Monday 28 January 2013

Week 37 - The Wellington Cup Races, Wellington summertime events & working with UPR - Unconditional positive regard!

Hey Everybody! The sun has been shining brightly here in Wellington, and NZ in general, whilst fires rage through Australia and the UK in covered with snow - what a varied world we all live in! I want to share a little of the Wellington Summer this week, and talk a little about some of the issues we face in the kind of work we do.

Firstly though, I'd like to say 3 random things:
1) Carl & Jade - good luck with the birth - fingers crossed for you both!
2) Congratulations to many of my South American OT friends who have all finished their studies and are now fully qualified OT's.
3) What the bloody hell happened to Liverpool today, (losing 2-3 to Oldham in the FA Cup)?! This seriously had me in a grumpy mood all day! 
The 'sound shell' venue - Botanical Gardens
 Ok, back to business! I have to say that I am loving living in this amazing little city - once called the 'coolest little capital in the world' (by the lonely planet guide). I'd have to agree that walking around the city, especially on a sunny day, is such a relaxing and chilled out experience. Yes it's small compared to major cities. and most capitals, but the wonderful relaxed vibe, live music, buskers, people diving into the ocean, easily observed wildlife (seals, sting-ray and jelly fish), plus the multitude of water front activities mean there is plenty to do for every budget! It's so safe and family friendly too, that I simply couldn't ask to live in a nicer place. (Now if I could just transport my friends and family here, it's be perfect!)
Beautiful summer days - Wellington
Summertime in the city! 
FREE SUMMER CITY CONCERTS
So to give you a little idea of why I think so fondly of my new home town. Wednesday night after a relatively long day at work, I had added my name to the event list for "Doubtful Sounds' concert in the park, with the 'Wonders of Wellington', social 'meet-up' group, (not to be confused with adventure Wellington, who I did the climbing with last week).  The city council (government for me non- English friends), arrange a series of 3/4 weeks of FREE summer concerts in the beautiful Botanical Gardens, here in the city. The group I was with all had a 'pot-luck' picnic (i.e. bring a plate of food each to share), and so about 10 people, none of whom I'd met before, enjoyed the sounds of a fun, little choir and string quartet, who sang a range of pop/rock songs through the night! It was a little windy, but not too bad for Wellington! Here's a few pictures & videos of the event! 
Concert gets into full swing! 


LIGHT SHOW.... as the concert drew to a close, the Botanical Gardens really came to life with a stunning show of colour! The area surrounding the concert venue had been lit up with a whole variety of colour and imaginative decorations for the trees and flowers... have a look for yourself! 







WELLING CUP DAY - AT THE RACES! 
As if the near perfect 'windless' weather wasn't enough to get excited about, Wellington Cup Day had arrived. The train journey alone promised much, as the tracks run right next to the water (see the 2 pictures below!)  
Train views!
Train views of Wellington
The venue for the Wellington Cup is a place called Trentham, in the Hutt Valley, just a 30 minute train ride from the city. I was amazed to get off the train quite literally at the door to the race track....
Trentham Race  Track, Hutt Valley
 Once inside the gate, we (myself, my neighbour Kala, and the 'Social Establishment' meet-up group), were directed to the Hospitality area, but first had to cross the race track itself, which almost tempted me to gallop my way to the finishing post - which I thought was a fun idea, but no-on wanted to join me! 
On the Race track
 It was expected that people got dressed up, and the ladies in our group did not disappoint, nor did most of the crowd, who seemed to enjoy being dressed up - which is not something I see too much of here in Wellington. I love the fact that people can get into most places in most styles of clothes, be it casual or smart, but it's nice to have an event where everyone wants to make the effort!
The ladies of our group!
 I honestly took this next picture to demonstrate another fashion 'must' - ladies hats! A you'd expect at the races!
Look at the hats! 
Kala & Me
There were 10 races across the day, and I won money on none of them! In fact the last horse I bet on, during the big race finished second last! Still with minimum bets at just $1, I didn't lose out too much! Good job, as the drinks were pretty expensive inside the ground. The setting was pretty incredible and here's a few shots (and videos) to give you an idea of the day! 



Needing a drink / 'Ice shavings' 
Grand Stand views! 
At the finishing post! 
 Interestingly, just before the big race (Wellington Cup) everybody stood up whilst the national anthem was played, with words on a big screen (see below). I mention this because the anthem was played twice, firstly in Maori Language, and then in English! A lovely respectful touch I thought! 

