Drop the Rate, Mate

"Kiwis are being ripped off when they use their mobile phones. Everyone knows it."

Finally, there are signs that New Zealanders have had enough of the two big monopoly mobile phone companies that dominate our market. A new campaign "Drop the Rate, Mate" has started to urge Telecom and Vodafone to drop their termination rates, which can be up to 15 cents per minute. In response to this, the mobile phone companies have actually threatened to raise their rates.

Wow. Big kahunas on these guys, eh? They must think they've got a total lock on the market. No fear at all - and no choice for the people to go anywhere else. Historically, these companies reap huge profits out of NZ, completely out of proportion with their other markets in terms of pure profit. The lame excuse for ripping people off is that classic refrain: "New Zealand is a small country." I may be wrong, but I think even Kiwis are finding that statement a bit tiresome these days, particularly when coming from phone companies using it as a convenient slogan.

I say if they choose to give us the middle finger and raise their rates further, New Zealanders should simultaneously stop using their mobile phones. Gasp! What will be do if we don't have our mobile phones for a little while? Will we survive? Don't worry. It wouldn't be for too long. A month or so of no income from their cash cow, and these companies might stop regarding Kiwis as pushovers. And besides, it might just be a good opportunity to try out one of the fresh, new competitors that the BIG TWO have been trying to keep out of the country....

Rough winter

I am just getting over a nasty cold, which might have been the flu...and possibly even the swine flu. Who knows? A visit to the Internet to learn about how cold and flu symptoms led to more confusion than clarity. Whatever it was, it knocked me on my ass for about three days.

Unfortunately, it appears that Stacey has now contracted something and she's probably in for it as well...poor thing. She tried so hard not to get it - O.J., vitamins, etc. - but living with a sick person makes it practically impossible to avoid.

It's surprising that sickness was kept at bay as long as it has been, since everyone (and I mean everyone) in my office has had an ailment in the recent weeks. New Zealand proudly raised it's hand early (not one to be left out, you know) to declare it had cases of the pig flu, and it's been spreading pretty handily ever since. Fortunately, for most people the symptoms seem to be relatively mild.

It has been a cold and wet winter here, conducive to sickness. People say it's worse than usual. I find this comment to be laughable, having heard it every year since coming here. Frankly, I've never thought Wellington's winters looked or felt anything other than miserable. Well, we wear shorts and jandals in the winter here (either pretending it's warm or willing winter to go away?) so we may as well have other delusions. Whatever gets us through it, I suppose.

http://jitterati.comicgenesis.com/

It's kind of funny, actually. I grew up in St. Louis, where at least once or twice a year you could expect a decent snow and temps well below freezing. Yet this is the first place I've ever worn a scarf. I wasn't even sure how to tie it. I was admiring the many scarves around town and emulated their treatments, which are apparently 'European knots". I have to admit that my scarf really is quite nice and warm -- one of those cozy possum-blend ones.

In related news....we also broke down and bought a dehumidifier, because the curtains in our bedroom were literally sopping wet each morning when we woke up due to heating the room and our exhaled moisture. I'm sure all that dampness hasn't been helpful in our efforts to avoid disease. Dehumidifiers are a common household appliance here, but, like hot water bottles and scarves, it's not something I've ever really needed. Always learning something new, eh? Too bad it cost $300.

There is hope however.

This week, we had a couple of days above 10° C (50° F), and it seems to be staying light out just a tiny bit longer now. Of course, now a veteran of Wellington's patterns, I recognize the warmer weather as simply toying with us. The final, crushing winter blow usually doesn't come until as late as October, just when you think you cannot take it anymore. Fortunately, we plan to be in the U.S. during that month so maybe we'll miss it.

Until then, I am keeping that scarf very handy.

My last couple of posts have been hard on Wellington, so I thought it would be nice to show a bit of it's nicer side.

Slow Boat Records as seen at night, image from Wikipedia.

This post is also for my Dad, who recently asked me whether there are any good record shops here in Wellington. I wasn't surpised he would ask. You see, he's a music fanatic (really) and always has been. I remember his collection of vinyl records was in the thousands and thousands at one point. It's safe to say that his musical tastes solidified in the late 60's and early 70's, with bands like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, the Byrds. Iron Butterfly and of course the Beatles. I can remember going to Peaches record stores with him as a kid...and I seem to recall I hated his music. Not sure why, cuz now I find myself going to the library and checking out these albums. Nostalgia? Maybe.

Of course, vinyl was hit hard with the advent of compact disks, at least in terms of retail sales. It's had a small resurgence in recent years, bolstered by sound purists and DJs. Still, it's a bit rare to see stores that has heaps of vinyl on the shelves. When you do see one, they usually come in two breeds...new stores that focus on club remixes, and older "institutions" that have been around for ages and continue truckin' along, doing what they have always done without regard for the fact that pop culture has been led astray.

Slow Boat's sidewalk sandwich board...with their curious junk boat logo

Slow Boat Records is such an place. At 17 years old, it's billed as 'New Zealand's longest running independent record store'. Certainly it's got that old school demeanor. Appropriately located amid grungy Cuba Street (#183 to be exact)the shop feels like your classic, quirky treasure trove - crammed to the gills - and not just with vinyl LPs. They stock CDs, DVDs and other formats as well. Like most good stores of this vintage, Slow Boat's staff have earned a reputation for huge "institutional" knowledge, and it has a decent inventory to satisfy discerning music buffs. It's apparently a favourite haunt of not only the fans, but the music-makers: The Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Oasis, Derrick Carter, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Chris Isaak have stopped in for a wee browse, and they offer in-store performances on occasion (though I am not sure where they'd fit the band - it's quite crowded in there!).

So, Dad and all you vinyl fans out there, add this to your places to visit in Wellington. I expect it would be right up your alley. To hold you over til then, check out their website to see the Slow Boat Essential 50 albums, O’Brien’s ‘Platter Chatter’ 45s rundown, and the Slow Boat Inquisition (which asks celebrity customers an array of probing questions).

And next week, we'll shift from vinyl to paper with a look at the Wellington's used book stores...

Hard choices

What your money buys you in Wellington.

A not-so-surprising interview on Breakfast today, linked to an article in the NZ Herald, seems to confirm much of what we have observed since coming to NZ.

Even 'rich Americans' (did you know we're all rich? Yes, it's true!) like us can't afford to buy a house here, and that's with having some capital to invest from the sale of our previous home. Certainly many Kiwis believe that we (immigrants) are the reason house prices are so high, and I do think that's a contributing factor, but it's only a part of the story.

Mr. Hickey's assertion that this is a reciprocating cycle is spot-on. The lack of a Capital Gains tax in NZ means that there are no penalties for owning as many properties as you like. We rent from a landlord who owns four units in this apartment complex. Four! I'd be willing to bet she owns other properties as well. And on each of these, she's getting $500/week on average rent. $500! This is in Wellington, mind you - not New York, London or Paris. I can assure you that the average wage levels are not in proportion with cost of housing, and we're not the only ones feeling anxiety over it.

Another contributing factor is that landlords don't have to do much to their properties in terms of upkeep. They can be a complete hellhole and still be legal. When we were shopping for a place to rent, we saw many that were not fit for human habitation. So other than being able to charge more rent, there's no incentive (or legal requirement) for any further investment. Just buy it, then start raking in the cash. Not surprisingly, landlords react with outrage when the government tries to impose requirements on them that will meet modern housing standards, threatening "...this will just lead to rent increases." Yeah, right mate like we can afford to pay you more.

To be clear - landlords can afford to charge these rates because housing is in such limited supply, particularly in Wellington. One could argue that the market should naturally set rental prices, and I don't begrudge property investors from getting a return on their bets. But this is a case of the rich getting richer, with no checks and balances. It's really no wonder that Kiwis of all kinds are finding it tough to buy their own home.

This all sounds like a load of whinging, doesn't it? Maybe...

As you can tell from the flavor of my last couple posts, I've decided that it's time to stop sugar-coating things on this blog and start looking at Aotearoa with a more critical eye. Why the change? Well, of course it's because I'm feeling a bit disgruntled. But also it was the surprising realisation that this blog has received 16,000 hits. Even if I subtract 10,000 of them, assuming they are friends, family, etc., that leaves 6,000 people who have visited. Some of them probably want to know what life is really like in NZ...and I mean living here, not just being on holiday. Believe me, they are very different things.

