Cycling with Moliere and Without Reasonable Doubt

These were the two very interesting, and one very amusing, movies I saw this week. The first at the French Festival was filmed on L'Ile de Re in Brittany, and was a beautiful sketched two-hander about a faded misanthropic retired actor's relationship with a slightly younger colleague. Played by two of France's pre-eminent actors it was a delight for theatre lovers, and also just for the lovely storyline, which although improbable came off with a lot of panache, thanks to the superb acting skills and excellent direction. Very enjoyable indeed.

The other vastly different cinematic experience was at the Film Archives. Called 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt' it was a dramatised docu-drama about an unsolved murder in the seventies in rural New Zealand. Grainy and gritty, it showed a police force more interested it getting a result than in scrupulous honesty. The suspect was interned for nine years having been judged gullty by the jury, the subsequent appeal was rejected, and finally the man was released as wrongly convicted after an awful time in Mt Eden gaol. It was very sad indictment of modern Kwi policing, and the movie, well acted by English actor David Hemmings and also  Aussie man John Hargreaves, was quite watchable if only for historic reasons. Always good to see old Kiwi movies in order to discover this Island culture.

Later this week I will have a few more French movies to see, hope they are as good as this excellent one.

Te Papa Marae and French Film Festival

Rushed today for  a ten a.m. meeting with the Te Papa contacts to check out the Marae and top'n tail the procedure for the May 18 Candlelight Memorial. As the Maori are very tribal we have to observe strict protocol when  having an event in their saced meeting place, whether we have just a 'mihi', which is a welcome, or a formal 'pophiri' which involves a ceremonial entry and the symbolic paying of a 'koha' a donation, showing our respect for their place or 'papa'. Nikkie from the museum and Mark, the Maori rep who arrived a  little late, showed us through the various rooms and we also saw how the seating is to be arranged. The two hour event necessitates some really tight organising as it needs to be seamless. I am to do all the liaising with the two Choirs, and also with Gareth from Film Archives, who is showing a film background during the choral parts. After all this we adjourned for a coffee in a downstairs cafe which I hadn't been to before. The museum has everything, and Mark who recently  returned from seeing similar museums in Washington DC and NYC, said it was quite in advance of the ones he saw. I am not at all surprised.

After coffee we dispersed and I was off to my first French movie in the very large French Film Festival. The movie is all about fashion, one of France's obsessions, and which was also a large part of my adult working life, having worked all over Europe as a model in the seventies. So it will have some resonance I am sure.

Discussing the Candlelight...

in front of the beautiful Marae at Te Papa

More beauty at Te Papa

Now on to the French Film Fest at The Embassy

This was the movie, about a chic Parisian woman

called Carine Roitfeld, a former editor of French Vogue. It is the story of the launching her most expensive and chic 'Fashion Book', not a glossy magazine, but an enormous tome of fashion. It sold out two weeks after publication, and Carine is now established absolutely on the world fashion stage. It was indeed a fascinating 'voyeur' look at the very top creative talent in the world of fashion photography, an area which I knew well. It was like eating blancmange or pavlova until you were just a little sick, but not quite. It is a crazy world, and Karl Lagerfeld in the programme here with Carine and Gwyneth Paltrow, are the epitome of it. The movie is worth a look but only for fashion tragics such as me. 

What was most interesting was the study of her personality. Carine claims to be Parisian, and to all extents and purposes she is, but she is of Russian parentage which is manifested in her hard work ethic. Another fact is that she never married her partner, the father of her two children, although they are together for thirty years. She is indeed an artistic personality, who when young always wanted to be a ballet dancer - she can still do the splits but is essentially an entrepreneur/stylist who loves people. Her secret, all her friends say, is that she treats everyone the same, and they all are important to her. She makes everyone feel valuable and because of that they all work like crazy for her. This is her real secret which results in having the top people bend over backwards for her. 

