The Martian

Hands up who’s watched the film or read the book called The Martian (the one with Matt Damon). If you haven’t I’d definitely recommend it and if you have, well it’s very relatable for me right now… Ok, well perhaps there are some slight differences. He was stuck on his own on Mars for many months, struggling to communicate with Earth, desperately trying to grow enough food just to survive (even with his poo potatoes), frequently being blown up and generally having a pretty bad time. My life certainly isn’t that bad (well at least for the moment) and luckily the WiFi signal here is a bit better than on Mars. However, there are also some similarities between the Martian and my current state of existence…

I’ve now had a full week with my hosts (David & Sarah) in lockdown. Just like Matt (Damon), the beard is as wild as ever, we are living in the middle of nowhere (it’s way harder to find people than to avoid them) and my days are filled with… well… wherever random activity I choose… I still can’t believe how the last few weeks have developed (I bet Matt felt the same way on Mars at times) but I’m determined to embrace my new life in the outback as Kiwi Rob.

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Given this rather rapid change, the blog will have to take a slightly different tone for the time being. No more hostels, day trips, city stops or different views. Just like Matt, I’m stuck in my bubble (him literally and me figuratively) for the time being.

So, I bet you’re all now desperate to know…. just what is a normal day for Kiwi Rob? Well the start of the day is always tinged with sadness. For the last four months in Asia, I’ve been counting on getting (and sometimes dreaming about) gluten free oats in New Zealand. Yes porridge is my life. They have gluten free muesli, gluten free bread, gluten free pasta, gluten free flour and gluten free just about anything… but porridge oats… it appears not (sort it out New Zealand)!! Alas, after scoffing down some muesli I’m quickly thankful that my diet doesn’t consist of poo potato. Then it’s a walk or a run (sometimes with a dog) and a bit of life admin before settling down to one of my new hobbies. So far this list includes learning about and visiting glow worms (for those people unfortunate enough to have read the last blog you’ll know about this), jigsaw puzzles (I even surprised myself with that one), chess, archery and watching New Zealand films. A future project is fixing a huge telescope for epic star gazing fun (another link to the Martian). Just like Matt Damon I have some low moments and at times feel isolated on the other side of the world, but then perspective always kicks in and I remember just how lucky I am. I’m not stuck on a different planet (although I’m sure David and Sarah will be looking into this option very soon) and every day I can escape into the outback and talk to my awesome friends and family. The day is normally finished feeling positive, except for when I start craving my favorite dessert.. yep you guessed it… pudding porridge…

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So for the time being, I’m far away from home but I’m happy and have not been blown up. That being said, we are currently brewing our own alcohol so who knows how long long the ‘not blown up’ part is going to last? In between my New Zealand bubble moments I’m REALLY missing everyone at home, so keep safe and keep smiling and if you ever feel a strange desire to talk to an increasingly crazy English man, please do pick up that phone.

End of transmission.

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p.s. I know literally nobody cares but I’ve been doing some reading on archery. So here are Rob(in)’s (get what I did there?) top tips:

1. Your legs should be spaced equally with your shoulders and your feet should be at a 90-degree angle from the target. Your back should be rigid and upright, your waist should not lean or twist and your knees should never bend. 
2. All arrows have fletchings and one will be a different colour. This is to help you position your arrow as you want the fletching with the single colour as close to you as possible. 
3. To anchor your bowstring, you want to draw it back towards your nose, keeping the string at a slight angle so that it goes diagonally towards your mouth (this was awkward at first). When it comes to anchor points having the index finger beneath the chin is common, but the key is to be consistent.
4. Hold the bow in a relaxed manner and don’t grip too tightly…(I am struggling with this)
5. Focus and concentration are paramount, pick your spot, aim and hold concentration. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly prior to releasing the string. However, a bit like a muscle biopsy (the guys in Bath will know) it is harder to relax your muscles if you’re overthinking.
6. At the heart of it, mastery is practice. In the regard, I have started to make a log of how many arrows I shoot each day, the weather conditions and any changes I made.