Life in Eureka

A beautiful sunny day and I walked in the sunroom after doing food shopping in Morrinsville today. I came to realistically that our daily routines coming to the sunroom from work and this room has not cleared over months. We did not have a chance to stop and look at the sunroom but we do notice often.

All the tools belong to my partner for he likes to do carpentry in the sunroom. Yes we do have a double carport next to here and a double garage further away from here. The main problem is electricity- nothing in the double garage but in the barn, yes and it was cut off and too old to do the retiring from old wires to new wires. In the carport, two cars parks there and often we shifted our cars outside the carport so he can do tools by plugging from the house.

He leaves tools there in the sunroom instead of putting away. Is that a male’s way of leaving there as a man’s cave?

Our sunroom is not exactly a man’s cave, our dogs sleep here and in the other rooms during the day while we are out working. I like to sit here during the Autumn and Winter season so I can catch the warmth and sunshine.

Mm, perhaps I will clean up while he is at work today, but not sure when he gets home as he is working a long hours today. Next weekend it is an Easter weekend and a lovely and long weekend some hope to catch up with the list of jobs to do around home.

Waking up to find a chilly with beautiful sunshine Autumn morning today. Letting the dogs out for a run around the property not long ago.

Today it is another year add to my age – 55 years. Reflecting all these years of my life has passed each year was full of surprises, sadness, joy, injuries/health issues, moving to the new pasture – a new home,  job changing, getting older and still have my wisdom etc. Count my blessing each year!

 

 

How great are the gardens we have in our rural home!

The garden project is not finishing due to my new diagnosis last year and a step back for the delaying in completing the previous project from mid-autumn 2018 to now. This Easter Weekend 2019 to next year, I am determining to achieve the last push of the garden project into less garden maintaining such as weeding, composts, garden edging around the gardens. I am aiming to grow plants in the greenhouse through the winter season, self seedings in the ground, to produce more fruit crops for work (kitchen – Meals for the Homeless people), Jacek’s request on jams, soups, summer meals and for us.

I hope to arrange a small team – a working bee group to help me out while my devoted partner is working a long hour each day. But I often work with Jacek who has multiple disabilities during the weekend because he works five days a week.

Over the Easter Weekend, we plan to not travel anywhere at least if my partner’s son would like to see us when he is not busy as well. We have a job to do over the Easter Weekend – tidy up the section where there was an old house sitting there for many years, to store woods as fire woods that will last us more than 4 years, clean out any unwanted rubbishes and take to the dump or burn it. Then we will make a new section which will be a small herb garden along with several small fruit trees such as blueberries shrubs and an apricot tree to be pair with another current apricot tree. As well a tiny section of native shrubs and bulbs of Dahlia.

Oh, what a bliss life we have in here and we are SO grateful to get out of the city of Hamilton nearly 5 years ago. BUT we don’t get any family members visiting here for 3 or 4 years ago. They are missing out heaps of our changing gardens and missing out the chance to play or to camp in our large property.

 

Lisa Wright, centre, helps students Gwendolyn and Zac from Houston’s Down Syndrome Academy prepare a smoothie at SmooTea Cafe on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, in Houston. Helping Hand at the cafe in Houston, USA

Wow!

Today it is a special day for awesome and cool people who have a disability as I do not use the word – Down Syndrome. Give them something like a reward, a helping hand in your cafe, helping any staff in return at work. Do not be afraid of them and just be patient while they are learning in the processing of communicating with you or doing something like a photocopy, cleaning up, making a cake for you!

This morning I went to the Hamilton Central Library for NZSL games/lessons and to meet several groups of awesome young people and their support workers from the organisations. My basic teaching sign language to these people including the staff is to help them to open up and allow them to communicate with their friends, family and staff easily. Each time the group of people with disabilities came to see me at the library, and their lives were shelled and unable to communicate or to express their feelings even very shy. within 6 to 9 months later, they open up and lit up their lives more easily because they overcome the barrier of shy, able to communicate with other members instead of frustrated or temper. Of course, they become a great friendship along with their new friends and people in the library.

