The passage of time in Wellington and elsewhere
A family trip to the opera on Friday this time to see The Magic Flute.
A novelty as it was sung and spoken in English. It was an experiment as Eleanor and Isaac came too.
We have seen a few operas and this was not necessarily the best that we have seen. As it was a little long and the story not quite so easy to follow as is usual.
The music did not have the same individual impact on me as is the usual case.
… to experience the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as it draws on its vast repertoire in Wellington, NZ.
Last night was an experimental musical trip to the Michael Fowler centre. Live jazz- not something we have done often. I am certainly not a big follower of jazz music but as with other things, sometimes it is important to try, have an experience and learn.
The music was great. A mixture of jazz classics from the past as well as pieces written or arranged by the orchestra themselves with as beautiful piece for the encore by the main man himself- Wynton Marsalis. He is well renowned in the jazz world. Kirsten said he was the best jazz/classical trumpeter in the world.
He, along with the other artists, could play so flexibly and make their instruments produce such a variety of sound. I was particularly impressed with the drummer- not someone who usually receives attention. Along with the pianist and bassist he provided the backbone of the sound. He plays constantly and the precision and subtlety of his playing was amazing.
So certainly a good evening and a further prod to experiment with listening to more jazz. Though as feared, listening via Spotify and the single speaker doe snot seem to do the music justice. The quality and the appreciation of the skill when watching and listening live does not come through with these means.
So another one comes around. Isaac makes it to sixteen.
As his dietary requirements are now more strict we celebrated at a restaurant that offers vegan choices. We went to a Malaysian restaurant in Cuba Street-Rasa.
A lovely evening in my eyes and good food with choices suitable for all.
A sumptuous vegan cake was produced with loving care for lunchtime.
A late update yet again.
It is the start of the international arts festival which we have attended lots of times before.
The opener which we went to on Friday was the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
As an event it is very well known and so we decided to give it a whirl. One needs to try different things. The programme included a mixture of military bands; of course the pipes of the Scottish regiments plus bands of other British regiments-the Royal Marines Portsmouth included. There were other choreographed performers too.
There were Kiwi military bands as well as other Kiwi performers.
The kapa haka group was great. The pipes were great. The Swiss drummers brilliant and the Norwegian Guards Band and Drill Team were fantastic.
However there did appear to be a reasonable amount of average quality filler.
A good evening and worth seeing something really quite different.
Not a cheap night out-$190 each!
A family outing of exercise today.
Sara, Joe, Eleanor and myself all ran the 10k. I think Joe was the fastest- certainly faster than Sara and I. Eleanor enjoyed the luxury of a cheaper entry subsidised through work. My fees (MCNZ) being spent again!
It was the first time in ages that we took part in the event partly as I have not been able to run for a longtime. As running has been back on the agenda since our summer holiday it has been a good motivator for us all. Joseph with his rugby training and the advantage of youth strides ahead now.
Despite the sore feet I am pleased with our efforts.
We celebrated at La Cloche. Possibly we did not deserve all the calories that we consumed there!
Now on the horizon the cold June Half- marathon. Time to look at a training programme.
I could not resist the opportunity of obtaining a mini greenhouse when I was an offer on “Treat Me” one of the bargain/ but soon sites.
So now we are proud owners of a crucial piece of gardening equipment and maybe a status symbol. It is made of aluminium and perspex. There could be a future problem with the wind.
I cleared a piece of soil where the old compost bin was placed and I have bought some seeds. It may be a bit late for its use but maybe will help the cucumbers germinate quickly and so still get some good value.
More activity in the garden has ensued and look at these beauties:
Enjoy it while you can.
A classic shot across to the city. It is 9 pm and is still it is 22C and today Wellington reached 28C according to Metservice. Beautiful bright skies today and little wind. So pleasant and calm.
There are not too many days like this. Is this the week of summer?
Enjoy.
Since the summer holidays in the Hawke’s Bay running has been back on the cards.
With my plantar fasciitis running was not possible. In the last six months I have been able to some running but in recent weeks I have making trips more regular. Distances and times are slowly improving.
All this fits in with one of the new year resolutions-getting rid of the middle-aged tyre. With the change in food we are eating as a family plus the exercise progress is being made. I feel like Bridget Jones and her diary.
Sara making progress with the running. Joseph is the one to catch.
An afternoon in the sun today with Murray, Steve and Bevan at Manor Park in the Hutt valley.
Murray is a member and his membership allows him to bring guests for free.
Today was the second time under this arrangement- the last in December I think. On that occasion I had not played for over a year but had that beginners composure and played quite well. Hitting the ball straight and well.
Today not so good. Again we played about 12 holes but only the last 4 or 5 were decent for me. An enjoyable time but I might need to do some practice in future to make the most of the opportunity.
Saturday evening comprised our annual trip to see the choral event of the Christmas season. The first time we went to see a performance was a long time ago at the Albert Hall. Since we have lived in Wellington we ave been maybe close to ten times. This one was quite a big event as it was being held at the Michael Fowler Centre. The NZSO and I presume big soloists and a famous conductor. Not famous to me but that does not count.
Unfortunately we found the performance a bit flat. We were sitting at the sides of the stalls ans so under the upper level which may have blocked out so of the sound. Was the choir a bit small? The male voices seemed a little overpowered by the the female ones. I found the conductor a little ‘showy’.
So good but not great.
Sara requested that we go see it a performance in New York. Nice idea but not easy.
