Pacific Islands here I come!

Today fate has decreed that I am now having my Pacific Island experience. Karoi Hawkins, a very presentable young Solomon Islander has consented to move into my home, into the large front room, supplanting Sonny, who, as the younger person, has decided to downsize to the smaller room.

 All is good in Little Karaka Paradise Hotel, as I am now wont to call my 'maison'. It was totally unexepected as so many had come and gone, some wanted it, some didn't,  but finally the right person has arrived, a married  man with four gorgeous kids waiting in the Solomons to come out to join him in twelve months i.e. a perfect solution for all of us as he loves the room with the bay views and doesn't cook at all!  So the kitchen will remain the domain of Sonny, and me and Fir, of course!

 Am very happy with the result and am celebrating with a rare Eggs Florintine at Cafe Baobab in  Newtown after announcing the good news to Tom. After all, his curtains helped to sell this room as they look so good and are a perfect march for the beautiful skin colour of Koroi. We are now a really multinational household, and I hope it will be for the next twelve months at least.

Now for the Interfaith AGM this afternoon which I am attending with V. after a few mis-fires on texting yesterday. This texting is fraught with unseen problems and I think I will never get a Smart Phone, too much work and apparently addictive!

Btw, last night's concert of 'Creation', by Hayden,  at the Michael Fowler Cetre with the NZSO and guest soloists, along with the local fabulous Orpheus Choir (I would love to be good enough to sing with them!) was magnificent and I managed to have a seat next to dancing partner Craig so we shared its wonder. Later we strolled, on his suggestion, through the light-show on the quayside, all very beautiful and stimulating. Wellington looks wonderful and today is a veritable Spring-like day!

Tom's white towels drying...

..outside his Garden Flat (to be)

..me feeling chuffed with new housemate

Eggs Florentine, OK but not enough to fill me!

Seriously reading the Interfaith Agenda

Indian food...!

It is Thursday afternoon and Sonny has just knocked on my door with a food offering...lightly poached chicken breast in pistachio -amongst other spices - sauce, accompanied by a suitable mousseline! Tres savoureux! Merci Sonny, you are an excellent chef. I eat it on my bed hoping it is easily digested by my swimming time at 7.30 tonight. Tonight is also my resignation from WOSOSI choir, a sad but necessary decision. They are too good for me and I need to narrow my expended efforts a little, there is also a Rainbow swimming competition in January which I should prepare for. My voice, already a little older and hoarser, is being put out to pasture, for a while at least. I think it is the right move for me.

Sonny's poached chicken..in bed!

Am having a late after lunch coffee the Havana, top of Tory. A famous cafe but a new one for me. I can see why it's famous, the smell of coffee and the blend and roast in the room next door pervades the whole building. I even may buy some here to take home as it smells so good but I am risking staying awake tonight as it is after one o'clock!

 Naoko just phoned, is very sad at losing the room but it is really not for her, she is too high maintenance. I do need a low maintenance housemate that's for sure! I already have a young Solomon Islander coming in at ten a.m. tomorrow, so that's interesting.

Coffee lovers at Havana...

Notice the art deco espresso machine

Interesting decor, as always on Tory.

Coffee is excellent!

Cakes look good too!

Where I bought my Five Star blend, mmmnn!

Woody Allen - Finis

Yesterday I caught the latest Woody Allen offering. The movie whose title 'Magic in Moonlight' just said it all, that it was going to be a flop. And it was, certainly from a Woody point of view. He has made some great movies but this is just not one of them. The schmalzy title sets the tone and it gets worse with a reprise by Colin Firth of his misanthropic character Mr Darcy in Jane Eyre. It was Woody aging, and it was very disappointing, hardly a laugh, only saved by luscious and satisfying cinematography in the South of France. A two star movie and certainly not worth seeing. Our poor Jackie Weaver in a supporting role just managed to survive being starstruck by working with her idol. Is it that he is too American and is trying to be British? He should really stick to movies like 'Jasmine' where he is totally at home.

Am back in the city library on a wonderful sunny morning, having quaffed a tasteless coffee which I will  never order again here, perhaps I was just unlucky but that's not good enough in this taste capital.

Am on my way to see Edit my new Hungarian housemate. The times are always a changin' at my place and this will certainly ring in some changes. She is newly arrived from Erd, a few hundred ks from Budapest, and it is the first time she has left her country, and her family...am I becoming a surrogate father? I hope not. She semed quite mature for her twenty three years and has a job at the Copthorne Hotel on an internship, which is a plus. She just has to learn how to tip-toe down our hallway!

The scene of my regrettable coffee....

My lovely Naguib Mahfouz gift from Peter K has arrived and I am savouring it.....

