I passed!

When I finished my library degree I declared that if I ever studied again it would be cake decorating or flower arranging. Well I did do pottery and cooking classes but I have learnt again that you should never say never.

I have enrolled for Te Reo Maori classes and it's the full deal, classes every Tuesday and study to do. We had our first assessment last night and I passed! Yay! We got our book packs too; workbook, dictionary, diary, cd, dvd and colouring pencils. They will come into use this weekend when I do my homework or as it is called by our teacher, homeplay. That's really a much better word for crosswords, puzzles, movies and colouring in. Makes study a lot less stressful.

War has commenced

Last Wednesday, the 17th was the 150th anniversary of the first shots fired in what became the First Taranaki Land War. It was a huge day - here is my schedule:

Tuesday

• 10am - blessing of the new carving on our ceremonial doors and the exhibition
• 11am - cuppa tea
• 4pm - powhiri at Kairo Marae. This is the closest meeting house to that actual spot and they held an evening of talks and discussion

Wednesday

• 5am - all my alarms go off
• 6am - meet at work to go in convoy out to Te Kohia, the site of the first shots
• 6.45amish - prayers, songs and speeches to remember those who died
• 8amish - back to work to help set up for...
• 9.15am - moving the opening from the landing to the foyer because it was tipping down rain then...
• 9.30am - the arrival of the first guests who helped set up chairs and gave valuable feedback on the sound checks and kept squeezing and squeezing so we fitted everyone in, followed at
• 10.15am - by the arrival of the Prime Minister, assorted ministers and other significant people (I held the umbrellas!)
• 11am - PM offically opens the exhibition and puts the first comment card on our wall
• 11.15am - cuppa tea
• 4pm - start setup for evening reception for the Govenor General
• 5pm - first guest arrives (plenty early having had to wrestle for a seat in the morning)
• 6pm - everyone seated and looking posh
• 6.15pm - arrival of the GG and his entourage
• 6.30pm - speeches, all fabulous
• 7.30pm - posh cuppa tea (wine and canapes)
• 10pm - door locked, go home

It was a huge day and there was lots of other stuff going on as well, like two treaty negotiation signings (big deal, trust me). Everyone was completely exhausted at the end of it but very, very happy that it had all gone without a hitch - as it should have given the number of meeting hours that were devoted to it.

Check out http://www.pukeariki.com/ to have a look at the Wars info on our web site.

Womad survival kit

Yes, it's Womad weekend again and with one eye on last year's experience and the other on the weather I have put my stuff together very carefully. It includes sunscreen, hat, sunnies, water and singlet top for if it gets hot; pashmina, jumper (Icebreaker!) and socks for when it turns cold; rain coat (already used last night), emergency munchies, money, phone, The Programme and most excitingly this year a VIP pass. And of course I am wearing sensible festival going shoes.

Tickets!

I have Tickets!

Two for me - rugby season and All Blacks test combo ticket and Womad and...

One for him - yes my orangutan has arrived safe and sound and is getting over his jet lag in a quiet corner of my office.

On the buses

Our latest exhibition opens in a week and a half. It's going to be a really big deal, it has been in the planning for literally years and we have been talking about it to anyone and everyone for months.

Last week we started advertising - it's the first time ever we've been on the buses, cool!

Going Deco

Last weekend I met up with a friend from Melbourne who is a bit of an Art Deco fan and we went to the Art Deco Festival in Napier. The city was devestated by an earthquake in the early '30s and a lot of the buildings were rebuilt from scratch in the style of the time.


The festival is fantastic and most people really get into it. You have never seen so many hats, braces, parasols and fur stoles in one place,


not to mention fabulous cars, buses, tractors and bicycles.



Then on Sunday morning there was the Box Car Derby and these were not your old orange boxes, we are talking serious vehicular design and yet more serious outfits.

Back in Melbourne...

for a birthday party and a conference but also for coffee

and another coffee
and this lovely fellow now has a new home in the forest in our children's area thanks to my business card being pulled out of a box. He's coming to Auckland in a 'diplomatic pouch' and is then being driven to NP.