To absent friends (and relations!)

When you embark on a 'long white cloud adventure' (or any adventure involving travel and distant shores for that matter) - you tend to miss out on moments like this one, captured fairly recently in Cape Town and featuring (from left to right) Janet my sister, Patty my first cousin -  from Australia and visiting REALLY fleetingly, my godmother Pam - and my mum's sister (also from Oz) my mum Pat, and Janet's daughter and by definition my niece, Julia. Also at this get together were my son Andrew, his wife Claire, and their almost brand new baby daughter Matilda who were touching base with this side of the family whilst visiting from Vancouver, Canada.
Families are becoming somewhat International - well ours certainly is! - Saffas, Zimbos, Canucks, Kiwis and Ozzies - we aren't even mentioning the Scots who are lurking somewhere up there in the Northern Hemisphere even as we speak!
Dis al!

God Defend New Zealand

(From: Curious Kiwi words' by Max Cryer)
In 1840 New Zealand's national anthem was established as 'God Save the Queen' and will remain so as long as the nation is a kingdom. It must be played if the sovereign or a representative thereof is physically present.
But New Zealand has two national anthems. Thomas Bracken, an Irishman living in Dunedin, wrote the words of God Defend New Zealand which was published as a poem in 1876. An enthusiastic nationalist, Bracken set up a competition to find a tune for his words, the winner being John Joseph Woods of Lawrence. Ther resulting song became very popular and although Bracken boldly printed it with the words 'National Anthem' on the cover, it really wasn't. Nevertheless, people throughout the country sang the song, and by 1878  Sir George Grey was suggesting that a Maori version be organised. This is heard more in the 21st century than it was in the 19th or 20th.
By 1940 the song had become unavoidable and the government bought the copyright and established 'God Defend' as a national song. (A national anthem can only be sanctioned by the sovereign)
Growing pressure caused high level discussions within Parliament and consultation with the sovereign who, in 1977, agreed to the establishing of 'God Defend New Zealand' as the second national anthem, which can be used on national occasions when the sovereign is not present. Paradoxically, as soon as the anthem became official, it began to wane in popularity. Complaints about its Victorian idealism and heavy-footed tune wore down the 100 years of enthusiasm that caused it's elevated status. Cries to get rid of the song began to be heard.
Nobody is sure what the phrase,'Guard Pacific's triple star', refers to: New Zealand's original three provinces, the three main islands. a misprint.....? Nobody knows.

GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND

E IHOA ATUA
O NGA IWIMATOU RA
ATA WHAKARONGO NA
ME AROHA NOA
KIA HUA KO TE PAI
KIA TAU TO ATAWHAI
MANAAKITIA MAI
AOTEAROA

GOD OF NATIONS, AT THY FEET
IN THE BONDS OF LOVE WE MEET
HEAR OUR VOICES WE ENTREAT
GOD DEFEND OUR FREE LAND.
GUARD PACIFIC'S TRIPLE STAR
FROM THE SHAFTS OF STRIFE AND WAR
MAKE OUR PRAISES HEARD AFAR
GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND.

There are four more verses of this sort of sentiment! - I don't think most kiwis even know that, since we have never heard more than the Maori followed by the first verse sung anywhere - not even at something National and Important. So it seems that those verses will forever gather dust. As for the rest of the anthem, we don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon, since it appears to be second only to the beloved Haka, which is to a full blooded kiwi what the pipes are to a full-blooded Scotsman.
Dis al!

Lassies

Faithful Blog followers will know that our granddaughter Matilda hasn't been featured here since shortly after she was born. However, recently she accompanied her folks on a trip to South Africa, where everyone who is anyone in the family (let me hasten to add - and ALSO residing in the said republic at the time) got to meet her. She looks to be very settled and comfortable in her under-dad's-nose seat in this picture and here, if I am not mistaken, she is taking in the sights and sounds  on a Dutch street, having made a detour en-route to Vancouver.

Here is a picture of Matilda's grandmother - although always a firm believer in babies looking like themselves (it's such a yawn when everyone keeps trying to see who they are the 'spitting image' of) I just thought there was a touch of a resemblence between these two lassies.
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Suits in Parliament - not Hearts though!

