island in the pacific - American Expats Living in New Zealand

some recent photos

2009-08-09T10:31:00.006+12:00

From the front window just now

July 09

June 09

Moon over Kapiti Island - Aug 09, 7:30 AM

shake rattle and roll

2009-05-02T14:33:00.002+12:00

Wellington was shaken by a magnitude 4.1 earthquake this evening.

The brief quake struck at 5.16pm, and was felt widely throughout the region.

It was centred near the northern Wellington suburb of Grenada North, about 10km south of Porirua, according to GeoNet.

I've figured out that I can only seem to feel the 4.1 earthquakes or greater. The rest of them feel like the dog shaking to me.

for the good people at The Fresh Air Fund

2009-03-19T19:43:00.001+13:00

2009-01-16T18:12:00.002+13:00

People have often asked me what the New Zealand accent sounds like. So I figured the best demonstration is via this video. And you pretty much get the Kiwi world view out of it to boot.

Strolling through the wreckage

2008-12-05T19:28:00.012+13:00

Well Summer is starting to roll around in the bottom of the South Pacific and people's thoughts are fixating on the 3 B's: Barbecues, Boxing day sales, and beer.

It is back to work for me on the world's slowest renovation project: my bathroom. If you were to look at the pie chart of my progress it would be-

70% looking at bathroom under the pretense of "envisioning the completed project".

10% looking for the right tool under the pretense of "looking for the right tool".

10% sighing

10 % measuring under the pretense of "inventing my own system of measurement which has no basis in reality whatsoever".

10% cutting and inhaling potentially toxic dust.

I know that it is 110%. That is just how good I am.

And on the theme of inhaling toxic stuff I entered the BodyArt Rocks competition again this year. (see Oct 2007 "rule# 1 never user permanent marker on someone you love")

This year I figured that I should do something really cool, but that was curtailed by the theme of this years show which was "hot rods". I have never been a car guy. I mean I like some cars but mostly they are a system of transfer from point a to b (and a place to hold some of the tools that I'm looking for). After some thought I decided to do a spin on the coolest car when I was a kid. dun dun ta da the Pontiac Firebird. What I actually wound up with was a sticky, smelly, torturing device for my wife.

Jessica set me up a nice workspace in the spare room which I don't have to worry about messing up since we are going to renovate that room too (see above to get the joke). The idea that I was trying for was a native american phoenix (get it. pontiac firebird). After some research I began to play around with the idea that it was more dinosaur than bird so I was off and running...or crouched and painting as was actually the case.

I used J as my model again this year because she works cheap and I am way too shy to paint intimate places on a total stranger. Since she was at my disposal I wanted to make a plaster cast of her torso. I was designing a pair of wings that could unfold without being to heavy for her to carry. The plaster cast was so I could tell where the joints would work the best and make the costume more form fitting.
To anyone who is interested you can make a plaster cast by using many plaster bandages (if detail is not an issue) but you have to be sure to grease your subject up. Plaster bandages will grab a hold of every little hair that you have on your body and voila! kissably smooth the hard way.
Lug everything into the bathroom. Oil her up. Cut the plaster strips. Cover any exposed areas not being covered by plaster. The mold has to be made in two sections so that one can get it apart and fit it back together which you can then fill with plaster. The whole process would take about two and a half hours....standing still with her arms propped up on sticks.
but..
attempt #1: twenty minutes in her back starts to cramp so I take off the plaster so far and we call it a night.
attempt #2: to be on the safe side she takes a Nurofen with codeine. An hour and 10 minutes in she throws up. I take everything back off.
Now most people would take the hint but nooooooo.
attempt #3: two and a half hours back to front. She's been an absolute trooper. I carefully take the front half off and it falls apart. Not to be outdone the back half does it too.
okay so no plaster torso cast.
Nevertheless, I push on building the wings and the beating heart because every native american dinosaur raptor has to have a beating heart on the outside of the chest. (Don't even attempt to understand me)
Unfortunately, I spent way too long on the wings and ran out of time to prepaint most of the costume and work on the head prosthetic. So the last three days before the event I was burning the midnight oil and inhaling toxic fumes. It was practically a party. I did have a mild panic attack when I used two part foam on the head piece and watched it expand to the size of a basketball. After much pushing I did manage to get it back down to a reasonable size.
The show this year was in collaboration with a tattoo convention in an effort to bolster numbers. There were a lot more in the audience but participation was down. Most people jumped ship to participate in the Aukland show which is quite a bit larger. So this year it was just me and another guy in our category, but I did win...
This year had some great prizes. Another cool trophy, 250 cash, tickets to the Aukland 2009 awards, and a signed Weta statue of the Skull Island Natives. Again I think that the best part was getting to talk about stuff with people who understand it when I say, "the two part foam blew it up like a basketball!"
My work room is still a mess. I have a thin layer of latex covering the floor so that it feels like you're walking on skin. creeepy
I am mulling over doing the 2009 Aukland awards in May. I just have to wait long enough so that J begins to forget just how unpleasant a process it all is. (like childbirth. women are good at forgetting unpleasant processes) J is interested in entering World of Wearable arts in 2009 so it may be a busy arts year. Now in all fairness I would volunteer to be her model for the WOW show, but I am too old and too short. ouch.
I am overdue for my staring at the bathroom time. So over and out for now.
Happy New Year everyone.

(the one picture is what J looked like when I took the makeup off. It was just so creepy cool we had to take a picture.)

2008-09-25T16:37:00.002+12:00

Just a quick post to promote International Medical Corps. It was nominated to be one of the Top 25 in American Express' Members Projects, "Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children." The project was chosen out of 1,190 projects and is now eligible to receive up to $1.5 million to help feed hungry children, but the voting ends next Tuesday and they need your help to spread the word. They've put together this blogger friendly web release explaining everything.
http://internationalmedicalcorps.smnr.us/

Vote
Vote
Vote

fashion, temples, shrines and tours

2008-08-25T13:59:00.000+12:00

Yasaka Shrine in Gion

My addition to Darryl's description of our trip to Japan. He covered Harajuku, Kyomizudera and Nara Koen, so here's some of the rest of the trip...

While in Tokyo - the cleanest large city I've ever encountered - I learned a little bit about fashion. In Shibuya near Tower 109 you can see kogals - they dye their hair as blond as they can get it and tan in tanning salons, trying to achieve a moneyed California girl style. In Shimokitazawa, it's faded jeans and lots of cotton tops and hemp bags for hippyish laid back look. Shops there sell t-shirts with Janglish expressions or US College names. I got one that says "Lure of the Tropics Enjoy Freedom of Seafaring Adventure" and sports a Route 66 patch, because 66 is so... tropical?

Regardless of their style, most people look like they take a good bit of time getting their outfit (including matching parasol) right. Downtown, you have some of the best dressed people I've ever seen. And I noticed there's less of a need for men's things to be super masculine - men often have cell phone charms, and I see them using fans in the street.

---

Kyoto has some of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. When we arrived at Kyoto station it was hard to believe, because everything looked pretty grey, but being based in Gion right by Yasaka shrine was great, and we started with a 1 day tour through JapanICan that gave us literally only 30 - 45 minutes at each place. Darryl didn't like being rushed, but it was nice to get to see 6 places in a day, mostly because there were about a million sites in and around Kyoto I wanted to visit, and 4 1/2 days there barely got us started.

We started at Nijo Castle, with terrific painted screens throughout, which we weren't allowed to photograph. (Speaking of that, in lots of less expected places - stores, train stations - there would be signs about not photographing anything. Kind of weird given the stereotype of the Japanese tourist with camera.)

We got whisked along to the Golden Pavilion, which really has gold on it, and which is a replacement, since a monk with some serious sharing issues burned the last one down. I think it's pretty much impossible for people to take a bad photo there. The place just oozes photogenic charm; it's breathtaking, like slipping into a postcard.

There was a lot of lining up in specific numbers of columns for the inside of the Imperial Palace, but the real highlight there are the gardens with pond. We got to spend about 10 minutes in the garden after the inside tour, so I started to feel very much like the hapless tourist.

Then we got a full two hours at our next location, which would make you think it was pretty important, but like many tourism companies, they know the value of marooning you at a shop and getting kickbacks. We took half an hour to eat and then wandered around the several floors of the Handicraft center until the bus came back for the second half of the tour.

On to the first of many bright orange shrines. The color is an import from China and thought to ward off bad spirits. The shrines - part of the Shinto religion - all have lots of little spots with fortunes and bells (to get the spirit's attention) on ropes. Some people would clap twice instead of ringing to call on the spirits. (No one shouted "Hey".)

Sanjusangendo was my favorite place of the day. There are 1001 kannon statues, and it's seriously impressive. I wasn't allowed to take photos in there, but I'm sort of glad, because I was just gaping at them all. I kept remembering it's not polite to point in Japan - but they have so many things that make you want to point. Not fair.

We ditched our tour after the last stop - Kyomizudera - instead of getting a ride back to a drop off point. Maybe the gorgeous view, cooler evening temperatures (well, people stopped spontaneously combusting) and having plenty of time helped make it a favorite of Darryl's. He covered this one in the previous post.

We walked up narrow Ponto-Cho in the evening and came back south by the Kamo river. Lots of couples were sitting on blankets that were so evenly spaced along the bank that it looked like someone had come with a ruler between them.

Maybe to feel like adventurers instead of tourists, on our second day in Kyoto we visited a less crowded temple and we set out on foot to find things, and especially liked the places we found while lost. But I'll add that soon...

Power walking is an Olympic sport? Where's crab soccer?

2008-08-11T18:19:00.027+12:00

The general lack of blogging lately has been due to the usual doldrums of day to day living. The boss is expanding his business and I'm trying to find my directional bearings. You know the "follow the charted course or take the road less traveled." question. Sometimes the best surprises are the little surprises you find when you just wander and just because you wander doesn't mean you are lost.

Jessica and I just got back from Japan. This was the best holiday we've had in years. Japan is Jessica's dream location. The place that she has always wanted to see. Mine was Ireland (which we did in '98 and did not disappoint).

I had a ton (I actually just spelled it tonne. It kinda seeps in through osmosis. weird huh!) of vacation time left. If you work on a holiday here not only do they give you time and a half but you also get a day off in lieu of working it. That and four weeks of vacation. Four weeks, people!! I had to fight badgers at Borders to get two weeks off after working 10 years.

It was a last minute kind of trip after finding a great deal so we had about two weeks prep time. Jessica tapped into some kind of Virgo recessive gene from her Mom and churned out this detailed itinerary involving maps, subway and bus routes, timetables, weather calculations, etc. etc... ( thanks to Harvey for helping her with that!). It was like we were breaking into Japan and we had to disable the security system. I was waiting for the laser pointer, powerpoint presentation, and.......... catsuit.

Japan was always kind of a scary prospect not only because of the size and expensiveness, but also because of the extreme language barrier. I encountered that before in Egypt. When you can't even read the alphabet it can be a little difficult. We prepared ourselves by checking out a slew of Japanese language books and cramming for useful phrases. Also we rented Shogun the '70's miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain. (not only was it entertaining, we learned some key Japanese phrases pronounced like a seductive British John Wayne, "Ko-nichi-Wa, baby.") . Jessica wrote down every possible variation on the theme of, "I don't eat ANY animal products!" Which is a very hard thing to communicate to a culture that considers pork a vegetable. Whereas I wrote down things like ,"That was delicious.", "I really do have a reservation." and "Could you please tell which train goes to Monster Island?"

We both mastered the phrases, "sumimasen, arigato gozaimasu, and gomen nasai." (Excuse me, thank you very much, and I'm sorry.) and the most used "wakarimasen" which is "I don't understand."

The flights were rather nice because they were not very full so we got to stretch out. (well as much as you can stretch out in something designed by the same people who I think design those gynecology stirrups and roller coaster safety bars.) After a 12 and 1/2 hour flight, 42 movies, and having every bit of moisture sucked from our bodies (Seriously, airlines would it kill you to invest in a simple humidifier...and maybe a couple of house plants to give it that homey feel.) we landed in Tokyo, the largest metropolitan city in the world.

Tokyo is a psychedelic mix of neon and noise, noir and newness. We got around the city thanks to J's maps and my compass. The thing that amazed me most was the friendliness and helpful people in a city of that size. I love Tokyo, and much to her surprise Jessica did as well. It has been awhile since I have been in a large city. Kapiti, while gorgeous, is like living in Mayberry, so it was good to breath a little smog again. The Japanese are light years ahead of us in toilet technology (and yet they still have many Asian squat toilets. It's a conundrum.) Any toilet that comes with instructions is okay in my book. I love a city where a large number young people dress up in the coolest outfits and hang out in the Harajuku district. They read manga, and have little cartoon characters representing everything. I also love a city where I am of average height for the first time in my life! And best of all.......They had a Krispy Kreme.

Could I have a moment please....?

....

okay.

So what did we do in Tokyo? We shopped. I bought ice cube trays that make ice in the shape of false teeth. It's soo cool. ahem

Kyoto (the anagram lovers Tokyo) was a little disappointing at first glance, but when you start to look you find all these wonderful secrets the city hides. We visited temples and shrines. Kyoto is arguably the cultural center of Japan. You see geisha walking small alleys virtually unchanged for 500 years. Hawkers stand outside the shops welcoming passers by. One of my favorite places we visited in Kyoto was Kiyomizudera. The temple dates back to 798, but the present buildings were constructed in 1633. The temple takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means pure water, clear water or limpid water. It is notable for its vast veranda, supported by hundreds of pillars, that juts out over the hillside and offers impressive views of the city. The popular expression "to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu" is the equivalent of the expression "to take the plunge". This refers to an Edo period tradition that held that, if one were to survive jumping from the stage, one's wish would be granted.

