Tuesday

Our social life is picking up some. Rosemary and Graham were up for the week-end, and we enjoyed ourselves cooking together, helping move appliances (refrigerators and washing machines!), watching a DVD of an Eagles concert – good company, good food, good music.
Graham barbecued some chicken for us, and we devoured some kumara chips (kumara is a yam-type vegetable that is a staple here.)

On Saturday, Rosemary took us into Turangi (10 miles distant), for shopping etc. To our surprise almost all the shops closed by 1:00 p.m. It's been a long time since I've been in villages that do that. On the way back, we saw again the steam venting from the thermal fields of the near-by volanoes – will put up a picture as soon as I get one. And, we drove to a nearby hill-top which has been sectioned off for more high-end housing development. I'll try to include some of the better photos of the view from that beautiful spot.

And, yesterday (Sunday), Dave and Colleen who run the Omori store, invited us for fish and chips. Dave has just opened a Chip Stand, and had some fish from Saturday that needed to be eaten – we were willing guests. Yum – a fine moist reddish tinged ocean fish (Tilapia?), in a light crispy batter, perfectly golden brown, cooked to a T. And the accompanying french fries were equally well prepared – the chip stand is open on Friday and Saturday nights, so we know where we're going for dinner this Friday!

While we ate at the picnic table near the store, Krishna joined us – she's a new employee for Dave and Colleen and will be doing the cooking at the chip stand – she's of Italian and Maori descent, and acquired her name from her Italian yoga-practicing mother. About 25 – 30 years old, Krishna has just returned to Omori which is the seat of her father's "Iwi" (tribe), after living in the bush (woods / forest / remote area), in a community where many live in shipping containers. She was without running water for a number of years. That was her choice – she'd grown up in the City of Wellington, and decided to go 'back to the land', as part of her commitment to the environment. I understand that shipping containers are a ready solution to housing shortages, one that is used in many countries where the climate allows. Krishna had several windows in her, and found it quite acceptable. She talked of her great appreciation for running water and flush toilets, grown from the necessity of carrying buckets from the creek some distance from her home. Her commitment to the environment continues to be strong – she'll move to a home with composting toilet as soon as possible. She is particularly interested in how art reflects culture. We talked briefly about the different experience of aboriginal peoples in NZ, Aus, Canada and U.S., and I know we'll have lots more conversations.

I spent more than an hour on the phone yesterday with Colleen's internet help desk, trying to figure out why my laptop wouldn't connect with her router. After lots of conversation and experiments, the fellow concluded that her router is higher security than my laptop could connect with – ah well. However, she offered to let us check our mail when we go to the store (which is at least daily, if not more often). So Margaret continues working on her book, and sending chapters off to her editor, and I continue blogging!!!

Are any of you putting comments up? I'm not seeing any, but wonder if you're seeing the "Comment" box at the very end of the blog?? Pls let me know if you see it, because I can try to figure out how to put it up top. Also forgive placement of pictures – haven't mastered that yet.

Saturday, here

Resting, relaxing, sitting in the sun – the last few days have been low key, easy in all ways. The sun is so bright that a hat is needed at all times – and the NZ slogan to combat skin cancer – slip, slap, slop (cover up, put on a hat, put on sun screen) – is worth following. I was surprised to get a sunburn in about 30 minutes. Not that I'm complaining – did I hear that some parts of the U.S. are experiencing a fierce winter storm?? How about Canada? Does it please you to read that we're expecting heavy rain this week-end?

Went for a bit of a walk today along the shore of Lake Taupo. Much of the shore near us is very steep, and covered with trees and bush. Look on Google Earth, for Omori, NZ, and you'll see what I mean. But there is a public trail that goes along the lakeshore, then up some stairs to go along the hillside. Some animal traps are set along the pathside – rabbits that evidently are taking quite a toll on the flowers and other plant life, though it doesn't show at all; and ferrets take a toll on birds – saw lots of broken bird eggs along the pavement today, but no other evidence.