But I have also decided to finally read 'A Suitable Boy', especially now I have that boy living with me!

As it is fifteen hundred pages long I have doubled my borrowing time..

Am now at RV with Edit at Sweet Mother's Kitchen

Can you believe, yet again, I am cancelled at the last minute. A short text saying she has changed her mind, and, moi,  I have just cancelled all other interested people. What is the name of that song 'When will I ever learn'...? Ooh well, another day, another ad on Trademe! I decide to have a Mexican tostada at Mother's Kitchen, hopefully without indigestion, as I am swimming tonight!

A forgettable tostada, like Edit!

Different Strokes Wellington

I am now taking swimming seriously, going twice a week to the Kilbirnie pool. Tonight I decided to forgo my WelMac meeting (ugh!) and attend DSW and afterwards they had an early meeting to discuss next year's Rainbow Sports Weekend in Wellington and I was strangely invited to attend. It is going to be quite a big event and it will also be my first competitive sporting event for over fifty years! A bit scary really.

Martin our CEO originally from Zimbabwe, is quite a serious person and also tres charmant.

Just returned to hear the amazingly good news that Justice Michael Kirby has accepted our invitation to speak at next year's Candlelight Memorial Vigil at Te Papa as the Keynote speaker What a way for me to be followed! My second twelve months are shaping up to be quite something. I had better watch out for what I am asking, or I might even get too much!

Busy weekend...

WWaiting for my close-up Mr De Mille!

This has been a typical Wellington weekend and it's not over yet.

Friday night was my Satsang and I caught an excellent movie afterwards at my favourite Cuba Lighthouse cinema. Entitled 20,000 days, it was a doco about Nick Cave, virtually a day in the life of this Aussie songwriter/singer who now lives in Brighton, England. He is a pretty special person I must say. 

Saturday morning was shopping at the market then coffee with Tom who kindly gave me some lovely curtains for Sonny's room, long and luxurious, a bit dark, but it is a very bright room. On Saturday I spent an hour in the morning, a bit of a waste of time, with S from Welmac showing me he didn't really have the skills he thought he did with my Mac, so I lost some dollars there. Never again. 

Evening came and I went to see a documentary on historical NZ elections at the Film Archives which was illuminating to say the least. This is a small country with associated issues of un-addressed colonial problems, i.e. the race divide is so obvious when it comes to politics - the Maori are just not represented and have very little say although their population is growing faster than ever.

Home via the Rugby pub on Kent Terrace to see the All Blacks vanquish the Wallabies, a travesty of competitive Rugby, NZ being so superior. This is the nature of this amazing country of Amazons.

Sunday morning was a photo-shoot by Matt who is publishing 100 shots, day by day, of diverse people living in NZ. He chose me to be one of them, I chose to be on my bed with Serena. 

Later after a nice coffee on the Chaffey Quay I had a class of ECK at Flashdog studios and after that a visit to see a friend in Mt  Vic re housemate advice. No joy there. Back home for a brief nap, then off to my regular Sundy night ballroom dancing...just a normal Wellington weekend, full and enjoyable.

Photographer setting up in my bedroom

..posed me sitting with Serena, on my request.

Later a coffee and cake on the Quay...

..some were even eating ice-creams

Women and HIV Seminar at Te Papa

Dr Nigel Raymond, the HIV specialist from Wellington Hospital giving forth.

Jane Brunning, the Seminar organiser who did an excellent job...

Were any new facts disclosed, or was it just an opportunity for female networking, nice food in Te Papa, and general infromation update? More of the latter I believe.

Dr Anita Nolan, the Dental specialist from Auckland, gave an excellent rundown of preventative dental care, which is still, unfortunately, prohibitively expensive. Dr Rosemary Jones was the name given for a local dental practitioner who is sensitive to the HIV situation.

Judith Muakayange from Positive Women gave a humorous talk on surviving and overcoming stigma. Anna Beard gave an interesting talk on the increasing usage and need for the female condom at the same price as men's, a sample of which was given to all attendees.

One good fact received, Savacole is an excellent mouth hygiene product available over the counter.

Will there ever be a cure? Eradication or a 'functional' cure?

Interactive recorded interviews with HIV positive women...

The Canadian Consensus as to what is the actual risk of virus transmission? Discovered to be negligable for people on ART with undetectable viral load. Criminalisation does nothing to reduce HIV infections but just increases the stigma and discrimination which could effectively increase the viral transmission. 

Launching the Condom on Parliament steps

...trying to get the female condom subsidised to equal the cost of male condoms which are freely distributed at sex venues and clubs all around the country.

Lots of questions asked about the use and efficacy of the female condom.

Anna holding forth on the condom

With Judith from Rwanda

With Lesley from BP

Caffe Scopa meeting...