The fall is 13 meters, but the lush vegetation below the platform might cushion the fall of a lucky pilgrim. However, the practice is now prohibited. Two hundred and thirty-four jumps were recorded in the Edo period and, of those, 85.4% survived. (I wouldn't want to see the .4% guy)

Beneath the main hall is the waterfall Otowa no taki, where three channels of water drop into a pond. Visitors to the temple collect the water, which is believed to have therapeutic properties, from the waterfall in metal cups on poles (which, though shared, are sanitized in UV trays) or commemorative plastic cups. (we opted for the cup) It is said that drinking the water of the three streams confers wisdom, health, and longevity. However, some Japanese believe that you must choose only one -- if you are greedy and drink from all three, you invite misfortune upon yourself. I think we drank from the wisdom stream, but I can't verify that.

We decided just to walk from our hotel in Gion to find Nanzenji. We found ourselves up in the wooded hills and came across this little shrine built into a small cave. It was incredible to feel so far away in this serene untouristed spot and yet know the rest of the city was just five minutes away. On way back down we stumbled (okay maybe not stumbled) across a very large bell. (How large was it?) It was soo large that it takes 17 monks to ring it!

Next was Nara. We stayed in a ryokan which is a traditional Japanese Inn. They typically feature tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata (house robe of sorts) and talk with the owner. Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. Nara is dominated by a large park where about 1200 deer roam free. The deer are considered sacred and are believed to be protector spirits. Let me tell you those spirits are hungry!! You can buy these "shika sembei - Deer Biscuits" and suddenly you have a lot of new friends. Friends who will pull on your clothes with their teeth. Nara is home to Todaiji temple, the largest wooden building in the world that is home to the largest Buddha in Japan. Around the back is a wooden pillar with a hole in it. It is said that anyone who passes through the hole (which is the size of the Great Buddha's nostril) will achieve enlightenment. I would have to achieve Jenny Craig long before enlightenment. There were several future enlightened children who made it through.

We took the bullet train back to Tokyo for our flight home. Again we were lucky in that the flight wasn't that full. The flight back was even longer because we had to fly from Tokyo to Christchurch to Auckland to Wellington. I got questioned a little by security while in Christchurch. Okay guys anyone who has been on a plane for 14 hours looks like a terrorist!

It was a great trip. And surprisingly, we didn't spend all that much. It was one of those rare vacations where you feel invigorated when you come back. We find ourselves looking at the teach English in Japan jobs online. hmmm. I'm pretty sure given half a chance we would go back.

Mainly because I didn't get to Monster Island.

Ill fortunes drawn at Heian Jingu Shrine.

Waterfall from inside Nanzenji Temple

Golden Pavilion, Kyoto

Ladies in Gion

Jessica and Macaque in Arashiyama

Yasaka Shrine in Gion

Yasaka Shrine

Tenryuji Zen Temple in Arashiyama (near Kyoto)

Gion - Ponto Cho

Back from Japan

2008-08-10T21:02:00.004+12:00

We're back from our 10 day trip to Japan, which was amazing. Darryl is working on a blog post about it - seriously, I have seen part of a draft in the post list waiting to be finished, so I am not making it up. In the meantime, I wanted to add a link to our photos from the trip for those who have asked.

Japan Trip Pics

IRRV!

2008-05-16T10:32:00.002+12:00

Passed a milestone this week. Darryl and I got our IRRVs put in our US passports.

When we first were accepted into NZ, we got PR (permanent resident) visas, which meant we could stay in the country as long as we wanted. We also got a 2 year RRV (returning resident's visa). That's the bit you use when you leave New Zealand for any reason. Even if you have a PR visa, you can't get back into NZ once you leave without the RRV. The initial one we got was good for 2 years, but because we've been living in NZ with only one trip abroad, when it expired recently we qualified for the coveted IRRV - indefinite returning resident's visa - which has no expiration date. Meaning should we choose at some point to live outside NZ, we can still always come back again.

Wow, never has something that exciting for me been this mind-numbingly dull to explain.

Anyway, after we got our number from Welly immigration we had a 45 minute wait, and they said we could leave and come back, so we walked around the corner and Darryl went into a games store and I hit The Body Shop. We came back, got called, were processed within minutes, and went to the movies (got to get it all in while we're in the 'big city'). Our only visit to immigration so far was a breeze.

dance in Australia

2008-05-03T09:55:00.007+12:00

I've enjoyed watching "So you Think You Can Dance, Australia" even though I've never seen its American counterpart. It surprised me that I looked forward to it, but dancers don't get anything close to the exposure that singers do, and when I do see dance it's usually part of a music video, a theatrical performance, or a b-list star vehicle, not something devoted entirely to good dancing. In any event, they had a 15 (now just turned 16) year old named Caleb who could not compete because of his age, but who can dance like you would not believe. Video proof:

His original audition:

And at the finale when they had him back on (he comes on stage 1 min. in):

They gave him a scholarship worth $10k to continue studying in Sydney.

still here

2008-03-12T17:27:00.003+13:00

This has always been sort of an NZ move and update blog, and now that we are coming up on two years here, NZ has ceased to feel so foreign. Granted we still find new and amazing parks, perplexing news stories -- like the occasional theft of a body right before the funeral, when a carload of family members show up and take it to a marae -- new interesting language things -- like the word debut being pronounced "dayboo" and then in a magazine I read a comment that NZers learned this mispronunciation from Americans (I have never met an American that said dayboo) -- and other little things. But really day to day, it's become sort of comfortingly familiar. It's no longer an oddity to drive on the left, read about polls between National and Labour or to see the uncensored movie Closer on network TV in prime time.

I don't think I will ever get over the breathtaking view from the house, but after about 300 photos from one angle, I think I'm finally letting the camera cool down.

That's not to say that it's boring. In fact, it's really nice as far as I'm concerned to feel at home again. Although the move itself has been a great adventure for us and tested our ability to go with the flow, the excitement of feeling everything is new and unusual can also be a hassle when you just want to buy groceries or go to the doctor.

Anyway, all is well for those of you we know who are checking in. :)

If you found us on a search and are looking for moving to NZ info, please use the archives to read about our arrival - buying a car, finding a place to live, culture shock, starting work, setting up internet, etc...

Like hope.....but different.

2008-02-15T19:20:00.000+13:00

chickens keeping the peace

2008-02-08T20:40:00.000+13:00

loss and birth

2008-01-25T16:55:00.000+13:00

my friend synge of littlefunkymonkey fame had her first baby on the 23rd just one day after her mother's funeral. synge's mom wanted to see her grandson, but after an amazing 19 months of fighting cancer, she couldn't hold out any longer. synge's letter to her mom over on lfm is straight to the heart.

and here's the beautiful baby boy...

nice vacation

2008-01-07T12:55:00.001+13:00

What a great two weeks with both of us off work in the summery Christmastime. The caving was great. We went to Waitomo and did the Black Labyrinth tour of Ruakuri Cave. Squeezed into wet suits and did some jumping over falls some gliding along in the dark in our innertubes looking up at the glow worms like blue-green stars on the ceiling and a good bit of climbing in knee and hip deep rushing water where you can't see what the floor of the cave is doing. Had a blast. No pics - I obviously couldn't take my camera in the water, and they took some shots, but I didn't really want to pay for them... not in the wetsuit and hat and innertubes...

But I did take another shot of Ruapehu. We passed by it on our way to Lake Taupo last year and I put up a photo then, but here's another. Despite the hot summer day it had plenty of snow on top.

On the homefront, we (and by we I mean Darryl) only succeeded in tearing up the bathroom. Due to the long holiday break everyone takes, the new vanity and tub will not be here for a bit.

SAFE

2007-12-22T19:36:00.001+13:00

I spent a few hours yesterday and today as a collector for SAFE (Stop Animals from Exploitation). Darryl took my picture and commemorated my furry ears. Although I bet I didn't do as well as the kids in the little lion and sheep costumes - so cute - I was pleasantly surprised by how generous people are. A surprising number of people stop, and those $1 and $2 coins make the bucket heavy quickly.

Different causes are given specific days they can collect each year, and it seems like there are volunteers in front of the grocery store at least once a month for something. The kidney foundation, guide dogs, hospice... Appeals all the time, and still people are generous, so most of the money an organization uses seems to be made through their street appeal.

By the way, in the US there's a terrific charity called Farm Sanctuary. They have two sanctuaries - one on each coast - and they also do a great deal to educate the public about the worst industrialized farm practices such as gestation crates. Charity Navigator gives Farm Sanctuary 4 out of 4 stars, and their CEO only makes $41K a year.

no news is good news

2007-12-07T12:45:00.000+13:00

Have not been up to much worth writing about, yet the days go surprisingly fast. I'm still doing aerobics daily.... Knitting away on a baby blanket for the little funky monkey.... Holiday gifts are taken care of... Darryl did far better than I at his company's holiday bowling party. I generally crack the lane open by releasing the ball too late so it lands with a resounding thud, and management ponders whether to ask me to leave. D bowled a strike his first time up (and his first time bowling in years) - showoff... Oh and now it is hot outside. Wonderful summer hot. Running the fan in the afternoons.

We have a vacation coming up that involves caving, and I'll have something to say after that, if only so I can use the word spelunking more often. We are also planning to remodel the bathroom while we are off work (which hopefully will not involve any spelunking at all).

weta tour and river walk

2007-11-19T10:19:00.001+13:00

Thanks to Darryl's entry at Body Art Rocks, Gino Acevedo took us on a tour of the Weta Workshop! Very nice of him! Props, prosthetics and maquettes are everywhere. From Frighteners, LOTR, Narnia, Kong, Xena... overhead and on shelves and every available wall space. There's so much to see, and everything is so beautifully detailed that I'd zero in on one thing and realize I probably missed about a hundred other props. I particularly like the metalwork done for LOTR, but I couldn't take it in fast enough. The prosthetics were exceptional as well, of course, precise in minute detail. Darryl was rapt, soaking it in. He got to briefly meet Richard Taylor, Jamie Beswarick and several others.

Afterwards we stopped by Shooters in Welly and had a great time meeting Dawn of "Dawn and Darren" blog fame at a meetin gathering!

I finished up the weekend with a lot less excitement but an enjoyable time doing a 10k (about 6 miles) walkathon to benefit Canteen (a cancer support organization for teens) with a friend. The weather could not have been better. Here are a few shots from the walk along the north and south banks of the Waikanae River.

chilled music

2007-11-11T10:22:00.000+13:00

We drove the 3 minutes down to the beach, and no one was there. I forgot how even in warm weather it's just deserted most of the time. There's a lagoon just there as well - for more pics see this post from last spring. We also took wheat bread and fed ducks, ducklings, gulls, finches and black swans. The five swans would cluster together and hiss and intertwine... the closest I will come to seeing snakes in this country.

We celebrated our 7th anniversary with empanadillos and mushroom brioche out on the patio at Raumati's Casa Java. Not cheap, but great for a special occasion. And yesterday after I finished work we headed down the road to some of the Kapiti Arts Trail locations. There are an incredible number of artists living here on the coast.

Finally my skin is recovering from silicone adhesive and latex. The stuff isn't so bad (well maybe the latex is) if you take it off properly. Darryl advised waiting until we got home from Body Art Rocks, but I desperately wanted out of headgear before the hour's drive to Kapiti (besides I could imagine wrecks on the highway from the eerie double face gaping at drivers - see photos further down on this page) and so I took it off with no remover in the dressing room. Stupid, I know... Some more excitement coming up for us, but I'll have to wait for next weekend to dish the details...

I stumbled on this groovy ZenChannel music site. If you happen to be a fan of the Chill Out series, you'll like this.

cats talking

2007-11-06T11:00:00.000+13:00

Rule #1 never use permanent marker on someone you love.

2007-10-30T15:45:00.000+13:00

I am married to a wonderful lady. Let me say that first. Whilst I am generally perceived as laid back to the point comatose sometimes she gets to see the "unfortunate" side of being married to a moody artistic cancerian male.

I decided last year to do BodyArt Rocks in Wellington this year (see Sunday, November 19, 2006 Perspective Procrastination and Pain(t)), and for the first time in life I didn't really procrastinate. Due mostly to J's mastery of what the Chinese call "the cattle prodding lotus" the fine art of reminding one of the current date without nagging.

So I proceed to turn our dining room into that future from the Terminator. (you know the junkyard looking one). That was the nicer part. Sculpting the head prosthetic, and the little demon guy, and the clockworks was fun, but then comes the part that looks easy when other people do it. (curse you Mark Alfrey!) the molding and the casting. (geek alert:skip this if you don't know what a Vulcan is) Usually prosthetics are made by sculpting in clay what you want over plaster cast of someone's head. Then you make a plaster cast of that. Next you remove the clay and you are left with a void that you can fill with whatever material that you are using to create your mask or prosthetic. This particular head piece I was casting in silicone. I have been lugging this particular silicone around the world with me for the past 2 years so I figured I would give it a try. But first there was a problem. The clay that I was using contains sulphur. Sulphur inhibits the curing of this particular silicone. In other words in keeps it from solidifying. So I have to clean out the plaster molds REALLY well. It is time to add noxious chemicals to the moody ratio. I should invest in a hazmat suit for Jessica and a tiny gas mask for the the dog.

