Ode to Cumbria (or Wellington).
It rained and it rained and rained and rained
The average fall was well maintained
And when the cracks were simply bogs
It started raining cats and dogs.
After a drought of half an hour
We had the most refreshing shower
And then the most curious thing of all
A gentle rain began to fall
Next day was also fairly dry
Save for the deluge from the sky,
Which wetted our party to the skin
And after that the rain set in!
No Idea where that came from – but mum and dad found it and it made me chuckle 
A moment of perfect beauty in Wellington city.
I popped out earlier for a much needed coffee with Hubby, and we ended up in Starbucks at the Old Bank shopping arcade. While chilling out, we heard singing. Beautiful singing. While I sat entranced I really didn’t want to get up, and then I heard one of of my favorite pieces of music wafting up into the cafe. So I went to take a peek.
It was a school choir, arranged around the escalators and bringing a “moment of perfect beauty” to an otherwise quite ordinary day.
When I got back to the apartment, I looked some stuff up – turns out this week is “The Big Sing” – a competition for school choirs all around New Zealand, culminating in the Finale which is being held tomorrow night at the Wellington Town Hall.
It turns out that we were listening to the Sweet Sixteen Chior from Aorere College in Auckland. While I don’t have any footage of them from today (I was just too entranced) I have found a You Tube video of them singling Miserere Mei, which is the piece I just adored.
Just wonderful.
Lost in Westeros
This is one of those “just because I feel like it” posts that has nothing at all to do with New Zealand, Money or emigrating.
While waiting (impatiently) for my copy of Dance With Dragons to arrive from the UK, I have been reading all the previous books. Basically because its been so long since the last book, and the story is a bit complex so I cant remember all the twists and turns.
(Though oddly I always remember way more about the plot of a book read years ago than I ever remembered about stuff I has to sit three-hours exams on).
Via Twitter – im a very occasional user – I came across a website called The Inn At The Crossroads (In the Game of Food you win or you wash the dishes)*
Oh.My.God.
These wonderful nutcases have decided to re-create the food described in the books. Most food in fantasy books is based on Medieval Banquets – so I am already a huge fan – but never particularly felt the urge to jot down every meal listed in such a huge and epic story and try and cook it. Where they have really excelled themselves in in taking a description from the books and then providing not just one but two or three recipes for it. Modern, old and medieval versions – with comments about which turned out best and what the differences are as well as suggestions for substitutions when they couldn’t get some of the more “fantastical” ingredients.
Comments are then added by people who have gone on and tried the recipes, with some suggestions about sources for ingredients or other substitutions.
And then there’s the photos. Not only have they tested the recipes, but they have taken photos of the food so that it actually looks like you may in the world of Westeros. Like this Casual Dornish Dinner.
Once they get the book published – I will be adding that to my collection of Medieval (and film related) cookbooks. becasue officially – I really love this website.
Still no news on a release date for the TV series in New Zealand. But I have now seen it and not only is a really accurate telling of the story in the first book (allbeit with the usual HBO addition of an awful lot of sex) but it is a damd good tv show in its own right. It hasnt been ponced about with, its brutal and dark, and the casting is pretty inspired.
*In the Game Thrones you win or you die.
Emigrants (and prawns) by Stewart Lee
With many thanks to Christine for sharing this on Facebook – and really cheering me up after a rotten morning.
Pineapple Lumps. Why?
I don’t know of many Brits who “get” pineapple lumps. I guess you have to be a Kiwi! Funny ad though.
And BTW New Zealand-
its not a lolly if it doesn’t have a stick in it!!!!
Come to New Zealand – we have Zorbs.
While surfing the net (as you do when trying desperately to avoid having to clean the bathroom) – I came across this wonderful comic strip from xkcd.com
If you hover over the “Hamster Ball” it asks where you can get one these from.
Well, from New Zealand of course.
The “Zorb” is basically a double skinned giant ball, which you can fit inside and go hurtling down a hill in. What more could you ask for in life indeed!
This was on my “List of things I have to do” when we first came here on our honeymoon, and I highly recommend it. Its not scary, unlike Bungy Jumping or the Skyjump – (Unless you happen to suffer from Claustrophobia – and then perhaps its not gonna be too much fun). Its just wild and whacky and hysterically funny.
