Comments for Vegemitevix http://www.vegemitevix.com A Kiwi expat in the UK licking the Vegemite off life's fingers Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:33:00 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Watch Out Learner Driver by London City Mum http://www.vegemitevix.com/2012/02/watch-out-learner-driver/comment-page-1/#comment-9355 London City Mum Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:33:00 +0000 http://www.vegemitevix.com/?p=4657#comment-9355 Drive around with him. It may not do much for his 'street cred' (if he is your archetypal teenager), but having you next to him to guide him - note, I said GUIDE, not nag - will help improve his awareness and his confidence. My father taught me (for all of 15 mins, granted) and then had me drive up and down our very long driveway - on a hill, with a ditch on one side and a steep embankment on the other - two dozen times and more. Forwards and in reverse. Best lesson? That anyone can drive fast, but few can drive slowly and in control (especially valid on narrow cobblestoned streets in Italy). Good luck! LCM x  Drive around with him. It may not do much for his ‘street cred’ (if he is your archetypal teenager), but having you next to him to guide him – note, I said GUIDE, not nag – will help improve his awareness and his confidence.

My father taught me (for all of 15 mins, granted) and then had me drive up and down our very long driveway – on a hill, with a ditch on one side and a steep embankment on the other – two dozen times and more. Forwards and in reverse.

Best lesson? That anyone can drive fast, but few can drive slowly and in control (especially valid on narrow cobblestoned streets in Italy).

Good luck!

LCM x 

]]> Comment on When is it the right time to move the kids? by Carol http://www.vegemitevix.com/2012/01/when-is-it-the-right-time-to-move-the-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-9354 Carol Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:34:00 +0000 http://www.vegemitevix.com/?p=4640#comment-9354 The words in this post could have been mine!!  I moved to New Zealand when my children were little (and it was oh-so-easy).  We planned years ago to move over to Australia around about now BUT now that they are teenagers, the oh-so-easyness in moving has vanished.  It's a whole different ball game now!  Miss 18 years old definately won't leave her "love" and her "life" behind and Miss 14 years old is convinced she will literally "die" if she had to move away from her friends.  Fortunately I've grown really attached to New Zealand myself so here we remain.....  How life changes. The words in this post could have been mine!!  I moved to New Zealand when my children were little (and it was oh-so-easy).  We planned years ago to move over to Australia around about now BUT now that they are teenagers, the oh-so-easyness in moving has vanished.  It’s a whole different ball game now!  Miss 18 years old definately won’t leave her “love” and her “life” behind and Miss 14 years old is convinced she will literally “die” if she had to move away from her friends.  Fortunately I’ve grown really attached to New Zealand myself so here we remain…..  How life changes.

]]> Comment on Watch Out Learner Driver by Anonymous http://www.vegemitevix.com/2012/02/watch-out-learner-driver/comment-page-1/#comment-9353 Anonymous Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:03:00 +0000 http://www.vegemitevix.com/?p=4657#comment-9353 I do think that driving is such an important life skill it shouldn't be taken lightly, which is why we bought him the professional lessons. OH is an excellent driver and will probably help with the 'practise'. Not for me that aspect of parenting - nervy disposition. Lol x I do think that driving is such an important life skill it shouldn’t be taken lightly, which is why we bought him the professional lessons. OH is an excellent driver and will probably help with the ‘practise’. Not for me that aspect of parenting – nervy disposition. Lol x

]]> Comment on Watch Out Learner Driver by Steve http://www.vegemitevix.com/2012/02/watch-out-learner-driver/comment-page-1/#comment-9352 Steve Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:30:00 +0000 http://www.vegemitevix.com/?p=4657#comment-9352 Give him a helping hand. I wish someone had helped me when I was younger. I am now 42 and still haven't learnt to drive. It might get cheaper as you get older, but it gets a lot harder. Give him a helping hand. I wish someone had helped me when I was younger. I am now 42 and still haven’t learnt to drive. It might get cheaper as you get older, but it gets a lot harder.

]]> Comment on When is it the right time to move the kids? by Anonymous http://www.vegemitevix.com/2012/01/when-is-it-the-right-time-to-move-the-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-9351 Anonymous Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:24:00 +0000 http://www.vegemitevix.com/?p=4640#comment-9351 I think we come from the same gypsy tribe Nicola! I feel exactly like that and I share your feelings about your home land being so close to your heart. That's exactly how I feel about NZ - as if my soul has somehow been immersed in the land. Though I'm not a Maori I feel quite spiritually about the land itself and its mana. Thanks for commenting.  I think we come from the same gypsy tribe Nicola! I feel exactly like that and I share your feelings about your home land being so close to your heart. That’s exactly how I feel about NZ – as if my soul has somehow been immersed in the land. Though I’m not a Maori I feel quite spiritually about the land itself and its mana. Thanks for commenting. 

