Saturday, December 31, 2016

Plunket and I, 2016

 It is summer in New Zealand. For many years, Mt Albert Baptist Church worked side by side with Plunket. We organised Christmas in the Rocket Park in New Zealand.

Today, I told my Swedish friend about this.






Many storylines of this book were based on my own life experiences. I was a Playgroup and Plunket mum. This book talks of a hotchpotch SAHM (Stay At Home Mums) jelled by a common denominator, the Playgroup.

Our church Mt Albert Baptist Church  decided to give the profits to Plunket. I was very happy because I benefited in a big way from Plunket when I was a young Mother.

I was organising my ESOL student volunteers to bbq the sausage sizzle.

I remember another event  when I overheard this lady saying that she is a Plunket lady. I went up to her and asked if she worked at Plunket Landscape Road, and she said yes. I asked if she worked there for a long time, and she said yes. As long as twenty years ago. She said yes.

I hugged her. In my heart, she is symbolic of all the good people who helped me when Andrew was alive. I told her that I was that mother whose baby died. It sort of completed my cycle just as I am writing my book and revisiting that horrible time.

The Plunket Nurse said her name is Jane and asked if I remembered the other nurse. I didn't remember their names or faces, but I remember their kind deeds. They took care of me and my children. Jane said she came to Plunket Landscape Road in 1990, and had heard of me. Of course, I was still going to Plunket in 1990 for my second daughter's excema problem and seeing Dr. Rowley.

Thank you Plunket. You are the “bestiest” as my ESOL kids tell me all the time.

Plunket’s Appeal raises vital funds for a wide variety of services , such as parenting education courses, car seat safety schemes, education in schools, toy libraries and many other valuable resources and programmes.

In the 80s, I was a young mum 3 times. I had no family in New Zealand. Plunket was family to me. Plunket's care was epitomised when I was sick when I was pregnant with Andrew and after he had died. I could never repay what Plunket did for me. I tried by collecting door to door, I tried by writing about Plunket. I wrote in detail about Plunket's help in my book and in my other posts.

Diary of a bereaved Mother http://annkitsuetchin.blogspot.co.nz/

http://ann-mythoughtsandphotos.blogspot.co.nz/2010/11/christmas-in-rocket-park-2010-and.html

http://annkschin.blogspot.co.nz/2009/06/plunket-society.html

But the Plunket Society, www.plunket.org.nz it was different, for once I wasn't the giver. I was a recipient of their work.

When I was a young mum, I didn't have immediate family with me. It was hard especially when I was sick when I was pregnant with my third child. The Plunket society had volunteers and nurses in their Plunket rooms. When things were getting too difficult for me, all I had to do was to call them, and they would come to pick me and my girls D and G up. If I had a sleepless night, there was a comfortable room and bed for me to catch my nine winks and they would take care of my girls.

It is 27 years ago when I used their services. I am most appreciative of the last service they rendered me. They came when I called them, and one of the ladies drove me to the doctor when they felt I was really sick. I threw up in her car, and she said it was OK. She waited for me at the doctor's. The doctor said my pregnancy wasn't too good and told me to go to the hospital. The plunket lady drove me to the hospital where I was admitted. The other ladies took care of D and G until the water engineer could come to pick them up. It was a Monday. I was discharged the next day.

Andrew was born that Friday. He died shortly after. The plunket ladies sent me a card and told me that I could always go back to their rooms. I didn't like to go back because there was always babies there and I couldn't bear to see babies. But my daughter G had bad allergies and I had to take her there to see Dr. Rowley. The nurses knew that I wasn't sleeping well, and told me to rest while they took care of Gabrielle. Then I went to Singapore and never thanked them properly.

In my latest book, The Playgroup Club, I wrote about the Plunket helping young mothers. http://annplaygroup.blogspot.co.nz/2016/11/the-play-group-club.html



Tuesday, December 27, 2016

ABC Letter Y for year





At the end of year, we have end of year shared lunch , a student brought yam/taro cake.

https://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/

abcw19groot


Image may contain: table, food and indoor

Thursday, December 22, 2016

ABC Letter X for Christmas/Xmas:How to serve Christmas Pudding

Xmas is a common abbreviation of the word Christmas. It is sometimes pronounced /ˈɛksməs/, but Xmas, and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation /ˈkrɪsməs/. The "X" comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, which in English is "Christ". 
Origins:   The abbreviation of 'Xmas' for 'Christmas' is neither modern nor disrespectful. The notion that it is a new and vulgar representation of the word 'Christmas' seems to stem from the erroneous
belief that the letter 'X' is used to stand for the word 'Christ' because of its resemblance to a cross, or that the abbreviation was deliberately concocted "to take the 'Christ' out of Christmas."http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/xmasabbr.asp http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/xmasabbr.asp

https://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/

abcw19groot






My friend A, gave me this English Christmas pudding. It is the real McCoy, she made it herself from her old English recipe.

