Cable Car Girl

Our vertical city just got easier. With our new digs comes better transport. Working girl Penny can now ride the Cable Car home from work if she feels the need. Believe you me, walking up 188 stairs as part of an all uphill climb home equipped with backpack, a stop at the grocers and of course, the daily woes, can put your Richard Simmons' video workout to shame. Today however, we are off to the local version of K-mart (Warehouse) to purchase Ms Finger Pointer a pair of walking shoes to supplement her cable car pass.

Half Time Show?

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume while the pole dancers played a marching tune. We all got up to dance, but we never got the chance!`cause the players tried to take the field; The marching band refused to yield. Or something like that.

Rugged Wear

Last night we went to Westpac Stadium and watched the local team, the Wellington Hurricanes mount a huge comeback and beat the um...other team 20-13. As this was our first rugby match, we had lots of questions. Why is a "try" a score? When and why does an official call a penalty as the whole fracus seems like one illicit hit after another? We listened intently for the "pigpile" call that had to precipitate the massive pile ups throughout. Alas, our discerning ears failed time and again. No doubt copies of Robert's Rules were still in pristine condition sitting somewhere in the lockerrooms. However, as we left the stadium there was little doubt in our collective souls as to athletic prowess of the rugby player. Just look at their thighs mate. Oh yeah, I heard one fan lament to a player, "your mother's a postal worker". Ouch?

Kinky Kiwi Floor Play?

Poor Merman. He came out of the sea and couldn't hear. Too much water between the ears. Yes, his spouse is holding a lit candle in his ear. No worries. That's as hot as things got that evening. Other oddities from Kiwi culture include the following phrases:

"And Bob's your uncle" or "Fanny is your Nanny" translation: And there you have it

"Put that up your jumper and be glad it's not a pineapple" Translation: Take that and deal with it

Hope Springs Eternal

Last night we dined with real kiwis, colleagues of Penny from the Ministry of Ed. Much to Marc's delight, one of the kiwi guests did his graduate work at Brown Univerisity and is a devoted Redsox fan. He maintains that there is quite a strong contingency of Sox nation in Wellington. Plans were made to watch the Sox opening game via cable on the telly. Phew!

What Goes Around Comes Around

When Marc was 13 years old he convinced his father to take him to the Flynn Theater in Burlington, Vermont to watch a Beatles film festival. Yes, that cinematic spectacular included the fab four of A Hard Day's Night, Help, Yellow Submarine and Let it Be. Well, this weekend, Marc got to watch 3 hours of the Wellington World Cup of Skate Boarding. Not just awesome truck tricks dude but knarly music and all that comes with the Skate Boarding culture. Drake was entranced. And that's what counts.

Merman Appears at Chalkwalk

There's always Something/Anything happening in the Wellington Civic Square. This past Saturday, aside from the World Cup Skateboard Competition and Pacifika Food Festival, people were invited to temporarily decorate the Civic Square using available chalks of assorted colors. Many Wellington residents were unaware that Clive's own Merman appeared at the Chalk Walk, disguised as Beach comer and devoted parent. You'll find the Merman just to the left of an Alden yanking up his trousers. Our boys found grinding the chalk to dust via the rain grates almost as much fun as composing and coloring.

Retreating to the Native Roots

Last week we were invited with other Fullbright Fellows and Scollars to a Marae, sort of like an Indian Reservation without the cultural devastation provided by a Dawes Act and such. For the families of the "Fellows", we were provided with a ceremonial introduction and the wonderful hospitality of the Maori people. Later, we all slept in a communial room equipped with floor mattresses, pillows and group snores. Needless to say, only the semi-comatose winked while others drifted in and out. Pictured here is Dr. Bishop discussing Maori folklore or that mornings' "brekkie"(that's breakfast) with a fellow.

Sassy Red

Due to the generosity of some friends, we were able to go out on our first date since arriving in New Zealand. Letting our intuitive powers guide us along, we strolled the streets of Wellington before opting successfully for an Irish pub to our liking on Cuba Street. We sat outside and people watched. Penny washed down her black panned fish with a pint of some red bitter. Marc glowered bitterly at her pint while reluctantly sipping his glass of house red (in an Irish pub? C'mon you bloody wanker!). Well, the waitstaff was excellent and well informed on all things gluten. Following our meal we caught a showing of the film, "Death at a Funeral". Some very, very funny moments. If nothing else, Marc always enjoys hearing a good British actor accentuating lines such as, "bloody tosser" and "wanker". Someday, if he's lucky, such vehemence could be tossed his way.

Airing Dirty Laundry?

A few of you have inquired rather good naturedly as to what we are doing now that the boys are back in school? After the high fives, cartwheels and headstands? Well, Penny is working full time for the Ministry of Education looking at Middle School Reform in New Zealand schools. Marc, fueled by Catholic guilt and professional responsibility is busy pursuing his sabbatical proposal on how teachers assess student learning. When Marc is not professionally taxed he is busy worrying about how he's going to find time to read all of the interesting works of fiction in the public library while fighting the good fight with a piece of crap masquerading as a dual washing and drying machine in our temporary flat. Bloody tosser!

Chinese New Year

It's the year of the Rat. Not sure what that means anymore, how ethnocentric of us. We attended the Chinese New Year Parade in downtown Wellington. Compared to parades at home, it was a relief to just celebrate culture and be spared the numbing roar of fire engines and the sonic boom of fighter planes punctuating our tax dollars at work. Instead of dodging lollies and other sugar coated treats, our boys could have been on the receiving end of tossed cabbage. Reflexes prevailed and Drake and Alden managed to curl both mouthes and bodies. Tossed salad landed elsewhere. Too bad as I think to be on the receiving end means either good fortune or a promising pregnancy. Despite the cabbage scare, we were impressed with the energy of the performers, attention to detail of custom and costume. Impressive.

