wild and windy weekend

Well apparently Auckland had the worst cyclone in years hit in a bomb type formation but have to say me in my little apartment didn't notice a thing apart from the usual rainy windy winter day. On Monday though when I saw reports of the damage realised it was pretty severe as several roads were flooded, loads of areas were without power and so on - I guess one good thing about being up high is flooding isn't usually an issue.

Due to the weather I had another weekend in doors.
Friday saw Samuel Flynn Scott live at the Whammy bar which was fun his lyrics are so off the wall. Not sure what to call his style as sometimes he sounds like the pogues others like cats stevens and others almost country. I guess if I had to choose a word reflective as all his sounds make you think of something else from your memories.

Then Saturday had a chick flicks day with my sister can you believe 5 in a row. Blonde Ambition, The Bucket List, The Golden Compass, 27 Dresses and Suburban Girl. Quite exhausting.

Sunday more movies - Respect yourself the story of Stax records - very interesting as had heard the motown story but not stax. Then Get Smart which I loved so funny I even snorted I was laughing so hard. Finally The romance of Astrea and Celadon - worst pic of my fest movies and by a french master no less really struggled not to walk out.

Oh and saw mamma mia - for a plunkett fundraiser and not expecting anything as I'm not the biggest abba fan but loved it almost felt like getting up and dancing and singing along alot like I do with grease and sound of music.

Needless to say once I have seen Dark night I might chill on the movie front as even for me this was a bit of an overload. Time to pick up the books again.

Auckland International Film Festival

Anyone who knows me well knows that no matter how many I see or how old I get there is something still inherently magical to me about being told a story on the big screen. This year I am the poorest I have ever been but I still managed to save and spoil myself with 6 films at the festival. So below are the first few I have seen and my thoughts.

1. The Savages
Was a bit let down on this one as with Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman two actors I rather admire I thought it had to be good but I felt it tried too hard to be the typical quiet overcome tragic childhood drama didn't really move me.

2. Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr Hunter S. Thompson. I have loved this man since my early twenties when I first read his book fear and loathing in las vegas. He had such a different way of looking at the world around him. He made me feel like I wasn't alone in my way of imagining oddities. Sadly though like so many of us who deeply hold the pain of the worlds wrongs on our shoulders he eventually couldn't take it and I believe gave up or gave in. Another loss to the world of the different and another win for the banal and mainstream. check out this website for the amazing illustrations of hunter www.ralphsteadman.com

"For every moment of triumph, for every instance of beauty, many souls must be trampled."

3. Mongol - Indulging my fascination with history and trying to figure out the massive legacy of people before me that have shaped the world I now live in I went to this film about the life of Ghengis Khan. It was a fantastic movie and so beautiful to see the ever changing landscape but in the theme of the movies I have been watching of late shows that humans haven't learnt much in thousands of years as we are still fighting over love, land and power and it seems for every great leader for the good of humanity there are many more bad ones waiting in line to ruin their hard work.

"Do not scorn a weak cub,He may become a brutal tiger."

4. Patti Smith - this was the last for this weekend and yet not the least it had a profound effect on me I laughed – I cried and I came away deep in thought and feeling part of a larger consciousness of people saddened by the pain in the world and trying to do their part to change it. It reminded me why I always try not to ignore the forgotten people the people outside our walls. She spent ten years making this auto biography and it was just simply superb.

"When time, blissfully awry, spreads milky arms across the black expanse, to sleep, of what does time dream. And, thus unraveled, of where does time long.

In the wake of such delicious oblivion who presides over the edges of our sleep and the parting star and the hour under glass... "

So highly recommend all bar one of the films I saw. Just hope the remaining two are as inspiring.

Party in Bombay

Well considering the price of petrol at the moment a party in Pukekohe the last stop south on your way out of Auckland was a long way to go but I am glad I made the journey as was able to have some very intereste=ing conversations with a man who has lived all around the world but spent 12 years in Israel an area I am becoming more interested in as I get older. I also got to dance like a teenager to all my favourite songs from when I was that age too like madonna and Cindi Lauper. So thanks Steve for turning 45 and inviting me to help you celebrate.

