Wednesday, October 25, 2006

I love Wellington in the Springtime

Actually I hate springtime in Wellington. You have to pay attention to the little people telling you about the weather and then not trust them at all.
They get it right about 50% of the time though, breeding a misguided sense of trust.


On Monday night the weather man I have a little crush on told us that there would be rain all over the north island on Tuesday. He was standing in front of what should have been an image of the north island but was a grey sea indicating rain.
Rain everywhere.


So I got out my rain coat on Tuesday morning in preparation for a slightly damp walk to work. I looked out the door at the rain bouncing the puddles and thought it can't be THAT bad. It's spring! and set out.

The first thing I did when I got to work was to go into the bathroom, take off my pants and wring the water out of them. Not a single thing I was wearing was completely dry. My faded black cowboy boots were so sodden that they almost appeared brand new!
I was at work at 7am and by 3:30pm ... I was still damp in places.


And as such I trusted the weather man when he told me that Wednesday would consist of rain showers in the morning fading to a dingy grey sky in the afternoon.


Instead I spent most of today lying in my backyard, basking in the sunlight and listening to the tui that live in our trees call out all day. Making good use of their two voice boxes. Crazy, noisy birds.


Of course I realised that the tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) is a bird endemic to New Zealand and not everyone knows their strange strange call.
SO I recorded it for you! The tui burbles away and then another, more generic bird butts in and I tell it to shush in my annoying girly kiwi baby voice.


Wednesday, October 18, 2006

My Sunglasses : Mormon Approved

I had my first nice experience with Mormon door to door salesmen today.
I was on my way walking to work and I saw them off in the distance just groaned to myself.
I kept walking, looking straight ahead and walking as far left as the footpath would allow.

Morman #1: Good Morrow!
inside Sarah's head: Morrow? what the-
Morman #2: How's your day going?
Sarah: Oh I'm actually on my way to work so ...
Morman #1: Oh ok well you have a nice day!
Morman #2: You have a nice day.
Sarah (over my shoulder): You too!
Morman #2: We like your glasses!!
Sarah : ... thanks.

These sunglasses are mormon approved.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

On this, the day of my daughter's wedding ... or rather, the day of her sister's birthday

It was my birthday on sunday and my nearest-baby-sister Charlotte gave me this card:

Card ... by Hanna


She had no idea that I loved the wallpaper designs by Hanna Werning (www.byhanna.com) and still she chose this card for me.

But the best part was the inscription:

the day of my daughter's wedding .... or of her sister's birthday
(click to enlarge)


Anyone would think we were related.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Man who walk through door sideways ...

Craig and I are beginning to seriously plan our trip to London. Seriously as in I write long rambling emails to STA travel and ask them a million and one questions.

We have decided that we're going to book our flights sometime around the 20-25th November. And since that took us long enough (We are Mr and Mrs Indecisive-son) we thought that perhaps we should take some time (say a month or two) to decide on our stopovers.

See, I am annoyingly desperate to travel (in case you hadn't noticed) and as such stopovers were a high priority for me. As many as possible! Let's hop to London!
So the kind lady at STAtravel replied to the email I had sent her (longer than the bhagavad gita and with twice as many question marks) with a concise message letting me know that [We] will have the option to stop over in Sydney and Bangkok or Singapore if [we] fly via Asia and [we] will have the option to stop over in LA and one other US/Canadian city if [we] fly via America.
And apparently, we are flying via Asia.

Craig says that he isn't all that interested in going to America at the moment, and I'm just dying to go ANYWHERE that I'm excited either way. Besides, I've been to Los Angeles and I haven't been to Australia. Yes, it's strange, I know.

Craig is hoping that we can get a few days at least in Sydney so that we can go out to his Aunt's farm in ... The-Middle-Of=Nowhere, Orange, NSW because he worked on their farm for 2 months when we were still shiny and new and he wants to show me the forest he ... built. (He fenced it in).

The second stop over ... that was slightly harder. Because Craig and made the first decision (Well done Mr Indecisive-son. (Yes I realise Mr Indecision would have worked just as well)) I decided that the second decision should be mine.
At first I was thinking Singapore because I'd heard from many people that it is interesting, and would appeal to the absolute girl inside of me, but Craig pointed out that he had been to Singapore.
Then I thought some more. And talked to my mother. And finally, eventually, after what was certainly a too-long period of time, realised that one of the things I have ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE is in Bangkok.

Wat Pho : The Reclining Buddha

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Wat Pho (Thai: วัดโพธิ์), also known as Wat Phra Chetuphon วัดพระเชตุพน) or The Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand. Its official name is Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn (Thai: วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลาราม ราชวรมหาวิหาร).

Wat Pho is the largest and oldest wat in Bangkok (with an area of 50 rai, 80,000 square metres), and is home to more than one thousand Buddha images, more than any other temple in the country, as well as the largest single Buddha image: the Reclining Buddha (Phra Buddhasaiyas, Thai: พระพุทธไสยาสน์). Made as part of Rama III's restoration, the Reclining Buddha is forty-six metres long and fifteen metres high, decorated with gold plating on its body and mother of pearl on its eyes and the soles of its feet. The latter display 108 auspicious scenes in Chinese and Indian styles.


