Can I come back in please?

L

lucemoose

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Ive really missed this place...

I want to say a real heartfelt thank you for those who shared in my last post about Ruby, it made me feel less alone in that others shared in her loss but ultimately helped remember the best times too. Ive just been to look at the post to check Im not re-wording anything and I think all my photos have been removed?? :(:(:confused: Feel rather nonplussed and quite upset now!

I would like to share the card the vet sent me too
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For a little update...
In May I flew out to Hong Kong to start working as a RI in a privately owned yard in the New Territories. Ruby was put to sleep not long after I had finally started work in a job I had interviewed for over a year prior, and stress and expectation loomed heavily. When the opportunity for HK came about I am honest enough to say I jumped ship. Jumped the job, jumped the country too.....

Whilst HK in all her guises safely holds enough sway over me in that I will always be entranced, disgusted and entertained by her- teaching back to back for a 10 hour day didnt. It reinforced how much I love to teach, but also made me long for the world around horses, the shows, the landscape, the tack shops, the varied forms of learning we find ourselves immersed in too. I realised if I stayed in the arena in the small pond little environment that I would lose my joy and enthusiasm for the job I do.
I intended to leave amicably and I hope my honesty helped in that regard.
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I also got to meet J1ffy!! Such a pleasure to find friendly faces all round the world:D

So, a swift pop home to meet my new nephew and to sniff the grass and relearn how to be cold, and back on board a plane again and I am now in New Zealand.. :eek:
My partner is a Kiwi and I did quite a bit of research into what I could do out here and all the replies were favourable so...hello working holiday visa!

Its going to be a tough slog, theres been lots of dead ends and no replies and empty silences but Im trying so hard! Ive been sitting on a 2yr old TB racing prospect, and patting sheep, meeting more HHOs, and learning how to mangle vowels..:p:p

Today has been my biggest day yet..I helped set up a PC show, took delivery of a horse and then taught a PC lesson too...teaching again at the weekend too.

Oh yes....I appear to have bought a horse! I hope that she will be a blank slate, and that she can be my ice breaker and CV rolled into one.
Meet Teak, 15.2+ 5 year old mare.
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Ta da..
:cool:
 
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What a lovely note from the vet - our vet wrote a letter saying sorry and letting us know of their appreciation after a little disabled kitten we re-homed from them lost his 2 year battle with numerous health problems.

New horsey looks nice! Very jealous of you teaching in Hong Kong - what was it like?
 
Great update, you've been doing so much! :)

Love the new pony, now you need to get practising at mangling some english, you going out for any fush and chups anytime soon? :p :D
 
Hi, thanks for coming back and sharing how you are getting on! What a lovely, thoughtful letter from your vet, it's a shame about the photos but that's HHO now unfortunatly, no one can sneeze without getting an infaction!
I don't blame you for jumpoing ship, sometimes a complete change is important and it makes life worth living. HongKong looks fascinating, what a fabulous experience and now to go to the other end of the spectrum in NZ! I am quite envious of your brave globe trotting.
I love the new little mare she looks a real sweetie and just my type.
Good luck and I am jealous of the sunshine you have. Sick of the rain here, it drives me crazy. I want a change as well, OH's American and I think a move somewhere different is on the cards at some point! Just ned to be brave like you and do it.
You did the best thing by gorgeous Ruby and she has given you the push to spread your wings. xx
 
Great to see you back L :) I hope everything goes well in NZ for you (I am ever so slightly envious!) and Teak looks lovely! Keep the updates coming :) x
 
I'm currently in the Waikato region, just outside of Cambridge. There's mosaics all down the pavements in the local town with famous horses on them- I'm very careful not to step on Charisma when I go to the bank!
HK teaching wise was so interesting, we taught 10 hours a day usually, and if no lessons then would school up horses, or do stable management tasks the Mafoo grooms couldn't do. We had lessons ourselves as well. There was a mixture of western and local riders, adults and younger people and tons of mini people on Shetlands! Each client had progress forms and earnt colours/badges/certificates which was an awesome idea. All the ponies were imports from UK/US/AUS and the majority of the horses were ex HK racers- 3 weight carrier types were again UK sourced.
I'm fascinated by all the nuts and bolts of the HK set up- and now China is sourcing horses at a rate of knots to feed the surge in popularity of riding and the membership of rising clubs.
 
I spent a bit of time doing racehorses/stud work in Hamilton and went to Cambridge once or twice. Happy times! I'm guessing they still have Tui beer? ;)
 
It was a pleasure to meet you too! And a shame that your time here was so brief, it was fun to chat with someone here from the same horsey culture. It made me feel a little more sane! As per my email, the new pony looks lovely - good to see you caught the TB bug ;)

The weather here has got a lot less humid and feels a lot cooler. Show season is just starting and Boogie has grand plans that I compete one of her horses :D (probably Equus to start with, who I think your friend had a lesson on when she went back to IRC, then maybe Bamboo once Boogie's got him out a few times). Then maybe I'll get Classy out once his feet have improved and his transitions are more established - I think at the moment we'd end up in China if I tried to take him to a show! We do have a Halloween-themed gymkhana at IRC in a couple of weeks though, so I'll do some bending races and barrel racing with him ;)

Stay in touch!! I'd love to visit NZ at some point so maybe see you there...
 
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Jenni_ - HK is a fairly easy place to live. Low crime, warm (hot!) weather, you can get all your creature comforts (the supermarket by my office even has Waitrose own-brand stuff, I was very excited when I found it ;)), cheap food if you like Asian! And cheap domestic stuff like cleaners / helpers, laundry etc. Tax rate is max 15% and often lower, which is very nice :D Oh, and as well as an awesome city you have beautiful mountain trails (though I'm not really into hiking!), great beaches and fun junk boat trips.

Downsides are expensive rent (but generally offset by the points above), very humid summers and the pollution. This time of year is pretty bad as there's not much rain or wind so particulates hang around.

Re: work -I assume you're looking for work with horses? Hong Kong Jockey Club has 4 riding schools and is usually looking, they say you need fluent Cantonese but they have loads of European instructors who don't speak it: http://corporate.hkjc.com/corporate/career/english/rac_jri_20120921.aspx

The other riding stables here are Tai Tung (quite a local place I think), Lo Wu Saddle Club, Clearwater Bay and International Riding Centre. Clearwater Bay would be the most 'ex-pat' one I think, followed by Lo Wu (where Alex Hua Tian learnt to ride).

If you mean other sorts of work, then it depends what :) Generally there are plenty of jobs going here as there are some major skills shortages.
 
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