I created games such as bingo, learn to communicate with other people across the table in sign language and allow them to take a turn when someone can do a caller of the bingo games. The staff learn from us so they can relax and watch us by doing the games. Sometimes, we sign a song – just simple, clear and slow not too slow and they like it because it is more fun and confident to sign, sing a song and able to speak like us.

These people with difficult or behaviour or learning disabilities can do anything even to communicate, to have an impressive job or just to make friends.

Just give them a chance and allow them to work for you in a cafe, supermarket or in a family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waking up this morning and found the sky with a grey cloudy morning and light rain. It is a sign from Allah or God is sad – I am a Christain Deaf person living in Eureka, Waikato. Last Friday it was a tragedy afternoon in Christchurch, New Zealand. I received a couple of texts from one of hearing friends who work in CHCH (Christchurch), around 230pm and he was working toward the end of his shift until the tragedy started. I did my best to inform the Deaf community and the person I am supporting/assisting in Hamilton. The person is a Deaf Somalian lady live in Hamiton 8 years, and she moved here from CHCH after the violent earthquake in 2011.

The message had not gone through Facebook for the Deaf community until too late. I knew the Government staff had been working very hard to find an interpreter so the interpreter will be available on TV Broadcasting such as breaking news to everyone including the Deaf community. For me, I tried to contact this Deaf Somalian lady through Viber for I am not keen on Viber network because of the poor quality technology. I can say her name BUT a fictional name only – Mary. Mary received my video call, and we spoke through sign language late Friday afternoon. Mary was with her brother and his family in Hamiton, and she was a bit confused about the location. Mary thought the tragedy happened in overseas and I explained it happened in CHCH. Her family does not communicate in NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) to Mary, only me and two of her good friends who are Deaf.

We made another video call last Saturday because it is essential for Mary to understand what happened and how she is feeling. She told me that all the mosques were closed for security reasons and the fear of another attack around New Zealand. I said it is okay and stay with your brother and his family if need to be safe. I spoke to Mary that she is welcome to call me by video conferencing tomorrow or leave to Monday. Then I received another video conferencing from Lahore, Pakistan – a Deaf adult “Ryan” – fictional name (for his privately) and he was my ex-student for 5 and a half years. He was asking if I see the people listed on the death or missing from Pakistan. I checked and discovered there were 9 people were killed, and 1 or 2 were injured. I came across 2 persons from Lahore and the name “Rashid” was familiar to me. But another name was also familiar – Mahmood. I just could not believe it when I check for this Deaf man of Pakistan. I signed to Ryan through video conferencing. My heart sunk for these people.

Sunday came, there was no video call from Mary while my partner and I were out for a day visiting friends of my partner in Mangkino – roughly 85 kilometres from the city of Hamilton – southeast, but more than 85 kilometres from our home. It was a lovely day for us and my mind of the tragedy set aside. On the way back home, we stopped in Te Awamutu and shopped around for my partner’s grandson’s present. We found something useful for his grandson who is 3 years old. It was a child go-kart – not the plastic type or a cheap one. We went ahead and bought it. Mmmm, there was one thing which was the postage or to deliver during our next visit to his son. The answer was to provide by a courier from Hamiton to Auckland. I helped my partner wrapped the child go-kart. I was completely forgotten about the tragedy until we turned the tv on. We were not in the mood to see all the repeating drama unfoldings and to hear the updating news. Yes, there were so many bitters, anger, frustrated and looking for an answer. Why did this happen?

Monday came today – it was a grey morning, and there was light rain in Hamilton and here. I took the parcel – go-kart to the NZ Post Shop if the NZ Courier can deliver or not? The answer from the staff for I know them over many years and his reply was too big for the NZ Courier. He suggested I can to go Mainfreight out in Te Rapa, and it is the only option. Mmm, another trip further out to Te Rapa from Hillcrest and Eureka – Why not!