Burns and Horns

Well last night I managed to burn all the fingers on my right hand at 250 after catching a falling oven door - freak accident I know. It took a massive 5 hours at A&E to get the heat out, I had never known what an amazing insulator skin was once the heat is in there it doesn't want to come out. Anyway the nurses did an amazing job and you can barely tell I was burned (I think the fact that I melted all the frozen things in my fridge and applied loads of lavender oil helped.

This morning after a crap night I was woken to a symphony of horns as all the trucks began their protest on petrol taxes conveniently all round my block - sometimes being in the heart of it is not so fun. Lets hope they were successful.

A night at Sky City

Last night I organised 40 women to come along to Gold Class in Skycity to have a great night out and watch the new Sex and the City movie. It was a great night with lots of glamorous outfits and I got to do my favourite thing in the world which is spoil friends. The best dressed award went to a lady in a stunning jade green dress and bejeweled necklace. The quizz proved too challenging so top score was 4 out of 10.

Anyway has made me want to organise more girls only events so watch this space could be another on the way.

For those that didn't get to come below is the recipe for a cosmopolitan so you can have one and feel like you were there.

Thanks to everyone who attended I had a wonderful night - oh and loved the movie

Weather madness

OK so I was just saying on the weekend how much I missed being able to wear gloves and hats and coats as the weather is just not cold enough here in Auckland. And then mother nature decided to have a freak out yesterday and today have had on off, hail, rain, thunder, and a chilly wind - makes working in a nice air conditioned office all the sweeter.

currently we have blue skies and rainbows - what next?

Tanya the gallery gal

OK so my lucky sis and her partner headed off with her boss Jenny to see the Sydney Biennale of art which meant there was no one left to hold the fort at the gallery so I was enrolled and given screeds of homework to go through making me very nervous as it has been 12 years since I did my partial art history degree at Auckland Uni so very rusty to say the least. However in the end I had a great time it was such a nice change from my usual job and so lovely to talk to fellow art lovers about an artist who I luckily loved. Megan Jenkinson who had done the most amazing lentricular works about the mirages and lights of Antarctica.

Womenz Night out

Well this entry is a little retrospective but I promised so will endeavor to write something. This was the second of these nights I have been to and as such I had high hopes as the first had moved me so much unfortunately it failed as there was a large choral group singing who were a bit naf for want of a better word and the third speaker proceeded to talk about cosmetic surgery and how the ravages of age effect us all. One can't help but compare her analogies of wrinkles and blemishes etc... to their own issues and when listed seem so much worse than they really are.

never too old to protect your turf

My families cat Buddy is now about 17 years old and still going strong but has always kept all the cats at bay in our neighbourhood. That is until a new cat came to town who is a fighter and sunk his teeth into my poor cats tail so badly it swelled up something awful. Hopefully after a long visit at the vets he will feel better soon.

alarms

Last night the first night I had to myself to relax in ages was not meant to be as at 11:30pm our buildings fire alarm went off, not due to fire though but water leaking through the ceiling and where well just outside my door of course. I for some reason on evacuation was the only one in a dressing gown everyone else was dressed — quite funny. On the upside got to perve at the ever so cute fireman and there were quite alot one good thing of living opposite the station. Glad I put the firemans calendar at work though as when they came in to check if the water was coming from my bathroom would have been a bit embarrasing.

Cool Confident Basic Skills

MMMMMMMMMM!

I finally did it and booked myself in for some professional cooking classes to learn the basics. So soon I will be cooking up a storm. The company is called Main Course and is held in the most beautiful old brick building with giant arched windows and the most incredible equipment.

So I now have knife skills (watch out enemies) and can make a great Chowder, flowered potaties and pear tart tatin. The course was really good and would recommend it to anyone. 4 more to go.

www.maincourse.co.nz

Doing my bit as NZ Ambassador

Thought of you Regan as last time I ventured down to Rotorua it was with you.

It was long weekend in NZ so after hearing that a Chinese girl called Kate who I work with had never been anywhere except Shanghai and Auckland I thought I had better show her some of NZ.

On the way I introduced her to the concept of backpacking, sleeping bags, swimming togs, reduced cream and onions soup dip, saunas and so on.

Our trip went from Auckland to Rotorua to Taupo to National Park to Waitomo to Otorohonga and back to Auckland.