We're hoping to find a bird book, so we can identify some of the many different ones we see and hear. So far we've identified a Tui (also known as a parson-bird); and a fantail. Another we think is a chaffinch; and attached is a picture of a quail-like critter.

Other 'wild-life' include sheep and beef from a near-by farm – we can hear their bleats and moo's on a quiet night. One lamb is definitely a split-personality – see the photo of him, with his black front-half, and white back-half.

The farm provided the land-based for the Omori community which is a high-end housing development.. The development is sort of strange – most of the 200 homes are very up-scale – huge, for the most part over 2,000 square feet. Lawns, grounds, houses well-kept;. But, 90% of them are unoccupied – they're summer homes, don't know who owns them. Summer is just beginning, and now on a Friday afternoon we're seeing some families drive in. A few retirees are here year-round; fewer local workers (the one corner store; the one property-manager. . . .) But the community is pretty much empty. Very strange. There is NO commercial activity (other than the tiny corner store); no real estate offices, no community facilities such as community hall or churches. The nearest town is Turangi, about 10 miles away. I can't think of a similar example near any place I've lived. How about you folks?

The house we're staying is NOT one of the upscale examples; it's a fully-furnished 2-bedroom, large living room, medium sized kitchen; large porch. Very comfortable, nicely furnished, used as a summer retreat by our host Graham, who has just married Marg's friend Rosemary. As with most of the houses here, there's a 'batch', behind the house – a self-contained bachelor apartment attached to the garage. We have TV with 3 channels; a golden oldies radio station, no internet, cell-phone access if we stand in a certain spot 200 yards down the street.

We have everything we need (other than internet).

December 7, 2009

We've been in Omori several days, and are settling into a routine. I hadn't realized how much the back and forth, up and down, being in others' space tired me out. Really appreciated being with Rosemary and Graham in Wanganui; their sharing of their lovely home, and showing around the area really helped us get into the NZ way of life. We walked, ate, walked, sat, ate. . . . Here in Omori, Margaret and I eat, walk, rest, sit in the sun, eat, walk . . . . Margaret's work on her book is going well, and I'm enjoying just doing nothing!

Rosemary drove us up to Omori on Friday; it's a 3 hour drive, and we passed through what is called a desert – big, empty plateau land, much of which is a military training area. Not much to see, though had it been clear, we would have been able to see the 3 active volcanoes in the area.

As we got close to Turangi, we could see steam venting from underground caverns – this whole area is known as a thermal area, with hot springs, hot mud soaks, thermal pools – all fed by the volcanic structures under the earth. Seeing the steam coming out of the hillsides was a little freaky -

So far, the food is quite similar to home, though there's lots more seafood (those of you on the West Coast would find it very familiar.) There are a lot of British brands, and foods – Marmite ( a yeasty vegetable spread); lots of tea; worcestershire sauce; curry, chutney . . . And, packaging is in metric, so that too is familiar. Most food is imported – remember that we're hours from the nearest source of food – Australia supplies a lot, and of course the U.S. Haven't seen any Canadian food – I brought some maple syrup as a 'hostess gift', and that was much appreciated as it's hard to find here. NZ does produce a lot of dairy products, and the green vegetables are all local. Great apples– Gala, Braeburn and others grow locally.

I would say that the climate is similar to that of Seattle / Bremerton / Victoria in that it's moderate – not too hot, not too cold. In the sea-coast areas there is lots of rain; and here on the volcanic plateau, and in the 'southern alps' on the south island, there is snow during the winter. But, here in Omori, the rhododendrons, azaleas are intermixed with palm trees and flax plants.

Bye for now.

