1. Do your research.
The first few weeks of your trip are going to be the hardest. You’re going to experience culture shock. You’re going to feel lost. You’re going to feel alone and vulnerable. Everything is going to be unknown to you, and it’s going to be scary. This is inevitable, but it can be minimized by doing your research before your home country. What should you research? Everything. Read every single book you can find about the place you’re going. Read travel sites, expat sites, newspapers from the place you’re going to. Anything you can learn to familiarize yourself with the place you’re going to will help make it easier to transition into. Ideally you should visit the place you’re going. It’s not necessary, but it will definitely help.

2. Get a working Visa.
Don’t move to a new country on a holiday Visa and expect to be able to find work. Even if you’ve applied for a residence Visa that you need sponsorship to complete, you’re going to be far less likely to get that sponsorship if your employer has to wait two months before you can start work. The exception to this is if you’ve already been offered sponsorship before leaving, but if that’s the case you probably have a high level degree from a university and make a ton of money. In that case the road before you will be paved pretty smoothly anyway. If you’re like most people though, don’t move to a foreign country on a holiday Visa if you can just as easily apply for a working Visa. It just opens more options.

3. Get everything squared away at home before leaving.
Any unfinished business at home (especially involving bills) will be ten times harder to deal with from a foreign country, and with all the stress and the unknowns you’re going to be dealing with already, you don’t need that extra monumental headache in your life. Don’t rush off to your grand adventure. Take the extra time to square away any paperwork, bills, contracts or other obligations you may have at home before leaving.

4. Lower your expectations.
Have you ever been to see a movie that you thought was sure to be awesome only to find out it was mediocre and you hated it? Have you ever been to a movie you were sure was going to suck only to find out it really wasn’t that bad and you left feeling fairly impressed even though the movie wasn’t really that great? Moving to another country is the same way. If you’re moving to another country you obviously believe it’s a place worth moving to and is for some reason preferable to the place you’re at. However, I guarantee it’s not going to be perfect. There are going to be downsides to it. If you go into your journey expecting to find the land of milk and honey you’re going to be sorely disappointed. If you go into it fully prepared to experience disappointment you’re going to be far less disappointed, and in the end you’re going to have a more positive experience.

5. Bring at least $20,000. (This figure is in US dollars. Convert accordingly.)
The number one cause of stress and ultimately failure when moving to a foreign country is money problems. The less money you bring the harder your life is going to be, the less secure you’re going to feel, the less leisure options you’ll have and the less time you’ll have to find a job. Between exchange rate fees, government fees, rental deposits, utility bills, food, transportation, leisure activities and buying toiletries, basic necessities you couldn’t fit in your suitcase and especially unforeseen expenses, you should really bring at least $20,000 with you or else you’re going to be extremely stressed during what will probably already be the most stressful experience you’ve ever had. You might still make it, but the more money you bring the better off you’ll be in every way.

6. Find temporary lodging at your new location and be prepared to change them.
Set this up before you leave so you’ll have a place to check into when you get there. However, don’t book it for more than a month. It might turn out to be a horrible environment. It might also turn out to be far away from where you want/need to be. So give yourself some leeway to move around a bit as you get your bearings. Also, don’t stop moving around until you’ve found someplace comfortable. I hate to keep harping on how stressful moving to another country is, but stress is inevitable. The only question is how stressful you’re going to make your life. Living in a place far away from where you want/need to be, living with roommates you don’t like in a cramped apartment that irritates your allergies where you have no furniture is going to seriously hurt your chances of happiness and ultimately success. If the first place you unpack your bags at isn’t working for you, get out of there and find a place that does work for you.

7. Get the Internet.
Bring a laptop with you. Other than your passport, nothing else is more important than that, and anything else you had to leave out of your luggage can be bought cheaply on the local market. If you can, try to stay at some place that provides Internet connection. If the place you’re at doesn’t have the Internet, get it. You’re going to need the Internet to stay in contact with your family and friends, look up bus schedules, buy a car, find a job, meet people, learn about the local area and a hundred other vital things you wouldn’t predict. You’re going to be lost without the Internet. So just go ahead and put that at the top of your list of things to do when you arrive in country. Granted, you can still use Internet cafes, but those are a pain in the ass. Avoiding Internet cafes will lower your stress level.

8. Network.
Once you get on the Internet, find some meet-up groups in your local area. The best case scenario is to meet other expats. Nobody is going to be more helpful than other people who have already walked in your shoes or are walking in them right now. I know you probably can’t wait to meet the locals, but your fellow countrymen are going to be more eager to help, and they’ll lessen the culture shock. Having said that, you should definitely also join meet-up groups with the locals. It’ll be fun. It’ll help you transition into the new culture and you’ll meet people who can offer you inside information.

9. Similar to #8, ask the locals.
Inevitably you’re going to have a lot of questions that need answers when you get to your new country. How do I find a job? How do I use the bus? How do I buy a car? How do I apply for any of the dozens of forms and applications I need to apply for? You can find all these answers after hours of research on the Internet or you can walk down to the gas station and ask a local. Typically they’ll be more than happy to point you in the right direction. If you have a question, save yourself some time and just ask a local.

10. Get out of the house.
No matter how prepared you are to move to a new country there will always be unknowns. The unknown will be the scariest part about moving. The only way you’re going to turn the frightening unknown into the comfortable familiar is by getting out of your house and seeing what’s out there. Walk the streets. See the sights. Meet people. Sitting in your house is just going to prolong your discomfort, give you time to brood and make you bored.

