Roy Tomkinson: Log Three New Zealand 1st of December to the 7th of December 2009

(Tuesday, 1st of December)

Time 9.15am, the weather outside is chucking it down, The first day of summer, sure is a rough day outside, when it rains out here is sure rains – can’t see me going out a lot today if this weather keeps up – definitely no sun block today.
Wrote for most of the morning, at 1pm went into town in the car, bought a load of herbs and mince, plus a few other things I need to cook in bulk, and later, called in the library for a few books, (time 3.40pm).
Wonder of wonders, the weather has turned good, still quite cloudy, but warm. I would never have thought it possible looking out my window this morning. The forecast after tomorrow is sunny and warm, the reason there is rain, a high and low press in the heavens are fighting each other for supremacy over the country, and it’ll take a few days for it to clear and for the warm air to win the battle.
Need to do research on Hamilton at some time, in a few weeks perhaps, and to study Maori traditions and compare them to Welsh traditions, doing a lot more research now than I did for my early manuscripts, but my last two manuscripts were heavily researched in fairness to me. I

It just seems so when you are in the thick of it, but that’s to be expected as my work grows ever deeper, and new set of values seem to take over. I have a message to impart, what it is, well I’m not actually sure, but it’s there somewhere inside my mind, and when it’s ready it will come out in words. And old friend said it would when I am ready, and that person is normally right.
Back home for the day now, will have a cooking day tomorrow, I now have all I need, I'm rather self-sufficient I suppose, but there’ll be a few hours of writing first. Listening to the Treorchy Male Voice Choir as I write this log, my old school friend from Cwmparc is in it, Brian, the song: Lest We Forget.”
They say you can take the man out of the Rhondda, but never the Rhondda out of the man – must be getting nostalgic as I get older – funny really, I’m as far away from Wales as anyone can get on this planet.
Emailed my daughter yesterday, and my eldest grandson, also my friend `A.’ I have heard from my daughter, via text, stated she has replied, very quick, next time I’m on line I will log and read. I hope she can make it out here in February.
(Evening) Watched a show about a circus family who had excess hair on face and body, in fact, their face was covered with hair, in one case a two year old child was paraded around a circus ring for the audience to gawk at.

They were called Wolf People, it was obvious they didn’t like it, but as one of the mothers said, “It’s the only way are able to make a living.” Sad to see people exploited in that way – in bed by 11,20pm and read for a while.
(Wednesday 2nd December) Woke at 9pm, sleeping well, I was later than usual in bed last night, and I read for quite a while. Cloudy this morning, not cold, the good weather should start to come in tomorrow or Friday. Intend to cook later, but first will start to write.
My son and his wife called around about 12am and stayed for twenty minutes, write a little after they left, only 10 minutes, (12.30pm) been plot planning for most of the morning and going over what I’ve already written. Slowly, I am getting the main character inside my head, I need to feel as he feels, and that takes quite number of days, not quite there yet, but by the end of the week I should be near the mark. In not, over t he next few weeks almost definately, but no worried, I'm not as manic as I used to be when I wrote, I take things slower than I used to do.
Just come back from the Salvation Army Charity Shop, purchased few more plates: 30c each, four for a dollar, really cheap, a masher, a set of weighing scales, and of course, free bread – would have preferred wholemeal, but can hardly complain.
It’s only now stopped raining, it has been chucking it down all morning, the sky is covered in dark grey low clouds, the high and the low pressures are still battling it out in the atmosphere. I said it too soon, the rain has just started again, I can see it on the window (1.10pm), but it’s warm, which makes a change when it rains back home. For lunch, I’m having salad, coleslaw, black olives, and tasty cheese with a bread role: `yummy!’
May light the log fire later, not for warmth, but the room is real cosy with the log fire going. Finished writing for the day: now, I intend to do the cooking, and later read, I’m picking up my grandson from nursery at 5pm and I’ll take him back to my house.

