Aotearoa Dreaming

Leaving NZ

2010-06-30T11:09:00.007+12:00

Well, we've been hinting at this in conversations both online and in-person over the past year, so this won't be a surprise to some of you...We will be leaving NZ sometime this fall, probably around September.

Invariably, everyone wants to know "Why?" we would willingly leave 'Paradise in the South Pacific' to return to the 'Land of Mordor'. The truth is that there are a lot of reasons. Some are our fault, many are only specific to me (W) and some are New Zealand's 'fault'(not related to their earthquake tendencies, though!). In the coming months and years, perhaps I'll put it all down in writing. But right now, I need some time to digest the experience so that I can be fair both to myself and to New Zealand.

You'll just have to trust me when I say that New Zealand isn't paradise and we aren't going back to the U.S. without fair warning. We watch the U.S. news every day. We see the problems in terms of the job market, health insurance, social issues. Yes, we are scared. But don't make the mistake of assuming everything is perfect here. Job security is nil here and being a migrant only makes things more complicated. And unlike those who are born here, or who are independently wealthy (yes, it's true that not all Americans are rich!) we have no support network to give us aid when (not if) things fall to pieces. And before anyone points to 'the dole' as a support network, please do your research.

It's important to note this this decision is not 100% mutual. I'm the one who wants to leave. Hence this post often refers to "I" and not "we". I'm concerned about dragging S away from here before she's ready to go. But I simply can't stay any longer.

Some of you may think this is a bad decision, and feel compelled to try and talk us out of it, but I have to ask that you respect our choice and recognize that it's not been an easy one to make. Remember that we've been living in NZ for four years, not four months. I know what I'm leaving and I'm fine with it.

It's also important to note that I don't regret the decision to come here - it's been a valuable life experience and a worthwhile endeavor, even if it didn't turn out as we might have liked. I've learned a lot about myself, my core beliefs, my tolerances and what I'm looking for in what's left of my time in this world. I don't know exactly what life looks like once we get back to the U.S., but I can tell you that it doesn't look like it did when we lived there before - and it doesn't look like it did here in NZ.

I will miss a lot of things about NZ. We've met a lot of very nice people, both Kiwis and those from abroad. I will miss some aspects of the culture, and certainly the interesting and beautiful landscapes, flora and fauna. S will miss Wellington's scene, particularly the many movie theaters and constant flow of events. I suspect we'll both miss the coffee.

So, this story ends largely as it began. We are in the process of deciding what to sell and what to keep, streamlining as much as possible to make it all fit in a shipping box.

One key difference this time is that we aren't going back to the real world immediately. We intend to travel a bit before we do. We can't afford a gap year, but we can barely afford a 4+/- month tour of Southeast Asia. We're buying a one-way ticket and going to take our time to see Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and (time and money permitting) the Malay peninsula. I'll be creating a travel blog and will post a link to it so people can see that we're still alive and well.

Beyond that, we don't have any firm plans. West coast, probably, or possibly the Southwestern U.S. Initially, we expect to be back in Atlanta for a stint to see family and friends, and perhaps live in Mom & Dad's basement for a wee bit if they can put up with us, just until we can get plans sorted. A camper van is also a possibility (though S is not so keen on that idea!). Either way, it will be both exciting and perhaps terrifying (like when we get quotes for health insurance) but it will be OK in the end. We moved 12,000 miles to NZ without jobs and no safety net and we made it work (sorta) for 4 years. I'm confident we can make it work in reverse.

Blog posts (or lack thereof...)

2010-01-31T20:55:00.005+13:00

Drop the Rate, Mate

2009-08-12T07:16:00.003+12:00

"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

2009-08-02T15:22:00.011+12:00

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 S 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.

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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.

2009-07-12T18:48:00.009+12:00

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

2009-06-26T08:23:00.007+12:00

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 ...

2009-06-23T13:38:00.004+12:00

...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.

2009-06-22T13:55:00.005+12:00

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

2009-06-13T15:12:00.003+12:00

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

Pumpkin Pie

2009-05-26T19:52:00.003+12:00

Knowing that I am feeling a bit homesick, S 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! ~W

Travels in Taranaki

2009-05-21T11:49:00.029+12:00

Last week, S 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. S 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

S 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

2009-05-07T19:16:00.003+12:00

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

2009-04-26T11:50:00.010+12:00

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

2009-03-27T10:06:00.006+13:00

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 S. 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...

S 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 S 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 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...

2009-02-20T16:36:00.001+13:00

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

Cutting Bait

2009-01-24T11:14:00.035+13:00

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 (S 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. S 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?

2009-01-10T09:05:00.006+13:00

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

2009-01-07T07:35:00.002+13:00

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

2009-01-05T20:41:00.005+13:00

This year, S'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. S'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

2009-01-03T14:04:00.013+13:00

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

S 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

S 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

S 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 S (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...

2008-12-04T16:15:00.001+13:00

2008-11-13T15:00:00.006+13:00

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

2008-11-08T10:32:00.004+13:00

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

2008-11-02T09:31:00.008+13:00

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

2008-10-27T14:11:00.032+13:00

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

2008-08-10T19:46:00.006+12:00

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

2008-07-14T20:49:00.003+12:00

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...

2008-07-14T19:53:00.002+12:00

an anthem for all us everyday normal guys...

Everyday Normal Guy Rap Songfunny videosFunnyOrDie.com

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

2008-06-30T02:53:00.006+12:00

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

2008-05-09T11:59:00.009+12:00

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

2008-04-27T13:15:00.019+12:00

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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

2008-04-14T18:33:00.004+12:00

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

2008-04-06T12:41:00.022+12:00

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.

Rellie visits continue!

2008-03-15T18:16:00.008+13:00

Rellies is a Kiwi term for relatives. I noted this humorous sign when we stopped at the store to get some wine, and had to snap a photo of it.

Following on the heels of my Mom and cousin's visit, we have some more guests from the United States! This time it's Stacey's parents, Joan and Ian. Their trip is still in progress, but I wanted to post some photos for those of you back home who want to keep tabs on how they are doing.

Joan and Ian enjoying Wellington's beautiful waterfront

Some of you may know that Ian is actually from New Zealand, having grown up in Nelson on the South Island. He left New Zealand in his early 20's and moved to the United States, where he met Joan and they raised their family. Interestingly, the Dutch play a role in all of this as Stacey's father was of Dutch descent. Their surname, Ferdinands, is Dutch and, incidentally, is botched much less often here in NZ. ("Hello, may I speak with Ms. Ferndandez?") So, Ian is technically a Kiwi and it's for this reason that Stacey was able to obtain her citizenship (as a first-generation descendant of a Kiwi).

Taking a ride up the Terrace on the Wellington Cable Car. At the top, we explored the Cable Car Museum.

Joan and Ian have travelled to New Zealand many times, and I have seen many photos of them in Wellington. In every photo, it appears to be raining and miserable! I am happy to report that Wellington has behaved much better this time out and given them very nice weather. We have toured a lot of the city including the waterfront, Cuba street, the Terrace, the museums and of course Miramar, Lyall Bay and the rest of the South Coast. We're coming to the end of the festival season here, but there have still been a lot of events going on for us to enjoy.

We took Joan and Ian to Yum Cha with some of our friends. The food was yummy (as usual).

It was a hard decision whether to have our visitors spend so much time in Wellington. After all, it's not considered a "must-see destination" for tourists coming to New Zealand. That's because even though it's amazingly pretty here, there are heaps of other places that are even more spectacular. But for us it's just been good to show our parents a bit more of what our life is like here, where we like to go and the sorts of people we've met. So, the extended Wellington visits have been good.

Ian and Joan meet up with old friends Wendy & Robbie

As we speak, Stacey and her parents are off on a tour of the South Island which includes stops in Blenheim (to see Anita) and Nelson. From there, they head further south for a trip around the south coast, through the Catlins, and up to Te Anau for a trip to Doubtful Sound. After that, they head to Dunedin to catch up with rellies from Ian's side of the family, including cousin Andrew and Stacey's Aunt Rosemary (featured in an earlier post!). They return to Wellington next weekend, and will have a few more days to explore the city with us before they head back home.

I leave you with a sunset on the South Coast photo (yes, again...I really never tire of showing you people photos of the coastline in various shades of magnificence)

Tiki Tour pics, part III

2008-02-25T19:31:00.021+13:00

This weekend finished my Mom and Angel's whirlwind tour of New Zealand. I was there to see them off last night in Christchurch. Sorry to see them go, it was nice to have family by my side here in New Zealand (a new sensation). Sometimes it really does feel so far away here. Speaking for myself, it was also nice to show off the country. I may not be a Kiwi, but am still quite proud of the natural beauty that New Zealand has on offer.

We enjoyed a sunset view of Wellington's rocky South coastline at Moa Point.

Mom and Angel pose in front of Larnach Castle high on the hilltops of the Otago Peninsula

The little fellas at Penguin Place were a highlight of the trip.

This beautiful sandy beach on the peninsula is where yellow-crested penguins come ashore each night. The waddle in and make their way over the dunes and scrubby hills, where chicks are waiting to be fed. The adults are model parents, taking turns in their fishing and caretaking duties. Fur seals shared the beach.

The mysterious and fun Moeraki Boulders, a short drive north of Dunedin

Smiling for the camera at Mirror Lakes, one of many stops on the scenic road to Milford Sound

Mom and Angel prepare to board the Milford Wanderer for an overnight cruise on Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park.

My cabin mates were overwhelmed and brought to tears of joy at the spaciousness of our accommodation aboard the Wanderer. Good thing they downsized to one bag, eh?

Stirling Falls at Milford Sound. Milford has hundreds of waterfalls, but it was so dry that only the permanent ones like Stirling were still flowing (relying on snow melt). Even with less flow, it was still spectacular. The Wanderer cruises right up to it, putting the front of the boat practically right under the waterfall!

New Zealand Fur Seals lazily basking on rocks in Milford Sound.

Despite appearances and my Mom's wet weather gear (worn for warmth more than rain protection) the weather at Milford was surprisingly dry. Fiordland gets an average of 6-7 metres of rain per year, making a completely dry trip very rare. I think it sprinkled a couple times, but that was it. Very lucky!

Sunset on Milford Sound

These crabby sheep knew what was coming...

No New Zealand holiday would be complete without trying your hand at shearing sheep, right? Well, we got our opportunity at Waiau Downs Farm Adventures. It was much harder than I was expecting, and I am truly impressed that pros are able to do several hundred per day.

Angel shearing a sheep! She did very well. I think I'll keep my day job though. My sheep got away and had to be chased down by our tour guide. Very embarrassing.