She is a remarkable person, and in this world normally full of poseurs I came away feeling a great deal more respect as well for Karl Lagerfeld who is obviously one of her best friends. Donatella Versace, another friend of hers, on the other hand seems to be a veritable caricature of someone whose face is virtually stretched beyond recognition. But of course, that's show biz.

Home again

Well as you can see, Selina is wearing my prize from my weekend away, but I'm not sure if she likes it. It was just an idea anyway, and it is now safely in at BP office in a much less annoying position, and Selina is back to her normal self, looking after Bear.

And I am back to my normal routine having just completed my fourth Te Reo Maori class and I am more frustrated than ever. I will give you an example of what I have learned in twelve hours, and I am afraid it's not much. Although I can't make a value judgement on what I don't know anything about, it's certainly not the normal teaching method I have been used to. These three sentences, and the alphabet, is what we have learned, not forgetting two 'waiata' or songs, which are very beautiful but untranslatable.

What is your name?  .......... Ko wai to ingoa?............Ko Paul toku ingoa....My name is Paul

Where do you come from?....... No whea koe?....No te Whanganui atara ahau.....I'm from Wellington

How are you going?.......... Kei te pehea koe?..............Kei te pai ahau....I'm fine

See you later......................................Ka kite ano.

 Farewell, Goodbye. ......................... Haere ra, E nohu ra

Welcome!...........................................Haere mai

Final Day

There was no perceptible climax to the weekend retreat - ending I'm afraid with something of a whimper rather than a bang, for me anyway.

This morning, with weather still warm and posing no threat, on offer was either a Hot Springs visit, with a long bus ride to Waimera, not too enticing, or a medical talk. I decide to stay for the equally as long talk by expert Dr PS about HIV epidemiology. Afraid it was the wrong choice as I learned nothing new and now the weekend was over. However not before a hair-cut by Ngapoe, a very chatty young Islander who was offering free haircuts for all attendees. I was a bit nervous at the start but I let him chatter on and then he practically shaved my head...but there is still time for it to grow before I leave in three weeks for the US. In a way it was a fitting end to the retreat as I now have a new look. I was, as expected, also elected unopposed to the Board  of Trustees for next year, with eleven others btw. I feel I am now part of the HIV establishment somewhat, as I am now more involved  and have some commitment during the next twelve months.

The meeting closed the weekend, we exchanged some contacts and said our goodbyes, something I'm not at all good at. But I'm sure I will see some of the boys again.

The spectacular Chapel at the Centre

The main building...

Returning at Auckland Airport with some colour.

After a little drama (time wise) I arrived at the Airport in good time to rest before my return home. At the Auckland airport I met again my young neighbour from the flight up and returning on my flight home. He had been on a sports weekend and we had another little chat. All in all it was a satisfying few days and I will do it again next year.

Retreat - Day One

My first invitation on settling in was from a seasoned retreater to take a walk on the beach and possibly to have a swim if the temperature permitted. Well it certainly did. The ocean water was deliciously warm and the waves just big enough to enjoy a gentle surf. Memories of long ago Aussie surfing days, long and languorous slipped back into my mind as the sensual foam lapped around  this grateful body. Being up north certainly has something to recommend - this was my very first swim in  the New Zealand Pacific, and I really appreciated it. It won't be the last.

Walking around the gay icons...

View of the wonderful inviting beach.

And that was yesterday....

This was my second swim of the weekend, this time with lovely Lesley, who came out of the water as a nymph and posed for me inside the mirror ball on the lawn. Looks good ay? This was for me the high point of the second day, where the meals have been lovely, the talks informative, and the company delightful and instructive. The good news is I have identified, with some help I must say, the twenty or so gay icons whose photos were planted on the lawn for 'Identify the Icon' competition.I won't be the only winner I'm sure. 

The weather at Long Bay has been fantastic, sunny and very much like Sydney, and especially the surf playing a big role in this excellent venue. It has been a real holiday, with lots of bonuses. This afternoon I attended the HUI of the Tinana Ora in the Marae, and I think I was one of only two Pakeha there. It was fun, informal and I am slowly learning the very formal Maori culture where protocol reigns supreme. Although in this case it was a very relaxed protocol, with Heta arriving late and putting on a small performance to everyone's amusement.

