June 10,2007 Wedding Day 2

June 10, 2007 Wedding Day 2

 

On Sunday, June 10th Tracey and Anjan were joined in marriage in a Hindu ceremony in honor of Anjan’s heritage.  Anjan’s mother did the planning and also ordered the wedding clothes for both Tracey and Anjan from India through other family members there.  The ceremony was held at a Hindu temple in Phoenix and was performed by a priest from there.  It was another beautiful wedding.

 

 

 

Tracey and Joan

 

 

Anjan, Tracey, and Manju

 

 

 

Tracey and Dad

 

During Ceremony

 

 

 

Tracey and Anjan

 

During my trips to India for work I had seen parts of weddings there but never imagined that we would be participating in one.  It was a nice ceremony and the priest took time to explain the various parts and meanings of the ceremony.  The ceremony was a “short version” lasting about 2 hours.  In India the celebration and wedding may take as long as 4 or 5 days.  Tracey and Anjan’s ceremony was followed by an Indian meal at the temple which again was enjoyed by all.

 

This evening we went to Joan’s cousin’s home who also lives in Phoenix for ice cream and cake bringing to a close a very busy weekend of activities.

June 9, 2007 Wedding Day 1

June 9, 2007 Wedding Day 1 for Tracey and Anjan

 

June 9th was Tracey and Anjan’s wedding day and as we came to find out in Phoenix it was another beautiful day but somewhat warm.  Tracey and Anjan had planned their wedding at the location where Anjan had proposed to her.  It was held on the Different Pointe of View Terrace at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort which is on a hill in a central area of Phoenix with a great view of the surrounding area.

 

 

It was a busy day for me with dropping Joan at the hairdresser, picking up flowers and delivering them to the hotel, etc.  Joan and I and most of the invitees all stayed at the hotel Saturday night.  It was one of the nicest hotels that we have ever stayed at and we enjoyed it very much as did everyone else.  The wedding was private with about 30 people in attendance.  Relatives, high school and college friends made up most of the attendees.

 

The minister from the church where Tracey has been attending (Church of the Beatitudes, a United Church of Christ) performed the ceremony.  Tracey had planned the time so that it would be just before sunset.  The wedding ceremony was very nice and went well.  The view was great especially as the sun set and the lights came on in Phoenix.

Tracey and Jill

 

 

Tracey and Anjan

 

 

Wayland and Tracey down the aisle.

 

 

 

Tracey, Anjan, and mothers.

 

 

 

After the wedding and picture taking we adjourned to the restaurant inside for a wonderful meal and a time of celebration.

June 8, 2007 Los Angeles to Phoenix

I am writing this on July 3, 2007 and Joan and I are back home in Mogadore.  I did want to catch up on the blog and get it up to date to the present. 

 

On June 3rd we drove from LA over to Phoenix with a stop in Indio to visit Joan’s uncle Charlie there and meet his new bride Pat.  We had a very nice lunch with them and got to see their wedding pictures, then it was on to Phoenix.  It’s an interesting drive through the desert between Indio and Blythe but a little on the warm side.

 

Between the time that we left Phoenix for New Zealand and when we got back Tracey and Anjan had moved to their home from the apartment that they were in for the last year.  The home is beautiful in a planned neighborhood with nice restaurants and shopping nearby.

 

 

Front Entrance

 

 

 

Backyard with real grass.

 

Being there the week before the wedding was nice to help out with some of the pre-wedding activities. 

Anjan and I checked out two of the local general aviation airports for activities.  Falcon Field in Mesa has a wing of the Commemorative Air Force (previously named Confederate Air Force, you have to be politically correct nowadays) that was interesting.  Deer Valley airport closer to them has become quite a training field for Chinese pilots.  They have about 300 Chinese there training to become commercial pilots. 

 

 

B-25, my favorite WWII plane.

 

 

Mig

 

 

 

Got that Mig with my trusty 50 cal.

 

 

 

The weather was beautiful but somewhat boring.  Blue skies and warm everyday, starting to hit close to 100, but dry.

 

 

June 2, 2007 Rodondo Beach, Calif, USA

June 2, 2007 Rodondo Beach, CA

A beautiful day here in Rodondo Beach California.  This has become a favorite stopping point for Joan and I since our cousin Beverly and her husband Joe introduced us to it three years ago.  They come down here to the beach almost every weekend during the summer from Palm Desert to escape the heat inland and also to enjoy the beach for bike riding.  From Rodondo up to Marina Del Rey is 12-14 miles of level paved bicycle path with only a couple of minor inclines.  The hotel of choice here is the Palos Verdes which is a little older but with a lot of character.  The thing that is nice is that when it's over 100F inland it's usually around 65-70F at the beach and very pleasant and just perfect for bike riding.