Angel also tried her hand at driving on the wrong... (ahem!) I mean left side of the road! She did great--only hit a few sheep and one cow. My mom is in the backseat, but you cannot really see her because she is covered up with luggage.

More travel pics

2008-02-18T17:18:00.016+13:00

Not much time, but wanted to post a few more photos of our travels in progress. These were taken over the past four days while around Wellington...click on the blue lettering to read more about the places we have visited...

Angel and Mom pose in front of Mt. Ngauruhoe, an active volcano also known as "Mt. Doom" from the Lord of the Rings trilogy

Angel and Mom visiting the stylised marae at Te Papa Museum.

Angel, Mom & William looking at Kaka parrots at Pukaha-Mt. Bruce

Mom spots some Weta in their motel

Mom teaches our friends to play In-Between at a weekend BBQ

Angel and Mom get boxes "for their remains" at Hell Pizza

Angel in front of the New Zealand Parliament Building, also known as the Beehive

Mom takes time to stop and smell the camellias at the Wellington Botanic Garden

Angel and William pose with the giant Tripod robot

Angel, Stacey and Mom on the Wellington waterfront

Holiday Down Under!

2008-02-16T21:55:00.016+13:00

Some photos to share of travels around New Zealand with my Mom and cousin, Angel!
We started in Northland at Paihia and the Bay of Islands...

About to go through the Hole in the Rock!

Angel braves the "drag net" and goes for a wild ride.

Undies or togs? You decide.

Note the bald guy in front of Angel. He was having a hard time standing up. Really, we thought he might drown.

Who's that loser with Angel?

Posing with a Maori warrior at Waitangi Treaty Grounds. We enjoyed an informative and entertaining presentation on New Zealand history put on by Culture North .

Maori meeting house (wharenui) at Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Heaps of tree ferns, William's favourite thing to take pictures of.

Hararu Falls, near Paihia

The coast near the city of Opononi

Two wayward Americans on the Hokianga coastline

More photos to be posted in the days to come, and tons on disk will be sent back home with the travellers! Check back soon...we're BBQing and hoping to get some time on the beach if Wellington will cooperate weather-wise. Also heading to Southland next week!!! More soon...

Common Ground

2008-01-28T19:55:00.000+13:00

This past Sunday, we enjoyed a very nice Yum Char / Dim Sum brunch at the Majestic with friends from the Wellington Meetin network. We had the usual tasty, MSG-laden treats: dumplings, steamed buns, sticky rice, and sesame balls. It was a nice time. There were a couple of new people this week, which is great! Groups like Meetin, Welly Rocks and the American Women's Network have been really important tools for making friends and getting to know other people, so we like to encourage others (especially newcomers to NZ) to come along. Looking back, I never could have imagined I would be meeting so many interesting people from all over the world and all walks of life.

Meetin Wellington's International Brunch Crew: Pictured from left to right are (back row) Michele, Jane, Heather, Stacey and (front row) Alice, Phil, Loren, me, and James. Noticeably missing from the photo is Ange, who insisted on being the photographer so that she wouldn't have to be in the shot.

After lunch, Stacey headed to a movie (no? not a movie!) and I went to check out the Common Ground Community Garden. Community gardens are not really a new idea but they are experiencing a bit of a renaissance these days here in New Zealand. Kiwis, like many people around the world, are starting to ask critical questions about where their food comes from and what's behind it all.

The idea behind such gardens is to create semi-public spaces that are available to citizens for growing vegetables and other food crops. Participants share in the duties of the garden, which includes everything from moving compost piles (I did that on Sunday!) to planting seedlings. The garden becomes a micro-community, a place where people can get together and share information and form social bonds around a central effort. In the case of Common Ground, the land was made available through Sister Loyola of the Home of Compassion, herself a keen organic gardener. Click here for a very good article about the garden.

Nothing goes to waste in this garden. Old tyres are used as planters, and just about anything is used to form planting bed structures. The industrious gardeners use plastic scaffold sheeting (the blue stuff) to form protective wind buffers around the plants. The hill that Common Ground is located on is on receives strong (and sometimes cold) winds, so utilising trees and shrubs as a natural wind buffers will be important

The potential for learning in this project is huge and it's one of the reasons that I am interested. I've planted plenty of veggies in my day and done pretty well overall, but I've never done it from scratch. All my plants came from store-bought seeds or seedlings. I want to know how to harvest my own seed and preserve it from year to year. In the event that we someday buy a home, I'm keen to use permaculture techniques, something that they are doing at Common Ground and many other members are interested in as well. Composting (something I've tried with limited success) and worm farming (never done) are also on my list.

Tomatoes come in a lot more versions than just 'cherry' and 'big'?

I am also really interested in 'heirloom vegetables'--species that were once commonly grown by individual gardeners but have now mostly disappeared. There is almost zero diversity on the grocery store shelves these days. Increasingly, large corporations are the ones owning and overseeing mass food production. Like all corporations, they are more concerned with streamlining the process and ensuring profits are made than creating food that's good for us. Under the guise of 'controlling the spread of genetic plants' (something they created anyway) the seed companies now keep farmers under their thumb by making 'terminator seed' that will not reproduce. So, farmers must keep coming back to the seed manufacturers year after year as captive customer. Nice, eh?

Some statistics on the topic of biodiversity of food crops:
from The Listener, 12 May 2007 - "Time to Sow"

The Koanga Institute of New Zealand estimates that 95% of fruit and vegetable varieties once grown in New Zealand have been lost since 1920

In 1950, 100 types of tomatoes were grown in New Zealand. In today's supermarkets there are an average of three species on offer

In the U.S. in 1903, there were 46 different varieties of asparagus, 338 rock melons (cantaloupe) and 164 celery varieties on offer. Today, there are 3 varieties of asparagus, 27 rock melons, and three celery varieties

The Koanga Institute took 59 varieties of heirloom apples and tested their nutritional value alongside 10 commercial varieties; without fail, the heritage apples had significantly higher nutritional density. Monty's Surprise, an old apple, had four times the nutritional value of the commercial Red Delicious.

A grass roots movement of "seed savers" is on the rise (both here and elsewhere) in an effort to re-discover all of these heirloom plants before it's too late. It's sad that it's come to this, really, an a bit surprising. How did we get so disconnected from things? Vegetable gardening holds such special memories for me, I am surprised that more people are not into it. I remember as a kid going over to Pop Price's house in Collinsville, exploring his huge pumpkin patch, and walking through my grandpa Nagel's garden so he could show off his horticultural accomplishments (he was a very proud gardener) There's nothing quite like growing your own food, really. It's great fun, good for you, and good for the planet as well.

Glowing Skies of Rakiura

2008-01-25T22:26:00.000+13:00

These are some belated trip stories and photos, from November (where has the time gone?) when I traveled to Rakiura-Stewart Island. The photos below only hint at the alluring nature of Rakiura and words cannot really express how cool that place is...I must return there someday.

Stewart Island/Rakiura is the third-largest island of New Zealand. It lies 30 km south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. Its permanent population is slightly fewer than 400 people, most of whom live in the settlement of Oban.

You can get there by plane, helicopter or ferry. This was our plane. I took a photo of it because it was the smallest plane I had ever been on! There were about 10 passengers, among them four of my co-workers, and they were quite amused by my excitement (and fear). The ride over was very smooth, though...and I am told plane is the way to go, as crossing the Straight is reputed to be a rough ride every time, and a surefire recipe for seasickness.

The settlement of Oban is located on Half Moon Bay (sometimes used as an alternative name for the town). There are many boats anchored in the bay, and Oban has the flavour of a true seafaring culture.

The DOC visitor centre at Rakiura, which was where I spent most of my two days on the island. Fair enough, since it was a work trip and the VC was, after all, the primary reason for my visit. As with every DOC facility I have visited, I was extremely impressed by the dedication and high level of enthusiasm that the staff of the visitor centre show for their work. Even though I was itching to get outside and explore the island, the time was well-spent in their company and it was great to share ideas and discuss the work that DOC does on the island.

The visitor centre has some very well done interpretive displays! And, I hear they are received gratefully by wet trampers who wander in and are looking to kill some time while they wait out the rain. Fortunately the displays are extensive and interesting, because it can rain a lot on Rakiura!

I got up at 5:30 a.m. to watch the sunrise from one of the bays outside of town.

Not another person, not even a building, in sight.

The only other footprints on the beach other than mine were those of birds.

OK...so it seems I took that earlier plane photo prematurely! This plane is now officially the smallest aircraft I have ever been on!

My co-workers Nada and Odette were sitting in the back. I could not hear what they were saying, but I am certain they were having fun at my expense.

I sat in front the front seat with the pilot. It was very cool and very scary (because I am a wimp). He did a great job, though and again it was a smooth flight. Like many places in New Zealand I've seen so far, I've only just scratched the surface of Rakiura. Definitely on my list of places to return to and I highly recommend it as a destination.

Camping Forecast

2008-01-18T12:27:00.000+13:00

I would like everyone to note the forecast for our weekend camping trip..in particular the words "There is a 0% chance of precipitation."

2008-01-17T20:21:00.000+13:00

Few films in recent years have stuck with me days after seeing them the way 'I am Legend' has, and that's why I've chosen to talk about it this week...

Based on a 1954 science fiction novel by Richard Matheson, the film depicts a future in which a deadly (and human-created) plague wipes out most of mankind. Those who do not succumb and die from the plaque turn into violent zombie-things that resemble rabid vampires, their skin so sensitive to U.V. light that they can only come out after dark. A tiny percentage of people are immune to the disease...food for the zombies. Wil Smith plays a military scientist who is involved with containing the virus, and failing that, he chooses to lock himself down in a New York City 'bunker' and seek a cure, even as the rest of civilisation is crumbling around him.

To be fair, the film is fairly preposterous in terms of plot devices and loopholes. For a more expert dissection along those lines, check out Roger Ebert's even-handed review. One of the key reasons you overlook any serious weak spots is Wil Smith, who really does do an excellent job of generating sympathy for his character. I hope he receives an Academy nomination for this. And, the film is tense and scary. It helps to have a dog in the storyline--an almost surefire way to make some of us dog lovers bite our nails in anticipation of what would happen next.

However, what got me, and has kept me thinking about it was the hauntingly effective depictions of New York City in ruins (and in the process of destruction). The most frightening scene of all was when we see American fighter jets intentionally destroy the bridges to Manhattan Island in a futile effort to contain the virus. Years ago, before 9-11, such a scene would have been as preposterous as the zombies...but not any more.