So after cleaning the mold with stuff that I swear sizzled when it fell. I was ready for the silicone. I put the two halves of the mold together, drilled a hole to pour the silicone in and several air holes to let the air escape as I filled the silicone. (stop if you have heard this one before). So ready....mix part a with equal parts b mix well and pour through a funnel into the mold. It fills the funnel and sits there.......and doesn't move. Now I have 20 minutes before this stuff is supposed to solidify. ahh so I use the plunger method. By sticking a pencil down the hole of the funnel which works great if I wanted to fill the molds WITH PENCILS! I instead succeed in getting it all over me, the pencil, the kitchen floor, everywhere (but inside the mold). So I quickly pull the mold apart start spooning all the silicone inside and very deftly and precisely cram the whole thing together... only it doesn't cram together. I have a half inch gap between the two halves that I can't make meet. No. Sitting on it didn't help! I tried that, and I used my belt which broke in the process. So I'm sitting on a large white plaster egg in the middle of the kitchen covered in what looks like a great deal of KY jelly...with a broken belt.

So the next day I pull the silicone prosthetic out. And apparently I didn't get all of the mold clean because there are spots where the silicone hadn't cured and I had broken some of the more delicate features in my delicate and precise cramming, AND there was a half inch gap of nothing running the length of the mask.

That was it. I was done. I'm an idiot. Sylvia Plath understands me. So I moped around the house for a day. Wait a minute! Thanks to the cattle prodding lotus I had time to fix it. Now silicone is neat stuff. It is very strong, durable , and stretches like skin. However nothing sticks to it except more silicone. So after some internet research I found that if I mixed caulking silicone to oil paints and thin it with more noxious chemicals. You can paint on it. So after much plastic surgery. (I had one really fun night where I realized the curtains were open and to any casual observer skulking around my neighborhood at 2 a.m., I was jabbing a pair a scissors repeatedly into someone's face) It was beginning to look better.

So that was taking shape...time to move onto more noxious chemicals because I had really missed them.....and the grass was starting to grow back finally. So the dining room was covered in junk, smelled like I was making high explosive, and bits of plaster were everywhere. So I decided that I would add foam to the mix. I had to fill these gears and hands that I had made with foam. Jessica in the meantime had volunteered to be my model on the day. I had already spent quite a bit on this project already and not knowing how much to pay a model coupled with the fact that I didn't think that I could inflict a stranger with the level of torture that was usually reserved for myself. Also it would give me an opportunity to fit it better. So Jessica has the gears in place on her shoulders while I fill them slowly with this 2 part expandable foam. Expandable is a key word here. Foam starts pouring all over her, the chair, and the carpet. Foam is the stickiest gooeyist mess when you try to clean it off. Think of a mixture of something between superglue and rubber cement. Did I mention she was topless?

So that was the last straw. I was done. That's it. I'm an idiot. The oven's electric isn't it? So I moped around for the rest of the night, but the next morning I pushed through. We could fix the carpet, and Jessica managed to flake most of it off of her. So the after many odds and ends and loss of sleep. The day rolls around, and nervously we make our way to Wellington for the event.
I start unloading my equipment. Now some of these artists are professionals and have these cool makeup air compressors about the size of a purse. Now I unload my air compressor about the size of a Great Dane. With this compressor not only can I nail a roof in under 2 minutes I can blow paint on half the room at a time. Only it doesn't quite work that way. My airbrush doesn't work. So I use my backup airbrush (I came prepared) only it doesn't work either. So I have to use sponges. Dabdabdab ooops I knocked my paint over. So I sponge paint off the floor and onto J's body. Jessica's goosebumped and rapidly quivering body. Did I mention it was freezing in there? At one point her legs were shaking so badly I thought that I was watching a rap video.

Now I have to say the other artists there are amazingly talented and so very cool. It was such a great feeling to talk to people about things that I never get to talk about much. I met some great people. I could see out of the corner of my eyes these amazing designs taking shape. I would not want to judge these shows. There were so many incredible ideas that these artists demonstrated. I was starting to feel really self conscious. As the afternoon progressed everyone around me started having people comment and take pictures and ask questions, but they were just walking by us. I put on the head prosthetic and then it all started to come together. But time has a way of slipping by very quickly when you do these things.

It was close to curtain call when we still had to put the contact lenses in. So Jessica and I ran to the bathroom to put them in. I usually would do this part first, but these contact lenses cover the entire part of the eye. Jessica doesn't wear lenses so I wanted to minimize the irritation.
Much like the irritation of someone trying to shove a large piece of plastic under your eyelid. Anyone outside of the bathroom hears two people inside the bathroom:

"Can you get it in?"
"Your fingers are in the way."
"What if I hold this one open?"
"No you keep closing it."
"I'm afraid that we're going run out of time."
"No were okay."
"uh I'm getting it all dirty."
"Is it in?"
"yeah. It's in."
No one came in the bathroom.

So the performance rolled around and poor Jessica, blinded, freezing, covered in adhesive and paint with a five pound weight on her head had to walk (in platform shoes) down steps and a runway as the very last performer. But we did manage to win the FX category I got a great WETA designed trophy, and we made the front page of the Capital city newspaper. Jessica was less than thrilled with the angle. All in all it was a good night. I think that the moral is never ever marry someone with artistic tendencies. It is bad news all around.

Photos below...

and if you do use permanent marker make sure that they work at home.

2007-10-29T15:46:00.000+13:00

Body Art Rocks 2007

my cool WETA-made trophy

finished product or thereabouts

back of the head with clockwork and demon guy up behind the gears

photos from the day

2007-10-28T16:40:00.000+13:00

More Body Art Rocks 2007

Michelle Perry's Shonky Swamy transfiguration trick went wrong. Jana (the model) won the performance award.

Karen Havican's Killer Bunnies (this guy was great. He would flex his chest muscles, and the rabbit would twitch.)
Hayley Marlow's Nefertiti (with a cool hand on fire trick)

Incubus/succubus by Carlie Marr (my pix are not doing any of these justice)The supreme winner Pure or Unsure by Emma Edwarthy

Body paint winner Dara Wakely's Chica Freaka (left) Sam Wheeler Alien Hybrid, Rachel Lam- the Captive, and the edge of Kelly Marie Parkinson's Seraphine angel

why i should not be allowed to drive

2007-10-11T19:43:00.000+13:00

In Lower Hutt today, I was coming to a roundabout and figuring out which lane was which, listening to which way D thought we should be headed, and checking the signs to see what matched his instructions... So I was pretty much paying attention to absolutely everything when I went straight across... except the small matter of right of way. Once in the roundabout I realized that in both lanes of traffic to my right, cars were headed towards me. I was clued in by the sound of their tires skidding to a stop. In NZ you always yield to the right (even in odd situations that involve checking your rear view for traffic going straight so you know whether the right turning car across the way - oh never mind it's even a bother to explain) Anyway suffice it to say I was supposed to wait, and I completely spaced it, and just waded in where I didn't belong. Both cars hit the brakes and did not hit me, and miraculously neither driver even honked.

But I feel like such a ninny. And after a year and a half of driving on the left! Reminded me of the early days and Darryl's description of driving in our first blog post.

For those who have been telling me to update the blog more - perhaps now you won't be so anxious to prod me into posting. I mean look at the kind of post you get when I'm rushed!

On a brighter - and by that I mean smarter - note: I visited the main Wellington library for the first time today. Oohs and Ahhs. One of the joys of a capital city is a gorgeous and well stocked library.

WOW again

2007-10-01T16:12:00.000+13:00

We went to WOW - World of Wearable Art - in Wellington again this year. We originally bought tickets for the 2006 event while we were still living in the states, after seeing a great video for it at the Auckland airport on a visit here. Loved it last year, and it was great again this time around. It's not about fashion, but instead is pretty much what it's called - wearable art. It also has dance and lights, and it's not like anything else I've been to, which is, in this case, a good thing.

So here are some shots from the World of Wearable Art website, (the one above is this year's winner, "Rattle Your Dags"):

darryl's it

2007-09-27T20:40:00.000+12:00

Since Darryl hasn't had a chance to post on the blog in ages, I tagged his entries so it's easy to read all of his rare posts in one place.

He's fine. He's working on a project as usual and lately he's cooking some of the best meals I've had in my life (clearly I married the right man) with possibly the intention of making sure he continues to look more fit than I do. That's ok. It's more than worth it.

Here he is standing on the rocks at the pull off by Centennial Highway. Behind him is, yep... Kapiti Island - the most photographed thing on this blog.

ruapehu

2007-09-26T09:55:00.001+12:00

That's the pic we took of Mt Ruapehu about 3 hours from the house on our trip up to Lake Taupo several months ago. Ruapehu erupted last night spewing boulders and mud, seriously injuring a climber, and sending two lahars down the mountain sides. I don't actually know what a lahar is, but something tells me if I'm going to stay in NZ (with its 3 active volcanoes) I should probably look that up. Here's the news story, which also has some gorgeous shots of Ruapehu.

Ah... have looked up lahar. A mud flow with the consistency of concrete that solidifies when it stops. Oh joy.

1 B 4 U 2 C

2007-09-20T15:49:00.001+12:00

Finished the company logo in oamaru. Had to put a wash on the background to intensify the contrast, because they want to use it in photos. Although the light caused the raised edges to really stand out, it would have washed out in every picture taken with a flash...

I had guidance on how to start this one from the teacher before class ended (and then drug my feet waiting for nice weather to finish it) but this was the easiest of the 4 sculptures I've done. Maybe because for the first time I didn't have a 3-d sculpture I was copying in front of me. (I tended to obsess about minor differences.) For this project I only had a black and white logo on paper.

I guess the next step is for me to do something of my own design with the big block of oamaru left in my laundry closet.

Downright warm now - hot in the afternoons. Hope it will last. It can get quite chilly in the spring before December sometimes. Right now it's gorgeous. And we made it through the entire winter on the one load of firewood with some left for any remaining cold nights.

I read the extremely suspenseful novel The Raw Shark Texts recently. Wow. I couldn't put that down, although at one point I wanted to be like Joey on Friends and stick it in the freezer. It's not horror; it was just too much suspense for me. Reminds me of Paul Auster (whom it references more than once) and perhaps a little bit of House of Leaves. Not the sort of thing you read to fall asleep at night. (check out the book's website)

Got the Cafe Flora Cookbook from Amazon - modern vegetarian gourmet. I've been cooking a lot here. Missing all the cooking contraptions that I left in the states because I hadn't been at the stove much. Now I could use them. The only pasta roller I can find anywhere is $143! Need to check on TradeMe (the NZ eBay).

On my aunt T.'s excellent title recommendation, I picked up a dvd of Jane Fonda aerobics with big hair and belted leotards. All eighties nostalgia aside, it's a great straight forward workout. So now after work I'm lifting weights (not that it shows much) , doing aerobics (which has actually started to show right away) and meditating every day. Shortens the free time a bit, but is terrific. NZ seems to be doing my health a world of good. By the way if anyone's interested in fitness dvds check out collagevideo.com where you can watch footage to see if you like them before you buy.

speaking of sculpture...

2007-08-31T10:36:00.001+12:00

They installed a new steel Tui Sculpture at Paraparaumu Beach recently. The photo is from the rainy grand unveiling. I have yet to go down and see it in person but will when I go to the main library. Creating Tui sculptures is popular lately: the gorgeous, "largest Tui sculpture in the world" was added to the top of the Forest and Bird offices in downtown Wellington this year as well:

Forest and Bird Tui
Originally uploaded to Flickr by TELPortfolio

UPDATE 9/18: Saw both sculptures in person. The Paraparaumu sculpture is almost iridescent and looks great. Bumped into the Forest and Bird Tui while in Wellington yesterday buying art supplies. It was right over the Gordon Harris art store. Darryl stocked up on clay and such, and I got in a trip to the Mediterranean Market. Yum.

Aeotearoa Dreaming has a post about Wellington street art with photos of several sculptures. (Clicking on the thumbnails there will take you to larger images).

last sculpture class

2007-08-30T09:59:00.000+12:00

Snapped one of my favorite shots of the island at 7am
with the moon still visible above the horizon.

Spring is coming. It's still chilly out and cold at night, but trees and plants are budding, and there are baby lambs showing up in the fields. (They are cute as kittens, and I was sad to discover that 4 months is the end of the line for 24 million of them here. Why did I think they got to live longer than that?)

To be less of a downer, I had my last oamaru sculpture class yesterday. This seashell was our final assigned project; after that we worked on our own designs. I don't think I did such a great job with the shell. It was supposed to be quite rounded on one side and very geometric with facets on the other. The original the teacher had done looked great, but I couldn't copy it with much finesse.

Anyway, I've had a blast for 6 weeks and may go for a more advanced class later. The stone is affordable and the tools are cheap. It's a pretty easy hobby to do, although it creates so much dust, and we don't have a garage, so working on it outside depends on the weather. With temps just hinting that they're warming up, I should be ready to get out there more. Sculpting a gift for someone now, and a project for work.