My son will fetch him around 6.30pm. It’s indoors for the rest of the night, no walking for me today, will try to get to bed earlier tonight – hopefully! I’ll be cooking for seven again on Sunday, haven’t decided on the menu yet, but it will be three courses, perhaps even four like last Sunday, but there’s plenty of time for me to decide.
(3pm) Having a little rest from cooking, sealed the beef mince, used one kilo of mince, grated a few carrots, three tins of red kidney beans, mushrooms, and garlic, also used garlic stouts, I haven’t used them before: black pepper, chilli powder, a little salt, a large tin of tomatoes – chopped, tomato puree – bought a few large tins.

Have two large dishes of chilli – into the over at 150 for a hour, and let it go cold – I’ll reheat it tomorrow for another hour, let it go cold, and place it in pots for freezing (after tasting of course – to determine its strength). There will be enough chilli for at least ten meals, all for very little work, and indeed cost.
The lamb I have left from Sunday, I cut off the meal from leg, I will use to make lamb curry, padded out with grated carrots and chopped mushrooms, a few tomatoes, onions with garlic, a little curry power – value variety (I’m trying it out. Sometimes value products are what they say on the packet, good value, but I haven’t always found that to be the case). A small bit of chilli, a pinch of cumin, a little Garam Musala – could use cayenne pepper, but don’t have any, it should make little difference, and in the oven. I will have enough for four meals with rice – will test for taste, and then freeze.
The lamb bone is slow boiling with the peelings from the vegetables that I peeled, and that’ll make a taste lamb stock after staining - waste nothing that's my motto. (4.45pm) Oven full on, three big pots inside, this cooker is far bigger that the one I have back home; cooking for today complete; will do Chicken Masala tomorrow – perhaps!

It’s almost time to fetch my grandson from nursery school, and to boot, it has just started to rain again – big time. The smell coming for the kitchen is quite delightful, when I light the logs in the fire later, the house will be delightful tonight.
(Thursday 3rd December) Despite yesterday being wet, the night was warm, so I didn’t light the log fire, no need, mainly watch TV and read, had two glasses of wine and in bed by 10.30pm. I woke at 7.45 this morning, a light breakfast of muesli, a large strawberry cut up with semi skimmed milk, and two cups of tea.
The wind is blowing a bit this morning, but there is a blue sky, there are a few white clouds, but not too many. I haven’t walked a lot the last few days, I feel the need to be outdoors today walking.

I am fetching my grandson from nursery school at 5pm this afternoon, and, this I am looking forward to, his is spending the night with me and I will drop him off at his nursery at 8am tomorrow, that is his time from 8 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon, five days a week. He really is an independent little soul, love him to bits.
Will go out this morning and devote a few hours to writing this afternoon – normally I use the morning for writing, but not today. I intend to take up Kayaking at some time – really fancy that on the lake and rivers, my son has agreed to come with my but after Christmas, so I suppose I’ll have to wait – may not, I might just go right ahead and do it myself – I’ll make an initial enquiry as to cost sometime today.

Didn’t do a lot of writing today, but will meet my target of 10,000 per week, hopefully, if not so what! But I need to complete manuscript before I leave New Zealand,

Been walking and then to town, spent a few hours in the library on the internet and reading.
I did originally want a mobile internet connection but the cheapest I could find was for a $100 to purchase the connection and $30 per month thereafter – pre-paid, and you can’t carry the $30 over to the next month if you don’t use up the 5Mb limit. So I joined the library, for $60 total cost for 4 month – and I get $40 back when I resign my membership, and I have full access to the internet. A lot cheaper service and I can take out films, CDs, magazines and books.
For the first month, the limit is any 2 books out at any time for the first 4 weeks, and 10 thereafter – good value by any standard.

Had Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner, also my grandson had the same to eat – he ate all I placed on his plate – he went to bed by 7pm. When he came home from school, I made him a fresh fruit smoothie, banana, two strawberries, two tablespoonfuls of yogurt, with a few spoonfuls of semi skimmed fresh milk; he finished the lot.