Without sounding too dramatic, I just cannot get some of the images in that film out of my mind. Perhaps it's all the doom and gloom talk in the news lately, most of which I believe. In fact, if anything, I am starting to think that the ticking time bombs of peak oil, global warming, famine, bird flus and renegade nukes are minimized in the news. Nobody likes a downer story, especially not one where we all die. Britney Spears is much more fun. Let's talk about her.

There is a connection to New Zealand in all of this (I know you've been waiting for it, eh?)

I just finished reading a fine novel called 'The Chrysalids' by John Wyndham, probably most famous for bringing us 'The Day of the Triffids'. (Pals James and Alice gave me the book for Christmas--THANKS guys! I enjoyed it!)

In the Chrysalids, Wyndham describes a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has self-destructed in what sounds like nuclear holocaust (the Tribulation). Aberrations and mutations are rampant, and some bands of surviving human settlements have adopted strict religious codes that strictly forbid the presence of mutants among them. Any sign of abnormality is labeled a Deviation, not human, and banished to the wilderness fringes. Thus they protect themselves from possible impurities (which, in fairness, is necessary in this scenario) but in the process become heartless monsters without compassion for the innocent. Without recapping the entire book, let me just say that it's a compelling story and worth picking up.

What I really wanted to mention was the connection to New Zealand. In the Chrysalids, a distant land is mentioned...a place called Sealand that consists of two islands. The opening paragraphs of the book clearly describe, in sharp detail, what could easily be Wellington. Sealand is a pocket of survival, and though it was not immune to the effects of the Tribulation, it's clear that Wyndam's belief was that Aotearoa would fare better than most other countries in such a cataclysmic event.

This thought intrigued me. Is Aotearoa a safer place to be? Some people think so, and some may even choose to come here because of the idea. Other people are already here and preparing for the worst. Some of the statistics are in NZ's favour. We're geographically distant, yes. We also grow more than enough food to sustain our population if it ever came to that. Of course, we seriously lack the industrial capacity to support mass-produced food processing and packaging. Petroleum is involved in making everything--everything. Without it, we are in the dark ages inside of a decade. We also lack sufficient military strength to defend our shores from enemy invasion, or even the hordes of refugees that would likely turn up from Asia and Australia. Thankfully, the question is purely speculative, for now...and none of us have to become like the people in the Chrysalids.

I cannot help but wonder if I'm one of the stupid people, sitting here watching Survivor instead of learning how to actually survive. Its not the first time I have felt this way. Now, I'm not suggesting that I want to go and build a bunker and start stocking up on saltine crackers. But I really would like to follow in the footsteps of people like No Impact Man and the residents of Otamatea Evo Village.

Why? Well, I think it would be so awesome to live off the grid, grow much of our own food, and reduce our consumerism. Regardless of the disaster stuff--living more sustainably is just the right thing to do (and I get a lot of pride out of seeing what comes up in my garden!). But breaking the addiction of the modern lifestyle is tough, really tough. It's who we are. Yeah, we recycle and we have a compost bin. Big Deal. I know it's better than nothing, but in the grand scheme of things I know we could do a lot more. Just how do you make such a transition without everyone around you either thinking you are a freak or a fanatic?

I close with a photo taken at Palmyra, Syria. I visited this amazing place back in 2001, and remember thinking about the people of this magnificent city as I wandered the deserted streets. During ancient Roman times, Palmyra was a gem in the desert - a fabulously rich and powerful caravan city. Did those people ever imagine their temples and buildings would someday be in ruins? Probably not. Like us today, the thought was probably inconceivable. And yet, there it is...a silent reminder that nothing lasts forever.

Who would have guessed...

2008-01-16T17:54:00.000+13:00

...that George Stephanopoulos is
a memberof the evil Psi Corps?

Summer events

2008-01-15T06:48:00.001+13:00

One thing you can say about Wellington is that it's rarely boring. The capital is quite a busy place in summer, and we've been taking advantage of the many cultural events that seem to be prevalent this time of year. The Summer in the City programme runs from December to March and includes all kinds of activities, everything from free concerts in the Botanic Gardens to Dragonboat racing. The above photo was taken at a concert in the Botanic Garden last Thursday, 10 January. The band was the Vipers. It was a really nice evening, and we plan to hit a few more of the concerts in the series. We do feel lucky to live in a city that supports the Arts so fervently.

This coming weekend, we're going camping in the Orongorongo Valley, part of Rimutaka Forest Park. I am so looking forward to getting away for a bit. It's just an overnight trip, so nothing too complicated. There are a few nice walks near there and I am thinking we may even try to walk out to see Raukawa Lodge, one of DOC's "backcountry huts". Generally speaking, huts are a much more common method of staying in the wilderness than camping in a tent. They're an integral part of the backcountry experience here, and I am ashamed to say I've not stayed in one yet. Am curious to finally see one. Also curious to see what Stacey thinks of it, and whether I might be able to get her to stay in a hut one of these days! It will probably depend on which hut it is...as there are many different classifications of huts. Some are pretty flash (like Powell Hut) while others are, shall we say...pretty basic!

I'll post some pics next week of the camping...cross your fingers everyone that the weather stays at least somewhat warm! (It never gets truly HOT here in Welly!)

New year, new abode

2008-01-01T17:13:00.000+13:00

First off, we want to wish everyone out there a Happy New Year!

It's been a very busy month for us, and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and update the blog in quite a while. I doubt anyone (except perhaps the Moms and Dads out there) were eagerly awaiting news, but still I apologise for the silence.

Holidays
We spent Christmas Day brekkie with our friends Alice and James at their charming new home in Karori. We introduced them to waffles and "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" on video (they had already read the books, if I recall correctly). They meanwhile introduced us to Settlers of Cataan, a very fun board game. That game has been on my list of things to try for a long time, so I really enjoyed it. Strategy games are among my favourites (though my performance in the game seemed to indicate the opposite!) I think even Stacey liked it.

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas. (Incidentally, I did not know what Boxing Day was...until our friend Mike explained that this was traditionally a day where roles were reversed, and servants were 'served' by their employers / masters). In modern times, it means SALES! The equivalent day back in the U.S. would probably be Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. We spent the day appropriately shopping for a new washer and dryer (needed for the new place, below) and also bought a BBQ grill. All were on special (sale) and we got great deals, so could feel good about that. The BBQ was our truly splurge item, but we simply had to have it to properly enjoy our new patio area...right? Right.

A Christmas Cracker

After our shopping spree, our friends Mike and Michele had us over for a really nice dinner. There, we had to chance to experience yet another New Zealand tradition: Christmas Crackers. Like so many other holiday practices in Aotearoa, this one hails from the U.K. I am ashamed to admit that for the longest time when I saw these things in the stores, I actually thought they contained some sort of food item! It turns out they are little explosive packages with goodies in them! Great fun.

The upcoming summer months have lots in store for us. Besides pending visitors from the States, which I'll get to, there are also heaps of festivals, concerts and events coming up.

New home for 2008
We start 2008 in a completely new location--Miramar. As I mentioned in my previous post, it's a near-suburb of Wellington. We have spent the past couple of weeks getting moved in to our new place, a two-story home. I was pretty wiped-out there for a couple of days, but now that most everything is unpacked and things are settling down, my energy levels are coming back up.

It's a dramatic difference from living in town, and I can feel my stress levels dropping each day. Stacey is not as keen since she liked living in the city, but she's giving it a go and for that I am grateful. This house is big, I dare say larger than our place in Atlanta was. Ironically, size was not a primary factor in our decision to move. We are being cautious about taking on too much in the way of furniture, etc., ever-mindful of the fact that if/when we buy our own house we can be certain it will be quite small. Even so, it is nice to have a bit of room to spread out and even better to have an actual guest bedroom so that anyone wishing to come visit will have a proper place to stay. Both my Mom and Stacey's parents plan to visit in the late summer / early fall, for instance.

It was our friend Dawn who told us about it and honestly she deserves the $500 agent commission more so than anyone else. I knew the moment I saw the place that Stacey would like it because of the kitchen. We have seen some really crappy kitchens in rental properties here, and this one is fab by comparison. It has double ovens (although at the moment one of them is not working correctly, trying to sort that out...) and a great garden window that looks out into a rose garden. The appliances are pretty new, and it even has a garbage disposal (somewhat rare in rentals in NZ). I know...excited about a garbage disposal??? Silly Americans.

For me, the outdoor spaces were what I missed most about being in a proper home. This house has some great outdoor patio and garden areas, which really lifts my spirits. I cannot go crazy with the gardening, mind you, since it's not my house. But, it's still nice to dig in the dirt a little bit and I think even Stacey doesn't mind all of the fresh-cut roses that I bring in for her.

Living a little further away removes a lot of the unpleasantness that comes with an urban setting, but there are drawbacks too. For one, we'll be using public transit a lot more. I have nothing against public transit, even managing to endure Atlanta's MARTA system for two years while I was in college. But remember, my commute in the city was walking 5 minutes to the office--you simply cannot beat that. The bus will take 20-25 minutes which is not too bad. The cost is $95 for a Metlink monthly gold card pass (so $200 for each of us per month). It includes transport anywhere up to zones 1-3 on the network, and we're unlikely to travel outside those zones. Commuting cost is a major consideration for us, especially since we are faced with living outside of zone 3 someday. I wish that it was a bit more affordable.

Living in the suburbs is a necessary experiment. There is simply no way that we can afford to buy a home near the center of town. At least, not without it being the worst kind of fixer-upper you can imagine. Even empty land plots (sections, as they are called here) cost big bucks.

2008--Make or Break?
So, what does 2008 have in store for us? It's shaping up to be both enjoyable and potentially messy. Enjoyable because, like I said, we've got rellies (that's Kiwi for relatives) coming to visit. Stacey's parent's have been here before (her Dad grew up here, after all!) so much of New Zealand is not new to them. But it will be fun to show off Wellington, a place that we now are intimately familiar with. I think it rained every previous trip they made to the Windy City, so hopefully it will behave better this time!

My Mom and my cousin, Angel, will also be crossing the big pond. For them, New Zealand is a completely new experience! I'll be meeting them up in Auckland for a tour of the North Island, with the middle of the trip in Wellington, and finishing off down in Southland for a trip to Fiordland National Park. It should be terrific--I am crossing my fingers for great weather in February!

The messy side...well, let's just say that I am pretty certain 2008 will be the defining year in terms of our stay in New Zealand. We've been here long enough now to know the lay of the land, to understand the challenges, and to know what we have to do. The single most daunting task ahead of us is for both (or at least one) of us to acquire permanent, stable employment. We were so excited and relieved for Stacey to have acquired permanent employment recently, and I really felt things were on the right course. But, alas, on Christmas Eve she was notified that her position was being made redundant due to a department restructure. What does that mean? It means more uncertainty in an area that we thought was reasonably under control.