It will be interesting to see if Thomas arrives on time. I was lucky I just caught my bus or I would have been quite late too, so no blame if he does come late. I also could not find my twenty questions to ask him, so will be winging it there. However it will be a gut decision, and it is probably only for a couple of months at best that he is coming to stay, that is, if he does come.

I have brought my latest business card to give him as erroneously I gave him the one from Tassie, with same email but wrong phone numbers on it. He was at least savvy enough to realise there was a mistake there and corrected the number through Ron at  BP.

Cuba looks empty...

Wheelchair friendly Scopa...

It has been interesting meeting Thomas, we chatted in English and he explained why he left Paris, he didn't like his job..already a tricky start, as he is not an easy smiler. Born under the star of Pisces, he claims as ascendant Aries, and he needs to work in that area to get a job, otherwise I fear for his chances. He is 'tres beau, mais pas charmant', which is what people look for in a worker. I did not talk about the room rental at all, as I want a worker, not a seeker, in my house. A pity as he is a nice boy, good parentage, but not well equipped for life in the tough world that is with us these days. I am not about to hold his hand, nor did he want it held, so I just said 'make appearances' don't just send CVs, and he smiled and said 'Thank you' in an English accent, and went up the road, hopefully to make an appearance somewhere where his good looks may eventually play a role in job finding.

Starbucks...Arrrgh!

I have an hour before I attend Tiwhanawhana, and whereas I used to spend it at my favourite Caffe Scopa on Cuba, I am tempted to have a hot chocolate nearby at Starbucks, why, I don't really know. The service is execrable, the hot chocolate is cold, even on reheating, and the seat I am sitting on is broken. But, hey, I made the choice, a stupid one I must admit, and I hope  I'll never do it again. To-morrow I'll return to Scopa to make up for my mistake, hopefully to have a pizza with Thomas, the would-be housemate from Paris. Am still not sure about him, he has that certain air of French superiority which I do not need in my house. I have decided to give him the ten question test and see how he fares, it may even freak him out a little, but it is the right attitude that is the most important thing in sharing a house, the ability to accept that you may be wrong and that the solution lies in mutual compromise.

In the meantime, I spoke with old friend Beth in Melbourne who just lost her Dad, at 94 y.o. David was an absolutely delightful man. She, an ex Novocastrian, may well return to that neck of the woods eventually as well. So we chatted about how we are both in a place we will move from, but essentially stay the same people, with just different things to do.

Cold 'hot chocolate' at Starbucks on Courtenay...

Why do I bother, it's their cafe, and they don't care!

So to try to turn negatives into positives, I move to a very comfy armchair, change my attitude, take out from my bag a healthy apple and start munching. It certainly makes things seem a lot different, just by taking a bit of control and not sinking into negative criticism. After all, the girl serving me was really trying hard to please me, she even offered to make me  a new hot chocolate which I curmudgeonly refused! So there's my lesson for the day, have the  right attitude and all things wil be OK. I'll use that tomorrow with Thomas and see how he turns out, he may even be quite OK, it's not his fault he's burdened with very good looks, is it?

Sunny Monday in City Library

It really is hard to beat this city on a day like today so I am up ( relatively) early to escape my house where the two housemates are up later than me and mooch around the house, not my bag, so I am into the city for an excellent coffee and a visit to the wonderful library to catch up on some recent rare magazines and formulate a little more clearly where I am going, figuratively and physically. 

It is getting to that time that I realise my time here is limited. I thought it would be four years, then three, (I can't stay here shorter than I stayed in Hobart!) but now I am actually thinking about an earlier exit as  I have things to do in other places. So here are my vague plans at the moment, able to be changed at will and at any time.

Next year I am seventy, gasp, so will spend that week or so with old friends and family in Sydney, no big bash, just quiet get-togethers to see where I am going. In August 2015 I have my three weeks OS, that year in Birmingham at the European ECK Seminar and to catch up with English friends and perhaps even visit Edinburgh and Amsterdam. I am thinking about Normandy and JL but think I'll give it a miss. That chapter is softly closed. Au revoir Jean-Louis!

Returning to Wellington for 2016 which is my year for the Springtime Seminar in Minneapolis and a revisit to fabulous Vancouver, a possible destination for the future. June 2016 is the three year mark for NZ and the beginning of my seventh twelve year cycle, the end of the sixth cycle and one where there will be big changes. So that's where I am at present, thinking about a move in 2016, the year Auckland hosts the OUT games which I may even compete in! A nice way to terminate my sejour in Kiwiland. But will I have done all the things I had planned? ECK-wise, there is the Interfaith to finish, the radio program to polish, and my Satsang to finish, and perhaps a Worship Service to organise. House-wise it is all done and dusted, I have worked that one out and there will be little to do there. BP will have seen me volunteer for three years with some success, and I will have begun again a good swimming regime.  SCD will see me next year at the Summer School at  Dunedin, so that one is ticked off, and French is yet to be done. that will start soon I hope with the neighbourhood project soon  coming to fruition. Ballroom dancing is going well and will continue to improve. Singing with WOSOSI is the same, lots to learn and to enjoy doing it, no problems there, that is if they still want me to sing with them!

