Author Archives: violetlemay

Our Epic New Zealand Adventure

Quick Recap As mentioned in my most recent post, my husband Fred recently retired. We immediately flew to New Zealand, our former home (and current home of our son) to find and purchase a house. But… where? Real estate prices near the big cities are far out of our range. (American friends: Imagine the differenceContinue reading “Our Epic New Zealand Adventure”

St Heliers by the Sea

The Big New Zealand Town Search As previously mentioned, after time away in Asia, my husband Fred and I are returning to New Zealand. After ten years of short-term rentals and lots of exciting travel, we are thrilled to purchase a home and put down roots. New Zealand is a relatively small, sharing the sameContinue reading “St Heliers by the Sea”

Fred is Retiring… in New Zealand!

Big news for my family: My wonderful husband Fred, who has worked for decades as a PGA teaching pro, has retired! Golf has taken us all over the world, and we couldn’t be more grateful. After time spent in China, fleeing China because of a pesky little pandemic (yeah, that happened), and a four-year stintContinue reading “Fred is Retiring… in New Zealand!”

La Fourchette

[St Heliers, Auckland, New Zealand ] “Would you like a double shot instead of your usual single? Or would that be reckless?” —Hugh, un barista de La Fourchette Oh la la. La Fourchette! St Heliers by the Sea We moved to New Zealand in 2015 for my husband’s job knowing nothing about Auckland and itsContinue reading “La Fourchette”

Remedy Coffee

[Auckland, New Zealand] A bustling port city located on east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, Auckland is an urbanite’s paradise. Come for the contemporary architecture, the array of interesting skyscrapers, the Sky Tower, the wharf, the water, the pristine air quality, the big white cloud, the amazing diversity, the surge of youthful energy, theContinue reading “Remedy Coffee”

Coffee, New Zealand Style

Cafe culture thrives in New Zealand. The plethora of choices can cause the coffee-lover’s head to spin. Where to go? Each coffee shop has its unique charms. While I’m confident that none would disappoint—you really can’t go wrong—I’ve decided to write a series of short posts featuring my personal favorites. First up…. albertpark cafe &Continue reading “Coffee, New Zealand Style”

Word War II Museum [Tengchong, China]

Tengchong was the unfortunate site of much of the fighting that occurred in China when Japan invaded in 1937. This beautifully designed museum (officially titled The Anti-Japan War Museum) chronicles the sad history with solemnity and respect. Inside Admission to the museum is free. Our generous Chinese hosts paid for the English translation of theContinue reading “Word War II Museum [Tengchong, China]”

“Clouds” Boutique, in Heshun Ancient Village 和顺镇 [Tengchong, China]

In Heshun Ancient Village  we saw a shop—two sister shops, in fact—with white cotton clothes dyed with bits of blue. T-shirts, of course, but also blouses, scarves, hats, bags, and flowy dresses… the kind that float around you on a breezy day. Nothing in the boutique was pressed and prim, but everything was tidy andContinue reading ““Clouds” Boutique, in Heshun Ancient Village 和顺镇 [Tengchong, China]”

Heshun Ancient Village 和顺镇 [Tengchong, China]

Situated in western China, abounding in picturesque scenery and activities for tourists, Tengchong is poised to become a vacation hot-spot. While the city is growing rapidly, commercialization and modernization are serving to ease accessibility without diminishing old-world charm. Traveling with two Chinese families, my husband, son and I visited several tourist destinations in and aroundContinue reading “Heshun Ancient Village 和顺镇 [Tengchong, China]”