Palmerston North

It's raining at the moment in Palmerston North. I think it's easy to be negative about your home town. I don't dislike PN, I just can't imagine myself living here. And I think that a larger city has more opportunities, in general.
Here are some facts about Palmerston North:
-There are two bowling lanes. There is only one in Chch. This evening I went to Bowl-a-rama.
-English comedian John Cleese said some mean things about the city once. The residents hated him.
-Cafe Eminem recently opened. Amazing nomenclature.
-The city has been known as the Rose City, and also the Knowledge City. Presently, it's slogan is 'Young Heart, Easy Living.'
-Queen Victoria Esplanade is probably my favourite place in town. That and the Science Centre.
-My parents have lived in their house for about 24 years.
-A bylaw makes it illegal to drive three consecutive times around The Square. Apparently.
-The Cross on The Clock Tower in The Square had stood since the '50s, and had become mildly controversial in the '00s. Conincidentally (conspiratorially?), it 'fell off' a few years ago. No one was injured.
-I lived in Palmerston North for the first 22 and one third years of my life. If you'd like to know anything else about the city, feel free to ask.

Christmas

I'm back home in Palmerston North for about a week. Yesterday was Christmas - I hope you had a nice day. I spent it with my family; we sat on the lawn in the sunshine, talked about things that'd been happening, and ate really nice food. I made a pie - I'll post the recipe shortly.
I felt like I related to my family better than in the past. Talking to them was easy.
My family really liked the presents I made them. The poncho is still a work in progress, but it's looking good.
I got a book about New Zealand's biogeographical history, bicycle lights, and towels. What are your thoughts on the Oxford comma used in the previous sentence? I enjoy using them, perhaps more than I should.
It feels nice to be back in PN, though I'm not sure how much longer that feeling may last. PN strikes me as being a flat city, which is strange considering I've been in Christchurch for three years.
My bed feels so comfortable, it's hard to leave in the mornings.

Top 10 Gigs, Songs and Albums of 2009

It's been a pretty great year in music I think, and it's always fun (and a little tricky. Maybe even pointless) to make lists. These are my 'Top 10' lists, and are my favourites, rather than any sort of critical evaluation. This was on my Wednesday Drive radio show, and it was great fun. I wish I could 'podcast' this, but the recorder machine was not working!

Gigs

I think gigs especially are really variable as to how much you enjoy them - who you're with, the crowd, the band, how you're feeling - all can change your perception of a show.

10 - Bonaparte @ Camp A Low Hum

9 - Tommy @ The Dux

8 - Teacups @ Camp A Low Hum

7 - So So Modern @ Goodbye Blue Monday

6 - Ruby Suns @ Playskool

5 - Mint Chicks @ any of three shows I saw

4 - Metronomy @ Bodega

3 - Neil Young @ Big Day Out

2 - Animal Collective @ Powerstation

1 - The Brunettes @ Als' Bar

This was a tricky list to whittle down. Quite a few good ones didn't make the cut, but these are my absolute favourites.

Songs

10 - St. Vincent - The Strangers

9 - Atlas Sound (w/Noah Lennox) - Walkabout

8 - Tourettes - Letting Go

7 - David Bryne & Dirty Projectors - Knotty Pine

6 - Here We Go Magic - Tunnelvision

5 - Moron Says What?! - Natalie

4 - EAR PWR - Future Eyes

3 - Camera Obscura - French Navy

2 - Los Campesinos! - The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future

1 - Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes

There's been heaps of good albums out this year, and it was tough to pick just 10. Here are my favourites.

Albums

10 - Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

9 - Summer Cats - Songs for Tuesdays

8 - Haunted Love - Darkness in Diamond City

7 - Atlas Sound - Logos

6 - The Gladeyes - Psychosis of Love

5 - Woods - Songs of Shame

4 - Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport

3 - Mint Chicks - Screens

2 - Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion

1 - God Help The Girl - God Help The Girl

2009 In Review - Pt 3

• The first semester of uni this year, I was studying physics and astronomy. As much as I like astro, I really hit the wall, and decided to change to biology. I remember very clearly wondering how wave equations would impact on my life. It's been a good change, and second semester results were far better than first.
• I started working at Rialto Cinemas in July. It's a pretty swell job; I sell tickets, and make popcorn and coffees. Though I can go to the movies whenever I like, I've seen very few. My favourite movie this year was Mary & Max.
• I became an underwear model in August. My friend Morgan owns Nudel, and he was on the lookout for 'slim models'. It seemed like a pretty awesome idea, and I had a good time. Check out the hot pics here and here.
• RDU continued to be heaps of fun. I've been hosting my current show for more than a year, and it's awesome. It's nice when people say they like the show.

Bountiful suburban streets

This happened quite a while ago, and I'm a bit surprised it's taken so long to post. A few months back, my flatmate Eamonn and I were walking to the chip shop on a Saturday afternoon. Around the corner from our place, on the side of the road, was this:

A beautiful Hammond Organ. It had a sign saying FREE, TAKE ME, I Work. It was a total 'OMG' moment. We had nothing else to do that day, so thought about how to get it back to ours. It was only about a 4min walk, but that thing is really heavy. After about 100m/10min, we stopped outside a house that had a ute. We talked about it, and decided it was worth a shot asking the owner for a lift. He was an engineer having his lunch, and while a bit bemused/a surly kiwi bloke, was an absolute legend, and took us around the corner.

The sign had not lied, and it works a treat. You should come around some time for an organ jam.

It's a crochet kinda christmas

So, because I love to crochet/have a lot of time on my hands/don't like buying things, I've been crocheting gifts for my mum and dad.

My dad used to brew beer, so I made him this

And I told my mum I'd make her a poncho. In like, 10 days. If someone ever says to you, "hey, we should crochet ponchos!", shake your head with a rueful smile, and say "no, thanks."

2009 In Review - Pt 2

I've been reading my diary, which is at times amazingly indepth, and others, a broad overview.

