I've had quite a good strike-rate with films recently, so I thought I'd write up what I've seen:
The Social Network - as long as you don't go into this film thinking it was going to be true to life, it was an engrossing yarn. I'm sure that the real story is way more boring than what was depicted here, so it was interesting to see how they engineered conflict and drama where in reality it was probably weeks of boring coding and programming! It's amazing that all of this has happened so recently! They had a great scene at the Henley Regatta which was shot through this weird filter to make it look like a toy town. Really good performances too, I especially liked Andrew Garfield as the deposed co-founder and initial investor - he'd been in a couple of BBC things that I'd liked.
The Ghost Writer - the story (a thinly veiled approximation of Tony Blair getting indicted for war crimes) was really what attracted me but it also had a good cast (especially Olivia Williams and Kim Catrall) and Roman Polanski as the director. Story didn't disappoint and the moody, cold, wet setting on Long Island (actually filmed Denmark or somewhere I think) was suitably claustrophobic. It did get a bit silly and overdramatic in some bits but I did get suitably swept up.
The American - George Clooney and Anton Corbijn, what's not to like! Story itself was a bit average but it was nice and moody, although shocking in bits
Also, what's with all the definitives?
Next up - Harry Potter!
Monday, November 29, 2010
orchestral!
I went to see the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain play at the weekend in Wellington. It was a great fun - the 'orchestra' of eight ukulele players use only their instruments which are different sizes - from a soprano one down to a bass uke (or Buke apparently). It was wonderful to hear how they interwove the harmonies of the song and interpreted different styles. They sang along with most of the songs, cracked jokes, told stories and gave out presents. There was a varied repertoire - 30s jazz and Saint-Seans through The Who right up to modern 'classics' like Teenage Dirtbag. The best bit though was when they got the ukulele players in the audience to get their instruments out (about 100 or so people had theirs with them) and to play along to Ode to Joy - brilliant! Now, where's my ukulele...
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
milestone!
Well, next month marks a milestone - 18 months til the big 4-0! I know some of you will be surprised that I'm that old! Anyway, in the best Mhairi tradition, I thought I should write a list of what I want to do before I reach that advanced age. One restriction, as one of my aims is to be in a much better financial situation by then, I don't think I'll be scheduling much exotic travel or expensive activities!
Here's the list I've had in my head for a while
fly in a helicopter (just as a passenger mind!)
learn to knit
learn to drive - ACHIEVED!
buy a car
move to NZ - ACHIEVED!
get a cat
finally learn that ukulele
It's a pretty pedestrian list really - what else do you think I should aim for in the next 18 months?
Here's the list I've had in my head for a while
fly in a helicopter (just as a passenger mind!)
learn to knit
learn to drive - ACHIEVED!
buy a car
move to NZ - ACHIEVED!
get a cat
finally learn that ukulele
It's a pretty pedestrian list really - what else do you think I should aim for in the next 18 months?
Friday, November 12, 2010
timeless!
Mum and I went to see Leonard Cohen play Christchurch as part of his Unified Heart tour on 3 November. For a 78 year old guy, he's pretty impressive!
I'd never actually seen him in concert before but had heard rave reviews from many sources. Leonard has last visited NZ in January 2009, and he was doing a similar scale of concert this time - the Christchurch concert was at the Westpac Arena (or whatever it's called), the biggest indoor venue in town.
Traffic getting there was very heavy - I was driving but things got to near a standstill very quickly, so we parked the car about 15 minutes walk away from the venue and walked the rest of the way. Only just got there in time to see Bic Runga who played a lovely set with just a bassist accompanying her.
Leonard Cohen must have played for nearly 3 hours. There was one proper intermission and then also a couple of breaks ahead of encores at the end. I'm not a huge fan of his music and don't actually own any but I do know all the popular songs and can appreciate the music well. His band were superb, there was a real French vibe with the accordions and violins, but also a really jazzy feel to everything as well. There were also three female backing sisters - Sharon Robinson who is one of his co-writers, and the Webb sisters. Leonard himself was very nimble, dapper, smooth and dramatic, dropping to his knees to sing and emote on occasion. In summary, there wasn't anything new or surprising but it was a very enjoyable experience and it's always lovely to see a crowd enjoying the music and the show itself.
There's a great tour photo diary at this site.
I'd never actually seen him in concert before but had heard rave reviews from many sources. Leonard has last visited NZ in January 2009, and he was doing a similar scale of concert this time - the Christchurch concert was at the Westpac Arena (or whatever it's called), the biggest indoor venue in town.