I need to learn more about Apple Mac, get a laptop in order to make my next move to be minimal. And who knows where? But it will be very, very, light. I now know just how little I need to have to live well. Less is indeed more!  I love sitting in this library reading Art magazines and just feeling the warm sun shining down. My health is fabulous so that is a bonus but I am not getting any younger in spite of my mind telling me I am! Two more big trips overseas might just do me, then I can stay at home and do small ones around my own country as it is time for me to discover that one. 

OK, I'll finish the ruminations here as I will look at them in six months and see if I have kept them alive or changed them completely. It is all in the hands of the ECK and is actually arleady decided, although if I wish, I could easily change it!

View of the Square with the hanging Sphere..

..studious people in library...

..just a student heaven.

Sunday on radio...

Going to be a busy day today so am getting caffeine hit (not!) at Maccas. Horrible coffee, but on the way to an ECK workshop at Flashdog studios, then immediately after on to the first radio show of the new slot at five, then dancing at seven so am packing for a full day, sandwiches and all.

Inner Guidance is what it's all about, and sometimes we just don't get it, like recently when I went to the Marae, deciding to leave early on Saturday and forgot my i-Pad and had to return, not thinking it may have been a sign I was needed there, but no, I went back and picked it up and left, missing out on a possible important Marae experience, that of leaving the Marae with their Blessing the next day. These things of course arenever explained by the Maori as they leave everyone to make their own decisions on the inner, without any influence on their side. It is a very detached and ECK point of view, and I feel I missed it on this occasion. So I will have to learn it again one day. Some times you learn things in retrospect. We have to get over our head trip, and listen to the universe and what it is telling us. Sometimes though, we are just too obstinate!

Likely lassies at Maccas ln Sunday morning....

...or not!

At least I'm in a bright colour...!

Amazing Harmonies!

Last night's concert was really worth two blogs...!

Wellington, as usual, was the generous host, but the choirs had already traversed the island, coming down from Auckland through Hamilton, Rotororua, Palmerston North to reach finally Wellington, Sounds Capital for the final ecstatic concert, showcasing all the winners of this Pan Pacific Barbershop Chorus Competition. The World Champion Choir, Westminster, from California, finished the night, culminating in a standing ovation ( unusual) for their fabulous rendition of the hit song Bridge Over Troubled Water, by Simon and Garfunkel. The memory of the evening's singing still lingers and I wonder at their absolute dedication to that magical instrument of sound, the human voice. I must get to work and do some Per Bristow vocal exercises!

 

Roman Polanski's weird genius

It is Saturday morning, a beautiful sunny day so I have escaped to have a coffee on the wharf and consider this mad apologia that passed for a film as Venus in Fur. Written by American David Ives it was not as I thought, a real life version of Roman Polanski's life and desires, although not too far away from them I suspect. His wife Emmanuelle Seigneur was the bondage dominatrix of the movie and Mathieu Amalric excellently portrayed the tortured writer, putting all his fantasies on the stage. It was indeed well acted and performed basically in one room, an old theatre. It was originally written as a stage play and was probably better as such.

Polanski would have enjoyed very much seeing his young wife displayed her curves and nudity on the screen, however tastefully it was done. It was worth seeing I suppose, but not really anything new for me, and I wonder if anything new for Polanski. Three stars, but I may be a bit harsh.

Today is 'find a housemate day' so I am waiting patiently for my Japanese Naoko to text me, if not before noon then I will text her and replace the ad., as she would have been OK but wants the room today. Not possible. Tonight am going to Barbershop Pan Pacific concert at the Michael Fowler Centre which will be great. A day like today, warm sunny and spectacular makes me want to share it with someone but who, perhaps I will give Beth a welcome visit home!

Here I am having lovely tomato soup at Beth's with lovely view of mountains outside.

Had nice catch-up with Beth although her neighbour was a bit narky about my parking in her cul-de-sac, I tried to be pleasant but she was not nice!

Just back from the concert it was amazing! The best choral concert I have ever heard I can truthfully say. The local male choirs, the Aussie male choirs, and the World Champion Barbershop Choir from California were all an incredible treat. I sat with my WOSOSI friends in a good seat and enjoyed it immensely. A very memorable evening indeed!