Return to Memphis

Koujiro moved in this morning and his boss and colleague helped him with his move.

Tatsushi San and Taka San were both delightful and Koujiro had all the right stuff to move in.

He then took them both out for a Yum Cha for breakfast and I was able to have my first coffee back at Memphis.

A.J. being smart...

Article reminding us of the Rainbow Warrior bombing, a  PR disaster for France which NZ has never forgotten, or forgiven, and rightly so.

Manuel Valls feeling a bit shaky on Kiwi soil....

This is a horrific result of the need for water and what horrors its scarcity may bring. A man murderd for bringing dust to his neighbour's waterways!

A mettalica band with big plane!

Disastrous effect of elephant tusk hunting...

In Australia the result of bad refugee policies...an Iranian self-immolating!

This Putin hater may well not live long.....

Top Kiwi news jouralist in Washington DC.

Today in Museum Hotel was the big Baha'i feast day of Risvan and this Jazz trio entertained us and we heard a good talk about Baha'i and its origins.

The restaurant in Victoria Street where Koujiro is Chef and Tatsushi San the owner.

Melb Airport on to Wellington

Have been hustled through the airport security and customs at Melbourne. A labyrinth of duty free shops all vying for your money and finally an electonc camera says I can leave and I drop my departure pass in a perspex box with all the others never to be looked at and I wonder what I could have written on it as no-one ever looked at it.

Maisie dropped me at the airport in good time and as I had only carry-on luggage I was able toavoid the long check-in queue somehow. So I get through in good time with as little hassle as possible but proving it is always good to get there extra early to avoid a possible hold-up.

Relecting on an ok coffee at one of the many coffee lounges, this one called Café Vue.

...and this is the view from my seat.

Last day in Melbourne

Well this week has certainly travelled fast and I am doing final things today including picking up Theorem at Arts Access in South Melbourne and attending the HU song at the ECK centre at Moorabbin tonight. It will be quite a tiring day as all big cities are like this, but pacing myself is the only way to go. We watched the great 'Foyle's War' with Eithne last night on tellie and it was a good time to be together after all that has been going on since I arrived. But Maisie is happy with it all as she always has lots to do with her Mum and and I've just been doing my thing. It sems that T and R aren't in Melbourne so this plan is cancelled and I have more time to go leisurely to the  ECK centre tonight as it is an hour's train ride from the city. Will be home by ten and then leave at eight thirty a.m. for for my flight home to Welly tomorrow. Lots to digest after a very busy and good week in my  beloved city of Melbourne. But it is yesterday's town for me, not tomorrow's, where my plans are for wonderful Wellington.

Having a coffee at the Cinematheque on Fed Square to start the day.

Some coulour in a grey and dismal day on Federation Square with the rain drizzling down. I am hoping it doesn't stay this way all day...

Lunch with Pawel

Am at Café Frances again as they have really done a perfect job with my coffee.

It is a grey day today and after breakfast with Maisie I am off to see Polish friend Pawel for lunch at the Cornish Arms which has a new Vegan reataurant well publicised in The Age a few days ago.

Below Maisie on the net

Outside Café Frances...

Melbourne at gridlock in Hoddle!

Too many suicides in Melbourne...

Memories of twenty years ago the 1996 massacre at Port Arthur 

Pell really in the gun this time, will he escape? I hope not.

It turned out to be a most interesting lunch with Pawel. Sydney Road is always fascinating with its plethera of diverse shopping outlets and now some interesting restaurants to boot. The Cornish Arms, once a pub, is now a largely successful 'fusion' restaurant and on arriving I saw it was completely empty, opening for business only at noon. The Maître D was effusive and later so pushy we decided to leave without acknowledging him. It wan't such a great place with him in charge. So we just went next door to a Lebanese place and had a tea and toastie for me, and coffee for the others.

 Pawel had brought with him his best friend who was a Maori woman called Christina and also her fiancé from Poland, Marek. It was totally unexpected but a very happy event and I was delighted to have them for coffee. Marek was only new  to Melbourne and his English practically non-existent, so conversation was with Pawel, Christina and me. Both Pawel and Christina worked in care of the disabled so there was much to talk about. Christina, like many Maori women, had given birth to eight children, husband dying a few year ago, and now she had met Marek at Pawel's father's funeral three years ago in Poland and they are now making a life together at Ringwood.  

It was a delightful story and Pawel was a very charming person as I thought he would be and I gave him the chocolates I had fogotten to give Hazel yesterday. He was very happy to have them although he looks like he never eats a sweet, ever!

We finished early, Pawel on his way to a cosmetic surgeon for a small procedure, and me on to see an Aussie movie called 'A Month of Sundays'at the Kino Cinema in town. It looks excellent with the great Anthony Lapaglia and Julia Blake starring. 