Before arriving at the Mainfreight Depot Office in Te Rapa, first I went to the main reception because I could not work out where is the drop-off/pick up depot. I told the staff that I am deaf and use lip read. The staff was helpful, and she advised me to go outside the building via the visitor’s car park and follow the green line toward the back of the large building on the ground in the car park. I followed the staff’s instruction, and it was so easy… arriving inside the drop-off/pick up the office, I have to wait because there was someone in front of me, picking up his two substantial long oblong parcels. The guy on the forklift was putting the package onto the trailer which will be the risk to the owner of the containers. Mm, not my problem. I enjoyed watching them by loading and tieing up the containers to the trailer. Finally, it was my turn…My mind was focused on our parcel, not the tragedy, Mary and Ryan so far.

Walking up to the guy who did the forklift, he was at the counter, and we spoke until he stopped me. He asked me what was my name twice and I thought that was odd. He asked me if I remember Joanne (real name) and my replied yes I remember Joanne as more than 2 people in the past and present. He said Joanne was his partner and she worked at the BNZ in the days. I realised this chap is definitely linked to this Joanne where I used to work at the BNZ in the old days. It was many years ago – over 32 years…. I did not recognise him in the first place because he has plenty of grey curly hairs under his cap for he is almost the same age as me – 55 years old. After we sorted out, the parcel sends up to Auckland, and I asked him “did I change over the years or not?” His reply was simple – not really, and my face has not aged a lot. On the way home, I began to recollect the memories of my work as a deaf Bank Officer/Data entry officer at the BNZ for nearly 20 years. Joanne and I worked together for 9 years, and her partner met her there while he was a courier – not under the Mainfreight company. I recalled that he was a small time actor by wearing several costumes in a battle and one of the Hobbits in the village in the biggest selling movies – The Lords of the Ring and The Hobbits.

Arriving home and having a cuppa then a video conferencing rang, and it was Mary. I updated information about the tragedy and the latest news through sign language. I asked Mary if she is okay, sad or confuses. I learnt one sad new – a 3 years old boy killed and he was with his father and the other brother at the time of the shooting. His father and brother were okay. His family came from Somalia, and their village was closed to Mary’s mother’s village before the Somalian war. Mary’s brother spoke to me through video conferencing while I lip read him carefully. He replied that this boy, his father and the other brother were related to Mary and her brother for it was the largest families back in Somalia. Here is a lovely smiling boy from the NZ Herald- Faces of the dead, missing and injured and his name is Mucah Ibrahim. Then Ryan called me about the Rashid family from Lahore, and he said this family are planned to have the bodies return to Pakistan by Wednesday.

What a busy day for me today and hopefully tomorrow will be better BUT I have to visit Mary in the morning as it is my role as a deaf community support worker in Hamilton.

 

 

I have been exploring on my genealogy – The Masters family from the websites. There was one email message came to our email inbox and it was about the census records in London, UK.

Our great grandfather – Harry came to New Zealand during World War One or before 1914. He met his future wife – Rose where she was born in Oxford, Canterbury, New Zealand and lived in Christchurch, New Zealand. Harry died before I turned 16 years old in 1980. Our family did not contact him except our late grandfather Alan and his brother – Keith. Keith was the only family in Wellington where Harry lived there with his second wife. Note: Harry remarried to another lady – Ellen where he met her down in Wellington in 1932. There was no further children except a stepchild – Ellen’s child from her first marriage.

I always wonder what kind of job do Harry, and his father does in the old days. I know that Harry was an army driver under Canterbury Infantry Battalion C Company and a plasterer around in Wellington. I do not recall what kind of job that Harry had done in Christchurch. My mother told me that Harry moved around Christchurch by looking for a job or got a short term job during the Depression Years. Life was tough especially with the economy, income for a family and bills to pay.

Now I wonder what kind of job does Harry’s father – George Jacob Masters work in Hackney, London. I found one of the records under George Masters through Census in the UK. His occupation was a newspaper compositor in Chatham Place, London. What is a compositor do in the workplace?? A person who put text font or a block of the font into the large frame of the block before putting in the printing machine. Fast forward to 1910, technology changed from the manual compositor equipment to eletrontic equipment. Today it is a digtal compositor equipment.

The next step is I will do more research where does George work along Chatham Place, Hackney, what is the name of the newspaper business and many other interesting places around Hackney.

When did we have the longest drought in Waikato?

