Hard News: What did you do yesterday?
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Shaun Lott, in reply to
Grey lines for me too :(
FF18.0.2, OSX 10.7.5 -
Ross Mason, in reply to
We went to [(http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/ | Tiritiri Matangi)] for the day.
And not a cat anywhere!!
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I got up to see the Jundushan sillhouetted starkly against the rising sun. Absolutely perfectly clear air, so nice to breathe after that January we just had. Did some Chinese New Year supplies shopping in the county town. Won't name the store, because the company has a reputation for truly evil business practices, but somehow their Yanqing branch is really good - and has often saved our bacon by stocking stuff, especially baby stuff, we haven't been able to find elsewhere in Yanqing. Not just the exception that proves the rule, but I came home with, among other goodies, imported German brews, two blocks of camembert, and a block of Mainland Vintage cheddar (wonder if it has any DCD? Nevermind, Fonterra says I'd have to eat a gazillion tons of it to get a dangerous dose of DCD. Arseholes). Never, ever expected to find cheese in rural China.... Marvelled at the awesome views of the Jundushan along the southern rim of the basin and the Dahaituoshan - still capped in snow, which is unusual for Beijing's highest, coldest, and driest county. Didn't notice it was Waitangi Day until I got an email from my mum. This time of year I have to pay attention to two calendars, it's easy to lose track.
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No sunshine here yesterday. We were going to go to the races at Tauherenikau, but too cold and I slept badly the night before, so pottered - doing sudoku and all the other puzzles I like in the Dompost. Did a bit of washing and ironing - honestly, even I don't want to know this - and listened to Matinee Idle for a while. Added some words to the slow-grow novel. Emailed a few people. Typed up the tennis club minutes. Walked the dog and the daughter's - it was cool so daughter's 16 year old dog agreed to come out for a slightly longer walk than usual round the park, talked to the grandchildren and their friends on way home. With dinner watched Rawiri Paratene's insightful and very personal Nga Tamatoa history on Maori TV - definitely the most interesting part of the day.
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Chris Waugh, in reply to
blogging on topics which would be illegal to discuss in many other countries.
That would be nice... It'd also be nice to read said blogging without needing to turn on a VPN. I'll be back as soon as Immigration gives my wife permission to come along.
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Stephen; we have a ladies version of the Hercules, with original chain guard and leather wheel skirt. How old would it be?
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Steve Barnes, in reply to
coming out of the lift this morning at work and for a fraction of a second I thought it was Monday…
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I was scheduled to be Number One Son with my Mum as she had to go for day surgery Tuesday. All OK, took her home in the avo and found I had to be quite persistent to keep her in the lazyboy. Anesthetic n'all like. She had to go the loo - by herself of course. Me reading. Then dull "Thud". Hmm...walked in. Yup. Very nicely laid out on the floor and already in the recovery position but out to it. Fainted while getting off the loo. Blood. Conveneiently on the underside of forehead, laid towel underneath with no need to "apply pressure". 111. Back to hosp 'til sent home at 8. Stayed over keeping watchful eye on the Oldie. In morning cooked monster Egg and Bacon Pie for (postponed due to weather) Pinehaven Waitangi Picnic in the Park and had the fillet steak for lunch that was s'posed to be Tues Dinner. Cruised home later and did the Man Hardware Store Walk.
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Yesterday; also listened to the excellent interview with Tony Simpson on the history of food. (Nat Radio)
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Kumara Republic, in reply to
I love that Waitangi day is fraught. It shows why NZ is different from Australia and USA etc. etc. We have our own, unique race issue that is still being played out 170+ years on from the signing. It has ebbed and flowed but has never gone away, and it’s good for us as a nation to keep revisiting it because it makes up who we are – just as Christianity, rugby and Anzac Day do. Bring it all on, mix it up in the bowl and let’s make NZ soup.
The nearest parallel is possibly Canada, where they've handled both aboriginal peoples and the French.
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Chris Waugh, in reply to
I hope your Mum's ok.
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Yup. Box of fluffy ducks.
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Jean Hughes, in reply to
yea Tim - we did too - well we didn't sleep - but danced away to Tahuna Breaks who were funky and great and wandered about and got up nice and close for Sola Rosa only to be pushed back by bass that also had a sort of disconnect to the vocals. Also ended up leaving and drove along the South West motorway to the local fish and chips shop. Quite blissed out by the whole event. Lovely day, lovely day.
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Tangentially related, but I found this article in the Herald quite interesting, particularly:
"Our data show that Maori who prefer the term Pakeha to other descriptions, such as 'New Zealand European', 'Kiwi', or 'New Zealander', tend to view their own ethnicity as a more central to their self-concept," said Sibley, who led the survey.
and:
News Zealanders of European descent were also found to display a generally warm attitude towards Maori, but those who referred to themselves as Pakeha held more positive views of Maori than those who opted for "New Zealander" or "New Zealand European".
"Our findings suggest that Europeans who prefer to use the term Pakeha to describe themselves, are likely expressing a desire to recognise a positive relationship with Maori," Sibley said.
But why is use of the term 'Pakeha' only 14%, vs 50% for 'New Zealander'? I find 'New Zealander perfectly adequate for describing my nationality, but if you want my ethnicity, I reckon 'Pakeha' is far more useful and accurate than the other so-called options.
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"cubed potato and pear"- can I get that recipe plz?
