Back in a regular rhythm now.
It was a sunny day, day 75 so in honour of my friend Lucy I made a headscarf, like hers but with a pink headband and pink fabric. It's a tad peaky, but cuter than my caps and will keep the sun from my scalp.
Day 76, I ate at Tonys on Lorne Street with friends. Gorgeous meal, gorgeous people.
Day 77 Natalie & I wandered around the Craft Expo at the ASB showgrounds. Got ideas to make Japanese inspired quilts and then went to Cornwall Park for Devonshire tea.
Day 78 will be a walk in the Waitekeres.....around Huia Resevoir.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Day 61 onwards....
New things continued.....
Day 61 - So after our last football match, which was a shocker - I chose to drink the Cloudy Wheat beer as my new thing. It was very nice, but I still went back to the Amber ale straight after.
Day 62 - Before we headed back to Chch that Friday night Andy & I had a sushi feast, from a new sushi place (to us anyway) - Umyi. I tried lots of everything including a few I'd never had before - Tofu & spinach fried ball sushi anyone, or terriyaki tofu? YUMMY!!!
Day 63, back in Christchurch and giving my day to the Student Volunteers Army to help dig liquefaction from strangers' backyards. I can honestly say this is the first truly selfless thing I've ever done, and it was an amazing experience.
Day 64 - To celebrate our decision to move to Christchurch we headed out for the day to Wairapa Vineyards, the first but definitely not the last time, I've headed out this way!
Day 65 - Thanks go to Flo for her lovely xmas presents - one of which was an easy thai red curry pack, and this was what I made for tea this night. Absolutely amazing!
Day 66 - I ate Girl Guide Cookies for the first time ever.
Day 67 - I found an Indian food shop and shopped there! I also tried to make dosas (again), this time from a ready mixed packet that I bought there, but sadly it turned out as badly as the first time.....
Day 68 - After 3 years of eating Hells pizza (My usual, Creator - smoked cheddar, carmelised onions, pineapple, mushroom, garlic sauce and black pepper....)I went for something new (gasp!) a Limbo (but removing the blue cheese and replacing it with smoked cheddar) - very yummy and much quikcer to order!
Day 69 - For my Kathmandu 2nd interview I had to live phone interview someone. For an interview.....crazy shit, but actually kind of fun.
Day 70 - Fuck loads of good new things today! Went to Tyler Garage Bar and Britomart Country Club Bar, visited the live stage at the Arts Festival (for James Duncan and Sean Donnelly), ate a Korean pancake and then ate a Korean restaurant, Faro....very excellent night.
Day 71 - Spent a lovely day in Newmarket with Natalie, including a visit to an excellent fabric store....(I forgot the name, but it was amazing!)
Day 72 - I ran Round The Bays. In under one hour too!
Day 73 - I took my first ever driving lesson! And enjoyed it, even when the instructor said "You can drive home now" and it included a roundabout and Kepa Road at peak time!
Day 74 - Feeling lazy today....so I made pizza as normal, but added crushed smoked garlic to the paste I use. Fricking awesome!
Day 75 - a lazy (skint) day today too so made a new type of stir - fry, soy, garlic and chilli sauce....I promise I'll try harder tomorrow!
Day 61 - So after our last football match, which was a shocker - I chose to drink the Cloudy Wheat beer as my new thing. It was very nice, but I still went back to the Amber ale straight after.
Day 62 - Before we headed back to Chch that Friday night Andy & I had a sushi feast, from a new sushi place (to us anyway) - Umyi. I tried lots of everything including a few I'd never had before - Tofu & spinach fried ball sushi anyone, or terriyaki tofu? YUMMY!!!
Day 63, back in Christchurch and giving my day to the Student Volunteers Army to help dig liquefaction from strangers' backyards. I can honestly say this is the first truly selfless thing I've ever done, and it was an amazing experience.
Day 64 - To celebrate our decision to move to Christchurch we headed out for the day to Wairapa Vineyards, the first but definitely not the last time, I've headed out this way!
Day 65 - Thanks go to Flo for her lovely xmas presents - one of which was an easy thai red curry pack, and this was what I made for tea this night. Absolutely amazing!