I honestly love some things about this country, but there are some things that trouble me. Increasingly, I am having difficult seeing a long-term future in NZ. Our closest friends here know I've been feeling this way for a while, but this may be news to some of you back home. Aotearoa is a beautiful place - some would argue one of the most beautiful places on earth - but pretty views alone can't sustain a person (unfortunately). New Zealand is looking out for itself, and we have to as well. My thinking on life in NZ was that we would 'stay as long as we could' and when that was no longer feasible, well, it would be time to make some hard choices.

The Great Eye ...

...turns it's gaze back on the mother country...

The economic stress indicator is a visual guide to the state of the U.S. economy, using major economic indicators. See how your neighborhood is doing here.

Not sure if this ad is playing in the States or not:

Steinlager Beer Ad - "David and Goliath"

Mr. Dafoe earned the title 'wanker' years ago already for making the film "Triumph of the Spirit", one of the most God-awful pieces of crap films I have ever been subjected to. Yeah, yeah...I know it was critically acclaimed and all that...and it still sucked. But, anyhow, this confirms Mr. Dafoe's official wanker (my new favorite word) status.

Don't get me wrong. I am opposed to nuclear weapons and the use of nuclear power for military purposes. As a political statement, I am in agreement completely. What bothers me is that this is to sell beer, even more confusing and irksome considering that NZ has for many years been struggling with rampant alcholism. So now beer is the symbol of freedom and all that's good, and America is Goliath to NZ's David. (Literally, the FLV video file for the ad is titled "David and Goliath"). For fun, here's a link to the media release.

It must be nice to hide behind the shield of moral superiority (and beer!), secure in the knowledge that if NZ were invaded unfairly and unable to fend for itself, there would never be any question about Australia (which also gets criticized by NZ for military spending) and the United States of America coming to their aid.

I know it's a tough game to follow New Zealand, but do try to keep your eyes on the ball. Beer is responsible for a lot more of NZ's problems than America is at the moment. And before anyone posts whinging about Cultural Imperialism and how McDonald's are showing up everywhere in NZ, take a good look at who's waiting in line to buy the Happy Meals.

And, to my readers in the U.S., please do let me know if that advertisement is playing there? I'll be very surprised if Steinlager's moral convictions were strong enough to risk endangering their export sales, but will eat my words here if so.

Sorry for the rant. This kinda crap just bugs me.

Valley of the Mist

20 June, 2009 - Photo of the day
Morning fog in the Karori valley

Pumpkin Pie

Knowing that I am feeling a bit homesick, Stacey made me this very tasty pumpkin pie. Notice the crust - also made from scratch - since they don't sell pre-made pie crusts at the supermarket in NZ. It came out perfect! ~William

Travels in Taranaki

Last week, Stacey and I traveled to the central west coast of the North Island, a region that is called Taranaki. It's named after a great volcano that sits right in the middle.

The mountain dominates the landscape with it's perfect shape and (often) snow-crested peak. This region was where much of the film The Last Samurai was made, with Taranaki serving as a convincing volcanic stand-in for Japan's Mt Fuji. The mountain is notorious for staying shrouded in clouds, a symptom of being so close to the ocean, and fitting for the legends that speak of its isolation.

"Yew, Me and Malone" - the Malone Memorial Gate in Stratford where a geocache eluded discovery much to my consternation.

The drive from Wellington takes about 5 hours, up the Kapiti coast through many small New Zealand towns. Stacey patiently tolerated my request to stop in the town of Stratford so that I could investigate a potential hobby: geocaching. I've never done geocaching, and am curious for both professional and personal reasons. Basically, it's like a treasure hunt where you use GPS coordinates to find a hidden object ("the cache"). From reading about it online, I knew there was one near the Malone Memorial Gate in Stratford, and figured it would be easy to find. Just one problem: My GPS device didn't really work properly (loaner from work) and the key clue was that it was "just hanging around" on a yew tree. What does a yew tree look like? Not a clue. We'll move on now...but rest assured I will return to this issue in the future. ;-)

One of the many finely-crafted dioramas at Tawhiti Museum

A more successful stop was in Hawera for a visit to the Tawhiti Museum. This little gem is, in my opinion, perhaps the best museum in New Zealand that I have seen thus far.

Tawhiti Museum focuses on the history of the Taranaki region and uses an astonishing collection of carefully crafted and historically accurate dioramas to tell the story. The dioramas themselves are rich in detail and great fun to explore, ranging in size from tiny miniature scenes to life-size reconstructions using real objects and machinery. The detail in these scenes is captivating, and really bring the stories to life. Even more amazing is that the displays were largely constructed by one guy, and that it started off as a casual hobby!

I haven't had as much fun (or learned so much, for that matter) in a museum in a long time. As a museum professional myself, it was yet another reminder that exhibits don't have to be modern, cold, technology-laden sparklefests to be engaging. There wasn't a flatscreen in the place. In terms of graphics and design the presentation techniques were simple, even archaic, and I didn't mind at all. Highly recommended.

Wilkes Pools in Egmont National Park

Our first day of outdoor adventures was in Egmont National Park, which surrounds Mt Taranaki in an almost perfect circle. This is New Zealand's second oldest national park, established in 1900 (Tongariro was first). It was cold and there was plenty of snow around. First we tried to reach the ski plateau, but the roads were dubious so we turned around (I think seeing the campervan coming down the road backwards with the flailing woman screaming "We're slipping!" helped change our minds). Ultimately it probably was just was well, since the mountain was completely shrouded in mist and we probably would have seen nothing but white.

Department of Conservation Visitor Centre

Instead, we headed over to the Dawson Falls area on the south side of the mountain. It was freezing and windy, but the sun came out and once we got into the bush it wasn't so bad. It had been raining a lot, though, so the tracks (trails for you Americans) were very, very wet. Sometimes it was more like walking in a stream. There's a DOC visitor centre there, and several short walks around the area.

Me in the Goblin Forest

This region gets a huge amount of rain, especially on the mountain slopes. As a result, everything gets covered in green mosses and lichens, hence the nickname 'goblin forests'.

Wet rats at Dawson Falls

Stacey used our Day Walks of New Zealand book (a gift from friends Anke and Jeroen - thanks again, guys!) to plan a route that linked several of the walks together and ended on the Kapuni Loop Track with a viewing of Dawson Falls. We got a bit wet, but it was worth it.

Fall colour on the trees in Pukekura Park. There are few deciduous trees in NZ, so this was a treat for us North Americans, even if it was in May.

On our second day in the area, we wanted to be outdoors but perhaps a bit less soggy so we decided to visit Pukekura Park in the city of New Plymouth (more on it in a moment). This world-class park covers about 52 hectares, and includes a mixture of botanic gardens, concert venues, small lakes, playgrounds, greenhouses and beautiful architectural landscaping. Among the highlights are Bowl of Brooklands, which is supposed to be a terrific concert venue (attracting such talent as Elton John).

Entrance to one of the greenhouses in Pukekura Park

There are ferneries and palm groves, with native and exotic plant specimen collections. The park also has some very old (and huge) trees in the park, including a 2,000 year old Puriri tree. It was a really nice and relaxing day.

Lunched by this waterfall at Pukekura Park

Tree ferns and a small pool in Pukekura Park

New Plymouth is the largest city in the region and was our base of operations for the weekend. It's one of the fastest-growing and prosperous cities in New Zealand, and it shows in the investment to infrastructure. They have a very nicely done waterfront walk that spans 7 kms of beachfront.

New Plymouth Coastal Walkway

Not surprisingly, I found myself liking NP better than Wellington, but it's easy to do when you are on holiday and don't have any cares. The parklands and other amenities do make for a nice city, but it still has a ways to go in terms of the restaurants, cafes and theatre venue offerings before it can wrest the culture capital title away. Still, they are making a good effort of it.

Puke Ariki museum on the New Plymouth waterfront

There is a top-notch regional museum in the form of Puke Ariki. Superficially this place feels like a variation on Te Papa, but closer examination shows they focus on regional Taranaki stories and topics around geology, flora and fauna, maori culture and colonial heritage/agriculture, etc.

Giant shark welcomes us to Puke Ariki

When you enter the museum, you cannot miss the giant white shark suspended from the ceiling. This is a re-creation of the extinct Carchardon (Carcharocles) megalodon, a prehistoric version of our modern great white shark that grew to over 18 meteres (59 feet) in length. These guys are among my favourite prehistoric beasties. A bit of trivia for you...the teeth of Megalodon are also found in the Southeastern U.S. and in fact it's the official state fossil of Georgia.

