DUTCHCORNER

Another day at Akaroa

2012-01-22T20:00:00.011+13:00

As my daughter and her friend had the plan to swim with the dolphins we offered to bring them to Akaroa.
Akaroa is 75km from Christchurch and is a historic French and British settlement nestled in the heart of an ancient volcano.
Friends heard about our plan to go to Akaroa and joined in. Next their daughter and friend joined in. It was hot all week but the weather forecast was rain. We went anyway. I have shown Akaroa already a few times in the sun. Here it is on a rainy/cloudy day.

It poured down when we arrived so we went for a warm coffee first. When we came outside again the rain had stopped and we had a wonderful day.

The girls. This will be one of the last days we will be out together before my daughter (white jacket) moves out. It will be quiet without her. Three of the girls are from Dutch parents.

The bungee jump

A house in my favourite colour

Usually these chairs are packed with people. Because of the earthquakes the cruise ships arrive in Akaroa instead of Lyttelton, so it can be pretty busy.

From here the dolphin cruises leave. Swimming with the dolphins was cancelled however as the sea was too wild.

The Akaroa Lighthouse. We had a little tour inside and went up the balcony. The lighthouse, build in 1878 has been moved one inch by the earthquake and during the next one it moved back one inch

Part of the bunch on top of the light house

Love al the different colours everywhere

and of course the cottages with a porch. I would love a house with a porch and sit outside with a book and a glass of wine

In Akaroa you see many beautiful cottages

quote of the week

2012-01-21T09:39:00.000+13:00

Wow the world of wearable art

2012-01-20T16:40:00.002+13:00

My parents had a fashion shop so I have been to Amsterdam many times with them, where they bought their new collections. At the beginning of every season there was a fashion show. I have seen many, but nothing was even remotely like WOW, the world of wearable Art show. It is held in September every year in Wellington and started in 1987 in Nelson.
It is a magnificent 2 hour show, where designers and artists from all over the world show the most magnificent designs. It is unique in the world. A show were art, fashion, theater, dance, lighting melt into a spectacular rainbow of magic, fantasy and extravagance.
The garments below are shown at the moment at an exhibition in Canterbury museum. One thing on my bucket list is to see this show. My daughter is moving to Wellington for study and she would like to see the show as well so maybe.................

From havelock to Christchurch

2012-01-15T19:05:00.004+13:00

Driving through the South Island of New Zealand as we did on our last trip for 4 1/2 hours is very relaxing. Not a lot of traffic, no traffic lights, you don't need a map as there are not many roads and the scenery is beautiful. here a few impressions along the way

Who need shops The shoes grow here on the fence

A walk along the way to get some fresh air. We had a great view of the magnificent coastline you drive along and there is also some free camping as you can see

Just in time to spot the train who passes once a day.

Ther is a huge seal colony along this stretch of road and I never get board of them. We often stop as I am good at saying please.

The latest gossip is about me

He is close but in a safe distance and very busy scratching.

A modern West Side story

2012-01-12T18:53:00.007+13:00

If you are my age or older you probably know about West Side story. A musical where Tony and maria fall in love which is problematic because they belong to different gangs. The musical has fantastic dans scenes and beautiful music.
Most young people of today unfortunately don't know about West Side Story. Relax and don't worry. There is now a modern version on the internet which ties in with the culture of young people today. They will love it. They can relate to it. A contemporary Maria and Tony. You have to see it. It is called Website story

Havelock

2012-01-10T20:29:00.002+13:00

The second day of our trip in the holidays we stayed in Havelock. Havelock is a little town situated in the Marlborough sounds and is the gateway to the Pelorus Sound and the Kenepuru Sound. Havelock is the place in the world to eat mussels as there are hundreds of mussel farms in the Marlborough Sounds where they cultivate the Greenshell mussels.

A mussel restaurant in Havelock where you can eat them from the roof

Colourful building with a Tuatara painted on it

A view from a locomotive parked in the street

A little local church

A walking track passes through the cemetery

The boats are all in the harbour Too wet to go out

I am Dutch so I know that you don't melt from water so up the hill for a walk to look at more water along the way and to reach a waterfall.

