The funniest moments are the ones which you never planned

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At Hugh's in Newcastle
On going for a trip with my family now is not unlike sitting down to watch your favourit comedy, although now you are part of that comedy. We headed to Newcastle yesterday which entailed doing lots of things outside our usual routine - cue comedy.

It is all the unplanned things, isn't it? And I think that being a teacher has equipped me with a massive sense of humour. If something is going not the way you planned, you have gotta laugh. The best part though is now having my niece here with us.

Ghin was away and Oisin was working all day so, with the semi good weather I thought, a drive. My dad loves a drive.

Eating out

It is winter, fire place
I have come to really like Newcastle. When I first encountered it I thought it was much like a different kind of Bundoran. I dunno maybe Bundoran is changed now? Anyhow, it was mostly amusements and what appeared to be a very VERY cold Warm Bathing Pools. However, it seems to have really come into its own. There were lovely ice-cream shops, lots of local businesses, good pub food, no artisan bullshit and they even had a gorgeous wildflower patch with loads of calendula and cornflowers and oats. And of course the people are ridiculously super friendly.

But the best part is just hanging out with my mom and dad. And getting to know my niece. I've realised that I've hardly ever gotten to know her. In Singapore she spent much of the time studying and doing homework or going to tuition. So we never really hung out. Any family holidays were impossible since they could never make it, our holidays never coincided. So, for the first time, I have had the opportunity to hang out with her and it is just so cute.

Well, I'm off to hang out with her a bit more. Singaporeans don't have friends like we have friends in Ireland, well not that I'm aware of, certainly not at school age. To us family is far more important and the community of friends is a lot less central to life. However, friends and extended family are more central to life here and that's something which I had to learn. When I think of the last twenty years and how much I have had to learn, I feel pretty proud of myself.

OK, we are now off to clean the house. Just keep things in place and ticking over. Oh Peter cleaned the house, our house in Barnett's Road yesterday. I was well impressed.

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