Darryl is fine, though clearly not much of a blogger lately. He's sculpting away on a project of his own in clay, and eventually silicone.

The tax specialists bill arrived. Although I knew he was expensive it was a mind-blowing invoice, and also said for prep. of the wrong state's taxes, so after crying like I'd seen a Hallmark movie, I wrote to ask if he did indeed send us the correct ginormous (that little bit o' Elf fun actually made it into the Webster's dictionary ) bill. Good thing we don't have kids to put through college. Jeesh. We should be able to sort it out ourselves next year with no problem.

dawn chorus

2007-08-17T11:53:00.000+12:00

Here's an mp3 of birdsong from the back yard the other morning. You can hear the Tui throughout, but if you listen to the whole thing (just over a minute) you'll hear their classic gravelly "croak" at the end.

Harakeke Sculpture and Kapiti t-shirts

2007-08-07T15:10:00.000+12:00

I liked the koru design better, but the harakeke sculpture was supposed to teach us about sculpting motion and involves twisting lines that are harder to visualize when looking at a block of stone. It was definitely more challenging than the first piece we did.

The harakeke is a native flax plant which provides nectar for Tuis when it blooms and is widely used in traditional Maori flax weaving. The plant is actually pictured behind the statue - it's the tall spiky looking thing on the right. Our is about 7 feet tall. I found that out after the class, so I thought the sculpture I was copying was an entire leaf; in fact it's just the tip of one of those long spikes on the flax.

---

Just recently, I've opened an online shop through CafePress, offering t-shirts, baby gear, mousepads, etc sporting photos of the lovely Kapiti Coast, including the view from Paekakariki Hill Rd., sunset over Kapiti Island, our photo of all the sheep from up at Pukerua Bay, etc... The link is now a fixture at right, or you can click here to give it a look.

Koru Sculpture

2007-07-29T11:11:00.001+12:00

Here's a pic of the almost finished koru sculpture I did during our first class. I still need to smooth it out some more so there are no flat edges. I originally had a rectangular block of oamaru stone, so it's been great to see the rounded shape come out of it. I sawed off the blocks where I needed to get rid of a good bit of stone, then used a big metal rasp to file down the corners and shape it before chiseling out the curve at the top.

The koru is a Maori symbol that means growth and change. It's used in all sorts of forms and is based on the curve of the native koru fern.

Anyway, it's a common NZ motif and a fairly simple form to start us out.

Here are some other examples of koru:

sunset and sculpture class

2007-07-27T16:38:00.000+12:00

Sunset last night.

Had my first stone sculpture class the other day... great fun! There were about a dozen of us. We got most of the way through our first small scupltures during the 2 and a half hour class. Oamaru is a soft stone, but my arm was still worn out. We had a particular design we had to do for this one so that the teacher could see how we were doing. It's an abstract rendition of a curled fern leaf. I see it a lot here. My homework is to finish it off and get it all smooth before the next class. I'll get a picture of it up in a day or two.

I came out covered in sandy colored dust, and my hair felt like dreadlocks, but I'm looking forward to the next class. Nervousness about not having had an art class since middle school evaporated pretty quickly, once I got stuck in (as they say here) and started sawing and filing.

My friend is giving birth to a rock star... & I saw Billy Connelly's private bits... what a day

2007-07-09T17:01:00.001+12:00

Yesterday I discovered that my good friend over at Little Funky Monkey is going to give birth to the next George Harrison! The signs are unmistakable...

Then last night, while watching a recording off of TVOne, I saw Billy Connelly running around in the altogether in the Arctic. It originally aired at 8:30 PM. Mind you, it doesn't bother me at all - I just can't imagine they'd put it on network TV in the states. It was on a par with A Room With a View when Lucy Honeychurch comes across the young men skinny dipping. Anyway it's not every famous person who will run around naked on the frozen tundra.

I'm signing up to take an oamaru stone sculpture class. Oamaru is a native soft stone similar to limestone. Widely carved over here. (Some examples.)

Rain rain and more rain lately, but since it's the middle of winter I'm not out much and don't mind. Took advantage of a few days of sun to do laundry. (We chose not to shell out for a dryer since everyone uses clothes lines here. Honestly I don't think I'll ever buy a dryer again.)

Grabbed books at the library, and I read The Stolen Child since I'd heard it would be a good follow up to Time Traveler's Wife. Stolen Child was alright, but man was it unrelentingly melancholy. I've now moved on to Blindness, which was suggested by jgaston who stopped by and commented on the blog. So far it's quite good, once I got in the groove of reading dialogue without periods or quotes. It was like getting used to All the Pretty Horses years ago...

a biscuit is a cookie

2007-06-29T08:00:00.000+12:00

In NZ a biscuit is a cookie. They often stick the 'ee' sound on the end (as they do with many words) and call it a bickie, but either way it's not the flaky breakfast goodness this ex Virginia girl is used to. I hadn't seen them for over a year, until I whipped some up and commemorated the moment with the digital camera, of course, as is my way.

We were going to wait for Darryl's birthday but went ahead and saw Transformers on Thursday. (One of the few US flicks to come out here first). Had a trailer for JJ Abrams secret "Cloverfield" beforehand. I thought Transformers was alright in an Independence Day kind of way... What do I know though?... I was 14 when the old Transformers cartoons hit TV, but never saw it or owned a toy... Darryl on the other hand could probably tell you a thing or two...

Darryl's started sitting daily meditation with me. Between that and the workout, we end up planning days around a chunk of time set aside, but since we both work earlier than even the birds wake up - which is frankly just wrong - we have more worms than we ever needed and plenty of time in the later half of the day.

It's a rainy stay in Saturday with the woodstove cooking away, although it's supposedly 16 celsius out, which is about 60 degrees F. Feels a bit cooler with wind and wet. Had some blustery cold days last week, but it doesn't snow where we are, and you get these odd warm days in the middle of winter. The cold seems to be a gripe for people who move here, but it's not so much the fault of the fairly temperate climate as it is single glazed windows and often little insulation in older homes. We need to add to our sad low R-value pink stuff, but have put off crawling under the house with the spiders and such...

Speaking of houses - note the window in our pic from the livingroom here where Kapiti Island has disappeared into the haze today. No window screen. Houses almost never have them. Don't know why - perhaps it doesn't feel like home without some flies and a mosquito. We found screen material for sale at the DIY store, but since the windows open out instead of up, it's a trick to come up with a screen that won't keep your window permanently shut- thus removing your need for a screen in the first place.

(Not that there aren't things I prefer here. From politics to prolific laundry lines, there are many spots where NZ wins hands down.)

Taxes Sorted / Dalai Lama visits Welly

2007-06-22T10:26:00.001+12:00

The tax forms for both countries are all sorted finally. I put a long post about it on the ExpatWomen site. If you would like to get a brain cloud, you can read it here.

We saw the Dalai Lama in Wellington on Tuesday. He was giving a talk called Human Value and World Peace. It was both entertaining and insightful, though sometimes his English was alittle hard to follow. But his interpreter would usually step in to explain. Somehow we ended up just 10 rows back in the middle. I was so glad we went. We didn't get to see him when he came to DC just before we left the states, because of the press to get everything packed and done, so I thought I'd lost my chance.

I'm actually getting some muscle tone after 10 weeks of using our home gym 6 days a week. It's cooold outside now (nice and toasty in here with the woodstove) but I am hoping by the time spring rolls around in October, I will be toned enough to do a better job of taking the hills with my bicycle.

The TIme Traveler's Wife

2007-06-07T12:01:00.000+12:00

Just ripped through The Time Traveler's Wife in 3 days after coming across it in the library. Riveting and romantic and thought provoking. The author must have had a hell of a time keeping the plot straight since time travel's involved. But it didn't read like sci fi at all. Now I see they are making it into a movie with Eric Bana to be released next year. I am almost afraid to see what they do with it. But I'm sure I'll go to see it, because I'm already sorry to be done reading it.

Heading into winter now though not as frigid as last year's record breaking June. The woodstove is keeping us toasty for a reasonable price. After the afternoon workout it feels too warm inside. Still hitting the weight machine 6 days a week - a first for me, except for a brief stint of using the gym at Hollins years ago. Can already tell the difference.

The tax specialist has just said he's finished with our taxes, so we'll be heading into Welly to collect them soon, and I'll post about how it all went. (We had an automatic 2 month extension on our US taxes because of living overseas.)

Back from Oz

2007-05-25T15:37:00.000+12:00

Back from vacation in Brisbane and Mooloolaba. Will get around to writing a bit about it (or prodding Darryl to write). In the meantime here are a few photos. Most of our pics are of animals - mainly sleepy ones - must be the heat. A wonderful 75 degrees warm in the winter!

Kapiti Coastline

2007-05-10T10:02:00.000+12:00

A shot we took yesterday of the coastline at Paekakariki, Paraparaumu and Waikanae from the summit on Paekakariki Hill Rd a few minutes south the house...

the "deck"

2007-04-22T18:07:00.000+12:00

Everything copasetic on our end. Nothing so exciting as to warrent a blog post I guess. We finally put together the weight machine Darryl bought two years before we moved here. (Yes we brought the super heavy Canadian made thing from the US to NZ still boxed, thinking some day surely we would make the effort). Now we're working out 6 days a week and doing stretching, walking around the neighborhood...
We made our reservations for the Australia trip...

Tonight's sunset was so gorgeous I had to post another Kapiti shot from the deck. Speaking of our deck... when kiwis say vowels they generally sound to me like the i in "if," so you can imagine what it sounds like when they say "deck." I heard it so many times when estate agents were gushing about the size of a house's deck that I no longer even crack a smile. But I was talking to someone about yoga, and she said, "I love to do it on the deck." Then she stopped and said, "Oh good grief. When I say that does it sound to you like I'm saying d---!?" Cracked me up that it occurred to her.

meditation day

2007-04-08T10:23:00.000+12:00

Went along with a fellow meditator from the weekly sitting group, to the monastery in Stokes Valley (about an hour away) for walking and sitting meditation. Very unstructured, which was actually nice. You could sit the entire time or go out for walking medititation in the simple courtyard. A gorgeous fall day. The Tuis were singing and I saw my first Waxeye (smallest NZ bird) up close when we were leaving. There was a little breeze, but the concrete floor of the courtyard was warm on my socked feet.

When the paper went around I signed up for a meeting with the teacher, then realized I had no watch, no clock in the room, no idea where to meet him, and no one to ask who wasn't meditating. Miscalculated the time entirely, and someone came into the meditation hall and whispered into the silence "Is there a Jessica?". Those of you who know me will not be surprised that I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut tight and pretend my name was Nicole. But I met with Bhante --- (I don't think he said his name) and, after I apologized profusely for making him wait he asked me when I began meditating, and still flustered I heard 2005 pop out of my mouth, and it was funny to see how I wanted to go back and let him know I'd been meditating longer and at the same time imagined how odd it would be 2 mintues later to say - Wait it was 2003!! Anyway he answered a question I had about watching the breath quite clearly, which was a big help, despite my mental antics. He asked about prior retreats and was pleased to hear the Bhavana Society and spoke very highly of Bhante Gunaratana.

On a totally separate note we have now been in NZ for one year! I don't think it feels like a year, but there it is.

Queen Elizabeth Park

2007-03-27T09:41:00.000+12:00

Went walking Sunday with Darryl's boss' wife. Her husband W was working on a Fun Day in the park with pony rides for the kids and stalls of local goods while Darryl held down the fort at the coffee cart. The Queen Elizabeth Park which is about 10 minutes from us by car is enormous - 1,600+ acres - and goes right down to the sea. You can walk through farmland, beach, and wetlands. There's a little antique tram in the park that will take you round trip from the beach deep into the park to the Tram Museum - we took it on the way back. Looked at homemade soaps and baskets and saw the horses and petting zoo and listened to a great group of fiddlers. Had our snacks, said hi to W and headed back - about 2 hours walking total. Very laid back day off.

The photo below is from the Tram Museum site:

musicovery

2007-03-23T15:20:00.000+12:00

Total non sequitur...

I just discovered musicovery.

This spiderweb radio lets you choose what you want to hear on an Energetic/Calm and Dark/Positive spectrum, and then narrow your selections further if you want by limiting the genres and time periods.

So far a nice selection of hits and stuff I've never heard before (though even that can be narrowed apparently so you can only hear non-hits if you wanted...)

I have no idea how long it's been around, and I may be late to the party, but wanted to share anyway. No sign up or registration or anything.

You just show up and start playing music.

2 more nights in Kapiti

2007-03-23T10:10:00.000+12:00

I was going to wait for Darryl to get around to posting so I didn't bombard you with too many sunset pics in a row, but he hasn't gotten around to it. So... 2 more nights in Kapiti.

We've been to see the dreaded tax specialist in Welly, and after he told me his fees he had to ask if I was ok. But on the bright side we will have filed correctly in two countries when he's done. I didn't learn much at the meeting when he took our paperwork, but will post a (suitably dull) update of our tax situation when he's done if any other expats are interested.

Also starting to plan the details of our Aussie trip which is looking less like our usual mountain, beach and small town tour and more of a big city Brisbane get away. We have so much opportunity to get outside here, and so Brisbane will be more of a change from the usual. We'll be getting to the Glass Mountains or some such though - can't go to Oz without taking in the wilderness a bit. Trying to keep the costs low - any suggestions for clean, cheap and central accomodation in Brisbane's CBD or Southbank are most appreciated, if any of you Ozzies or well traveled readers are out there...