Day 66 - I ate Girl Guide Cookies for the first time ever.
Day 67 - I found an Indian food shop and shopped there! I also tried to make dosas (again), this time from a ready mixed packet that I bought there, but sadly it turned out as badly as the first time.....
Day 68 - After 3 years of eating Hells pizza (My usual, Creator - smoked cheddar, carmelised onions, pineapple, mushroom, garlic sauce and black pepper....)I went for something new (gasp!) a Limbo (but removing the blue cheese and replacing it with smoked cheddar) - very yummy and much quikcer to order!
Day 69 - For my Kathmandu 2nd interview I had to live phone interview someone. For an interview.....crazy shit, but actually kind of fun.
Day 70 - Fuck loads of good new things today! Went to Tyler Garage Bar and Britomart Country Club Bar, visited the live stage at the Arts Festival (for James Duncan and Sean Donnelly), ate a Korean pancake and then ate a Korean restaurant, Faro....very excellent night.
Day 71 - Spent a lovely day in Newmarket with Natalie, including a visit to an excellent fabric store....(I forgot the name, but it was amazing!)
Day 72 - I ran Round The Bays. In under one hour too!
Day 73 - I took my first ever driving lesson! And enjoyed it, even when the instructor said "You can drive home now" and it included a roundabout and Kepa Road at peak time!
Day 74 - Feeling lazy today....so I made pizza as normal, but added crushed smoked garlic to the paste I use. Fricking awesome!
Day 75 - a lazy (skint) day today too so made a new type of stir - fry, soy, garlic and chilli sauce....I promise I'll try harder tomorrow!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
New things continued....
This may be a long post!
Day 52 was such a long time ago! Thankfully I am writing it in my diary too - So it was the Monday night that we got to Christchurch and we'd gone out for food. My usual favourite hangout is Dux De Lux, so for a change we went to Mum's, an Asian cafe where I ate potato noodles.
Day 53....well, although I did say I could only have my new things when it was something I'd made happen personally, but an earthquake isn't an everyday occurrence. Also, it's more the day itself - I did new things during that day, heading to view rentals on my own, getting the bus out to Mt plesant, (attempting to) eat a sushi lunch in Sumner...And even going to meet Andy - I saw first hand the destroyed City centre, because I chose to walk through it and capture images on my camera and that was definitely a new thing.
Day 54 - Well, new things were not at the forefront of my mind for the next couple of days as we tried to leave Christchurch to no avail and then readjust afterwards...on this day it was eating fish n chips Hopkins style. Diced roasted potatoes with smoked fish in peppery, tomatoey goodness served on top.
Day 55 - We were picked up from the outskirts of Chch and driven to Nelson to catch the plane to Auckland - so I got to experience the most beautiful 5 hour road journey imaginable, though the mountains and over to the West coast. Breathtaking.
Day 56 - trying to readjust to being somewhere without aftershocks, Andy & I made a trip to the DVD store to find something to spend the afternoon not doing. I picked out "Farewell" - a KGB downfall movie, set in Russia, France and USA, normally I would say a tad too high brow & political, but I was intigued, and it did the job. No thinking about earthquakes for an hour or so!
Day 57 - A trip up to Matakana usually begins with Andy stopping at the cafe opposite the market for eggs in some form. I persuaded him this morning to try the lovely looking Artisan Cafe which neither of us had been to before.
Day 58 - Was a lovely drunken afternoon at my first ever winery gig, Crowded House at Villa Maria. Winery gigs are big things over here, and I can see why! You can drink good wine, in the gorgeous sunshine, surrounded by greenery and vines whilst a great band sings to you. Like a grown up festival I suppose.
Day 59 - I cooked with Vermicelli pasta for the first time. I was hung over.
Day 60 - hot cross buns suck over here. They never taste fresh or light so I consulted Delia and made my own. Unfortunately, mine didn't taste fresh or light either. Bad Delia.
I think I'll take a break there.....