Here is my sister Grace demonstrating, "How to serve Pudding."

1: Steam the pudding
2: Pour brandy over the pudding.
3: Light the pudding until it flames all over,
4: Smell the delicious aroma.
5: Eat the pudding with custard and ice cream

Here is my lovely niece Jessie eating the pudding.



Thursday, December 15, 2016

abc wed, letter W






A water closet is a room that contains a flush toilet, usually accompanied by a washbowl or sink, and the term may also be used to refer specifically to a flush toilet. We used to call it a WC in Borneo when I was growing up.

What fascinated me was the wooden seat and cover. Many years ago, a New Zealand friend said he preferred the wooden seat because it didn't feel cold when you sit on this.

This is a water closet in a wooden building in 1860s. I went out west to see this building because it fitted exactly the imagination of a venue of the B&B I wrote in my book, "The Playgroup Club" where many young women went.

The Falls Restaurant out West in Henderson.

https://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/

abcw19klein

Monday, December 5, 2016

ABC Wed, Letter V for villain


Is a pirate a villain? Kids love them. When I was teachings, kids like dressing up, even if it was only a patch.

https://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/ 

abcw19klein

Friday, December 2, 2016

Photohunt: Lightning



Sorry, no lightning, the aftermath of a storm

They believed in the elements, and retribution. Terrible storms, howling winds, lightning flashes, cascading rain and thunder roaring were believed that the wrath of the Gods were incurred and the Gods were striking someone to death. One of the worst curse one could bestow on another would be “May the thunder strike you to death.” Hence, in this book, various scenarios of storms are narrated.
One afternoon, we had a bad tropical storm.
Lightning struck,
Thunder clapped,
Rain bucketed ,
Trees up rooted.
Flower pots tumbled,
Flash floods filled the basement,
I lied in bed with my duvet over my head.

FSO: My writing little corner

 

 I spend a lot of time here.

My favorite little corner [Friday My Town Shoot Out]

 

http://mytownshootout.blogspot.co.nz/ 

What is your favorite little corner in your town or city. From homes and streets to pubs and restaurants. Where do you feel cozy?

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

ABC letter U for uniform

I went on a tour to First Scene, New Zealand Australian' largest selection and party props with 400,000 items in stock. I tried to see if I will make a good policewoman.

https://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/ 

abcw19klein

Monday, November 21, 2016

ABC Letter T for tramping






Two foreign trampers were found dead last night. They didn't have proper equipment and didn't know our changeable weather.

 https://www.facebook.com/EpsInternational

Many years ago, a friend from England studying here in New Zealand went tramping alone. He was ill equipped in our ever changing weather. He took a wrong turn, and slipped into a deep creek. He hurt his ankle and was in pain.

He told us, he was praying hard because he felt he really was going to die.

I was given this emergency survival sleeping bag. I have seen them used on TV.  I thought of my friend, freezing cold in the creek. If only my friend had a sleeping bag like this, his night in the bush alone won't have been so harrowing.

The bag is very compact and folds up slightly bigger than your palm, and won't take up too much space in your back pack.






I borrowed this photo from http://www.1staidsupplies.com/products/emergency-mylar-sleepingsurvival-bag. I didn't want to open up my bag.


https://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/ 


abcw19klein


Wednesday, November 16, 2016

ABC Wed letter S for seasons.





Auckland's wet weather is brought mainly by its next most frequent wind, the north-easterly, and the rain that it brings from the subtropical high pressure belt is relatively warm.

The downpour can be torrential and brief, a relief from the clammy humidity that commonly precedes it. The dark passing storm cloud is likely to quickly give way to another burst of sunshine, the fabled "four seasons in one day".

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10666518
In my book, "The Playgroup Club," I wrote about four seasons in one day. Today is one of these days, I hung my laundry and had to bring it in again



http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10666518


https://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/ 

abcw19klein


Tuesday, November 15, 2016

eBooks: The Playgroup Club

Draft2Digital Support
To annkschin@yahoo.com
Today at 6:45
Draft2Digital
Your book The Playgroup Club
is now published to and can be viewed here.