By the way, came across a site with terrific desktop backgrounds from all over the web, for your wallpaper pleasure. Small world.. the wallpaper I found there that's brightening my desktop now is from stuntkid.com -- an artist who lives in Va near where we left.

sunset

2007-03-13T19:25:00.000+13:00

photo from the deck yesterday. starting to feel like fall.

taxes... or 'most boring post ever'

2007-03-09T14:23:00.000+13:00

Apparently Uncle Sam does NOT want our taxes. You could knock me over with a feather. Despite what I had learned from the (extremely nice) people at NZ's IRD - the IRS's kiwi counterpart - both a tax specialist and a more careful reading of IRS Publication 54 ( a mind numbing book for expats) confirmed that my US based income is actually foreign income (in that I earned it while living in a foreign country) and that I qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. I will not give you the brain cloud I suffered by trying to explain the details, but the bottom line is that I should not have been having US federal taxes withheld all this time, and I have to file for 255EZ and the 1040 to get withholding refunded for the last nine months of 2006. I also need to mail off form 673 to allow my employer to stop withholding. I have to pay all my taxes to NZ, despite my US paycheck, though of course I keep filing tax forms in the US until I die.

Not the world'd most exciting info, but perhaps helpful for anyone dropping by the blog who is (or is thinking of becomming) a US expat over here.

Hopefully this will maintain the title of 'our most boring blog post' for many months to come.

late summer

2007-02-22T11:47:00.000+13:00

The evenings are getting cool, which is great for sleeping. Also makes the cicadas quiet down at night.

It took one and a half hours for me to walk to the beach from the house on Sunday. Longer than I thought - but I stopped twice to sit down and drink water. It was a very hot day. (For those of you back in Va freezing - soon it will be July, and I'll be bundled up.) Near the beach I passed the road to another house we looked at buying instead, a stone's throw from the water, but it's very flat down there, and I'd miss being set up on the hill. Anyway, I could use the walk, and it's a short trip in the car. I actually got D down to the water the other afternoon in swimming trunks (!!) but it was a bit overcast and the surf was a lot colder.

The sparrows have finally found the feeders T sent us! I know it doesn't snow here, and there's plenty around for them, but we still like to see them up close. Hopefully some other birds will show up too...

I'm off to the acupuncturist now for my fix. I haven't been in weeks, but I seem to have pulled something in my shoulder again while pruning shrubs.

We bought cheap tickets and are planning a trip to Brisbane, Australia this fall. That's all the news I can think of for now...

from Mantua

2007-02-12T02:06:00.000+13:00

You know this had to be a good story.

Just in time for Valentine's Day :)

On Kapiti Island

2007-02-07T12:08:00.000+13:00

You know all those pics of Kapiti Island I kept posting because every time we glance out the window the light or clouds or rain give it another amazing look, and I'm obsessed? Well now I have pics from the other shore. We visited Kapiti Island at the end of our week off. That shot on the left is a view back to the mainland - Kapiti Coast around Paraparaumu, Waikanae and Peka Peka.

I utterly failed to record anything that shows how strange/nice it is to be surrounded by over 100 species of birds that aren't afraid of you. They have no predators; the island has been cleared of possums and rats and though there are no cages there - it's all wild birds - there's nothing to be afraid of. Every day 50 tourists come walking around, and if you're a Weka who can jump up or a Kaka (like the one on Darryl's head at Nga Manu) who can swoop down, you might steal a meal. (No intentional feeding of birds allowed.) Big blue flightless Takahes wander by with their chick the size of my (admittedly teeny) dog. Territorial little robins appear at the edge of the path and, if you stand still long enough, decide it's ok to hop up to your shoes and check you out. Wekas stake out the picnic table at the summit, hoping you'll get careless and look away from your sandwhich for a sec, as one little boy did.

The path 500+ meters up to the highest point on the island was my undoing. Besides how out of shape it made me feel, there was the hurry to get up to the peak and back down before the boat returned for us. So I didn't make any recordings deep in the trail where you could hear the most amazing bird calls. On the other hand I did make it all the way up and back, a feat I was feeling good about until a 40-something mom appeared on top with her three kids, and she was carrying all 3 of their backpacks. One on her front, one on her back, and one in hand. Suddenly my accomplishment felt a lot less glorious. Moms are amazing.

Videos:

Here are the links to some videos I did get. And a link to my footage of Darryl's skydiving adventure as well.

Kapiti hillside - have the volume up to hear a small sample of birdsong in the distance.
Kapiti Island Weka

D falling from the sky in Taupo!

Kapiti Island Pics:

Why Gonzo is the coolest muppet or I wonder what it's like to plummet.

2007-02-03T22:49:00.000+13:00

Well J and I finally took some time to really explore. It is an embarrassing fact that we have almost been here a year and have not seen much of this country. So in the interest of being intrepid we went for a drive to Taupo for the day. This is about a four hour journey from here up to the center of the North Island. Most people that we told we were going to do it in a day thought we were nuts. They were right, but it is do-able. Taupo is a very large lake (you could fit the city of Singapore in it) created thousands of years ago by one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the world. The surrounding area is what they call “geologically active” which is science speak for “things come up from the ground” (steam, mud, sometimes lava). For a country made up of beaches a lot of people flock inward to vacation. (Read no sharks).

The amazing thing about New Zealand is you can really see all the scenery in the world on these two islands. Leaving before sunrise from here you take the main highway SH1 (which is a two lane street). You first pass through farmland which looks like anywhere in the Midwest of the States. Then the fields of Kansas become the hills of Virginia which strangely enough starts to resemble Tuscany. A little further and the scenery is a dead ringer for the Southwest before finally changing to the Gobi desert and then you’re at Taupo. I might suggest that they turn the entire country into one large theme park and make the areas of the country that resemble other places in the world into the theme park version of that country (think Busch Gardens but BIGGER)

Taupo is a lovely laid back little town. It has the feeling of many tourist beach towns where the locals are just looking to make some money and party until the winter comes rolling back. The town itself has had a population boom from the 1950’s and a population of 750 to a current population of 200,000 in the summer. The lakeside is studded with expensive holiday homes and the occasional bach. A bach is usually a cabinet constructed as a holiday home. The occasional bach at Taupo has a property value of well over a million dollars now.

We booked passage on the Barbary. The boat which once belonged to the late great Errol Flynn is a small sailing yacht that has a long and slightly naughty history from drug running to whatever Errol Flynn did in it. Flynn won it in a poker game. It was a fairly windy day. The captain let Jessica sail it for a little bit. Several passengers looked rather nervous as the boat leaned quite a bit to one side during a turn, but she did a bang up job. It just reinforced my desire to live on a house boat when I retire.

I decided to tick one of the marks on my life’s to do list and go skydiving. I now know what it feels like to plummet from 12,000 feet. Jessica and I slathered ourselves with her extra large bottle of sunscreen SPF 4 million or something. I know that it is the one made specifically for the Skin type known as “honky”. Regardless, we still got roasted. The U.V. levels here will cut through sunscreen like butter (which we may as well have been using). I have a strange archipelago of sunburn on my legs. After being nocturnal for over ten years I had forgotten what sunburn felt like. Oh yeah it hurts. We had to wait over three hours for my turn at skydiving. The waiting just exacerbated any nervousness that I had. I was convinced that the guy they teamed me up with would come out stinking of booze, exclaim that his girlfriend just dumped him, and that he had no reason to live. Fortunately for my continued survival I had a very nice Slavic guy who was all too willing to showing me how spinning during the descent would increase the G-forces on one’s nether regions to junior high wedgie levels. Skydiving is great fun although my eardrum popped on the way down. I couldn’t hear anything after landing and when I swallowed, my ear went, “squeench”. The girl sitting beside me looked over and said that she heard it. I think it freaked her out a little. You could not beat the view on the way down. All in all so worth it, but they wouldn't let me keep the cool jumpsuit. Next up The Killer Island stay tuned.

Lake Taupo, Huka Falls, & the Desert Rd.

2007-02-01T13:37:00.000+13:00

Headed up to Lake Taupo for the day at 5 am yesterday, and managed to cruise the lake, visit Huka Falls, find a pub that served veggie burgers, and go skydiving (D, not me) all before it was time to come home again. I'll leave the skydiving description to him, but for now here are some photos of the rest of the trip. We had a terrific time, and for a few minutes I got to skipper a racing yacht that once belonged to Errol Flynn and later to Greenpeace.

Huka Falls:

Short Huka falls video we took is here.

Sailing Lake Taupo on the Barbary - won by Errol Flynn in a game of cards - and visiting the Maori rock carvings:

You can see a short video of our sailing trip here.

Pics from the Desert Road south of Taupo:

Mt. Ruapehu

Mt. Ngauruhoe, better known as Mt. Doom!

tagged

2007-01-28T13:40:00.000+13:00

My good friend Synge has tagged me... and I'm supposed to name 5 things readers wouldn't know about me. Our readers range from total strangers stopping by, to friends and family who keep up with us through our posts. I guess I'll try to suprise the latter, though some of you will know a few of these already...

1. I'm an only child, and when I was a little kid I went through a phase where I talked to my imaginary german shepherd enough that my parents consulted a psychiatrist to ask if it was normal. (She said it was).

2. When bumblebees are half dead or drowning in a puddle on the deck I put some honey on a q-tip and they eat it up and fly away.

3. I dislike the feel of cardboard boxes and paper grocery bags. I also don't like the feel of popsicle sticks on my teeth.

4. I was on the board of directors at Ekoji Buddhist Sangha for one year.

5. I had acupuncture several times the other week, and it rocked. The doctor here sent me to a physical therapist and they routinely do acupuncture. It's covered under New Zealand's national healthcare as much as more traditional treatments. I had no thoughts about it before going, but I can't believe how quickly my shoulder healed this time.

Because I care :)

2007-01-27T01:30:00.000+13:00

Some people have asked me what the music is like over here. I think that you can break it down into easier categories in New Zealand. And can find any true current reflection of music in any University. While the older generations of popular New Zealand music used it as a springboard before launching a larger career in Australia and ultimately "becoming" an Australian band. In some cases such as Split Enz and Crowded House where they have achieved some success overseas, it has been some point of contention in New Zealand.
The current music can be traced to certain bands who visit New Zealand and leave a music footprint that grows with each generation. You have the EMO of the Datsuns and Shihad. The Hip Hop of the Deceptikonz and Rhythm and Groove of Shapeshifter. Bic Runga has made some appearences on several movies soundtracks but so far has not broken into the world mainstream. Reggae or a fusion called Reggae dub is well on the rise here.

A new book set to be published in early 2008 will document the history and development of one of the most popular forms of music in Aotearoa-New Zealand: reggae and dub.

The as-yet unnamed title will explore New Zealand's adoption of Jamaican reggae music in the late-1970s - due largely to the visit of Bob Marley - through to development of an indigenous reggae-influenced sound championed by the likes of 2006 chart-toppers, Wellington bands Fat Freddy's Drop and The Black Seeds.

The book is a collaboration between Auckland-based broadcaster and "selector" (DJ) Patrick "Dubhead" Waller and Hamilton-based music journalist Jeff Neems.

"Reggae and its associated culture have grown stronger over the last few years. Motherland Collective's Soundsplash at Raglan is one of the most popular music festivals in the country, the rock-oriented Big Day Out is booking reggae acts - this year it was roots superstar Luciano backed by Dunedin's Renegade Sound System - and there are more reggae specialist shows on the radio airwaves than ever before.

"Right now there is also a plethora of DJs, bands and musicians plying a musical trade influenced by roots reggae, dub, dancehall and ska," says Neems.

"What we've seen with Herbs, I Unity and Dread Beat and Blood in the past, and now with Fat Freddy's Drop, The Black Seeds and Katchafire is only really the proverbial tip of the iceberg in terms of an indigenous reggae-based sound. Bob Marley made a massive impact when he played at Auckland's Western Springs in 1979 - he really touched the nation, particularly Maori and Pacific Islanders."

Dubhead has witnessed much of the development in New Zealand's reggae culture.

"I've seen so many changes during my involvement in the local reggae scene over the last 20 years I really felt the story had to be told," says Dubhead, owner of the one of the most extensive reggae collections in the country.

The story will not be limited to New Zealand's reggae musicians either, Jeff says.

"A lot of our current generation of reggae musicians would probably point to the likes of Auckland's 'Stinky Jim' Pinckney, 'Big Matt' Watson, my co-author Dubhead and other university radio reggae show hosts as being big influences. Without some of the long-serving veteran reggae broadcasters championing the sound around the country on stations like bFM, Radio Active, RDU and Contact FM, we wouldn't have reached the stage we're at now - they, and their younger counterparts, are as vital to the story as the musicians themselves, we believe," Neems says.

The authors are now hoping to hear from any musicians, DJs and selectors, broadcasters, writers, journalists or members of the public who feel they wish to contribute somehow to the book.

"We've already developed a long list of people we need to talk to complete the puzzle, but we also think there may be some identities out there with their own stories we need to hear. If you've had some musical or organisational involvement in the reggae scene in this country over the past 30 years, we'd like to hear from you," said Neems.

