Behind the Wire

Behind the Wire

Behind the wire beauty lies
I see children at play skipping rope
Their mother looks down from the window above
Her heart filled with love and hope

The garden is green, full of flowers,
The birds frequent there every day,
The neighbourhood is bustling and the sun shines upon,
The children, innocent, at play

The building is painted bright colours,
Bright murals adorn the stone wall
Painted with love by those who live there,
The children had painted them all

Music is heard through the open window,
Followed by the mother in song,
The children who know every word,
Begin to sing along

On the surface the song sounds uplifting,
On the surface the words appear glad,
But if you listen closely you will notice,
That the message conveyed's in fact sad

I no longer can see children playing,
Hear singing, or see walls coloured bright,
Instead I can only hear a mother's praying,
For her children who died in the fight

The garden is taken over by weed and rubble,
And through the wire graffiti is splayed
As cold as the cold stone walls
Where once, happiness was displayed

But amidst the trail of destruction,
Behind the wire three red poppies stand tall,
Restoring hope to a new generation,
And love, within its walls

Poem by Lia Bell
Image by Robyn Carter

I recently uploaded an image to my photoblog, which inspired a good friend of mine to write this poem. I think it's a fantastic and goes with the image perfectly. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

Amish Apple Dumplings

While in Philadelphia, we headed down to the Reading Terminal Market as it was suggested to us that we MUST go there.

I'm glad we did. A market full of wonderful food put on by the Amish people of Pennsylvania. I went twice - once for the Apple Dumplings that someone said were fantastic, and a second time to have them again because they were to die for.

Since I've been home I've been craving them a bit - I think because of the cold weather, so I did a google search for a recipe and came up with this one.

I use prepackaged sweet short pastry to wrap them up, and I leave out the mace because - well - mace is something we spray criminals with, and there's none on my local supermarket shelf under the herb/spice section.

Upon request, I'm making it for a second time for tonight and it's also been requested for Monday nights dinner as well!!

Here's the recipe I found!

Amish Apple Dumplings

6 Apples, peeled and cored
Lemon juice
1/2 c White sugar, approx
1 tsp. Cinnamon
Brown sugar
Butter
2 Pie pastry for 2 pies

Sugar Sauce:
2 c Water
3/4 c Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 tbl. Butter
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Mace


Roll out pastry and cut into squares enough to cover apples completely. Peel and core apples. Roll in lemon juice. Then roll in white sugar and cinnamon combined. Place on pastry square. Stuff core cavity with brown sugar, butter, brown sugar in equal parts. (The amount depends on size of core cavity, just
stuff full.) Fold pastry up around apple to completely enclose it. Place in pan.

Prepare sugar sauce by mixing water, sugar, vanilla, butter, nutmeg, and mace and boiling for 1 minute. Let cool slightly. Pour over Apples.

Bake in 375 F (190.5C) oven for 1 hour. Serve warm.

Note: Apples may be frozen in pastry (before sugar sauce is added) if desired. Good dessert to make ahead if you have lots of apples around. Just let thaw when ready to use, and cover with sugar sauce and bake as usual.

Best and Worst of the Say What? Club Philadelphia Convention

This is the third day I've been home from the USA after attending the SWC con in Philadelphia. So far I've done 6 loads of washing, and gradually putting things away. My house each day is looking less and less like a bomb site, and turning into a home again.

My cats will NOT leave me alone - they obviously missed me and all they want to do is smooch or sleep on me, one even climbed into my vest and went to sleep! Yes - it's much colder here minumum 7C maximum 14C which is the equivalent of 44F low and 57F high. Not that warm considering we've been averaging 36C temperatures plus wherever we've been. (97F). Of course the cold may be one reason my cats won't leave me alone. We are due for some more bad weather over the weekend, but that will be perfect for staying put and watching the olympics which start tomorrow night.

I have put in my own blog the best and worst of USA that I experienced in my 29 days upover. You can read it right by clicking here

I will now attempt to write the best and worst of the Philadelphia Convention - so here we go.

Best: (not in any particular order!!!