In the photo above, facing the mountain – Kaimai pass Te Aroha on a bright sunny day. Te Aroha is about 32 minutes away from Eureka, toward to Waihi Beach is about 1 hour and 10 minutes or a bit align toward to west – Waihi township is about 59 minutes.

This year I noticed our grass on the large section – 1 acre property, was showing signs of brown patches in some areas. This is the first time we have not received any rain even showers back to 24th December 2018 (received 45mm-50mm), BUT we did receive around 25mm of heavy showers back in 14th January. We are not in danger of losing water from the tank via the District Council. I am careful when using the water for the garden and vegetable gardens. I choose the right shrubs in the garden that does not require a lot of water.

Here is the note from the Waikato District Council, showing that the last time farmers faced long drought back in 2007 and 2008.

Recent examples of drought in the Waikato region include:

• 2007- 2008: A drought event lasted from November 2007 to April 2008, during which the Waikato experienced its driest January in a century. A shortage of feed caused by the drought increased the price of silage to four times its normal rate. The cost of the drought was believed to be $1.5 billion to the Dairy sector alone. The economic effect of the drought was one of the factors that threw New Zealand’s economy into recession by mid 2008. 
• 2009: The Waikato experienced a dry spring, the effects of which were compounded by the previous drought of 2007-2008. 
• 2010: Waikato had two dry springs, which resulted in a double drought. The drought led to the owners of the Waikato River hydro scheme, Might River Power, announcing a 10 per cent drop in hydro production for the December quarter. Dairy farmers were estimated to have lost an average $100,000- $150,00 in income over the previous three years due to consecutive drought events. http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/services/regional-services/regional-hazards-and-emergency-management/droughts/

We moved here in Eureka in November 2014, and we did not have a long drought, and I planned carefully by choosing the right shrubs and trees for the next 5-20 years. Because we have experience growing up on the farm or living near the rural country in our childhoods. Only one little accident due to the order of camellia hedges last month and I planted these camellia hedges without thinking about putting in pots until Autumn. Mm, now I am using hand watering from 4 buckets every 2-3 days depending on the heat. Lesson learnt.

Our neighbours who are dairy farmers, surrounding here, facing the worst drought than anyone else around the North Island but we don’t really know yet.

Praying for the rain to come……

Have you heard or see a Lime scooter or e-scooter around the community??

Since this morning in the public community disability forum, there was a debate over e-scooter/lime scooter in Hamilton City, New Zealand.

Many disabled people and most ordinary people hated it because they don’t feel safe when walking/riding on their mobility scooter along the footpath. Other people and children love it and get the thrill of freedom to ride without traffic jams, free car parking, able to get on and off the bus for a long distance trips such as from Morrinsville to Hamilton.

What is the difference between these people? Many blind people and Deaf/Hard of Hearing people including elderly people can not hear the noise from the e-scooter behind their back even their side from either left or right. The speed of the e-scooter is around 30kmh on the footpaht and around 27kmh on the road according to the newspaper – stuff.co.nz https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/108032332/escooter-injury-claims-and-near-misses-spark-safety-fears

What about the safety issues for our riders on the e-scooter along the footpath or on the road? So I am wondering what if people and children should wear a bike helmet if they were riding a bike on the road. Currently, in New Zealand, people and children can ride on e-scooter without a helmet. Horror!! It is a total disaster if anyone does not wear a helmet, then it will increase accident and injury plus costing more health insurance to pay for the damage. Som accident or injuries for a day is around 7-9 ACC claims. Have another look at the photo below – is that guy acceptable to use his luggage with wheels while riding the e-scooter on the road or not?

• 

Well, not for all Blind, Deaf, Hard of Hearing even elderly people. What about a young mother with a baby in a pram or a young child walking on the footpath? A blind man said he was nearly knocked over when walking down the pavement near the lake this morning. Here is another article which recently in Auckland, New Zealand. This story was about one child who is disabled with spinal bifida walking with the grandmother and another child riding on the e-scooter. The child who rode on the e-scooter knocked the disabled child over. Who is to blame? Therefore the child on the e-scooter who knocked over the disabled child was responsible for this accident. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12197560

For the Deaf/Hard of Hearing people, we would NOT hear the noise behind our back or from either right or left side, whooshy pass us. This will give us a fright or a bit of shock. We know there are many young students and businesses people using a mobile phone by texting or listening to music or having a phone conference while they are walking. So we are not sorry for these kinds of people because they are hearing and can hear the sounds without using texting or using one earpiece in one ear while walking.

