Category: Uncategorized

We have just returned from the netball courts as Eleanor’s team played in the semis for the netball grade. They have played well all season and have lost just one game. Today they did not play well for half the game but managed to win through.
So to next week for the grand final. Let’s hope that nerves, tension and any other form of anxiety are overcome and that they play well as a team.

Thankfully Joe’s rugby is over. Today another drubbing, but the worst performance with an appalling attitude displayed by too many of the team. One player was sent off for a dangerous tackle, which some of the players cheered, while during the second half some were laughing during the game. They deserved a kick up the backside, but were not given one. They needed reminding who they were representing, and that most of the parents came to watch every week and deserved more that the rubbish they served up today. We were not the only parents relieved it was all over.

It won’t happen in the cricket season!

That is enough of my German.
Eleanor did very well two weekends ago when she entered the German oral competition again. It is organised by the Goethe Institute, the cultural society that is present all over the world, and open to school students across the Wellington region.
The competition involved conversation and then reading a poem and answering questions about the subject matter of the poem.

She did very well, coming second for her year.

Proud parents again, and her teacher remains impressed.

The Jubilee Cup final result: North 16, MSP 21
For those in the know, Craig played, subbed after 51 minutes. By the reaction on leaving the field I guess it was his last game.

The game was played at the stadium, and we estimate a crowd of 3 thousand. A beautiful calm sunny day.

Shaz, Joe , Isaac and myself in attendance.

Last Friday I accompanied the moody teenager to the ballet at St. James’ theatre. Our trip this time was to see La Sylphide, one that difficult one was keen to see as she had performed part of it herself in the big performance last year.
It is a romantic ballet with a Scottish theme. I enjoyed the dancing but the whole performance lacked something compared to previous ballets, especially last year’s visit to Romeo and Juliet. The music this time around was not so special or distinctive, and so the overall effect was diminished. The body of the ballet was relatively short, and so it had a “filler” scene inserted at the beginning, which made for a disconcerting start.

Prior to the ballet, Shaz and I went along to top up our “films with subtitles” exposure. We enjoyed a Danish number at the film festival. Flame et Citron I found a great experience. So well shot and intense. The story of Nazi execution by resistance fighters, but who knows the truth of the information being acted upon? Who is who? I whose interest were instructions being given? the effect on individuals of their actions. All so good, and I was not shuffling in my seat because of the long running time for a change. So a worthwhile experience-recommended to all.

Not every one can be brilliant

The Ashes series is currently hard to understand. The amazingly fragile English batting has reached the depths that I remember all to frequently from our younger days. The quality of England has been over state;, when they managed to to bowl very well for a few overs to take lots of wickets, but otherwise were average. However, they came into the test with the advantage and with more pressure on Australia. So what has happened, and why have they crumbled so precipitously? At the same time the Australians are obviously finding batting to their liking, but then I would fancy my chances at the moment against the England attack.
How are the minds working in the team? Is it all in the head? The “top two inches”.

The insight can come from unsuspecting sources: Joseph’s rugby team, who as previously mentioned are not setting the rugby world alight. Last week they were hammered-the ton was conceded. How do you improve when your confidence is so low? At the same time, when you have had so little of the ball during games you do not learn what to do with the ball when it occasionally comes your way. Yesterday the team were going a familiar way against St. Pats Silverstream. The first half was 40-0, so much of down to fear of contact and tackling in particular. All so disheartening, and the sense of pain on the touch line uniform amongst the regular parents and the coaches. Then in the second half the team changed. They were within 2 minutes of winning the second half 5-0. It seemed just to take commitment form a few of the boys to drag the performance up of the rest of the team. Where did it come from? I am not sure, but it shows that there is more within a team than is always to come to the fore.
I suppose successful coaches are paid lots of dosh because they can connect with the team and pull the performances out of the team that the greater than the constituent parts.

I am not expecting a Bothamesque miracle for the current Headingly debacle, so await the last Test with interest.

Where are they going to find a second half turn around by the Oval?

There is a lady in Tawa who insists New Zealand is the cheapest place to live. I have always dismissed the idea. It has a lot to do with it being a small place with a small population, and therefore without the interest from a lot of players to get involved.
So, with mobile networks there has mainly been two: Telecom and Vodafone. There has been a small player piggy-backing onto Vodafone’s network. Now there is a significant 3rd player-2 degrees. They only do prepay, but it is currently half the price of the big two. Maybe a loss leader, but closer to level that a recent Commerce Commission report into the mobile industry suggested was an international equivalent.

Maybe things are on the move.

Nothing great to report, life ticks on, no holidays, no visitors, but work and school and sport. It really must be time to do something.
Well it is winter, but July is over, the month in my mind that is always the worst. Not so much the cold, but I have in my mind the image of constant rain. It has been cold, but seems to warming. My mind is possibly coloured by the current fine weather; beautiful still days, clear skies. It would be perfect skiing weather if we were going to the South Island.
The daffodils have just started to come to life, and I did have to cut the grass at the weekend. This weekend is looking good, so more time to do the garden, and maybe I will get back on that bike and cycle to work as I have been promising myself.

On Sunday the family group had an indoor sports event. It involved playing football and basketball between the adults and the children. Two hours of fun and running around, with the reminder of the effect of age coming along rapidly.
Playing football and asking the legs to respond and finding they did not do so in quite the way of old. Muscle tweaks here and there followed the next day by buttock and adductor pain and an inability to walk properly.

It was great fun but a reminder to either sort self out or get real.

Maybe I should become a long distance cyclist. Certainly all the bike shops have significant sales on currently.

A novel experience yesterday-going to the cinema for a 1-30 pm viewing. We went to see “In the Loop” which is past of the NZ International Film Festival.
It is a British film which satirises the British and US governments over the initiation of the war.

“British political satire takes on Washington in this lacerating spoof of bureaucratic opportunism. Expanded from Armando Iannucci’s critically-lauded BBC TV series The Thick of It, In the Loop features a virtuoso comic cast with Peter Capaldi already a legend as the PM’s lethally foul-mouthed Director of Comms.”

Sara loved it, while I thought it was merely good.

On Friday we are off to see a Danish film “Flame and Citron”.

So the Amritsar luvvies continue.

Despite it being as far away from Christmas as you can manage and no birthdays to be celebrated, I still have managed to pick up the lurgy.
I assume it is the swine flavour as apparently Wellington is the swine centre of New Zealand, with very high levels of sickness in schools. Eleanor brought this home. Of course Sara had it earlier but fended it off more effectively than I have managed.
So feeling sorry for myself, lying on sofa watching tv and sleeping lots. Had first day off sick in about 2 years-not good when it is day 3 of new job though!