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Stephen Judd, in reply to
we have a ladies version of the Hercules, with original chain guard and leather wheel skirt. How old would it be?
Mine, or yours? Either way, I don't really know enough about them. I think mine must be postwar though because the hub is a Sturmey Archer -- before then, Hercules made their own hubs. Unfortunately, successive owners have stripped/modified enough bits on mine that I doubt it's possible to date with any accuracy anyway. My aim is not so much to make a perfect restoration, as to do a good enough rebuild to get a distinctive looking and rideable city bike out of it again.
That leather wheel skirt sounds like something though!
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Alec Morgan, in reply to
Yeah comes down to that in the end, the local newsletter I do one too, Karikari Panui, circ 300.
The washing! which all looks strangely familiar when mainly comprised of black T-shirts, heh. Played some Bob and King Tubby and Herbs “Whats be Happen” EP too.
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Believe it or not, I took the family down to Archives to see te Tiriti in all its rat chewed glory.
It was really very good.
They had a low-tech infographic outside where you could stick a sticker with the word that best describes your feelings on seeing the treaty. I chose "proud", as that best fit the uplifting feeling I got in seeing it. The kids chose "unified", "grateful" and "bored", but some of those choices were based on the colour of the sticker rather than the word.
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My parents are staying with us. We took them to the new C1 for lunch and then for a walk in the botanic gardens. Dinner was pasta with pesto made from basil I grew myself and then we left the children at home with my parents and and went off to see Alan Davies who was utterly wonderful.. So, nothing particularly Waitangi-ish but a really lovely day.
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Dave Waugh, in reply to
Nice old Herc Stephen, if you need any parts or advise for a beastie like that there are 3 people I'd recommend.
Oli Brooke White
www.oli.co.nz
Probably the best mechanic in the countrythe new bike shop at the corner of Adelaide and Ridiford
Can't remember his name but he can fabricate parts really well and does a lot of bike restorations.or the head mechanic at my shop Ricky Pincott.
2nd best mechanic in town and a veritable walking encyclopedia of anything bicycle.
www.mudcycles.co.nzAll three of them can totally get their geek on when it comes to old bikes.
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We got a breakfast burrito at Mexicali Fresh on the Auckland waterfront, where an African-American man behind the counter was singing "Redemption Songs" to himself. (I characterised that scene as "a lot of shit going on there".) Then we went on a family walk to the Silo Park playground, where the two-year-old refused to come out of a giant metal seashell and eventually had to be bodily removed from it. (Apparently Russell saw me and my attached front-pack-baby at some point during his cycle ride and waved, but I was oblivious. This is typical of me.) We had an afternoon swim in a tsunami-free zone - the pool in the backyard - and a curry for dinner. Oh, and I transcribed a couple of 1885 Maori Land Court Minute Book pages for work, appropriately enough.
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DexterX, in reply to
you mean Maori and all citizens represented by the Crown (including Maori)?
How accurate - the reported truth is never accurate.
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Waitangi day for me was lovely, started the day cooking brunch for a bunch of mates at Rach's house, then a bit of sifting around town and a pint of the excellent Townsend Aotearoa pale ale at the Hop garden, where I as is the way in Welly I ran into numerous beer geek mates that had also stopped in for a nice pint in the sun.
Rounded off the day with bike ride in the bush and a nice pint of weiss bier in the sun on my deck.
All in all a great Bob Marley birthday for me. :-D -
Housework, and organised child's play for daughter and her friends - consisted of the "kidz" racing each other in scooters around the common area and also playing Zombie tag - which I understand is a licence to scream louder.
I sat in the studio (basement tool store) playing guitar through a monster pedal board (pet project) with the door ajar so I could keep and eye on them and they could come in and out to chat.
The play culminated in the kids all sitting in the couch in the garage watching a DVD in the mini theatre area created in the basement for the communal benefit of the apartment block's kidz - provided them with pop corn and chilled drink.
my passing thoughts were about how the attitude to “Native Affairs” has changed since the 1960s/70s and the pressures resulting from irresponsible and failing govts and policy settings had resulted in a greater number of people getting hammered – representative of the equality of opportunity the "free" market presents - the high rates of "youth" unemployment scared me and I am more than a little concerned for the future.
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Hebe,
Tonight my two teenagers and their dad went to Ringo Starr and co. They're just home, the teens blown away by their first big concert, their dad said it was great. here is Huia:
"Think of the loudest setting your stereo has. Double it. Tune everything up too full. Put on the best record your've got. Times by ten the sound quality. Then forget it. You have to SEE THEM LIVE to get the full sound experence."
As for Waitangi day: teenagers slept, ate and slobbed. Partner and I gently cleaned and oiled the chickens' legs (Rocket has scaly leg mite because she hasn't allowed herself to be caught for months. She came inside to talk today: seemed to be saying 'thanks; they feel better') Then I bought a Kindle for $149 at the Warehouse as part of my general technology upskilling. I can see the point of e-readers now. I wish I had bought the touchscreen because I even found myself on PAS -- but the screen keyboard was too tedious to post with. Then the boys made very edible homemade venison burgers.
It's an interesting thread: I too wondered whether I should be setting a Good Example, taking the kids somewhere cultural, and the day somehow became a Saturday. Garden and shop, kids and pets; sunny and nothing urgent to do: a Kiwi sort of day.
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