Traffic getting there was very heavy - I was driving but things got to near a standstill very quickly, so we parked the car about 15 minutes walk away from the venue and walked the rest of the way. Only just got there in time to see Bic Runga who played a lovely set with just a bassist accompanying her.
Leonard Cohen must have played for nearly 3 hours. There was one proper intermission and then also a couple of breaks ahead of encores at the end. I'm not a huge fan of his music and don't actually own any but I do know all the popular songs and can appreciate the music well. His band were superb, there was a real French vibe with the accordions and violins, but also a really jazzy feel to everything as well. There were also three female backing sisters - Sharon Robinson who is one of his co-writers, and the Webb sisters. Leonard himself was very nimble, dapper, smooth and dramatic, dropping to his knees to sing and emote on occasion. In summary, there wasn't anything new or surprising but it was a very enjoyable experience and it's always lovely to see a crowd enjoying the music and the show itself.
There's a great tour photo diary at this site.
coincidental!
Yes, I know this is a photo from 11 months ago, but I had a funny message from someone on Flickr recently. Somehow this chap had found my photo and worked out that he'd taken a photo of that same Christmas tree at Union station on the same day as me. He'd then got on the train, but had ridden it north of LA rather than south as I had done. Small world!
Friday, November 05, 2010
refreshed!
Decided to refresh my blog look - it's had the same template since Day 1 so it's nice to have something new!
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Wowed!
The main attraction for the weekend was the Montana World of Wearable Arts, held at the TSB Arena. WOW started about 20 years ago in Nelson and has grown and moved since then. The whole idea is clothes that are also works of art and they were so spectacular! There were sections for illuminated and glow in the dark clothes, decorated bras. The children's and the open sections were themed (the love of books and circus) but were interpreted so broadly. The show wasn't just about the clothes though, it was full of dancers, singers, acrobats, even men dressed in Tron costumes! It just didn't stop for two hours!
Loved it all and will definitely be back next year, luckily I live here! Wellington was full of groups of women for the two weeks of the show, all out dining and shopping, very amusing.
Check out the winners here.
Loved it all and will definitely be back next year, luckily I live here! Wellington was full of groups of women for the two weeks of the show, all out dining and shopping, very amusing.
Check out the winners here.
precious!
We visited the Weta Cave in Mirimar after brunch - it's been set up as a visitor center next to Weta Workshops. It's very small (but free!) with some exhibitions of models and props from the movies that Weta have worked on. There's also a little film that you watch about all their services and activities - lots of stuff I didn't know about! It looks like a fun place to work! The day we visited there had been a fire at one of the buildings, and there was also still a lot of uncertainty over whether The Hobbit would go ahead due to industrial action.
scorching!
I had a wonderful weekend with both Petrina and Sue visiting for the World of Wearable Art show. Pea could only get away for 24 hours so we had an action-packed day, starting off with brunch at Scorching Bay. It was a gorgeously sunny day (although not warm enough for swimming!) and we sat right beside the sea to catch up.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
doubly visited!
My friends Annie and Charlotte came and visited me for a couple of days this weekend. Annie lives in Melbourne at the moment and Charlotte is still living in London. They were both back for family birthdays so came up to visit me for a couple of nights.
We had a couple of brilliant meals - at Foxglove on the waterfront, and at Duke Carvell's off Cuba Street for tapas. We were also tourists and went up the cable car and to the Museum of City and Sea. There is a fascinating exhibit on the Wahine disaster at the Museum - horrifying that it happened right in the harbour !
We had a couple of brilliant meals - at Foxglove on the waterfront, and at Duke Carvell's off Cuba Street for tapas. We were also tourists and went up the cable car and to the Museum of City and Sea. There is a fascinating exhibit on the Wahine disaster at the Museum - horrifying that it happened right in the harbour !
Monday, September 06, 2010
shaky!
I'd gone down to Christchurch for the weekend to have some driving practice and also to babysit Tadhg while Fiona and John went to a party. Those plans were all put asunder when we were hit by a 7.1 earthquake at 4.35am.
I must have been in a really deep sleep, and I wasn't even in the bed I normally sleep in when I'm staying there (Tadhg was having the first night in his new bedroom) as I just felt so disorientated when I woke up. It was pitch dark and everything was shaking from side to side really vigorously. It went on for about a minute but I didn't feel scared, I more felt pinned to the bed and stunned! There must have been stuff falling around the house so I'm glad I didn't get up during the shaking as stuff would have hit me - some paintings fell off the walls, my bedside lamp fell etc. I also don't remember much noise, just a bit of squeaking as the house moved back and forth!
