On The Island

The boys wanted to go to the shops in the morning to spend all their winnings from grandad’s games and money that they earnt from doing jobs. Tariq (the saver) bought a new pair of football boots. So, in the afternoon we had to go back to Quex Park so that they could play football again.   We stayed there for quite a while and also watched the display of the eagle Owl and looked at the other birds they keep there. There was a Barn Owl and every time I tried to take a picture it flew at me. In the evening the boys watched their last film of the holiday.

Sunday 1st March 2009
Mal and I went off to Bev and Gary’s as Bev made me a lovely card for the twins and one from them and also a gift. She is kind and they are lovely. She left spaces for their names but they are not telling! My photos don’t do them justice!

Monday 2nd March 2009
We were up at 4.00 am for me to go to Ercan. Jill came round to collect me and stayed and had a cup of coffee with me at the airport. I travelled with Pegasus. No complaints! We arrived at Stansted on time and it was SUNNY! I collected the hire car. A very strange set up. If you book with Easy car (which seems to be one of the cheapest), Avis act as their agents, so you collect the car from Avis and the car is an Avis car but cheaper than Avis prices!     Unusually my case was about third off and so it didn’t take long until I was at Karen and Torin’s.   We sat and chatted all evening, I guess Karen will be glad when the twins come out tomorrow!   

Tuesday 3rd March 2009 – TWINS DAY!!  
I was awake at 4.00 am….still on Cyprus time!  Karen and Torin went off to the hospital at 7.30.

Scarlet and Jack arrived at 9.45 by c-section. Scarlet -6 pounds 6 ounces and Jack 7 pounds 3 ounces. Wow, what a size! Mum and babies are doing well. Congratulations Karen and Torin.
What an exciting day!!  Two more miracles and thankfully they are both healthy.

Wednesday 4th March 2009 – TWINS DAY +1!!  
Torin went to the hospital in the morning (dad’s only). I went to the shops and also took the dogs out. Brodie is now the size of a small donkey and VERY strong. It also takes a lot to ‘pooper scoop’ with him! The twins are presently lying on a muslin sheet which Torin will bring home before the twins come so that Brodie and Boo get used to their smell.

Thursday 5th March 2009 – TWINS DAY +2!!  
Torin went off to ‘dads only’ morning visiting at the hospital and after walking the dogs, I drove to Letchworth as I had to find an ‘Abbey National’. Half the branches seem to have closed down. I worked in Letchworth years ago and goodness how it has changed.

I went for the afternoon visiting and then back and again with Torin in the evening. Jack’s eye is looking a bit better.

Friday 6th March 2009 – TWINS DAY +3!!  
Oh dear, still on Cyprus time I was awake at 5 am again.   I took the dogs out (Torin had morning visiting). Brodie is so big now but well behaved although you can see people crossing the road when they see him! In spite of the difference in size, Brodie and Boo play really well together.      

Saturday 7th March 2009 – TWINS DAY +4!!  
Karen was due to come home with the twins but ended up staying in, a bit of a problem with feeding. So, Torin went for dad’s morning visiting and I went shopping.   Torin came home and I went off for afternoon visiting. Karen looked a lot improved and the twins also seem to be settling a lot more.

Sunday 8th March 2009 – TWINS DAY +5!!  
Twins home coming day! Torin went to collect Karen and the twins from the hospital. It was a rainy and windy day otherwise I would have wrapped them up and taken them for a walk. The first half hour was dog’s introduction to the twins. They were so good. They kept sniffing them and checking on them every time they moved. Boo licked both their heads, they will have to get used to that!           Jack spent about an hour in the afternoon, just lying awake bless him.

Monday 9th March 2009
The next feed was 4 in the morning so I had another knock on the door. Again, they feed, changed and back to sleep again.   I got up about 6 and made a cup of tea and finished packing my case. I gave Scarlet a last feed and sadly then had to leave for the airport. My last photo of them for a while.     Karen’s mum was taking over from me and so I headed for Stansted. Mal told me the plane was late leaving Stansted and we left ¾ hour late. I have never had such a fast journey to Ercan. It took exactly 5 hours and that was with landing in Istanbul, half the plane getting off and a lot more getting on. Well done Pegasus!   Jill collected me from the airport and I was back home in no time. Very pleased to see Mal! Of course Rosie went mad as usual, sniffing the case to see how many pig’s ears I had bought her.

Monday 10th March 2009
Mal took Rosie for her early morning walk and also gave me breakfast in bed. I was a bit tired!

I spent the rest of the day unpacking and sorting clothes out, washing and ironing.

I also checked on ticket sales for our SOS Project Fundraiser for our Pakistani Night on 21st March. Tickets are still available and it promises to be a good night.

Sunday 1st February 2009
I went to visit Gwen and as she had to get some shopping asked if I would meet her at Ileli supermarket. I did. They seriously overcharged me for some broad beans, marked one price and charged at another. I complained and I can’t believe how apologetic they were in there and insisted on charging me the price that was incorrect and not the full price. Well done Ileli. It seems one of very few supermarkets who believe in ‘customer service’.