"We're also very keen on obtaining posters, fliers, tickets, albums, tapes, photographs and recordings of TV programmes or radio shows which tackle our reggae culture and the social situation and themes around it - and we promise to return them," he added.

Dubhead, 42, has been a reggae selector for 23 years and is one of the longest-serving announcers on Auckland's bFM, having recently clocked up 16 years on-air. He also spent four years as programme director on the flagship bNet station, and oversaw the 'Dub Combinations' series of compilations released through Kog Transmission. He is also the reggae specialist at Auckland music store Beat Merchants. Neems, 33, is a full-time writer, journalist and subeditor who has been writing about music for more than 10 years. He has done some university radio broadcasting and DJs occasionally under the alias Cpt Nemo.

For more details on Jeff and Dubhead's book project, or to contact them directly about it, email aotearoa.version@gmail.com

So if you know any interested musicians ( or muso's as they say here) go for it.

Your New Zealand Tribe?

2007-01-16T22:46:00.000+13:00

Check out www.8tribes.co.nz
and see which "NZ tribe" most suits you.
It says I'm 'Grey Lynn.' Sadly I live in NZ and don't know where Grey Lynn is.
...
Ah, just checked; it's a suburb of Auckland.

I'd prefer to mingle with the free-spirited Raglan tribe, but oh well.

Although it's no good, our popping ourselves into neat categories, the list of Kiwi types was pretty interesting. I like the Papatoetoe description: "the classic 'state house and jug of beer' Kiwis"

I'm not allowed to go to Mars.

2007-01-14T17:36:00.000+13:00

For those of you who may be interested you have a change to send a message to the moon or Mars. Go to http://www.planetary.org/programs/projects/messages/selene.html and you can add a message to a spacecraft called Selene that is being sent to study the moon. Also in May of 2008, the spacecraft Phoenix will land and study the northern polar regions of the planet Mars. Nestled among busy instruments, a small and very special DVD will wait patiently for its turn. This unique DVD is made of silica glass, and designed to last hundreds if not thousands of years into the future, when its true mission will commence. It carries nothing less than a message from our world to one centuries away, when humans will roam the Red Planet.......or when the Phoenix gets sucked into a black hole and returns to Earth a super intelligent sentient power it can ask for you by name. You can find that one at http://planetary.org/programs/projects/messages/phoenix_dvd.html . Until then planning a short getaway back on Earth at the end of the month. We'll keep you posted. Happy New Year everyone.

sushi, evermore

2007-01-09T11:44:00.000+13:00

Nothing much to tell - can't believe it's warmer in Virginia than here... in January! It's high 60's/low 70's here now. They opened a sushi place up at the beach, and a couple of times we've stopped there while running errands to take a moment to eat at the picnic tables just beind the dunes.(Though I'm way too click happy, I didn't photograph my plate - stock pic.) Will I ever get over my amazement that we head over to the home improvement store or whatever and the beach is right there? We're taking a week off at the end of the month but haven't yet figured out what we're doing. Ought to at least branch out and visit someplace new while we can.

(This next bit is for my cousin, but anyone else might like the link. Evermore is a popular New Zealand band, and you can hear their new albumn online.) C. - the cd I sent you over Christmas was the wrong one - I accidentally sent you an older Evermore cd, and I like the new stuff better. So if you get a chance visit the Evermore site and listen to some of the songs that play right away - 'Lights Surrounding You' and 'Running' are great. If you like them I will send you the new cd. And if you don't like it you can shake your head in dismay over my taste in music. :)

home video

2006-12-29T17:52:00.000+13:00

Fixed the problem... it should play now.

the forest primeval

2006-12-22T14:45:00.000+13:00

There I was facing off against a two and a half inch monster that had invaded my home under cover of darkness.....
When Jessica and I ripped up the carpet in the largest of the rooms during our renovation we discovered the reason for the dip in the middle of the floor. It was not because the house was on an old burial ground as I had surmised but simply because there is a fifty year age difference between parts of the house. The original house is from the late fifties and the floor was partially the original old beaten up thick planks with huge gaps that let the winds air out your house naturally. You can see these types of floors when watching the movie The Piano. (They are also good for letting Sam Neil peek through) The floor had a large gap where the addition had been ...well, added. This allowed my little weta friend to come for a visit. These guys are rather intimidating looking (the picture really doesn't do it justice). After eyeballing each other I figured I let him explore the room in peace. When I checked in the morning he was nowhere to be found. He was however hiding on my shoe.
Don't worry. I put him safely outside. The next night he was back. I let him explore some more. And the next morning he (or she. Sorry I didn't check properly) was hiding in the same spot. Out it went. This would repeat again the next day.
The internet has this to say about wetas: "They are large by insect standards, some species among the largest and heaviest in the world. Their physical appearance is that of a cross between a cockroach and a cricket with the addition of large legs. The Tree weta (Hemideina) are those most commonly encountered in suburban settings. They are up to 40 mm long and most commonly live in holes in trees formed by beetle larvae. Each hole, called a gallery, will house up to ten females and one male. Tree weta are nocturnal. Their diet consists of plants and small insects." The website went onto say that wetas are quite docile and harmless.* So I figured I would see what one felt like to crawl on me. What the website failed to say was that wetas can't read and never surf the internet. So this one must have wondered what people tasted like and nibbled on my hand. Having probably taken offense to my freaking out (in a dignified way of course) it has not come back for a visit. Well that and in a sudden mysterious burst of productivity I sealed up the gap in the floor. At least there aren't any really seriously dangerous creatures here as opposed to our neighbor Australia where they have like nine different types of deadly tax accountants alone....and the venomous koala.

*I have since discovered other websites that say they do indeed bite. (and sometimes hiss and scratch) I have come to believe that the first website was probably written by a weta.

cucumber sandwiches

2006-12-20T09:10:00.000+13:00

There's not a lot of shopping in Kapiti. Doesn't bother me, but the one 'big' mall is packed going into Christmas. They close at 5:30, but this Wed. through Fri only they're staying open until 10 pm. Granted I work so early in the morning that I can always get to the shops before they close, so I'm biased, but I like those short hours. I think it's because D used to get home from work at 1 or 1:30 am for several weekends leading up to the holidays. And he used to get off at about 7:30 pm on Christmas Eve once they got the last shopper who stubburnly refused to come up to the register out the door.

Yesterday was hot. Hot all day for the first time. I made cucumber sandwiches on pumpernickel and some sorbet (basically just sugar water with fesh vanilla and lemon, stirred a lot as it freezes). Mmmm... not exactly December food, but it's nice to not be cold. I'm cold a lot of the time here. Even though it doesn't get as freezing or as hot as Virginia can, the temp. here in Kapiti spends a good part of the year hanging out in the 50's, or low 60's, often with some wind. The plants love it, because it never really freezes, but it still feels very chilly in the winter when it hits the low 40's. Mostly because the houses aren't well insulated. D's trying to remedy that by crawling under ours to put insulation under the floorboards in the bedroom. He's gotten three levels of old and new flooring to line up perfectly, and we're about ready to paint the rest of the room and carpet. I'm still being a neatnick, which is sort of a miracle.

nga manu

2006-12-12T17:26:00.000+13:00

We visited the Nga Manu Nature Reserve yesterday on our day off. Took a picnic lunch and had a great time. The big attraction is the eel feeding in the afternoon, but otherwise it's mainly a bird sanctuary with walk through aviaries. The nocturnal house was closed while a new kiwi gets settled in. There's also an island with a fern garden and an island with rare native plants. Further back you can climb up to a lookout or take a longer bush walk. There are also a couple of Tuataras, including one that had half a deceased mouse hanging out of his mouth. I guess he got full midway through the meal?! Not pretty. Tuataras are the only remaining survivors of an entire order of species that went extinct about 60 million years ago, so they must be doing something right.

A bunch of school kids were watching the eels, and the guy doing the actual feeding was a "hard case" (a joker, funny) as they say. he made it pretty entertaining. He was talking about being bitten by an eel and said he'd uttered two choice words, one of which was "damn." Kids then chimed in with, "I bet the other was bugger!", and other guesses. Coming from the states you wouldn't usually hear adults in a teaching role saying damn to 10-12 year olds. Cursing is common on the radio and tv here; it's just not the same issue it is in the states. It must not be 'eroding the fabric of society' too much, since I find the kids here to be more polite in general.

The bird giving me a kiss is a tame Tui that was injured by a cat and can't be released. It's learned to talk and sounds a bit like Stephen Hawking.

A Kaka

Now the Kaka's on Darryl's head.

View inland from the reserve.

warmer days

2006-12-07T11:04:00.000+13:00

Finally beginning to be pretty warm, which makes seeing holiday decorations in the stores very wierd. It's difficult to remember it's not May in the states. But since it's the first time we've seen summer in a year (due to the timing of our move) it's a very welcome change.

The carpet in the bedroom's been ripped up and D is replacing the floor which was on two levels (original house and addition). Lots more to do before we stop sleeping in the home office. The hammock he put up in back is amazing though.

Final Fantasy XII arrived thanks to Mike! (you rock) It has not yet been released here.

Things have been quiet compared to Thanksgiving when we went to Welly and then had a couple over for dinner and then had some fellow expats visit us while the family was on vacation here that weekend. Oh and we met Tia, who is lovely, while she was down this way checking out some other parts of NZ.

thanksgiving

2006-11-28T08:13:00.000+13:00

Thanksgiving dinner in Wellington brought in 130 Americans to a gorgeous place in Houghton Bay on a hill overlooking rocky surf. We talked to couples who had been here for up to twelve years. One man had been here a week and won the door prize for newest arrival. A lot of the kids were born over here and hadn't had a US Thanksgiving, but were enjoying running around with the other kids. Someone read George Washington's original Thanksgiving proclamation just before we ate. We were to bring one dish per adult attending so there was a ton of food (even for a veg.). It was nice, though of course not a substitue for a small Thanksgiving with the family. Sort of a diversion instead to keep our minds off being far away.

I was struck by how open and friendly everyone was - something about us all being expats makes sure we have plenty to talk about. (Or maybe it was the cash bar.) Several people joked about a standard list of questions including of course,
"Which part of the states are you from?"
"How long have you been here?"
"Why did you move here?"
"What do you do for a living here?"

(Kiwis ask me the first three questions, but almost never the last. I had a talk with some kiwis about that, and they thought it was strange that you would be asked about your job when you met someone. I said in the US it's sort of a way of sizing people up. One kiwi compared that to the UK where people can tell from someone's accent what 'class' they're from, and suggested that careers are the class system in the US. I tend to agree... about the US at least; I have no idea about the UK. Surely there is some equivalent in NZ, but I have not found it.)

It's funny that you move all the way over here and then enjoy the occassional meetup with other Americans, but it's nice to compare notes and talk about the beauty of NZ or whine about the lack of Mexican food choices. Everyone I talked to was happy to be living here.

goat day afternoon

2006-11-22T15:41:00.000+13:00

D's laughing at me because our neighbor got some of those newfangled self mowers, and he 'double dog dared' me (I kid you not) to hop (ie struggle) over the fence and climb the hill to stare at them while they ate. Much clumsiness ensued. But as usual I took pictures...

Tarako

2006-11-21T13:21:00.000+13:00

TARAKO

We caught the fever from Japan Newbie and now we must share the creepy joy of Tarako - a Japanese "cod roe pasta sauce" whose theme song and mascot have created a smash hit single and a Christmas version in their wake!