1). Having Kim as a roomie - she was the bestest and I'm so proud to be friends with her.

2). Meeting Brenda and Walt after all these years of correspondence.

3). Meeting Dwayne and Cheryl after so many years of correspondence. Dwayne is truly a papabear!

4). Finally meeting my friend Marty after so many years of working together on the Hospitality committee and in the chats as well.

5). Seeing Jazzy again - always one of the highlights!

6). Meeting Cathy - after all these years too.

7). Finding out how fun Linda Binns is, and so glad I was able to see her again in San Diego.

8). I can now imagine Donna at the computer when I see her messages. Great to meet her too.

9). Being surprised that the super Pearl wasn't the 6 foot plus gal that I had imagined her to be. I still say Pearl is the voice of reason, particularly in Neil Baumanns workshop. I didn't get to talk to Pearl enough but one day hope that will be remedied - we always have the NZ fling to catch up on yet!

10. Meeting Marti and Tom, Sandi, Darelynn, Susan D and Susan from Oz, Paul, and all the others that I haven't come in contact with before from other lists.

11. Lorne - holds a very special place in my heart for throwing beer over Mike!!! Mike always needs to be brought down to earth with beer from time to time!

12. Being able to show the Americans where Elthrey's Alley was cos they couldn't find it (it always takes a kiwi to work out where everything is!!)

13. Eating Apple Dumplings at Reading Terminal Market - twice. Slurp, Drool!

14. Seeing South Street on the Duck and going back there for a better look. It was the Condom King shop that got me back!! (not really!)

15. Art musuem tour was incredible - well done Marianne for organising it - I learnt so much and was amazed with what I saw and heard over the audio tool we were given.

16. Sitting next to Martin and Marianne at the banquet - lots of fun and laughs and truly enjoyed your company.

17. Going to the Zoo with a group of us the day before the convention started. What a great time with 'just' messages going out over our phones - some secret code here! The zoo was great as I saw some incredible animals - like the Douc Langur, and the prairie dog!

18. Having everyone sign my book - such wonderful messages you all gave me and the photos will go in in the next couple of weeks.

19. Enjoying interesting workshops made incredible from a super duper CART communicator Gayle, even when she was so sick with flu she still managed to get through it all. My hat goes off to you. (And I don't take my hat off for just anyone you know!!)

20. Meeting Mark Dessert and his lovely dog. Even though Mark couldn't lipread my accent (I really don't have an accent - americans do), I was able to understand Mark easily. My memory of Mark will always be his enjoyment of the NZ wine on offer.


PS for the best - I have probably missed out lots of people - there were too many to put in my top 20, however, every single person that attended the convention, was what made the convention so exciting and I was so pleased to meet you all. I will definitely, funds willing, attend another in the future, and I will get onto starting organising one here in NZ - so start saving.


Now for the Worst of the con...

1). The heat - coming from winter the heat in the first couple of days was almost unbearable.

2). The jetlag - I was exhausted as I hardly slept coming over. Next time I will make sure I will have been in the US at least a week before the convention starts, so I can catch up on sleep beforehand.

3). Walking 18 blocks back to the hotel after the Mutter Museum. I had blisters, I had chaffing, I had heatrash, I was hot, tired and grumpy. The Phlash had stopped for the day and Mike wouldn't let me catch a taxi (grrrrr!!!) But I surived.... Just.... Mike is lucky to still be alive though!!!!

4). Breakfasts at the hotel - the service was terrible (oh well!)

5). Hotel had no hot chocolate after 10pm. No hot drinks available after 10pm!!! Sigh! I survived - just! Just had to eat chocolate instead.

I can't actually think up any more 'worst' things. Because on the whole the convention was like a well oiled ship which could have only meant that the people who organised it had worked long and hard to make it happen. So I take my hat of to the BOD and thank them from the bottom of my heart for the most wonderful time of my life. I will have this in my memory for the rest of my life.

Cheers
Robyn

Day 6 - 12th July - Philadelphia

Breakfast smorgasbord in the hotel- paid for by the club this morning which was very nice. After breakfast there was a town meeting to talk about future conventions and where they will be held. It seems many want a mini one down in New Zealand - so Mike and I will organise that for the future.