There are three option for chucking yourself down a hill in a giant rubber ball:
Zorbit: You ride single, and are strapped into a harness and as the Zorbanauts say ” you are sent on your trip down the hill rolling head over heels, heels over head as the ground and sky go whizzing past in a beautiful mosaic of blue… green … blue … green … blu … gree … blu … gre…bl…gr…b…g…bgbgbg…while your body is subjected to the soft and relaxing feeling of weightlessness and g-force.”
Zydro: You ride with upto two friends, and a bucket of water and get chucked down the hill. Its like being in a huge washing machine. You start off standing up – and attempt to stay that way as you run down the hill – with hilarious (and wet) results. Recommended!
Zig Zag Zydro: A lone ride, just you and a bucket of water, on a specially built zig-zag track. They don’t even start you off standing up – because there is just no point. Highly recommended.
Either way – its fun, its safe and only a Kiwi could have come up with the idea of asking people to part with money to roll down a hill in a giant hamster ball.
Only In New Zealand: The Weta Cave
It was a miserable day in Wellington today so we decided to visit the Weta Cave, an emporium of all things weird and wonderful that come out of the just as weird minds of the folks at Weta Digital.
Boy – could I have spent some serious money today.
It’s a little hard to find if you don’t know your way around Wellington, so basically head out of town to Miramar, and as you come into the shopping area, turn up Park Road. Head to the end of the street, past the new and very swanky Park Road Studios, head round the corner, and it’s on the left. In a very ordinary looking house just past the warehouses.
You have no idea looking at the building what lurks inside.
Swords, armour, monsters; its all there. Basically it’s a little museum and shop for all the collectables that Weta makes when it’s not helping make wonderful films. We also sat down to watch a 20-minute film looking at the work the studio does. You probably know most of it already – does anyone actually exist that doesn’t know Lord Of The Rings was made here??? Weta is the Special Effects arm of Peter Jackson’s film empire. The ones that make all the cool monsters, and make things look real when they don’t really exist. Like Lucasfilm’s ILM – only possibly better.
Kiwi Humour
Kiwi Humour
I had a thought while I was there (other than whether it was acceptable to drool all over the place). Why is it that New Zealand carries this attitude that it cant be expected to do things as well as other countries because it only has a population of just over 4 million?
Peter Jackson, and Richard Taylor who runs Weta have beaten Hollywood at making movies; and if the last 3 Star Wars movies are anything to go by have seriously surpassed anything that Lucasfilm and ILM can now make. And they did it not just from the tiny New Zealand, but they didn’t even do it in our biggest city. They did it in a suburb of Wellington! They are grabbing business from Hollywood studios, and bringing it here. They are the ones creating new technologies in film and TV – and I don’t think anyone can fairly say they aren’t the best at it. Or that they get extra credit for coming from New Zealand – but really they are not that good.
Check out the Cave – it’s fantastic. Small – but perfectly formed – just like New Zealand.
Well done to the Phoenix Astronomical Society
We had the AGM last night. At 3 hours long – this was not actually the longest I have spent in a rather stuffy room at an AGM this year. It takes real stamina!
After the hassle on the FB page, I was actually a bit wary about going, but there is no mechanism to appoint a proxy – so if you want to vote you have to turn up. The first hurdle was that hubby actually wasn’t on the list as a member, although funnily enough I was. So we did have the odd situation of him being questioned about when he joined rather than me. It all became clear when his name appeared in the list of apologies as not attending. Now that was because he had emailed the president – and actually got a response – asking about proxies. It seems said president assumes that meant he wasn’t going. Hmm.
Well, unsurprisingly there was a fair amount of hoo-ha. I have to be honest and say I was highly entertained by the accountant and his explanation of the accounts.I’m wondering if the fact that I could a/ follow and understand what he was saying and b/ found it interesting, is a sign that I need help.
Also possibly unsurprisingly, Richard Hall and his team won the election resoundingly, despite ongoing and seemingly unending attempts to stop them. It turns out that having taken court action, losing, and potentially costing the society thousands, and costing Richard personally thousands, the now ex-committee hadn’t actually read the court judgement properly and tried to stop one of the team from standing.
As that guy owns a telescope disguised as a Tardis (I understand built by one of the others also standing), I personally would have voted for him anyway – but it was (strongly) pointed out what the court had said, and we voted on the whole teams. Nice try though.