Giant moa display in Puke Ariki

Our last night, we enjoyed dinner at the museum restaurant - Arborio - before heading back to Wellington the next day. Our route back took us around the western side of the mountain, termed the 'Surf Coast' because of the big waves and surfing beaches found there. And on that note, I leave you to ponder whether you would continue to surf in water with killer whales.

Taranaki on the Horizon

For my birthday weekend, we're traveling to Taranaki. The mountain has long been on my list of things to see in New Zealand. Inspired already, I offer you this short story...

...which goes that Pihanga, the beauty of the central plateau, set her heart on red-hot Tongariro, spurning the gentle, zen-like Mt Taranaki. Majestic Ruapehu and sultry Ngauruhoe looked on in wonder as the mighty Mt Taranaki fled west, his sheer bulk carving the Whanganui River and his tears filling it into a raging torrent. He found his way to the coast and finally stopped, in a region which embraces him still and has since been known as Taranaki.

Here, the rhythmic pounding of the ocean soothes his shattered ego, the strong westerly winds clear his mind and clouds provide a thick blanket when he's feeling morose. But sometimes, when the day dawns bright and clear, Mt Taranaki tosses aside his woes and holds his head high, parading his magnificent torso and icy crown, perfectly angled to be seen by Pihanga in the East.

But his displays are for naught, as powerful Tongariro shields Pihanga's views, wrapping her in a cloak of cloud and ice. His fiery eruptions are a warning to Taranaki never to return, though legends say that one day he will, promising a clash of devastating proportions.

Stonehenge Aotearoa

Last weekend, Stacey and I took a short day trip up to the Wairarapa to see a sight that you'd hardly expect way down in the South Pacific - a Stonehenge.

Stonehenge Aotearoa consists of 24 upright pillars, connected by lintels to form a circular structure 30 metres in diameter and approximately 4 metres high. Approximately 150 members of the Phoenix Astronomical society were involved at one time or another in the building of Stonehenge Aotearoa.

A stone henge seems like a strange thing to see in New Zealand at first glance, but it's hardly surprising when you consider the origins of the country's European immigrants. Many of them hail from the U.K., and there's of course many cultural links through the Commonwealth. However, Stonehenge Aotearoa is more than just a replica of the original. This stone henge is built to the same scale as the one in Salisbury, and is similar in design, but also incorporates features that tie to Babylonian, Egyptian, Polynesian and Maori starlore. The henge is based on real astronomy and mathematics, and can be used to keep track of dates, seasons, celestial bodies, etc.

Entrance to the stone circle is via a causeway which has a line of standing stones to either side. Two large carved pillars, one to either side of the entrance to the causeway, form the Sun Gate. Seen from the centre of the Henge the Sun rises in this gateway on the morning of the spring equinox.

Near the centre of the Henge is a 5-metre-high obelisk. Half an hour to either side of local noon the obelisk casts a shadow on the analemma, a 10-metre-long stone tiled area that runs along the meridian south of the obelisk, telling you the date a

Why the Wairarapa, one might ask? Well, for one thing, light pollution is much less of a problem there. When you get too close to larger cities, the light actually makes it harder to see the stars. This is why so many of the older observatories in major cities are less effective these days for seeing all but the largest (and brightest) celestial objects. They're still good for education because they are close to the population, but if you really want to see the stars, you have to get far away from towns. I will never forget on our camping trip to the Whanganui River, looking up at the stars and seeing the milky way for the first time. Really seeing it. "Wow, so that's what it looks like!" New Zealand is a great place for stargazing.

The beginnings of a modern astronomical observatory, which would make a fine educational addition. The operators of the henge also have plans to add a roman orrery and other standing stones, as well as landscaping features, to the site.

The Phoenix Astronomical Society, builders of the stone henge, use it as an educational tool to inspire visitors to explore and experience for themselves how technologies of ancient times were used to give practical and detailed information on the seasons, time and navigation. The site owners are also looking at increasing the offerings to include a large-scale, modern observatory. Near the stone henge sits a metal frame and what looks like the beginnings of a building foundation. With any luck (and no doubt some funding from generous sponsors), one day both the ancient and modern versions will stand side-by-side. Until then, the club has plenty of smaller but very powerful telescopes which they bring out for their members and visitors to enjoy. If you are in the area during one of their evening events, you might want to "pop on over for a nosy." (one of New Zealand's least endearing phrases...but it fits.)


I close with this photo of a very spooky abandoned house, just visible from the stone henge site. It reminded me of Illinois and Halloween. But not quite enough to want to jump over the fence and go explore it inside...creepy!

Non-events

Hi everyone. I've not posted in so long - sorry! A lot has been happening, but really nothing hugely significant. Perhaps most important, we moved house in February. We now live in the neighborhood of Mount Victoria, which is on the edge of the city. As the name implies, it's on a hill (not a mountain, really). We live about midway up the hill, at the top line of where houses stop. It's a bit of a hike to get up the hill each night but supposedly we will have buns of steel once it's done. Whatever. It's only temporary, so I can deal with it.

Speaking of this, we signed a 6-month lease. We didn't want to make too long of a commitment, just because there was still some discussion about possibly buying a house. Assuming the landlord is cool with it, I expect we'll be here at least a year though.


View of our street

The upside to this new place is that it's walking distance to work. Takes about 15 minutes. Morning walk isn't bad (downhill!). We're close to theaters, etc. which is good for Stacey. The place also backs up to parkland, so there's lots of trees and it actually doesn't feel like you're in the city.

Other news...

Stacey has been very active with the Wellington Film Society as of late, and quite enjoying it. They have started their new season, and the committee has been working hard to engage new members. Generally, attendance at their screenings is already pretty strong but this is looking to build the audience with a bit of outreach. Anyone into film in Wellington should check out their online schedule.

I am volunteering at Zealandia: the Karori Sanctuary Experience (formerly the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary) In particular, I am hoping to become a frontline tour guide. Not only is it of personal interest, but it's also good professional development for me working in heritage interpretation. The training is actually pretty intense, at least time-wise, requiring us to be there every Sat and Sun for a month! It's good, though as this sort immersion really helps you get into the subject matter. Although they've never said it, I would guess that this also helps weed out anyone not serious about following through with the commitment. Beyond the training, we agree to volunteer at least 8 hours a month at the sanctuary. Initially, I expect to be just a helper, perhaps in the visitor centre, at the park entrance or perhaps as a roving guide. Once everyone is feeling more confident in our abilities, we 'graduate' to leading an actual tour.

There's heaps of other stuff - work, etc. that's all adding up to keeping us really busy. One thing I'm working on is the organising of a national conference on interpretation: Some Like it Hot - 15-18 Sept 2009. It's been fun and a good excuse to meet so many people from around Wellington and other parts of the country. The conference is the first of it's kind in NZ, and a collaborative effort between the Interpretation Network New Zealand and the Interpretation Australia Association. Anyone, sorry to "talk shop" so much. I know this stuff will bore many of my readers to tears, but a few of you from my Museum years will find it interesting.


Fernbank is reconstructing the past again - go check it out Atlantans!

Speaking of museums, hats-off and congrats go out to Fernbank Museum of Natural History for bringing to fruition the dinosaur exhibit in front of the building! Believe it or not, guys, I do keep up with your activities and was very excited to see this become a reality (it was only an idea when I was there...) The dinosaurs look GREAT from the photos, and I love the fact they are going to be bronzed. They will look spectacular in front of the buildin -- Can't wait to see them in person. BUT I was disappointed to see no Deinosuchus in the scene! I do miss dinosaurs being a prominent part of my life, I must say. I think next time I'll post a bit about dinosaurs in NZ. Yes, we do have them but they are much more obscure...but still some great stories there, especially about the people involved in their discoveries.

On Monday, I intend to book my flights for a trip back to the U.S. which is slated for October. This has been my plan all along, but I needed to confirm it was workable at my job and also figure out how to pay for it. Looks like the ticket is going to be with frequent flyer miles (left over from the last trip, and also some donated by my Mom - thanks Mom!) I am SOOOOO ready to go home. Seriously homesick and very excited that it will be in October (Proper fall weather! A real Halloween!). The plan is to do a week in Atlanta so I can catch up with my Southern peeps then head north to St. Louis to see the Yanks.