Watched television for the rest of the night – read the daily paper. I’m starting to understand what are the main topics in the country – one thing I find rather novel, you haven’t got to have car insurance to drive a car on the road, a 16 year old can drive any car without insurance and it has caused quite a few problems for the police with boy racers, in bed my 10.30.

(Friday 4th December) Took my grandson to school, the start is 8am, he woke at 4am to go to the toilet and went straight back to sleep, woke again at 6am – wakes really early does my grandson. It’s raining again today, and cold, grey clouds abound, so I lit the log fire.
“A” phoned me this morning, we are to communicate via Skype. Wrote for the rest of the morning. I’m 5,000 words into my manuscript, should be 10,000 (I still have Saturday and Sunday, my week starts on Monday). I’ve spent considerable time on research this week, in addition to writing, but I still have a few gaps in the script, which I need to fill after I get the information, but that can come at any time, the main criteria now is character and plot formation.

I am into the main character, starting to get really to know him and his motivations.

The chilli and curry, I will now place in plastic pots and place in the freeze, having chilli tonight for a meal, and will give a few pots to my son and his wife, they really are a close couple, he’s done well there, and my grandson, (Wow! I’m so lucky), fetching him from school later.
My daughter replied to my email – what a surprise I had! I needed a beer afterwards, if I had whiskey it would have been a large one, neat – but our correspondents are not for public consumption. It is a special daughter and father relationship, and totally private – but I will tell you: she’s a very wonderful caring daughter – and she deserves the best.
Still waiting to hear from my eldest grandson via email, but that’ll come in the next day or so, and from my son – I didn’t check my email yesterday.
This afternoon I’ll make a chicken curry, and finish my book “Once Upon America – Hard Times, a story of the Great Depression in the 1920s, by Nancy Antle.
(2pm) Just finished making two large dishes of chicken curry, normally I use only breasts, cut into chunks, with skins removed, and seal in frying pan, and then I add the spices, place in dish and into the oven, but chicken out here is very expensive – all are free range. A good thing in one way, but it does bump the price up quite a lot. My friend would think it strange that I never eat chicken on the bone We use to laugh over it - referring to me as eccentric – always straight was my friend with me.
So, for this particular curry I have used chicken pieces, with skin left on the meat: legs, breasts, wings, bones and all, the lot, – you do get a better flavour when the skins are left on and by using the bones, but the fat content is greater. (will sort fat later). I’ve grated a few carrots, chopped onions, two green phkchoi –fresh- mushrooms, garlic shoots, a few garlic cloves, with also a few peas thrown into the dish, bulked out it goes a lot further, and the benefit is not just cost, but extra vitamins.
I lightly fry each of the vegetables separately, and add the individual herbs: Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Garam Masala, a small pinch of Fennel, Star Anise, Cassia, Ginger, and a Clove. I haven’t a Bay Leave or I would have added that. I set the oven to 180 for around 30 minutes and turn in down to 1500 until cooked.
Normally, I add the spices one at a time: in this case, when I sauntered down the onions I used a little oil canola oil with garlic and added Garam Masala before adding them to the cooking pots. Did the same with the grated carrots, but used a little chilli power with a little Cayenne pepper.
I am rather fussy about eating chicken on the bone, weird I know, but that’s my quirk, so will remove the chicken off the bones when cooked, and discard the skins. Let it cool and remove any fat and re heat – add a few chopped tomatoes, a little tomato puree, the fresh green phkchoi, and set the dish to my palette before freezing.
I intended going out walking later afternoon, but it rains yet again – it is summer time here, so where is the sun? Will stay and read now until it’s time to pick up my grandson from nursery.
Just looked at my curry, it’s bubbling away nicely, smells very nice, I may have to strengthen with a few more extra herbs later.
I’m listening to Cat Stevens, “Moon Shadow” I like his songs. Also, wrote another 1000 words, so now I have only 4,000 to do over the weekend, (4.10), nearly time to fetch my grandson.
The room is filled with the aroma of herbs, just taken the curry out of the oven and will leave to cool before I commence the second stage.
Took my grandson home at 6.30 and stayed in for the rest of the night, was intending to read, but instead watched the television, in bed my 10.45pm.