• I went to Camp A Low Hum with Rose, and had a great time. I think a bunch of those gigs will be in my favourites for the year list.
• For the first few months of the year, I kind of realised that I'm the only person I can count on. I know I have amazing friends, but a few things happened that showed me you can only rely on yourself. I'm not sure how much I still feel like this.
• I threw an amazing tantrum on February 3rd
• This year I've become way more open and honest about how I feel about people, and usually tell them.
• I've become much more crafty and discovered how much I like making things
• April 30 - "It really feels like I'm just seeing beauty everywhere and now that I do, it almost feels self-reinforcing. Sometimes, parts of me feel cliched, but it just isn't a notion worth entertaining because I'm just too happy." For more on beauty and happiness, check here.
• I built a time machine like in the Science of Sleep. It really works too!

2009 In Review - Pt 1

Wow, what a year! This really has probably been one of the best for me - I hope it's been good for you too. Here are some things I've been up to this year.

• New Year's Eve, I watched the Shocking Pinks play. It was a pretty quiet night, until Eamonn, who I didn't know very well (but who is now one of my best friends) showed up. At midnight, I had a group hug with Shea and Adelle. Beth showed up later and we walked around, then looked for a cab to take her home. I walked home, and had work at The Warehouse the next day.
• I was working full time at The Warehouse over summer. It was actually pretty cool. The customers were okay, but got more demanding after Christmas. I was a 'checkout chick'.
• I met Beth at The Warehouse. I saw her at a couple of shows. I asked her out on the last day I was working. We dated a few times, then she returned to Wellington to study. You can read the rest of the story here and here and here. Spoilers - we end up being great friends.
• I went to the Big Day Out with Rose. It was pretty good - highlights were Mint Chicks, Neil Young, Hot Chip, and Black Kids.
• Beth and I stared in a music video, in which we kissed for about 4 minutes. Here is a picutre; otherwise, the video is here

Activites

I've sent a few letters to people. Their contents have been occasionally surreal. The offer still stands.

I'm attempting to crochet a poncho for my mother for christmas. I had a look at patterns, and decided that I could just figure it out myself. I spoke to her on the phone. She said I must be pretty fast with a crochet hook. It's going to be a challenge.

I'm also writing a review of my year. Part 1 will be up soon.

Next week on the radio, I will be listing my Top 10 Gigs, Songs, and Releases of the Year. What are your favourites?

A correspondence

Here is a picture of some of the cards I've been making

I know that you love receiving letters in the mail. If you would like a letter from me, send me an email with your address - superchai@gmail.com - and I'll get writing. It will be handwritten, in a hand made envelope. Anywhere in the world. Also, if you'd like a card, let me know.

Re-Collections

I've found that a Blog A Day is tricky, especially in nice weather, and when I'm busy doing things. Also, I would not like to force an 'inspired' post. Maybe there'll be 31 posts by the end of the month.

I went to Auckland this week to see Animal Collective play. I went with my friends Josie and Tim. It'd been a long time coming - we'd booked tickets in September or something, and I kept making plans for the days I'd be away. I got to finally meet Nick and Sarah from Einstein Music Journal, which was fantastic. I speak to them fortnightly on the radio, but we'd not met 'til now. I got hello hugs, which was great, and they are such lovely people - it was like hanging with old friends.

And so off to Animal Collective. We walked there, and arrived just before they started playing. I promptly lost the people I was with, and danced on my own. I had a really good time. They played In The Flowers first, which has so much meaning to me. I guess because it reminds me of Beth. She was there, but arrived late, and we didn't get to meet up until after the show. Still, it was so amazing to see her again. I just held her, both of us covered in sweat.

After the show, we walked around, half-looking for a party. I was just happy to adventure, and spend time with her. We lay down in the Domain, looking at stars. It was everything I could've hoped for. I think I probably enjoyed seeing Beth more than the concert. At the airport, we were on different flights, and she managed to sneak up on me. I gave her An Awesome Book, and will see her again in a few weeks. I feel fulfilled.

A slight sensation

A few days back, exam results were released. I was pretty pleased with the A's and B+'s I got, and it makes a nice change from studying physics - I really enjoy the material, and do well. Now to just sort out next years plans, which will be my last year. After that, maybe try to get in to post-grad, with an eye on lecturing and things like that?

I've also been making Christmas cards for friends - the only acceptable form of card to give. I'll put a few pictures up when I've got a bunch done. If you'd like to receive one, send me an email.

Today I'm going to the Christmas Parade. I'm expecting to see Star Wars and Nickelodeon characters, and would be really happy to see some minor local celebrities. Tonight there are some carols in a local park, which should be very sweet. How festive! I'm going to be going home to Palmerston North for Christmas, which is great, and all the family will be back together. Awwww.

Tomorrow I'm up to Auckland to see Animal Collective, which is pretty freakin' exciting.

Right Now

Right Now, what is your Favourite :

-Album - HEALTH - Get Colour

-Song - Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension

-Food - Marmite and avocado on toast

-Television Show - Twin Peaks

-Smell - The shaving cream I use

-Item of Clothing - My peppermint polo shirt

-Website - Pretty Bird

What are your favourites, Right Now?

A summer of interesting things

This summer is shaping up to be a very exciting one - lots of gigs, spending time with friends, sitting in the sun, and work to pay for those things.

I'm going to :

Animal Collective in Auckland

Christmas with my family in Palmerston North

New Years with friends in Wellington

Ponytail and Telepathe in Wellington

Campus A Low Hum in Bulls

Laneways in Auckland

Adventures around Christchurch

Escapades around the South Island

What are your plans for summer?

The First Day of December

Recent Book Reviews, in the style.

Everything a Teenage Boy Should Know, by Dr John F. Knight
This was an interesting book, wasn't it? Indeed, a sort of conversation between a doctor and a teenage boy. Naturally, the doctor dispenses advice that a young man should know. A little outdated, don't you think? Yes, things have changed since 1980. Homosexuality is no longer seen as a disease of the mind for starters. Still an entertaining read though.

You Shall Know Our Velocity, by Dave Eggers
A story that starts on the title page, full on at you. Will and Hand try to rid themselves of a sum of money, by traveling to obscure, poor countries, and seeing the life, real, on the ground. Stories of interaction, anguish of loss, and the experience gained. This is modern American literature, to rock you like a hurricane.

Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw
Higgins: The Devil! I'd never have thought a play about phonetics so enjoyable.
Liza: Oo-er syr, dun yew tall lyke that!
Higgins: (easing) Oh girl, don't be so uppity. And please use your tongue in a more intelligible manner. Characters change in this story. Except me.
Liza: Stey as yew migh syr. A digh'nafyed tale

Pictures from an adventure

Melbourne has:

-Lord of the Fries. Amazing fries and burgers, and it's all vegetarian/vegan! Yummm!

-My lovely friend Amy. I stayed at her house in Deer Park. Her partner Aaron, and two kids Bailey and Ella were in NZ at the time, but I'll see them over christmas.

-Single speed bicycles. Heaps of them. Maybe 40 percent.

-This amazing bed. It's Amy's son Bailey's, and I got to sleep in it - jealous?

-My pretty friend Annie. She used to host Monday Drive on RDU, and now works in radio promotions.

-Soy soft serve! Avaliable at Tofu Shop in Richmond

-Street art. And public art. Which are the same things, really.

-Riki. My brother-from-another-mother, and an outstanding guy

-Kiri. Essentially the reason I went to Melbourne, she means so much to me. More than I could hope to explain here. So much of who I am as a person, has come from her being in my life.

Because I'm a fairly average tourist, I didn't have a camera with me much of the time. Other highlights were finding the Meet Me At Mikes shop, and talking with the wonderful Pip about crocheting. I also bought a copy of Dawn's zine about sandwiches.

I went to a gig at Pony, and didn't know anyone, so just talked to a couple of girls. Ella and Tosca were lovely, and we met up for a coffee before I left.

And much else happened besides. Stay tuned for a Blog A Day for the month of December.

A trip to Melbourne

I've been in Melbourne for the last ten days, and it was a great trip. My next post will have pictures.

I had a six a.m. flight to get there. Sitting, in the departure lounge, I watched the sky lighten as the sun came up. Sitting, next to the window in the plane, the sun cast long shadows across the runway. As the plane took off, I watched the mis-proportioned shadow of the plane race alongside me, and move across the fields by the airport as I left the ground. I stared at that shadow as it grew smaller and smaller, until it was just a smudge on the landscape. Then less. Then nothing. The plane no longer cast a shadow.

On the way home, the plane was delayed an hour leaving due to wind. I was listening to Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion as the plane taxied, and I left the ground just as In The Flowers musically exploded. I don't think I would've minded if the plane had exploded too - it felt like poetry.

My friend Rose picked me up in Christchurch. "You look beardier", she said.

Do you ever feel like this sometimes?

Today I walked to town, I read in Victoria Square, went to the library, and got some groceries. Out of nowhere, a very familiar feeling develops inside, welling, sprouting, like something growing, expanding, like what’s inside me might be bigger than the outsides, and more than they could hold. Sometimes like electricity, actually fizzing and whirring everywhere, sometimes explosions, like I will be torn apart, like I will lift off and fly through the sweet, warm air. From somewhere way deep down, the soul, the spirit, the chakra, whatever religious people might call it, but it’s so much more, like in that instant, you must change, something, somehow. To laugh or cry or both or just lie on the ground and flagellate and spasm to try and accept what might be happening.

And now

Exams are finished! I think they went really well, and they're quite a relief to be done. No need to go to uni every single day. A few things I learnt:

-Don't pay ridiculous amounts of money for 'energy drinks' - buy a $1 can of Mountain Dew!

-Fuck Buttons are easily the best band I've ever studied to

-There are a lot of pretty girls in The Loft computer room

-Daily consumption of $1 cans of Mountain Dew leads to dependence

-Long days of study leads to emotional fragility

-Healthy eating is required to avoid Study Colds

-Whimsical, light hearted reads such as archy and mehitabel is great after study

-There's always something to look forward to after it all

I'm off to Melbourne next Monday, which is very exciting. And I've got a whole bunch of projects that I've been thinking about over the last few weeks. Stay tuned for more updates

Cupcake

It's taken quite a while to upload this photo - mainly because the camera was misplaced.

I made this for my friend T'nealle's birthday. It's all crocheted. I was inspired by a book called Knit-o-rama, which showed how to knit interesting, decorative everyday objects. I figured I could do the same with crochet, so designed and made this in a couple of days.

Hot water bottle

This is an analogy that I've been thinking about lately. It's not written about anyone - I just like hot water bottles.

Our relationship was like someone holding a hot water bottle. At the start, you were so warm, and I would hold you, taking in your heat. Though the rest of the world was cold, you kept me snug, and I held you tightly, selfishly.
Over time though, things changed. I still felt the need for you, but you'd cooled. What I felt as a warm touch from you was merely heat that my own body had given. I tried to keep us both warm, but the cold inside you was too great.

Life as a dream

So last night, I met a really beautiful girl. We bumped in to each other in the library, and she dropped her things. We looked at each other, and I felt my heart swell, and I knew she felt the same way.
I woke up, and felt really confused. Was that a dream - or was I remembering it? Later in the night, I was dreaming (again?) and thought, no, that had really happened. When I woke up this morning, it took some time to figure out that it had all been a dream. A dream-within-a-dream.
Lately that's how my sleeping's been. Long days of study, punctuated with night time where the things I learn swirl around in my head.
And then the days are what follow the night - whimsical ideas flit about as I review the diversity of flowers.

I always find study so overwhelming, emotionally. I just sit down and learn, and the 'thinking/learning' part of my brain churns away. Meanwhile, the 'emotional/contemplative' part throws curveballs at my conciousness.

Exam time

Exams are coming up, and I've been studying hard. I've changed to studying biology (from astronomy), and I'm really loving it. And working hard. So, unlike the last study period which saw the genesis of this blog, there probably won't be many posts here in the next few weeks.
Probably.
Anyway, I hope you are well. I've been studying dinosaurs and flowers, which is all I could really wish for.

This evening...

Has been rather productive. I went grocery shopping, which was long overdue. You'll be glad to know I bought a new jar of peanut butter, yummmm.