 Tonight is the final dinner which should be fun and the winners of 'Icon' competition will be announced. The atmosphere overall has been warm and supportive, as a newcomer I have felt included and of course it can only get better... However I think there could be some improvements made.

Booty from dinner and a hat made by Freddy, my 2nd prize in the quiz.

It was a good dinner, and yes, I won a prize, equal second, and the decorated hat which I won will take pride of place somewhere on my return home. Easter Eggs were also distributed, warning me of what is to come, chocolate-wise. The final night's entertainment was a showing of Dallas Buyer's Club, a film I have already seen and not for me tonight, although many wished to watch it. I felt in agreement with Lesley, the final night should be when people delve into their deep artistic talent to create a community piece of theatre not to be forgotten. Something I will doubtless bring up if I am elected to the Board tomorrow.

Auckland like Springtime

As you can see I have found a cafe in Auckland to test their coffee, and yes, it is just as good as I regularly have in Wellington, so the good coffee thing is all over NZ, at least in the two biggest cities, and I've heard Christchurch many even be better. Here I find myself in the quaintly spelled Cafe Alleluya, on one of the principal drags, Karangahape Street, and just around the corner from Auckland Body Positive. I am here for a two day retreat, and I am not at all sure what to expect. After a five am start this morning, meaning I got up at five to get to the airport by six thirty, I think I should sleep well tonight, that's if we have good beds. But I am told the Church of England Retreat Centre at Long Bay is quite upmarket and all will be well.

The 'Alleluya', (Kiwis just have to be original), is situated at the back of a large old shopping centre, the precursor to today's shopping mall I would say, but it is much more charming. It has a few secondhand shops and a big coffee shop sprawled out over the tessellated tiles which are in original condition. I speak to the  current owner who tells me it dates from the late twenties, and the cafe, then called the Iona, was one the first ever coffee shops in Auckland. It is sun filled and the enormous bay windows look onto the iconic Auckland Sky Tower, but I think this arcade is more iconic than the tower which houses the biggest gambling casino in New Zealand. However Auckland is friendly as is Wellington, and the day started well in the plane with my young neighbour offering to hand me down my backpack from the overhead luggage compartment. But then he was probably from Wellington!

It's going to be an interesting weekend that's for sure, with the variety of attendees already I have noticed being as diverse as you could get anywhere. After being picked up at the airport and ferried to BP in downtown Auckland we were then bussed to a place on the East side called Torbay, and very smart it is too. The Centre is situated near a nice beach with small waves rolling and they look so tempting I may well pop in to sample - my first ocean swim in New Zealand. Have already been greeted by some nice people, an Aussie to start with, so I am not alone. The room is a classic retreat style room, with sink and desk, outside shower. 

Great coffee...

Welcome from Cafe Alleluya

Capturing the Twenties with palm fronds

Comfy room with view

Selina moves in

I told you I'd keep you posted well here is the news...this is one big cat and I'm happy to say it is a successful move-in. Selina and Bear get on very well together and will look after my place while I'm in Auckland for three days. The are already chatting and doubtless have lots to say to each other.

New friends

My bed and it's very comfy!

Nothing more to say, thank you.

Cat Hunt

I am on a hunt today, a cat hunt. I can smell cat fever in the air and as I am flying to Auckland tomorrow for a long weekend I feel I need to satisfy my cat-urge before I go. I'll keep you posted with the result. But as you can see I am again in Midnight Espresso with my favourite drink, having just left my scooter at  Jamie's in Cuba Street for an overdue service I discovered, as a nice fellow rider informed me at a stop sign last week that my exhaust was expelling a lot of black smoke. This Good Samaritan later turned out to be a classmate by the name of (Relaxed) Ryan, a moniker he gave himself at our Te Reo Maori class on day one. I was (Powerful) Paul btw, if you get my drift, a way to remember names, and not a bad way of doing it. Well Ryan was very helpful and is now a new friend at the class.