11. Get away from your spouse.
Your husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend (if you bring one) is going to be your greatest source of support as well as misery. I heard somewhere that 50% of marriages end when moving to a new country. I don’t know if that’s true, but I can guarantee you that moving to a new country is one of the greatest challenges your relationship will ever face. In order for your relationship as well as the trip itself to work you’re going to need to have patience with one another, communicate with one another, compromise with one another and spend some time away from one another. Even if it’s just a walk in the park, you’re going to need to get away from your significant other on a regular basis to clear the air and not get on each others’ nerves.

12. Start a blog.
This isn’t absolutely necessary, but it’s a great idea. Just, make sure to set it up before you leave home so you don’t have to stress about setting it up when you’re in country dealing with a thousand other things. Writing a blog is a great way to stay in touch with family and friends, express your thoughts and offer advice you wish you would have been given about things you had to learn the hard way. In addition to that, it’s a rewarding experience. It adds another level to your adventure and provides you with a digital scrap book to look back on.

Rowi

A ground-breaking new youth leadership programme is bringing our national icon – the kiwi – up close and personal to 19 senior South Island secondary school students.

The year 11, 12 and 13 students will take part in ‘Kiwi Forever’, a week-long conservation programme based at Ōkārito, just north of Franz Josef on the West Coast.

Members of the DOC Franz Josef rowi and community relations teams will be involved in the programme, working closely to teach the students the techniques they use to save the critically endangered rowi kiwi species.

Rowi team leader, Duncan Kay, holding a young rowi

When I talked to Ieuan Davies, field ranger in the rowi team he outlined that students would certainly be put through their paces on the muddy tracks of Ōkārito kiwi zone, learning the navigation and tracking skills that rangers use.

Iuean also said he was looking forward to listening to the opinions and ideas brought forward by the students throughout the week.

“These are young people who have interesting and fresh ideas about the relationships between humans and our planet. Even though we are focussed on rowi in our project, we are well aware that they are part of a much bigger picture.”

Okarito kiwi zone with Mount Cook and Mount Tasman in the background

During the week, it will be the students not the teachers who will come up with the answers. They’ll also discover just how big the threats, such as stoat predation and habitat loss, are for native species and explore ways in which we can fight back to protect them.

The intellectual challenge will include exploring how human behavior impacts on the Ōkārito ecosystems and also how the iconic ‘kiwi’ brand has been used to describe us as a nation.

The programme – a partnership between Untouched World Charitable Trust , Ngāi Tahu, BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust and DOC – recognises the urgent need to impart knowledge about saving our natural heritage to today’s youth if the bird is to be part of the nation’s future.

To find out more about the Rowi Project and read regular updates from the rangers visit www.savethekiwi.org.nz.

Today marks the 548th day that I have been married to my dear darling Kiwi.  In some ways it seems as if we have been married three months, in others seventeen years.  We’ve been through some interesting times in our 1 1/2 years.  We’ve gained independence and learned to deal with giving back some of it in order to pay back school loans.  Crash arrived, and we were faced with all of the challenges awarded to new “puppy parenting”.  We travelled to the Outer Banks to watch another beautiful marriage begin, and we’ve cuddled at home on the couch with a movie.   Through all the happy moments and the really pretty crappy moments I have always remained extremely proud to call Chris my husband.  He is the epitome of everything I’ve ever wanted in a man, and more.  Thanks for such a wonderful life, Glibby darling!  I love you!

Dear Roommate Agatha,

You were right–Kiwi, Fig, Brie and Bacon don’t go well together.

Love,
Allie.

P.S. But in certain combinations, they can be delicious (especially with buttery puff pastry!)

Inspired by a recipe from cooktobang.com, I decided to make my own variation on the Kiwi Melt-In-Your-Mouth. I will say that the actual recipe has a few too many ingredients for my taste–I’m not sure that I love the combination of bacon and kiwi, but it was worth a try. Here’s what happened with this recipe:

I bought a package of frozen puff pastry shells from Shaws on sale for…, bacon on sale for…, kiwis on sale for…, brie on sale for…, and dried figs for full price (sadface). I tried making fig jam with it, but that just failed miserably, so for this, I just used the rest of the dried figs.

I put the pastry shells in the oven as directed on the box. When they were done puffing, I took a fork and lifted the centers out. (The centers are buttery and crusty. I definitely ate them with some leftover kiwi slices). For the pastries, I tried a few combinations:

Bacon (cook it first) and brie
Kiwi, fig and brie
Kiwi, fig, bacon and brie (the flavors clashed a little)

After you’ve filled the centers with kiwi, fig and/or bacon, put a slice of brie on top and pop the tray back in the oven for 5 minutes. It’ll melt the cheese and warm the fruit. When they come out give them 2 minutes to cool and serve.

The first two were delicous. Both could easily be a fatty breakfast food to start off your Thanksgiving morning (when you wake up at 8AM to cook that massive turkey!). The Bacon and Brie were the more savory of the appetizers and I felt stuffed after eating only one (or, I’ll admit it, two…). The fruit ones were delicious and lighter and were a nice compliment to the bacon pastries. I’d suggest making both together so your guests, roommates, or family will have a choice.