Abbie came through from New Jersey to meet Kim and I. We know Abbie through her blog about her journey to cochlear implantation. She is absolutely gorgeous and it was fantastic to meet her. So much fun. Unfortunately I couldn't spend too much time with her as I was booked on the Philadelephia Art Museum Tour.

We met everyone in the lobby and caught the Philly Phlash, which dropped us off right outside the museum. We had a guide, and we were given receivers to wear around our neck. I plugged my cochlear audio cable directly into this and attached it to my implant. Heard perfectly - didn't even need to lipread. But the cable kept falling out out of the implant the connection is so loose and wasn't happy about this, particularly as it cost me $164!!!!

The Guide took us through several sections and concentrated on one or two art pieces in each section. It was absolutely fascinating, and have to say this is the best art museum I've ever been to. I was in awe with some of the art, and how old it all was. I feel NZ is sadly lacking in comparison! After the museum we headed back to the hotel in the Phlash. I really wanted to see the State Penitntiary but had no time, it was tooooo hot, I had sore swollen feet, without about 6 blisters that were bothering me.

Mike and I stopped for a shared Flatbread, then I went back up to my room and put my feet up for about 45 minutes. Back downstairs at 5.30pm and got to spend a bit more time with Abbie. Bid on the silent auction - and managed to win a set of three dri-brix for my CI dry-n-store. Paid $11 for 3, and they're $7.00 each in NZ!! Sat with Marianne and Martin Locke at the banquet.

Spent a bit of time in the lounge bar afterwards saying goodbyes then went upstairs and packed. Had to say Bye to Kim = very very sad. She lives in Seattle and one day I hope to get up to stay with her.

Day 5, 11th July - Philadelphia

Breakfast had been so terrible the day before we got up an hour earlier and headed down to Cosi with Kim and Lorne and had omelette sandwiches instead. Much more filling, and healthier than the 9g sat fat yoghurts on offer!

Workshops in morning. After the workshops, I took Kim, Paul, and Lorne to Elthrey's Alley as they couldn't find it. So here is a NZer leading around Americans!!! I wanted to go back as some of my photos didn't turn out. There is something very very wrong with my camera - its not focusing properly. Will get it looked at in New York.

After Elthrey's Alley we caught the Phlash to Reading Terminal market - no way we were going to walk - far too hot. So hot Mike took off his shirt. We came across some state police in bright yellow shirts on bicycles. I took a photo so they came over to check us out. I explained I was from NZ, and they let me take more photos of them. I jokingly asked if it was legal to walk around topless and pointed at Mike. One of them said.. 'If I had a body like yours I'd be walking around with my shirt off too!!'

Hmmmmmmmmmmm !!

Had lunch in the Reading Terminal Market back at the Amish stall again. I had another apple dumpling. At this rate I'm going to turn into a dumpling but they are so divine. After lunch caught the Phlash to the Mutter Museum - the medical anomaly museum with Mike & Paul. Very interesting stuff - I didn't know humans could grow horns! From there we walked back to the hotel - about 24 blocks all up - a long way - very very hot and I was really grumpy when I got back as my feet were killing me. They still haven't recovered - they are twice the size they should be and very painful. This happened last time I was in America too, so wonder if it's the combination of walking and flying.

Had Dinner wth Dwyane and Cheryl from Ohio - whom I've been talking to for about 12 years online. So nice to meet them after all this time. Also met up with Lori Singer - another american from another list I'm on who heard I was in town and came looking for me!!! Another late night socialising at the bar!!

Day 4 - 10th July - Philadelphia

UP at 8.00 then down to the first workshop. By 8.30am was so tired could hardly keep eyes open. I think this was because the breafast provided was really poor - pastries only, which I hate. They did have a yoghurt there as well which I thought was healthy, until I looked at the nutrition info to find it had 9g of saturated fat!! My poor heart!