And then, as happens in the compact Wellington community, a dancer, Tony, from SCD just walked in to M.E., for his afternoon tea perhaps. He didn't see me, or chose to be discreet, the latter I think to be true. A nice English form of distant friendship is developing. Tony also was at the weekend DANSS Comp., as a spectator, where he nodded, and smiled. I think this is an example of the personal space that Kiwis claim and need for themselves, and which I am still learning. I'm sure there will be more lessons this weekend as I am spending it with ninety Pos. men from all over the North Island in a confined space. It is a non-drinking affair which I was relieved to hear, although the powers that be were not happy in having to placate the righteous few who tipped the barrel in that direction. Apparently at last year's Retreat there were some incidents of misbehaviour attributed to over-consumption of alcohol. As this is being called a 'health retreat', I suppose it was a reasonable reaction.

My lemon and honey at Midnight Espresso

A notice on how to find love in Wellington.

The Cool Crowd...

Taken at bus stop outside the Fowler Centre..

My favourite Symphony Orchestra.

As I was sitting waiting for my bus, guess who walked by on the opposite side of Wakefield Pde? Yes it was Tony from SCD and this morning at M.E. ...I told you, Wellington is small, but again he didn't see me.

To buy or not to buy...

At Midnight Espresso for a morning coffee.

It doesn't have its reputation for nothing, this famed sixties' Cafe, and it is time to look at my latest purchase, a painted plate, which although depicting a 'the au citron' looks more like my flat white, don't you think? However I like it and it satisfies my nascent urge to buy artistic things from secondhand hand shops posing as collectors' items. There were a few other things at the Ghuznee St store I had my eye on but have so far resisted. My temptation is surfacing as I know one day I will be looking for a new flatmate and that means a redecoration of the house as a few things may disappear, like a mirror or two. And I know well I can't live without mirrors. I left not one, but three in my last house in Hobart.They are essential for reflecting not oneself, which can be sometimes disturbing, but the surrounds which in this case are beautiful views and some nice objects I have, although most I have passed on in my last move.

I have just come from the Film Archives, a repository for all things Kiwi and celluloid, or now digital. I wanted to see documentary  curated by my colleague-to-be Gareth  Watkins, on the Kiwis' attraction to domestic, and some not so domestic, animals. Called simply 'Pets' it consisted essentially of a montage of old personal footage in New Zealand that Gareth has managed to collate, and curate. It shows a nation of animal lovers, while at the same time a nation born on the back of commercially exploiting sheep and cattle, both of which feature in this charming and rare small film, on show free at the this great centre. One of the cats curiously was a tiger cub, and another one of the pets was a cow invited into the kitchen to share breakfast with its young carer. The Kiwis certainly love their animals!

Now on to Kathmandu to see if I can resist their Summit Sale. Do I need a really weatherproof jacket?Yes, I think I do in this very wet and windy city, and the brand to buy, Goretex, is on sale.

So off I go, not knowing what was there or what I really wanted, but I am sure I needed something when there is such a big sale; Kathmandu, did I say is horribly overpriced. So yeah, I discovered a waterproof jacket, in a nice blue colour, easily packable which is how I measure things these days, so I thought, what the heck,  I'll buy it with the sizeable discount although still not a cheap buy. Feeling OK about my purchase I stroll back to my scooter parked a few blocks away as I couldn't find a space anywhere near the shop. I had left it near to a designated motorbike parking area, next to another large motorbike under a bush, but actually not in the correct area. Result, on my return I was admiring the large bike and suddenly noticed it had received a parking infringement, the notice tucked neatly near the accelerator handle. Ooh, I thought, mine is next to his, and yes, I had received a note from the Wellington Council too. See pic. $40 poorer I continue my way home contemplating yet another  lesson  learned in Wellington - they have laws, and they adhere to them, and so must I!