Hell is for Pizza! A Full Confession

Last night we found a pizza venue fit for pizza starved Americans! Well, I should amend that a little. Alden has shown a mysterious and obstinate stance on pizza. He hates it. Penny and I know that's crazy. Nobody hates pizza. It's just a matter of time and relief and when he relinquishes his bizzare opposition. Drake loves cheese pizza any time. Penny and I love it too. To date, other than a Pizza Hut in Whakatane which we avoided out of pride and taste, pizza joints have been scarce in New Zealand. Now, I'm not getting snooty about Pizza Hut. It's just that we didn't travel across an ocean and then some to sample American styled fast food. Amply titled "Hell", the establishment offered a variety of decorated pizzas with titles such as "Wrath" and the "Seven Deadly Sins". Conjour up a play on words relating to sin and hell and there's a pizza topping waiting for you in Hell. As you have surmised, Hell offered a gluten free crust. So...last night we had pizza from hell and it was heavenly. Alden wolfed down five slices. We anticipate more sinful bliss in the days to come.

View of the Pacific

We've just finished our first week in Wellington. Feels like more. The boys have two days of school under their respective belts. So far the results are positive judging from their comments on the walks home. We are anxious to move to our permanent apartment so that we can do a little nesting. As is, we are quite comfortable with the location and sleeping conditions, it's the sharing one small common room with two rambunctious boys that gets tiring. Pictured here is the view from our walkway leading to the front door of our apartment. I think you get the sense of verticle living and spectacular views offered throughout this compact city.

Hot Rocks

Bad play on words there. Lots of lava flow viewing at Wellington's infamous Te Papa museum. Here Penny and her mother's little helpers view a large screen video on one of New Zealand's volcanic eruptions. Marc attempted to call on some sort of Ansel Adams muse for an artistic venture into the sihlouette genre of lava landscapes. The end result was more akin to the Patriot game plan in the Super Bowl, poor execution against a superior opponent.

Super Bowl really was the Toilet Bowl

Monday afternoon (that's Sunday evening for folks in the Northeast part of the states) found the boys opting for a bit of bowling in downtown Wellington. Imagine Marc's elated surprise when he noticed 40 inch flat screen tv's hoisted above each bowling alley. Better yet? Each screen carried live images of the Super Bowl! Awesome. Drake and Alden bowled with friends while Marc sat back at the scorer's table offering timely sage advice for his novice sons while keeping a focused eye on the game! (someone had to as the Patriots clearly were not) Better still, as the three boys carry the family bladder together ...all three trudged off to the toilets and...we kid you not, hoisted just directly above each individual urinal in the men's room were flat screen tv's depicting the Super Bowl. Given the play of the Patriots, flushing seemed so "apro pos". Unlike the Pats' coach who tried to run off the field with one second remaining, I told my boys, "stay for the last few shakes."

The Thirty Nine Steps?

Alden stares down at the camera from one of Wellington's many "pedestrian access routes". These are vertical stairs that provide short cuts from the long and winding roads through the city. This particular walk way brags of 186 steps. Yes, Marc and Drake counted them.

Stilted Growth in Clive

Almost forgot to include Marc's debute on stilts. Fortified by two glasses from the area's fine white wine, Marc got up on stilts and walked the walk until Andrew (he of the merman fame) challenged him to a round of stilt jousting. After two quick rounds Marc abandoned the circus arena for the gluten free dessert cabinet.

X Games in Wellington

The boys found a bungy jumping site and a slide with a vertical drop that belongs in an X Game tournament. As an experienced bungy bouncer from the Essex Fair, Alden had no problem with trying it here. He was so nonchallant about it that he spent most of his time engaging Penny with colorful commentary. I spent most of the time wondering if going without sunblock for the first time in Nz was such smart idea. This morning my tight and red forhead answers that question. Ouch.

Books, books and more books

Nothing against the small and quaint Vermont libraries that I love and patronize but ...my jaw dropped when I stepped into Wellington's public library. Forget books, forget that the library had 37 copies of my current favorite writer of mysteries (yes, more than one copy for some titles), forget that the DVD section had more films than my local Blockbuster, forget that there's a mezzanine level serving coffee and good eats. This library loans CD's. Yes. As you are undoubtedly wondering, they do have selections by Todd Rundgren, in fact there's a best of compilation with 37 tracks entitled, "Go Ahead, Try and Ignore Me." No way Todd. No can do. Check out Alden. No books. Just sweets.

City Slickers?

The country bumpkins made it to Wellington, New Zealand's capital and our home for the next six months. It is as vertical a city as advertised. Our temporary apartment is just a stone's throw from the water front and "happening" areas but the geography rivals San Francisco for hills. Not a problem for Vermonters. We are ready and willing.

A View with Room

While in Clive, our hosts were kind enough to take us to the top of Mount Te Mata. The spectacular view was impossible to capture on our digital camera. I tried anyway. Pictured here are the boys enjoying the forced group photo.

The Merman Appears!

Next stop in Hawke's Bay was the town of Clive to visit the Bull Orchard. As it was not time to harvest the fruits, the boys took in a swim at the local lagoon with its stunning blue waters. Disappointed or perhaps relieved that Brooke Shields did not appear, the boys were nonplussed over the appearance of what locals refer to as the "Merman". He didn't say much nor swim for that matter. Mostly, he just posed.

1930's Revisited

On our way to Wellington we made a detour to the Hawke's Bay area. First stop was the small city of Napier. Of interest is the city's architecture. Leveled by a devestating earthquake, the city rebuilt itself in the decorative style of Art Deco. Deco galore and a cutting edge organic store heavy on Gluten free sweets made this quick stop a highlight for the day.