I have not progressed much in the job arena myself. My position is a long-term contract and not permanent. (Please don't misunderstand--I'm not complaining--it's much better than no job, and I love the work I am doing now) My sensibilities just tend towards wanting a permanent role. Maybe I should try to be more like Kiwis. Going from contract-to-contract doesn't seem to bother them in the least. They flitter about from one to the next, without an apparent worry. I have done a lot of adapting since coming to NZ, but one thing I cannot adapt to is taking on a $500,000 mortgage without having steady, secure incomes. I realise that I do tend to harp on about this home-buying stuff...perhaps it because owning a home is one of the deal-breakers for us staying here. This last move cost us $2000, and we're not prepared to do that every year. We have to get out from under other people's thumbs.

So, 2008 is an important year for us. We have a lot of work to do, and many resolutions to achieve. We're feeling reasonably optimistic, too. We'll just have to see how it goes...

Shifting

2007-12-12T21:54:00.000+13:00

Shifting is a word that Kiwis often use instead of moving when changing accomodations. We're shifting next week. It is the calm before the storm here. We've not really started packing, but are gathering things like boxes and wrappings. I expect this weekend the bug will bite me and I'll start boxing things up!

On the upside, this move happening at Christmas is a great opportunity since we'll have a few days off work anyway and don't have to take a lot of extra time for the project. We'll be in the new place for Christmas, and hopefully can get unpacked and settled pretty quickly. I promised Stacey that I would set up her little xmas tree over there as well, and I think we may have to leave it up into January to make up for the interruption.

On the downside, I'm tired. I think perhaps it's just that I really don't feel like moving. Don't get me wrong, the place we're going is beautiful and I'm excited to be getting out to the coast. It's just that after almost 2 years of solid, constant effort to make the leap to NZ...well, I'm just running out of steam. I'm sure that I'll muster the necessary energy to get through this move, and it will be good to start this next chapter of the Grand Experiment.

And hopefully by the end of 2008, the next shift will be our last for a long while.

Some changes to note

2007-12-01T09:54:00.000+13:00

Pōhutukawa, the New Zealand Christmas tree

Hi everyone,

There are a couple of important developments to report. First off, wanted to let everyone know that we have terminated our VOIP phone line (the one with the Atlanta number). We decided to do this after reviewing the monthly cost of using the service when compared to using a standard long-distance/international phone card. Turns out it's cheaper to just use a phone card. So, we will still be able to call the States with the same frequency. However you will not be able to call us on that number any more. For those of you that have been calling, this will be just as well since we often did not remember to check our messages on the VOIP anyway and this was immensely frustrating for you. For those of you who did not call anyway, then this doesn't affect you anyhow. I am researching phone cards to recommend for those of you (Moms and Dads being the target audience here) that will want to call.

In about 3 weeks, we are moving to Miramar. It''s a suburb on the edge of Wellington, probably most notable for being the area where Peter Jackson's various film studios are based. We're renting a very nice (and big) house out there. It's got three bedrooms, a beautiful kitchen, lots of sun, and a great patio out back for BBQs. The added space and accommodation will be handy for any overseas visitors in 2008.

We're going to have to adjust to some changes. Most notably, we'll no longer be able to walk everywhere. Wellington does have a good public transit system and we're going to give it a go. Not only is it more environmentally friendly, but because the buses have their own tunnel, they circumvent a lot of the rush hour traffic. Yes, even Wellington has it's share of rush hour traffic. Seems it's unavoidable no matter where you are!

Suburban living is in our future if we stay in Wellington, so it's just as well that we're taking this course of action. It's really just a matter of what kind of neighborhood we'll live in (by this, I mean purchase). Living in Miramar is going to give us a taste of 'coastal' living. The place has an almost Mediterranean feel to it. And there are some great beaches and shore sights all around the Miramar peninsula. I am looking forward to exploring it. In the end, we may decide that we prefer living in the bush-clad foothills (such as Karori or Brooklyn) instead of the flat coastal areas (like Miramar, Seatoun and Island Bay). Who knows...the only way to find out is by trying them on.

I'll post some pix of the place once we get in. We're scheduled to move in on the 23rd, so will spend most of our Christmas season in transit.

Cheers,

William

Across the Ditch

2007-11-12T21:41:00.000+13:00

Lots to report...prepare to read...

Sydney Opera House

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Sydney, Australia for the annual conference of the Interpretation Australia Association. For those of you who are wondering, interpretation is what I do for a living. Although the fundamentals are similar (helping people grasp meaning) this is not referring to translating language. In this context, we can use Freeman Tilden's definition: "Interpretation is an educational activity which aims to reveal meanings and relationships through the use of original objects, by firsthand experience, and by illustrative media." Interpretation can be an exhibit in a visitor centre or museum, a wayside exhibit in a park or a tour led by a ranger or guide. When you start looking for interpretation, you suddenly see it everywhere.

Museum Station. Note the same logoform as that used on London's Underground.

Anyhow, enough about my work. I know you really just want to hear more about Sydney! It's one of the world's great cities, and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring it. I knew Sydney was big, but honestly was not aware just how big (typical clueless American) until I entered the subway station and saw the rail network map. That's when I realised the scale of the place--it's huge! It reminded me of New York City in many ways. There are diverse neighborhoods, some of which have distinct ethnic flavours, like Chinatown and the Spanish Quarter.

Sydney's Chinatown

It was strangely enjoyable to be in a city with some real age on it, made even more noticeable by the fact that they use so much stone and brick in their architecture. This is not so common in Wellington, due to our affinity for earthquakes.

The Rocks Historic District

The Rocks historic district reminds me very much of the French Quarter in New Orleans, or perhaps the Landing in St. Louis. They offer ghost tours of the old quarter, complete with candle lanterns to carry as you walk the dark alleys in search of convict history. Meanwhile, huge masses of flying foxes (that's bats to you Americans--with 3 foot wingspans, no less!) fly overhead. It seems they roost over in the nearby Botanic Gardens by day, and come out in swarms at dusk to take over the night sky. It's fantastic.

St Mary's Cathedral as seen from Hyde Park

A lot of the Victorian-era buildings have been adapted into modern uses such as shopping facilities. I was gobsmacked when roaming the catacombs of the Strand and the Queen Victoria Building's arcades. Sydney knows how to do shopping...even I was in the mood to behave like a capitalist. I told Stacey that I wanted to come back there with her and about $3,000 and do some serious shopping! Modern contemporary architecture is not neglected, whether it be the famous Opera House or the Sydney Tower. The Opera House of course is Sydney's most famous and recognisable landmark, a status completely deserved. It's pretty amazing to see in person.

Sydney is a harbour city, with a seagoing culture and ships of all kinds adding to the atmosphere of the place. Ferries are a routine form of transportation for locals, just like a bus or train, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are old and rickety looking, while others are slick and fast catamarans (called "River Cats"). In Darling Harbour, the Maritime Museum displays a replica of the Endeavor alongside decommissioned submarines and modern naval vessels. Boats are everywhere, and the harbour is dotted with dozens of sailboats of all shapes and sizes, mixed in among the various larger ferries and massive cargo tankers.

Replica of Endeavor, on display at the Maritime Museum

The Harbour Bridge spans the waterway and is almost always looming, an imposing and beautiful structure. Visitors can take "Bridge Walk" tour where you climb to the top of the bridge walking along the upper edge! I did not have time to do it on this trip, unfortunately. Both the experience and the price are not for the timid, but I am told it's a must-do. Hopefully I'll have an opportunity to try to hit it next time.

Jacaranda trees in bloom on the waterfront (these trees are their version of the Dogwood)

Sydney Harbour Bridge

No travel to Australia from New Zealand would be complete without a comparison of weather! Of course, all my Australian mates at work were espousing how warm it was going to be in Sydney. I packed somewhat light, but am ever cautious. I also knew that even in warm climes, boat rides can be cold! This was wise, since it seemed that our NZ delegation brought our cold and wet weather along with us. The temps were in the high-teens (should have been in mid-upper 20's, I think) and it rained quite a bit the first few days. Wind combined with the rain and cool weather to make it feel like a Wellington day! It didn't matter, I was having too much fun exploring. And, on my last day there it was a perfect, perfect day. Blue skies and sun. Awesome.

Mmmm...Krispy Kreme donuts. I had to have one, even though I know better.

I was curious to see the differences between Australia and New Zealand in terms of culture. Admittedly, using Sydney as a measure is hardly representative of the whole country. It's such an international city that is has a global mix. I did find notice "Americanisation" of things like spelling was a bit more common. And, Sydney-siders like American-style donuts (something not so popular in New Zealand). Perhaps the strongest testament to this was the presence of Krispy Kremes. I literally stopped in my tracks when I saw the sign! I proceeded to go in and order a plain glazed donut and a coffee, and babbled to the checkout girl about how "I lived in Atlanta where Krispy Kremes originated, and we used to look for the hot donuts now sign to be on." She just stared at me and said "uh-huh" with her eyes. I decided to shut up, suspecting she would call security if I uttered one more word.

Manly Beach. Too bad I did not bring my togs, it was actually warm enough to swim!

That last day was a Saturday, and it was my 'free day' to do something fun. I hopped on a ferry named the Freshwater and took a ride out to Manly Beach, at the North Head entrance to the harbour. I proceeded to have breakfast on the beach and then did a really nice walk around the peninsula. Geographically, this was an important defense point for the city during World War II. The remains of gun turrets and military installations can still be found along the track (trail). As the track climbs through the bush, the view occasionally opens up to reveal sheer cliff walls and ocean waves crashing beneath. Always on the lookout for Australia's signature wildlife, I knew that this area did not have any wild kangaroos or wombats. But I was lucky enough to hear and see a flock of laughing kookaburras. Their call was instantly recognisable. A good end to a great trip.

View of the rocky shoreline from North Head peninsula

Next week, I'll be posting about a backlog of old news including Halloween, a trip to Tongariro National Park, and some updates on our personal lives (which are going fine). As a teaser, here's a photo of Stacey in her Halloween costume. I'll let you ponder what her inspiration was. Hehe.

Ka Pai te Wiki (A good week)

2007-10-06T15:49:00.002+13:00

Wow, what a week it has been. It's hard to know where to start, but here goes...

To begin with, Stacey has accepted a position at Meridian Energy! She got news of it just last week, and will be working in their communications division. To be completely honest, I am not exactly sure what her job duties will entail other than it's involved in print comms, so for details I suggest you ask her. At any rate, she is very excited and will be starting this coming Monday.

