They speak my language

Recently my supermarket finished a major upgrade, everything is looking much slicker and there is now a cafe at the front and new trolleys that go where you point them.  However a couple of trips ago I noticed that despite all the corporate loveliness they have still managed to be a little quirky.  Look - chippies!

Christmas craft

It's been a little while since I posted, things have been busy but with nothing much to share.  But it's December and that means that the decorations are going up.  In our children's library we have a wonderful advent calender - themed this year to match our summer exhibition on Surf.  Various staff from across the organisation have put their creative hats on and decorated a board, 25 in all and here the are...

this one is mine...

 and here is Santa, arriving in Taranaki on Christmas day

35,000

That's the number of frequent flyer points I had that were about to expire so, rather than waste them, I went shopping.

I realised when I unwrapped them that I had gone a bit retro but all in a good cause.  The phone because I only have a walkaround one that will be no good if the power goes out (emergency planning in action!), the mincer, well, just because. The wine aerator is the mod con, I only drink one glass at a time.

Going low tech

A few thousand travellers, including me, were at the mercy of mother nature on Friday, trying to fly into or out of Wellington.  The fog was going up and down, flights were cancelled, delayed and diverted.  By the time I got to the airport late in the afternoon to get home, surrounded by high tech (people on their on their mobile phones, ipads and whatnot, automated everything for checkin) someone had decided that low tech was the way to go - worked a treat too.

Wandering Elephants

Yup, elephants.  These guys are an installation for the Garden Festival which began yesterday.  They are on the landing outside work at the moment but will be wandering to locations right round the mountain over the next 10 days.  They are life size, made of woven willow and very beautiful.  The local duck population however, were looking less than thrilled.

Two weekends

Last weekend was our annual pilgrimage to Puniho Marae for language class, this time with the added bonus of our Whanganui classmates coming up to join us.  There was a lot of fun and a lot of learning plus a fair bit of just sitting around and enjoying the sunshine.

Then on Sunday it was off to Hamilton for 3 days of library conference. This weekend is Labour Day and I have plans to go nowhere and do as little as possible!

Moving up in the world

We have been moving around at work and my view has changed.  I've swapped ground floor, south side for third floor north side and a view of my favourite bookstore for a view of the ocean.

Yarn Bombing

This last weekend, to promote Canteen the teenage cancer support organisation, the city was yarn bombed.  People from all over the place have been knitting squares that were collected and under cover of darkness the Canteen guys wrapped things around town.  Somewhere in there are a couple of dozen rows that I did - we had share knitting in the tearoom at work; pick it up, do some rows, leave it for the next person.  Very relaxing.

With family

It's almost a month since I last posted and that's mainly because nothing much has been happening. The weather has been wet, work has been flat out and the local rugby team have been playing rubbish.  But this last weekend I had the whole family here for my birthday which was wonderful.  Mum & Dad were here too although somehow they didn't end up in any of the photos.

My brother christening the BBQ

Breakfast the next morning

Up the mountain in some not very flash weather

At the Te Rewarewa bridge in much better weather

What colour is the breeze?

Rainbow coloured as it turns out.  This installation has gone up, as part of the Arts Festival, in a vacant lot/car park just over the road from work.  It's wonderful; 1001 bamboo wind chimes hung by coloured ribbons and it makes a lovely sound when the wind picks up which, being Taranaki, is often.

A weekend in Wellington

Last weekend my friend Deb and I spent 3 days in Wellington.  The main reason for going was Beervana, a craft beer festival we had heard about when she was visiting last year.  It was fantastic, especially the beer and cheese workshop and particularly a beer-soaked stinky blue - totally fabulous.  We also did some sightseeing, a lot of shopping and an equal amount of eating including dumplings and bomboloni (not together).

Beer, well the remains of and tokens for purchasing more of.

Bomboloni - note virtuous presence of 2 forks

Dumplings!

A swarm

That's the technical term for what is happening in Cook Strait between the north and south islands.  Yesterday evening a 6.5 earthquake hit, so big that we felt it here.  Since then my Geonet feed has been chocka block with aftershocks every few minutes.  A swarm of quakes.

