New Zealand

Cloudy land of sun burnt hills,
Clutching at inverted air,
Spinning weather like Arlichino
In his patchwork suit,
Is a harbinger of balance…
A sonnet weighing the soul
As it lists right,
Then left, seeking its level
On seasons that whirl through a day,
Forcing nostrils open
To flare and contract at the scent of snow
And peonies.

ANZAC Day

6.30 am, the dawn has not yet broken over Cathedral Square as hundreds gather to remember the lives lost by New Zealanders since WWII at Gallipolli. Parents, children, old vetrans and current service members all crowd the pavement to sing hymns to the memory of soldiers lost. All is still and silent except for the cracking report of guns saluting the past and looking forward to a more peaceful future.

The Little Nippers

So here they are, in all their glory...the bike gangsters of Christchurch. Pretty fierce huh?

Aoteoroa-Land of the Long White Cloud....

Well, we are making determined strides into Autumn here....yesterday my host Rotary club held their annual duathalon for all the children in Christchurch ...around a thousand showed up(!), and it was FREEZING! We all had on about 75 layers of clothing, but by the time the last determined biker peddled by we were sweating up a storm! That afternoon, the skies filled up with clouds and now, this morning, it is raining cats and dogs :)

We are on our term break at Uni right now and I am extremely glad that it is raining because I have TONS of reading and writing to do on my papers which are due in two weeks! Less distraction with bad weather you know.

There is a Bikram yoga studio around the corner from my house, that's the hot yoga you do in a steaming room, which I have decided to try as a study break. It's also right next to a carving studio which is owned by an amazingly talented one armed Maori carver named John. We had a brilliant conversation about the difference between "real" Maori history and what they sell to the tourists...I felt very fortunate to have such a first hand jaw with someone who is in the know!

Thought I'd post some pics from the big duathalon yesterday for everyone to check out...it was a blast!