]]> Comment on When is it the right time to move the kids? by Anonymous http://www.vegemitevix.com/2012/01/when-is-it-the-right-time-to-move-the-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-9350 Anonymous Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:22:00 +0000 http://www.vegemitevix.com/?p=4640#comment-9350  You are absolutely right, moving back 'home' is just another international relocation. I guess I haven't dwelt on this so much because the last time I moved back home the kids were very little, but the next time they won't be little and my husband (number 2) is English so it won't be moving home for him, rather more like an expat experience of his own. As with any move, there are so many worries and things to consider, plan and organise. All I can really do is go with my gut instinct and give it a go - which is what we all do when we move away from home to begin with, isn't it?  You are absolutely right, moving back ‘home’ is just another international relocation. I guess I haven’t dwelt on this so much because the last time I moved back home the kids were very little, but the next time they won’t be little and my husband (number 2) is English so it won’t be moving home for him, rather more like an expat experience of his own. As with any move, there are so many worries and things to consider, plan and organise. All I can really do is go with my gut instinct and give it a go – which is what we all do when we move away from home to begin with, isn’t it?

]]> Comment on When is it the right time to move the kids? by Anonymous http://www.vegemitevix.com/2012/01/when-is-it-the-right-time-to-move-the-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-9349 Anonymous Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:18:00 +0000 http://www.vegemitevix.com/?p=4640#comment-9349 Beautifully said, we are indeed free spirits. Perhaps we have gypsy blood, or a wandering spirit. Or maybe we just want to live life in colour? I hope my kids inherit that from me, in a sense. I hope that they will not choose a beige cosy lounge life. I hope they are always asking 'I wonder how they live over there in that country...' Beautifully said, we are indeed free spirits. Perhaps we have gypsy blood, or a wandering spirit. Or maybe we just want to live life in colour? I hope my kids inherit that from me, in a sense. I hope that they will not choose a beige cosy lounge life. I hope they are always asking ‘I wonder how they live over there in that country…’

]]> Comment on The Longest January Ever! by Anonymous http://www.vegemitevix.com/2012/01/the-longest-january-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-9348 Anonymous Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:13:00 +0000 http://www.vegemitevix.com/?p=4649#comment-9348 Well spotted Katriina! Yes, -11 overnight here and heavy snow on the way for the weekend. Perfect opportunity to wrap up warm and read blogs. :-)  Well spotted Katriina! Yes, -11 overnight here and heavy snow on the way for the weekend. Perfect opportunity to wrap up warm and read blogs. :-)  

]]> Comment on The Longest January Ever! by Anonymous http://www.vegemitevix.com/2012/01/the-longest-january-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-9347 Anonymous Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:12:00 +0000 http://www.vegemitevix.com/?p=4649#comment-9347 Noooo Steve! Just keep your misery to yourself. Oh, and the snow. ;-p Noooo Steve! Just keep your misery to yourself. Oh, and the snow. ;-p

]]> Comment on When is it the right time to move the kids? by Nicola De Gouveia http://www.vegemitevix.com/2012/01/when-is-it-the-right-time-to-move-the-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-9346 Nicola De Gouveia Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:01:00 +0000 http://www.vegemitevix.com/?p=4640#comment-9346 We left South Africa when the children were 8, 7 & 4. At the time I had felt it was a 'now or never' situation. We've been in Scotland for almost 6 years now and I am ready for the next destination (I think I have gypsy blood), but no one else in the family is interested. The boys are happy at school, have friends, their sport, their lives... They might be South African born (with a Portuguese father), but now they are fundamentally Scottish. None of them speak Afrikaans and only the eldest two understand some of it. The youngest one has no interest. Sometimes I also feel a bit lost, because Africa is in my blood and in my bones, but I always feel the need to move on, go to the next place, have the next experience... But, I suppose I will just have to stay put. For now. We left South Africa when the children were 8, 7 & 4. At the time I had felt it was a ‘now or never’ situation. We’ve been in Scotland for almost 6 years now and I am ready for the next destination (I think I have gypsy blood), but no one else in the family is interested. The boys are happy at school, have friends, their sport, their lives… They might be South African born (with a Portuguese father), but now they are fundamentally Scottish. None of them speak Afrikaans and only the eldest two understand some of it. The youngest one has no interest. Sometimes I also feel a bit lost, because Africa is in my blood and in my bones, but I always feel the need to move on, go to the next place, have the next experience…
But, I suppose I will just have to stay put.
For now.

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