Then I got crafty. I made a mix CD of twee music for a friend who had not heard of twee. She likes hardcore, so that should be interesting...

And a card for someone special, featuring Napoleon Dynamite.

A cave had mysteriously appeared in my room a few days ago, and this evening it enveloped my bed!

I needed some light to see while I was in the cave, so I made a lampshade out of 'Another Box of Candy Tops' (I found this at an Asian supermarket. I don't know what they are, but they sound dazzling)

And inside the cave, there were animals everywhere!

I'm looking forward to dreaming tonight

Peanut butter and 50 posts

So this is the fiftieth post on this blog. I kind of wanted it to be a little more heart-felt than this one is, but I also think this is quite fun. And odd. I have something rather meaningful that I'll try write soon.

I guess one of my quirks is that when I finish a jar of peanut butter, I don't throw it away. I guess I intend to scrape the jar out at some later point. Things got kind of ridiculous recently when I found that I had very little room in my cupboard.

Because there were ten empty jars of peanut butter

This was far more embarrassing than I'd imagined. I had no idea how bad my habit had become. On the up side, from this collection I managed to gather a lot of peanut butter

So that turned out okay. It's always a shame when you get to the end of a jar, and you're forced to run the knife around the inside, and smear a thin layer of PB on to your bread. This of course gives way to the reckless exuberance when you get a new jar, and spread a fifth of the jar on one piece.

Letters

I sent Beth a letter. It was Fastpost, and I put two Fastpost stickers on it. It really seemed to give the post people a hurry up.

The last letter I received was from my poppa. He is my fathers father, and I had written him a letter. Enclosed within it was a card to my gran, who shares the birthday with myself and my twin sister Kate. In fact, when Kate and I turned 6 on Sep 6th, gran turned 60.

Unfortunately, she now has Alzheimer's. I never used to be worried by that disease - people age, and probably won't last forever. But of course, it's so different when it happens to someone you love. Seeing my gran (and my late nana), who has lived this amazingly strong, dignified life, be brought down by her own mind is heart-breaking.

I cried as I wrote the letter to my poppa. He is probably the person I respect the most, and I can only hope to be thought of by others as I highly as I think of him. I cried when I read his reply.

Things and things

It's been an eventful week. Last Sunday I had a picnic with my friend Chloe. It was really nice, and I asked her out. She said yes, and I was happy because she's perfect 'on paper'. However, we broke up with out actually going out, which is good, because neither of us were actually ready to be in a relationship. Real life can be tricky. Who knows?

I went to the Silver Scrolls last week. It was an amazing night, and Lawrence Arabia won! I'm glad I bet on the right horse. Morgan from RDU filmed a review of the night.

Last Friday was the RounDUp Grand Final, and was won by Sleepy Age, which I was very happy with.

I've been writing an animal behaviour essay about mate choice. Oh, the animals. They know a thing or two about relationships. I'm not having much luck picking up tips, though I do get to read books with titles like 'Sexual Selection'.

It feels like I've been going in circles a bit with Beth lately. Being really honest about how I'm feeling is probably a good thing, but when I'm feeling as flippant as I have been lately, it usually involves me trying to explain how I really feel. Right now. It does feel like I've made some good realisations though, and she has been all too sweet trying to help figure out what's going on.

Radio

When I moved to Christchurch in 2007, I decided to get involved with RDU, the b-Net station. I helped out a bit, doing promotional work during Orientation Week at uni. When the station found out I studied astronomy, I began doing a segment called Astroboy on Breakfast with Kate Gorgeous.

That was heaps of fun, and after I while, I ended up learning the ropes, and getting my own show.

After hosting a bunch of different shows, I started on Wednesday Drive. That was a year ago.

I find it quite surprising to be on the radio - I couldn't of imagined doing this before I moved to Chch. And at the same time, it's something I really love. It's been great learning as I go, rather than at Broadcasting School. My style has been described as 'earnest', which I guess is how I am most of the time.

Tomorrow is my one year anniversary of Drive, and I've got a great show planned. I'll be talking with Nick and Sarah from Einstein Music Journal, Lawrence Arabia is dropping by to say 'hi', I'll be previewing the Silver Scrolls (which I get to go to, yeah!), and the Grand Final of RounDUp - as well as my favourite tracks of the last year. Woah!

You can tune in Wednesday, 4-7pm NZST, on 98.5fm, or www.rdu.org.nz

Los Campesinos!

Los Campesinos! are my favourite band. Ever. I just love them so much. It feels like my life won't be complete until I see them live.
I could gush about them no end, but I'll keep it short. They have a new album out in a few months, and have just released a new song, called The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future.
Pretty awesome stuff.

Twenty Five

Last Sunday, I turned 25. It was a really nice day. I had lunch with Sophie, afternoon tea with Rose, and dinner at the flat.
I'm not sure what to make of it all. I wouldn't of imagined I'd be where I'm at now at 25, but I wouldn't want to change anything. My life before moving to Christchurch was very different and challenging (and mysterious, to most of you). Things in the last few years have been amazing.
It feels like a revelation might be around the corner. When does the life you live make sense in the present?

The Friday before my birthday, I donated blood. Auspiciously, it was my 25th donation, and I got a free umbrella. Well, I guess it cost me about 12 litres of blood. If you're able to, please consider donating blood - it's incredibly selfless and altruistic.

I made a present for my sister (she's my twin, it was her birthday also), it was a crocheted purse. I didn't photograph it, but I'm working on something else that I will show you when it's done.
Also, last Saturday, there was a screen-print-a-thon at my flat. Here's what I made...

Beth has been in Chisthchurch for the last few days. We've caught up a few times. I think things have been going really well. We had a lovely day in the gardens on Monday, climbing trees, feeding ducks, and taking photos.

It was like a friendship date.

And last night we met up for tea.

She's amazing. I told her that I tell people that I liked her so much because she saw the world in the same way as I do.

I know we will be great friends.