Yep we are close

and there it is Worth it yep but because of the ongoing rain the path was very slippery and when we were nearly downhill again I slipped and kept sliding down. I was one big mud pie but I don't show you a photo of that lol

Quote of the week

2012-01-08T10:52:00.000+13:00

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle.

The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.
Ayn Rand

2012 a year of power

2012-01-07T10:43:00.005+13:00

Major Bob Parker of Christchurch had a briefing with seismologists as quakes keep rolling through Christchurch since the 6 magnitude aftershock before Christmas. For example yesterday we had a 5.1 and a 5.2 in the afternoon and last night we woke up from a 5.2 magnitude along with heaps of smaller ones .
The outcome from the briefing was that the earthquakes won't decline in a year or more but it will take decades. So basically we will have to live with it for the rest of our lives. Yes we have considered moving but we have ties to Christchurch.
We've got jobs, houses are not easy to sell, we have friends here and the children do too. Although my daughter is moving up to Wellington for study. But we always loved Christchurch and we are not ready to give up.
The chance on a damaging 7 is very small the seismologist said so that helps.
This is going to be an interesting year but we will make the best of it and their is a good vibe hanging in the air as well.
With 2012 a year of power I don't refer to the earthquakes but it is the title of the video underneath which has beautiful pictures and a soothing voice bringing out a positive message. It felt like a sort of meditation. It helped me to regain my strength.
Monday I am going back to work so I will post less frequently again.

Inspirational story

2012-01-06T13:10:00.001+13:00

A Samurai who was known for his nobility and honesty, went to visit a Zen monk to ask him for his advice.
When the monk had finished his prayers, the Samurai asked,
Why do I feel so inferior? – I have faced death many times, have defended those who are weak.
“Nevertheless, upon seeing you meditating, I felt that my life had absolutely no importance whatsoever.

Wait. Once I have attended to all those who come to see me today, I shall answer you.
The samurai spent the whole day sitting in the temple gardens, watching the people go in and out in search of advice. He saw how the monk received them all with the same patience and the same illuminated smile on his face.

At nightfall, when everyone had gone, he demanded:
Now can you teach me?
The master invited him in and lead him to his room. The full moon shone in the sky, and the atmosphere was one of profound tranquility.
Do you see the moon, how beautiful it is? It will cross the entire firmament, and tomorrow the sun will shine once again.
“But sunlight is much brighter, and can show the details of the landscape around us: trees, mountains, clouds.
“I have contemplated the two for years, and have never heard the moon say: why do I not shine like the sun? Is it because I am inferior?
Of course not – answered the samurai. – The moon and the sun are different things, each has its own beauty. You cannot compare the two.
So you know the answer. We are two different people, each fighting in his own way for that which he believes, and making it possible to make the world a better place; the rest are mere appearances.

An abundance of food in our garden

2012-01-05T21:02:00.028+13:00

Lots of potential in our garden and hothouse. We already have been eating potatoes and lettuce from the garden and as you see, soon there will be heaps of tomatoes, cucumber, garlic and courgettes to name a few. The courgette, the one with the yellow flower on top, is only a baby, but they get huge. Than there is also the pepper, which we grow for the first time. That's a confusing one for me because in Holland we call a pepper - paprika. We always get heaps and heaps of blackberries which annoyingly attract a lot of fruit flies. I like to put them in my yogurt. Not the fruit flies though or maybe they make good meat.

On the left is our veggie garden which looks quite wild. Next to beans and potatoes there are a lot of gladioli. We already have the veggie garden for many years as my husband enjoys looking after it. The advantage is that we get the freshest product with no chemicals added. Last but not least it becomes a necessity as food prices are skyrocketing and won't get better soon and there are several reasons for it I think;

Because of depleting energy it will get more and more expensive to import food from all over the world to our country.
Furthermore there is a growing world population en the demand will be more than what can be offered in the future unless something changes.
There is increasing debt in the world and because of the ongoing recession prices rise.
This won't happen overnight but it is something to be aware of.

