Wellington in the winter

It's been a lovely weekend after a somewhat miserable week, weather-wise. Yesterday I swam, and then pottered about the flat for a while (cleaned windows!) before deciding the weather was too good to waste really. So I hopped on the bike and did the ride around the bays to the Chocolate Fish Cafe for a hot chocolate. (I discovered dipping a chocolate fish into hot chocolate makes the pink stuff inside melt slightly. Yum.) It was chilly but sunny so I sat outside by the sea and watched the sparrows hopping around hopefully for food. One of them got the end of an ice-cream cone. Cycled back via the supermarket and flopped feeling virtuous. The view across the harbour was stunning; clear right up to the mountains at the end of the Hutt Valley which had snow on the top.

Today was slightly less sunny but still not too windy, so good for rowing. We have a coach now who's keen on technique (a good thing) and took out a coxed four which moved okay given the scratch-ness of the crew. Afterwards I subbed into the social/masters' mixed eight which was fun. My blisters are all coming back; joy. After all that exercise I'm fairly knackered, so am flopping again once more feeling virtuous - the more so because I also cleaned and did laundry today.

I love the internet!

I'm listening live to Regatta Radio from Henley Royal! I'm in New Zealand, and I'm listening to radio from Henley! Very cool.

Unfortunately I missed my club's races earlier, but I'm going to make sure I keep an eye on the timetable for the rest of the regatta and try and catch the races. :)

A proper bit of NZ

I went to my first powhiri today. A powhiri is a welcome ceremony, and the one I was at was to mark the opening of a nw institution at a university. It wasn't very decorative, not like the ceremonies they put on for tourists, but it was quite moving even though I had barely any idea what was going on and what was being said! First all the guests on the marae (a Maori meeting-house) were welcomed by the Maori elders and the university staff in the traditional nose-rubbing way. I felt dreadful that I hadn't memorised the response to "tena koe" (the formal welcome), but otherwise I think I managed okay by smiling a lot.

Then the kaumatua (elder) began proceedings by making a speech and chanting, and there was a hymn by the hosts; and the equivalent from the guests' side; and then that was repeated. I think the speeches were quite amusing because people kept laughing. I gathered that the hosts were welcoming the guests to the marae and the university, and there was a suitable response, and quite a lot about waka (canoes), and I really liked the third song, which was quite cheerful. But I couldn't understand much more!!

After that we all trooped over to the site of the new institution and the building was blessed with special water and prayers, and then that was it. It was all pretty interesting and I do love listening to the sound of te reo Maori being spoken, even if I can't understand the actual meaning. It's a beautiful, rich language, very musical in its way.

Bleurgh

While the UK's been flooded it's been dry here. Until this weekend, when it's decided to rain pretty much constantly. I haven't been out today - nothing really to go out for, so I decided to stay in, bake bread and stay dry. I am going swimming later though. That'll be wet.