As soon as the shaking stopped, I leapt out of bed and ran across to Tadhg's room - he was kind of awake and half-crying so I scooped him up and got under the door frame. Fiona and John were about 5 seconds behind me. Thank goodness Tadhg has a battery-powered night light as all the power had gone off and otherwise it was pitch dark. We ended up staying under the door frames for about another 90 mins as the ground continued to shake quite violently - the shakes were about 5.5 or so immediately afterwards.
John ran and got the torch and the radio. The scariest thing was when we switched on the radio 10 minutes after the quake and the announcer said that a quake had hit the central North Island. That was terrifying, to think of a quake that big where we were but potentially much worse elsewhere in the country. Thankfully they corrected themselves soon after.
John and Fiona's house wasn't badly damaged - the pantry and kitchen really was the worst of it where food and containers had fallen off the shelves and crashed to the ground. A fish sauce bottle had smashed and so there was brown, smelly liquid everywhere. Some glasses were smashed. Also, some pictures had come off the walls and the glass had smashed. But overall, they were really lucky.
The shocks died back down a bit but there was still no power. We got in touch with Mum and Dad to check they were all ok, and went back to bed. I couldn't sleep and there were constant aftershocks to keep us alert!
Once the sun had come up, we got up and had some (cold) food. The power didn't come back on til after lunch, but we had to conserve water and boil drinking water for a few days as there was a bit of a concern about contaminated water supplies from burst sewage pipes. Fiona and John had just had their sewage pipes replaced a couple of weeks ago which is actually very lucky as this could have caused some serious problems.
We ventured out for a walk later on in the day but stayed close to home. It's much easier to ignore aftershocks when you're walking around! Fiona's neighbourhood got off really lightly, but there were a few toppled chimneys. A brick house close by will probably have to come down and a couple of shops at the end of the road were destroyed.
I didn't see much of the other damage first-hand, just a few damaged buildings and the Canterbury Draught beer factory on the way to the airport on Monday morning. Most of the damaged central city was out of bounds while I was there and I didn't feel like going out to where there were really damaged houses.
The aftershocks continued through the 48 hours afterwards I was there so I felt a bit on edge. Luckily I could go back to Wellington which ironically felt much safer! Fiona and family went down to Timaru for a few days, and I think slept a lot better there.
I must have been in a really deep sleep, and I wasn't even in the bed I normally sleep in when I'm staying there (Tadhg was having the first night in his new bedroom) as I just felt so disorientated when I woke up. It was pitch dark and everything was shaking from side to side really vigorously. It went on for about a minute but I didn't feel scared, I more felt pinned to the bed and stunned! There must have been stuff falling around the house so I'm glad I didn't get up during the shaking as stuff would have hit me - some paintings fell off the walls, my bedside lamp fell etc. I also don't remember much noise, just a bit of squeaking as the house moved back and forth!
As soon as the shaking stopped, I leapt out of bed and ran across to Tadhg's room - he was kind of awake and half-crying so I scooped him up and got under the door frame. Fiona and John were about 5 seconds behind me. Thank goodness Tadhg has a battery-powered night light as all the power had gone off and otherwise it was pitch dark. We ended up staying under the door frames for about another 90 mins as the ground continued to shake quite violently - the shakes were about 5.5 or so immediately afterwards.
John ran and got the torch and the radio. The scariest thing was when we switched on the radio 10 minutes after the quake and the announcer said that a quake had hit the central North Island. That was terrifying, to think of a quake that big where we were but potentially much worse elsewhere in the country. Thankfully they corrected themselves soon after.
John and Fiona's house wasn't badly damaged - the pantry and kitchen really was the worst of it where food and containers had fallen off the shelves and crashed to the ground. A fish sauce bottle had smashed and so there was brown, smelly liquid everywhere. Some glasses were smashed. Also, some pictures had come off the walls and the glass had smashed. But overall, they were really lucky.
The shocks died back down a bit but there was still no power. We got in touch with Mum and Dad to check they were all ok, and went back to bed. I couldn't sleep and there were constant aftershocks to keep us alert!
Once the sun had come up, we got up and had some (cold) food. The power didn't come back on til after lunch, but we had to conserve water and boil drinking water for a few days as there was a bit of a concern about contaminated water supplies from burst sewage pipes. Fiona and John had just had their sewage pipes replaced a couple of weeks ago which is actually very lucky as this could have caused some serious problems.
We ventured out for a walk later on in the day but stayed close to home. It's much easier to ignore aftershocks when you're walking around! Fiona's neighbourhood got off really lightly, but there were a few toppled chimneys. A brick house close by will probably have to come down and a couple of shops at the end of the road were destroyed.
