Nico's Journal

Pasifika 2012

2012-03-12T10:27:33Z

On Saturday we went to the annual Pasifika festival. We missed it two years ago because we were out of town, and last year because it rained. This time it was grey (like most of our summer) and humid but the rain held off till Sunday. Maxx (public transport) wasn't running buses from Newmarket as in other years so we had to drive to a train station, wait ages for a train (most were cancelled last weekend; great planning, guys) and then a crowded bus, then all that in reverse going home. I think we spent more time in transit than actually there. :-P

Pasifika is held at Western Springs, a lovely big park with a lake. Various Pacific islands set up "villages" all round it so people can do a circuit visiting them all. They have dancers, demos, and lots of yummy food to try, the highlights for me being "te baan", Kiribati pancakes filled with fresh grated coconut and te kamamai (coconut syrup). We took coconut buns and Cook Islands poke (paw-kay) home with us. Poke is usually made from cooked bananas and coconut cream; we also got pumpkin for its rarity value.

( Three photos of weaving and dancing )

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This viaduct has had my feet on it

2010-08-30T11:31:59Z

Remember the Newmarket Viaduct that has our names in it (and Vila's for that matter)? They've completed the new southbound lanes so they opened them up yesterday (Sunday) for the public to walk over. Greg's been looking forward to it for weeks, and I was keen too, depending on the weather. I said if it was raining I'd stay home. It wasn't when we left, but if course it poured down while we were walking up the on-ramp and along to the Big Blue Thing (the self-launching crane also affectionately called Big Blue). I thought it was a complete wash-out since all I could see was the inside of my large green umbrella and the wet concrete under my feet. I hate winter. I really hate winter. But then the sun came out and yay, I could see! And even take photos!

When we went back down (it was a walk of about 1.5kms) we went over to 277, stopping on the way to let a sudden downpour pass, and ate at my favourite place in the food hall there, the Thai-Vietnamese-Malay fusion place. We had kung-po chicken, tamarind fish, and beef rendang, and very yummy it was too.

( Photos )

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Matariki Kite Day

2010-07-11T06:22:12Z

Yesterday as part of the Maori midwinter festival Matariki, there was a Kite Day held on Bastion Point which belongs to the local iwi (tribe), Ngāti Whātua. As it was a stunningly beautiful winter's day, we decided to go. There were some amazing and huge kites, all based on sea creatures.

( 15 photos of gorgeous big kites, Maori marae, and area--all fairly small )

It was a gorgeous day and not that cold in the sun, but wow, it was cold last night. It got down to 4C.

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This viaduct has my name on it

2010-05-18T07:13:36Z

I have a soft spot for heavy engineering (which my father used to indulge with visits to dams and bridges). The motorway viaduct over Newmarket is being replaced while still in use, and on Sunday they had an open day. The process is pretty cool: the huge self-launching gantry (fondly known as The Big Blue Thing) is being used to build the new southbound lanes, then the old ones will be deconstructed (as opposed to demolished willy-nilly) and replaced with new northbound lanes, then the old northbound lanes will be taken down. The new structure's meant to withstand a 1-in-2500-years earthquake (probably while the whole city falls down around it).

A street was closed off on Sunday and visitors had the chance to sign their names in one of the segments before it goes up.

( Photos, and an unexpected appearance by Ceiling Cat )

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Mini air show and a cool ad campaign

2010-04-12T23:50:40Z

Scrapbook seems to be working again now, so I'll have another go.

There's been a big ad campaign here for the Steven Spielberg series The Pacific about the war there, probably because it all happened fairly near us and a lot of our people were involved. It started with a very good facsimile of a real letter written home during WW2 by a US marine being mailed out (with permission). I scanned the letter and envelope in because I found it interesting and moving.
Page 1
Page 2
Envelope
The site's worth a look too (see link above). I voted for being in the Air Force and got 7/10 in the quiz. :-P

Then on Sunday (I'd have posted yesterday if LJ's Scrapbook had worked) they held a mock-up of a dogfight between two Kittyhawks and a Japanese fighter complete with anti-aircraft fire. We went down to Mission Bay to watch. There were so many people doing the same thing that we had to park about about a km away and walk. I have photos of this plus bonus traditional Fijian boats and an Art Deco house.

( 13 photos )

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I'm a steely-eyed missile woman!

2009-08-16T06:31:10Z

Last night at Apollo 13 - Mission Control was absolutely wonderful--better even than I'd hoped!

First we went to the Middle East Cafe which has been there for ever (well, since 1980 according to their sign) and still makes the best falafels in town. It's a tiny place you have to go to early to get a table, but it's worth it: absolutely delicious falafel and salads. And lots of camels; the owner has been collecting them since the place opened, and they had carved ones, plushies, crockery, puzzles, two large Rinconada ones, jade ones, huge ones on their on shelves, tiny ones--and a biplane. Of course: it was a Sopwith Camel. :-D We even had camel-shaped biscuits with our coffee.

( Apollo 13 - Mission Control )

On to some photos (all pretty small).

( See me on the moon! See my console! See what I made! )

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