A cycle trip

When I moved to Christchurch in 2007, I cycled. It was an amazing trip, and I blogged about it here

Vision

Today I was eating a bagel on the steps of the library, and I watched a blind woman walking across the quad. She looked quite unsure of herself, and a man pointed her in the direction of the library.
I was reading, and I glanced up to see that she'd gone past the steps, and was very close to the pond that surrounds them.
She fell in. It was so horrible. I ran down to help her, and she climbed out. Another lady helped her up, and security were nearby. She was so frightened. "I just can't deal with not being able to see."
I feel terrible for her, but also like I should've done something. It might not've helped, but I could of called out.
It is almost unimaginable to lose a sense, but I guess this lady recently had. It makes me appreciate what I am able to do.

I wish I could love you like you love me

It has been a short while since I last blogged, and I'd been thinking about what to say. I went to Wellington to see Beth, and we had so much fun. It was a really great weekend, that included:

-eating kebabs

-drinking beer, wine, and soju (Korean sake)

-whispering

-sneaking in to fancy hotel spas

-staying in fancy hotels

-laughing

-dancing to Tiddabades and Brand New Math

-walking up hills

-making brownies and inari (WOAH!)

-discussing grammar, dream, and chocolate

On the last night, it seemed like she had something on her mind. Lying together in bed, she whispered that she thought we should break up.

It felt like I would sink through the bed.

This was so unexpected, and probably the farthest thing on my mind. I just felt empty, and so sad.

It was a rough end to the weekend. I won't go in to the details, but things are okay between us. We've been talking a lot.

Exciting!

As I mentioned in Haunted Love loves you, the band and I had come up with a pretty amazing project. They played in Wellington, and I'd asked them if perhaps they could say hi to Beth while they were there...

"Yes! Yes! We'd love to!"

"Oh we could play a song for her"

"No! We'll cover any song you want, and play it for her!"

"We can give her flowers!"

... and last night that is exactly what happened. They played Hey Sunshine by Let's Whisper. I was so super excited about it, and they were too! They were glad that I had asked them to do it, because they really like doing stuff like this - "we can be your cupid" said Geva.

So I just had to make sure Beth went, and was sending her some fairly impelling text messages.

I'm so glad it worked out. I'm up to Wellington tomorrow for the weekend, and have a few more things planned.

Sunday afternoon

Spring seems very eager to get started here in Christchurch. The sun is feeling warm, and the sky is clear.

As I lay in bed this morning, I listened to Radio for Kids on RDU. The kids that phone up can be annoying, but often tell great stories (about kid stuff). Their taste in music is pretty bad, but the show plays some amazing recorded stories. Like, Thomas the Tank-engine. And Oscar Wilde's short stories, read by men with the most wonderful voices. Wilde's 'The Selfish Giant' was read today, and was stunningly beautiful,

'He did not hate the Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.'

I've been reading about possums in New Zealand as part of a case study about an invasive species. I read in the sunshine and enjoyed a cup of tea. After noon, I crocheted some granny squares (pics coming...), before heading in to town to meet Sophie for afternoon tea.

It was nice to see her again. We went to Soul Food on High Street. I had a fantastic pie.

We walked about the streets of the inner city. She studies theatre costume design, and I asked her what would be the most basic, number one piece of information about that. She said, "make it fun."

As I walked home, the sun was setting; through high cloud it created a faint rainbow halo.

Hauted Love loves you

I went and saw Haunted Love last night - and they were really great! I missed their first song, but they seemed in great spirits. Some very clever banter covered up organ malfunctions. And they played some great songs! Nothing off their EP Darkness in Diamond City (which I've been loving), but that's something to look forward to next time.

I'd spoken with one of the girls, Rainy, on Wednesday, and got a Hello Hug when I met her. It was awesome. I also got a Hello Hug from Geva. I was speaking with the girls after the show, and woah, woah, woah! We have a very-special-super-secret-amazingly-exciting-project coming up, which I will tell you about next week. Eeeek! So excited!

The Bats also played, and I always forget how amazing they are. Super tight, with a massive catalogue of great songs.

I'm crocheting a hat for Netta. I also talked about a craft collaboration with T'nealle that should be pretty choice

Lovely weekend

The weekend just passed was absolutely splendid - one of the nicest in a long while.

Saturday was wonderfully warm and sunny, and I did some research in a chair on the front lawn. I had a cup of tea, and was listening to a mixtape Beth had made me (a real tape!), and reading about the removal of possums from Kapiti Island. It was a very well written, interesting report. I have a 3000 word case study to write about an invasive species in NZ - it's quite intimidating.
After I'd read the report, I went for a walk to the chip shop, and got some food, and an ice block from the dairy. When I got home, Melinda, Eamonn and I had a picnic on the front lawn, and listened to music. We watched clouds and birds drifting above us. It was a great Saturday afternoon.
I went to a gig that night, but was home fairly early. Netta and I watched a combination of Face/Off-28 Days Later-music videos - none of them were especially good.

Sunday was not as warm - the sun was hiding behind roaming clouds. I read a little bit, and then set off to town with overdue library books. I was also heading to Pak 'n' Save, but rather than shopping on an empty stomach, I visited The Orange Tree, a new-ish cafe. They were closing, so food took a while to prepare.
While I was waiting, a girl walked in, who I'd seen last week in P 'n' S. She had been wearing, as she was now, a red riding hood/poncho, that was very distinctive. We both sort of waited, and I wondered if I should talk to her.
I did - mentioning that I'd seen her last week. We sort of got chatting, and her name was Sophie, and she was touring NZ from Adelaide. We had lunch together in Victoria Square, and it was lovely.
We hung out for a while, and then exchanged numbers. I felt over the moon.
I was really happy with how things went. Reaching out to a complete stranger, and making a really nice new friend.

I bought groceries and went home. I've been crocheting a hat for Netta, which I'm designing myself.
Beth called, and it was great to talk to her. She'd lost her cell-phone, and I was feeling a bit less in touch with her. I'm up to Wellington Friday after next!

Coming up on this week Wednesday Drive (4-7pm), I shall be interviewing Haunted Love, James Duncan and The Gladeyes. Swoon swoon swoon. RDU 98.5fm

Crocheted hat!

I made this hat over the past week. It began at the last crafternoon, and was finished a week later. I've started work on a new project, taking what I've learnt from this one, and making it more interesting.