I didn't see much of the other damage first-hand, just a few damaged buildings and the Canterbury Draught beer factory on the way to the airport on Monday morning. Most of the damaged central city was out of bounds while I was there and I didn't feel like going out to where there were really damaged houses.
The aftershocks continued through the 48 hours afterwards I was there so I felt a bit on edge. Luckily I could go back to Wellington which ironically felt much safer! Fiona and family went down to Timaru for a few days, and I think slept a lot better there.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
digested!
To celebrate Steph's birthday, we went to the Hippopotamus Restaurant in the Museum Hotel in Wellington for a degustation dinner, along with Colin and their friends Simon and Jackie. It was a very fun evening - good company and delicious food! We were also sat by the window so had a good view of the harbour. We had six courses in all. Steph did the wine matching, but the rest of us just picked drinks to go along with the meal as we wanted. That menu in full...
Salmon Sashimi
Cream of cauliflower with scampi tails and crustacean oil
Seared Snapper fillet with wilted bok choy and lemon buerre blanc
Roasted beef fillet with braised beef cheek and port wine and truffle jus
Croustillant of goat cheese with macros salad and mulled wine reduction
Crepes Suzette
Salmon Sashimi
Cream of cauliflower with scampi tails and crustacean oil
Seared Snapper fillet with wilted bok choy and lemon buerre blanc
Roasted beef fillet with braised beef cheek and port wine and truffle jus
Croustillant of goat cheese with macros salad and mulled wine reduction
Crepes Suzette
Saturday, August 21, 2010
visited!
Mum came to stay with me for a few days following the wedding anniversary party - she had a few friends to catch up with when she was here, but we got to hang out and visit a few places in Wellington.
We had dinner at the fantastic Floriditas on Cuba Street - it's the third time I've been there but I always enjoy it! It's kind of like the Wolseley in London in that it starts at 7 for a breakfast sitting and then just stays open until supper time with different menu items depending on the time of the day.
We went out to the comfortable Lighthouse Cinema in Petone for Oliver's school fundraising night - a preview screening of the new film Predicament (starring Jemaine Clement). As it was a charity night we got lolly mixtures and champagne - excellent! I enjoyed the film, it was the right side of creepy! Strange to see Jemaine in a different role!
We also went to Circa Theatre for a production of The Great Gatsby which was really well done, always an interesting story. I worked out later that Miranda Manasiadis who played Daisy is also Jemaine Clement's wife!
On the Wednesday night we went to the Backbencher pub opposite Parliament to be in the audience for Back Benches, which is kind of like Question Time for NZ. It goes out almost live on TVNZ7. The pub was really crowded so Mum and I were stuck around the corner but it was still quite enjoyable to see all the banter going on. My knowledge of NZ politics is still very weak!!
We had dinner at the fantastic Floriditas on Cuba Street - it's the third time I've been there but I always enjoy it! It's kind of like the Wolseley in London in that it starts at 7 for a breakfast sitting and then just stays open until supper time with different menu items depending on the time of the day.
We went out to the comfortable Lighthouse Cinema in Petone for Oliver's school fundraising night - a preview screening of the new film Predicament (starring Jemaine Clement). As it was a charity night we got lolly mixtures and champagne - excellent! I enjoyed the film, it was the right side of creepy! Strange to see Jemaine in a different role!
We also went to Circa Theatre for a production of The Great Gatsby which was really well done, always an interesting story. I worked out later that Miranda Manasiadis who played Daisy is also Jemaine Clement's wife!
On the Wednesday night we went to the Backbencher pub opposite Parliament to be in the audience for Back Benches, which is kind of like Question Time for NZ. It goes out almost live on TVNZ7. The pub was really crowded so Mum and I were stuck around the corner but it was still quite enjoyable to see all the banter going on. My knowledge of NZ politics is still very weak!!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
ruby!
I went down to Timaru for the weekend to celebrate Mum and Dad's 40th wedding anniversary. We had got them to give us the invite list and contact details and had then organised everything ourselves. We'd got invitations made at an American place online, and also put an ad in the Timaru Herald - Fiona had pilfered a few of Mum and Dad's photos and scanned them in so that we had electronic copies of everything.