Stacey's earlier career counseling moments

She'll be working in their new office building which is sitting literally right on the waterfront down near Queen's Wharf. We had a walk down there to see it today and it's looking pretty impressive. She'll be able to step outside and be at the water's edge.

Looks like Stacey's 'work environment' is gonna be pretty crappy, eh? Meridian's building is the one with the angled rooftop straight ahead.

The office itself looks very cool, and is getting a lot of attention because it's going to be one of New Zealand's most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings. This fits very well with Meridian's overall focus on renewable electricity generation and sustainability, enabling it to be the only energy provider in New Zealand that can claim a carbon-neutral status. This was the reason we chose to use Meridian for our utilities when we arrived here.

This Tui beer billboard (part of a series) seemed appropriate given this week's subject matter!

I'm very happy for Stacey, and although it took a bit longer to find something than she might have liked, I think the wait will be worth it. Many people have commented that Meridian is a great company to work for. I am also very proud of both of us that we've managed to land jobs in two progressive organisations that are key to conservation/environmental efforts here in New Zealand. It makes you feel good about going to work.

In other news... On Friday, I returned from a week at Papawai Marae in Greytown, in the Wairarapa. I spent 4 days on the marae as part of a wananga (learning course) provided by Department of Conservation called Te Pukenga Atawhai. During the course, staff are welcomed onto the marae and spend four challenging and mind-expanding days immersed in Māori language, customs, culture, beliefs and conversation.

Papawai Marae; In the foreground is the waharoa (gate) and in he distance is the wharenui (Hikurangi) or ancestral meeting house. Papawai is historically significant as the birthplace of the Maori parliamentary movement in the late 1800's

In our line of work, an understanding of these things is not just helpful. It can be absolutely invaluable. Iwi are increasingly engaging in management decisions relating to conservation land in New Zealand, and understandably so. For us as employees of DOC, it's really important that we are not only attuned to Māori concerns, but also capable of interacting in a manner that is both respectable and appropriate according to traditional customs. For me as an American newcomer to New Zealand, this knowledge has special value, but I dare say that many native-born Kiwis would benefit from the experience just as much.

A waka (canoe) at the marae. The carvings feature freshwater eels, among other things, which are a staple of the cuisine from Iwi in the Wairarapa.

I was not sure what to expect going into it, to be honest. I was enthusiastic and eager to learn, but was a little worried about how I would perform in terms of speaking the language. So far, my pronunciation of te reo Māori has been pretty poor, hindered by the fact that no one here (including Kiwis) say Māori words with anything resembling consistency. After having completed the course, I can see why they are so miffed about the mis-pronunciation of their words--we are getting it all wrong! I had just about given up trying to get it right on my own. Other concerns... I had been told there was going to be lots of singing (waiata) and group roleplaying activities, both of which made me nervous as I have an aversion to them. Lastly, I had some silly reservations about the idea of staying in a meeting house with all these people I didn't know very well. The introvert in me was anxious.

Speaking of them, our class consisted of about 45 people who came from several different functional areas and DOC offices. There were also a two guests from Sweden who were there to participate and observe, related to researching a project of their own. Several people came from Head Office, including my immediate supervisor.

The palisaded fence line of the marae features carvings of figures. Normally, all of the carvings face outwards. In the case of Papawai, however, only the four large pou on the corners face outwards and all of the others face inward. Papawai is the only marae where this is the case.

To give you an extremely condensed version of events, the course started with a powhiri (a formal welcoming ceremony) to commemorate the arrival of our group to Papawai Marae. I remember being both excited and pretty clueless as we passed through the waharoa (gate) into the marae. Speakers went back and forth, a koha was presented, waiata were sung, and noses were pressed in greeting (hongi). As the songs, speeches and procession moved along, I didn't really have a firm grasp of what was going on. I felt like an outsider. Not unwelcome, mind you, but not really understanding what was happening. In the days following, we would learn in great detail what the powhiri is all about, and even have the opportunity to welcome visitors onto the marae playing the role of the 'home people'. I would also come to understand the significance of our being there and how special it was, both to us and to the tangata whenua.

Wharenui Hikurangi, the ancestral meeting house at Papawai.

Our course content included an exploration of the Māori world view, including creation stories and the pantheon of gods that form the basis of those beliefs. These stories are closely tied to the value systems that Māori hold dear, and it explains a great deal about their relationship with the land. We also learned about terminology regarding social structures and organisation. This was most informative, since I had been quite puzzled about the differences between terms like tangata whenua, iwi, hapu and whenua. It also shed light on just who to talk to when you needed to seek consultation with Iwi. Another valuable session was about the Treaty of Waitangi, the 1840 document signed between the Crown and most(but not quite all) of the Māori tribal leadership. The Treaty still forms the basis of Māori-Pakeha relations in Aotearoa and is the source of much confusion and many problems. You only need to read a bit about it's history to see what I'm referring to there.

The absolute best sessions (IMHO) were those that taught us about relationships and interaction with Māori. Much of this involved language and protocol. The culmination of our efforts on this front would be the writing and presentation of our own mihimihi. There was a lot of anxiety about this, as all of us wanted to do our best and tried hard to deliver the speech from memory. Here is my mihi, as spoken to the group on the final day of the course:

Tihei mauriora!
E te whare
E te marae
Tena korua, tena korua, tena korua.
E nga mate
haere, haere, haere
E nga rangatira, te iwi kainga
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.
Ko Wiremu ahau. Ko Kennesaw taku maunga.
Ko Mississippi taku awa. Ko Cahokia taku wahi rangatira.
E mahi ana ahau kei te tari a te Papa Atawhai ki Poneke.
He kaimatanga whakarite ahau mo te tari matua.
Kei te tino koa toku ngakau.
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa

Me, delivering my mihi

Words cannot really express how challenging and enjoyable this experience was. All of my earlier concerns faded away as they days went on, and I came to feel more comfortable at the marae. Even so, there was heaps to absorb and little time to do it. We started at 7:00 a.m. each day and often ended after 9:00 p.m. Perhaps it's just a mild case of exhaustion at work, but by the completion of te Pukenga Atawhai you are feeling quite emotional about the whole thing and about life in general. Your 'classmates' become like extended family. We had grown so much and you could really tell it. It's not an easy thing to do, but I would recommend this experience (or one like it) to everyone who has the opportunity.

In the end, I not only came away with a better understanding of Māori, but I also feel like I've come away with a better understanding of myself. Some of this was renewed affirmation of why I came to New Zealand in the first place.

I will be forever grateful to my family at Papawai and to our Pou Kura Taiao instructors for sharing their knowledge with us, for their patience as we struggled to find our way, and for DOC for making the programme available. As promised, they created a non-threatening environment in which we could expand our horizons way beyond where they were originally. In return, I pledge that this information will not go to waste and that it will not be the end of my journey on this particular waka.

I close with this shot of Makara Beach, about 25 minutes northwest of Wellington. We visited there this past weekend to do the coastal walk. In the distance you can see the South Island. This place, like so many others in New Zealand, is at the crossroads of the past and the future. An ancient Ngati Ira pa site sits very close to where this photo was taken, while the hills nearby are soon to be the site of a new wind farm that will soon provide power to Wellington.

2007-09-28T07:00:00.000+12:00

A few weeks ago I did an interview via VOIP line with Bernard Kearse for the Radio Sandy Springs show "Following Your Passions." You can download the show in MP3 format by clicking here.

Around the Harbour

2007-09-23T11:45:00.000+12:00

Matiu-Somes Island

Spring is approaching (albeit grudgingly) and it's made exploration a little more palatable. Long on my list of to-do's was a visit to Matiu-Somes island, and this Saturday we finally made the trip over to do a tour. I've included lots of links to explore topics in more detail, too...

The island sits prominently in the middle of Wellington Harbour, and is accessible via the East by West Ferry service which stops there several times a day.

Right: View from the back of the boat as Wellington fades into the distance.

A return trip on the ferry costs $18.50 We had a 2-for-1 coupon in our Entertainment Book, so it worked out really well. We planned the day so that we would spend several hours on the island, have a picnic lunch, and then board the ferry for a "Tour of the Harbour" as it made stops in Petone, Day's Bay and Seatoun before coming back to Queen's Wharf. The weather cooperated beautifully and it the boat ride was a treat.

Yucca-like "Cabbage trees" are common on Matiu-Somes.

The majority of our day, however, was spent exploring the island itself. Matiu-Somes is a scientific and historic reserve that was only recently opened to the public. Maori occupied the island for generations prior to the arrival of Europeans. The island's name is bilingual and designated in 1997 to reflect both the Maori and European heritage. Matiu was the name of one of Kupe's daughters, while Somes refers to Joseph Somes, the deputy-governor of the New Zealand Company which owned the island during British colonial times.

The sun was out and we didn't even need to wear our coats!

The island has seen a lot of history, some of it not so pleasant. Up to and during World War II, the island was used as an enemy internment camp and a military defense post, and also as a human and animal quarantine station. There are many historical structures on the island that tie to these events including old bunkers, a hospital, gun emplacements and a cemetery and memorial monument to those who lived and died here. Visitors can explore all of these as they roam about the island on a series of tracks.

The lighthouse at Matiu-Somes was built in 1900 and continues to guide ships safely into the Harbour.

Not every animal on Matiu-Somes is super rare, but I still could not resist shooting photos of this Red Admiral butterfly and a cute lamb who stopped to check us out. A handful of sheep remain on the island under the management of DOC staff...I am not sure why, though. Perhaps......in case someone gets hungry?

Today, the island is an important refuge for native species and place of historical importance. DOC has gone to great lengths to eradicate mammalian pest species from the island. In fact, when you get off the boat, the firs thing they do is herd you into a room where they ask everyone to check their bags for possible stowaway rodents. Everyone laughs at this, of course, but it's not impossible and DOC rangers say that it does happen! Now that the animal pests have been removed, the park managers and stakeholders are focussing on eradicating pest plants. This task is enormous and will be even more difficult, but the results of their efforts are starting to show as large tracts of the island slowly revert back to native bush with a little help from humans.

Stacey stops to smell the Hebe which were in bloom all over the island. If we ever own a house here, this native plant is high on my list to have in the garden.

Reclaimed island habitats are a great place to nurture threatened and at-risk species, and Matiu-Somes features a number of rare species. The most notable is probably the Tuatara, an ancient reptile whose lineage dates to the age of the dinosaurs. It was recently reported that babies were found on the island, so scientists now can confirm that the Tuatara are breeding. This is great news. While we did not see one, I was constantly on the lookout and spotted several of its cousins - skinks! There were heaps of birds around including Kakariki (red-crowned parakeet), Silvereyes and many seabirds. On the invertebrate side, we got to see a brood of giant weta in a weta hotel on the trackside.