Friday

Have been with Rosemary and Graham in Wanganui (wong a new ee); seeing the sights, eating great food. see http://www.whanganui.com
Am learning lots about Maori culture - If I understand correctly the Maori believed they were descended from mountains, and that there is no separation between humans and the earth. This is not like our Canadian First Nation beliefs, where the interdependence of nature and human is the foundational belief. Rather, it is that the earth/sky/people are one - so when one enters a Maori home with ancestoral carvings on the wall, it is the ancestors themselves who are seen to be there, not a representation of them. Sure makes you think about what "we" do to the environment, doesn't it?
Off to Omori today, and a few day of just sitting. Margaret and I are hoping for warmer weather - it has been between 10 and 12 degrees celsius, which I know is warm for Ottawa and Northern Minnesota at this time of year, but seems chilly in this place.
Don't know what the internet options are in Omori. That will determine how frequently I post from now on.
Bye for now

Tuesday December 1

The wedding was truly a grand event – Rosemary and Graham went all out to celebrate their marriage, and we who were guests benefited from their open-handed approach to the festivities. The wedding service itself was held in St. Andrew's on the Terrace, a Presbyterian church of some note. About 100 guests were present, and the ceremony was presided over by Rev John Murray, a long time friend of Rosemary's – he approached the service as an informal one, speaking in both English and Maori through-out the proceedings. One of the songs we sang during the proceedings was written for the event by John's wife – Shirley Erena Murray, whom First United folks will recognize as a writer of some of our favourite hymns. The ceremony was followed by a champagne and cake reception – the wedding cake was a dark chocolate, substantial, not fluffy – truly yummy.

After the reception, we gathered again back at the hotel, for nibbles, then a buffet dinner. Again, about 100 people. The food was marvellous – seafood including at least 3 types of salmon, shrimp; beef, ham, endless salads; pastas; and a separate dessert buffet provided us all with lots of opportunity to overdo it. Wine accompanied each part of the dinner. Rosemary's brother Richard em-ceed the event, and kept all on track; it was a well-managed affair. It was interesting to see the Maori custom of people coming in and out of the dinner - one brother would stay for the first course, then he'd leave, going off to another engagement; but replaced by a sister and her child. That's the way things are done, I'm told. I can't imagine our 'upright' people following that method of proceeding! Dancing followed, but I'd had a full day.

Sunday we were included in Rosemary's family breakfast at the hotel – a good chance to talk to people I hadn't met, and eat a little more – as if I hadn't had enough the night before.

Spent the rest of Sunday, and Monday touring – visited the Wellington City and Sky museum, and saw again a film of a shipwreck – this one in the Wellington Harbour, as recently as 1968, where 50 people died – the storms are so severe, that no ship can withstand their fury, with winds sometimes exceeding 150 mph,\. As in the film from last week, the tragedy was filmed – because the ship was trapped in the middle of the harbour, it was less than ½ mile off shore, and within easy camera distance; but those on shore were powerless to rescue some passengers. Many lifeboats capsized as they were launched due to the huge waves. I think that Mother Nature often reminds New Zealanders of who's in charge. One of the TV news clips showed the then-mayor saying 'we can take 70 mph winds in our stride – it's a usual event; but no one can withstand 150 mph winds.'

Toured by some govt buildings - the 'beehive' on the left is the Parliament building, and that beside the beehive is another administrative building - interesting contrast in architecture, don't you think?

Also visited Old St. Paul's, an early church nearby city centre. Built of many kinds of wood, the interior resembles the ribs of a wooden ship. Dating from 1846, it has somehow withstood the earthquakes – I'll have to look into that – was the wooden construction more flexible than stone or concrete? I wonder.

Couldn't resist showing the contrast between Old St. Paul's and the new construction going on in the background.

Am doing internet from the local library – it is very expensive in NZ, and I haven't found free access anywhere. The library is cheapest, as $.10/minute. For me who is used to spending an hour at a time several times a day, it's quite a shock. One of the things I appreciate even more now is the free internet access I enjoyed in any public library in Canada or the U.S. I've visited.

We're moving on now to Wanganui, about 200 km north of Wellington to visit with Rosemary and Graham. It should be warmer there, and less wet - as we move away from Antartica, the weather improves!!!

