Foiling Car Thieves in Nelson

I had an interesting evening on Thursday! I was walking into town to help with the Bawana project sponsored by Nelson CityChurch, when near me were some young men who were meeting up with some other young men. I overheard one say "I just stole the keys to a $20,000 vehicle!" I wasn't sure of what I heard, or if he was just joking. But as I walked further past, I heard the other young men say things like "Sweet!", and were very excited about something being shown to them. So I decided it was true. And then I had to decide what, if anything, I was going to do about it. I walked a few more feet, and made my decision.

I stopped, turned and looked all 5 of those young men up and down, very deliberately, as they looked back at me (from about 50 meters, or 150 feet away), and then I got out my camera and took their photos, as they took off around the corner.

I then walked to the church, looked up the police station in the phone book, and called, just to let them know that if anyone reported some keys missing, I had some information for them. They were interested, and sent a squad car around to the CityChurch to see what was on my digital camera and talk to me. One gave me his card and e-mail, and asked to have me send my information to him later when I got home.

Around 9pm that night, I was in the process of composing my e-mail, when my cell phone rang. It was the constable who had given me his card. He told me that 15 minutes after I called the police station, a known car thief walked into the station and dropped off a set of car keys he said he had found in the street. These were keys to a $20,000 BMW. Wow!!! It worked!!! The constable went on to say that what probably would have happened is the car would have been taken later that night for a joy ride, and then set afire and dumped in a stream.

I certainly ruined some young men's fun night out. And maybe, just maybe, one or two of them will turn from this way of having fun, now that they know they have been 'made'.

The Video that Convinced me to Become Vegetarian

I just finished watching a video on how humans treat animals, and it is just what I needed to become vegetarian.

You can see it yourself here: http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1282796533661048967&q=Earthlings

I had not really realized before this that nearly every single animal we raise for food will die what we humans would consider to be a horrible and violent death. Almost every single one.

This is especially true in the USA, where so much of our domesticated animals are now raised in factory conditions, whether they are feedlots or battery cages or hog 'confinements'.

Their lives are nasty, brutish, and short. And all so we can consume far more meat than we need.

I beg you to watch this video. Even if you never change your eating habits one bit, at least you will be better informed about what is going on out there.

Couchsurfing Collective 2 and Other Nelson Projects

I have been here just over a week now, and am settling in. The photo of the cow is from the walk last week above Cable Bay. I love taking photos of animals on hills. Probably because it was such a rare occurrence for me growing up. The two sock photos are for my cousin Lynne (the pink socks), and my sister Carol (the gray socks). Lynne was the one who came up with the idea of the traveling socks. Great idea, Lynne!! The view is the morning view from the deck where I am living in Nelson.

In New Zealand, electricians are referred to as 'sparkys', and carpenters as 'chippys'. Just so you believe me, I have included a photo of a carpenter's van. He reserved a great toll free number for himself. He was one of the volunteers I worked with on the Bawana Shop. The Bawana Shop is opening soon. It will be run by volunteers from Nelson City Church, and 100% of the proceeds from sales at the Nelson shop will go back to the Children's Centre in Bawana, India. Take a look: http://www.hopefoundation.org.in/delhi/rod/del-tution%20centre.htm

I went down to help paint shelves for the shop two nights this past week. This is Rebecca's project from the Nelson City Church. Rebecca always planned on being an overseas missionary, until she was diagnosed with MS eight years ago. She can't go to India now, so this is her way to help out the children of Bawana.

I am also editing a book. One of the Couchsurfers, Haykey, is recovering from a major accident a few years ago which made him a paraplegic. The doctors said he would never walk again, but he is now walking with the help of two arm-sticks. Haykey put my bike together for me. For the past 4 years, he has been traveling around New Zealand in his campervan, and documenting places where campervans can park for free for the night. He is now ready to get it published, and I am helping him clean it up and organize it. I am no book editor, but I can do my part on it, until a more professional group gets their hands on it. English isn't Haykey's native language, so there is plenty for me to work on. I work on it 2-3 hours a week, after my Couchsurfing Financial work.

