND LOATHED DUST BUNNIES! I also ran into a couple of giant Wolf Spiders but those weren't too bad. And after I gallantly dug the decorations up, guess who gets to set-up the tree, wrap the lights around it, hang up the garlands, and dig out the extensions cords by himself?
ALINA
ALINA
One of the first things I learned moving here is that it's much easier to find a job in Raro than it ever would be in Canada. Honestly, I think it's because the bar is set a bit low. I've only been working for three years, but this coming year I'm about to start my seventh job (not counting the babysitting!); I have a habit of working two at a time, or three...
CONNOR
Its been a year of getting "sorted". I got work with Ledcor up on the Kearl Lake Project. My big focus this year has been to get employed and do my schooling for my pipe-fitting apprenticeship. Well, needless to say that happened and it was full steam ahead in the first half of the year.
Got myself booked in for school then hit it hard... It was fun?!?!!? I guess. I got the result I wanted though... First year of the apprenticeship is behind me now we're looking at year two. BRING IT ON!!
What else did I do? Got a good amount of work under my belt before school. Got a little sick of Edmonton so ended up moving down to Calgary. I had my tickets booked for Rarotonga long in advance so that was all good!
Being home at the end of the year was the best part of my whole year... after I got there, a month just seemed to slip by too quickly... (sigh)
TANIA
So,
it has been a while since our last update. A year with Ina being at home.
I rather erroneously thought that with two parents at home, the pace of
our life would ease back and be a bit cruisy. This was a HUGE false
assumption.
I have been busy at MCI. My fleet is rather an eclectic mix
of vessels and this does not look like it’s going to change anytime soon.
I was corresponding with an owner in Norway who has now registered. There is now a small commercial yacht that
does Arctic tours, flying the Cook Island flag. Another upcoming
registration is a whale research vessel that is based in Australia that goes
down to Antarctica. Additions have been 3 off-shore vessels in the
Persian Gulf, a commercial yacht in the Antarctic and a cargo ship in the Gulf
of Mexico as well as off-shore vessels in Singapore. Amazing!
Earlier in the year, I worked for a few Friday evenings as a bar
tender. Ina was playing with the band at Boogies and as I was going every
Friday to listen, the owners asked if I would be interested in working on the
bar. My Scottish ancestry must have kicked in as it made more sense to me
to be paid to listen to Ina than paying for a couple of drinks to listen to him. I dropped in on him with friends a couple of
times after he started gigging at the Nautilus.
One of my goals has been to
do the “Boiler swim” which is part of Vaka Eiva. I haven’t competed in the “Boiler Swim”, but
I have swum out to the Boiler and back several times for training purposes so I
feel I’m 85% there. Finally, I have
started teaching piano again. My only student is a co-worker and it is a
lot of fun as she practices and does her homework!
Well, I think I have rambled on enough for this. Do I still
want to live in the Cook Islands? YES.
Do I miss everyone? YES.
Even though my emailing and FB contact are non-existent, I do think of
you all often and I am working on a plan for a visit up to Canada. Ka
kite for now!
 |
| Connors Tivaevae |
It’s been an eventful
year, some good times and some bad times… starting with a new job doing
something I haven’t done before, challenging to say the least!… lost a couple
of good people this year too…but to quote my little munkee! “hey, that's just how life works I guess!”
Started the year as a
Trades Tutor at Cook Islands Tertiary Training Institute (C.I.T.T.I.) which
involved going back to school and pulling my hair out, a lot… still have most
of it though so all good…Going to be busy next year trying to turn out some
qualified electricians…
Did the usual gigging
thing, played at Boogies Bar for a while, site of the old Banana Court… one of
the last remaining old school South Pacific Beach Bars… then ended the year at
the Nautilus, the newest resort on Raro…
Tai George, my younger
sister and Morgannes Godmother, came over for a visit. Awesome times as we hadn’t hooked up in a
while and although we had our differences in the past, we re-connected like we
had when we were kids… We talked a lot about what she was doing and she had a
lot of helpful insights for our children.
We parted making plans for our next get-together but sadly, she passed
away from a stroke a week after she left the island…
A month before her
visit, my Brotha from another Mutha lost his eldest boy to suicide so all in
all not a good start to the year but hey, life must go on…
But they will not be
forgotten…
The last half of the year
was work, work, work… Tutoring and gigging. I don’t know if living here in Paradise makes
that easier or harder… it certainly isn’t any colder! All I can say is that this year has been a
bit of an eye-opener for me.
I think the biggest thing
has been the change in my lifestyle… I’ve spent a lot of years away from family
gutting it out in the “Oil Patch”… working for a better life. I think I’m starting to realize a “better
life” is what I’m doing right now… I’ve been home for a year and every morning
without fail, my little munkee ask’s me “did
you sleep well?” So I say, “Yep… I did”.
I never heard that in the
Oil Patch...
I get to see my wife every
night, I get to sit here in my big arm-chair blogging and watching my youngest daughter
just hanging out in the lounge… My eldest daughter tells me about her evening
at work… we talk, I throw in my 2 bits worth.
She gets grumpy and I just lay back and try to let it roll off me like
water off a ducks back… I should be thankful that I am here, now… to be a part
of it… and I am. I worry about my son
but that’s what fathers do… I try to give him advice and wonder to myself if
what I’m saying is the right thing then realize, at least I’m here to say it!!
2015 will be another year
and who knows what it will bring? All I
am thinking is that where I am now is where I should be… so I guess that’s my
new year’s resolution. To be where I should
be.
Meri Kiritimeti e te
Mataiti Ou
This Christmas, a lot of effort went into making presents instead of buying... here are some "prezzies"... and some random movies from Connors 21st