Wet in Wellington – Saturday November 28

I hear that this is more the usual Welly weather – grey, wet, blustery. It's not cold though, and there's certainly no snow! Wellington is located at the end of one of NZ's two main islands (North and South Island, doncha know); and borders on an ocean strait between the two. With the power of the ocean surging through that narrow strait, it brings the ocean weather with it.

Do you remember Michener's Tales of the South Pacific, where he wrote of his time during WW II, and how beautiful it always was in that area? Dancing girls, palm trees, coconut, sandy beaches . . . . I think that we must be in a different climate zone here– we are closer to the South Pole here than Fiji, which is further north, closer to the equator, and which I think formed the basis of that particular novel. Anyway, it's not like that here! Though there are palm trees, and many tropical plants, the warm ocean breezes are absent. It's a particular kind of beauty – think of Seattle / Vancouver weather in a tropical setting.

No complaints though – it is lovely to be here, exploring a new city. I went to the Civic Square yesterday – photo attached – you can see that it is a fascinating combination of architecture, from the 20's, and very modern, and informed by the Maori influence. I don't know what the disco ball signifies – it is suspended over the square and catches the light, sending sparkles through-out the square. I wonder if it can be seen from the surrounding hills?

Wellington continues to improve itself as a capital city (Ottawa politicians, take note!). In the central business district where our hotel is located, the national Portrait Gallery, the National Museum (Te Papa), the City museum and many historical markers tell the story of the city and the country. Though we see only a slice of the country, one can get at least an overview and highlights.

Te Papa drew my attention – I visited for an hour or so, just skimming the surface of that wonderful place. It is the best national museum I've seen – highly interactive, with few of the look,but don't touch exhibits. The natural history floor is dominated by a gigantic whale skeleton that hovers of the floor; and watches while visitors ooh and aah over the giant squid (20 feet long); shake and shiver in a little house experiencing an earthquake; jump on a scale to cause an earthquake, and wonder at the volcanic eruptions that have characterized this country since its beginnings. Did you know that the reason NZ has so many earthquakes is that it lies on top of the meeting of two tectonic plates, and as they shift, ever so slightly, earthquakes strike the island – 15,000 of them last year, and one as recent at November 25, just 20 km from Wellington. No, I didn't feel it. Te Papa must be on you list of places to visit - it's wonderful.

Wellington also has a night life – we went last night (Friday) to a Cabaret for the bride's bachelor party. “So Many Men, So Little Time” was a one-woman put on by the bride's friend Jane, who will sing at the wedding today, and who leads the church choir – I think we saw a different side of her last night – hope she doesn't get her songs confused today. It would be quite a shock to hear “I'm going to wash that man right out of my hair” , when the wedding 'order of service' says “I love you truly”. It was fun to meet a dozen of Rosemary's friends, and swap stories. Among the friends, I met one woman who is exploring Facebook, and through it was found by a lover from 40 years ago, whom she met while she was working at the embassy in Italy. Facebook sure makes this world a smaller place.

Rosemary, the bride, formerly attended my church (First United, in Ottawa), when she worked for the NZ embassy in Ottawa in the early 90's – that's the connection between her and Margaret – they were both in the choir – and is how I met her as well. Rosemary is a first time bride – at the age of 60. .Her groom is a Maori lawyer, well-established, well-respected in the country. Now there's a testament to faith in the future. We have few details about the wedding – Rosie likes to keep things under her hat, so to speak. We do know that it's a church wedding, led by a long-time friend of hers; and that there's a reception here at the hotel tonight. Stay tuned for more detail.

Novembeer 26 2009

If it's Friday . . . .
Well, it is Friday, here – but depending on where you are, it's probably Thursday (except for my pal in Saudi Arabia, who is also on this list – I have no idea what day it is there.)