It will be really great to see everyone. For one thing, neither Stacey nor I have spent time with our nieces, and my nephew is practically a teenager! How did this happen?? It will also be interesting to see how they regard me -- have I changed? (My cousin Gina says my voice has changed but what else?) How will I see the U.S. now that I will have been away 3 years? And, perhaps more importantly, how will NZ look by comparison? Going to be an interesting trip.

OK kids, gotta run. Just wanted to say hi and hope everyone is doing well.

I'll close with a link to a funny blog -- http://fushnchups.co.nz/ -- that comes to us from some Australians living in NZ. There's a term here called 'taking the piss' out of something, which is loosely akin to making fun of it, and this forms the core of their blog. It's generated quite a stir lately, especially among Kiwis without any sense of humour, and highlighted the old NZ-Oz rivalries. I suppose it's not very nice of an American to fuel the fire by distributing it, but the spectacle is too fun to keep to myself. Besides, with American bashing being so popular here, I have to admit it's nice to see NZ get a dose of this bitter medicine from someone else once in a while. Don't worry about them, though - they are staunch and can take it.



Oh, one LAST thing, speaking of Australians...our new fav show from Oz which you Yanks can check out on the internet is ROVE. Highly recommended, very funny. Check it out. My favourites are Hamish and Andy.

When you come to Wellington...

...don't forget your stretchy pants!!!

Cutting Bait

Today's post title refers partially a phrase that originated in the U.S., which we often referred to when talking about our situation here in New Zealand. It seemed to apply...sort of...

We're now at the 2 1/2 year mark on the NZ adventure. I have promised for a while to do a post on our 'state of affairs' here, but kept procrastinating. I actually had written a very long entry on this subject...but have subsequently deleted it, deciding it was too much information. Instead, thought I'd try a more summarised approach...which is still too long. /sigh

Not much new has happened. Jobs are the same. We're moving again soon (anyone know a good 2-bed, 2-bath rental in Wellington CBD?). We move every year. In related news, we have officially decided not to buy a house here. Houses are too expensive and not worth what you have to pay for them in Wellington. Instead, we are going to rent again - this time most likely back in the CBD (not the suburbs). The downside to this is that we'll be in the concrete jungle again, but the upside is that we'll be in walking distance to work (and just about everything else, including cafes, restaurants, theatres, bookstores and the waterfront). Urban living does have some benefits. In addition to value-for-money being a factor in our decision not to buy a house, the economic downturn is also a factor. Put simply, we don't feel comfortable tying up all our savings in a house at this time.

This decision is a paradigm shift for sure. Up to fairly recently, my strategy and thinking had been to work towards permanent settlement in New Zealand. That is no longer the plan. That's not to say it won't happen, it's just saying that I'm not working towards it (or pining after it) any more. I guess we'll just stay as long as we can -- as long as there's work to pay the bills. Although homesickness is deeply entrenched at this point (for me), the phrase 'you can never go home' also comes to mind. Things are a mess everywhere (economy) so for now it's best to just stay put and enjoy the scenery.

The realisation that things were going nowhere here was more than a little unsettling, but it was also liberating. It feels good to stop wondering if you are supposed to be doing something, to be going somewhere, working towards something. I personally have struggled a lot finding my sense of identity here (Stacey less so) and have spent far too much time and effort in search of some intangible establishing of roots and finding my sense of place.

More of a go-with-the-flow approach will do me some good. I need to take advantage of the benefits of not being tied down to a house with all of the responsibilities that entails. I also need to see more of NZ while I have the opportunity, and not waste too much time sitting in Wellington. We plan to travel more, see more of the country -- and also perhaps Asia and more of Australia. Lastly, I have a trip back to the U.S. planned for October, 2009. I am looking forward to seeing friends and family again.

In two weeks is the Cuba Carnival, which we attended way back in 2007 not long after our arrival. Stacey and I have booked a hotel room on Cuba street for the weekend so we'll be right in the middle of the craziness. Music and mojitos are on the menu and it should be a good kick-off to our 2009.

What's on his playlist?

We were horrified when Fox News started airing in New Zealand last year. We endure enough punishment from Kiwis about our nationality without Bill O'Reilly and that moron Sean Hannity making things worse. But, one unexpected side benefit is that we occasionally get to see Stacey's friend from college Jonathan Serrie (aka Karim) doing one of his hard-hitting exposés. Jonathan keeps an online blog of his journalistic adventures which some of you might enjoy and find informative.


Jonathan's a very talented and dedicated reporter, despite our feelings about his employer. But he hasn't quite made it big time yet and we know this because he doesn't have his playlist available online. Get with it, Jonathan! Everyone knows the real measure of a journalist these days is what they have on their iPod.

Seriously though - keep up the good work. Next time we're back in Atlanta we look forward to having some margaritas and cheese dip with the old gang. In the meantime, stay clear of those right-wing nutjobs you work with! =)

Bright Ideas from Nelson, New Zealand

Ross Inness-McLeish, Jack Tippler and Ollie Neas of Nelson Boys College produced this short film "Bright Ideas" to showcase the school's campaign to reduce energy use. Not only inspirational but fun, so thought I'd share with you. I also wondered if Ian (Stacey's Dad) would enjoy seeing what his alma mater is up to these days (NBC is where he went to school as a kid!).

Welly-Bolly-Wood

This year, Stacey's Christmas work function was a Bollywood theme, and I thought I'd share with you a photo of her looking beautiful in her fab outfit! She opted for this Salwar Kameez rather than a Saree, thinking it would be easier to put on and more comfortable. And, she's not a dress / skirt kinda girl as some of you know. Certainly it was easy to put on, and she described it as 'like wearing pajamas' which sounds pretty comfortable to me! She got very lucky with some borrowed jewelry accessories from a friend that matched the colours perfectly. Incidentally, we can recommend a good store for traditional Indian dress over in Newtown.

Now for some further elaboration on the significance of costumes in Wellington...

Costume parties are hugely popular in this city, so much so that it supports no less than four large costume shops for a population under 500,000. Kiwis call them 'dress up' parties. My understanding is that Wellington is somewhat unique among New Zealand towns in it's enthusiasm for dressing up.

A major dress-up event is Wellington's Rugby Sevens. On the day of this event, the streets are teeming with masquerading fans parading around. The costumes range from very clever, to weird, to borderline obscene. It's even gotten the attention of the comparatively liberal police force who now threaten to punish anyone who goes too far with their costume and dares show it off on the streets of Courteney Place

No time of year or holiday is immune. Christmas parties are very often themed and costume-oriented. Stacey's Xmas party last year was a Love Boat theme. I was skeptical up until the moment we walked in the door. Put simply, the concept of a costume Christmas party was completely alien to me. And, interestingly, Halloween is a muted affair here. This may be because it's an American import, regarded with suspicion as an attempt at commercialisation. To be fair, that is probably justified. It's just surprising considering the Welly infatuation with masquerade.

Stranger still is the assumption that parties will most likely be themed, even when it's not mentioned on the invitation. For instance, we were once invited to 'Party Like a Rock Star' but it was not until speaking with another invitee in advance of the party that I realised it was dress-up. He asked me what I was going as...my reaction was 'huh?". Then he proudly told me he was going as Elton John.

Summer

It's hard to believe that it's 2009 already! Happy New Year!

Those of you in the northern hemisphere are enduring winter now, but for us it's summer holiday here and we've been trying to get outdoors a bit! There have been lots of little trips and happenings over the past few months which I thought would be fun to share with you guys...

WAIRARAPA COAST

Last weekend, we did a day trip to the Wairarapa's eastern coastline. The trip was supposed to be an overnighter, but I forgot the tent so that was called off! Oh well. Truth be told, the campground was so incredibly crowded that I wasn't keen on it anyway. My goal with camping is to get away from people--not closer to them. But for most Kiwis, camping is a social thing involving large groups of family and friends all getting together for BBQ'ing en masse. The campground was covered in huge tents and RVs of every kind. So, it wasn't a huge disappointment to skip it.

Only 250 steps to go...

We didn't waste the trip, however, and did some sightseeing in the area. First we visited Cape Palliser where we climbed some 250 rickety steps to Cape Palliser Lighthouse. Built in 1897, the lighthouse originally ran on oil and required an attendant, until conversion to electricity and automation in 1987. It continues to provide guiding flashes of light every 20 seconds which can be seen up to 48 kilometres away.

Cape Palliser lighthouse

View from the lighthouse platform

Stacey enjoying the view

There are great views of Palliser Bay and the coastline from the platform. This area is also the site of a permanent colony of New Zealand fur seals, which are easily seen (and smelled) from the shoreline.