Mum and Dad vacated the house before lunchtime on Saturday and went off for a surprise lunch - their friend Belinda and her husband (Mum and Belinda became good friends in Sydney just after the wedding) had flown in from Tasmania for the party and had kept their arrival a secret. In the meantime, us children and spouses set about organising the house for party central. We'd set upon a 'ruby' theme so we rearranged the furniture and decorated with red balloons, confetti etc. We welcomed the guests with ruby cocktails (Kir Royales) and I'd made a big chocolate cake decorated with red hearts. Fiona and Tiana made some fantastic food - casseroles and roast meat, as well as four different types of hummus! John had also put together a fabulous playlist of some of Mum and Dad's favourite music, and we had some of the photos playing on a loop on the new, big plasma screen TV.
The guests started arriving at dead-on 7.30 and had dressed for the occasion in red-themed clothing. We had about 25 people in all, so it was the perfect size for the house - there was the conservatory and the deck for people to spill out on. Having the welcome cocktails and the theme meant people were party-ready as soon as they got there, so it all warmed up very quickly. The food went down really well, although I think Mum and Dad were eating left-overs for a few days! They had a fantastic evening, so it was brilliant to get so involved in all that and make a special day for them. Photos are here
Mum and Dad vacated the house before lunchtime on Saturday and went off for a surprise lunch - their friend Belinda and her husband (Mum and Belinda became good friends in Sydney just after the wedding) had flown in from Tasmania for the party and had kept their arrival a secret. In the meantime, us children and spouses set about organising the house for party central. We'd set upon a 'ruby' theme so we rearranged the furniture and decorated with red balloons, confetti etc. We welcomed the guests with ruby cocktails (Kir Royales) and I'd made a big chocolate cake decorated with red hearts. Fiona and Tiana made some fantastic food - casseroles and roast meat, as well as four different types of hummus! John had also put together a fabulous playlist of some of Mum and Dad's favourite music, and we had some of the photos playing on a loop on the new, big plasma screen TV.
The guests started arriving at dead-on 7.30 and had dressed for the occasion in red-themed clothing. We had about 25 people in all, so it was the perfect size for the house - there was the conservatory and the deck for people to spill out on. Having the welcome cocktails and the theme meant people were party-ready as soon as they got there, so it all warmed up very quickly. The food went down really well, although I think Mum and Dad were eating left-overs for a few days! They had a fantastic evening, so it was brilliant to get so involved in all that and make a special day for them. Photos are here
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Rainbow over Auckland harbour
Just had a weekend up in Auckland - partially for work and partially to visit friends. Weather was really variable - some rain, some sun. But it did mean dramatic skies and some gorgeous rainbows!
I went up the Sky Tower (I think it's the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere) and had this gorgeous view over the harbour. That's Rangitoto Island in the distance.
I went up the Sky Tower (I think it's the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere) and had this gorgeous view over the harbour. That's Rangitoto Island in the distance.
Monumental!
I climbed up to the top of One Tree Hill during my Auckland visit. It sits in the middle of Cornwall Park and is the top of old volcano. There's a monument to the Maori people but sadly the one tree was properly cut down a few years ago.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
roaring!
Wanted to share this photo for a couple of reasons - it reminds me of Megan who is capable of roaring (allegedly)! And also note the little bar at the edge of the shelf, I think this could be unique to Wellington - it wouldn't take a lot for a little earthquake to jolt thousands of dollars of wine off the shelf at New World, hence the protection!
connected!
My internet radio, which was my gift from work when I left London, finally arrived this month and I've connected it up. It is absolutely brilliant - you can either listen live to any radio station as it broadcasts on the internet, or you can 'listen again' to any previously broadcasted shows. 6 Music has been saved from the axe, and that remains my station of choice for music, although it is quite odd to switch it on on a Monday morning and Dave Pearce Dance Anthems is on!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
musical!
One of the highlights of being in Sydney was the opportunity to see The Belles in concert - I went to school with Sacha (on the right) and she's good friends with Fiona still. She and two friends sing 40s and 50s style close harmony similar to the Andrews Sisters. They had a brush with fame earlier this year when they entered onto Australia's Got Talent. They didn't make it to the semi-finals but the publicity has resulted in a raised profile and more engagements. They don't often do public concerts as most of their concerts are corporate or private, but they put on a showcase at Raval in central Sydney for the public to attend - it was great fun! Technically they are really impressive and they love what they're doing. The concert also included a Hawaiian band and also a burlesque dancer who had a routine with many balloons and some pins - saucy!
artistic!
Absolutely loved the Biennale of Sydney, well the bits on Cockatoo Island that I visited. Cockatoo Island is an old convict prison island that became a ship yard, and is now full of abandoned old industrial buildings and bizarrely a permanent campsite! The Biennale took it over and installed art works in different old buildings. The was one that took my fancy - hundreds of stainless steel balls. There were quite a few video installations including on surreal Russian one, and one about the drowned Chinese cockle pickers in Morcambe Bay. Hours of enjoyment - I was on the last ferry off the island!
iconic!