Minor damage and minor injuries only in Wellington, more significant damage in Seddon at the top of the south island, the closest town to the epicentre.  Mass purchasing of candles, bottled water, camping stoves and torch batteries.

So...

It's been a big, tough few weeks at work with not much else to talk about.  But then this week we had the national brass band championships in town so there was marching and performances in public places.  Amazing how good massed brass and drums can make you feel.

Morning with a King

Each year I attend the commemoration the celebrates the life of Sir Māui Pōmare.  Today was extra special as we were joined by the King of Samoa and members of the local Samoan community.  They brought with them this huge, wonderful tapa cloth that was gifted to the marae.

The sky may be blue but it was about 2 degrees and by the time we came out it was raining.

It's all about context

I think I have said before that my most successful vege gardening is the self-sown.  Well, just to prove the point the cauliflower that didn't flower has produced.  I got rid of the unsuccessful ones ages ago but obviously missed something because when I went down the back to see how the herbs were doing in the cold (ok) I discovered this...

Impressive you say?  Well here it is, cleaned up and in context - that's a teaspoon!  So, one small serve but a fresh, organic, homegrown serve.

Happy Birthday to us

Yesterday Puke Ariki turned 10 so we threw a party.  There was singing, dancing, sushi demonstrations, kapa haka, a brass band and bagpipes.  There were tours, dressing up and craft.  There was also cake, was being the operative word.  It was masterfully crafted to look like the museum and by the time I got close enough to take a proper photo it looked like this...

 all that was left was the front facade.

Ups and downs

Going up - a new boutique hotel

and around the corner the old Red Cross building has come down to make way for the new Len Lye Centre, an extension to the Gallery.

Winter has arrived

including a light dusting on the Puakai Ranges (to the right)

I'm back

I've been on holiday and part of that has been staying off grid as much as possible, I've checked my email a couple of times a week and that's been about it.

But I'm back so...I've been to London (for fun), Shropshire (to catch up with family), Glasgow (for my god-daughter's first communion) and Kuala Lumpur (because you can).  Herewith not the usual tourist shots.

The chandelier in the old stables that now form part of Camden Lock Markets

High tea at Brown's Hotel

The civic building in Glasgow, that's white Carera marble

They won't let you take Durian into your hotel because of the smell but you can get it in your coffee.
  No, I didn't try it.

When you do a tour in Asia you get stickered.  Above and below from the tour company, the Batik place,  the coffee place, the Selangor Pewter factory and another Batik place.

And one proper tourist shot.  I went up the Petronias towers, fourth tallest structure in the world.  The Airbridge is on level 42 and the observation deck is here, level 86.

Anzac Day - Dawn

Catching up

So, what's been happening?

• My feijoa tree is fruiting - 4 buckets so far
• 3 days in Queenstown for work
• Missed graduation beacuse of 3 days in Queenstown
• My All Black v France ticket arrived
• It's raining

Not much then lots

Easter was quiet which was really great because I spent this last weekend in Whanganui for the first of 8 noho (stay) for this year's language classes.  It was a 5.30am start and a big brain couple of days so a coffee stop on the way home was essential.

 

The final piece

Although the space out the front of the library has been open since before Christmas there was one thing that still needed to go in.  So Monday morning saw a group of us gathered for the installation and blessing of that final piece, thank goodness dawn is at a reasonable time at this time of year.  It's called Te Ataarangi and represents a method originally developed for learning maths but now also used for learning languages.  As usual for public art projects it has been labeled 'controversial' but most people seem to quite like it and so do I.

Festival fashion

On Thursday we were officially declared in drought, on Friday Womad started, on Sunday it rained.  This didn't stop the dancing, it just changed the attire.

and, because it's Womad, there was of course Hungarian fried bread & a beer.

Going to prison

Today New Plymouth Prison held an open day before it finally closes for business at the end of the month.  It was originally built in 1870 and, as a Category 1 listed building, hopefully it will have another, happier life in the future.