Roommate Agatha liked the fruit ones. Roommate Kristin would probably like the bacon ones. This was a great idea. Kind of fatty-but great!

Los Campesinos! – Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks
Los Campesinos! – Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks (2008)
Los Campesinos! – Death to Los Campesinos

I don’t speak Spanish, but apparently “campesinos” translates to “peasants” in English. Los Campesinos! is a 7-piece pop band from Wales and their lead singer is adorably awkward when you see them live. You may be wondering to yourself, “why did she post the same song twice? Is that a mistake?” No it is not! I have two versions of the song from two different times. I haven’t been able to track down the year for the first one, but I’m pretty sure it’s the demo version.

I’m not sure which I prefer. I think I may actually like the demo better, even though it’s a little rougher. What do you think? Which song do you prefer? Which puff pastry melt do you prefer?

Waha Wera heißt „brennender Mund“ in der Sprache der Maori, den Ureinwohnern Neuseelands. Und so mystisch die Geschichten über Kannibalismus und Kriegstänze sind, die sich um die Maori ranken, so mystisch ist auch diese Chillisauce. Die Waha Wera ist eine Mischung aus Kiwifrucht, Manuka Honig und Habanero Pfeffer Sauce. 1996 findet die Ozeanierin erstmals die Anerkennung als „Weltbeste scharfe Fruchtsauce“. Das Chile Peppers Magazine „Fiery Foods Challenge“ in Albuquerque (USA) ist genauso überzeugt wie wir…

Unübertroffen ist die die Sauce für Marinaden oder einfach als würziger grüner Begleiter auf dem Tisch. Die Waha Wera Sauce bringt Sie geschmacklich recht zielsicher ans andere Ende der Welt.

Här kommer lite bilder som vi tog vid ett träningspass när Kiwi var knappt 4 månader:

Et oui, ça l’air que le kiwi contient plus de vitamine C que l’orange!

Bonne nouvelle, j’ai toujours trouvé compliqué de peler une orange et je n’aime pas la sensation collante qu’elle laisse sur mes doigts!

En passant, on dit peler ou éplucher??

Bon, revenons à mon petit kiwi. Depuis quelques semaines, mon cœur chavire pour ce fruit. Je l’ai intégré dans mon méga bol de yogourt que je déguste chaque soir devant la télé.

J’ai voulu en savoir plus sur le sujet, éclaircir le mystère kiwi.

Agréablement surprise par le site passeport santé.net : facile à consulter et complet. http://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Nutrition/EncyclopedieAliments/Fiche.aspx?doc=kiwi_nu

À ma grande surprise, je découvre que le kiwi, une plante grimpante, vient des montagnes de la Chine!

Là-bas, on  en trouve de toutes les couleurs; jaune, orange, rouge, vert et de toutes les tailles. 

Par contre, la Nouvelle-Zélande fut la première à le cultiver à grande échelle. L’emblème de ce pays, l’aptéryx, un petit oiseau, est d’ailleurs plus connu sous le nom kiwi.

Maintenant,  récapitulation pour mes lecteurs un peu pressés par le temps :

1-     Source de vitamines C, K, B9 (acide folique) et E

2-     Source de fibres : facilite le transit intestinal.  Bye, bye constipation!

3-  Propriétés anti-oxydantes

4-  Riche en chlorophylle

5- Source de cuivre et de potassium, favorisant, entre autre, la contraction musculaire.

Vit.C : Pensez à vos os, cartilages, dents, gencives.

            Le matin, comme le jus d’orange, à consommer avant les céréales afin que  le fer soit mieux absorbé.

Vit. K : Pour la coagulation du sang, surtout chez la femme.

             Mots-clefs : ostéoporose et troubles cardiovasculaires.

Vit. B9 : Un must pour les femmes enceintes et les jeunes en pleine  croissance, on la retrouve dans la fabrication de toutes les cellules du corps.

Note : si vous êtes allergiques au pollen, une réaction habituellement bénigne à la bouche, aux lèvres ou à la gorge peut se manifester lors de la consommation du kiwi. La consultation d’un allergologue (!) est alors de mise pour déterminer la cause et les précautions à prendre s’il y a lieu.

Aussi, ne soyez pas surpris si à un Néo-Zélandais, vous dites avoir mangé un kiwi; il vous regardera avec de grands yeux, croyant que vous aurez mangé soit l’un de ses pairs ou encore un pauvre petit oiseau…

J’ai déjà hâte à ce soir!

Mjo

SWELLINGTON Phoenix completed a stellar week for New Zealand football, cementing a spot in the top six…. From The Australian. Full story

This site may contain information about: soccer video. The blog is also related to: soccer league tables.

Me Leering behind a cheerleader

I spent three years of my life studying performing arts.

The only job I got out of it was the mascot for the Hawkes Bay Hawks Basketball team.

This is me dancing behind a cheerleader.  I look like I’m planning on following her home.

That’s because I did.

Didn’t really know what to do once I got there.  Just hung out on the lawn for a while.

She eventually threw me some stale bread, I ate the rubber seals from around the windscreen on her car, and went home.

But look, it goes both ways- here, the basketballers are fully checking me out.  Objectifying me.  As a woman.

Me being objectifyed for my hot body

Not really.  They didn’t have a bar of me.  I think my perceptions were altered by inhaling the mould spores growing on the inside of my helmet.