BACK TO WORK ISSUES -
Having all these wonderful, free & cheap things to do around the city most weeks and weekends, has definitely helped me enjoy life here! Also it has helped me to deal with some of the more emotionally challenging aspects of my job. That brings me to the issue of having UPR - UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD - for the people we work with. 
(Unconditional positive regard, a term popularly believed to have been coined by the humanist Carl Rogers (see notes below), is basic acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does. Rogers believes that unconditional positive regard is essential to healthy development. People who have not been exposed to it may come to see themselves in the negative ways that others have made them feel. Through providing unconditional positive regard, humanist therapists seek to help their clients accept and take responsibility for themselves. )
Throughout my career, I have met with people, whether it be clients or families, who have behaved in challenging ways, had very different values to me, both personally and professionally. As any therapeutic relationship requires us to acknowledge the feelings we experience within that relationship, it can be hard to put personal feelings aside sometimes, and try and remain objective - and have UPR! I've certainly had some testing experiences in my time so far, and had to rely on the support of my colleagues and the joys of the city, to deal with feelings that might affect my ability to maintain UPR within my work! 
Of course, some people may argue that having UPR is a theory that can never be truly sustained in a constantly moving therapeutic dynamic!

Regards from New Zealand
Dan 

Sunday 20 January 2013

Week 36 - 'No gain without pain' & Wellington Anniversary Weekend!

Hi Everybody! It's been another eventful week here in Wellington New Zealand, and it's going to be hard to fit everything into this post - which is partly why I'm posting a day later than usual! It's been quite a painful week here for me, but mainly with good reasons - but primarily because I started using a 'Personal Trainer' at the gym, (something a year ago, I thought I'd never do!). To be perfectly honest I have always thought anyone that spends lots of time at the gym, must be compensating for a lack of useful things to do with their life (totally unfounded thoughts). However, it just goes to show what a change of circumstances can do for you = it's given me a fresh perspective! I now find myself with the time to go regularly to the gym for the first time in my life, and I feel great for it - if not a little more vain, than I already was! I'm not going to go on about the agony of my after workout sessions, or the very 'macho' / inappropriate comments my trainer makes ( guys here seem to think they have to be manly), but I'll focus on the fun and interesting stuff Wellington has to provide! 

THURSDAY - As part of the 'Adventure Wellington' group I joined in December, a group of about 20 people (only a couple of them I had met before) paid just $15 (£8) for 2 hours indoor climbing at Ferg's by the waterfront. A bargain price indeed! About 30% of us hadn't been before so we had to have an instructor show us the basics, and as I volunteered to be the first climber, my partner was learning how to control (belay) the rope and lower me down. As the photo shows I needed to be lowered down just a touch further to make me more comfortable!!!!
Ohhh lower me down more!
 Not being one to pose for photos (erm.....) I was quick to attempt climbing the walls, and yes I was more than 5 ft off the ground in this picture!
Starting at the bottom...
 The place itself is just in a warehouse on the dockside, and well utilized. Here's the rest of the pictures from the night...
Climbing centre @ Ferg's 

Near the top...
Almost there....
I'll be honest, I did not climb everything we tried, my arms were killing me after about an hour, whilst my two partners were climbing the walls like spiders! Still, I enjoyed the night even if I was so sore the following morning, I could barely squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube the next morning! 

WELLINGTON ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND
Having planned to be in the South Island making the most of the long (3 day) weekend, with my neighbour (Kala), we had to cancel those plans due to Kala being really quite sick. I mean she was really poorly, with us having to go to the emergency doctors in the week. I was able to learn a little more how the emergency health system works. You can go to an 'After hours Dr' (which you are supposed to do first) where you can be seen for non-emergencies, though you have to pay for this service! (You have to pay every time you see your GP here too). Alternatively, you could go straight to the ED - (Emergency Department), and be see there, but you have to wait, though it's free! Most importantly, after a few hours of treatment Kala felt well enough to return home, and is now recovering! 
So instead of picturesque landscapes, I decided to explore my own city on this Anniversary weekend. (Holiday for Wellington only).... The first event of the weekend I walked across was the 'OUT IN THE SQUARE' gay festival being held in the civic square... A colourful array of stalls, outfits, and speakers took to the square /stage to promote gay rights issues, which are sadly behind my own country's stance on equality. Enjoy the photos from the event....

Wellington Gay Festival
Wellington Gay Festival
Alternative oufits...

Wellington 'out in the square' festival
POSITIVELY PASIFIKA - In Waitangi park, just by the Te Papa museum, the annual PASIFIKA festival was in full swing, celebrating the lives, and cultures of Pasific Island Cultures, of which there are many in Wellington. With live music, clothing, weaved products, scrumptious food and a friendly atmosphere, it was another colourful and free event for all! Here's a few pictures to give yo an impression of the event!







SUNDAY - Easy to write about because we simply shopped for furniture for the new apartment, and did that typically Kiwi thing at the end of the afternoon - had a BBQ. The actual BBQ's here are way more sophisticated than ones I am used to back in the UK (probably because they get used more than once a year), and so the busy, productive and expensive days shopping had a great end, with beers, steak, chicken skewers, corn, peppers and spicy sausages! A huge thank you to the host - Andrea!

