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Palmerston North <-> Gisbourne
Dec. 23rd, 2003 03:35 pmThis weekend I travelled with mumsy to Gisbourne to met the rest of my family. An interesting experience to meet your family for the first time at the age of thirty five. They are quite different to myself - pretty much stock-standard New Zealand working class. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one with any sort of education, which can make some conversations difficult. Still, like the family from The Castle, they are good, albeit simple people.
One character which particularly endeared himself to me was Uncle Vic. He left school at fourteen, travelled around New Zealand and Australia, has become a very skilled motor mechanic. Furthermore, he knew Australian politics quite well and was a fan of Jim Cairns. He's even lived in St. Kilda at the same time I was there (1994) How about that? Furthermore, he confessed that he doesn't mind getting stoned and listening to Jimmi Hendrix on a Friday night. Cool. I have a stoner uncle.
On travel notes, Gisbourne is 178 degrees east, making it the most easterly human habitation of any note. On the way there one passes through Napier and Hastings, two townships that were completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt in deco style. To say the least the towns are just beautiful, although I wish people would dress according to the style of place and some proprietors should learn a little about aesthetics before painting their deco buildings navy and orange. Almost made me cry it did...
Whilst driving back (yes, I know I don't have a NZ license), I convinced mumsy that we must go a little out of our way to visit... (take a deep breath) Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. Yes, it is longest place name in the world (even more than that Welsh town). Roughly translated it is the "The brow of the hill where Taamtea [a Maori explorere[, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed, and swallowed, mountains, known as The Land Eater, played his flute to his lover". A little out of our way, we decided to take a short cut back to the number two highway over mountains and through hill and dale and on an unsealed road. It was an epic journey to say the least, but with some magnificant views. One has to admit: New Zealand really is the most beautiful country on earth, but dammit, I'm still going to keep looking!
Into day two of my new job for connect.ie. Throughly enjoying the coding experience again. Also, just finished a rathy hefty introductory text on CORBA, which is something that I think I can get into. In my other "hobbies", I've rewritten an early piece from this year on that difficult subject of youth rights for Bad Subjects and an article for Phantasmagoria on historical fantasy in roleplaying. This is an excellent starting resource if you're interested in the latter.
In blogger style news, I note that there's another dead racist, that San Francisco sex workers are still trying to get
legal protection, and George Bush continues his attitude of
"I like democracy as long as I get the results I want". Finally,
this looks better than any crappy MSCE course.
I'll write up a large vale in the near future for John Halfpenny. As even conservative leader Robert Doyle admitted with Halfpenny at least all your wounds came from the front.
Formal pragmatics for beginners: A lego harpsichord is unpleasing art.
Selling the moon however is just wrong.
Apparently I don't like Christmas carols. This isn't quite true, as there's always the Unitarian
christmas carol.
You are 'Christmas Time is Here, by Golly!', by Tom
Lehrer. Hmm, you really don't like Christmas,
do you? From the moment they start playing
carols in the shops in October to the
appearance of the first Easter Eggs in the
shops on New Years Eve, the rampant hypocrisy
of the Christmas spirit sets your teeth on
edge. You know just how many family fights
start over Christmas dinner, how many people
are injured in the Boxing Day sales, and how
few people actually find Christmas even
remotely merry. You liked Scrooge far better
before those ghosts got to him, and you are
only doing this quiz because you are bored at
work and anything is better than listening to
everyone else discuss their Christmas shopping.
Still, it is two days off work, which does
count for something... Enjoy the break.
What Christmas Carol are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
One character which particularly endeared himself to me was Uncle Vic. He left school at fourteen, travelled around New Zealand and Australia, has become a very skilled motor mechanic. Furthermore, he knew Australian politics quite well and was a fan of Jim Cairns. He's even lived in St. Kilda at the same time I was there (1994) How about that? Furthermore, he confessed that he doesn't mind getting stoned and listening to Jimmi Hendrix on a Friday night. Cool. I have a stoner uncle.
On travel notes, Gisbourne is 178 degrees east, making it the most easterly human habitation of any note. On the way there one passes through Napier and Hastings, two townships that were completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt in deco style. To say the least the towns are just beautiful, although I wish people would dress according to the style of place and some proprietors should learn a little about aesthetics before painting their deco buildings navy and orange. Almost made me cry it did...
Whilst driving back (yes, I know I don't have a NZ license), I convinced mumsy that we must go a little out of our way to visit... (take a deep breath) Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. Yes, it is longest place name in the world (even more than that Welsh town). Roughly translated it is the "The brow of the hill where Taamtea [a Maori explorere[, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed, and swallowed, mountains, known as The Land Eater, played his flute to his lover". A little out of our way, we decided to take a short cut back to the number two highway over mountains and through hill and dale and on an unsealed road. It was an epic journey to say the least, but with some magnificant views. One has to admit: New Zealand really is the most beautiful country on earth, but dammit, I'm still going to keep looking!
Into day two of my new job for connect.ie. Throughly enjoying the coding experience again. Also, just finished a rathy hefty introductory text on CORBA, which is something that I think I can get into. In my other "hobbies", I've rewritten an early piece from this year on that difficult subject of youth rights for Bad Subjects and an article for Phantasmagoria on historical fantasy in roleplaying. This is an excellent starting resource if you're interested in the latter.
In blogger style news, I note that there's another dead racist, that San Francisco sex workers are still trying to get
legal protection, and George Bush continues his attitude of
"I like democracy as long as I get the results I want". Finally,
this looks better than any crappy MSCE course.
I'll write up a large vale in the near future for John Halfpenny. As even conservative leader Robert Doyle admitted with Halfpenny at least all your wounds came from the front.
Formal pragmatics for beginners: A lego harpsichord is unpleasing art.
Selling the moon however is just wrong.
Apparently I don't like Christmas carols. This isn't quite true, as there's always the Unitarian
christmas carol.
You are 'Christmas Time is Here, by Golly!', by Tom
Lehrer. Hmm, you really don't like Christmas,
do you? From the moment they start playing
carols in the shops in October to the
appearance of the first Easter Eggs in the
shops on New Years Eve, the rampant hypocrisy
of the Christmas spirit sets your teeth on
edge. You know just how many family fights
start over Christmas dinner, how many people
are injured in the Boxing Day sales, and how
few people actually find Christmas even
remotely merry. You liked Scrooge far better
before those ghosts got to him, and you are
only doing this quiz because you are bored at
work and anything is better than listening to
everyone else discuss their Christmas shopping.
Still, it is two days off work, which does
count for something... Enjoy the break.
What Christmas Carol are you?
brought to you by Quizilla