It gets so hot in there, it has its own microclimate.  Rain everyday at 4pm.  And monsoon season is just hideous.

Be nice to mascots.  They don’t want to be there.  They want to be the new lesbian nurse on Shortland Street.  Who has breast cancer.  And gives all her patients involuntary double masectomys.  Before garotting them with their IV line (whoa, I should be the head writer).

But I took the role of Hawky very seriously.  I was magnificent out there.  Because I researched my role.  I wore my wings every day.  I learnt to fly.  And ate roadkill.

A mascot is basically a glorified babysitter, which is weird, because no one trusts anyone with their kids these days.  You need a degree to work at a crèche.  “Yeah I’m going for my PhD in nappy changing.  My thesis is on ass wiping.  My hypothesis is just get right in there.”
So of all the people to trust with your kids, why the sweaty, giant bird who does the robot at half time?

You can’t see its face!  Only the eyes- which they say are the window to the soul, but that’s bull.  It’s the mouth you want to see.  Under that chicken head could be a raging paedosmile.

I can tell you from experience mascots can’t be trusted.  I abused the shit of those kids.  Not sexually!  Jeez!  I had wings instead of arms.

It’s amazing what you can’t do without opposable thumbs.

No- I had giant feet, and I couldn’t see where I was going.  When you can’t see and something like a kid touches you, you go into survival mode-  the whole flight or flight dilemma.

In hindsight, I should have picked ‘flight’.

I kicked a lot of kids.

I do live in fear though.  I read the papers every day, waiting for allegations of ‘abuse by mascot’ to surface.  Because you know that as soon as one kid complains, they all come crawling out of the woodwork don’t they?  Mascots will be the new millenniums answer to the catholic priest.

Eventually I did get the fame I craved.  Was going to be the front cover of the ‘Hawkes Bay Today.’  Got bumped off though.  To page 6.  For the London bombings.

It says I have my ‘wings crossed for my heroes’.  But as you can see, I really had my eyes crossed.

Thank god that one stayed off the front page.

Terrorism has its upsides.

Decided to not use my huge gloves today, to see what it would be like. Got stung as the Bee’s seem very aggressive today for some reason. Maybe it was the windy weather, it was bright and sunny but quite windy. But calm down by the hives.

Checked the new Brood Box and it was completely empty, bees but no wax. So I think my placement of putting at the bottom was a mistake. So I have switched them around, empty brood now on top.

The main Brood is almost full of wax, saw Queenie and evidence of lava and still haven’t seen any eggs yet. We didn’t inspect the last four frames as the Bee’s were getting annoyed and the smoker had gone out. Plus my hand was hurting because of the sting, I know but dear reader it hurt.

So put the Real Estate sign installation on the top between the hive mat and the tin roof, there was less condensation that the last time. So I think the hole in the hive mat is a good idea.

M also checked Honey 1, we will we await her blog for that visit.

Next Inspection 5 Dec 2009

Hvad gør man når man en halv sen torsdag aften får lyst til lidt sødt, og med en fornuftig bagtanke, ikke har andet end frugt i huset? Så tænker man da hurtigt og får med lidt fart bikset en lille ret sammen. Som kan tilfredse hungeren, samt narre det kære hoved, til at tro det har fået en lækkerbisken af dimension.

Jeg havde lidt æbler og nogle dejlige næsten overmodne og søde kiwier, så efter at jeg havde fundet en halv banan frem fra fryseren. Skar jeg kiwi og æble ud i passende stykker. Bananen kørte jeg på blenderen sammen med lidt Naturli soyadrik med vanilje og en smule vaniljepulver fra Urtekram, for at få turbo på vaniljesmagen. Hvis du skulle ligge inde med en stang vanilje, ville lidt vaniljekorn derfra slet ikke være skidt, i stedet for pulveret, dog var det, det eneste jeg lige havde i skabet. Skummet er ved at være færdigt når det stille og roligt begynder at danne bobler på toppen (det hjælper at løfte let på blenderlåget, så der kommer luft ned til processen) og har en dejlig halv tyk konsistens. Derefter er det bare at smide frugt og vaniljeskum på en tallerken og velbekomme!

Nu er kiwi og æble måske ikke de 2 mest spændende frugter man kunne komme på sådan en anretning, men da der ikke er meget frugt, der ikke boltrer sig lystigt med vanilje, så er der frit valg på de hylder der lyster! Det ville heller ikke skade at vende frugten i hakket mynte eller citronmelisse, før det kom på tallerkenen.

Some people are fascinated with outer space.

I am too- in the same way some people are fascinated with mass murderers.  Intriguing, but it will freak you out if you think about it too much.

Racist people are scared of black men.  I am scared of black holes.

I wanna go home.

There is far too much space in space.  Plant a tree, or paint a feature wall.

I don’t understand why space needs to be so big.  Is it really necessary to be infinite?  Why not just be a bazillion cubic miles and be done with it?  Surely the global real estate market isn’t growing that fast?

Infinity?  Is that even possible?

Space was not named well.  When I think of ’space’, I think of- “maybe I could fit an extra pair of socks into my suitcase”; or “yes you can stay, there is enough space for you to sleep on a mattress in the lounge”.

Some people want to travel into space.

I don’t.

I can’t think of anything more terrifying than floating around an infinite universe.  I get lost easily enough in my own house.  Though, hanging out next to old fatty magoo, a.k.a Jupiter, I would look really skinny.