MONDAY - 'BIRDMAN'
So today, after a big sleep in, partly due to watching the English football again, and partly due to my nana, who seems to have got confused about the time difference again, and calls between 02:00-05:00 in the morning, I finally managed to get up and head into town! Before more necessary furniture shopping, I headed to the waterfront for the annual 'Birdman' event, which basically consisted of individuals or groups of people dressed up in 'bird' related costumes, diving off the waterfront into the ocean, cheered on by a big crowd! I saw a few people getting ready for the event.

It was pretty busy so I managed to jump up on to part of the bridge to try and get a decent view... this is what I saw...
'Birdman' competition
'Birdman' competition
'Birdman' competition
'Birdman' competition
'Birdman' competition
Not only were people trying to dive off the platform, the interval entertainment included people on BMX bikes cycling off a ramp!
And just to finish it off, they Say you normally only see the 'Kiwi' bird at night, and it is a flightless bird... here's proof!

Needless to say, it's been a busy old week, and the next few weeks, tight until my holiday at easter are going to be equally eventful! Now I have to dash off to the gym for another painful Personal Trainer session - and I'm paying $50 (£25)  for the privilege! Ow!!!
Regards from Wellington,
Dan 

Monday 14 January 2013

Week 35 - Dan makes the local news, Do I really look under 18? & The Dangers of Being 'healthy'!

Me sporting my Xmas present from Germany - Jose & Helen's Cheerleaders Group!
Hello Everybody! I hear England is waking up to mass snow falls and a really winter feel, whilst here in New Zealand (Wellington) we are getting blown away by the wind! The wind is a real talking point in Wellington! When people say oh 'Windy Wellington' - they are not exaggerating. It was so windy last week, I that whilst going to the gym, I literally had to physically hold on to a post during one extreme gust of wind! It explains the lack of any serious stick up hair styles, and free flowing dresses! 

upcoming events!
The other most wind related issue is the waterfront, and sailing activities. There are all kinds of amazing  activities on offer by the water, windsurfing, sailing, kayaks, pedalos, swimming - including the dragon boat races as you can see in the poster - my aim is to try and get funding for a team of clients to participate in this event!! You do have to be a little bit careful thought because it's not uncommon to come across schools of jellyfish or surprising Stingrays! Yes the creature that killed the Australian animal adventurer Steve Irwin, can be seen in decent numbers swimming around the bays of Wellington - and I do mean big ones! 

Despite the cancelation of last week's sea kayaking, I have been able to book on a indoor wall climbing event this coming week, and a brilliant $250 entire weekend of adventure stuff in February (white water rafting, gorging, abseiling and caving - food and accommodation included!) That's with one of the 'Meet-up' groups I joined (The Wonders of Wellington & Adventure Wellington). So add the bike rides and gym, and you can see why I have lost weight and feel the most healthy I have been for quite a few years! Don't worry I have stopped short of wearing tight lycra (as is common here) - remember, lycra is a privilege not a right! Having taken some advice I booked a few sessions with a personal trainer - which started tonight, and almost killed me! I took some advice to buy some protein shake, but kind of made a mistake with the quantity I ordered I'd get fit just carrying the tub around!! See below! (My work mates have not stopped laughing at me all day when this delivery arrived for me!). 
oops... I think I ordered too much protein shake?!
Saturday was flat hunting day! Yes that's right I shall hope to be on the move to a cheaper flat next month and have flat mates for the first time in a while. My soon-to-be flatmates Tibo & Kala seemed less shocked than I was at the number of people looking around the first flat we saw, (we took the first one we saw because it was with our current property company). I couldn't believe how many people were looking around, and last week we called 7 places we had seen advertised, and they had all been taken already! Clearly it's the season to be flat hunting!  

Sunday meanwhile was football time with the Wellington Phoenix playing the West Sydney Warriors! (or Sydney 'B') as the Wellington fans like to chant. The atmosphere was almost carnival-esk with a special promotion, 3 kids get in FREE with only 1 paying adult! Just $32 for four - not bad. I was really lucky again to get a $20 ticket as some guy had spare tickets he was trying to get some money back from. (I would later be very relieved I had not paid $32). 

The first half of the match Wellington played well, and we were a happy crowd, expecting to get the win in the second half - it didn't quite work out that way losing 0-2 and a really awful performance! So bad intact, that the local paper (see below) wrote how bad they were and showed how frustrated the fans were!
The local paper!
Football headline
Now take a closer look at the photo and spot the guy in the green, slightly to the left of centre! Yes that's right, I made the paper! Not quite how I imagined, but not a bad start!
Spot the guy in green!
I also got up at 02:30 Monday Morning to watch the Man Utd vs Liverpool game! It's hard to watch your team lose to their closest rivals and play so badly - even worse at 02:30 am!
So time is ticking on and I want to start writing abstracts for the NZ OT conference and the World/ WFOT conference in Japan next year - the worst that can happen can only say no! Its going to be a very busy month too!

P.S. I got asked for ID (age identification) Friday night as I going into a bar! Then the guy said my UK drivers license was not valid ID! He suggested I get an 'over 18 proof card' - needles to say I just laughed at him, then said thanks mate - you made my day!

Regards from New Zealand!