Putangirua Pinnacles

We also took a walk to see the Putangirua Pinnacles located in Aorangi Forest Park. These strange rock formations are caused by water erosion, creating a 'badlands' appearance that looks like something out of the western United States. This area was one of the filming locations for the 'Paths of the Dead' sequence in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The eerie, other-worldly feeling that the pinnacles convey was a perfect fit for simulating a haunted passage under Tolkien's ficticious White Mountains.

Hot and sweaty, but we made it to the top

This place reminded me very much of Providence Canyon in Georgia, although the colouration wasn't nearly as striking. Even so, the pinnacles are quite impressive and certainly unexpected, revealing again how diverse New Zealand's landscapes can be.

It's well worth a visit if you are in the area, only taking about an hour to do walk to the pinnancles from the car park. Be warned that it's a fairly steep climb from the riverbed to the viewing platform, but it's a loop track so you have the option to go in the opposite direction for a more gradual climb. Also, Wellingtonians should take note that the wind they are so accustomed to and rely on for cooling does not exist in the Wairarapa interior. I never thought that I'd miss Wellington's wind, but it was definitely needed. There wasn't the slightest breeze!

BELMONT REGIONAL PARK

Stacey at the entrance to Belmont Regional Park outside of Wellington

Puke Ariki Track Marker
(which looks identical to the regular track markers from a distance!)

We've done several minor excursions to Belmont Regional Park recently exploring the Puke Ariki/Haywards Korokoro Traverse. This is part of a conglomeration of different walking tracks in the area that can take you from Petone to Lower Hutt, or over the hills to Porirua. Belmont is the closest major park area to Wellington, and (in my opinion) features some of the nicest walks in the area. The landscape is interesting and includes both historic and natural features, and is easily accessible (even to those utilising public transportation).

Windy hills of Belmont Regional Park

I did the full 22 km Puke Ariki walk a few weekends ago with my friend James. It took us about 6.5 hours, though the information brochures state it takes 7-8. We started the trip at the Dry Creek ‘Haywards’ entrance where the track climbs quickly to Boulder Hill.

Boulder Hill

Stacey and I had recently done the Boulder Hill track that led to this same point, an exposed area on the top of the hill where you can see the entire Wellington region. Just hang on to your hat - it's extremely windy up there! The terrain is mostly farmland for much of the track, climbing up and down exposed hills with names like Round Knob and Cannons Head. To break up the monotony, there are some old historic military buildings (ammunition storehouses), an airstrip, as well as the occasional herd of sheep / cows.

The ammunition buildings as seen from a distance.
For some reason, this reminds me of Hobbits.

Old plaque on one of the buildings.
Until we had seen this, we weren't really sure
what the buildings had been used for.

James completes an inspection of one of the buildings.
He found lots of very dead things in there.

The high point (literally) of the track is Belmont Trig, which is at about 457 metres. Again, there are some great views of the entire area. The track section then descends towards Petone, taking you through a dense area of native regenerating and original bush habitat. This is a really nice stretch. I made a mental note to return and do this walk with Stacey (since I knew she would like it) which we did last week.

Korokoro stream near the Petone end of the track.

Crocosmia in bloom. Like so many of the most beautiful
flowers in New Zealand, this one is an invasive weed.

Korokoro dam had what is known as a “stepped”
spillway where the energy of the water is partially
dissipated by successive drops at the steps,
creating a waterfall effect

The landscape here is surprisingly dramatic, winding through narrow valleys that follow geologic fault lines. Birds and plant life are abundant, and there are some interesting historic features here as well. Korokoro Dam (built in 1902) is one such feature. Though no longer in use, many of the structures are still evident. In addition to the dam structures, old broken pipeline can be seen all along the way.

Pop on over...

I've posted on this general topic before, but still had to share this funny commercial...

"Hangi to Go"

I think fast food has truly conquered the last frontiers of cuisine when you can get a Hangi "to Go"!

Hāngi means "earth oven" and is a traditional method of cooking practised by Māori (as well as other Pacific, Polynesian and Asian cultures) where food is buried alongside hot rocks in an underground chamber. In areas with lots of geothermal activity, such as Rotorua in the central North Island, they didn't even have to heat the rocks. They simply placed the food in the steaming thermal crevices, or buried it underground closer to the heat sources. To prevent burning, food was usually wrapped and bundled in leaves.

Geothermal cooking can also be done using the boiling water in steaming mineral pools. This technique is used to cook corn for tourists at Te Puia in Rotorua. As I recall, my Mom was suspicious of this cooking method when she was here earlier this year. To be fair, the strong smell of sulphur in the air is not exactly appetising!

This photo comes from NoEnz, and shows the kete (woven baskets) used to hold the corn submerged in the boiling pools

Traditional hāngi food is pork, mutton or lamb, and chicken, with generous portions of root vegetables such as kumara (sweet potato), pumpkin, carrot, potato, onions and cabbage. The cooking process can take a few hours, depending on how it's done and how much food is in there. Hāngi are still common today, with opportunities to partake in such feasts at many tourist spots around the country.

However, if you can't come visit and would still like to do your own hāngi , check out this web page for a complete how-to guide

Editorial note

There seems to be some concern that on my last post, I made up those billboards featuring President Bush. While I am talented at Photoshop, and my leftist tendencies would certainly make me appear guilty, I'm not clever enough to have come up with them. I promise they were real.

Here are some articles/web pages about the billboards:
Media Matters - Bush Hell Pizza Billboard (9 Aug 2005)

American Psycho billboard - Inspiration Room
American Psycho print ad - Inspiration Room
Both done by Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand

It would be going too far to say they were truly controversial here in NZ, but they did cause a stir. Generally I think people regarded them as a joke and did not read too much into it. Bush is easy subject matter for them to skewer - everyone here loves to hate him.

Unfortunately, the taint of his actions in office is all over every American living abroad (including us). If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked about "How could you people let him become the President?" and "What was America thinking?"... by people who really don't understand the U.S. electoral system, or how big and diverse the country is. They assume all Americans are the same - conservative, religious and supporters of Bush. Believe me, it's trying after a while.

Casting two ballots

It's a weird thing, but this year we get to vote in two national elections! What a privilege. Seriously. Just look at the horrors people are put through in places like Africa and China and it makes you appreciate the freedoms we have.

I was thinking that some of you might be interested in the differences between the New Zealand government and the U.S. government. Then, I started trying to write a bit about it and promptly decided that you probably did not care. And, I did not feel like writing about it.

So, instead we'll just give you some nice photos of candidates from both countries. As a public servant working for the NZ government, I am bound by certain rules when it comes to online political rants. So, below are the two candidates for NZ Prime Minister, shown in in alphabetical order by last name - so as not to imply any preference:

The Right Honourable Helen Clark, MP, Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party.

John Phillip Key, 12th Leader of the National Party (the Opposition) and member of Parliament

If you would like to read more about the NZ election, check out the article in this month's South Pacific issue of TIME.

Before moving on to the U.S. candidates, perhaps it's worth stopping for a moment to reflect on just what New Zealanders think of our last Commander in Chief, as evidenced by some of their advertising billboards in recent years...



Yes, that Bush - he's a popular guy! New Zealanders just love him. Imagine what the billboards in Venezuela must be like. I bet Chavez has painted him red and put demon horns on him. Nothing like one devil poking fun at another one, eh?

Unlike with New Zealand, no rules prevent me from speaking my mind about the U.S. election.

I won't bore you with a rant, though. I'll just beg you: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't put another Republican in office!!!

The United States is probably on its swan song at this point anyway. I give it another 50 years, maybe not even that long if oil runs dry before then, before the U.S. fades into obscurity, and that's under the best of circumstances. Put John McCain and the idiot Palin into office, and I don't give it another 10 years before it collapses under the weight of trillions in new war debt (they don't call him the "Old War Horse" for nothing, you know), a devastated economy, a world that hates and covets what you have, and enemies who no longer fear you.

Instead of two photos, here's one - and a name - of the person to vote for. Please do me proud.

Senator Barack Obama, Junior Senator from my home State of Illinois
and (hopefully) the next President of the United States of America

www.barackobama.com

Brisbane, Australia

Brisbane's skyline and the Story Bridge

We just returned from a week in "Oz" exploring Brisbane and areas around the Sunshine Coast just north of the city. It was a much-needed holiday, and although it was too short for our tastes was still very welcome. The trip marks the first time that Stacey has been out of New Zealand since our arrival two years ago (and my second, having traveled to Sydney last year).