I need boundaries, physical or metaphorical.  If not for boundaries, I would have a pet lion and start an underground fight club (‘Lionel’ would be my star fighter.  I’d draw some human abs on his stomach, then no one would click he’s not actually human, but a giant cat).

In space, there are no lights.  Except stars.  But they emit more than light.  Like flames and poisonous gas. There are also meteor showers and asteroids.  I will not feel unfulfilled if I never see one in my life.  Space is dangerous, dammit!

NASA thinks space is awesome  (It wants to marry space.  It wants to have babies with space, and name them after astronomers).  It loves space so much, that it spends bazillions of dollars on this long distance love affair, while real humans can’t afford to buy cancer treatment, or Botox.

I bet astronauts are like those really annoying ‘ubertravellers’ who always needlessly drop exotic places they have been into conversation.
“You would never believe it, I was sitting in an amazing cafe on Saturn, when I got an eyelash stuck to my face! On Saturn!”
-or-
“So, I was floating past Venus, when Gary choked on a sundried tomato, while floating past venus!  It was hilarious, while floating past venus!”

No wonder they haven’t made friends with any aliens.  Astronauts are socially retarded.  They have vaccuum packed faces and use nappies.

I am all for expanding my horizons, but I am more comfortable if I can actually see one.

Space may have some cool bits, but it’s mainly just space.

Today is going to be a long long day for me. So I woke up early to get in a 30 day Shred and a little yoga. I did level 2 of the 30 Day Shred and used 5 lb weights most of the time.

The yoga was more stretching and relaxing. Just a few minutes (I ran out of time)
I prepared my breakfast, lunch, and dinner since I will be out all day today. I am going to see David Guetta tonight with some friends, and need to change and eat dinner at work so we can leave as soon as I get home. I have become a recent fan of David Guetta, but absolutely love his work so I am really excited to see him live.

This morning I traveled to a Tropical Paradise. Wait..who am I kidding…I was stuck in rainy DC! HAHA But I did make a tropical paradise Green Monster! I had a pineapple and some kiwi that needed to be eaten and since the kiwi was a little mushy I decided to make a smoothie with the fruit. Today’s Green Monster included:

• 8oz Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1 medium frozen banana
• 2 kiwis
• Pineapple
• 1 Tbs Maca Powder
• 1 packet Berry flavored Hemp Protein
• 3 big handfuls kale

This combination was very good, but I realized I had eaten so much fruit! 2 kiwis, a banana, AND pineapple. Maybe a little much. It made me really full and almost uncomfortable, and then I got really hungry about an hour later. I wonder if the sugar in the fruit made my hunger spike? Not too sure, but I may not make one exactly like this again, but do a variation of this.

See I told you rainy DC!

I need to watch what I’m eating today a little more closely since I know I will consuming 1 or more alcoholic drinks tonight. When I go out I like to drink vodka and soda with lime or lemon. It is usually my drink of choice because it is lower in calories (no calories in club soda), and for me actually tastes good. I hate sugary sweet drinks (besides the margarita since I love frozen margaritas) but when I am going out at night I like to do something simple that I know won’t kill me in calories. I want to make sure I get the proper nutrition today so I don’t over do it tonight or feel sick tomorrow. Let see how I do!

Lunch today was an almond butter and apple sandwich. I took 2 pieces of Arnold Flax & Fiber bread and topped it with creamy Almond Butter and 1/2 of a Honeycrisp apple. I toasted the sandwich in the toaster for a few minutes. I like when the almond butter gets all warm and gooey

I really really enjoyed this sandwich. It wasn’t very filling, but honestly so so good!

I also had 2 large carrots on the side-cut up in smaller pieces making it easier to munch.

I dipped my carrots in a little Catalina Fat Free dressing.

I’m sure you’ve noticed lately, but I’ve been eating a lot of sandwiches for lunch. I need to go towards more meals like this since works gets incredibly busy around the holidays. It’s always a struggle for me to find things that are easy and fast to make, but always healthy. A helpful tip that always helps me is to prepare ahead of time. This way I am able to get the nutrition I need with out wasting a lot of time. I just have to take a little extra time at night or in the morning to cut up veggies and fruit or make a sandwich. That way I can have delicious nutritious food during the day!

Back to work!

A long time in a galaxy far, far away… That’s how every star wars movie begin just so you know it and it’s been a long time since  I last posted something. Last post was about Halloween and since then there seams like there is not enough hours in a day. So what have I the magnificent Trainboy been up to these last weeks? who know? who am I? what am I? what is time?

Most of the time has been occupied by school and it looks like I have to spend even more time on studying in the future. I’ve spent some time with Kiwi but no matter how much time we spend together I miss her and want to be with her even more.

The other weekend me, Kiwi, muffinboi and Niklas went to övik and Paradisbadet. swimming, playing, bubbling and going on the waterslides. I had so much fun that day and what a day it was, a long day (in a bath far far away) getting up at half past seven and not getting home until three the next night with a laughter attack on the floor. Last Friday I had the final exam in chemistry A and at night we went to see Slagsmålsklubben.

over and out

A kiwi is not a fruit – it is New Zealand’s native flightless bird (pictured below) and a slang term for a New Zealander. Kiwis call the fruit “kiwifruit.”

a kiwi

Lezers van dit weblog weten dat ik iets heb met de haka. Vooral de haka die door de All Blacks wordt opgevoerd voor hun rugbywedstrijden kan mij bekoren. Dit is meestal de Ka Mate-haka. Vaak wordt gedacht dat de haka een oorlogsdans is. Niets is minder waar. Haka is een verzamelnaam voor een hele groep ceremoniële dansen van de Maori uit Nieuw-Zeeland.