We had a glorious day yesterday – beginning with a look out the hotel window – our room faces another building, so I wasn't expecting a view – but, lo and behold, the windows of that building are mirrored, and we had a view of the sky and houses crawling up the hillside. The sky was clear piercing blue (evidently Wellington is one of the rainier cities in the world), and I think we were seeing a reflection of the front of the hotel, because flags were flying as foreground to the hillside view. I'll try to upload a photo of that.

To start the day, Margaret brought good coffee back to the room. The hotel provides instant coffee, including decaf, which will do to stave off the withdrawal symptoms, and we have a fridge in the room which holds milk. It's also stocked with other standard bar fridge goodies, most of which aren't of interest to me,
and, since I'm not on an expense account, not affordable. It's enough to say that instant coffee isn't my 'cup of tea'.

We took the Cable Car up to the Botanic garden which was a real treat – because Wellington is so very hilly, there are many cable cars, but this is the only public one. The city was founded around a shoreline which wasn't too extensive, and was and is surrounded by hills. There was no way to get UP, other than to climb straight up – no room for meandering paths or roadways. So, the city fathers and others with money started building cable cars. Fascinating way to get around – have you seen the funicular in Quebec City? The public one here runs in a straight line, at what I would say is a 30 degree angle. There are others though that curve around a bend, to get up to the house above. Interesting, eh? You wouldn't want to forget something at the bottom – honey, would you go get some milk??? Even the furniture has to be moved up by cable car for some of these homes.

Went to a film last night at the NZ Film Archive – it was a collection of old clips from the 20's, about fashions of the day. Surprising to see how depictions of female beauty have changed; without exception all the models had what we'd label as bad teeth, bad hair, and were flabby – interesting, eh?

The concluding clip on the series was another from the 20's – Titled “Around the World in an Austin Seven”, two NZ fellows decided to go round the world driving a 'baby Austin'; this was 1928 remember, so the car looked like what I'd call a Model-T, or Model-A, though considerably smaller. It had a cloth top that became a tent; and a convertible top for inclement weather. These fellows started in Australia and drove from south to north I think, again remembering that there were few roads! They drove through what we'd call 'bush', made up of chest high weeds / bushes/ trees. The narrator said they often experienced 70 (yes seventy) tire punctures per day. No automobile association to help, either. Following that first successful part of their journey, they decided to go to San Francisco, they loaded the baby Austin onto a ship – the Tahiti – which unfortunately sank! The fellows filmed the whole thing – again remembering this is the 20's, and they were using a very large moving picture camera on a tripod. They were in a lifeboat and filmed the sinking of the ship from that vantage point. No re-takes, no digital imaging.

The film was accompanied by a live piano player, who played continuously the music from the 20's – a lovely touch.

We had walked from the hotel to the Film Archives, about a 20 minute brisk hike. Once we got out of the central business district, things were livelier – the Cuba district had lots of cafe's and people; as did Manners Mall – think of Ottawa's Sparks Street – no cars, lots of people strolling. It was a lovely evening – warm, no rain (I do keep noticing that!), great for walking. Following the purchase of dinner in a new-found supermarket, we ate a lovely dinner of rolls, salad, cold cuts, each prepared just the way we individually wanted it. And, the price was right.

In the supermarket, I was exposed to, or at least noticed for the first time, a new public policy – really! NZ has done away with pennies and nickles, and all purchases are rounded up, or down, to the nearest 10 cents. So, my total bill for groceries, etc was $10.67, but the clerk gave me change for $10.70. Margaret's total bill was $10.42, so they rounded down to $10.40. I asked the clerk about it, and he explained that the policy is nation-wide, not just his store. OK – do we see the Canadian govt, or the US govt, or the Saudi Arabian govt doing that??
And, the money is almost all the same colour!! very confusing, as the size of the coin does not relate to its value – that is, the dollar coin is nearly the same size at the 2 dollar coin, as is the 20 cent piece. Evidently there is no 25 cent piece, which we are familiar with. So far, the only copper coloured coin is the 10 cent piece. Very confusing.

All this new stuff – who knows what I'll learn today!!