On the way back, just by Sevener’s restaurant, the Police pulled me over, along with many others. The first policeman asked if I was Turkish and when I said no, the other policeman came over. I gave all my papers to him and as Gwen said he seemed clueless what he was supposed to be looking for.  Seeing as all my paperwork was in order, he handed it back to me and asked how long I had been in the TRNC. I told him I came back at the beginning of January, he wanted to know what date and where did I live……..it does actually have my address on the documents, whether he noticed it or not. I didn’t have my passport with me and then remembered I had written in my diary the date I came back. I told him and my address and eventually after speaking to someone on the phone, he shrugged his shoulders and let me go. Yes, I have heard they are trying every way to get money in for the government, I guess car fines are just another revenue raiser.

Eventually we arrived back at Gwen’s in spite of the mornings’ hiccups.

In the afternoon I lit the fire again. Because of the excessive rain, it has obviously tipped down the chimney and damaged the wall behind the fire. Once the rains stop, we will have to get this all repaired. It looks a mess at the moment. The first thing will be a proper cowl to the chimney.

Thursday 1st January 2009
Firstly we both wish all our readers a very happy and more importantly healthy 2009.Rosie would too but she is still in the kennels!

Lou and Rhys decided to go out to lunch and asked us to go with them but we chose to drive back late morning as the weather was really cold again and we didn’t relish the thought of turning up late evening to a freezing caravan. We arrived at the caravan and yes it was cold but all the heaters on and it soon warmed up in spite of the minus temperatures outside. The roads weren’t too busy either.

It all seemed a bit flat after all the festivities. Of course we miss the boys already!

Monday 1st December 2008
The sun was out and blue skies, a lovely day for the 1st December.

A lot of the day was spent sorting out things for the SOS ‘Here Comes Christmas Again’ on Friday.

I did manage to spray some of the weeds on the drive.

West Ham managed to keep Liverpool to a 0-0 draw. Mal will be pleased!

 

Wednesday 19th November 2008
Mal and I went to the bank in the morning (rate:2.46ytl) and then went to Alsancak Belediyesi to pay our first water bill under Alsancak. Our bill was 34.94ytl. We had to go to the bank first and went in there with a big wad of money, not knowing how many other bills they were going to give us. I still have memories of last year going in to pay my 10ytl for a dog license and coming out with a lot of invoices totalling 170ytl!
Mal handed the bill over, getting prepared for the printer to print more invoices off. The lady behind the desk asked for 3ytl! Mal corrected her that she had the wrong person. She then found the correct account and I counted out the odd money and she looked totally mystified. She then handed us an invoice for 18.28ytl. We paid up and she stapled the bill to the invoice. We are totally confused now and are wondering why she only took that amount. I am sure all will be revealed in the future! We have never experienced this before, paying less than the bill is!
I checked in our post box to see if we had any post. A lot of post seems to go ‘astray’, so when I was in the UK, I sent a card to our post box…..it still hasn’t arrived! So where is all the post going?
We then went on to buy some more plants at Perova Garden Centre. They have really nice basil plants there for 5ytl. We also bought bougainvillea, myoporum and a chilli plant. She gave us another chilli plant! I don’t think Rosie was too impressed with the smell of the chilli!
We bought a copy of Cyprus Times and bless you Ali, our advert for the SOS fund raiser was on the front page.   In the evening Lena, Ingrid and I went to Pizza King for our girlie night out and a free cocktail for the ladies!

Friday 18th July
Rosie has appeared to be better since we have been back and then yesterday afternoon it started again. So, out first thing to get another ‘sample’. I am becoming much more expert now and a full jar!!!

I walked her around the village and sure enough, just as I have been told at 6.30 in the morning, the village is all getting water. I even checked a water meter and yes the wheel was going round, the water running into tanks was not a figment of my imagination. Funny that the only meter I could find was on a British owned house.

I reached the end of the village, the last old village house which now has a flourishing vegetable garden and  the gentleman there even said ‘gűn aydin’ to me as he watered his vegetables with his hose.

The inspection pit, which Willy and us paid for the padlock and cover to be fitted has also been unearthed (it had been covered over by the winter rains and mud) so someone has been tampering with it. This was where we were turned off last summer as the Muhtar decided to give the spare key to anyone who wanted it, to turn us off at will.

As I have said before, we bring tankers to top up the swimming pool but to have no mains water for a month is no longer a joke.

I then took Rosie to see Firdez again with her sample and Firdez felt her stomach but said she was so tense, yes she was, she would do anything to get out of there.  I have to ring tomorrow for the result of the sample.

When I got back Willy came over to discuss our NON water situation. Mal and Willy decided the first step was to talk to the Muhtar again. Off they went.

In brief, the Muhtar said  there is no water from the tank we are connected to. When asked why we had been connected to that tank at great cost, he appeared to suggest it had something to do with us not having gone through the correct procedures to get legal water. However, Willy found it difficult to translate what the Muhtar was saying and therefore we can not be sure the exact reason we are not getting water apart from the fact we are foreigners!!! (Stage 1!)

In the afternoon Grandad sat gambling with the boys, it was all our money and not their money!

The boys were swimming again in the early evening and then watched ‘Wall-e’.

I knew Rosie wasn’t right, she seemed rather miserable all day.