 Below Christina, Pawel and Marek in a Brunswick café

Meeting with Hazel

Last night at the Melbourne Theatre Company, Lawler Theatre, I had an excellent theatrical experience. 'Peddling', written essentially for a young audience, had a full house, being practically all young girls from private schools with a smattering of boys and teachers. We were entertained with a tour de force exhibition by a young London actor. He had superb acting and athletic skills and was accompanied by a young woman drummer who treated us to a spectacular show of virtuosity. This young English actor is a man to watch, his skills were really of the top order, and the play, a monologue of a homeless young man searching for his blood mother, was very topical and touching. Although few in the audience would have related to his experiences, as indeed, nor did I, it was a great production and perfect for me to see just how much Melbourne has to offer on the theatre scene.

On the train to Flagstaff Gardens

..another beautiful park amongst the many in Melbourne

Bad Aussie treatment of refugees on Manus Island, what's new?

A rainbow filtering through the window at Café Frances settled on my newspaper over some awful gang war news. At least I have its beauty to consider!

Below the smart Italian waiter doing his stuff at Lygon Street Brunetti's

....where I stopped in for some take-home pastries...

..

In their excellent Brunetti box...

Today has been a catch-up with old buddies at PLC Prahran and a realisation that my decision to leave   Melbourne six years was a good one. I see no change amongst them although the centre is doing a great service for positive people. That done, I took two trams to meet up with old Kiwi friend Hazel who looked 'absolutely fabulous' in a great outfit and she was in good form as we downed another coffee and cake in the smart Kew café which she likes. 

Time now for a leisurely trip home but I decided to avoid peak-hour and take in the movie 'Sherpa' at the Carlton Nova cinema, a favourite of mine. It also happens to have the most Italian of sweet cafés in Melbourne so I am tempted by some cannoli which was featured in last night's 'My Kitchen Rules' which we looked at. I am hoping Eithne, Maisie's Mum, will like a few other pastries as well which looked so delicious in the show.

Sunny Melbourne!

Up and about with a train to Flagstaff gardens for my first coffee and it is a good one as we discussed different styles with the barista. The long Machiato is just what I wanted as they put more than average milk.

Now to plan the next four days in marvellous Melbourne ....

Excellent coffee with The Age

Frances Café on Franklin for a great coffee in Melbourne

...opposite the great Victoria Markets!

Inge King fabled sculptor in steel dies at 100!

Great new Vegan resto in Brunswick am going on Thursday!

Aussie Rules reigns.....

A play to see tonight....at MTC

So on to travelling the trams and buses in Melbourne. The weather is sublime and I am so lucky. I make a rendezvous to see Hazel and Pawel, and so all is locked in for the next four days. I leave a scrawled message in T's letter box which will hopefully find her at home tonight. I am really hoping she is in Melbourne so we can catch up on Friday afternoon.

To get my DVD copied I decide to go to Arts Access in South Melbourne where I meet with Nikki the Arts administrator. She seems excited to hear about the documentary, and I offer to leave it with her till Friday when I will pick it up. I am hoping she may copy it and keep one for their festival called 'The Other' Film Festival which is coming up up in September this year. It may well be the reason for my next visit to Melbourne.

And now I seek refuge in South Melbourne Library as it is tiring travelling in big cities.

Above is the gallery invitation to Pietro Capogreco's exhibition.. Co-incidentally I passed by Florentino's in Bourke Street this morning where I caught sight of him outside with a friend, drinking champagne of course. Pietro was an old friend thirty-five years ago but has changed so little we recognised each other easily and he gave me this invitation. Hazel knows him so she may even attend.

Last day on retreat...

Photo done of the thirty odd group and Willem posed for me..

It has been am excellent three days and I will take many memories of the wonderful Iranians home to New Zealand with me.

The ghost gums surroundinf the campsite....

Below is the title of the final workshop...

Frank setting up for the group photo with organiser Richard...

Sunday On Retreat

A good night's sleep and onto the next day our our ECK retreat at Camp Seed, about on hour out of Ballarat on the Sunraysia Highway towards Mildura.

Breakfast at eight and a good meal to start the leisurely day, which is warm, sunny and spiritually inclined with two workshops only throughout the day.

Feeling happy and healthy...

..with the sun shining on the camp.

This morning's workshop about love..

...with two quotes to illustrate the point

Below Simone walking the dog in the afternoon glow...

On Retreat at Camp Seed

Arrived safely after a beautiful drive up the Sunraysia Highway. Memories flooded back from over thirty years ago when twice I have travelled this same highway. Once with my old Merc 220SE driving my one-time fiancée up to meet her mother, and once more on my Kawasaki motorcycle to partake in another sort of retreat, this time a mad bikers's campaway at Trentham. The difference between these two adventures and this weekend are so marked it beggars description. 

The weather is perfect at Camp Seed and the thirty odd members of Eckankar are coming from many parts of Australia but I am the only member from 'overseas'. We get together for a first meal of 'spag bol' and it reminds me I ought to make this a vegetarian weekend if possible.

Arash (the Archer) and his wife Rahi who is making the first fire of the retreat. There are twelve beautiful Iranians on this camp!

Iffe and Jessie, both from Nigeria

Eshan from Iran

Faro inspecting the fire...

Somy and Rahi. Somy and husband Amir were two of the organisers 

Jessie having fun...

One of our afternoon workshops....

Looking through the window to heaven...with Maisie walking into the woods....