Month: November 2011

Last weekend Isaac and I went to the Orongoronga valley with Scouts to stay overnight in a new DOC  cabin. The cabin has been built on the site of the old Khandallah scouts hut that Isaac and I stayed at last year. It is certainly a step up in class from the old one, as it is large, warm, dry and clean! As DOC had to demolish our hut we are entitled to 4 free nights use of the new hut per year. So there were 14 boys and 5 adults over Saturday night.

We walked an hour and a half each way to the spot. It is at  a beautiful spot, as the photos indicate.

The boys had fun: playing in the river, lighting fires, going for walks and generally being young.

I am wondering if Isaac and Joe will go another time to sleep overnight on the river bank in a tent to take in the quiet and night sky. we will see.

I am pleased with the photos as I only used the camera-phone.  Quality improved by using HDR software.

LAst year eleanor was introduced to the Advent pockets. Little presents are in the little pockets that are hung up in the house. Everyone takes a turn. So now we have an Advent calendar with Christian themes rather than chocolate Santas and a European gift tree. Very festive!

The results came in quickly.

The blue team with smiling John Key won a handsome victory with 48% of the party vote-MMP system here. They managed to sneak in the tosser from ACT John Banks via the Epsom seat. With our local nobody one-man-band United Future leader Peter Dunne they have enough MPs to do what they want.
Dunne has ben the local MP for 24 years. He was a Labour Party minister at one time. In recent years he has been the constituency MP for theis area and managed to stay in government as a junior minister no matter the colour of the main party. A bit of a political tart really.

The suprises of the night: the Greens “only” managed just over 10% when they were looking at upto 15%, and the return of Winston Peters and his New Zealand First party. He is the outsider maverick here. A populist especially amongst the grey voters but not a constructive politician at all. He will be a thorn in the side of whoever is in charge.

It could have been closer if Dunne and Banks had not got in through sneaky political maneuvering. Then Key would have needed the support of less sycophantic groups and there would have been greater control. Shame.

 Significantly, the turnout was the lowest in decades-69%. Only 92% of voters were registered. Mostly young people are the ones who do not register. They are disconnected from politics apparently. The parties do not engage them and electioneering is so formulaic.

Look on the positive side. Chance to keep them out in three years time!

Today is election day. Shaz and I have already voted. Eleanor is annoyed that she is too young.

National ( the blue team) are  a dead cert to win-probably close to 50%. The main issue is probably whether they will have enough seats to govern alone or will need help. The dysfunctional ACT party look less likely to sneak in and support them. The may need the Maori party again or may have to swallow pride and deal with NZ First if Winston Peters comes back from the political dead. That seems to be out of his grasp?

So which one do you like the look of?

Yes it is for me this time and not the children. I am too old for this.

Today I had my final exam for entry to the NZ College of Public Health Medicine. My training time finished 8 months ago so this is a final exit procedure from the training programme to the fellowship and specialist registration. It was an hour of “fun” this morning; an oral exam. There are 10 people doing it all together, five today and five tomorrow. I was first up and I suppose those doing the exam tomorrow are likely to have a heads up and better prepared.

I prepared this morning by playing Requiem by Killing Joke as we did in the old days. Thanks Richard, the single still works well.

I think the music worked! PS I am too old for this.

Joseph’s birthday was yesterday. We were up a little earlier than usual to open presnts and have cake for breakfast.

His birthday game of cricket was ruined by the weather, being rained off after about two hours.

In the evening we went to our favourite family eating venue; Scopa on Cuba street. Pizza, pasta, beer, cokes and cheesecake were consumed. A lovely evening.

Happy birthday big lad.

As mentioned Monday was eleanor’s last day at school. Are there differences between now and her first day?  The blazer is the same. Can you tell?

So that is it. School is officially over for Eleanor bar the turning up for NCEA exams. And so for her parents it is another life event to remind them of their trajectory towards elderly care.

Eleanor did well again. As a member of the leadership team was involved directly: hence the reading of the prayer seen above (excuse the poor quality. Must be a cheap android phone!).

She won a cup for contributions to the special character of the school, a mercy award recognising her overall input and contribution to the school and academically she came first in German. She did not win the German prize cup-not clear why as the usual criterion is around academic success. Shall we ask for a steward’s enquiry?

She again has proud parents. Life will soon move on to new opportunities and challenges. I am sure she will adapt and do well.

Joe’s turn will be soon.

Life has obviously moved on. I went to the ballet with Eleanor on Friday and this time around it she paid for me (mostly)-an early Christmas present. Apparently it was a better option than the standard pair of socks.

So we enjoyed the charms of “Sleeping Beauty” and of each others company. In a way it was a completing of the circle, as Sleeping Beauty was the first ballet I went to with Eleanor, I think back in 2001. We saw it performed in Birmingham when she was still a small ballerina.

The quality of the dancing was excellent though I think the ballet lacks somethings. The music is beautiful rather than memorable in its own right. The story line is a little thin and so is padded out in parts. However, the set was cleverly and beautifully put together, the scene with the dragon done very well and the performances of the leads excellent. The dancing was technically challenging I understand and as far as I could tell and well executed.

The arts critic will return again shortly!