A "Weta Motel"...the critters live inside of the hollowed tree trunk, and visitors can open a trap door to take a look. They are huge!

Shag Point, with a view of Wellington in the distance.

Red Rocks and Seals

2007-09-14T21:57:00.000+12:00

The coastal areas are around Wellington bordering the Cook Straight are spectacular. At the end of a scenic 20-minute drive the road deposits you at the entrance to Red Rocks Coastal Walk. From the carpark, it's a short walk (about 1 hour) around the shoreline to a New Zealand fur seal haulout area! These seals are all males, and apparently about 80 of them come to this area in between breeding seasons to congregate. We had been to this walk a couple of times before, but never allowed enough time to walk all the way out to Sinclair Head to see the seals. This time we went there specifically for it.

As you can see, they blend in quite well with their surroundings and you have to be careful when you walk among the rocks so you don't get too close to one of them! Truth be told, you know when you are near them long before you spot one. They are really smelly! The Maori name for this seal is Kekeno.

Mostly they just sit there looking lazy, like big dogs with flippers. Occasionally one would look up at us and yawn. We got a little too close to one of them and he sauntered off to get behind a rock where we could not see him or take his photo. Soon they will head back out to sea to meet up with the girls and do the mating thing. Most of the breeding areas are on the South Island, but I believe there are also a few on the North Island around the Wairarapa. The NZ Department of Conservation does quite of bit of work around marine mammals to track their populations and migratory habits.

Stacey and I packed a lunch which we ate on the rocks and watched the seals. It was a really nice day, and we kinda needed to get out of the city (well, I did at least) for a little while. It's easy to forget how close we are to this sort of beauty because we're just getting on with our day-to-day lives now. Important to remember to enjoy it. Now that we've seen the seals, the penguins are next on my agenda in terms of marine wildlife. Not sure when they start coming around, so will need to check on that...

Street Art

2007-08-26T09:56:00.000+12:00

This week's entry is going to be light on substance but fun to look at. More substantive thoughts and commentary are forthcoming, though, as we approach the 1-year anniversary of our arrival here in New Zealand....

Wellington is an artistic city (and very self-aware of it, I might add). One of the things I've enjoyed about living in Wellington is the plethora of street art that's all over the place. Where they existed, links are included to sites that can tell you more about the artist and work.

"Ferns" (by Neil Dawson)
This sculpture is suspended by fine wires so that it appears to be floating over the square. Surrounding the square are metal Nikau palms, and in the distance is the a building done in an Egyptian pyramidal style. This is a great place to eat lunch on a nice day.

"Invisible City" (Anton Parsons)
I have no idea what these are...they stand over 2 metres tall and are very mysterious. Dominos for blind giants, perhaps?

"Protoplasm" (wind sculpture by Phil Price)
Not surprisingly, wind sculptures are everywhere in Wellington.

In this magnificent bronze statue (one of many scultpures on the waterfront) we see Kupe Raiatea the explorer and his wife Hine Te Aparangi and Pekahourangi the Tohunga sight Aotearoa (New Zealand) from their canoe Matahourua.

Maori-inspired designs can be found all over the city, even on manhole covers.

This giant Tui stands atop the Forest & Bird building just outside our apartment.

Street art murals, artist unknown. These murals no longer exist. They were painted on a temporary wall during construction work, and for once I had the foresight to snap a photo of them before they disappeared.

Not sculpture, really, but fun. This clever sign directs caffeine and brunch addicts alike to Cafe L'affare. Come to think of it, this was the first place I had lunch at during our trip here in 2005 when some of the Te Papa Museum staff took me. Nice place, great coffee!

Blame Canada

2007-08-14T18:11:00.000+12:00

Last week, we were watching the US news shows (Stacey tapes them) and seeing the reports of the wild weather in the Northeastern US. Frigid air had come down and mixed with warm air, resulting in storms and generally causing chaos.

As I was watching the graphics for this news story, I suddenly realised something about the way they labelled the graphic...

It wasn't cold air that was causing the trouble. And it wasn't even northern or arctic air. It was Canadian air. Oversight or intentional, what do you think? They may as well have added some bomber planes with maple leaves on their wings to the graphic.

I am a little surprised the red air coming from the South was not labelled 'Cuban air'.

Here's a link to a funny commentary that explores this topic further...

Belief-o-Matic

2007-07-29T09:37:00.000+12:00

I was talking with my Mom by phone the other day about church, and I was telling her about how I had attended a Unitarian Universalist church for a bit of time while back in Atlanta.

I liked it because I agreed with the philosophy and outlook of the church. It was a place that made room for people like me, who consider themselves to be 'spiritual' on some level but don't have the traditional beliefs that fit in the moulds of other organised religions. I went for while, but eventually got too busy to go every weekend and it just kinda tapered off. It was fine, though. I was seeking something when I went to the church and had gotten what I needed/wanted out of the experience. It was never my intention to attend every Sunday for the rest of my life.

Anyhow, it did start me thinking about religion in New Zealand, and Wellington in particular. What are the predominant religious groups here? According to Statistics New Zealand, more than half the population affiliate with a Christian religion, of which Anglican, Catholic and Presbyterian are the largest denominations. The largest non-Christian religions are Buddhist, Hindu, Islam/Muslim, and Spiritualism and New Age religions.

While websurfing this topic, I came across something very funny which you might like to try yourself, particularly if you are wondering about how your beliefs fit with others. It's called the
Belief-o-Matic. It's an online quiz that analyses your belief structure and outlook.

Here were my results:

1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Liberal Quakers (94%)
3. Theravada Buddhism (85%)
4. Mahayana Buddhism (84%)
5. Neo-Pagan (79%)
6. New Age (78%)
7. Secular Humanism (77%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (72%)
9. Taoism (71%)
10. New Thought (68%)
11. Scientology (66%)
12. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (58%)
13. Jainism (58%)
14. Bahá'í Faith (56%)
15. Reform Judaism (55%)
16. Hinduism (55%)
17. Orthodox Quaker (52%)
18. Nontheist (45%)
19. Sikhism (36%)
20. Orthodox Judaism (29%)
21. Seventh Day Adventist (24%)
22. Islam (22%)
23. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (20%)
24. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (17%)
25. Jehovah's Witness (12%)
26. Eastern Orthodox (10%)
27. Roman Catholic (10%)

These numbers were really interesting (well, at least to me). Unitarian was at the very top with 100%. Seems I was on the right trail there, eh? I'll confess I didn't even who the Liberal Quakers (at #2) were! In recent years, I've been increasingly interested in learning more about the various Buddhist belief systems, and the quiz seems to have reinforced that. At the bottom was Roman Catholic, which historically was the religion of my Mom's side of the family which had strong Sicilian-Italian roots.

Exploring Wellington, Chapter 1

2007-07-27T21:00:00.000+12:00

The new few posts, which will appear in sporadic waves, will take you on little tours of our new home town of Wellington. Note that they are not necessarily shown in chronological order. Indeed, some of the photos will have been taken randomly on any given day as I was walking down the street. Maybe I saw something interesting, or that struck me funny. I have heaps of photos like that which just never seem to "fit" with other posts. Remember to click the blue links to learn more about a particular highlighted item...

A few weeks ago (gosh, I think it was over a month ago...time is flying!) Stacey and I decided to explore the Wellington's Town Belt Walks, a network of paths that criss-cross all over hills around the city.

We started the walk on the path near Aro street, near Te Aro school (the colourful buildings, above). We walk through the neighborhood every day, had noticed the signs for the walking tracks (paths) and made a note to explore them sometime.

The paths take you through all sorts of terrain, up and down hills and past creeks and bridges. Sometimes it's so quiet you forget you are still in the city. Occasionally you reach a peak and get great views of the harbour and the city beyond. The walkways are not difficult or steep, but it can be confusing sometimes when it comes to finding your way. Signs are often hard to spot and you really have to look for them.

Speaking of getting lost, of course we did just that. It turns out there are lots of paths with different names that comprise the town belt walks. We were clueless. We ended up on the City to Sea Walkway, which takes you all the way out to Island Bay. We were lost, but were having fun exploring, and walked quite a while before finally deciding to get off the path. We ended up catching a bus back to town from Newtown.

And now, speaking of Newtown where it's located, we take a short tour of the Wellington Zoo! It's has been a while since I've been to a zoo. Wellington zoo is small in comparison to some others I've seen, but seems very well run (at least from what little you can tell on the surface). One indicator I use to gauge a zoo's character is how the animals are behaving. Do they seem happy and active? Are they healthy looking? Are their enclosures clean and well-designed? I would say that Wellington zoo's inhabitants scored high marks on all of the above.

A Meerkat and an Australian Pelican (he was HUGE!)

Wellington Zoo has the funniest signs. Almost all of them feature a cartoon person being assaulted by one of the animals, a direct side effect of some inappropriate behaviour. The way the signs are worded is explicit and leaves no room for misinterpretation. There is no mistaking what will happen if you break the rules. "If you lean over the fence, you will fall in and the lions will eat you." OK, maybe I'm exaggerating about being eaten, but it's almost that funny!

The signs may have been clever, but they did not appear to keep everyone in line. We observed as an annoying woman showed her brat how to poke at an Emu bird through the fence using a rolled-up zoo map. Stacey suggested to the woman that she was not being a good role model, but the words fell on deaf ears. I wanted to grab her hand and stick it through the fence and let the Emu bite it!

A baby roo with momma

It was while watching the Emu lady that I remembered one of the main things I don't like about going to the zoo. I can't stand the people. Either zoos attract the lowest common denominator or we all are taking stupid pills when we walk through the gates, because people in zoos exhibit some of the worst behaviour. Why is that? Who knows. At least most of the enclosures at Wellington Zoo are very large and provide plenty of hiding spaces for the animals. When the animals have had enough of homo sapiens, they can get out of the spotlight.

This gorgeous tiger came very close to the fenceline.

Stop & Notice

2007-07-23T20:30:00.000+12:00

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Walking into the office today, I noticed five or six little colorful birds milling about under a tree. Their colours were striking, really quite remarkable, and I stopped to watch them a few minutes. I did not know what they were, but I was pretty sure they were not a New Zealand native. I made a mental note of what they looked like and when I got to my computer, I Googled "bird red face new zealand". Sure enough, up popped the bird(s) I had seen. And as expected, it was a transplant from Europe: A goldfinch, sometimes called a thistle-finch.

There are a lot of introduced species here, most of which are regarded with disgust because of the damage they do to the native ecosystems. Possums, hedgehogs, stoats, feral cats, rabbits, red deer, wild pigs, carp, goats, rats, weasels, and more. If you think that list is long, let me tell you: the list of vertebrate pests is nothing compared to plants.