At the moment, the Christchurch Arts Festival is on. There's been some really interesting bits and pieces to check out.

In the Square, the Animation Substation has been amazing. Two programmes of animation have been screening in container-ship-container-theatres.

I watched a few today, and when I left, it was cold. I looked up in to the clear sky and saw the moon. It was a waxing crescent. I wondered how many poets, scientists and dreamers had been inspired by the moon. It sort of overwhelmed me how, since the dawn of mankind, the moon has been there, continually changing; always the same.

Crafternoon

Friday afternoon finally saw a planned craft circle come to fruition! My flatmate Melinda and I went to Gareth and Mirabel's house, and it was wonderful and fun and productive.

I was getting started on a crocheted hat. I think it might be a bit small, so I might give it to some lucky child. Melinda was working on her complex embroidery, which is a picture of a diatom. Mirabel used children's picture books to make a beautiful collage card. And her lovely flatmate Alex was knitting an amazing pair of gloves!

I think we covered most areas of the craft spectrum. Gareth made some afghan biscuits for everyone, and they were delicious!

It was so much fun! I'll try and find some pictures, though I suspect here will be the best place

Some cool things

In the last few months I've been getting in to arts and crafts more. It's been heaps of fun.

My flatmates Netta and Fran had some pinking shears, so I got 'pinking'. I made this friendly fellow - his name is Snappy

Why buy furniture when you can make it? I really like cardboard, and figured this would be a cheap/cool/diy project

I made a hot water bottle cover. It was one of the first crafty things I made. Special thanks to World Sweet World for the idea. I love it.

I really like craft blogs, and there often seems to be photos like these. I was pretty pleased with these suede shoes I found at an op shop.

I love walnuts. And, it would seem they love me too.

My friend Joh and I had a KEUT CRAFT MAKEY THINGS COMPETITION. This was my entry. I learnt to knit over Queen's Birthday, and made this little guy. He has fabric stuffing, button eyes, a felt smile, and cardboard limbs. His name is Dio.

The physics department were throwing away old molecules, and I grabbed this one. It's fluorspar, and it makes a pretty flash light fitting.

Lunch

I had some lunch today with my friend Joh. She is such a lovely, interesting, beautiful person.

I had a vegan pie; she had a vegetarian quiche. We talked about what we had been doing. I was really glad when Joh said that she'd been feeling really happy, for no real reason - that's how I feel! It's strange - but it's not like it's a bad thing. Perhaps it's human nature to understand why you feel a certain way.

I know that for me, I have lots of thing to feel happy about. I think the two are really connected - when good things happen, you're far more aware of it; when you're in a good mood, good things seem likely to happen.

We talked about the passage of time, Generation Y, and how you see yourself in the recent past. It feels like Joh and I are in a really similar place.

When you surround yourself with beautiful people, good things happen.

Goodbye hug

No hello hug when I met Ashley - just a hand shake. That's okay - it just makes hello hugs all the more amazing.

I did get a big hug from Beth at the airport. It was lovely. I'd been waiting with her mum, and we thought the flight was delayed, so were just sitting around and then, 'oh, wait, there she is'

We spent a really nice day together on Saturday. It was warm and sunny in Christchurch, and we went to New Brighton. The sun was low in the sky and cast interesting shadows as it reflected off the sand. We played Eye-Spy.

I had work in the evening. It was really quiet, not many people were going to the movies. I cycled to hers when I was finished. I'd misplaced my gloves, which made for some pretty numb, pink fingers.

Next to her in bed, I didn't want her to go. I wish we could have stayed there forever. We drank chai tea.

She was driven to the airport in the morning. I cycled home.

I got a flat tire.

I felt sad, but it was okay. I know that she is still an incredible part of my life, and that Wellington is really close.

We are going to start a blog, I'll give you the details soon

Hello hug

Beth's been in Sydney for the last week. She flies in tonight, and I'm going to meet her at the airport. I am planning on going for a wonderfully clichéd Hollywood moment - running, dropping bags, hugging. I can't wait to see her again.
I'm at uni at the moment. I was going to be doing a phone interview with the creators of Drawn Together, but unfortunately, the phone number didn't work.
I'm staying here to meet a friend-of-a-friend for brunch. I've not met her before, and I'm hoping for a 'hello hug', where two people hug when meeting for the first time. I think that should happen more often.
Yesterday I was waiting for a bus in to town from uni, and at the bus stop there were dozens of sparrows hoping around, scouring the trodden dirt for good things to eat.
Also yesterday, I learnt to crochet. It's really amazing, I think I'm in love. I'll keep practising, and post some pictures.

My Typewriter

A few weeks ago I bought a wonderful typewriter. It was an amazingly cheap $10 from a nice man on Trademe, and I simply love it.

It's a Hermes Baby, made in West Germany. It was one of the lightest, most portable typewriters made. It has both red and black ink, and is a joy to type with.

I wrote this note for you

I wrote this about the last time I went to Wellington

The young man had flown in to the city that morning. True to form, it had been very windy and bitingly cold. He had sent her a text message and caught a bus from the airport to the train station.
Now, walking along The Terrace, he could feel the anticipation rising. Having walked the roads of the central city many times, he was moving on auto-pilot - wearing a large coat and backpack, a sports bag in his arms, and his mind on only one thing.
His eyes were focused toward the horizon of the footpath, waiting to see her. It was lunchtime, busy, people everywhere. That's not her. That's not her either.
Then, unmistakeably, walking towards him - there she was.
Her arms folded as she walked to keep warm. A smile shot across his face; she broke in to a little skipping run.
He dropped his bags and embraced her.
A most perfect moment.
Two people, together, alone in the city.
Holding her, his face pressed into her soft hair.
'I missed you,' she said. Barely able to find the words,
'I missed you, too,' he replied.

I know that we believe in magic

Hello. I hope you've been well. It feels like ages since I've written anything, though it's only been about a week. As I mentioned, I've been super lucky spending time with Beth, and I'll write a bit about her.

Beth and I both worked at The Warehouse over the calamitous Christmas/New Year's period. I thought she was really pretty when I first met her.

