Jody and I had a wonderful Valentine's day. We went to the famous Roxy Cinema in Miramar for a special Valentine's Day Dinner of Duck at their wonderful restaurant then retired to the upstairs cinema to see the just-released romantic movie, WINTER'S TALE. Huge, cushioned chairs in the theater and film memorabilia throughout the building. What a great time. And, because NZ is so safe, we took a bus both to and from the cinema and got home around 10:30 pm. The Roxy Cinema Management was so proud of their achievements with the cinema that they even had a minature see-through showcase of the building.
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Monday, February 10 was Jody's first official day at work at the Ministry of Business and thus it was my first official day as House Husband in residence. Here I am wearing my official House Husband apron which Jody gave me for a Winter Solstice present.
On Saturday, February 8, The Sevens played at the Wellington stadium. What are The Sevens you ask? The Sevens is a rugby event that is basically for drinking, partying, and dressing up. Lots of different international rugby teams play in the stadium, but it is generating increasing controversy in Wellington as too many local residents (particularly young people) use it as an excuse to dress up, party, and get major s**t-faced. Following are just a few rather amusing locals in action on the streets of Wellington. Kind of like Halloween. Many of the young men like to dress up as women - must be the British influence. Why, hello sailor!
On Friday, February 7, Jody and I were treated by the Orientation Committee with a trip to the "Bush" the nature preserve in Wellington. We had a two-hour tour of the various flora and fauna of Wellington. It was a great compliment to our previous trip to the Wellington's Botanical Gardens.
After our first week back in Wellington getting settled into our new digs, Jody attended a week long orientation session with the Ian Axford Foundation. It was held at the local Fulbright Foundation in downtown Wellington as Fulbright administers the Ian Axford Fellowship. Fulbrught actually encouraged the spouses to attend the orientation - what a wonderful invite and experience for me as it introduced me to the local culture and issues in NZ, particularly regarding refugees, government functioning, and the various cultures in NZ. Our first main event was an overnight visit to a Maori settlement just outside Wellington. I will not go into detail at this point regarding the Maori. Suffice to say, their situation in NZ history is analogous in some ways to the American Indian. When British settlers arrived in NZ, it did not take them long to basically screw the Maoris out of their land, an issue of reparation that still exists to today. The Treaty of Waitangi put an end to major violence between the British colonists and the Maori, but effectively took much of their land from them. For a more detailed history, just Google New Zealand history or go to this website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81ori_people. Jody and I have discussed this issue at length and it appears that the Maori are much more integrated into NZ then American Indians are in the US. American Indians have indeed been royally screwed by the US over the centuries and relegated to reservations that remain intact to this day. In contrasts, the Maori have a major say in government and are fully participatory, while at the same time retaining their cultural roots and actually reclaiming cultural landmarks that were taken from them. I'll give a more detailed example later. Following are pictures of our overnight stay at the Maori settlement There were at least 25 of us participants and we slept on cots around the meeting hall. The Maori are major fishermen and carve extremely ornate fishing vessels. Jody couldn't help herself in calling attention to the Maori God who had multiple women. Hmmmm! The two-day experience with the Maori was very significant. We were treated like royalty and had an opportunity to learn about their culture, traditions, song, dance, literature, and current state within New Zealand society. As I become more familiar with them I will share more of significance.
Finishing up Sunday, February 2, Jody and I hosted a dinner party for her fellow Ian Axford scholars, Ben Riley, Rosemary O'Leary, and her husband, Larry. Jody and I had fun keeping the flowers she picked from our garden alive long enough for the party.
On Sunday, February 2, we had a fun, busy day. We first went to Wellington's only Unitarian Universalist Church for their Sunday service. There were 10 people in attendance, including us. We then went to a Chinese New Year parade in downtown Wellington and had a ringside street while we ate and had wine at a local restaurant.
On Saturday, February 1, Jody's great workmate, Judy, took us out to shop for things for the apartment. Along the way we stopped at the local Greek Orthodox in Wellington where they were having a Glendi (Greek Orthodox celebration). I stuffed my face with wonderful Greek food and Jody went inside to the chapel. Diane would have loved this. It wouldn't be a Glendi without song and dance. While I was outside busy eating, Jody went into the chapel and took these great pictures. There was also a large Greek art section.
Following an incredible 2-week trip to the South Island, we returned to Wellington on January 25. After spending one night with Jody's workmate, Judy, in her home we moved into our new apartment. Lodging is very expensive in Wellington and New Zealand in general. We lucked out in that we got a very spacious two-bedroom apartment in a 100-year old home for the same rate as most people are paying for 1/3 the space. It's quite suited to parties (which we love) and is very comfortable. Following are some pictures of where we're hanging out until August 31 waiting to see if Jody gets a Fulbright to go to Australia on September 1, 2014. General living area. And now, February 26, with our new 40" widescreen :-). Our bedroom. Kitchen Sunken Guest bedroom Dining area Backyard Jody and I spent the week of January 26 getting the apartment in order. Got a new 40" LCD widescreen TV for a steal as the old tube TV was not equipped to handle digital signals. The home is now pretty much the way we want it and we've even hosted our first dinner party.
On our next to last day on the South Island, we traveled from Christ Church to Kaikoura to swim with dolphins. This required us donning wet suits and going out on a boat to meet the dolphins. We took 3 separate dives in 60 degree water and basically snorkeled as entire schools of dolphins swam around us. They came within inches of us. It was an exhilarating experience and one of Jody's dreams. Unfortunately, most of our documentation are videos and I haven't as yet worked on getting video onto my Blog. But, the following pictures give you an idea of what we saw and experienced. To quote the music group, YES, "Mountains rise out of the sky and just stand there."
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