Is the way forward to lessening the tension between the Two Koreas, dialogue?

Theoretically, the ‘war’ between North and South Korea has not ended. The tension between the two nations remains high and with the latest launch of the long range missile, neighbouring nations were also very concerned, including China.

South Korea has just elected a new President. Hopefully she will find ways to engage with her Northern cousins and work towards a meaningful and lasting peace, this will be a difficult task given the propensity of the North’s leaders to follow less and normal communications methods. One can liken North Korea as being like a ‘baby throwing its toys out of the cot.’

Don’t dream about a democratic North Korea; that would be an alien term for both its leaders and citizens. Those who can, leave and seek a new life in the South or further afield; usually saying little about their former lives, in case their families are ‘punished’ for the sins of the ‘escapees.

 I do not envy the new Southern president. She has a huge task ahead of her. I wish her well and hope that she can find a ‘Korean’ way of handling her recalcitrant neighbour.’ To achieve that, she will have to dig deep and think ‘outside the square.’

How well did New Zealand Post do when I complained?

When a firm offers a service as important as delivering our mail, I usually just ‘leave it’ when they stuff-up. Not this time. I have consistently had the wrong mail delivered; sometimes really stupid mistakes made and I just said a few expletives and got on with life, eventually delivering the ‘wrong mail’ to the correct address. I reckon NZ Post should pay me for that, but I am a believer in ‘what goes around comes around,’ so I could hardly not deliver mail that didn’t belong to me, if it was just down the road. For other really bad mistakes, I ‘return to sender,’ with a few choice comments made on the outside to NZ Post.

This time I decided to act and I looked up the NZ Post website and found the ‘contact’ link and let it rip. I explained without being rude my concerns. Wow! ---- They got back to me in the claimed time and asked if the mail was indeed from the NZ Post service. I explained that yes, it was. They got back to me again and explained that ‘the postie was new’ and that ‘they had spoken to him.’ They asked me to let them know if the mistakes reoccurred and that they would send letters to people who had numbers that were not clear on their letter boxes.

I have to say that was impressed with the service. I shall however, let them know if these silly annoying mistakes occur again. OK, well done NZ Post----so far.

The world didn't end so you can visit yet another great cafe in Onehunga!

I woke up alive and well. There were no volcanoes spewing forth their deadly bombs or any asteroids raining upon us. I couldn’t see any floods rushing towards me or feel an earthquake decimating my lovely city. Let’s face it; we are well over earthquakes in New Zealand.

The sky was blue and Perdy was wagging her tail in anticipation of our road trip to Hamilton to visit my brother. This was going to be her first time. However I needed to take the spike out of her tail. I didn’t fancy her barking and carrying on in the back seat of the car, leaving me deaf and dizzy (I heard you---too late for that!).

So off we went, down to her beloved Onehunga Bay where the earthworks have begun for the ‘transformation.’ I felt that the day was going to be long and hot, so I settled for chucking the ball for her to chase and me to relax. After all I had to drive about 300kls and I don’t hang in there like I used to. Exercise over, we headed to Greenlane to pick up my big sister and then on to breakfast in the Onehunga main street.

I had passed a newish café several times in the last few days; Bean There Café. The sight of doggie bowls outside was enough to entice us in. We tied Perdy to our table and waited for service. That came quickly along with the menu. No paying first in this place. Both of us ordered an omelette, with gruyere cheese and various other bits and pieces in it. I was attempting to scale down my serving sizes, so the ‘Big Breakfast’ was on the forbidden list.

The coffees were really good; none of those single-shot wimpy offerings for us. I like my coffee to taste like----coffee.’ The omelettes did the trick; tasty and generous without breaking the back. Beam There café, now joins our list of ‘favourite places to go.’ I just hope that it lasts longer than the other businesses that have inhabited this pleasant, very accessible café. The staff was as good as the food.  Nice one, Bean There Café. Yes, we really are spoilt for choice in this suburb.