Perhaps there are many options such as – Need more education on how to ride e-scooter, raise more safety awareness such as wear a helmet. Where is the best place to ride e-scooter, how to control the e-scooter on the road or the pavement, should the council footpath department increases the width of a walkway, is it okay for all children to ride on e-scooter if they are well behaving or know how to use it and the list goes on…….

Sigh! A new technology makes everyone crazes today!

In Waikato, we are experiencing the hottest weather – 32.9oC on January 29th 2019 since 1998-1999. Back to 1973, the small town – Rangiora was the record break 42.4oC.

For the Waikato area, the highest apparent temperature was 35.7oC on the 29th January 2019, and the humidity was 96% on the 28th January 2018.

We, in Eureka, have to be careful with our water supply from the tank when I do watering the garden including the vegetable gardens. The method I use to watering on one part of the vegetable garden including the rose garden and the greenhouse on an even day. On an odd day, I wet the other part of the garden which less garden and plant cuttings in many pots. we were lucky to have a back up bore water hole with a hand pump next to our water pump hut. One thing that we DO NOT have a swimming pool here.

In our property, we were lucky to have plenty of tall and large trees like liquidambar, silk tree, English Oak and many other types of trees growing here. I often sit under the liquidambar tree which shape like an umbrella (upside down shape) and the breeze come from the north. Here is one of the old photo here – the liquidambar tree stands gracefully behind the white flowers of the viburnum tree.

Now I can use our two dogs sits beside me for a short time without distracting from the private road. Before we used to have three dogs and I was forced to leave them inside the house with a courtyard which fenced off. The main problem was the neighbour who came from England and bought the house and another small sleepout back in 2012. From the start we moved here, this neighbour – Ali, rang the dog control officers because one of our ex-dogs jumped over the fence and greeted them in a friendly manner. Ali got the wrong message, and she won’t change her view over our dogs as working/assistance dogs for me who I am deaf over four years. Ali and her husband Gary kept ringing up the dog control officer. Things have changed because we lost one dog on a one early hour of the morning several weeks ago. Everything is so strange and calm.

Our neighbourly – many farms are using waters for their livestock, maizes, to fill up in the drinking well for the animal and other things. Some of the neighbours have got a swimming pool. Not of them have plenty of large trees in their farmlands.

So we are bracing for a long hot drought already, and we noticed the neighbour’s farmlands have gone brown or light brown.

The carving is at the Waipoua Forest, Northland, New Zealand. If you want to learn about the carving, the oldest largest kauri tree standing at the Waipoua Forest. Here is the link for you.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/northland/places/waipoua-forest/things-to-do/tane-mahuta-walk/

This morning I was invited by one of the staff of the Waikato DHB (District Health Board) for the workshop – Disability Responsiveness Plan. They have established the aspirations for their Disability Responsiveness Plan and to address inequities to ensure better health outcomes by working within the DHB and the Disability communities.

The opening of the workshop – a disabled presenter who is in a wheelchair and he talked about his life. He spoke about Tāne Mahuta and showed us the picture as here.

I remember reading the Māori myths when I was a young girl. It was about the 3 Basket of knowledge along with other stories about Tāne Mahuta, Tāne-nui-a-rangi, Tāne-te-wananga, Tāne-te-Waiora, Tāne-Torokaha, Tāne-Ueika, Tāne-te-Whawhanga and Tāne-Tahurangi. These stories were from Rangitaane, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Ira (Te Whakatōhea) of the Wairarapa region. This area is where my mother’s family came from many years ago.

First of all, how can I explain the line of genealogy from the beginning.

