Sorry, no time to post today - been working all night on posting pics. They're not all there yet, but this will keep you all busy in the meantime!

http://community.webshots.com/user/becky_rogers

enjoy... and use parental discretion where necessary (by which I mean my parents don't need to view all!)

I was still feeling the binding rage yesterday and therefore felt it best not to post...

I lie, I actually attended the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra performance last evening at the City Hall. City Hall being a building where they operate municipal affairs from AND where there's a beautiful orchestra hall with 3 balconies and seating about 1000 people. Just like home. It was a fabulous performance with the Philharmonic comprising mainly of strings. For a long (embarrassingly long) time, I thought a Philharmonic was a choir from Philadelphia. I was really confused when we say one in Boston. Anyway, they performed Brahms first symphony and then a number of Opera pieces accompanied by Angela Brown, an American Opera singer. I learned yesterday that students can get tickets 15 minutes before the show for only $10 (that's New Zealand $. In Cdn $ that's a mere $9.83). There are only crap seats left (straddling pillars, being behind the musicians, you know) but I lucked out and met a women who had an extra ground floor ticket which she sold to me for that great $10 rate (they normally range from $30 - 80) so I had a wicked seat to boot!

Alright ... more differences...
The standard paper size is different - I think it's about 9x12.
Everything is 2 hole punched and binders are 2 ring vs 3 (or they're ring bound , but we won't go back there).

I know these seem like stupid things but they are things we so take for granted that I'm amazed to see they are not the same everywhere. If you got that...

Kiwis always say bye in this quiet sad sort of way, like they really don't want to hang up or leave you. It's an endearing trait.
Everyone here has traveled somewhere. I think it must come from the Island mentality, the feeling of isolation. People my age are strongly encouraged to get their "OE" (overseas experience) and it's referred to like it's part of their education. "Where did you go for your OE?" "Oh he's on his OE, will be back next summer." And really it is. Great mindset - think we should all have more of it. More people here know where PEI is than I met the entire time in Ireland. (Actually, I can only remember 1 person actually knowing where PEI was in Ireland. He was my neighbour in Ballyconneely and I went to his door to let him know his cows were out. Turns out he used to live in Boston and his roommates were none other than the Charlottetown Gillan brothers.) Tis a small world...

A lot of things that are different from home are actually British and I experienced them in Ireland. Example 1: sausage rolls. They were just served with Friday morning tea (it was someone's birthday celebrations). They are sausage --mushier then what we're used to -- wrapped in pastry. And, sorry Sarah, they're good in the heart-stopping, aterary-clogging sort of way.

What else... well, the Maori jewelry (the white bone necklaces that are most common) are for the most part fertility symbols. Many of you will absolutely not receive these as a souvenir. When the Maoris perform their ritual dances, they make a lot of scary faces and stick their tongues out about 3.5 feet in a wonderfully unappealing lizard-like manner. This is to instill fear in their opponent and to say "I'm going to eat you, rip you apart with my teeth" and other scary things.

Why such a potpourri of thoughts today? I'm at work and well, once the mail is sorted and delivered (by about 9am) my only task for the day is to answer the phone. It rings probably once every 5 mins on average. And that's it. They expect no more from me... I feel guilty not doing work, especially when they're all super busy, but they don't care. Whatever works. I have a beautiful view of the harbour that I can spend long times gazing out on.

Speaking of potpourri... anyone remember that short lived tv show? Brought some of Summerside's best to the limelight...

First of all, congratulations to my brother for finally "bringing the funny". Second of all, my condolences to my brother that the only way he could manage to "bring the funny" was to resort to a story about human feces. If only he had audio, the story probably would have been accompanied by some underarm operatics.

On to the next order of business... RENT WHALE RIDER! Beautiful movie, wonderful story, great scenery, hear the accent... it's got it all. Debbie, you had better stop at Price Club to pick up a case of Kleenex before you rent it though!

I'm in my own personal Fear Factor... long days at the photo copier, a phone with a big switchboard thingy that I'm expected to use without hanging up on anyone, piles and piles of data entry, binding pages!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! These are all the tasks I've worked so hard to avoid.... and now I have no choice... Binding was the worst... antiquated crank machines that snap closed and send paper in all directions and those damn plastic ringy things that make it even harder to flip through the pages... WHY??? Let's just punch 3 holes in it, stick it in a binder where it can be easily accessed and be done with it. Why the need for 100 holes and the inability to use the damn thing anymore??? Let's start a revolution - NO MORE BINDING!!!!!!! HEAR ME? WE'LL HAVE NO MORE OF IT!!!!