Interestingly, in the case of these little finches, they are actually more widespread here in New Zealand than they are in Europe. Due to trapping for the pet trade, and a series of diseases that plagued the species in recent years, their numbers have declined greatly in their native range.

Yet, as I watched these little birds, I could hardly regard them as pests, even though the Mr. Spock part of me knew they were. They compete for resources with native species, and contribute to the spread of invasive, exotic pest plants like thistle by spreading their seed. Perhaps less destructive than a possum, yes, but still a guest that Aotearoa would have rather been without.

All I could think about while I watched was how beautiful they were, and how it was not their fault.

48 Hour film (last post)

2007-07-21T18:11:00.000+12:00

Last post on this topic, I promise. You can view Destination Earth on YouTube by clicking here!

Paris is the winner (big shock)

2007-07-19T17:46:00.000+12:00

Indeed, my first poll on the blog was rather lame and there was never any real competition for Paris Hilton. I was the only person who voted for Celine, and that was just to add some interest--Paris would have gotten my vote normally. Now, for those of you who would like to take this a step further, I've found just the place...a website where you can sign a petition that will certify Paris Hilton is useless!

This month's poll is a little more personal, and particular to Stacey and me. I will be curious what everyone says...and a little nervous. Just remember, it's anonymous.

-William

An article to read...

2007-07-17T20:43:00.000+12:00

I recently wrote an article for SciFi Dimensions and Phoenixine about being a science fiction fan in New Zealand. Although the subject matter is slanted to geekdom, some of you friends and family types may also enjoy it.

Click here to read the article.

New pet...sorta

2007-07-15T20:15:00.000+12:00

No, it's not a dog! But it was my wish to have a tree fern once we came to New Zealand and we're not letting our tiny apartment patio stop us. So here it is, our new pet tree fern...more properly known as Dicksonia squarrosa.

We bought the plant at the supermarket (Pak-N-Save) for $18. I'm sure many people were amused as the thing took up our entire shopping cart. And, it's kinda goofy because as exotic as they seem to Americans, the things grow all over New Zealand and are quite common. Stacey still makes fun of me for taking so many photos of tree ferns (see below) but I just love them and can't get enough. When you are in the bush surrounded by these things it's like being in a primeval, prehistoric world. If / when we buy a home, I am going to plant them all over! For those of you planning a trip here, be warned that I will take you to see tree ferns and probably talk about them at length. When you are tired of hearing about them, please don't hesitate to tell me to shut up.

Talking about tree ferns

Its maori name is Wheki (pronounced "feckie") and the species is Dicksonia squarrosa. The label says the plant can grow to 8 metres tall at a rate of about 10 cm. per year (which is good, because if it grows too fast we are going to have a problem with that patio...). Supposedly it likes shade and moist conditions, so I think the hardest part for us will be remembering to water it.

A handout I did for a Welly Rocks walking tour of
Otari Wilton's Bush Reserve, for those of you who
want to get started learning your NZ native species

Winter in Wellington

2007-07-14T11:23:00.000+12:00

Hello everyone. This week is gonna be kinda a lame post in terms of the visuals (no pictures) but hopefully have a bit more substance in terms of the writing...

About now, those of you back in the Northern Hemisphere are probably enjoying really hot temperatures and balmy, muggy summer days. Meanwhile, winter has settled in here in Wellington. It actually took quite a while to get here. Up until a few weeks ago, we were enjoying mild temperatures and frequently sunny days. This past week has really marked the change, with almost constant rain and temps in the mid-40's (F). The city actually reminds me very much of St. Louis in the winter time, except without the threat of snow. About the worst you will get here is a hard freeze.

We've been pretty busy lately, mostly with social activities. We've normally got a pretty full slate of activities and have met a lot of fun, interesting people. "MeetIn" (a social event/ networking web site) has kept us particularly busy. Tonight we're going to a party hosted by some friends from California who have recently moved here. The party theme will be card games and such, so I'm gonna bring the Werewolf card game which is usually pretty fun. Tomorrow morning we're going to Yum Char (Dim Sum) and then I have some guys coming over in the afternoon to play Dungeons & Dragons. So, lots going on.

There are rumours that our apartment building is being sold. Hard to know exactly what is happening. Our understanding is that the apartments may be sold off individually as condos, and if this happens we may need to move soon. Our lease ends at the end of September. Not sure what will happen or where we'll go. Accomodation prices in Wellington are astronomical, which includes housing prices. Interest rates keep getting raised by the government as the Kiwi dollar continues to climb and the exchange rate against the US dollar is at an all-time high (.78 to 1). So, we don't want to buy anything now since it would mean transferring our US savings at a particularly bad time. That means we're gonna be renting for at least another year. It feels wrong to be dumping money into rent, like throwing it out the window, and I know this comes from being a home owner and knowing what it's like to build equity in property. But, for now, it's a necessary evil.

Also on the money front, I am in the midst of trying to figure out my New Zealand taxes (the US taxes are done). Gonna try to make this really short and general, but the gist of it is that I LOATH the process of filing taxes and am totally confused and it's like trying to understand an alien language. And now, I have two of them to file every year. Most frustrating is that everyone around me says "how easy NZ taxes are to do, so much easier than the US!" Yes, well that is true if you are in a regular full-time job where they deduct your taxes, but try being an independent contractor for a partial year...it gets a little more complicated. And I don't care what anyone says...NZ's tax system (IRD) may be smaller but they've got just as much of a love of forms, acronyms and legalese as the IRS. One of our friends is a tax accountant and she has kindly offered to take a look and I think I'm gonna have to take her up on it. Either that, or just hire someone and suffer the financial consequences. Friends report that you can expect to pay $600-$800 to hire an accountant for a tax return here. Ummm...OK...and do I also get some sort of hot sex with that tax return? I should, for that amount of money. (Sorry, Mom, block your ears...)

What else have we been up to...

Well, it's not Earth-shattering or anything, but I've actually been doing a little bit of drawing lately. With an actual pencil and not a computer, too. I've wanted to get back to creating art, and it was one of the things I hoped to have time to pursue once we got to New Zealand. Drawing is like speaking another language or writing/playing music. Some people come to it easier or more naturally, yes, but you still have to practice. I am way, way out of practice. Computers are one of the worst things to have happened to my artistic abilities. I rely on them too much. So, my goal is to break away from them at least 2-3 times a week and do some old-fashioned drawing. I take my sketchbook out during my lunch hour and doodle. They are sad little drawings, of random things. Sometimes it feels like I lose control of the pencil, while at other times it does exactly what I wanted. I can at least feel myself getting better. I may even post some of the sketches on here someday when I feel they show enough improvement.

I am not abandoning computers entirely though. I am enrolled in two short courses coming up at the Dowse. The first is a Photoshop class and the other is a sculpting class, both being put on by WETA workshop alumni. I am especially looking forward to the Photoshop class, and have even bought a wacom drawing tablet to practice with (something I never had). The course will be taught by Greg Broadmore who was one of the key artists on King Kong. He developed a lot of the concept artwork for Skull Island including scenery, creatures, and (most important) the dinosaurs. He sounds like a person who is right up my alley and I can't wait to see what he is going to show us. I'll be sure to post about the workshops and what I learned, so keep a lookout for it.

I guess will stop there for now. For those of you lurkers out there who occasionally pop in and check on us, thanks for stopping by. Be sure to write now and then and let us know how you are doing. We are not as good about calling as we should be, I know. The business of life, and the time differences, often contribute to our failings. But we could do better, and will try. Hope all is well with everyone back home.

-William

Blast from the Past- A Tale of three cousins

2007-07-05T20:33:00.000+12:00

Stacey's family will be particularly interested in this blog post. I found these photos 'buried' in my Blog "to-do" archive, and realised I had never posted them. Better late than never, I decided...and sorry for the delay. - William

Way back in December 2006, we met up with Stacey's cousin David, who was visiting the country from Australia. Stacey had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with him, catching up on old times and family stories, and I joined them for coffee.

Top, a photo of David and Stacey taken during his visit to Wellington in late 2006. Next is Stacey with Andrew (Stacey's other cousin) and his wife, Jackie. They live with their two children in Dunedin on the South Island (Editor's note: It's is cold there right now, so we hope they are keeping warm!). We visited Andrew and Jackie during our last trip to New Zealand in 2005 and had a great time. I have funny memories of us tip-toeing around the topic of politics until everyone realised that we all despised "W" and were then free to speak our minds.

Among the handful of photos that David brought with him for show-and-tell was this gem. I suspect historians would date this scene as sometime in the late 1970's, based on the clothing and hairstyles. In the top middle is Stacey's father Ian, flanked on the left by her brother Paul (in green) and right by brother Mark (in the black T and with apparently very red hair). In front of Paul is John (who now lives in Bermuda). Down in front from left to right is Stacey's Aunt Rosemary, Stacey (holding Gus the Dachsund) then cousins Andrew (in front) and David.

Stacey speaking now: It has been good to meet the 'grown-up' versions of my cousins Andrew and David. I have only vague (and not terribly pleasant) memories of their visit to the states in the 70s and the incredibly LONG trip down to Florida and Walt Disney World. For me, my most vivid memory is John getting carsick and throwing up in the car. But, when we met up with Andrew, he had such great stories about the trip and our visit to the Kennedy Space Center. Evidently, the trip was more enjoyable for him than for me! :-) Andrew has lived in NZ, the US, Canada (where he met his wife Jackie), and Australia. And, people were impressed with OUR move! Andrew & Jackie seem to love Dunedin--WAY too cold for us!

David used to live in Wellington, but he soon cleared out when he heard we were moving here! Just kidding--he's been gone for several years. He gave up the wind and (sometimes) crappy weather to live by the beach in Australia. Luckily for us, he still owns property here so he comes "across the ditch" once a year to check up on it which is when we got to meet him. He LOVES living by the beach, and thinks Andrew is crazy for living in Dunedin! (He probably thinks the same of me & William, but was too nice to say so!)

Both Andrew and David have gone out of their way to offer us advice and assistance which was a huge help during and after our move. With our immediate family so far away, it has been reassuring to renew connections with the relatives I lost touch with due to distance and lack of communication.

Happy Birthday Ray

2007-06-30T14:46:00.000+12:00

Happy 87th Birthday to my hero, Ray Harryhausen!

Thanks for all the great memories and monsters, Ray. They are still the best! Don't know who this guy is? Well, fortunately for you we have the internet, and you can check out his new website!