My coffee with my new plate...

...at Midnight Espresso on Cuba.

Below, another karmic lesson with my scooter...someone else knows better!

The Library Bar

Back to a favourite haunt on Tuesday night  as I have an hour or so to fill before my first real venture into the world of Ti Whanawhana, my new Maori traditional singing group. Happily they accept a few Pakeha, people of European descent, so I will be in the minority but fully accepted, a feeling which most Indigenous minority groups never have the luxury of feeling. I am looking forward to learning a lot.

This afternoon I have just managed to negotiate the thrills and spills of getting an ANZ Bank App on board. My i-Pad still thinks I'm an Aussie in Australia so that was my problem. The two ANZ banks are not at all interchangeable, nor even friendly with each other I feel, although they share the identical logo - sometimes confusing, but not to the very efficient young bank official at my ANZ bank who talked me through my problems, even showing me how to combat a recalcitrant  ID when they did NOT want to accept my totally valid credit card. I discovered I just had to type 'none' to keep the cyber monkeys happy, so now I have a super-easy App for my banking when OS... I hope!

Received some comforting emails today from Minnesota, or Wisconsin to be exact, giving me the all -important  cell phone number for making contact at Minneapolis airpot when I arrive in a few weeks. Yes, it's getting that close, I need to have everything in place, especially money and accessible bank accounts for paying accounts while away, something with which I had great problems last time in the US when validating access to my bank with a non-working cellphone number, i.e. my Aussie Mobile. This is another thing to check with my smart banking man tomorrow. There is actually a ton of details to prepare when travelling three time zones, and three different countries.

Am attaching two shots of the recent dance comp., my lovely friend Marie and good friends H and G who performed admirably on the day in spite of H's relative indisposition; he was really quite unwell, but the show had to go on, and he is a real show-biz trooper.

Quiet night at The Library

With glamorous friend Marie at the DANSS Comp

Cooling down, above, after a hot competition, below.

More Maori

My third class in Maori unfortunately and I seem to be making little progress. They do not set homework so I don't do any revision and that is doubtless my problem, but there is a little thing of teaching skills which I'm afraid are not evident at all in the class. Immersion is their method, but this more like drowning. I suppose I will just have to grin and bear it, and hope eventually the weirdness of the language will be clarified somewhat. The grammar construction is unlike any western language, and each word has several meanings depending on the context. I believe that a teacher starting with pupils from scratch is better served by giving a few early indications of the great grammatical differences, but it is becoming clear that my teachers, although delightful, have no idea about grammar at all. 

What is enjoyable is the excellent interaction and the joyful process which is obviously part of the  Maori psyche. We open with singing, although I had no idea of what the first song was about until I discreetly asked my neighbour who very kindly wrote me a translation, of sorts, as the Maori language does not translate words per se, but ideas and feelings. This is the big thing I have to grapple with, but I am sure it will come eventually especially when they plan to give us some CD resource material, a dictionary and a book on Maori culture. There are also several mornings of Saturday socials where we will interact with the other classes in a Maori context to experience the culture, also a morning in a Marae. All this is actually exactly what I need so although I am complaining about my slow progress, I suppose it is just another lesson in patience for me, and a part of my New Zealand experience. On the good side however, the Maori language, when sung, is divinely beautiful.

Talking of of cultural experiences, it is St. Patrick's day today and I took out a DVD of an award winning film in 2002, about the Magdalene Sisters, a history of the Catholic Church's horrible stain in Ireland where young girls who had sinned by giving 'virgin births', just like their pin-up, Mary the mother of Jesus, were abused and treated abominably, made to work long hours at a wash-house where they had to pay for their horrible sins of the flesh. The nuns portrayed were very real, it was in 1964, my vintage exactly, and I had a friend who had a baby adopted and who went through a similar Catholic experience in Sydney, but not with the  awful  results of these terrible institutions in Dublin and other parts of Ireland. The priests were just as bad, and it makes you wonder how on earth there are still seminaries training priests given this terrible history. I am so happy to have escaped the Catholic Church relatively unscathed, but still with memories of ignorance and discrimination, and above all, sexual hatred. What the Church has to pay for now is really in the hands of the social justice lawyers, and unfortunately the Church, with its untold millions in wealth, can afford to employ the best legal help to extricate themselves from their total guilt in this area. The movie was shocking in the extreme but it was needed to to be made and I am sure has touched thousands who were harmed by the Church and its sometimes lethal results. Let's hope things like this never happen again.