By 11.00am I was so tired I slipped out of the workshops and went back to bed and slept til 12.30pm. Met the Duck group at 1pm in lobby, then walked down to the Duck tour. A bus tour round Philly that takes you over land and on to the Delaware River. It wasn't that good- but it did give you an indication of areas to explore later. The Delaware River was filthy - and if you think Auckland Bridge is bad - the bridge over the river is rusting really badly - you could see it!!

After the Duck Tour Mike and I headed over to South Street - a famous street in America. We called in on the Liberty Bell on the way. Took lots of photos - incredible architecture - red bricks, OLD OLD. South Street was a real education too. An eclectic mix of sex shops, condom shops, restaurants, irish pubs, designer fashion, homeless people, drug addicts, historical landmarks tourists, police and doorways covered with graffiti. I managed to get a photo of a woman being arrested. All highly entertaining and interesting!!! We lunched at a boring establishment - but cheap - Subway - $5 for a footlong sub which we shared. $2.50 each!!

At the End of South Street we found the Vietnam Memorial, then the Korean one, then found an old historical building which was the first stock exchange of USA. Back to the hotel to change the memory card of my camera. Silly me left my 2gb flash card at home by mistake, so only have two 1gb ones - which is difficult when you shoot in RAW mode. We then walked to Elthrey's Alley which is USA's Oldest street. I'm sure I thought Quebec City street was older, but Elthrey's Alley is actually Trademarked (law) as the oldest street so it must be!! The alley was incredible - lots of photos, Walked to Benjamin Franklins Graveyard after that - but it was closed and I never did get back to get more photos of it. Txted Kim to find out where she was - she told me City Tavern, so we walked over in the general direction of that - Walnut Street and 2nd. On the corner of Walnut St and 2nd, I txt Kim again to find out where she was, to find she had left a message to say she wasn't at city tavern afterall but at Rotten Ralphs!!! We just happened to be standing right outside it - so up the stairs to sit with them and while away a few hours. Back to the hotel for non existent hot chocolate - no hot drinks available in hotel after 10pm. Ludicrous!!

Footsore and weary!

Cheers
Robyn

Day three - 9th July - Philadelphia

Met everyone at breakfast. Breakfast took 1 hour to arrive - terrible service in this hotel. After breakfast Mike, Paul, Kim, Ruth-Ann and I walked to the visitors centre and caught the zoo shuttle - the Phlash (philly flash) for $2. It's America's first zoo, smaller than Auckland's, but had some incredible animals in it. I enjoyed the rare animal encounter and got some (hopefully good) photos of the very rare monkey called a langur (coche or something). They also had a great reptile and amphibian encounter - of which there were bright purple poisonous frogs and lots of huge snakes! We finished at the zoo at 1.30pm, and picked up the shuttle. Mike and I got dropped off at the Reading Terminal Market while the others went on back to the hotel.

Market was great- I went to the amish food stall and had a roast turkey sandwich ( a half portion though ) and finished with the genuine apple dumpling. The apple dumpling was divine. We wandered through the market then wandered up the main street (Market Street). It was so hot that we had to keep going into different shops to cool down in their air-conditioning. By the time I got back to the hotel, I was soaked in perspiration - it was about 36C plus 99.99999% humidity. Ugh. Got back to hotel at 5pm and had a swim to cool down in the roof top pool.

Registration party (start of convention) started at 7pm. Mike and I took the NZ wine we had with us and offered up a NZ wine tasting. It went down very well!! Talked to everyone until 11pm then hit sack!

Cheers
Robyn

Day 2 - 8th July - Stockton - Philadelphia

The Stretch Limousine arrived on time and took us out to Sacramento airport - another hour of travelling. Just as well we got food at the mall as nothing was open at the airport.. We flew in an old old continental plane- no games or videos, and only a drink and a bag of nuts. Slept maybe for an hour - but very uncomfortable. I have to admit I was jealous of business class on this flight!

Landed at Houston. Huge huge airport - big food courts, shops for miles, and miles and miles of walking to get to our terminal to get the next plane. Stopped for breakfast - yoghurt and a banana - nothing else appealed. Too much fried stuff here - no wonder some Americans are huge. Went into a an amazing leatherware shop - hats at $415 and boots at $350 all covered in rhinestones!