Ranginui (father of the Sky) and Papatūānuku (Mother of the Earth) and they have many children. The children’s name were Tūmatauenga (God of War, Hunting, Fishing and agriculture), Tāwhirimātea (God of Weather and Storms), Tāne Mahuta (God of Forests and Birds), Tangaroa (God of Sea), Rongo (God of Peace and Cultivated plants), Haumia-tiketike (God of wild food plants), Uru-te-ngangana (God of Light) and Rūaumoko (God of earthquakes, volcanoes and seasons). Here is the link if you wish to explore more information.

https://maaori.com/whakapapa/ngakete3.htm

Next thing, He talked about using the appropriate words when describing the Māori disabled people in the community. In the Māori Language, we have 2 ways of the meaning in the translated and definition to a word – disabled. One word is called hauā which mean in English for crippled, lame, disabled and the other word is called Whaikaha which mean in English to have strength, be strong enough and disabled (modifier within the Māori disabled community.

Over the last 4 years, I am on the EGL Waikato (Enabling Good Lives) Leadership and the new roll out of the location around New Zealand was mid central of North Island in October 2018. It is called Mana Whaikaha and it rings a nice bell for the EGL in the mid central North Island.

We bought our homes in Eureka, Waikato over four years ago and I always knew something special about our houses in Hinton Road. Uncle Tom Hinton as one couple through my dad’s side – Watkinson-Yates always called him ‘Uncle Tom’. My great grand uncle and aunty were Fred and Joy. Joy who she married Fred Yates and Joy was not my blood relative to our Watkinson-Yates families. Joy came from the Hinton families line dating back to 1864 in Waikato, New Zealand. Joy and ‘Uncle’ Tom’s great grandfather was Henry Hinton senior (1828-1891). Joy’s grandfather was Henry Hinton junior (1849-1935) and ‘Uncle’ Tom’s grandfather was Thomas Hinton (1860-1944). Henry junior and Thomas were brothers.

The next part is very tricky to work out how the Hinton Families related to our home. See the chart…

The story of our homes once belonged to one of the Hinton families. That was interesting as I felt a kind of connection here from the start when we were looking for a home outside Hamilton City. A bit of the story how our two houses were here before our times.

Back in the 1860s’ there was a war in Waikato – Māori, people wanted to retain their land, not for the European settlers to have the land titles and to live in. The Māori, people, lost the war and the Governor of New Zealand gave the land more than 50 acres farm section and the country section including the Hinton’s Gully to the Waikato Militia 4th Regiment. John Gordon bought the land then Ernest Melbourne Masters (not related to my Masters’ family) bought 212 hectares in Eureka in 1913. Thomas Luxton purchased the land in 1921, but it returned to Ernest Masters in 1925. To my understanding, it was the time of doing subdividing the property out of 212 hectares. Clarence E. L. Inglis and Arnold G. Powdrill bought the land in 1930. It was only the first house off the main road in the top photo before the 1930s. Then a new owner – bought it or gave the subdivided land to James R. Inglis in 1939. Then the second house built next to the first house which can be seen in the second photo. The first house listed in the record in 1949 to Charles E. Edwards, Alfred Drake and James W. Hooper while the second owners – Wesley E. Richards in 1955. From the second house – Francis John Guinness Hinton took over in 1961. Then Francis and his two sons – Ashley and Trevor Hinton in 1973.

Trevor moved out and married to one of the neighbours in Eureka. Between 1979 and 1984, there were Francis, Ashely and his wife, Glynis Hinton. There was a business called Eureka Transport Ltd, and it runs by one of the Hooper family in 1977 – to the first house. One of our homes was an ex-army Government cottage and ex-Eureka Transport Ltd before 1949. According to the Eureka Express Newsletter in 2010, Lila and Maurice Duncan were living in an ex-army Government cottage. It sounds like renting out in the first house. The chap who runs the petrol station and a small workshop – Eureka Motors and his name is Colin Duncan. His parents were Lila and Maurice Duncan. Another small world! 

From the start, the first original house was not inhabited to live in when we bought the property.  We decided to pull down and make the way of using woods for fire, reuse for recycled materials around home and gardens, making other gardens with fruit trees and dog runs.

We encountered another neighbour the other evening, and his wife’s maiden name was Hinton. They have got a book, and he asked me if I was interesting to have a look at the properties of Eureka and the families living in Eureka. My replied was yes and I will wait for him to come over one day.

http://www.eurekaexpress.co.nz/history.htm