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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Music.

I have started to give myself $40 to spend on music every pay day since I now have to work for money again. This gets me one full price CD (though only for collectible artists now!) a vinyl LP or 2 downloaded from I tunes.

My first pay day treats are as follows:

Sleigh Bells – Treats
Just like a Bubblegum shouty version of The Kills. It got me like the first time I heard Pendulum - like a full on attack of the senses. I wanted to run from it, but was unable to because it is so awesome!

Jenny & Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now.
I love Jenny Lewis. Her voice, look, style….I even love that she’s got a cool rocker boyfriend and they recorded an album together. My issue is that I get a bit bored by her. I listened to Rabbit Fur Coat and loved it, then loved it a bit less and now I skip tracks or don't really listen to it. I have a real de ja vu sensation about this album for the same reason – On first listen I was already bored towards the latter songs, only getting my jollies back for the final track “Commited”. But keep trying Jenny you minxsy pixie you.

I want to buy the Kills proper (i.e. on CD) next week though locating a CD store in Christchurch ain't all that easy.

Update. Updated.

It has been so long since I have updated. And I will – though I have made nothing of immense excitement happen to me of late. I have stopped trying - it’s winter, I live in a shaky city and I work 40 hours a week. Excuses done - I will keep going I promise!

The spirit of Christchurch has of late taken on a whiff of resignation. There are those who feign indifference to the always constant threat of aftershocks, those who laugh in the face of natural disaster and those who have left the city they called home for a relatively safer place. Most however are living in a state somewhere between over it and under it (the table that is.)

It’s hard not to be anxious when the room you are in starts swaying suddenly or you woken up at 3am by the sound of the earth roaring, then rushing through the foundations of your home causing it all to shake uncontrollably. I can now tell a 3.5 from a 4.7 and I usually hear an aftershock seconds before it hits.

I think the hardest thing for the people of Christchurch is like so many experiences, it’s hard for outsiders to express genuine empathy when they have no experience of the occurrence. People assume the one earthquake is all you get, they don’t know that aftershocks happen regularly and can be more terrifying and cause more damage than the original quake. They don’t see how thoroughly depressing it is to walk through your home suburb and instead of green fields, and lovely surfaces there are cracks or liquefaction; or in my case in Sumner, giant containers lined all along what used to be one of the most picturesque roads. People have lost their homes, people are still using chemical toilets and boiling water and there is no CBD anymore. Can you even imagine how weird that is? But in this world it’s a case of same old shit, different country. There have been over 7000 aftershocks since Sept and we are all so tired of it.

Reading that make it sounds like I’m complaining and that’s not at all what I’m trying to get across. Maybe I just needed to hoc it up, spit in out on to digital paper to get it off my chest.

We are zombies here now. Half awake, half asleep in a post quake world wondering when, if it will stop. Will more damage be done or can we start living our lives again?

Monday, June 6, 2011

day 136 - 152....

Sooooo.....

It gets a bit dull from here on in (in life, as well as blog!). On day 136 I started my new 40 hour a week job......it helps with the motivation to get my book published I guess, and the money is nice and necessary.....

Day 137 I had my first MWH Mainzeal month end drinks. Very nice way to meet fellow colleagues whilst drinking free beer.

On day 138 Andy & I bought a Land Rover! Bit different to the Mazda Mx5 - I'm looking forward to testing its shopping and camping capacity!

On day 139, after a messy night chez Hopkins, the running-a-trois club went off for a 9km around Avonhead. First time I've ran around here, and good to run blind, so to speak.

On day 140 I watched Sherlock! It is an amazing TV series. I will forgive Martin Freeman for missing Smithmas as he's doing series 2 of this. And how exciting Benedict Cumberbatch is coming to NZ to be in the Hobbit. Benedict Cumberbatch, as well as being a brilliant actor, has THE best name in the world!

On day 141 I ran my first solo 14m run. I ran home from work (didn't beat the bus, but also didn't have to wait 30 mins in the cold for it to turn up either)- not the most visually stunning run, but good training.

On day 142 I gave free counselling another go. In a futile attempt to cure my fear of flying I went to a work approved counselling session. Unfortunately it was completely useless. The counsellor was quite rubbish; though as a positive I took away that in the last 5 years I've actually controlled my fear quite well - I know all the spin, I know how to make it less scary and I know why I shouldn't be scared. I guess I just want to be fixed really, and maybe that will never happen.

On 143 I bought the Christchurch (/South Island!) Entertainment book. Obviously not much in the way of Christchurch city pubs/restaurants in it - as there aren't many of those about any more...but a few for Sumner, and other places such as Nelson, Blenheim etc.

This one is so lame, so I apologise in advance. On day 144 I ate a Subway 6" tuna roll. I have never eaten a Subway in NZ before. Lame, I know.

On day 145 Andy & I went to the Riccarton Farmers market AND the Craft Collective market. Very expensive but fun day!

On day 146 I got as ill as I've ever been in my adult life. Before the vomitting started however, I made Rum N Raisin Ice cream. Then got too sick to eat it.

Day 147...I've actually written "Dry bagel" in my diary! Well as stated above I was sicker than I've ever been in my adult life, so I think I'll cut myself some slack for that.

On day 148, recovering, and in desperate need for food (all left my body and none allowed to re-enter for many many hours) I made kedgaree. It was my first time as Andy is the Kedgaree king, and it was nice. (though not as nice as Andy's!).

On 149, still recovering, I went into work, got my laptop, announced I had a stomach bug and then went home to work. Working from home (my first official time!)is both awesome and crap - lunch, getting home (easy!) and listening to music all pluses, motivating oneself is a BIG negative.

On day 150 I got to wear my hot pink retro River Island skirt! Bought for $4 a couple of months ago, I finally got to wear it.

On day 151 we ate at Tony's Tepan Restaurant - a nice, if not overpriced Japanese place in Ferrymead.

This one is exciting! (For me anyway). My first ever yoga class! I went with Michelle on a Saturday morning and it was so relaxing, yet stretching...if you know what I mean! Definitely a weekly occurrence.