Books2Read Universal Link: https://www.books2read.com/u/bQZjJZ

All sales channels for this book:
24 Symbols - Published on Nov. 15, 2016, 11:44 a.m.
Apple - Published on Nov. 9, 2016, 7:06 p.m.
Barnes & Noble - Published on Nov. 10, 2016, 4:20 p.m.
Kobo - Published on Nov. 9, 2016, 8:10 p.m.
Page Foundry - Published on Nov. 9, 2016, 5:07 p.m.
Scribd - Submitted to Distributor on Nov. 9, 2016, 3:40 p.m.
Tolino - Published on Nov. 10, 2016, 5 a.m.
The Playgroup Club by ann chin
books2read.com

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=The+Playgroup+club

The Playgroup Club: Mothers and babies, toddlers, preschoolers

Nov 8, 2016 | Kindle eBook
by Samuel Chin and Ann Chin
Auto-delivered wirelessly
Borrow for free from your Kindle device.Join Amazon Prime
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Monday, November 14, 2016

writes for tripadvisor.




I wrote myself in as a cameo role in my new book The Playgroup Club.

Ann, you've attracted quite an audience
TripAdvisor
To annkschin@yahoo.com
Today at 16:16
You've helped so many travellers plan their perfect trips. Keep it up.
Millions of reviews to help you
plan and book your perfect trip
Hi Ann Chin
Level 24 reviews 3,083 total points
You have 12,192 readers. Impressive!
Did you realise how many travellers you've guided with your good advice? Keep going… even reviewing places near home can be a big help to people planning a visit to your town.
In Playgroup Book, Ann says she does different kind of writing. She is a travel writing, and writes for tripadvisor.


Thursday, November 10, 2016

Amazon kindle

https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A1OYOT0ESBAU69  bookshelf

My latest Book: The Playgroup



The Playgroup, paper back. ISBN 978-0-473-37871-4
Available at: Wheelers Books or from me, annkschin@Yahoo.com
eBook: Kindle Amazon ASIN: B01N0AWTOL

This book talks of a hotchpotch SAHM (Stay At Home Mums) jelled by a common denominator, the Playgroup. This book will resonate in women who went to Playgroup with their children or grandchildren. This hotchpotch include mothers of nuclear families, single families, bereaved parents, widowed, widowers, cancer survivors, volunteers, and so on. Issues like death, bereavement, cancer, adoption, fostering, and remarriage are sensitively discussed.


Tuesday, November 8, 2016

ABC Wednesday, Letter R for Reserves




Loves New Zealand, there are lots of reserves and parks.

Volcanoes are a conspicuous feature of the Auckland city landscape. In some cases their form is emphasised by their preservation as reserves and parks, while in others they have been quarried to meet the city’s demand for building materials. Within a radius of about 20km centred on Auckland city there are 49 discrete volcanoes; this is the area referred to as the Auckland volcanic field, Here New Zealand sculptor John Radford made three of these realistic remnants of Auckland buildings and depicted the aftermath of an earthquake in Western Park in Ponsonby.

https://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/ 

abcw19klein




















































Wednesday, October 26, 2016

ABC wed. letter p for Pilot




Last night, I glued my eyes to the TV. I watch Jean Batten.
Jean Batten was New Zealand's greatest aviator, celebrated around the world for her heroic solo flights during the 1930s. Following her success she faded in and out of public view. She eventually died in obscurity in Majorca, Spain, in 1982.
Jean Batten - The Garbo of the Skies
Jane Gardner Batten was born on 15 September 1909 in Rotorua. She soon became known as Jean. In 1913 she moved to Auckland with her parents and two older brothers. In 1917 her father, Frederick, a dentist, volunteered to join the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and was sent to the Western Front. The loss of his earnings caused financial hardship for the family; during this period Batten moved from Melmerley Ladies School in Parnell to a state school. Following Frederick's return in 1919, Batten's parents quarrelled and around 1920 they separated. Her mother, Ellen, initially took her to live in Howick, where she attended a local convent school. They returned to the city in 1922 and Batten's father paid for her to board at Ladies College in Remuera.
https://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/ 

abcw19klein

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Thursday Challenge a library cum a restaurant.

http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html

The current theme is "Joyful (week 2 of 2)" (Any scene that is joyful, happy, hopeful,...)
 a library cum a restaurant., a cup of coffee and a comfy chair would be my happy place.




Wednesday, October 19, 2016

ABC Wed: Letter O for Old Arts Building




https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibttUL2ig9hNy4-ZHlI4LODUwxiGaat_3gObnWjX7_Ho29X3Kt8PdOb1kG0xhyRNnIp8TJ3Xkg32uHw4RDf7MoW_5Oafdze0B4OxaXKTAQp1F4k6Q-89Z-HIwtAUIuVIyre6zNlG6ORCfI/s400/ref+old+arts+building.jpg



  This is the Old Arts building of the Auckland University.  I studied in one of the wings and it was freezing cold in winter. It looks like an old
castle.

My connection as an old student it they send me a magazine and they circulate my books.















https://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/ 

abcw19klein