This post is a simplified version of events, since it would take too long to recount everything, but it does give a general sense of the places we visited.

Brisbane (sometimes just called 'Brissie', pronounced brizzy) is located in the northeast corner of Australia in the state of Queensland. It's also the capital of the state, and Australia's third largest city behind Sydney and Melbourne (at around 1.8 million people). Queensland boasts some of Australia's most spectactular natural landscapes, including stunning coasts, vast deserts, lush tropical forests and the world-famous Great Barrier Reef. Queensland's economy is dominated by the tourist, natural resource and agricultural sectors. In fact, the people of Queensland are colloquially known as "Banana Benders" in reference to the large banana plantations located there.

Our itinerary had us arriving in Brisbane last Monday, and we spent the first two days in the city. One thing we noticed immediately was the temperature difference - it was warm there - and it felt like being in Atlanta again. The average temperature during our stay was 28 Celsius (84 F). To understand why this was so noticeable, remember that even at the height of summer Wellington rarely exceeds 18 C (65 F). Without delay, we were in shorts and t-shirts and looking for iced coffees!

Between the warmth and the hot donuts,
it was almost like being back in Atlanta

We strolled down the city waterfront, then over to the central business district and the touristy areas around downtown's Queen Street. There was an OMG ("Oh My God") moment when we spotted the Krispy Kreme donut shop, with the 'hot donuts now' neon sign blazing in the window. KK is an Atlanta icon, so it's very strange to see it in Australia. Of course, I had to have one of those hot glazed donuts! To our surprise, they were giving the hot donuts away for free. We even tried to pay them and they wouldn't take the money. I compared it to drug dealers giving away the first dose of cocaine in order to start an addiction.

We planned to visit many parks and reserves later in the trip where we might see Australian wildlife, but didn't want to take any chances. So, the next day we traveled to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in search of the little fuzzy guys. We were not disappointed. LPKS has over 130 koalas in the sanctuary, and they are every bit as cute and cuddly as you might imagine.

Koalas are adorable even when sleeping,
which is good since they sleep a lot!

This one was wide awake and hungry!

Although they may look like a teddy bear, Koalas aren't bears at all. They're a marsupial, a subclass of mammals that are characterised by the distinctive pouch that the mothers use to carry their young. Australia is known for its marsupial critters which include kangaroos, wallabies, platypus, wombats, possum and Tasmanian devil.

Koala are fussy eaters, dining only on leaves and bark from certain species of Eucalyptus trees, which is one of the reasons they are having such a hard time. More and more of their habitat has been lost as urban areas expand into their natural range.

Feeding a red-legged pademelon (pronounced "Paddy Melon") - a type of wallaby

The park also has a large enclosure where you can feed the kangaroos and wallabies. Not something we'd normally do but it was great fun, I have to admit. The roos reminded us of the Romans, as they lounged about waiting to be fed. The brochures billed them as "friendly" kangaroos, which was a relief considering you were occasionally surrounded by a horde of them. Very funny.

This big guy was off to the side all by himself,
so we stopped by with a bag of food. He was huge!

Kangaroos can hurt you if they want to.
That clawed hand was almost as big as mine!

Stacey feeding the roos. She had one who was greedy and growled at the others whenever they came too close.

Surrounded!

We also saw some Wombat at Lone Pine Reserve. Feisty critters - the keeper showed us a huge scar on her leg where this guy had taken a bite out of her during a cleaning. Ouch.

William, Stacey and Aunt Rosemarie

Next, we headed north for a few days on the Sunshine Coast, stopping along the way to go to the Eumundi Markets. It was a massive event, rivaling any flea market I have seen in the U.S. We did some souvenir shopping there, had a nice lunch, and also attempted to learn how to play the didjeridu.

Stacey's cousin David kindly offered to let us stay at his place in Mooloolaba while he was out of town (Thanks David!!!). While there, I finally had the chance to meet Stacey's aunt Rosemarie. We enjoyed a nice dinner out at a riverside restaurant, where we had fish & chips and enjoyed the view.

Our visit to the Sunshine Coast included a trip to Noosa National Park where we did several day-hikes. The walks are easy and well worth a visit. The coastal views are spectactular, as you can see from the photos. White sandy beaches and aquamarine blue waters were around every corner. Wildlife was elusive, but we did manage to spot goanna, frilled lizards, kookaburra (as well as many other birds I didn't know the names of) and even koala. In the late afternoon, we enjoyed a swim at Tea Tree Bay and managed to get some time for relaxation in the sun.

Stacey overlooking Alexandria Bay in Noosa National Park. We came to 'discover' upon arriving at the beach that it's an informal nudist spot.

The view from my rock on the beach.
It was so nice, I didn't want to leave.

We spent a very short amount of time in Great Sandy National Park where we enjoyed (I am being sarcastic) a canoe ride on Lake Cootharaba. It was so windy, we had the hardest time steering. There were also flashbacks to our kayaking fiasco at Abel Tasman NP in N.Z. We didn't have time to see the real wonders of Great Sandy, such as the sand blows and painted sands, nor did we have time to go to Fraser Island, but hopefully there will be an opportunity in the future. One highlight of the GSNP visit, however, was that we saw kangaroos in the wild. This was gratifying only because we didn't want the only kangaroos that we saw to be those in captivity.

Our visit to the Sunshine Coast was much too short, as the time came to head back to Brisbane. But first we to took a short detour to visit Glass House Mountains National Park. These craggy mountains are remnants of ancient volcanoes, eroded to just a pale shadow of their former selves but still impressive nonetheless. The peaks dominate the landscape of the interior sunshine coast. Not surprisingly, these mountains also had special significance to Aboriginal peoples, and were used a special places for ceremony, meeting and trade. We climbed to the top of Mount Ngungun, a challenging ascent that requires a bit of scrambling and exertion but is worth it for the view.

The view from Ngungun.
In the distance can be seen Mt. Coonowrin
(the thin spired peak) and Mt. Beerwah beyond.

Hot and sweaty but we made it!

OK, it's getting late so super-condensing this last bit...back to Brisbane we then went. Toured Chinatown and the Valley Markets weekend festival. Live music was on offer, as well as tons of food and assorted junk. Stacey even got a chair massage.

Brisbane's Chinatown entrance

Andrew Kennedy and his bandmates put on a good show.
Check them out at his MySpace page.

We did heaps of other stuff in Brisbane, too much to put down here. But one thing I wanted to mention for any others who may be thinking of going there...be sure to take a ride on one of the CityCat ferries. It's an inexpensive way to see the sights from the water and is also a very useful tool for exploring the city.

A gorgeous sunset in Brisbane.

No Opportunity Wasted

Finally something interesting happened to post about!

Yes, I know, we're living our lifetime dream abroad on the shores of New Zealand and every day is filled with excitement and wonder...so what am I talking about??? Of course day-to-day life is much like anywhere else...go to work, go grocery shopping, go to sleep, etc, etc. But there was a break in the routine this week when we had the opportunity to meet Phil Keoghan, host of the one of our favourite shows "Amazing Race" and an inspiring person in his own right.

Stacey looks particularly happy, don't you think?

Many people probably don't realise that Phil is actually a New Zealander by birth, born in the South Island town of Lincoln. Although he's successfully adopted an Americanised accent, you can still detect hints of Kiwi in his voice every so often. In a 2005 interview with Upfront, Phil confirmed that he was in the running to host Survivor but was not chosen partially due to his accent, which at the time was undesirable for hosts of American TV shows. That setback was minor though. His career has skyrocketed with the success of Amazing Race. He's earned five Emmy Awards and travelled to over 100 countries in pursuit of 'great TV'.

At 19 years of age, while filming an underwater dive in a shipwreck in the Marlborough Sounds, Phil had a near-death experience that shaped his life forever. The event drove him to create a "life list" of the things he wanted to do before he died. Obviously he's managed to tick a lot of those boxes, having done everything from feeding live sharks to eating dinner on a volcano.

A photo from one of Phil's many adventures

The concept was also the inspiration for his book and a television show No Opportunity Wasted: Creating a Life List, This was also the theme of the day for his speaking engagement in Wellington this week. His talk was about inspiring people to not be afraid, and to get out there live life to the fullest with no regrets. There were lots of younger people in the audience--they were the target audience for the event, not us old folks--and I hope they were paying attention. He certainly reminded me to get of my ass on a few of my own pursuits.