This year we arrived from the 11 hour oversea flight about 1PM after a delay docking the plane at the gate because someone that had checked in luggage didn't show for the flight (that's on the plane that was at the gate we were supposed to dock at).  After getting our luggage, renting a car and driving to the hotel we showered, rested awhile and then met up with Joe and Beverly for dinner.  The next day (2June) Joe and I went on a 25 mile bike ride up to Marina Del Rey and back (ouch on the hind side).  My other cousin Jeanne drove down from San Bernadino and the women went shopping to find a dress for Joan to wear to the wedding.  Success was had there.

It was a really nice time enjoying the beach atmosphere, the bicycling, seeing cousins and talking over old times.

Just as I was taking this picture at the beach this blond got right in the middle and ruined the picture.

OK - This is better!

Street Band at Marina Del Rey

Gotta get a boat like this - you can carry your own helicopter with you.

May 31, 2007, Takapuna Beach, New Zealand

Cheesecake at the GPK restaurant, Takapuna Beach

Last dinner together at Takapuna.

Other table at last dinner.

Spice cake with icecream at GPK - Ummmm!

Sunrise over the bay at Auckland.  Taken from beside Kea in Takapuna Beach campground.

May 31, 2007

Takapuna Beach (North Auckland), New Zealand

Another nice day as we drove down to Takapuna Beach from Kaitaia.  Late yesterday afternoon Carl and Bob turned in their Kea's at the Kea depot and then a taxi arranged by Kea took them to a hotel close to the airport after our last dinner together.  They had a flight around 6ish to fly to Cairns Australia.  They must have had to really get up early.

This morning there was a beautiful sunrise over the Auckland bay.  The Takapuna Beach campground is at a beautiful site and perfect for the last night's stay.  There is a walking trail that is very popular with the locals right along the campground and there are excellent restaurants within very easy walking distance.  The view is great from the campground and includes the city lights of Auckland after dark, container ships come and go to the Auckland port, a lot of sailboats and fishing boats are launched at the pubic launch next to the campground.  Someone said that we saved the best spot for last. Could be but at least it helps to ease the gloomy feeling of leaving mixed with the expectation of going home to other travels.

About 9AM two more couples left for Kea as they were going on to Sydney, Australia and those of us left flying to the States and Canada left around 2PM.

The flight back was good and about 11 hours long.  The only delay was at LAX as our 747 had to wait for the designated gate because someone booked for the plane there had failed to show for the flight and their luggage had to be found and removed from the plane.

Joan and I checked into the Palos Verdes Hotel in Rodondo Beach and later met up with my cousins to have a late dinner. 

Good to be back.

 

May 30, 2007, Kaitaia, New Zealand

Our entire partner family.

Last picture of the house.

 

Malcolm giving speech.

 

May 30, 2007

Another beautiful day of weather here in Kaitaia.

Last night's radio program went very well.  We had time to explain the Habitat programs, and about Global Village, and the Care-A-Vanners.  We understand that the program went nationwide.  Joan and I were very happy to have been invited to join Malcolm for the program.

This was our last day and we only worked until noon as a picnic has been planned at Kori's uncle's house.

We had been invited to attend a hangi ceremony at the families Mauri marae.  Uncle Peter an elder in the marae had come to the job site to explain what was going to happen at the hangi.  It was really touching as normally you cannot enter a marae unless your tribe (team in our case) has been accepted as friends of the Mauri tribe.  Once accepted you are considered part of the Mauri tribe and are basically part of their living family and part of their ancestors who have gone before.  Once accepted you can then go to the marae anytime that you wish from now on.  We all found this very moving and a symbol of the love that has grown between all of us.  Unfortunately one of the Mauri elders of this families tribe died and tradition is that they lay in state for a day at their home and then a number of days at the marae.  We were told that the elders had met and discussed delaying the lying in state of the elder for a day just so the hangi could be held.  In the end they decided that their tradition needed to be upheld so the hangi was cancelled.  It was explained that we should consider it an honor that they even considered delaying their ceremony for us.  We of course accepted this and would have had it no other way during their time of grieving.  We grieved along with them at their loss.

Kori and Michelle along with their aunt and uncle put on a great picnic at their uncle's home which was up on a hill overlooking beautiful farm land and a great sunset.  After many speeches and songs we called it an evening.

Another great day. 

May 29, 2007, Kaitaia, New Zealand

Front of house from street.

House from back.

Kauri and Latish.

Kori and Jack at teatime.

Our team on last day.

Wayland and Habicat.

May 29, 2007

The weather has been fantastic these last few days.

Well, just one more day. Today we worked on finishing up the soffit, work continued on the cladding, and some painting was going on inside.

Tonight Joan and I have been invited along with Malcolm, our project manager, to be interviewed on a one hour radio program to talk about Habitat, Habitat Global Village Care-A-Vanners, and our experiences in New Zealand.  It is a Maori station described to be similiar to our public radio here in the States.   It should be an interesting evening and we are looking forward to it.

The realization that our stay here in New Zealand is soon coming to an end has begun to hit us. 

All for now.