Highlights for me were:
Treks backpackers in Rotorua amazingly cheap, clean and really stylish
Polynesia Spa as love a dip in hot water
The very spooky fog all the way on the trip
All the gold and amber trees
Snow falling over Ruapehu
Meeting a lovely father daughter duo from Israel
zooming down the hill on the luge
and finally the magical glow worms still as wonderful as ever.

Chandeliers

Well I have been looking for ages for the best solution to getting some interesting decoration in my bathroom that won't be damaged by a bit of steam and I finally found something. It is a shadow of a Chandelier and it looks amazing - might have to get some for my other walls now.

and no the pic attached is not my bathroom but gives you an idea of the design.

sorry posts are a bit slow but have been busy - last week - went bowling, to a farewell, conducted 2 parties, organised 3 events, planned queens birthday trip, got flu injection, took on more responsibilities at work, and the list goes on

Pleasure in the simple things in life

Happy mothers day to my friend Isabel who has just had Hugo so it is her first.

I had a lovely experience on Sunday as went down to see my nana and take her some fish and chips and take her out for a ride and it touched my heart that such a simple gesture meant so much to her and the other ladies at lunch who also enjoyed the special treat. I think sometimes its nice to slow down and remember the simple things are sometimes the best.

Happy mothers day mum - thanks for all your love and support all through the years

ten year tattoo

Well some of you know that on the day I turned 20 I got my first tattoo that represented to me where I was in life at that age. In short it has 3 rings for the three generations of my family, black and white for the two cultures of my country and the circle a symbol of sun and water and eternity and so on all to me representing energy and life and youth etc...

so this year I turned 30 and as I had a tiny plan to place symbols up my spine every decade to remind me of where I have been I chose a butterfly. The butterfly I chose is one from the tropical north of Australia called the Ulysses I thought as Ulysses took ten years to travel home after the fall of troy the ten year thing was kind of a nice parallel to the time I was marking and the greek name/aussie origin thing a nice way to symbolise my time in Melbourne. I have always loved butterflies and some of my fondest memories are of catching them in Pauanui as a kid at easter time(I always released them after a look). Anyway both have loads more meaning to me but this give you an idea.

Thanks to the amazing artist Hamish McLauchlan at Two Hands in Newton and my sis for the moral support as pain is not something I willingly put my self through often.

Oh and ps you are lucky I am sharing this as I don't normally discuss my tattoos as they are very personal to me but thought I would make an exception

New look spice girls

courtesy of our air-brusher extraordinar Nivin at Marker

Ginger - Tanya, Posh - Sharleen, Baby - Alice, Scary - Tim and Sporty - Noemi

for my regular readers

I have been told if I miss entries people feel neglected so since I haven't been up to much as have been down with a cold I will talk about a discovery I have made from a magazine. Its called Kohu Road and its a new superior NZ ice cream - definitely something to look into so maybe on a nice day I might just have to pop over to their shop conveniently located near my work and have a taste. All their designs and photography certainly work on me.

Busy bee weekend

I must concede I am getting old as with all this partying I have come down with and ear infection - just don't rebound quite the same as I did ten years ago.

Friday went to Pilobolus Dance at Aotea Centre. Very erotic and saucy so a bit of fun not to mention some amazing feats of strength, balance and flexibility. Especially loved a water stage glide dance thing at the end which the dancers were kinda naked in so reminded me of a moulin rougesque affair.




Saturday went to Louise's 30th which was fun got to catch up with the camping crew and meet some new faces. then on Sunday went to sell Chefs toolbox at the master chef Savour weekend - saw Julie Buiso and Peta Mathias oooh love crazy female chefs.

Its raining like crazy in Auckland so once I figure out how will ship some over to the drought in Australia so you can all enjoy long showers like me :)

Jimeoin on ice

Well hangover number 2 for the week - I think I have accidentally discovered the best cure ever - cold and flu tablets as I have stuffed up ears so took one and its completely irradicated my hangover symptoms.

Marker went out for a night of laughs and good food and wine. Jimeoin was funny in his reflections on pubic hairs, farts and the weirdness of ordinary things. Then it was off to Cafe Midnight Express for yummy turkish food and lots of wine.

Tims last day

So it is officially the first day of my new healthy lifestyle but it is also Tim(who works with me) last day so in his honor our cupcake fairy has baked millions of cupcakes so its a good test to see if I can avoid it.