When Stacey introduced herself, she told Phil that our 'no opportunity wasted' was moving to New Zealand from the United States. How true that statement was. The look on his face was interesting...slight amusement, a bit of surprise perhaps? Maybe. But I'd like to think there was a little bit of pride in his reaction, both in New Zealand. and in us wayward travellers. Of course, you never know what a celebrity is really like without spending time with them, but you get the sense that Phil is a really cool guy and an authentic person. That's why I don't mind plugging his book.

And speaking of our relocation, the end of August will mark two years since our arrival. I will be writing an extended entry, a sort of situation report, in a couple of weeks. Until then, I hope everyone out there gets their pen & paper out and starts (or resumes) those lists!

Eight-legged Aussie

Tonight I found an unwelcome little guest running across the floor--an Australian Whitetip Spider. These creepy crawlies are much-maligned as the apparently can give a nasty bite, and there are urban legends that their venom is necrotic and can cause severe skin ulcerations. Apparently this is not accurate. Still, I don't like the idea of them hiding out in my shoes. As most of you know, I am the type of person who carefully escorts most critters out of the house without harm, but in this case I made an exception.

Finally...

an anthem for all us everyday normal guys...

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

I think my favourite part is when he says he makes pretty good spaghetti sauce. OMG.

Report from Down Under

It's been a while since my last post! You might be wondering what the hold up has been? Well, nothing in particular really. We have been pretty busy lately. It seems like something is always going on every weekend.

I guess the first place to start is back in May for the 48 Hour Film extravaganza...

Once again, I participated in this crazy event which sets teams off acrossthe city with the goal of producing a short film (5-7 mins) from scratch in just 48 hours. Jenni's Angels was my team, a great bunch of people who are a mix of newbies (like me), film enthusiasts and even a few professionals (and aspiring professionals). The team has actually been together for several years now (I think this is their 4th 48 Hour event).

One thing that I like about Jenni's Angels is that many of them are SF/Fantasy/Gaming fans like myself. Our film from last year was Destination Earth -- click the link to watch it on YouTube. Since genres are chosen randomly from an assortment that includes everything from musical to horror film, once again we got pretty lucky with the assignment: "Super Hero / Fairy Tale". Here's what we came up with:



As you can see, we took a humorous approach to the subject matter. Remember that this is a competition, after all, and laughs get votes (although in this case apparently not because we didn't win anything! Boo!). And, as anyone who has been to a science fiction convention and watched a 'serious' costume skit can attest, doing a super hero story with a serious approach is risky business. I was pleased that our take, tough hardly a laugh riot, is fun to watch and even includes a decent number of cool SFX shots. We had a good team of writers on board, and it never ceases to amaze me how the editing and technical side gets done so well.

Stacey was also involved in 48, but this time it was in an official capacity as a representative of Film Wellington. They assist filmmakers both large and small on everything from location scouting and permits to coordinating city-related services. Her role involved assisting the event organisers and the teams leading up to and all throughout the weekend. This included a couple of phone calls in the middle of the night from teams asking for help. From the moment the starting gun goes off on Friday night until Sunday, it's a mad dash and many teams don't get a wink of sleep. The deadline is taken very seriously, and many teams don't make it. Our film was raced in with just 4 seconds (yes) to spare.

What else to talk about...? Hmmm. Well, I've taken up some new hobbies. Bicycling you already know about from the last post. It's going well, though winter is an extremely trying time to be attempting it. Up until this past week (when weather from hell rolled in and has not left) I was managing to bike to work about 3-4 times a week, which is pretty good IMHO.

We've also started a worm farm! Yes, I know you're asking "why...?" Well, we're not sure ourselves. It seemed like a clever way to get rid of some of our kitchen veggie scraps? Seriously, though, it's just something we wanted to try. The truth is that the benefits of worm culturing are really better utilised in a proper garden (which we don't have) but it's still fun and good practice for the day when we do. We bought the device off of TradeMe, which consists of a three circular trays on legs, with a spout at the bottom. This is for draining off the precious worm juice which apparently plants really like. It's about 2.5 feet in diameter, so takes up very little space on the back patio.

You're probably wondering where you get worms for it? We got our worms from Commonsense Organics, a local organics market. Imagine my horror when I went to pick them up, expecting a little plastic bag of worms, only to discover it was a giant box of dirt with all sorts of creepy crawlies in it! This I had to carry home on the bus. The lady city next to me was not happy...you could see all sorts of little critters crawling out of the box. Well, despite the daggers her eyes were throwing, I managed to get home and put the worms in the trays along with some newspaper and a few carrot shavings to get them started. It can take a while to get the process going, but so far ours seems to be working pretty well. We add scraps to it about once a week, along with some occasional lime. Eventually, I will take some of the worms out and add them to the main compost bin so they can speed that up as well.

Want to start our own worm farm? Check out this page.

In October, I am enrolled to take a sustainable households course through Wellington High School. I am very much looking forward to it. This is subject matter that I'm interested in regardless, but in particular lately have been thinking a lot about. We are slowly starting to think about buying a house here in New Zealand, and would like to incorporate some 'green' technology in it. I would be thrilled to have solar power and gray water reticulation systems. New Zealand homes are notoriously poorly insulated (essentially just wood boxes with no insulation at all), so energy use for heating is also an issue. Lastly, of course, I really want a proper space for a vegetable garden and areas to practice some urban agriculture. And we have more traditional criteria for a home that must be met as well, such as the kitchen size and number of bedrooms, etc. Finding something that meets our expectations and is affordable is going to be really, really hard. I'll keep you posted on that as it develops...

Well, in closing... part of our goal in coming to New Zealand was just to 'try new things'. In that spirit, this is the Feijoa, a wonderful, tart little fruit that I have grown to love. Sadly, it's just now gone out of season here and is starting to become rare in the grocery stores. (Remember what I said before about seasonal produce in NZ? Yep.) It's got a strange flavour that's almost medicinal, tangy and sweet at the same time. I don't think I had ever seen one before coming to NZ, however apparently they are grown in the U.S., so some of you back home might like to seek them out at the local farmer's market. Enjoy!

Going for a Ride

OK, so the latest mid-life crisis hobby has manifested itself. I bought a bicycle and have started commuting to work.

Here in New Zealand, they are also known as push-bikes. Prior to this, the last time I was on a bike was around my Sophomore year of high school (age 15). But, it is true what they say and I got back into it very quickly. I'm not terribly speedy yet, but that will hopefully come as my long-unused leg and butt muscles get more use! The bike is a hybrid bicycle which is a cross between a road bike and a dirt bike. Road bikes are designed for speed, but what I wanted was a bit more utilitarian. This bike is ideal for commuting, and I've even added a rack at the back for mounting saddle bags.

There I am, looking dorky and posing on the bike near Evans Bay Parade. That bike is sharp though, eh? In keeping with tradition, this latest vehicle is Darth Vader Black.

This is a map of the route I take, marked in blue. The total distance: (approximately) for my bike route is 9 kms (5.5 miles). It takes me about 30 minutes to get to work. My employer kindly offers a bike locker and shower facilities, too.

Wellingtonians who travel from the southeastern suburbs often refer to two different ways to travel into the central city. They might go Around the Bays (my bicycling route) or Through the Tunnel (which refers to going through the Mount Victoria tunnel). If I go through the tunnel, the route is shorter by about 2K but involves a lot more traffic to navigate and breathing car fumes. Yuck. The coastal route is much prettier, as you can see below.

Stacey took this action shot.

I really should point out that the above photo is very misleading. I can assure you that most of my commutes are not this idealic, nor do I look so happy. I often wonder if vehicle passengers that pass me laugh as I'm grunting, huffing and puffing slowly down the road. By the time I leave work it's dark and sometimes raining and windy. Until now, I did not really comprehend the distinctions between Northerly and Southerly prevailing winds, nor the Beaufort Scale. The other night I experienced a squall (yes, really!) when I turned the corner around Oriental Bay--torrential rain and sudden gusts of wind! It sounds terrible, and it kinda was, but I was also laughing uncontrollably. It was so ugly that I just had to.

Even so, I honestly can say that I love it and feel great doing it. Saving money, saving petrol and getting some exercise. Yeah, it's work and a bit of hassle, and the winter weather makes it harder. But I am having a good time and really looking forward to the summer when the riding will be fantastic. Winter will be a good test of my resilience and dedication in the meantime.