The Couchsurfing work is going well, especially now that I have leased a computer of my own to work on while here. The computers we had available for everyone to share weren't working well, and it was slowing me down. So I looked up a company that leases computers here in Nelson (there is one), and got set up with my own laptop. Now I can get a lot more accomplished. If you are curious as to exactly what I am working on for Couchsurfing, here is a link to our daily work. Scroll down far enough and you can find me. http://www.couchsurfing.com/wiki/What_Have_You_Been_Working_on_Today

Now that I have my own computer I can even talk to people on Skype during quiet mornings when everyone else is still in bed. So if you are on Skype, please give me your Skype log in name. Mine is Diane114. If you haven't heard of Skype, check it out at www.skype.com If you are on Skype, you will be able to catch me most often around 1-3 pm US time, or 8-10 am New Zealand time, daily.

Cheers!

Diane

Where I am, Where I will be

Here is my cell phone while I am in New Zealand, in case you need to reach me
+64-21-107-3983

Here is my address, through April 10, 2007:
Diane Emerson, c/o The Couchsurfing Collective
22 The Cliffs
Brittania Heights
Nelson 7010
NEW ZEALAND

Here is my permanent address in New Zealand
Diane Emerson
c/o Penny Western
33 Verran Road
Birkenhead, Auckland
NEW ZEALAND
I will be back in Auckland sometime in May or June, I think.

For first class mail, if you are in the US, just send it regular US post to
Diane Emerson
114 East North St
Algona, Iowa 50511
It will be forwarded free to me in New Zealand, at Penny's place, through 2007.

Couchsurfing Collective 1

These photos are from my first couple of days at the Couchsurfing Collective in Nelson, New Zealand. The sunset is from the house where I will be living for the next 8 weeks. One of the collective members helped me put my bike back together, and I will begin riding it tomorrow!

I will be helping the Collective set up Quickbooks on a global scale, as well as advise on other areas such as organisation structure, revenue generation, etc. My experiences all the way from the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, HB Fuller, New Zealand and US taxes, exchange rates, and more, will all be put to use on this assignment.

Today we went for a hike above Cable Bay, where the transcontinental cable was laid from Australia in the 1800's. It was a challenge for me to keep up with everyone else, who were all half my age, but I managed. Of course, I had to crash for a couple of hours afterward! But I have recovered, and am working on this blog while the rest of them party. We keep very different hours, but this gives me lovely quiet mornings in the house to meditate and have a quiet breakfast on the deck overlooking the ocean.

Return to New Zealand

My flight from Los Angeles arrived in Auckland very early in the morning on the 3rd of February. My friend Penny was going to pick me up with her van, which was big enough for my gear and my bike box. While waiting at the airport, some people sitting at a table commented on my bike box, and we struck up a conversation. They were from the US, and were in New Zealand to travel the country together by motorcycle. They were roughly my age. I told them a bit about what I was doing, and gave them one of my cards. When Penny arrived, I introduced her to them, and then it was time to go. But before we left, one of the women in the group said that she felt strongly that she and her friends should pray for me and my safety. So we all gathered in a circle, with our arms around each other, and two of them prayed out loud for me, right there in the airport. It was so special. In all my travels in all the airports of the world, I have never seen people do what they did for me. The rewards come immediately when you give to others, just as the pain comes immediately when you are unkind to others.

It was a hectic and marvelous 4 days in Auckland. Because I could not afford health insurance in the US, I maintained my health insurance in New Zealand. It is a long way to go to see a doctor, but worth it. So I had a checkup with my general practicioner, my gynecologist, and my dentist. All systems are go, except my thyroid is still growing, so I will have a scan done in Nelson. My thyroid hormone levels are normal. It may be a spiritual thing, my thyroid, because I have been taking extra iodine for 18 months, with no impact on it. Time will tell.
I spent a day working in the garden of church friends who have a very active prayer ministry, to support them in their work. I was rewarded with beautiful views of the Auckland harbour, and a most delicious lunch for a work break, and dinner later in the evening (after I cleaned up, of course!).

