The annual obligatory End Of Year BBQ - English style

It's kind of weird, having the end of the year half way through the year. While some people I know are only half way through their first year, I am just finishing mine; while you all are in the middle of winter, I too am in the middle of winter though over here they call it summer; while you are celebrating mid winter Christmas, I feel as though I should be gearing up for Christmas and New Years, but a mid winter Christmas doesn't make sense in the middle of summer!

So anyway, tonight we had the annual obligatory End Of Year BBQ - English style. The common BBQ over here is bought from the supermarket and is disposable, which, for me, brings on images of a full size 3 burner from Te Warewhare which you throw away at the end, but as the picture shows, this is the English BBQ that we cooked on and while it was on charcoal and the food tasted good, it does make it kind of hard to gather round with beer in hand to talk about rugby and cars and the like, but at least we weren't having it cooked on the oven which would entirely defeat the purpose of a BBQ dinner.





It was actually a really good time which will be etched in my mind for some time, towards the end when we were cleaning up and all in the kitchen laughing and joking it occured to me that it was the last time that that would happen, and one of the last times that I would talk and speak to these people - ever - and while it was very fun, there was a hint of sadness behind it all to be moving on, not from The Misbourne but from the people who I have been friends with for the last 12 months or so and a whole lot of excitement for that which is about to happen in 4 more days.


And that got me to thinking of other such moments and some of the photos that I have here to remind of home and some of the similar moments such as this one, just over a year ago which was a hugely fun time but also perhaps the last few times the entire group may be together and even then it's missing Toni and aside from the fact that it wasn't taken on my camera because that was recovering from a glass of wine it was still a very enjoyable weekend was it not?


And while I'm reminiscing, how about this photo, also a great time, one that I think I would rate in my top 20 nights.

Anyway, to get the end of a very long and laboured point, I have been living in the moment a lot recently and that hasn't helped me get on with contacting people and writing blogs and the like but I have been enjoying myself and feeling really lucky that I have been able to have the continued adventures that I am having but I do miss being home with everyone and while I have lots to do before I do come back and while the countdown is on till I finish at school (four sleeps to go) there's also a countdown on till I come back home in time for Christmas.