Happy New Year

2007-06-29T21:54:00.000+12:00

Matariki, the Maori New Year

Matariki is the Maori name referring to the Pleiades star cluster (also known as the Seven Sisters) and is synonymous with the Maori New Year. Traditionally, the holiday has centred around harvests, community and song, and the modern version follows suit. Te Papa Tongarewa, the National Museum of New Zealand here in Wellington, celebrated Matariki with a series of special events and presentations.

We were treated to a performance of Maori music utilising traditional instruments, set in the museum's amazing meeting house, Te Hono ki Hawaiki., The last word refers to Maori origin stories that tie to the ancestral homeland, Hawaiki. As you can see from the photos, the meeting house is a stylised, contemporary treatment of the carvings usually seen on wharenui. (Editor's note: My cousin Gina took a very similar photo of the meeting house, and a Maori hangi, during her visit to New Zealand in early 2006).

The musical instruments included carved wooden flutes, percussion and string instruments of various sorts, and wind instruments made from gourds and shells. The artists explained the ways the instruments were used. In some cases, the sounds made from the devices are so subtle and light that it was clear they were intended to be played alone. Without the microphone, you couldn't have heard them. Their purpose was almost certainly individualistic.

An artist crafts a flute using only traditional tools & techniques

Other events included a Haka (warrior dance) and a hangi food competition. The Hangi is a feast which is prepared in an underground earthen oven. The food can include anything from pork, lamb, chicken as well as favourite Maori root veggies like kumara, potato, onions, carrots and pumpkin. Four local restaurants competed in the competition: Logan-Brown, Sweet Mother's Kitchen, Oriental Thai and Kai in the City.

At least two of the restaurants we had been to before since arriving in Wellington. Sweet Mother's Kitchen is an old favourite of ours, one that has been mentioned before on the blog (they were the restaurant that made American-style pumpkin pie). Kai in the City is a local restaurant that specialises in native New Zealand cooking using 'native' ingredients. The menu was not extensive, but you got the sense that a real chef was putting together the meals based on the complexity of the ingredients. The food looked great, but more importantly it also tasted great. I thought KITC's food was exceptional and would recommend it. Just be sure to book a spot, as the restaurant is quite cozy.

I'd love to create some Maori dishes of my own. I have watched a couple of television programmes on Maori cooking that really fascinated me, and also spied some of the ingredients on Kai's table at the contest. Some of them I have seen before in supermarkets, most notably a line of products by Kinaki. I think it would be really cool to learn to cook using native plants like kawakawa, horopito, piripiri, kelp and fern fronds as ingredients. I just have to be careful I don't inadvertently poison anyone. Fortunately, Marco and Anita recently gave me a great book on 'native edible plants' (thanks guys!) which I will be sure to consult.

Licensed to Drive

2007-06-26T07:43:00.000+12:00

My license looks better than this guy's, but I can't post it online

Well, it's official! Stacey and I are both officially licensed to drive a vehicle in New Zealand. For Americanos, getting a driver's license is not too hard. You are required to take a theory (written) test but not an actual practical (on the road) test. The tests are pretty funny. They're scratch-off tests, like a lottery ticket. You get 3 sheets for a total of 35 questions. Since I was also getting my motorcycle license, I basically had to take two tests, with the 2nd one geared towards cycling questions. (Although I don't have a motorcycle, I do have a class M rating on my old license and I wanted to keep that in NZ. A motor scooter may be in my future.)

In New Zealand, adults are responsible for buckling up the kids. Other adults are responsible for buckling up themselves.
How novel.

This one almost stumped me...stupid-arse question

The written tests were not a problem for either of us, and Stacey did really well. I missed 3 total questions, and one of them was just a stupid mistake where I scratched the wrong one. Stacey got 35 out of 35, which she likes to remind me of often. I then take the opportunity to remind her that getting a perfect score did not prevent her from hitting that pole outside of our parking garage. Perhaps the practical test should be given to Americans after all...

Think your ready to hit the road in New Zealand? Take the test!
(Beware, it costs money to go past the demo...)

Now, the tests are frankly expensive. And so is the study prep. You need to buy a two-book set called the NZ Road Code. I think it was about $30. The questions on the actual test are randomly chosen from the 150+/- questions in the back of the Road Code. The car test is $90, and the motorcycle test adds another $40.

I would be remiss not to mention the vision exam. You must also pass an eye test. The machine looks like something from a 1950's doctor's office, and works about as effectively. The things are notoriously bad, and we were warned about them by several people. The problem is that some people (like me) cannot see anything in them.

Here's one of the dodgy machines.
I swear, this one looks newer than the one they used on me...

When you fail the test, everyone looks around knowingly and there are audible sighs. They explain that the machines are annoying, but they cannot do anything about it. So, I had to go to an optometrist (conveniently located right across the road...coincidence? I think not!) and do a formal eye exam, for another $30, where it was revealed I had excellent (but not perfectly binocular, which is key) vision. The good news was that Stacey did fine on the test, passed without a problem. There is some irony in this since she had lasik surgery last year and I have never even worn glasses. But we'll take it, and save the thirty bucks.

Licenses in hand, our left-side driving firmly entrenched, I think it's time for a serious road trip. Not sure where, but I'm getting itchy feet. Hoping to have something in the works soon.

Hope everyone back 'home' is doing well.

-William

48 Hours Review

2007-06-18T07:32:00.000+12:00

Title screen from Destination Earth

Stacey wrote this review of the wrapup screenings of the 48 Hour film event for George and Joan (sorry you two, but this week's blog post is gonna be a repeat for you!). It is very comprehensive, and gives a more detailed look at the experience...

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So, I figured I would give you a wrap-up on the '48 Hours' film. I am trying to get Bill to update the blog, but he says he's on to other topics. (Editor's note: apparently not)

A total of 134 teams registered for the competition in Wellington.
97 teams finished their films on time to still be in the running. We were 10 minutes early!!

Our ticket to the Grand Finals screening at Embassy Theatre

After the deadline, there were a series of heats over the next 2 weeks. Each heat was to feature 10-11 films. So, a group of us went for dinner and went to see the films in our heat. Audience members vote for their top 3 films.

Destination Earth's Drone 492 (played by Jenni Sands)
and Drone 893 (Fraser Peat), delivering their clever opening lines

After the first three films, I was feeling pretty cocky because those films were not, IMHO, as good as ours. Then, came a "grindhouse" genre film. It was turned in late, so it was out of contention. But they still showed it. It was really good, and if it had been in contention I think it would have gone to the finals. The next film was an action/drama which featured one of the actors from the short film I worked on. Thanks mostly to his performance, I thought it was extremely compelling. Then, came an entry in the "unnecessary sequel" category--"March of the Sheep." It was pretty funny since it featured humans dressed up in fluffy sheep costumes walking around the country and then into town. Although it was a great concept, I felt it was a bit one-note. Of course, the audience LOVED it.

Drone 893's alien: some great makeup
work by our team

Unfortunately, our film screened right after that one. UGH! If we had only screened earlier. The one thing we noticed is that our film "Destination Earth" was extremely fast-paced. It was definitely paced for the MTV generation. All of the other films had a more leisurely feel to them. I felt that some of our shots could have been held a 'beat' longer to be sure people got the joke. But, it got a good audience reaction and we were extremely pleased. We felt a little cheated since we only got to see 7 films in our heat. Evidently, there were several teams which did not finish their films (the organizers assign the heats during the first registration).

We were happy to hear a week later that we came in 2nd in the audience award in our heat--naturally, the sheep beat us. Damn sheep! >-(

Several of us bought tickets to the finals which were being held at the biggest theatre in town--the one where they had the premiere of "LOTR: Return of the King." Tickets were somewhat pricey. And, we did not know which films had made the finals when we bought tickets. I did not think we would make the finals which is top 12. Unfortunately, I was right and we did not make the cut. Of course, those crappy sheep made it! The evening was kind of chaotic. The theater holds at least 500 people, and they did not reserve seats. And, of course, it was completely sold out. It was a huge mob scene, but Bill and I ended up in the front row where I wanted. We were able to find some of our other team members and say hello.

I have to say that I had really high expectations for the finals after seeing several good films in our heat. But, I was a bit under whelmed. I felt that some of the films had great concepts that went on a bit too long. Or, some started strong, but kind of petered out. Three films in the "grindhouse" genre made the finals. And, in my opinion, none was better than the disqualified film we saw at our heat. There were a few really good films. [Note: every film had to include rope as a prop.]

One film which was quite creative was a pseudo-German instructional film called "World of Rope." I cannot really describe the film other than it was somewhat bizarre and very funny. All the actors had faux-German accents. Another which I thought was clever was in the "unnecessary sequel" category. It was an action film where they showed clips from the "original" film where a buff action star defeated the bad guys, but was killed at the end. In the sequel, he shows up at his house extremely out of shape (a different actor) with a giant scar around his throat. Anyway, he has to battle the brother of the guy he defeated in the first film, etc.

I was feeling a bit ho-hum about the evening. Especially since technical problems caused a 40 minute delay in the middle of the program. But, then the final film screened. It was a musical--shot as a music video. With 3 or 4 different songs and actors who could really sing and a very diverse cast. I turned to Bill when it was over and said "that's the best film of the night." He agreed.

One of the graphics screens for Destination Earth;
Yes, cooties does appear on the disease list

Then, they started announcing the nominations in all the categories. We were EXTREMELY excited to learn that "Destination Earth" was nominated for best makeup and best script! We didn't win--films that made the finals won, but they did show two small clips from our film (including some of Bill's graphics!). That was unexpected and a nice treat.

Stacey's cameo! In this scene, Drone 893 orders
a martini...on the rocks

The "World of Rope" movie was the runner up. But, we were disappointed that the musical did not win. One of the "grindhouse" films won. This was not really a surprsise since it had won many of the key awards such as actor, actress, and cinematography.

Although (as usual) I didn't entirely agree with the opinion of the judges, it was cool that we got some nominations. And, I was especially happy that our script was recognized. I really thought it was sharp. The writing team was amazing. And, the couple who founded the team was so stoked about the nominations because to them it meant that we were probably close to making the finals. Almost all of the nominees were from the 12 films we had seen that night, so it seems to make sense.

A view from space

2007-06-07T19:30:00.000+12:00

To many of you, Google Earth is an old tool now, but it's still fun to explore. And, since I have never used it to show where we lived here in Wellington, I thought it was about time.

Remembering Rascal

2007-06-04T18:57:00.000+12:00

It's hard to believe, but our dog Rascal passed away two years ago. Not a day goes by that we don't wish he could have made the trip to New Zealand with us. His unconditional love and constant happiness were tonics for any bad day. We miss him terribly.