Labour MP Clare Curran has caused a huge stir here by wearing a Highlanders rugby jersey into the House last week. Attempting to drum up support for the outrage at changing the colours of the aforementioned jersey (pictured here in all its blue and maroon and old gold glory) to a loud and not particularly attractive green, Ms Curran appeared in Parliament clad in this example of the about to be discarded rugby jersey.
According to most reports, the speaker of the House did allow her to complete her reply to some other members' comment about some or other probably irrelevant issue, before asking Ms Curran to leave - since she was 'inappropriately attired'.
She looked somewhat nonplussed, hesitated awhile until she realised that the Speaker was indeed more than serious and then with as much dignity and grace as any woman in an ill-fitting rugby jersey could muster, exited the House muttering to herself we assume (and no doubt unaware that we were all going to hear her comment on the six o' clock news) "This is such crap"
One, and only one I note, other woman got up and left with her in a show of solidarity- pushing her nose up into the air and huffing out close on Ms Curran's heels, but the other members stayed firmly in their seats.
Evidently, there was no reason for her to remain outside, she had the choice to become 'appropriately attired' and return - she chose not to do so - there's a big surprise!
It has been reported that the dress code for women in Parliament is 'business suit' - the stirrers in this world are claiming that this is discriminatory, inflamatory and ambiguous!! to which I have to reply "Now that, dear readers, is such crap"!! Business suit is quite self explanatory as far as I can see - not too much leeway for ambiguity or misunderstanding there!
Dis al!

Chamber music

 Chamber music is alive in Wanganui - Lisa, Jeanli and Ivan Boessenkool are seen here performing for invited guests at their home in preparation for the Chamber Music Competition which was held at Collegiate School this week. (Incidentally, these three have two younger siblings - Liam, who plays the cello and Hannah who comes to the author for violin and piano lessons)

The two aforementioned younger siblings will no doubt be incorporated into varying combinations of instruments for chamber music ensembles, just as soon as they are old enough. They are already competent enough.

This lassie played her cello both at the Chamber Music Competition as well as at the High School Cultural Variety performance held on Wednesday evening this week at the Wanganui  Royal Opera House - I kid you not, we dink um have a genu-ine Royal Opera house in our town, complete with an upstairs gallery and red plush seats! The front facade of the building boasts several impressive gold columns holding the roof up!
On that score, the audience did quite well with the 'cool cultural' stuff, but the cello and piano number and the four lads on brass instruments were not as well received as the half naked dance numbers - it figures.

 Lisa is preparing for her final examination on the piano and played a forty minute recital - we were treated to Beethoven's Pathetique and a Bach Prelude and Fugue as well as a Prokofiev and a most interesting work by Faure.
I was most impressed with how well the 'littlies' coped with sitting still and listening to this advanced music!  Bodes really well for the future. It was a great evening of music with a bit of cheese and wine thrown in - the perfect way to enjoy a taste of the Big B's.

 This group is a combination of students from Wanganui High School and Wanganui Home Educators. Centre stage is Ida on the viola who has her piano lessons with the author and who is home schooled. The other three are at the local high school. If any of you out there are contemplating taking up a stringed orchestral instrument - consider the viola before the violin - they are always in demand and in my humble opinion, have a much better sound (especially in the beginning 'dying cat' stages) Sort of a happy medium, since the cello is just so gorgeous, but such a mission to lug around.

These three lassies played their Sax's at the Competition - as you can see, there is no shortage of young ladies willing to push the boundaries and take up an instrument that maybe fifty years ago, was not deemed to be 'appropriate' for a young lady to play! These three made some noise - their chamber group being aptly named "Heavy Metal"
We have so enjoyed getting a feel for what is happening on the 'serious side' of music in our town.

Dis al!

Coffee

Like many countries around the world, New Zealand has an absolute 'culture' around coffee - we have spent many happy times sampling both the  caffeine and non-caffeine varieties since we have been here. There is such a selection of exotic sounding names out there - us being somewhat coffee plebs had to figure things out by trial and error at first - I mean, would you be completely certain what a 'flat white' was? Compared with a Latte for example or a double shot long Cappucino? Nescafe Classic has remained the top-dog in our home, however, and until recently was the beverage of choice when it came to convenience and taste - unless we happened to be entertaining or were particularly inclined towards the filtered variety - at which point we would haul out the old 'coffee machine' and make do with the coffee being quite tasty, but generally lukewarm!
The frothed up-fancy-milk-on-top would have been a flash addition (someone once told me you could sjoezzsh up the milk in a coffee plunger, but I haven't been able to master that skill somehow) but it was all too much effort and just easier to go without or pay top-dollar in a coffee shop in town for that pleasure.
At this point I need to digress briefly.
"A blonde lass gets a call from the installer of her double-glazed windows asking when she is planning on paying for them, since he fitted them just over a year ago. Her reply comes easily and quickly and she tells him that just because she's a blonde, doesn't mean he should just asssume she's a dingbat. She proceeds to remind him that when he sold her the double glazing idea in the first instance, he assured her that they would pay for themselves within a year and it's been a year! Duh!! Hello!! - she said she was sure that guy felt like a real idiot"
We have been contemplating investing in a 'top of the range - all the bells and whistles' coffee machine (which also does the sjoezzshing of milk) for some time now. They were half price this past Queen's Birthday Weekend, so we have convinced ourselves that it will pay for itself in about a year!(Duh)! We don't have to go to the flash coffee shops in town - we can have the same indulgence and extravagance right here at home!
Dis al!