Elke haka imponeert. (c) www.allblacks.com.

Contact met goden en voorvaderen
Met de haka proberen de Maori in contact te komen met de goden en voorvaderen. Ze voeren de haka regelmatig op bij een veelvoud aan gelegenheden. Zo zijn er haka’s om gasten te verwelkomen, ook bestaan er huwelijks-, geboorte- en begrafenishaka’s. Maar de meest bekende blijft toch wel de Haka van de All Blacks. De rugbyspelers uit Kiwiland gebruiken twee haka’s: de Ka Mate (= ik sterf) en de Kapa o Pango (= het team met de zwarte kleding aan).

De gitzwarte kiwi's gebruiken twee haka's. (c) www.allblacks.com.

Te Rauparaha op de vlucht
De Ka Mate is bedacht door Maorileider Te Rauparaha rond 1820. Hij sloeg toen op de vlucht voor een vijandige Maoristam. Tijdens het rennen riep hij regelmatig dat hij bijna dood ging: “Ka mate! Ka mate!” Toen Te Rauparaha weer in veilig gebied was, schreeuwde hij uit dat hij leefde: “Ka ora! Ka ora!”. Uiteindelijk bedacht hij de complete tekst van de haka en de daarbij behorende bewegingen. Elke haka bestaat uit een reeks gebaren.

Elke tegenstander is onder de indruk van de haka. (c) www.allblacks.com.

De zilveren varen
De Kapa o Pangohaka is van veel recenter datum dan de Ka Mate. De belangrijkste teksten en bewegingen van deze haka dateren uit de jaren twintig van de twintigste eeuw. In 2005 is deze haka echter afgestoft en gemoderniseerd. De tekst slaat veel meer op de rugbyspelers dan de tekst van de Ka Mate. Er wordt specifiek gesproken over de strijders in het zwart met de zilveren varen op de borst. De Kapa o Pango heeft wel gezorgd voor wat rumoer. Eén van de laatste bewegingen van de dans is een gebaar van de hand met gestrekte duim. Deze duim wordt over de keel gehaald. Tegenstanders van de Kapa o Pango verklaren dat de All Blacks hun opponenten de keel willen afsnijden. De All Blacks houden vol dat de duimbeweging moet zorgen voor goddelijke energie in de longen en moed in het hart. Het is bijzonder te constateren dat een rituele dans dus nog steeds kan leiden tot controverses!

De Ka Mate:

De Kapa o Pango (let op het duimgebaar!):

De knieën gebogen
Bij vrijwel elke haka staan de hakabeoefenaars (leuk woord voor Scrabble!) met hun knieën gebogen in een soort van spreidstand. Ze spannen al hun spieren en slaan op de gespannen spieren van de borst, de armen en de bovenbenen. Door middel van neertrekkende bewegingen proberen de Maori er voor te zorgen dat de kracht van de goden vanuit de hemel in hun lichaam trekt. Om extra imponerend over te komen, trekken ze allerlei expressieve gezichten. Het laten zien van het oogwit en een lange tong horen er vrijwel standaard bij.

Traditionele dansen
Overigens is het zo dat de haka niet alleen door de rugbyspelers van Nieuw-Zeeland wordt opgevoerd voor hun wedstrijden. Ook andere kiwisportteams gebruiken de haka. Ook de voetballers en de ijshockeyers zijn er erg bedreven in. Omdat er zo’n energie en uitstraling van de haka van Nieuw-Zeeland uitgaat, zijn ook andere landen in de regio hun traditionele dansen weer gaan gebruiken: Fiji (de ‘cibi’), Tonga (de ‘kailao’) en Samoa (de ‘siva tau’). De kippenvelmomenten die je van de haka krijgt, worden vermenigvuldigd als de All Blacks spelen tegen één van deze drie landen. Dan is het niet alleen een rugbywedstrijd, maar ook een dansstrijd!

Ook andere landen gaan hun traditionele dansen gebruiken:

Fiji – de cibi:

Tonga – de kailao:

Samoa – de siva tau:

Even struinen op het web levert trouwens leuk en imponerend beeldmateriaal op:

Tonga tegen Nieuw-Zeeland:

De konijnenhaka:

De peperkoekmannenhaka:

Peperkoekmannen tegen biscuitboys:

De spinnenhaka:

De koningin en de haka:

Someone once threw me a small, brown, hairy kiwi fruit, and I threw a wastebasket over it until it was dead.
~ Erma Bombeck

About the photo: Played around with a kiwi today. Forced the camera to no flash, overexposed by one stop, slightly de-saturated the photo in Lightroom.

Us Kiwis are well known for our ingenuity or number 8 wire mentality and after seeing the technology and innovation being showcased during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) I am glad to report that Kiwi ingenuity is on the up and up.

At the Wellington to the World (W2W09) technology venture showcase, put on as part of GEW, I was impressed with the offerings launched from Wellington with the intent of going global.