We went out for coffee (dated?) a few times, and I really liked her. We started going out, and ended up staring in a music video in which we made out for several minutes. She is amazing.

And she studies in Wellington. We had an amazing month of summer loving, and then she went back up north. We just sort of left things in limbo. I missed her heaps.

I went to Wellington over Easter, and we spent an amazing weekend together, and it felt like nothing had changed. It was so special.

And then we broke up. Even though we had something good going, we decided not to try going long-distance. And so we were really amazing friends for a few months.

Then she came down to Christchurch last week, and again, nothing had changed. We still have this amazingly special bond, and it feels so right. If living in different cities is the only reason not to be together, well, I don't think that's enough. She is so worth it.

I adore her so completely, and when I'm with her, I can just feel the love flowing out of my heart.
She is amazing and beautfiul and good and she, like me, believes in magic.

The title of this post is a lyric from one of my favourite new songs, Hug Your Spirit, by Basketball Nightmare

Exams, done

"I have never read your blog" - Netta
Thanks Netta, there's a wee bit to read, so feel free to take a look and leave your thoughts in the Comment section.

So, exams are over. I'm pretty pleased. For the most part they went well. One of the best, most miraculous things during the whole exam time was that I got ZERO punctures! That's 6km, each way, about 25 trips. Amazing! The cycle fairies were watching over me, especially after they seemingly turned their backs on me when I got three punctures in the two weeks before the exam period.

I've been enjoying the time to chill, and spending lots of time with Beth. I'll write another post about what I've been doing.

One day your heart will stop beating, so you'd better use it lots now

Ramblings...

A few weeks ago, I had a full day of study at uni, and was feeling quite overwhelmed. At the end of the day, I found Chelsea Jade's gorgeous blog and was feeling in a most peculiar mood. I went and returned a text book to the library, and was just in a really emotional, aware state. My mind was racing, and I just had to describe how I felt.
I wrote the following in the back of my physics course reader. I present it to you, unedited,

"The world is such an amazingly beautiful place, and it's all so overwhelming.
But it's just full of beauty - enough to make write and babble at uni, in the dark, because I have to get this out.
A miracle to be alive, and to see and feel and experience everything.
The cold air biting through my cardigan
The whistles of the air intakes
Seeing a man walking in front of me.
Reading blogs after a whole days study.
Time to cycle home.
Beauty is everywhere - a matter of blissful perspective"

A story about snow

I wrote this as a note on Facebook last year, after I was lucky enough to see snow for the first time. I really like it.
"Simply put, I love snow. It's amazing stuff, and I can't imagine living without it. The interesting thing though, is that I only reached this conclusion on Saturday (7th June 2008).
Yeah, embarrassed to say, but I was a snow virgin. It had been a long time coming, I was certainly willing and eager, but it just, you know, never happened. It was awkward talking to people about it, and I'd just pretend to be 'one of the guys', who's had their fare share of days in the snow.
So my snow-cherry was popped, and I can't imagine a more beautiful moment. I was coming back from Pak N Save on the bus, and thought that the rain on the windscreen looked funny. I wondered, suspected, that it could be snow, and when I got off at my stop, was a little confused. It was like, really slow moving rain. And big, and white.
My flatmates Mohammed and Shanna were on the balcony, taking photos when I got back. After confirming that it was, in fact, snowing, we all ran outside. Fantastically, we weren't the only ones. In case you didn't know, I work as a residential assistant at Ilam Village, a hall of residence for students from all around the world. This means that apart from my own deprived self, there were many other people who haven't experienced snow. So there were Malaysians whooping, Saudis slipping in the snowy grass, Solomon Island children making snowballs. Can you imagine a more amazing scene? It was one of those incredible 'we are the world' moments, where we all forgot about terrorism, petrol prices and the cold, and were brought together by snow.
Wandering around Ilam, I found more of the same. It was an incredible day. In the evening, my friend Bronwyn (Canadian), showed me how to make a snowman, and I made the best and first one of my life.
I really have to say, that this was one of the most amazing days of my life in every way. It felt like my heart was going to explode, from being so happy, which is a fantastic feeling.
I hope it happens again."

Speechless

Two nights ago I was making some pretty flash corn fritters for dinner, when I got a text message from an unknown number.
It said something like 'Check your mail box for secret surprise present'

What I found amazed, confused and overwhelmed me.
In a decorated brown paper bag, with a typewritten note, was this:

It was made by a mysterious stranger, because they enjoy my blog so.

I really didn't know what to say. It is such a humbling gift. I enjoyed a strange sense of pride (for myself) and love (for the Mysterious Stranger).

I had my suspicions, and it turns out it was the absolutely adorable (and impossibly talented) Mirabel from All Your Stars Are Out.

We will be having a craft circle on Saturday afternoon. I am very excited, and have a few projects in mind

Math is cute

I'm doing second year calculus at uni. It's been challenging, but is overall very interesting.
When dealing with trigonometric functions (sine, cosine, tangent) these terms are shortened, and expressed with a variable. Usually, you'll see sin(x), tan(c) etc.
If I'm lucky, sometimes the problem will be cos(y), which always makes me smile.

Water

I am in the Crypt - computer basement lab at uni. I can hear water sloshing around above me.
It sounds amazing.
If I close my eyes, I can imagine that I'm at the beach. Or underwater

Beauty

Beauty is one of those things that I tend to think about a lot.
I remember when I was in sixth form at high school, our history teacher, Mr Voelkerling, asked us to describe beauty.
What a hard question. Way harder than any of the essays I wrote about the unification of Italy.
After the class thought for a while, one guy said 'some girls'. Someone else said 'Jesus'.
My answer was 'lots of things'.
It's a question that I still ponder. Every day, in fact.
And while I'm still looking for an answer, I love the examples I find everywhere around me.

Cycling home

Last night, I cycled home from uni. I had sat an exam, and then done Drive, and the Sheep Technique with Hollan.
It was very cold.
I wrapped my scarf over the top of my head to help keep my ears warm, and my helmet kept it in place.
The air was still and quiet. It was easy to cycle fast, and I did, which helped warm me up.
I sliced through the night. It was perfect.
The flat was cold and empty when I got home. Wrapped up in blankets, I sat on the couch, hugging my hot water bottle, and listened to Neon Bible.
Beth and I sent a lot of text messages. I wish she was there, then.