Hard at work in Te reo maori

In our classroom, pictures of women's solidarity,

and  equal work, equal pay.

This amazing expose of the sins of the Catholic Church in Ireland

My first dance success!

Well the fabled Cyclone Lusi, or her tail-end, has finally arrived and luckily I am at home after a very busy weekend, safe and dry and looking at the white caps on the bay, getting bigger and bigger every minute. However for once Wellington was lucky as it virtually bypassed this city and our weekend was free from disasters, unlike in poor Christchurch where yet again the storms brought down the electrics and many hundreds were left sans electricity.

Also last night saw the Same Sex Dance Comp take place on the Whitireira Campus on Vivian Street. It was a great venue on the top floor of a building dedicated to the Arts, to dance in particular.

We all arrived early on Saturday afternoon for a brief warm-up and to meet the international competitors, from OZ actually. They were all lovely and all dedicated ballroom dancers, some even doing the international Same Sex dance sports circuit. A lot do it at the Gay or Out Games, both of which are very popular, but on asking why there are two identical Games for Gay People, I am told there was a political dispute and the the Out games separated themselves to create an alternate games, although  seemingly identical in substance, but perhaps not in idealogy. I really don't know, but it seems that whenever you get a large bunch of gays by themselves there arrive insuperable difficulties in some way. So I ask no questions and, as a good sixties boy, I just 'go with the flow'.

Anyway the evening of dance competition was admirably organised and I enjoyed it immensely, bringing home four certificates for competing. Actually as a 'newbie' I had no competition at all, but next year, it appears, I will. On the whole no-one walks away empty-handed which is a good note for an organisation like this to play on. I met some nice people with whom I had brunch at Karaka's this morning, and I felt that participating in the Out Games one year could be a distinct possibility, also even in the swimming component when I get my speed up a little.

The level of expertise at the dance comp was across the board and I didn't feel at all inferior being a beginner, although I did seriously muck up my first dance, a bit of first night nerves perhaps, which happily gave me crowd sympathy for the next three dances which I performed without a hitch. Btw there is an enormous vocal support from the very enthusiastic spectators and it is always good to have a higher level to aspire to. A bonus for me was to see H's friend K from Ti Whanawhana there who is very supportive of all gay political events, and I find out he has recently returned from Nepal doing some reconnaissance for a possible Out Games in 2020. Now that could be a goer, I would love to swim and dance in Gay Nepal, sounds good ay? Now for some homework in te Reo Maori...

Recovery brunch at Karaka's

Waiting for my guillotine!

A couple of swells synchronised...

H and V hanging out...

Discussing moves...

Below, the intrepid Wellington jogger as the storm gets up...

Serious dancing from Melbourne.

Cyclone Lusi

We have received the warning well in advance to batten down hatches, stock up on voluminous quantities of acqua pura, and just stay at home for protection. New Zealand never wants to be un-prepared, so perhaps  it goes to the extreme now so as to be never guilty of complacency. 

So tonight as the Cyclone Lusi is scheduled to hit the north island, I should stay at home but no, I am going dancing. I'll let you know later if it was a foolhardy choice, but as it is the last rehearsal for the BallRoom Dancing Competition that I am competing in tomorrow afternoon, I just can't miss it.

The bad weather here is not scheduled until tomorrow evening so we'll see how it goes - but I have learned how to respect the power of the elements in Wellington and I take note of the predictions.

Before the Cyclone

Bear taking shelter...

My two dance partners...