Over recent years Wellington has grown a strong reputation as the creative and innovative capital. However, W2W09 showed that Wellington innovation and creativity is expanding to a range of different niche businesses which are gearing up to take on lucrative international markets.

Did you know that the world’s 5th most influential technology blog started in Wellington? How about a usage meter that intelligently records and calculates individual internet usage for shared internet connections, and can even calculate the amount payable by each user? Or what about being able to make any computer simulate your child’s computer and become one that you know will be safe for him/her? There was also a training and events management platform that integrates seamlessly into your existing website – that means it is 100% re-brandable to suit your requirements.

Admittedly, a number of the ventures presented by the local entrepreneurs were IT based, which has to be the most cost effective and efficient way to go global from here, but some of these IT solutions have 3D outputs. Such as a photorealistic renderer which simulates the physics of light to achieve near-perfect image realism and an online marketplace where creators, digital fabricators, materials suppliers and buyers meet to make almost anything.

In the scientific area, there is some very interesting research being done locally into palladium particles and nanotechnology.

The world is our oyster and there is no need to be limited by our geographic isolation. So watch out world!

Chicken & Kiwi

This recipe was given to me by my friend Shawn who has always been a good cook. This was one of the first recipes that I learned when I was in college. It’s quick and easy and great on a summer day, or for any occasion!

Ingredients

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/3 cup white wine

1/4 tsp salt

3 kiwi pared & sliced

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp chopped rosemary

1/8 tsp pepper

Cook chicken breast halves in butter in a 10 inch skillet. 5 minutes on each side

In a small bowl, mix wine, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken

Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-15 mins or until chicken is done

Remove chicken, keep warm

Heat wine mixture to boiling. Add kiwifruit, heat until warm

Return chicken to skillet, spoon kiwi and sauce over chicken

Not only is the elephant in the room, he is quite insane. He’s put a lot of time and effort into destroying his currency and his entire economy along with it, he’s quite paranoid and is eyeing the rest of the world and gibbering…

“Not only does one country account for the overwhelming plurality of world military expenditures, but that nation also has troops and bases on all six habitable continents (as well as a 54-year military mission in Antarctica, Operation Deep Freeze) and eleven aircraft carrier strike groups and six navy fleets that roam the world’s oceans and seas at will. It is also expanding a global interceptor missile system on land, on sea, in the air and into space that will leave it invulnerable to retaliation.”

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/rozoff1.1.1.html

I’m referring of course to the Great Paradigm of “Truth, Justice, Free Speech, Capitalism etc”; America, the only nation in the world that exports ‘democracy’ at gunpoint.

At a dinner party I was once cried down (the strength of the indignation betokened the power of indoctrination and lifelong propaganda) for suggesting that the time may come — soon — when the rest of the world may need to unite against the American Empire.

I’d hate to see that, but with a rabid elephant trampling everything in the room it may be necessary to shoot the elephant.

Can a foaming at the mouth rabid jackal be reasoned with? No. The only answer to insane brute force is greater brute force (and here’s where it could get messy).

Anyway, the article referred to is worthy of a read — and yes, it did originate in the United States. Not all Americans are hellbent on conquest, thank God. But questions that keeps haunting me:

(a) Why do the Chinese keep funding the American military monster?

(b) Or are the Chinese simply ‘feeding a fool enough rope, and he will hang himself’?

I leave those ones for the Americans themselves to figure out, I’m just a dumb bystander in the room, huddled against the wall and waiting for the trumpeting and screaming to die out.

KISMET

Hooray!  I got two things this week that I was going to buy anyway: the potimarron is destined to become my Thanksgiving pie, and the haricots lingots (dried white beans – in the net bag there) will join forces with my duck confit to make cassoulet.  Potatoes are, of course, a staple, and these will likely end up on the Thanksgiving table as well – mashed, maybe with crème fraîche and green onions.  I will probably be serving the mâche tonight to take the gluttonous edge off the meatball sandwiches I have planned for dinner.

The bright red roots are called “radis long,” or “long radishes,” and I’ll admit I don’t have any idea what to do with them.  Ideas are welcome and encouraged.

Those little furry things are tiny kiwis (not mice, as my cat seemed to suspect) and they came with a note saying the sooner we eat them, the better they’ll be.  Looks like dessert is taken care of for the next few days.

Originally published on Seasonal Market Menus.

Nach den wirklich interessanten und erlebnisreichen ersten drei Tagen in Auckland, ging es für mich weiter zum zweiten und letzten Stop auf meiner 1-Wöchigen Neuseelandreise und zwar auf die Südinsel nach Christchurch. Christchurch gilt als “britischste Stadt in Neuseeland”, was sich auch sehr schnell, aufgrund vieler alten Gebäude, die alle im britischen Stil gebaut wurden, bemerkbar machte. Meine Unterkunft war zentral in der Stadt, direkt am Platz der Kathedrale, die das Zentrum der Stadt symbolisiert, daher lag es auch perfekt für eigenmächtige Erkundungstouren.