Perspective Procrastination and Pain(t)

2006-11-19T18:27:00.000+13:00

Perspective is such great word. It sounds part physical exertion part space age plastics. Salman Rushdie once said, "Everyone has dual citizenship. They belong to the country of their birth and by influence the United States." One of the great benefits of living overseas is a change in point of view. I can see the pervasiveness of American culture in many details. I meet the people who travel to the States to bring back that big Corvette Stingray to add to their collection. I watch American shows on T.V. I listen to the radio full of American music, watch the young Maori teens reflecting hip hop culture, and stop to listen to the newest Britney and Fed Ex gossip. I had never before realized what an impact one country could have across the globe. But my perspective has now shifted to New Zealand. I read New Zealand newspapers, watch NZ news, and listen to Kiwi bands on the radio. They are proud of their people (and rightly so) and promote them accordingly. So I think geesh Evermore must be the biggest band in the World right now and I am surprised when people I talk to in the States have never heard of them. I mean C'mon have you been living under a rock. It's Evermore, the biggest band in the World!!! What do you mean Rugby players can't perform miracles? People ask me questions about American politics and policies. I try to answer their questions as factually and honestly as I know how. They are truly surprised that we pick our Congress by having a dance off. I like being an ambassador of sorts. Just wait till I break out the School House Rock songs.
J and I recently attended an interesting function in Wellington. Having recently done the Kapiti Arts tour I learned that there are a lot of great artists in New Zealand. I jumped at the chance to go to Body Art Rocks(actually some gentle prodding was involved). It is a competition showcasing makeup, bodypainting, and prosthetics. All of which are of great interest to me. The scantily clad women are only a minor interest. Now it's a funny thing to look at a nearly nude woman with ones signifigant other because the entire time something in the back of your skull is screaming "Don't do it. it's a trap!"
And then there's the other problem. Where to look? There are very few places to look and even they're off limits if you're Middle Eastern. It usual goes something like this in my brain. "man that's cool."..."I wonder what kind of paint they're using?" ..."oh jeez that's a breast."
"look down look down...hey they got an airbrush..."..."now you're staring at her legs!! NO not the face oh god she's looking right at you"..."now she thinks that you're a perv". Now all she sees is this guy looking psychopathicly nonchalant watching an invisible fly dart about the room. It was really cool to go to and to see the various costumes. It also cemented my resolve to enter next year. Now that will be an interesting brain conversation. Now the awards ceremony was an exercise in pain management. (geek alert) Richard Taylor and Gino Acevedo were sitting about four rows down. Richard Taylor is head of WETA and Gino is the head of the prosthetics makeup department. Anyone who has seen Lord of the Rings has seen Richard and Gino's work. They are very good at what they do. It took great willpower not to bother them at the first opportunity. (geek alert has been moved to green) At one point several costumed individuals ripped a hole in the screen they were using to broadcast some rather cool images of space. After that all you could stare at was this rip in the space/time continuum. This was accompanied by some really LOUD guitar playing. J and I had to put our fingers in our ears. We were the only ones that I could see that were doing it. Perhaps everyone else came last year. The gentleman in front of me had on a hearing aid. I was really waiting for his head to explode.
They kept misplacing the awards winners. This precipitated loooong pauses with people left uncomfortably blinking on stage. And the MC launching into extemporaneous adlibbing of songs. I don't know really know why he was MC. He's probably a rugby player. After we got home J went to bed while I forced myself to stay awake to plan my revenge on them for next year. I'm glad I did for voila! (that's French for "voila") My first real unmistakable earthquake. a 5.4 on the richter scale (that's the really big scale that they use to measure bridge max loads and earthquakes). I gotta say it is a really humbling experience to realize the Earth could hiccup you off of it at any time.
And finally I must apologize for my procrastination. I thought my moving to NZ would spur some rather personal family searches that I had been putting off... but no such luck. I am also sorry for those people that it takes me a long time to email back. I will email you soon..... really soon......no really.

here we are

2006-11-11T22:30:00.001+13:00

We checked out this weekend's Kapiti Arts Trail, and I repotted some herbs (they say herbs here like they're talking about a bunch of guys with the name Herb) while D worked some on the bedroom. Can I really call it a bedroom when we have yet to sleep in it? We're still camped out with the four poster crammed into the home office, since we're repainting and (eventually) laying new carpet.

This blog with its breathless tales of gardening and heart pounding market day exploits got me thinking that life in NZ is not all that different from the US partly because wherever you go there you are (though you're less likely to have your shoes on here, even in the bank or grocery), and also because NZ doesn't provide the cultural whiplash that a country like Japan can conjure up. It also had me thinking that we're lucky. I guess it depends on what you're looking for, but with everything we've been through losing mom and his grandmother over the last several years it's a relief to just be copascetic for a while.

jackpot

2006-11-07T14:00:00.000+13:00

6 years today since Vegas and the Little White Chapel

releasing the natives

2006-11-04T13:21:00.000+13:00

Went and did some 'releasing' (that's what they call weeding here) of the native plants at the estuary this morning. Was actually a really easy time of it. The soil is workable and they take a tea break part way through. But still with twenty people on hand over 100 natives were released. Mostly tall wild grass to pull out from around the natives, but if you let them, they'll block all the light and strangle out everything but other grasses.

Met the man who wrote a book about the estuary. (Our real estate agent had given us a copy as a gift when we first moved in.) The author's quite a character. Used to be a builder but retired to a house on the estuary and knows all about it now. He even does tours.

you Will get sick of this island...

2006-11-02T20:54:00.000+13:00

...since I keep posting photos of it.

Kapiti at twilight - 8:30 pm

Yesterday I got permits from the Dept. of Conservation to visit the island in February. So eventually we will get to visit the place we see every day. Then I'll bombard you with more photos from on the island itself.

I set a voice recorder out and taped the birds in the back yard. The Tuis here don't sound the same as on the bird songs page (listed at right). Anyway I need to set up audioblogging so I can post a sound clip.

remember remember the 5th of Nov

2006-10-29T09:33:00.000+13:00

Although Halloween may be a fairly new holiday here, Guy Fawkes Night is not, and the sparks began flying a week early. For a decidedly British event, it's a kiwi excuse to let off fireworks and throw parties. From the deck, you can see down to Paraparaumu -the main "city" in Kapiti - and the official celebrations must have started last night. We had a great view of a big display up near the beach and also managed to get one blurry shot for you here. And we still have until next weekend for the actual commemoration of Fawkes' inability to blow up parliament.

Much spring rain here, but not last night. Highs in the low 60's/lows in the 50's. A nice night for us to lean over the railing and watch the lights. I'm ready for summer, which of course we haven't seen in about a year with the timing of our move. Soon the hot December days of Christmas... ok that's just too wierd.

golden pheasant

2006-10-25T19:57:00.000+13:00

Saw a golden pheasant in the back yard this evening. About the size of a slim chicken. Apparently they can live in the wild here and are hardier than they look. It was brilliant, and I was sure it was somebody's lost pet until I looked it up!

less than perfect

2006-10-25T15:56:00.000+13:00

There are a few things about NZ that I don't care for... the higher cost of living (compared to VA at least) the houses close together and frequently without insulation or central heating. Obviously being far from family and friends - though I can't fault the country for that.

Anyway we are in general happy with New Zealand. We love it here. I think our posts generally reflect that. But for the sake of those perhaps thinking of immigrating, it's very good to see both sides. And the upheaval of moving to a foreign place shouldn't be underestimated. With that in mind, take a look at Bruce's latest post. His wife (Tia - check out her lovely blog as well) is in Rotorua and finding it hard. In addition to Bruce's heartfelt post about life so far away from his partner and the difficulties they've encountered with the move, you'll also find some great photography pn the rest of his blog.

market day

2006-10-21T13:15:00.001+13:00

They were having the Market Day which takes place every spring and again at Easter (that sounds odd, but of course Easter is in the fall here). Lots of kids on the playground and on the blow-up 'castle' they'd set up for today. Got a wooden windchime and looked around. There was a jazz band at one end and rock at the other. Both were surprisingly good, but my pictures of them did not come out. Here are some shots that looked ok...

kapiti at 7pm

2006-10-16T19:18:00.000+13:00

new this week...

2006-10-15T08:54:00.000+13:00

Halloween around the corner, and though it wasn't quite that, D headed into Welly to meet some friends he met through work (some of whom were models from World of Wearable Art that we both went to see a few weeks ago) at a burlesque show at the Paramount Theatre last night. Although the cabaret wasn't that great, he was a definite yes as soon as he heard those words - 'come in fancy dress' - which is what they call coming in costume here. He had the horns, makeup, the all-black contacts, the overcoat and tophat. Some attendees at the show thought he worked for the theatre. I'm hoping it gave him a small taste of Halloween glory, since there's pretty much nothing going on that I know of.

A lady from the Estuary group brought a packet of information here today - right when I was painting so I was a mess. Included a great book called Plant Me Instead. Native plants to use in place of common invasive plants and weeds that usually take over. I'd been looking in the library for something on native plants anyway, so that was a nice surprise. Anyway I'm going to plant natives that are beneficial to the wildlife with them the first Saturday in November... For my own garden I've been unable to find a decent birdfeeder and am probably going to try Petsmart which apparently has a phone line for international orders. Most folks here seem to just plant trees, shrubs and flax that attract birds, and the only feeders I've seen for sale are the ones that look like a plate on three chains.

Finally found out what bubble 'n squeak is... I know you probably had not been wondering. Potato pancakes with veggies.

gardening

2006-10-12T10:51:00.000+13:00

Yesterday we bought a lemon tree and a grapefruit tree to plant in the yard. almost everyone here has them, and we missed the free lemons we used to get at the rental house. You'd think citrus would be cheap in the store, since so many grow it at home, but it's not.

I also planted a miniature camellia by the entrance. It'll grow to about three feet (if i don't kill it). and I planted some lettuce as well. Have a container cherry tomato plant on the deck that's fruiting like crazy, and container basil and italian parsley - which would be doing a little better if we didn't eat it up so quickly. I have no idea what I'm doing in the garden really, and I suspect I didn't dig deep enough when putting potting soil in the ground. Lots of clay here.

Today I called about volunteering for the Estuary Care Group which does plantings, so if that pans out I might learn a bit about gardening while helping out there.

new look

2006-10-06T09:50:00.000+13:00

Changed the look of the site today. Thanks to drogue designs for "the other eden." If you have any trouble with anything, please comment. (I stopped moderating comments, so anything you post will show up right away...)

Terra Incognito

2006-10-04T16:43:00.000+13:00

I have never received a letter from an Oscar winner before (that restraining order doesn't count). Richard Taylor from WETA was kind enough to send me a letter. Granted it was a "sorry we're full. Should any of our staff contract elephantiasis your resume will be among the pile that we look through to replace them." It was still a treat. I run into people at the cart who tell me stories of working in the movie industry. Most of them are scary stories. But I would like to check this one off of my life's to do list. I unfortunately suffer from creative shizophrenia. The whole process makes me severely happy and supremely miserable. Poor J has been witness to this process as I usually drag her into assist me on whatever project I'm working. If by chance I can meet someone here who is interested in special effects makeup and the like, she can go free. I am sure that she won't miss plastering my head again this year.
For those of you are not familiar with my past attempts to make myself as uncomfortable as possible in the name of Halloween and just about any other opportunity to slather myself in industrial adhesive go to www.godsandmonsters.blogspot.com.

estuary

2006-09-29T09:10:00.000+12:00

(Dark bit on the right is Kapiti Island with Tasman Sea beyond)

Thanks for the calls and emails lately. We're having a nice time settling in. Spring is here, and the internet has been up at the house for a week - what a relief. Raining quite a bit making everything bud a vivid lime green, but it comes and goes with brilliant sun in between. The view out the window changes constantly and you can see the weather before it arrives as the clouds hit the shore.

Unpacking a couple of boxes each day or putting up curtains or painting... It's nice to be working without a deadline on this end.

Had a bit of a shock when we saw Halloween things in the store the other day. Just doesn't seem right with the warm spring weather. D won't know what to do with his favorite holiday. But at least they celebrate that one here... we'll be on our own for Thanksgiving. And I'm so used to our trip to T's house every year.

More pictures. Yesterday's break from home setup. Took an hour off to visit Hemi Matenga Park and the beach/estuary between our shores and Kapiti island. We've hardly entered the vast Hemi Matenga. There's a track that leads up to a nice outlook. But we just ventured in to the beginning of the path. It'll be a great summer walk.

Here's the estuary that serves as a home for over 60 bird species. I didn't get too many bird shots though. Dogs are allowed, but only on a leash.

hemi matenga park

2006-09-29T09:05:00.000+12:00

Here are the Hemi Matenga pics. There's a creek running down the mountain, strange bird calls, and very cool air that smells crisp and clean. As soon as you step in you're swallowed up by the place. Very nice, although D looks like something's about to jump out an get him!

house pics

2006-09-26T10:55:00.000+12:00

We haven't begun to hang much on the wall or decorate really, but here are some shots of the house as it is so far. It's strange to see some of my grandparents' furniture on the other side of the world.

love having an entryway to take off shoes

arbor and back patio

2006-09-21T16:45:00.000+12:00

finally the internet at the house! one pic tonight. more to follow...

sunset

2006-09-14T13:50:00.000+12:00

Taken from the back yard last night. Looking out at Kapiti island. More pics to follow when my exile from home internet is finally over. (Probably not for another week.)

moved in and cut off

2006-09-07T10:42:00.000+12:00

the move went fine, and we're settled in the new house (though d sees projects wherever he looks). unfortunately there was no network in place for the company i called to set up internet and the company that does have a network can't come until the 21st unless there's a cancellation in the area. so i am working for my American office from an internet cafe at $10/hr. anyway we are moved at least! pictures to follow once we're reconnected.

name our house

2006-08-30T09:29:00.000+12:00

We went for the final inspection yesterday, and all was well. Tomorrow we get the key. The seller asked if it would be alright for them to wait until Friday to come get their swingset out of the yard, and that he'd like to say hello and give us a list of who they used as plumber, electrician, etc. in case it's helpful. Very nice of them. They already took one thing away... Most of the houses here have little plaques with Maori or English names on them. (What is it about living at the beach that makes people want to name their homes?) This house had a little brass plate over the arbor that said "Hillcrest." We liked it, but since it's gone, we thought we'd give the house a new name.

So, want to name our house? It's on a hill, overlooks the sea and Kapiti island. Lots of birdsong and a subtropical forest a little ways behind us. We have a couple of ideas but haven't decided for sure.

In the meantime we are open to suggestion from any and all...

anticipation

2006-08-25T07:32:00.000+12:00

D is feeling much better. And with the boss back from vacation he should be back to his regular schedule again today.

Yesterday my neatness paid off when my neighbor came by. Now that we're going they're thinking of moving in here if our landlord will have them, so she asked to look through the house... and I had actually made the bed. (The first time I met my neighbor she told me how disappointed she was when she went to her daughter's home and saw an unmade bed.) Everything was nice and presentable. Those of you who know us (well, mostly me as I'm the bigger mess) will know what a huge turn of events this was.