Elemeno

Liars - Four Songs (15 mins)
4 track sampler of Liars angular art-punk. Some demos, and a Crystal Castles remix, which sounds heaps like CC (Sailing to Byzantine/It Fit When I Was A Kid)
Little Pictures - Owl + Owl (26 mins)
Minimal bedroom pop from a boy and girl in love. Awww. A bit samey across the album, but heaps of fun. (Owl + Owl/Tiny Gaps/You + Me + My Amplifier)
Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster (42 mins)
Easily my favourite band, just amazing on so many levels. Phenomenal debut. I'll probably post about them later. Anyway, great 'everything in the mix' indie pop. Sound explosions. Vindictive lyrics. Songs about being an aimless 20 something. Relationships. Dance parties. It feels like my life won't be complete 'til I see them live. (all the songs)
Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (32 mins)
More great stuff, darker than before. Insanely memorable lyrics. 'We kid ourselves there's future in the fucking, but there is no fucking future'. (it's all good)
Jody O Lloyd - Loops of Love (56 mins)
Great hip hop album, reminded me a bit of RJD2. A more enjoyable listen than Trillion's SilentInvisible (Happy & Healthy/Happiness Is.../Recipe for a Perfect Nap)
Lullatone - We Will, We Will Rock You (To Sleep) - (30 mins)
This 'Beginners Guide to Lullatone' is a great intro to the minimal bedroom Japanese pop duo. Lots of soft percussion, and lullaby-esq tunes. A good place to start when defining 'cute'. (Good Morning Melody/Hello Kitty Makes a Band/A Miniature Finale)
Metronomy - Nights Out (43 mins)
'Kind of' a concept album about going out to clubs. Fantastic IDM/pop album, and an amazing live act (The End of You Too/On Dancefloors/Heartbreaker)
Mint Chicks - Screens (30 mins)
One of my most anticipated releases of the year, it certainly did not disappoint. I really like the direction these guys are headed (in to the future, to deconstruct art/pop/punk), and it's a strong album full of great songs. (I Can't Stop Being Foolish/Hot On Your Heels/Life Will Get Better Someday/Enemies)
Mount Pleasant - Horseshoe Lake (34 mins)
Wistful, dreamy instrumentation, with the occasional burst of distortion. Very little singing, just fractured, honest statements. A few 'good vibes' floating around too. (In Lust pt.2/Song With X/Track 4)
The Naked and Famous - This Machine (19 mins)
A great debut ep, with mixes of electro, post-grunge, pop, and shoegaze. Spongelike music. (Part 1/Post)
The Naked and Famous - No Light (19 mins)
Ostensibly the second half of the 'not released as an album-album', more of the same, though less rewarding. (Birds/Part 2)
The O'Lovelys - The O'Lovelys (30 mis)
This was probably the first local band I became a fan of when I moved to Chch. Some nicely written pop songs (Oh No/Clocks/Black Stitch)
Operator Please - Yes, Yes, Vindictive (39 mins)
I hadn't listened to this in ages, and found that I still enjoyed it as much as when I first got it. Perhaps even more. Trashy throw away electro-pop songs from precocious kids - heaps of fun. (Leave It Alone/Zero Zero/Other Song)

Learning...

Inspired by Learning to Love You More, I thought about my own little assignment. On Facebook Chat, I sent this message to everyone online: 'Hello! I just wanted to say that you are a beautiful and unique person, and I hope you've had a nice day'. Here are their responses:

AB - shucks you! you're just too delicious and nutritious for words!

AC - best day ever and you are wonderful!

AK - ha, thanks bro. same to u to man. i havent seen u in ages

AM - wow, i cant remember the last time someone has so unexpectedly said something so nice to me! thank you! and right back at you! :)

CL -? are you sharing the love david

EG -awhhhh david! you too! ^^ hope the studying isnt killing you

EL -Every day's a nice day.

FMP - ... uh thanks

MS - oh. thanks david vice versa

MO - are you sure you're talking to the right person

NR - interesting,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

RP - right back at ya

RL -oh. awww. thanks :)

RA - Why thank you

VO'B - why thank you David! That is very sweet of you. Right back at you my friend.

WM - wow thank you?

Thanks to everyone who took part

Eye, Jay, Kay

Tommy Ill - Matchsticks (27 mins)
Fantastic slacker rap. Lovingly self deprecating, with tight raps and sweet down tempo beats. (Letters to the Editor/Matchsticks)
Insurgents - Yours Disappointedly (12 mins)
Great little ep of pop rock tunes. The album was good, but I think I prefer this as a recording. (Rather Be Dead/None of Us Are Getting Out of This Alive)
Jimmy Zoom & The Beytown Grifters - Jimmy Zoom (11 mins)
Until I listened to this, I'd forgotten how much I liked JZ&tBG. Nice little guitar tunes, genuine stuff (Orange/Golden Girls)
Kim K - The Book Fell Open (25 mins)
Does music get any better than hand-made cds from pretty girls? Delightful ep of folk/twee/soft pop (Marionette/Creatures of the Night)
Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future (53 mins)
It's funny to think about Nu-Rave being the (near) future of music. This album stands up pretty well once all the hype's blown over. Very British-psych, the hits-misses ratio is about even. (As Above, So Below/It's Not Over Yet/Gravity's Rainbow)
Chris Knox & The Nothing - Chris Knox & The Nothing (70 mins)
Media Player is confused again; Full Source apparently. Hadn't actually listened to the whole album before, but it's fantastic - Chris is in fine form, rollicking through genres, with all sorts of humour (Queer/Cordeoline/Outa Here/You Can't Hide Away)
The Knux - Remind Me In Three Days (64 mins)
Red hot hip hop beats, coupled with garage guitar riffs - it's good, but suffers from lack of imagination, and that Krispy says "It's Krispy, check it out now" on every. Single. Track. (Bang! Bang!/Daddy's Little Girl)