Jedoch began mein erster Tag in Christchurch mit einer organisierten Tour.
Und zwar begab ich mich auf die “High Explorer Tour Canterberry Ebene”. Nachdem ich von unser Unterkunft abgeholt wurde, brachte der Bus mich und die anderen der Gruppe zum Christchurch Bahnhof. Von dort aus nahmen wir den “TranzAlpine Train”, der die Ostküste und die Westküste verbindet und dabei die Südalpen Neuseelands durchquert. Die Zugstrecke wird als eine der sechs schönsten Zugstrecken der Welt bezeichnet und führte durch schneebedeckte Berge, riesen Täler mit gewaltigen Schaafsfarmen und auch über türkis, fast weiße Gletscherflüsse.
Die Landschaft war wirklich atemberaubend, man wusste garnicht wo man überall hingucken soll und von was man immer Fotos machen sollte, weil es einfach viel zu viel gab. Ich kann verstehen, dass viele Menschen die Landschaft auf der Südinsel von Neuseeland als eine der schönsten Landschaften der Welt bezeichnen, es ist wirklich faszinierend.
Nachdem wir mit dem Zug bis zur “Arthur´s Pass Railway Station” gefahren sind, stiegen wir aus dem Zug aus, um auf den “High Country Explorer 4×4″ umzusteigen, das war ein umgebauter großer Geländewagen oder besser sowas wie ein Geländebus..! Mit dem wir dann durch eine der größten Schaafsfarmen Australien gefahren sind, der “Flock Hill Sheep Station”, die 35.000 acre groß ist. Das besondere an dieser Tour ist, dass es eine privat Strecke ist, die nur von diesem Anbieter befahren werden darf, damit die Schaafe nicht immer gestört werden, daher war es schon etwas wirklich besonderes. Auf dem Weg, mitten im nirgendwo, da die Strecke 23km durch Stock und Stein geht, ohne dass man auch nur eine menschen Seele trifft, sahen wir eine Schaafsgeburt, was eigentlich auf einem 35.000 acra Gelände so gut wie nie vorkommt.
Nach der ca. 3 stündigen Fahrt, kamen wir an dem “Waimakariri River” an (einem Gletschergespeisten Fluß, daher “arsch kalt”) von dem es nur noch mit dem Boot weiter ging, daher führten wir den nächsten Teil unserer Reise auf dem Jetboot fort, was der absolute Hammer war, unser Reiseführer war nämlich neben bei noch amtierender neuseeländischer Champion im Jetboot fahren und kachelte daher vollspeed mit dem Jetboot über das zum Teil nur zentimeter tiefe Wasser. Bei dem Part des Trips war nicht nur die wunderbare Landschaft zu beobachten, sonder sogar der Kick war noch dabei, der absolute Hammer
Und so endete dieser wirklich beeindruckende, aber auch anstrengende Tag am Abend bei dem netten Italiener “Positano” (vorbildliche Angestellte…).

Für meinen zweiten Tag in Christchurch habe ich die “Grand Sights Tour Christchurch” gebucht. Da Christchurch nicht nur die britischste Stadt Neuseelands ist, sondern auch als “Tor zur Antarktis” gilt (die Amerikaner haben dort zwei riesen Militärjets stehen, die im Sommer fast täglich Ladungen und Forscher zur Antarktis und zurück fliegen), so war unsere erste Station das ”Christchurch Antarctic Centre”. In diesem Antarctic Centre war ein Raum, der einen Eissturm nachahmte. Man ging also in diesen -8° kalten Raum, mit kurzer Hose (draußen war es ja warm) und einer Polar-Winterjacke (hat man zum Glück im Vorraum bekommen) und wartete bis die Ventilatoren angeschmissen wurden und den -8° durch künstlichen Wind auf -28° abgekühlt hatte – alter das war so arsch kalt..!!!!
Danach sind wir zum “Willowbank Wildlife Reserve” gefahren, der die einheimischen neuseeländischen Tiere zeigte. Dort habe ich dann das erste Mal in meiner (leider nur sehr kurzen) Zeit in Neuseeland ein “Kiwi” gesehen, dass Wappentier der Neuseeländer, wow das war schon beeindruckend die einmal gesehen zu haben, vorallem weil es langsam darauf zugeht, dass sie aussterben könnten.
Nach dem Besuch im Wildlife Reserve sind wir zur “Christchurch Gondola” gefahre, das ist eine Skigondel, österreichisches Fabrikat, die auf einen Berg über Christchurch fährt, von dem man einen Blick über die gesammte Stadt hat und über die Südalpen von Neuseeland, was wirklich ein beeindruckender Blick war.
Die Tour endete mit einer Fahrt auf der “historischen Tram”, die durch das Zentrum von Christchurch führt und selbst von Queen Mum, als sie Neuseeland besucht hatte, genutzt wurde. Von der Tram aus, führte der Weg durch den “Christchurch Botanic Garden” zurück zum Hotel.
Da ich am Sonntagmorgen, noch eine Stunde Zeit hatte, bevor ich zum Flughafen musste, wollte ich mir nochmal die Kathedrale von Christchurch angucken, die den Mittelpunkt der Stadt symbolisiert. Zufällig erwischte ich den Tag, wo ein Gottesdienst für die Veteranen des neuseeländisches Militär stattfand, weshalb ich eine riesen Parade sah.

Dann ging es leider schon zurück zum Flughafen, wirklich sehr schade, dass ich nur 7 Tage in diesem wirklich interessanten und vor allem landschaftlich wunderschönen Land hatte, aber die Arbeit in Brisbane rufte wieder, so kann ich aber aufjedenfall zurückblicken und sagen, dass sich die Woche absolut gelohnt hat, auch wenn es deutlich zu kurz war…!