After breakfast found our gate and boarded straight away. Arrived Philadelphia 12.00 noon, found baggage and got a $10 shuttle to our hotel. Remembered a little of Philadelphia from last trip when we drove past it on the way to DC. Beautiful city - university area was fascinating.

Checked in, but my room wasn't available, but we found some of the convention attendees - easy to spot - just look at ears - if they're wearing hearing aids/implants - you can be sure they're one of us. We wandered along and found a food court and had lunch (Bourse House). When I got back room was ready so I went up and slept from 2 to 5pm. Left a note for Kim (my room mate) to wake me up when she got in from Seattle.

Got up and dressed and went to Lobby and met Wayne Roorda - a volunteer for Advanced Bionics (like my voluntary work with Cochlear) and he took me out for dinner. I've known Wayne for many years on another email list, but not this SWC Convention one - it was merely a coincidence that he found out I was in PHL for this convention and he happens to live there.

Man it's hot in PHilly - very humid. After dinner the heavens opened and a huge thunderstorm which did cool down the weather a bit. Sat in the pub after dinner and talked to lots of people until 1.am. Woke up at 5.30am!!! Argh! I need more sleep!!!

Cheers
Robyn

Say What Club Hearing Loss Convention - Philadelphia

I'm soooooooo excited. In a little over three weeks, I'll be flying to the United States to attend the Say What Club convention in Philadelphia.

The Say What? Club has been part of my life now since early 1996, over 12 years ago. I found them by accident when surfing on the internet many moons ago, and signed up to the club. I have met so many great friends though this email group, and have met a few of them in person as well. We are all Deaf or deaf or hearing impaired. There are ASL signers, cuer's, AVT's, and lots of Implantees that will be attending.

I am looking forward to comparing New Zealand sign language and ASL with people. I'm sure there's going to be lots of laughter!!

When I would read of get togethers of the group in the USA, or conventions they held, I would always be envious and wish I could go, but circumstances, both financial and personal, would mean I would not be able to attend. This year was no different. However each year the Say What Club gives out scholarships, and with a few members encouraging me, I thought I would apply for one.

I'm so glad I did. On the day before my reimplantation operation, I found out that I was one of the people who had 'won' one of the places to attend. So everything is booked and in place.

There are so many things I'm excited about for this trip.

1. I'm meeting lots of people that I've talked to for so many years, but never seen them face to face - Old friends and new. That is just going to be so special.

2). I'm rooming with Kim - Yay Kim! I think our room is going to be one of the many party rooms. I wonder if we'll get any sleep?? I think Abbie is coming too and I will get a chance to meet her - whoohoo!!!

3). Paul is meeting me in San Francisco and we're flying to the convention together. He's such a great guy and was a huge instigator in getting me to the convention.

4). Dwayne and Marty from Ohio are coming especially so they can meet me - they weren't coming but decided to when they found out that I was going. That's really special, especially Marty as I know times are tough for her at the moment.

5). After the convention I'm going up to stay with Emily in New Jersey for a few days. Emily holds a special in my heart as we met in New Zealand 8 years ago when she was out here and have been friends for a long time. She's an honorary New Zealander :)

6). I fly back to San Francisco on the 16th July, and Paul once again meets me and for the next two weeks after that, we will be sightseeing together. We will be hiring a car and heading down Highway 1 to San Diego for a few days. I have cousins who are half way between SFO and SD so we'll stay over and catch up with them as well. Hearst Castle is on the cards as well.

7). In San Diego I hope to see the Zoo and Seaworld and spend a day walking around the area. We may do a day trip to mexico - but the jury is still out on that one :)

8). Back to San Francisco I hope to explore this city, as well as get out to Yosemite for a day tour at least.

I finally fly back to New Zealand on the 30th, and arrive back in Auckland on the 1st August.

I'm still pinching myself that this is happening.

My camera is being cleaned so it's all ready to fire - no doubt I'll be taking lots of photos :)

Cheers
Robyn