Day 52 was such a long time ago! Thankfully I am writing it in my diary too - So it was the Monday night that we got to Christchurch and we'd gone out for food. My usual favourite hangout is Dux De Lux, so for a change we went to Mum's, an Asian cafe where I ate potato noodles.
Day 53....well, although I did say I could only have my new things when it was something I'd made happen personally, but an earthquake isn't an everyday occurrence. Also, it's more the day itself - I did new things during that day, heading to view rentals on my own, getting the bus out to Mt plesant, (attempting to) eat a sushi lunch in Sumner...And even going to meet Andy - I saw first hand the destroyed City centre, because I chose to walk through it and capture images on my camera and that was definitely a new thing.
Day 54 - Well, new things were not at the forefront of my mind for the next couple of days as we tried to leave Christchurch to no avail and then readjust afterwards...on this day it was eating fish n chips Hopkins style. Diced roasted potatoes with smoked fish in peppery, tomatoey goodness served on top.
Day 55 - We were picked up from the outskirts of Chch and driven to Nelson to catch the plane to Auckland - so I got to experience the most beautiful 5 hour road journey imaginable, though the mountains and over to the West coast. Breathtaking.
Day 56 - trying to readjust to being somewhere without aftershocks, Andy & I made a trip to the DVD store to find something to spend the afternoon not doing. I picked out "Farewell" - a KGB downfall movie, set in Russia, France and USA, normally I would say a tad too high brow & political, but I was intigued, and it did the job. No thinking about earthquakes for an hour or so!
Day 57 - A trip up to Matakana usually begins with Andy stopping at the cafe opposite the market for eggs in some form. I persuaded him this morning to try the lovely looking Artisan Cafe which neither of us had been to before.
Day 58 - Was a lovely drunken afternoon at my first ever winery gig, Crowded House at Villa Maria. Winery gigs are big things over here, and I can see why! You can drink good wine, in the gorgeous sunshine, surrounded by greenery and vines whilst a great band sings to you. Like a grown up festival I suppose.
Day 59 - I cooked with Vermicelli pasta for the first time. I was hung over.
Day 60 - hot cross buns suck over here. They never taste fresh or light so I consulted Delia and made my own. Unfortunately, mine didn't taste fresh or light either. Bad Delia.
I think I'll take a break there.....
Will the last person to leave please turn out the lights?
It's been an insane 3 weeks. I was caught up in the Christchurch earthquake, and the most annoying thing as a writer was that I couldn't find the right words to talk about it. People wanted to know how did feel, what happened - but for such a huge life event it's hard to know how long it will take before I can genuinely answer those questions. I can tell you where I was, I can tell you what I did and what I saw, but how did I feel? That's one for later.
My story would be so small in comparison to all the heartache and strength that exists in Christchurch right now. It's what's drawn Andy & I to go back there, and to commit to moving there. Because it feels like we are a part of it all now. So as of April Fools day I will be a South Islander dweller.
Given the events in Japan and the never ending waring somewhere or other, it's so much easier to withdrawn into films, books and music. Not to shut it all out, but to try and regain happy feelings. When I listen to the National's "Alligator" CD, or watch Casablanca I feel so convinced that the world we live in must be great, that we as ordinary folk produce things of beauty too. Then I turn on BBC news and nature is fucking with us left, right and centre and if that wasn't hard enough to deal with, men are fighting for power, money, fear....why can't we all just get along before the giant tsunami wipes us all out?
My story would be so small in comparison to all the heartache and strength that exists in Christchurch right now. It's what's drawn Andy & I to go back there, and to commit to moving there. Because it feels like we are a part of it all now. So as of April Fools day I will be a South Islander dweller.
Given the events in Japan and the never ending waring somewhere or other, it's so much easier to withdrawn into films, books and music. Not to shut it all out, but to try and regain happy feelings. When I listen to the National's "Alligator" CD, or watch Casablanca I feel so convinced that the world we live in must be great, that we as ordinary folk produce things of beauty too. Then I turn on BBC news and nature is fucking with us left, right and centre and if that wasn't hard enough to deal with, men are fighting for power, money, fear....why can't we all just get along before the giant tsunami wipes us all out?
Monday, March 7, 2011
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