At the end of the day, I really think it was a positive outcome. There was some argy bargy – and even when asked directly, Anthony Gomez, ex president, would not apologise for or condemn the bullying his supporters indulged in – claiming it had nothing to do with him. I think that spoke volumes of him as a person.
But now we have a committee that really seem to have some “oomph” about them. Some real characters. People who seem to understand that not everyone who is interested in astronomy are actually “astronomers”. That there is space in the society for non academics, and that actually getting those people interested and involved is just as important as academic research. Hopefully this means that Phoenix and Stonehenge can once again work together and be part of something special. Because as corny as it might sound to us Brits that the Kiwis built a “Fake Stonehenge” – Ive seen it, I’ve done the tour and it is a really special place in its own right. It astounds me that there was so much bad feeling about the place, and from some of the people that helped build it. I can only suggest that from the outside, not knowing what was really going on, it looks awfully like spite and jealously that Stonehenge has a large public profile, while the “real” astronomy does not.
But Phoenix’s remit is to expand astronomy, to share it,not just keep it for the purists. Stonehenge can do that, and does that. I think the new guys will get everything back on track and eeryone can enjoy the night sky.
I do not envy them the work they have ahead of them to be honest, but I think they can do it. I certainly feel a lot more welcome and that I will be able to go to some of the events and not be looked down on for not being a “real” astronomer.
I’m quite looking forward to it actually! And maybe I will even get a chance to work out which set of 4 stars in a roughly diamond shape is the Southern Cross!
The New Zealand Art Show Wellington
Last night we popped along to the opening of the NZ Art Show in Wellington.
Now this isn’t usually “our thing”. Neither of us are particularly “arty”, and I have a tendency to think of things like this as a little pretentious. Though I do quite love painting an drawing myself. But in this case we were actually invited by the Bank.
Yep. We owe the bank enough money that they invited us to something!
Actually that’s not strictly true – we owe them more than we did when we bought our home, but it’s still not exactly a huge amount. But ASB are the main sponsors of the event, and our personal manager at the Manners Street branch asked if we would like to go.
Far be it from me to turn down wine and nibbles supplied by the bank!
But you know, the event really is rather impressive – even if Art is not really your thing. The main impression I left with was there that would be something in there for everyone. Some of it I found hideous, and some I swear I would have whipped out the credit card for if I had had the money to burn on it. But I guess that is the point of art – it’s all very individual. One person’s loves are another person’s loathes. And as long as you can afford it – well, then it’s your taste that matters, not anyone elses.
Just don’t take out a loan from the very friendly bank to do it!
As someone buys a piece, new work is added, so over the three days of the exhibition, it will be changing.
Tickets are $10 each for Friday during the day, Saturday and Sunday.
Edited to add. As we were leaving we saw Alan Bollard, govener of the Reserve Bank heading into the show. I sure hope he wasnt buying anything and thus adding to the rate of inflation meaning he just has to put our interest rates up!
Visiting the Pointon Museum.
Just outside Masterton on the road to Riversdale is a small car museum: The Pointon Collection. It also happens to house a fully working MTA registered garage, and a collection of vintage clothes.
So that happily covers the interests of all the family, some of which – like me – couldn’t give two hoots about the cars.
Most of the collection is housed in a large hangar style garage. The vintage costumes only take up a small corner, but the dispaly changes every few months. And while the cars and associated bits and pieces take up the bulk of the room, manequins in other costumes are placed around or in the cars.
In keeping with this being New Zealand, you get personally escorted around the collection. I guess that might be annoying for some if you are not used to it, but we have found that it happens a fair bit here. I have to say I quite like it – it’s nice to chat to people and certainly Gaye was lovely to speak with. I felt it added to the experience. If I had just been looking at the clothes, it would have been nice – but to hear about how she came to own them, and who they belonged to, as well as how things have changed in the local area, makes it much more than a museum.
You will often find this personal attention in the smaller museums. Probably becuase these are basically personal collections that happen to be shown in thier own homes.
It’s $6 to go round. The garage is signposted off the main road to Riversdale and is easy to find.
If you fancy a coffee afterwards, I recommend heading back into Masterton and going to Strada Cafe on the main shopping street near the cinema for a warm up!
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