After a week of work in a big tall building, it was lovely to get out on the harbour. The Biennale of Sydney was on while I was there and it included a selection of installations and art works on Cockatoo Island in the harbour. There was a free ferry to take us out to the island, a very popular activity! I could see a few people climbing the bridge when we went past.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
high high high!
After my week in Melbourne, I went to Sydney for a week for work. I stayed mainly in a serviced apartment across the road from work - up the Chinatown end of the CBD. The apartment I stayed in was on the 49th floor with a balcony - I don't normally get vertigo but going to the edge of the balcony in this case really did make my head spin! Fantastic views across Darling Harbour and out towards the airport. I could see the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the harbour itself a little bit between buildings from my bedroom.
Sydney was very noisy - well where I was staying anyway! There was a constant hum of traffic and activity even in the middle of the night. I also got woken up by a vuvzela on the night of the World Cup final which says how noisy those things are!!
I spent quite a lot of time in Sydney working, but I did catch up with a few friends there, so that was fab!
Sydney was very noisy - well where I was staying anyway! There was a constant hum of traffic and activity even in the middle of the night. I also got woken up by a vuvzela on the night of the World Cup final which says how noisy those things are!!
I spent quite a lot of time in Sydney working, but I did catch up with a few friends there, so that was fab!
Friday, July 02, 2010
Special!
Very dear friends Andrew and Li-Ann got married on 2 July in Melbourne. It was a fantastic ceremony, both stylish and informal. Here's a photo of them listening to Julie, the celebrant talk through the legalities. Li-Ann is wearing an ostrich feather shrug but sadly the Jimmy Choo shoes are out of shot! Andrew also looking very stylish!
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Burtonesque!
There's a huge Tim Burton exhibition on in Melbourne at the moment. It's amazing just what a prolific and creative man he is. There's loads of his early drawings and designs right through to costumes and models he's made for the later films. Huge amount to see. The only thing that you're allowed to take a photo of is the Batmobile at the entrance - it looks amazing, all black and gleaming. My favourite bit of the exhibition was a surreal merry-go-round with skulls and creatures, all under UV light.
Gradated! (is that a word...?)
Had a few days in Melbourne around Li-Ann's wedding in late June/early July. I really Melbourne, it's very similar to Wellington with lots of character. There are old-fashioned lanes in the middle of the city that run between the main roads and are lined with shops and cafes. I was delighted to see this one, Babushka which is stocked with loads of Russian dolls. The selection was even better than anything I'd seen in Russia (although probably quite a bit more expensive!). As well as the traditional looking matryoshka dolls, there were also Russian presidents, Beatles, Elvis etc.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
wintry!
So it's the middle of a very wet winter here and the herb garden definitely isn't as florid as it once was! As you can see the rosemary is doing well, the mint has gone to seed a bit, the parsley is doing fine and the poor wee tarragon has died right away! At least it's not cold enough to get frosty here so the plants should survive just fine. Looking forward to getting some basil in soon.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
even herbier!
Pleased to report that my herb garden is coming along in leaps and bounds - here is the herb garden on day 12. I haven't picked any yet but I've been faithfully watering it (and it would have got a good water during the storm last night). I'm especially pleased about the mint, it's really come away! Trying to track down some tarragon now.
Chocolately!
Easter has arrived with a bang in New Zealand - this is only a part of the chocolate display at my local supermarket, New World in Thorndon. The inflatable bunny is absolutely enormous and reaches right up to the ceiling. There are of course a plethora of marshmallow eggs on offer as well - there's a vogue for flavoured ones as well, including Pineapple Lump flavour and Crunchie flavour! Makes the loss of the NZ specific creme egg a little easier to swallow...
Friday, March 12, 2010
stormy!
Had my first taste of a real Wellington storm yesterday afternoon - there had been rain and hail forecast but I think the ferocity of the southerly took a few people unawares. I was at home and could see the black clouds rolling in (as you can see in the photo I've lifted from Flickr) and then bam! the rain and wind and hail and thunder and lightning started. I watched it all from my sun room for a bit but it got a bit intense and so I retreated away from the big glass windows!
This video on YouTube gives a good indication of what went on, It was all over in an hour or so and there wasn't any damage around here - the neighbour's trampoline is still tethered to the hillside!
This video on YouTube gives a good indication of what went on, It was all over in an hour or so and there wasn't any damage around here - the neighbour's trampoline is still tethered to the hillside!