I took my first photo of the traveling socks that day. Traveling socks? Yes. When I was visiting my friends and relatives in the US, my cousin Lynne came up with the idea. You see Lynne had always planned on doing a lot of traveling when she and her husband retired. But she has had two back surgeries recently, and will now not ever be able to travel extensively. So she came up the idea of giving me a pair of her socks to wear. "I can't travel, but my socks can!" she said. So Lynne gave me a pair of pink socks to wear on my travels. As I told the story to my other friends and family, they gave me socks, too! So now all but one pair of my socks are traveling socks. I plan on taking pictures of my feet in various places in the world, as I wear these socks, and send the photos back to their owners. And when the socks wear out, I will return the socks and tell where they have been. Neat idea, eh?

I was so happy to be back in New Zealand, with its lush greenness, birds, and beauty everywhere. Had to get used once more to driving on the left side of the road. "Think Left!" I kept telling myself. Only once did I turn on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal. (Those of you who have ever driven on the other side of the road will understand).

My friends are so good to me, and my friend Penny especially. Penny is my rock. She is taking in my mail, storing my things in her garage, and gives me a car to drive when I stay with her, and has offered to be legally responsible for my care should I become incapacitated. What a blessing she has been to me.

One day driving home to Penny's I spotted an older lady walking on the sidewalk carrying an umbrella to protect her from the sun, and holding out her arm, thumb up, as she walked along. I pulled over and gave her a ride. It turns out she is a very spiritual lady, in her 60's or 70's. She wears a cross around her neck, but also personally knew Krishnamurti and Sai Baba, among others. We talked for a while in the car before she got out. How fascinating. I will get in contact with her again when I return to Auckland. Her name is Adrienne.

Saying Goodbye

It is easy to say "I'm going to give away my possessions and travel the world." The idea of being a free spirit is very appealing. But when you actually start turning that dream into reality, it is not so easy. We all know that we must release the old to make room for the new in our lives, whenever we wish to make a big change. But it becomes hard because our decisions often mean saying goodbye to things, experiences, and people we have come to love. I didn't find it too difficult to sell the apartment building, even though I had put so much of my time and love into renovating, furnishing, and landscaping. Probably because I knew all along that I would not live there permanently. I didn't have much difficulty giving away most of my clothes and household items. I was even ready to sell my gardening books, and give away a large box of gardening slides. But there were many things I did not want to part with. Books I hadn't read, my jewelry, my favorite music CDs, a stunningly beautiful and delicate wine glass, and the 35mm slides I have taken over the years of flowers, gardens, and travel images. And some of my expensive business clothes which I may need if I take on a volunteer assignment requiring business dress. Fortunately, my friends and family offered to store a box or two, and between them all, I was able to keep those treasured possessions, as well as the non-treasured but necessary tax records.

But then I had to say goodbye to family and friends. I traveled a lot in November, December, and January so I could get to see as many of them as possible before leaving. I traveled to Chicago Illinois, Milwaukee Wisconsin, Grand Rapids Minnesota, Anamosa Iowa, Lake City Minnesota, Minneapolis and St Paul Minnesota, Elk River Minnesota, Vancouver Washington, and Portland Oregon. Along the way I did what I could to bless my family and friends, and the occasional stranger. Cooking and cleaning and taking care of children, weeding, trimming trees and shrubs, shoveling snow for the whole street one evening in Vancouver, downloading free anti-virus programs for folks who were on the Internet without protection, picking up garbage on my walks, and helping some along their spiritual path.

On February 1 I left the Portland/Vancouver area for Auckland New Zealand, and said goodbye to the US for some time. I don't know when I will return. It depends on the health of my family and friends.