Less than a week now until we sign papers and start painting. Only a little over a week until we move (or 'shift' as everyone calls it here). I'm buzzing with it. Meditation helps you stay in the present moment, not flying off with judgements or obsessing over plans or rehashing old conversations, so that you're able to just be with what is going on right now. Not that we shouldn't ever plan or reflect, but the more I come back to the present the more I see the value in just being here. And right now I can tell that I am impatient and ready to move! I'm living in an imaginary next week sometime getting the furniture moved... I bring myself back. Feet on the linoleum, cool water at the kitchen tap, sea gulls honking a quick succession of cries, and then zoom, I'm up in my head figuring out paint colors. Back and forth like badminton between what's going on now and how I imagine it may go next week. So I guess I get to be present with the mental activity. I rarely like to write about this stuff mostly because I just don't seem to have the words for it, but there we are.

burial of the Maori Queen

2006-08-21T20:09:00.000+12:00

Today was the final day of the burial of the Maori Queen who died on August 15. She had been queen for over 40 years. It's dominated the news all day with the images of the coffin being taken downstream after the service and interviews with Maori from all walks of life. There's also footage of her eldest son who will be the next king. The tradition of Maori royalty began in the 1850's as a response to British colonization, as a way to halt the Maori's loss of their land, and also to bring the tribes together.

___

Unfortunately D has had a relapse of that labyrinthitus virus and is sloggin through work anyway since his employer's on vacation this week. Luckily it's not nearly as bad as last time, but he's really dragging. Otherwise all is well, and we're looking forward to our move in two weeks.

random things

2006-08-14T09:21:00.003+12:00

Our blog has gotten bogged down in home details lately -- except for D's scintillating post about NZ/AU rivalry. So a couple of (hopefully) more interesting details...

Everywhere we go now it seems someone spots D, because he's made them coffee. People are always saying, "I know you!" at the grocery store, on the street... I find it comforting, as though we're becomming part of the community a little.

Here are a couple of random things I had written elsewhere in reply to "What do you love about NZ?" in no particular order.

The enourmous clouds and changing skies that seem impossibly big. How can it seem so much bigger here?
NZ ideas about foreign policy (even if the foriegn affairs minister is loopy).
Seeing people in the grocery store in slippers and beat around clothes - thus feeling like I could turn up in sweats to grab some milk and not be a social leper.
The park land all around - flat grassy reserves with children's playgrounds, woodsy, fern floored domains between streets, wildlife sanctuaries, vast side of a mountain bush walks with cottages all set up for you well back in the bush.
Those cottages with their woodstoves and wood stacked up for you, because someone followed the instruction on the sign and replaced the wood before they left.
"Tree and a bench" signs along the road; the one near our rental has a picnic bench, a portable toilet and a couple of chickens that are always hanging around for some reason.
Deserted beaches and the very affordable cost (outside of the big cities) of living right near the sea.
The fact that people actually take to the streets in Welly by the thousands and peacefully protest about things, and it's taken in stride and sometimes actually seems to affect things.
Palm trees.
Healthcare withouth the insurance.
Sunsets over the water (since I was an east coast girl before).
People taking their shoes off before going into each other's homes. (Not positive this is an NZ thing, but I do see it a lot).
Theatres and cafes in Wellington.
The hazy milkyway visible through the stars. More stars - the sky is teeming with them. (D says it's because the southern hemisphere faces towards the middle of the galaxy)
People not always asking me what I do for a living when they meet me.
Kids playing ball in the street in the evening. Uniformed students biking home from school at 3.
Roses and other flowers blooming in my yard all winter long! (you're probably sick of that one from the blog pics).
No guns.
the Vodaphone mayfly commercial D mentioned before...

got the house

2006-08-10T11:07:00.000+12:00

We got the house and will be moving Sep. 4 (barring death or dismemberment as my friend Andy likes to say). Looking forward to the move and being able to plant what we want in the yard, unpack a little more and put things in drawers. D will be able to walk over to work in the morning if he wants.

Anybody want to fly over and help us move? : )

house

2006-08-04T08:00:00.000+12:00

Our offer on the house was accepted, and we're having the building inspector check it out today. That's the last real hurdle, so we may be moving at the end of the month. I had a dream last night that we were in it and the floor collapsed. (Hopefully the builder will not come back and say the floor is made of popsicle sticks.) We love the house and the views to the beach and Kapiti island. And at least everything we own is still boxed up. Not having a lot of stuff has made me a neatnick for the first time in my adult life! When you don't have much lying around it's easy to keep it clean and tidy all the time. Maybe I'll have to play the "to take one thing out of the box you have to pack another thing back up" game for the rest of my life. Then you have one closed off room full of boxes and everything else is a showplace.

Across the ditch

2006-08-01T14:26:00.000+12:00

Australia and New Zealand have a real sibling rivalry. It is very much like a little brother being overshadowed by a bigger (and warmer and filled with many many deadly animals) brother. Any chance to put one to the Aussies is very welcomed here and I'm sure vice versa. Much like the selfsame situation within families the younger smaller sibling is closer to the mother (in this case England). This being a point of contention in Australia which sometimes uses the phrase South Seas Poms in reference to New Zealand. A "pom" as it was explained to me is originally an Australian term short for "prisoner of mother England". I have since learned that it is actually short for pomegranate through a circuitously odd sort of event that is only understandable by very bored people who live on island nations with high sheep populations. This includes Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand but not Japan which is weird for completely different reasons.
Part of view that Australia maintains is that New Zealand is boring. The other part is that New Zealand is very boring. New Zealand, however, maintains that it is neither boring nor very boring and calls Australia stupid. (Great Britain at this point threatens to turn the car around.) NZ is also a very proud country that will point out any Kiwi involvement in anything. For example, the Dominion Post had an article titled "Tom Cruise picks New Zealand for Blockbuster film." The article talks about Cruise's character Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible mentioning a lake in New Zealand where he vacationed once. .....(yeah I know) And there are constant mentions of any Kiwi actor or actress staring, appearing, (or just walking past) anything overseas. (especially Australian soap operas) New Zealand has evolved on the fringes of British culture since its beginnings in the 1800's so the average Kiwi has a very pioneering spirit. It is similar to the border towns in the Old West that had to make do for themselves with whatever they had available. It is noticable in small details here. One example I noticed was a gate. In the U.S. you go to Home Depot and buy a gate kit with screws and an adjustable spring. Here someone had tied a rope to it and tied the other end to the fence. The middle of the rope had a heavy piece of metal so the weight of the metal would pull the gate back shut. Ingenious. I honestly would have never thought of something like that. I greatly admire anything that I dub MacGyverisms. That is using ordinary objects for extraordinary purposes. This also evident in their 101 uses for pumpkins.
Of course I do find myself pretty happy that NZ is getting Mtv. I never watched it in the states but I do find it oddly comforting to just to know it's available. It is similar to being in the middle of Kraboblestan soaking in the culture when suddenly you find yourself running happily for the first Burger King you find. It just makes you feel a little less on the fringes. I'll have the sheep, Mtv and pumpkin special please.......... with large fries.

flowers in the yard - July

2006-07-31T15:28:00.000+12:00

July in NZ is the equivalent of US January. It's pretty cold at night and we have the woodstove cranking, but some days it's surprisingly warm, and because it never freezes in Otaki Beach, the flowers bloom all year. Once again, here are a few of the flowers right now in our yard. If I had thought to take my camera with me to the beach I would have gotten some shots of the little flowers on the dunes.

These geraniums are 4 feet tall!

bike, puha, calf

2006-07-30T14:38:00.000+12:00

After a tad of hyperventilating over spending a little money we didn't need to, I got a bike the day before yesterday. I haven't ridden regularly since I was a kid, so bikes had changed a lot. Got some advice from my aunt and uncle (thanks T & L!!). Went with a Raleigh comfort bike - although 'comfort' is a relative term when you haven't been on a bike in forever. My butt was killing me after the first day, mainly because I had it adjusted wrong and was sitting wrong and tried out some other good ways to be wrong. But doing better now. I ride up and down the long, flat road that runs parallel to the beach, and you can see out over the ocean and Kapiti island as you ride.

While I was taking the dog out this morning our Maori neighbor popped his head over the fence and asked if he could come pick our puha. I think I said, "Huh?" Puha is the native name for a thistle that grows around here, and it's a traditional Maori delicacy. They cook some meat and then boil down the thistle greens with a bit of meat or a hambone... much like kale or collards cooked back in Virginia. He managed to fill a plastic grocery bag in about two minutes. I may give it a try (sans meat of course) since there's still some left in the yard, although his wife tells me it's a little bitter, and her husband's the only one in the family who eats it.

D drove by his second birth of a calf since we got here on his way in to work today. Last time he just caught the tail end (pun intended), but today he looked over and saw legs coming out.

Staglands Wildlife Reserve (pics)

2006-07-24T18:05:00.000+12:00

D navigated through Akatarawa Rd. - a narrow throughway between Kapiti and Upper Hutt which is almost as winding as the previously blogged Otaki Gorge Rd,. We went to Staglands today on our day off together. Lots of birds and one stag (with a bevvy of does). Some very large pigs with tusks, tame rabbits, and a slew of insistent peacocks, ducks, gease, doves, a variety of parrots, goats, sheep and donkeys. A gorgeous walking path with walkthrough aviaries and a log cabin cafe. It was a warm and sunny day for the winter and a very nice trip. Many of my pics didn't turn out, and most of D's didn't -- but only because he was trying to photograph me, and I am just not photogenic. I blink or choke on something or... well it's bad. Here are some good shots though:

View from Akatarawa Rd.

Black Swan

D feeding rabbits, doves, peacocks

Kea - wild parrots, very smart. Read more...

One of the stables

D's very nice shot of a ram.
He later ate my sleeve and head butted me (the ram, not D).

more & more homes

2006-07-20T19:19:00.000+12:00

Saw three homes yesterday and three homes today. Starting to wear us down a bit. All the homes we like and can afford are mostly in the area on the map. And one we saw a second time today we really like. We are headed to the Kapiti council to check on the file before possibly making an offer. This time it will be conditional, and we won't need to do a builder's report etc... unless our offer is accepted, and we are able to buy. I won't bore you with the pic unless we get it. The view is gorgeous, and we're thinking the day pass on the train for whenever we want to go into the city, saves us the whopping $1.76 per litre (yes litre, not gallon!) in gas prices. This country is not a cheap place to live, but most everyone we've met seems to get by. We had a nasty surprise on our electric bill after running the space heaters too much and are now making full use of the wood stove.

D saw the season finale of Lost last night (just aired here on NZ tv) and is anxious to hear what some of his co-workers from Borders think, so if you're out there, I'm sure he'd like to hear from you. He says he was going to post tonight, but after work and house hunting in the rain he is taking a little well deserved rest with the Playstation.

Sorry for all the heat you're having back in Virginia. It's 50 in the day/40 - 45 at night here lately in the dead of NZ winter.

no house

2006-07-14T19:12:00.000+12:00

The other buyer went unconditional so no house for us yet... the search continues...
...

house offer

2006-07-12T06:52:00.000+12:00

We put an offer on this tan and white beach house last night. Sort of a crazy process here, although not much paperwork. I had called the agent about seeing it, and unlike most, he said, Why don't you just wait and come to the open house on Sunday. D was late getting off work, but we arrived with a few minutes to spare only to find the agent had left. He comes back to show it to us, but he only has 5 minutes tops before he has to leave for an appointment, so we race through and like it, and he says Well I'm leaving to take an offer from another buyer, so if you want this house you'll have to put an offer on it right now. - We need more time. - Ok he says, but then he calls our cell to say he can't hold the other offer until morning, so we would have to turn around and make an offer right then. I can't move that fast on the largest purchase we make in our life, so we let it go.

The next day he takes us through with time to actually breathe and we really feel good about it. Plus it's cheaper than anything else we've liked. So he says now we would have to make an unconditional offer - no strings attached - and hope the other guy, who's offer has conditions, doesn't go unconditional within the three days he has to do so. Again, I balk (actually I kind of bawked; it sounded like a feral chicken) and said I was not making an unconditional offer without a builders report and title search. So we found an inspector who would come the next morning and a title search comapny that would email me within a few hours. All was well with the house so yesterday we made an offer, and they accepted, and now we wait to see if it will go forward.

The guy who offered first has to finish his house sale or get a bridge loan and go unconditional by Friday to buy the house. I feel bad putting him in that position. If we could have looked at the house for twenty minutes instead of sprinting through on Sun, then we would have made a conditional offer at the same time. Anyway, now we wait and see. If we don't get it we are only out a suprisingly low amount for the builder's report, and we'll find another nice home. But hopefully this will go through. More pics to come if we actually get to buy it.

even the restrooms are lovely

2006-07-09T12:02:00.000+12:00

This public bathroom in Kawakawa (far north of here in the Bay of Islands) attracts so many tourists with camera's, that locals complain they can't get any privacy. Now the council is going to build another regular public toilet nearby so that shy residents can use the less photographed restroom.

The weather is finally gorgeous again so tomorrow we may get out and explore, camera in hand, while we are both off from work. And Darryl keeps saying, "I need to sit down and post..." so hopefully soon there'll be something more scintillating at the top of the page than a lovely lavatory, especially since my Latham relatives who recently tuned in deserve better!

By the way -- last month marked one year since I quit seafood... the last meat I was still eating... so I have been completely vegetarian for one full swing of the earth around the sun! Ok, well I was excited.