Sunday, March 07, 2010
interactive!
We went to see the fantastic and interactive Apollo 13: Mission Control at Downstage Theatre last night. It's one of the hot tickets at the Wellington International Festival and was great fun! It's based around Apollo 13 mission in 1970 which very nearly ended in disaster and later became a movie with Tom Hanks and Bill Paxton etc.
The play is very interactive - about half the audience (not us sadly) are seated behind consoles on the ground floor and given roles to play during the production. One lucky audience member even got to be one of the astronauts (you can see this one in the top right hand corner of the screen). There were three actors on the 'stage' and about 100 audience members pushing buttons and yelling out information, they must have all been given roles and little instruction booklets (eg surgeons, meterologists, PR people etc.). Very entertaining to watch and very gripping as well. At one crucial point the actors had all left and one audience member just stood up and took control of something important so that was a great relief! Wish we'd been able to get more involved but there was plenty of cheering and encouragement from the upper levels (or the press gallery). Great fun!
The play is very interactive - about half the audience (not us sadly) are seated behind consoles on the ground floor and given roles to play during the production. One lucky audience member even got to be one of the astronauts (you can see this one in the top right hand corner of the screen). There were three actors on the 'stage' and about 100 audience members pushing buttons and yelling out information, they must have all been given roles and little instruction booklets (eg surgeons, meterologists, PR people etc.). Very entertaining to watch and very gripping as well. At one crucial point the actors had all left and one audience member just stood up and took control of something important so that was a great relief! Wish we'd been able to get more involved but there was plenty of cheering and encouragement from the upper levels (or the press gallery). Great fun!
Friday, March 05, 2010
epic!
I took a loooong walk today from my home in Thorndon all the way around the shoreline to Scorching Bay. According to mapmywalk.com, I walked about 11 miles, and got a couple of wicked blisters for my troubles!! But it was a lovely sunny day and it was lovely to do a bit of exploring. I stayed beside the water along Oriental Bay (where this photo was taken), Evans Bay, Shelly Bay Road and then around the point to Scorching Bay. Stopped for lunch at the Chocolate Fish cafe, which has moved from Scorching Bay round to the old army buildings at Shelly Bay - it now has a BBQ menu as there's no proper kitchen. It's a great spot, although definitely not as scenic as its previous spot but at least the waiters don't have to dodge traffic! I visited Scorch-a-rama which is on the site of the old Chocolate Fish Cafe at Scorching Bay for an icecream at the end of the walk.
Stupidly I'd not stopped for a swim en route and the wind had got up by the time I got to Scorching Bay so I just had a paddle - never mind, next year! The water was really clear and clean looking the whole way. Caught a bus back to town which ran along Miramar Heights - at one stage there was a plane landing and we were higher than it!
Stupidly I'd not stopped for a swim en route and the wind had got up by the time I got to Scorching Bay so I just had a paddle - never mind, next year! The water was really clear and clean looking the whole way. Caught a bus back to town which ran along Miramar Heights - at one stage there was a plane landing and we were higher than it!
Monday, March 01, 2010
herby!
With my new lifestyle in New Zealand, I've decided to get greener and so I've made a first attempt at a herb garden (with the expert help of Steph). Here's the herb garden all planted in three big pots at the back of my flat - from left you will see parsley, lemongrass, mint and rosemary. Early days yet of course and I hope the plants survive the traumatic planting process!
silent!
Fiona and I went to see the fabulous Sound of Silence at the Wellington International Arts Festival at the weekend. It's a play without words, but with the music of Simon and Garfunkel. The theatre company are from Latvia and it's set in a communal apartment in Riga in 1968. It was really moving and intriguing, so much going on on stage! Highly recommended!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
walking!
I did a small section of the Rimutaka Rail Trail with Steph, Colin and family yesterday - it was a gorgeous sunny day and it was lovely to get out and about. We started at the end, and walked a short distance up, then down again. It's really popular as a mountain bike ride and we saw quite a few people coming down on bikes.
vista!
We didn't end up walking that far along the Rimutaka Rail Trail but here's the view from the highest bit we got to.
cows!
At the entrance (or more accurately the end) of the Rimutaka Rail Trail was a herd of highland cows - a bit incongruous with all the fresians we normally see but very striking nonetheless!
Cross Creek Railway Station
Part way up the track is the old Cross Creek railway station - a good place to get out of the sun and eat egg sandwiches.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
flying!
