On Thursday I met up with my new friend Stef and her daughter Daisy, and then we went and met my dear long time friend Sarah and her two girls Charlotte and Sophie.
It was a strange old get together. There was Sarah who has been in NZ for 12 years, me clocking in at 2 years and Stef still fresh from the plane at 2 months! A whole world of wisdom, experiences, and new life mixed up between us all.
We all headed to see The Snow Queen which was on at The Wellington Performing Arts Theatre. I don't know if you know the story but I remember reading it when I was young (being originally written by Hans Christian Anderson) and the story was so elegant yet wishfully enticing. The story of two young friends separated by a splinter of ice sent by the Snow Queen and their journey to find each other again.
Backyard Productions are well known in Wellington for working on low budget shows, and always bringing out the best, but this time however I don't think they did their usual best. I found myself drifting away through the show, it really didn't hold my full attention, and if it didn't hold mine then I can certainly see why there were so many restless children.
Another part which shocked me was when the people of the forest (who stole from people) had knives. As a prop that possibly was OK, but when they started scarily pointing them in the face of the children sat on the floor in the front row - I was shocked!
Despite those moments though we all had a great time and I will admit the acting was really good. We got to meet the cast afterwards and Bethany met her favourite character The Snow Queen, which she has told everyone we have met about since!
Afterwards we said goodbye to Sarah, Charlotte and Sophie. Stef and I took the children to Te Papa. We had a wonderful lunch together and then spent the rest of the afternoon wandering round taking in all Te Papa had to offer. It really was a lovely afternoon and it felt like Stef and I had been friends forever.
I am very lucky. That night I had a lovely chat on the phone with Sarah which topped off a wonderful day magnificently. In that one day of being with two special ladies I learned things I never knew possible and bonded in ways I never thought of.
Sarah and Stef are from two completely different words, equally fantastic lives but just different. I would say I was somewhere in the middle. It's been such an amazing journey over the last 2 years and the people I have met have always inspired me.
I have many kiwi friends who I adore, but still these expat ladies keep pulling on my heart strings. Having these two wonderful ladies to inspire and guide me is perfect, I do feel complete now in my little friendship circle.
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