ANZAC Day

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The Wellington Cenotaph during the early morning hours of Friday, 24 April 2008. Over 1,000 people crowded around the memorial for the Dawn Service in recognition of ANZAC Day which commences with the firing of a Herald Gun mounted by 16th Field Regiment.

The three flags are those of New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia (left to right

This past Friday marked the 93rd anniversary of ANZAC Day, commemorating the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces in the First World War. The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. The pride they took in that name endures to this day, and Anzac Day remains a very important annual commemoration for both countries. Today, ANZAC has come to stand not just for the troops in World War I, but for Australian and New Zealand soldiers in times of war.

As new Kiwis, we were really looking forward to learning more about ANZAC day. This was our first time attending the services and giving this subject the time it deserved, and we were rewarded with an educational and moving experience. As a devout pacifist, I am always torn by my emotions when it comes to war memorials. On the one hand, I hate that they ever needed to be built. But there is no denying their importance as both a reminder of sacrifice and bravery, and the desperate need for our species to move beyond violence as a tool for solving our problems. Around 500 war memorials are to be found across New Zealand.

Atatürk Memorial is situated on a ridge above Tarakina Bay, Wellington. The Memorial looks out over Cook Strait and the site was chosen for its remarkable likeness to Anzac Cove in Gallipoli. This memorial can be seen on the Eastern Walkway which also delivers spectacular views of the coastline. For a more detailed look visit the Dawes Family site.

The Battle of Gallipoli took place on April 25, 1915, when Allied forces were tasked with the invasion of Ottoman Turkey, a campaign that is now regarded as disastrous and extremely costly in terms of lives lost. In fact around 21,000 British died, 10,000 French, 8,700 Australians, 2,721 New Zealanders along with 1,370 Indians. On the Turkish side, losses amounted to around 85,000. This represents the highest percentage of casualties of any First World War campaign in which New Zealanders fought. Many more would be killed in other hot spots, with 12,483 lost on the Western Front. The landing site is referred to now as "Anzac Cove", officially renamed by the Turkish government on Anzac Day in 1985. Many thousands of Kiwis have made pilgrimages to Anzac Cove to pay their respects.

The National War Memorial, also the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior

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A Dawn-to-Dusk Vigil is held at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior by a Tri-Service Guard on ANZAC Day.



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There is a changing of the Guard every 15 minutes. Here, a New Zealand Air Force officer relieves a member of the Army Corps.

The Tomb is inscribed with a karanga that calls the warrior home, the journey guided by the stars of the Southern Cross Constellation.

Stacey's ANZAC biscuits were very tasty.

Stacey, now shares a bit about these special cookies... I mean, biscuits...

Shortly after we moved to NZ, William and I tried a funny looking cookie from a cafe on Cuba Street. According to the barista, they were ANZAC biscuits. I had no idea what she was talking about and asked about the ingredients which do not include nuts, so we gave them a try. Delicious! Ever since that day, I have been obsessed with baking the perfect ANZAC biscuits myself. The problem is there are zillions of recipes out there. Some make very thin, chewy cookies. Some are thicker and crunchier. hmmm. I tried many different variations on the recipe, but was never truly happy with the results. (This did not stop us from eating all of them, unfortunately.) Until I made the cookies (above) this year. It is fitting that the best recipe came from the MāoriTV channel's coverage of the ANZAC holiday last year. What I have learned from my experimentation is that the Aussie version of the cookie is the thin, chewy one. The Kiwi version is the thicker, crunchier one which I like.

History of the ANZAC biscuit: Supposedly, the recipe for the biscuits was developed during the first World War. Naturally, Australia AND New Zealand each claim to have invented them. The cookies were made by women in both countries and shipped to soldiers in Europe. They were a long-keeping biscuit that could survive the passage by sea and still remain edible. During WWI, they were called 'soldier's biscuits.' After the Gallipoli landings, they became known as ANZAC biscuits. Most versions of the recipe feature oats, coconut, butter, and golden syrup. The recipes do not contain eggs probably because eggs were in short supply during WWI.

William says I should post the recipe, so here it is:

1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Coconut
1 Cup Rolled Oats
pinch salt

100 grams Butter (1 stick)
2T Golden Syrup
1t Baking Soda
2T Boiling Water

• Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  
• Melt the butter and golden syrup together in a small pot over low heat.
  
• In a small bowl, combine the water and baking soda and mix in with butter & golden syrup.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Roll dough into walnut size balls and place on cookie sheet--do not smush!
  
• Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) for 15 minutes.

Day of the Dolphins

OK, I'm super busy (some of you are waiting for e-mails and letters back from me, I know...I have not forgotten about you!) but I just had to get on here and brag a little about how cool it is to be on the way home and suddenly see a giant pod of dolphins swimming by. This was exactly what happened last night.

FINTASTIC: A group on an outrigger canoe get a front-row seat as a pod of up to 100 common dolphins cavort in Wellington's Evans Bay.

Here's the full story from today's Dominion Post (I wanted to re-post it here because I know they will pull it off the web in a few days...)

Day of the dolphins
The Dominion Post Monday, 14 April 2008
A group on an outrigger canoe get a front-row seat as a pod of up to 100 common dolphins cavort in Wellington's Evans Bay.

On Miramar peninsula, Maupuia resident Derral Barnes had a bird's eye view. He said the dolphins spent all afternoon circling from one end of the bay to the other.
"Whether they are lost or just enjoying themselves, who knows?"

Te Papa dolphin expert Anton van Helden said the common dolphin was often found in Cook Strait, and frequently seen during the summer and late summer in large pods.

Although dolphins were regularly seen in Wellington at this time of year, onlookers should take care, particularly with boats, as pods could include young ones and all animals were susceptible to collisions."

Southland Travels

I know it's been a while since I have put anything new on here! Sorry about that.

Partly this is because there's actually been a lot going on, but partly it's also because I have been lazy. Last week, Stacey saw her parents off for their return to Atlanta, after having spent a week travelling in the southern parts of the South Island. Today's post shares some photos from their adventures. Also in the news, Stacey landed a new job. It's a really great role, something that is perfectly suited to her, and in the film industry. She just started this week and has been busy learning the ropes of the new job.

As promised, here's a few photos from Joan & Ian's visit...

Ian and Joan under the waharoa (entry gate) to the marae at Te Papa Museum here in Wellington. The weather was fantastic during there time in the city. The time was well-spent here, giving them an opportunity to see how things were going for us (where we lived, what life was like, etc.) and also to explore Wellington itself, which they had not done extensively in the past. Like I said, Wellington is not a long stopover point for most tours unless you've got heaps of time to spend.

Ian reminiscing outside of Nelson College

The first leg of their trip south took them across the Cook Straight via ferry to Picton, and then to Nelson. I think Ian in particular enjoyed exploring the town. He could see how it had changed and visit old stomping grounds like Nelson College. It was also an opportunity for the family to spend some time at Stacey's grandparent's grave site and pay their respects. Stacey and I spent only a brief amount of time in Nelson (on our way to Abel Tasman National Park) during our 2005 trip, but I remember being very nice. Many Americans who come to New Zealand move to Nelson.

Thesecond part of their trip was a visit to Fiordland National Park and Doubtful Sound. It takes a bit of effort to get there, but it's well worth every bit, as these photos attest.

The Ferdinands gang conquers Moeraki Beach

The last leg of their trip took them to Dunedin. There, they were able to catch up with Stacey's cousin Andrew, his family, and her Auntie Rosemarie.

Rosemary, Ian, Joan and Stacey

I can hear Stacey now, encouraging Ian to climb into this Moeraki Boulder. There is some pretty disgusting stuff down in there, I assure you. All sorts of seaweed and critters wash in there when the tide is in and get stuck, making for a really stinky brew. As you can see, Ian is trying to keep his feet dry. One thing we have learned is that you want to time a visit to see the Moeraki boulders when the tide is out!

As with my Mom's trip, their itinerary took them to the Otago Peninsula to see sights such as Larnach Castle. I remember Andrew and his wife, Jackie, taking us on a driving tour around Dunedin and around the peninsula during our 2005 trip, but it was completely shrouded in fog. Dunedin has a reputation for its Scottish heritage. I suspect that many Scots found the rolling green hills and misty coastlines a close reminder of home. Today, that heritage is still evident in Dunedin's architecture, street names and culture.