(Saturday 5th of December) Woke at 8.15am, I am sleeping well, the weather this morning is cloudy and damp, looks as if there is going to be more rain. I had cornflakes with Greek yogurt for breakfast. And started work on my writing straight after.
I need to go into town later to get a few things and to re-heat my curry and late freeze it. (10.15) Weather has taken a turn for the better; birds are singing outside my window, the grey clouds are showing patches of blue sky, and it is warm outside. Will be attending my grandson’s Christmas party later, sometime this afternoon, will take a camera, it’ll be fun – now to town, will walk in, only walked 7,200 steps yesterday – still haven’t sourced out a gym.
(3pm) Just back from my grandson’s Christmas party and town, bought a real nice 1.5 Kg piece of pork (it’s quite inexpensive out here, chicken is far more expensive) will cook it tomorrow. I’m doing, Crumbly-Topped Spanish Pork, it’s really easy to prepare.:
A piece of pork boned, I’ll be leaving the skin on, and I'll place thin slices of garlic underneath
3 cloves of garlic cut into thin slivers
2 onions, chopped
Small grated carrot
3 sticks of celery, chopped
100 g: 4 oz of blanched almonds chopped
150 g: 6 oz of wholemeal breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
Garnish with silver-beet roughly chopped.
If you want to know how to do it, let me know under comments, and I’ll give you the full instruction.
The starter is unusual: lean bacon cut in strips and wrapped round a small banana.
Season, and place under grill turning as needed until the bacon is sizzling, and serve immediately with an apple tangy sauce. This started is simple and really yummy.
Desert, a lemon cake, and apple crumble. Use the zest of two and juice lemons in the flour mix – if you need the full instructions let me know. The apple crumble I’m making with Granny Smith apples, cooking apples are not in season and are hard to come by, and expensive.

Also made a cottage pie with the last of the mince I bought a few days ago – I’ll eat some tonight and I’ll freeze the rest. Babysitting tonight – my grandson is staying with me all night. I have emailed my other grandson in the UK, I hope he has received it – I do miss him a lot, and my other one but he is too young to understand. I was intending to walk a lot today, but as they say: the best laid plans of men and mice... or something like that. Anyway,

I'll read now for a while until my grandson turns up to spend the time night.

(Sunday, 6th December) Up a 7am, weather cloudy, took a long time this morning to come to life, later, I did a few hours writing and then shopping. I spent the afternoon reading an Agatha Christie’s novel “Five Little Pigs.” Early evening my grandson turned up to spend the night, I play with him until it was his bedtime, and finished the Christie novel. I bed by 10 am. All in all ,a good day

(Monday 7th December) Up at 6.30, the time my grandson wakes, playing with him in the morning and afternoon and then did the cooking, my grandson helped, it was fun, but I needed to clean the floor afterwards. Seven for dinner, it went well, bed by 10pm, really tired, but I did finish my book by Christie’s “Five Little Pigs”

I can see how they say she in the master of the detective story. Reading another one now by the same author: “The Labours of Hercules,” twelve short stories about her famous detective, Hercule Poirot. In total, she wrote 80 novels, will read a lot more of her novels over the next few months. The poem in the front of the novel from "Labours Love..."made me smile. I will share it with you.
I’ve travelled the world twice over,
Met the famous: saints and sinners,
Poets and artists, kings and queens,
Old stars and hopeful beginners,
I’ve been where no-one’s been before,
Learned secrets from writers and cooks,
All with one library ticket
To the wonderful world of books.
By: Janice James

Next Log in a Few Days, thanks for taking to time to read, please leave comments.