I had a long weekend staying with my brother in Anakiwa (near Picton) last weekend - he and his family live on the Outward Bound School campus there. Didn't take any photos during the visit sadly, even though we had a great day out sailing which would have provided some brilliant images.
I flew from Wellington to Picton return on Sounds Air which is a small company with tiny planes! It was great fun - here's a photo of the ferry docking at Picton. Some other photos of the flight are on Flickr.
I flew from Wellington to Picton return on Sounds Air which is a small company with tiny planes! It was great fun - here's a photo of the ferry docking at Picton. Some other photos of the flight are on Flickr.
Friday, January 29, 2010
spectacular!
View from my deck in Wadestown - cruise ships and the 'Cake Tin' (Westpac Stadium) in the near distance, Mt Victoria and Roseneath to the right
Originally uploaded by MhairiT
Monday, January 25, 2010
spotty!
There was a Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the Wellington City Gallery until mid-Feb - I went along twice (the second time courtesy of EY's arts sponsorship) and enjoyed all the spottiness! The exterior of the gallery had its own spots installed as wel.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
fancy!
While staying with Steph and Colin, they invited me to accompany them to their friend Simon and Jackie's garden party. Here are Steph and Colin dressed in their new garden party outfits, with Theo. Sadly it absolutely bucketed down the entire afternoon, but Simon and Jackie had a huge house and everyone had made a brilliant effort with their clothes.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
parading!
I went over to the Duvauchelle A&P Show with Nicki and Alex in early January. Duvauchelle is a small rural settlement on Bank's Peninusula and the A&P (Agricultural and Pastoral Show) is an annual tradition. We especially enjoyed the shearing and the competition shed which had categories for best cakes, best vegetables, sewing, embroidery - in fact everything! We sat and watched the Grand Parade which had all the competition animals in it, and enjoyed Rosemary (Nicki's mum's) bacon and egg pie. There was also some show jumping which included the farting horse, and the dog who thought he was a horse and tried to join in with the jumping (under the feet of a horse - eek!)
Sculptured!
Here are some of the food sculpture entrants in Duvauchelle A&P show - the onion rabbit on the right won the section, while the corn cob space rocket was robbed and only got second place!
Friday, January 01, 2010
Listening!
On New Year's Day, John and I went out whale watching from Kaikoura. It was a very professional and expert trip - the iwi who run WhaleWatch must have about four boats and a couple of helicopters. On this day, there were probably three trips for each boat so there were a lot of people! Our boat held about fifty people of many different nationalities.
We were given a safety briefing in the WhaleWatch station (ie the old train station) beforehand and then bussed down to South Beach where the port is. We had been told that t here was a high likelihood of seasickness, so John and I dutifully took our seasickness pills. The crew also said that two things that would help if you felt seasick were to look at a fixed point on the horizon (eg a mountain), or to remove clothing to cool yourself down.
We had another introductory presentation on the boat while we spent about half an hour motoring to where they had last seen whales. One method of looking for whales is to listen for their sounds - here's Captain Jim with his highly technical device!
We were given a safety briefing in the WhaleWatch station (ie the old train station) beforehand and then bussed down to South Beach where the port is. We had been told that t here was a high likelihood of seasickness, so John and I dutifully took our seasickness pills. The crew also said that two things that would help if you felt seasick were to look at a fixed point on the horizon (eg a mountain), or to remove clothing to cool yourself down.
We had another introductory presentation on the boat while we spent about half an hour motoring to where they had last seen whales. One method of looking for whales is to listen for their sounds - here's Captain Jim with his highly technical device!
Looking!
... or there were also people looking for whales in more traditional methods, as demonstrated by John here.
Tail!
We were rewarded for our perseverance - we saw three whales really well (here's the best example of a whale diving), and two momentarily. Totally worth the money!
They were all sperm whales, I think there are a few humpbacks around but not at this time of the year. Also saw a few huge albatrosses, but no dolphins.
They were all sperm whales, I think there are a few humpbacks around but not at this time of the year. Also saw a few huge albatrosses, but no dolphins.
ashore!
John and I at the end of the trip, with our brand new (launched by the PM John Key in November 2009) boat behind us.
We were virtually the only people who didn't throw up on the trip - the crew were kept busy the whole time collecting sick bags and comforting people. Go Sea Legs!
We were virtually the only people who didn't throw up on the trip - the crew were kept busy the whole time collecting sick bags and comforting people. Go Sea Legs!
Fragrant!
On New Year's Day we went to visit the Lavender Gardens near Kaikoura - they were in peak flower and smelt just gorgeous. There are about four fields full of lavender, laid out in different ways. Tadhg especially liked all the bees that were buzzing around.
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