And, for those of you comparing blogs, ALL my entries are made from internet cafes, which don't come free, not that I'm complaining. Some of us don't have all the luxury Eastern Europe can provide at our disposal. Kind of looks like I may have a greater commitment to the blog than some other family members - I won't name names either but it rhymes with big lousy jerk who makes me mad.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad... 36 years! For those of you who haven't heard her say it, Mom's famous quote is "I could have killed him 3 years in and been out by now." Ahh... the romance...

You have to tune in again tomorrow for the rating on Whale Rider - I didn't make it last night. When I got home to have dinner and realized all I had was a past-its-prime open can of tuna, bag of onions and can of pumpkin soup, I realized it was probably time to hit the grocery store (although I can feel my father's disappointment as I had all the ingredients for "good eatin").

Some grocery store differences... wine & beer is sold at their (but you have to have a cane and a hearing aid to not get ID'ed, and even then only passports are accepted). There is only 1 big grocery store within the city centre. We really can't figure out where the other million people shop. Vegemite & marmite are very popular spreads here (more so than pb) and provide 10X your daily recommended sodium intake per teaspoon (you'd love it Dave). I thought I'd be brave and try it... let's just say someone's getting a souvenir just-like-new jar!

Going to be late for the movie.....

We've been very lucky in that the heaviest rain falls during the night here, leaving the day free for mild showers. Last night saw little sleep as Tropical Storm "watch it Dorothy because you're heading back to Oz" hit town. It was the wildest storm I've seen yet and left a few branches and trees scattered through the streets. Had nothing on ole Hurricunn Juan though eh wha?

So today I headed to the Bank of New Zealand to start my work there for an undetermined length of time. I guess someone in the family had to pick up the banking torch... I spent most of the day saying "Bank of New Zealand, funny talking Canadian speaking. I'm sorry who were you looking for? Sorry? Oh - can I take a message? Okay, your name again? Sorry? I'm really sorry I didn't catch that. Once more? Could you spell that? Could you repeat that please? Oh, you'll call back?"

My reputation hasn't preceded me though... not one bit of filing. Not one lick. Don't these people know who I am?

Tonight I'm off to see Whale Rider. This is the NZ movie about the Maori tribe. The actress is like 14 and was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar - big news round here. Stay tuned for tomorrow when I provide the thumbs up/down rating...

Happy International Day of Love (or more appropriately named Black Saturday by a few single San Juaners...)

Can't say my day was overly romantic (although I think I caught Sherilyn gazing at me at one point) but was a wonderful day nonetheless. Is none the less nonetheless or none the less? Interesting. intresting.

So, with a mildly heavy head (a bottle of NZ wine and a thoroughly unauthentic Irish bar--soon to be known as Urphy's Mirish Bar--took care of the Friday the 13th jitters) Sherilyn & I set out on an adventure. We wondered downtown for a bit before catching a bus to Mission Bay, a little beach town about 20 mins outside the city centre, where we spent a few hours on the beach (this time completely slathed in sunscreen - no more peeling armpits please) and in the water. Then it was back into town for a the purchase of a new bathing suit (one that does not enhance the whale factor) and a stroll through the market before we hit home and crashed. Laying on the beach really wears me out.

Then it was time for the Skycity Starlight Symphony - one of Auckland's biggest annual events - the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra and Skycity Massed Choir (about 500 members) performed a 4 hour concert in the largest Auckland park - the Domain. They were joined by some local pop and operatic stars and about 200,000 of their closest friends. It was a gorgeous night and the concert was supplemented with a laser and fireworks show. The finale - Checozky's 1812 overture (did I get that right musicians?) was punctuated by a choreographed light and fireworks show which was truly impressive. After that they played a piece to which everyone stood up at attention and sung along. There were a few hands on hearts, leaving me with the funny feeling it was the national anthem.

Today I wandered along K'Road (it's full name is so long and strange that not even the locals can pronounce it) where the artistic shops, second-hand bookshops, India emporiums (yes, that is plural) and other shops of interest are found. It's also where the transvestites hang out, so you always have to be careful when you use sir or ma'am...

After that, I headed to Mount Eden, one of the numerous inactive volcanoes in the area. The greater Akld area has 48 volcanoes in a 20 mile radius. Hey I know, let's build a city between volcanoes with the hopes none of the go off? Sure! Have none of these people heard of Pompeii? Anyway, I climbed to the top (the climb being interjected with a few water breaks and even a couple I have to tie my shoe fake outs) where you look down into what was the top of this volcano. It's all a big grassy hill now with no lava to be found, but still cool. And it offers great views of the city. Or would have if it hadn't started to pour as soon as I got to the top.