Our friends, Simon and Fran, have been I living in Brunei for the past three years and will be there the next three years (everybody gotta be somewhere). On their round-the-world trip they were able to spend an evening with us and give us first hand views of living with the world's richest man. It was they who gave me a hot meal and a hot shower whenever I needed one back in Fiji. In return I would let Simon beat me in Scrabble.

In what has become an annual event at Aldersons, we joined a couple other families (it gets bigger each year) in Guy Fawkes night fun. That means, for my American readers, that we burn an effigy of some poor old sod in a humungous bonfire and all the while shoot off sky rockets, roman candles and other fireworks.

Our non-academic, Ne, managed somehow to become one of the top three of about 150 other art students and at prizegiving was awarded a "Scholar' certificate along with about $50 worth of art supplies that she will be using next year. She has natural talent in that area and has been singled out in the past. She is looking forward to having a photography class next year, so maybe we will be sending a black & white to you one day.

It had to happen. Two years ago I spray painted Alderson's mail box bright pink on Pat's birthday. Last year I painted it black in honor of her 40th. This year I painted it purple (by request). Well, on my birthday Doug snuck over after dark and painted the top half of ours bright pink (not very original Doug). Three weeks later and we have gotten used to it. But you can see it from two blocks away. I am sure that the mail-lady refused come near it for a week. It's easy now to tell people how to find our place. Other friends want me to do theirs on their birthday...they feel left out. So my advice to you is "make somebody happy": paint their mailbox.

Gail and I spent three days looking for wallpaper for the kitchen. Bought some, Ne looks at it and says "aren't you going to use that paper you've been saving" and digs it out from a cupboard. When we first moved in Gail bought paper for all the rooms - that was seven years ago. Luckily, the store allowed me to return the latest batch. And while the old stuff looks like living room paper, it was free when Gail found it, and we have only papered two walls.

I hate trying to explain this, but I must. Here kids don't "graduate" from high school, they "leave" and become school leavers. So instead of a graduation ceremony, they have a prizegiving for each level, each year. This year for the first time it was combined with a supper in the school hall. So I was able to catch up with a few of the teachers. We sat with David's friends and we know the parents well. In fact, one had been my boss at the mill. My previous boss was there too as his son was up for an award and his wife was David's dean. And my principal was there also to give out awards. So I had three of my former bosses to contend with at my table. David matched his results from last year, receiving a "Distinction" certificate and a top of class award in Computer Studies. Since we are pretty certain that he passed his exams (results out in late Jan), that means David has "graduated". Those of you who don't know yet, he is enrolled at Auckland University for a course in computers. The year he just finished at high school is equivalent to the first year at university in the States. So he only spends three years at university to get a degree. He went to the "break-up" party. Break-up is a term here that means "come to an end": School has broke-up. Its time to break up. Anyway, he was bored. Said that all the others did was stand around, drink beer and talk.