Gah!

Besides, Craig and I love Thai food.
So we're ... going to Sydney & Bangkok!

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Join your intrepid rep... event photographer

Your intrepid ... event photographer.

Hiding - the EP Release

Hiding - The EP!!

click here
to see more photos from the gig.

Hiding - The EP Release Gig

(It was, by the way, amazing. But I might be slightly biased.)

Thursday, September 21, 2006

This is what I know ... for sure ...

Hiding - The EP Release

(psst. click on the image for the full poster. I totally took that photo of Kat.)


This weekend one of my most favourite-st people in the world is going to pour her heart and soul onto a stage and turn it into an entire concert-thing.

She has been working on her music for longer than I can remember and now has a sound reminiscent of Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan and yet wholly her own. Plus she's adorable. So you should totally come.

The $15 cover charge includes a copy of her EP (!) as well as a complimentary first drink and nibbles.
And we all know there's pretty much nothing I love more than Free Alcohol. Finger foods! are a close second though. So again, Come!


Kat McKenzie EP Launch
Sandwiches Bar, Cnr Majoribanks St & Kent Tce, Wellington
Doors open from 8pm, gig starts at 9:30pm
$15 entry (includes CD, first drink, and nibbles)



Also! I have been gainfully employed as Photographer for the gig which I am most excited about. I am however disappointed to note that I will not be wearing a Press Pass or anything of the sort. But! I will have a camera in my hand.

Also also I think one of the songs she'll be playing is The Middle which is the song she wrote as a wedding present for Craig and I. It's lovely.
And it can be heard here : http://myspace.com/katmckenzie

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

I am miniature. People find this Hilarious.

Disclaimer: I am (in my opinion) just a regular small-sized person. Others would beg to differ. There is nothing (as far as we know) medically causing my lack of ... size, but my mother did smoke while she was pregnant.

This weekend my mother found my diminutive stature frankly, hilarious.
I was sitting in the drivers seat (ssh. more on this later) and I said
Sarah : So, you just push the pedals with your toes then?
Mum : Uh, yea, the balls of your feet.
Sarah : Oh. So your feet are just meant to hang there?
Mum : No, you push the pedals.
Sarah : It's awkward to do that with my toes
Mum : No, the balls of your feet!
Sarah : The balls of my feet don't reach the pedals if my feet are touching the floor of the car!

And every single time she got behind the wheel to reverse or turn us around or steer us around a very solid parked car she looked in the rearview mirror at my other sister (also learning to drive. But she's 15, and much taller than I) and collapse into laughter.
After seeing this I knew that Craig and I would never be able to share a car, he already complains about his new midget driving position when my mother moves the seat. I don't think he'll even be able to get into the car after I've used it!
Which might actually be kind of fun in an Oh godDAMN it Sarah! kind of way.

Oddly enough, I too found it difficult to get out of the car when the seat was pushed up against the steering column.
I guess 5"1 is really that short after all.


This really means that something monumental is happening.
I AM LEARNING TO DRIVE!

After 7 years of conscientious objection I am finally giving in and learning to drive.
More than that! (which is seriously, huge enough news as it is) I am doing so not to settle a score, or to prove my (darling)husband wrong but just because.
Ok. Fine. Not just because but because of an undesirable comparison to someone else who shall not be named (Voldemort!?) who also cannot drive.

My first lesson was this past saturday and when I returned home I found Craig out in the garage and burbled wildly
Sarah : Hey baby, I drove!
Craig : Yea?
Sarah : Yea! I didn't cry or crash or anything. And I went into second gear and turned in a circle!!
Craig : Well done.
He's just glad I haven't been scared off ... yet.


NB: I also have short grandmothers. So it's Genetics vs Cigarettes and I think it's Genetics for the win

Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day!!

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Why are Pirates called Pirates?
Because they Arrrgh!

Sunday, September 17, 2006

We're leaving, on a jet plane! ... eventually.

Yesterday Craig and I made our first trip to the travel agency!

Things we learnt :
1. I am an idiot. I was budgeting for return flights when we're going for one way flights.
2. To get cheap(er) flights we should book before christmas.
3. That's for an estimated leaving time of somewhere between March and May 2007.
4. We have to apply for the Visas after we have departure dates.
5. We can stop over in Australia, the U.S., or Asia.
6. I need to have a passport. Soon.
7. Craig is too too reticent at the oddest of times.
8. The only visa restrictions career-wise involve the childcare and health sectors.

It should only be two to three months before we have an itinerary organised.
Or at least a better plan.

SO EXCITING!
(so terrifying)

Monday, September 11, 2006

I love the smell of Sulphur in the morning

09-09-06 - 10-09-06

Craig was driving up to Rotorua to pick up an engine. He took me and we made a weekend of it.

Overflow

Click here for photos


We ended up at a hotel room with our own private spa pool.

Yep, I'm really glad to be home again.