Degrees of Separation

I read once that if you go back 500yrs, assuming 25yr average per generation, there will have been 1 million people involved in your future birth. Assuming that each person has 2 parents, 4 grandparents (I have 6, but thats another story) 8 great grandparents and so on. Of those great grandparents, I only met 3, none of whom are alive at present. I didn't meet any gg grandparents. So closely linked (4 degrees of separation) and yet so far.

I met my nana's youngest surviving brother two days ago for the first time. She was the oldest in a family of 8, he was the second to youngest. I was stunned to see how strongly I could see the family resemblance in him, even in the way he held himself, and the intonations he used when he spoke.

In australia, I met a man who has a common ancestor with me - his gg father is my 4th great grandfather. But he told me after meeting me, that I am just like his oldest grand daughter - in looks, mannerisms and way of talking. He could only assume it was through our common line.

So what are these things called genes? And what determines which variants get put into some people in one generation and not others? I apparently *look like my mother, have my fathers expressions, look just like my sister, look nothing like her at all, am just like my mothers mother, have the "ormsby" look, and look like a distant cousin who i've never met before?

If we're all linked to so many people, ancestors, cousins, descendants, like threads in a tapestry woven together, I suppose it would be possible for one ancestors influence to spread exponentially down the line. But i wonder what determines who gets what part of that influence.

*all subjective comments from other people

Switching tracks

So one minute life is progressing along in one direction, and the next its switched in a totally different direction. A detour which i didn't see coming at all. I have a sneaking suspicion it has something to do with gratitude, owing to a prior experience I had.

I had a sucky boring job that was not fun and not going anywhere, just passing the time really. Into my head popped the bright idea of "counting my blessings" ie coming up with good things about it. I managed it. And within two weeks i had a better job. I didn't even ask for something better, it just came along when i stopped being fixated with how bad the other job was.

That was the first inkling that i remember having that there might be something to this whole idea of being grateful. Its as if looking at the good things, pours more good things into your life. Like presents from a smiling heavenly father.

I can't claim to know how it works, I have just seen it work, again, recently.

I was on an extra shift and I ran into a workmate who I don't normally see (shes on a different roster pattern to me) and she asked if i'd seen this job advert for a position at the airport in my home town. I actually hadn't. But since she'd mentioned it to me, I thought i'd check it out.

The next day I redid in CV and applied. Forgot about it til a week later when the recruitment lady called me for an interview. Did that. Forgot about it til the end of that week when she called and said i'd been shortlisted. Only then did i start thinking about all the things I actually like about where i'm living now, and I was surprised that the list was at least as big as all the benefits of moving back.

A few days ago she called again, to say they want to offer me the job and can I start asap. I called my team leader and she called me back the next day to say i'm finishing up in 2wks and can i have a minute to think about it pls? No? Ok so i have 1week after I get back from holiday to pack up my life (again) and transfer everything and start all over again. Only its not really starting again because I came from there? Right? We'll see.

And what was the point of me being in Auckland anyway? Was there a point? Now I'm not so sure. I thought I knew why i was going there when i moved, but that reason seemed to disintegrate before my eyes, so chances are that its a good thing I'm going back to where I'm usually happier anyway.

This post all looks like random psychobabble. But its weird that after months of trying to decide whether or not I liked Auckland, I think I might actually be sad to go.

Travel Musings

A few things I've learnt over the last few days

The difference between fiords and sounds (one is created by a river and v shaped, usually quite shallow - like the Malborough sounds, a fiord is carved out by a glacier, usually u shaped, very deep) Milford sound is actually a fiord, but that phrase doesn't roll off the tongue as easily. It was originally called Milford Haven but they didn't like that name either.

You shouldn't try to take photos of outdoor close up objects while travelling in a fast moving vehicle. It doesn't work. I have a lot of blurry photos to show for my efforts.

Where the Mirror lakes are located. I'd seen lots of photos of them growing up but had no idea where they were. They're just south of Milford sound. Beautiful, though a lot smaller than i expected.

Milford sound really is beautiful. I'm so glad i came down this way. Photos to follow.

Arrival

I arrived in Christchurch this morning and found myself constantly patting my pockets for something that wasn't there. My keys. Symbol of where i'd come from and where i was returning to, but completely redundant in my current space and present moment. What do you do with a key when the thing for which its designed is no longer within your reach?

I heard people complaining about how cold it was. I don't know what they were on about, i was walking around in a tshirt and trackpants and i was totally fine. The flight was uneventful apart from a few roller coaster dips as we came into land, and i was very thankful i hadn't suffered from my usual queasy lightheadness. And as we got off i spotted some money someone had left behind across the aisle. Score.

I always wonder why everything on travel noticeboards is twin share - cruises, accomodation and the like. Not much options left for a solo traveller unless you want to pay for an invisible person who isn't there.

I thought i'd try something different for lunch, being in a new place and out of my comfort zone and all that. I got a honey chicken dish at a thai place. I really wished i'd gotten something else. It was a bizare combination of flavours, battered chicken pieces smothered in a sweet sauce, rice, dry strips of carrot and cabbage, and dry hard kumara pieces. I'm not sure what it was meant to taste like but it was weird. Too much sweetness, not enough savoury. I should have gone with my usual preference of fried rice.