Lots of local farmers markets are coming up in Christchurch and more people start their own veggie garden. I love markets and I think communities are getting stronger because of it as well.

Our next plan is to buy a tank to catch rainwater. After our first earthquake this was the thing we needed the most. Than we will be even more self sufficient.

Picton

2012-01-03T12:27:00.004+13:00

We had a trip of 3 days and our first stop was in Picton about 4 1/2 hours drive from Christchurch. Picton is a little town that is even beautiful in the rain. From here the inter island ferry leaves for Wellington in the North Island. Picton is at the corner of the Malborough sounds which is 4000 m2 of sounds, islands, and peninsulas. An amazing area which is mainly accessible by boat. We already made plans with friends to make a boat trip at Easter time. From Picton we drove over the Queen Charlotte Drive towards Havelock were we stayed the night

Come in and have a look at the wonderful water world

Exotic palms along the waterside

A view on Picton with the Ferry terminal in the front

Lookout on the Queen Charlotte drive (a wonderful scenic road) onto the queen Charlotte Sound

A secluded bay with dramatic colours

Many New Zealanders have a bach, which is a little holiday house. If you look there is such a little treasure house in the corner and it has its own boot ramp.

Not off to a good start

2012-01-02T19:39:00.002+13:00

Wishing you peace, love and joy in 2012

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right. Oprah Winfrey

What we don't get right yet is the way we wake up in Christchurch. We were craddled roughly this morning. Craddled? It was more like the bed ended up in a hyperactive wave in a storm. Before I got seasick though it was over again. 5.5 Magnitude we learned and the shakes and jolts kept coming. Luckily it is holidays and we could sleep in.
The weather is also fantastic. Not. We left in the rain on the 30st of December for a trip and after two days of being immersed in rain drops we learned that we had swapped the quakes for flooding. They told us that road which would lead us to our next destination was closed. So on the 1st of January we were heading back home. We had still some fun though.

Now let's hope we used up most of the bad stuff. We just left the best for later. One of that will be that half of June me and my son go to Holland. Holland be prepared. Zet de koffie maar klaar.

Christmas break

2011-12-12T21:36:00.001+13:00

Christmas is coming up fast and I still have to do all my Christmas shopping and the holidays are coming up as well. I quickly want to arrange a few days away as I am in need of it. I will be gone from my blog for a month but first
I want to thank you so much for all your support this year, which raised my spirit. I wish you all the best and see you next year again.

and for your entertainment a cute bird called snowball dancing to christmas music

People of canterbury NZ - Stop Fracking

2011-12-08T21:03:00.002+13:00

I read the following at Fiona's blog:

"Fracking, or Hydraulic Fracturing, has been linked to earthquakes, pollution and damage to aquifers. Two gas exploration fracking permits have been published, that cover a large part of the seismically active Canterbury area as we already struggle with thousands of aftershocks, displaced people, lost CBD, and changes to our way of life. I am frankly appalled that permission to do this would be given when both the UK and USA have admitted that it can cause earthquakes in active regions. There are also risks to our aquifer water supply and evidence of pollution from the chemicals used in the process. Please look at some of these articles and get behind fighting to prevent this happening. " Read more at Four paws and Whiskers

People of Canterbury, Christchurch this will affect you all. Please help to stop this madness. Go to Fiona's blog. Inform yourself and join one of the online groups or sent a letter or spread the information. We have gone through enough. Don't let them do the Fracking in Canterbury.

A lazy summer day

2011-12-05T22:31:00.006+13:00

While many enjoyed the Santa parade in Christchurch I had for a change a lazy Sunday afternoon yesterday. We did some biking and walking in the morning and just enjoyed the sun in the afternoon.What a delight to do no more than nothing. I have to do it more often. I even was able to write a little poem again although I feel I lost it a bit. The end of the year is busy as summer holidays come up and of course Christmas. I am looking forwards to it.

A few impressions of a summer day:

On our bike ride we discovered a great garden centre with some cool art

We walked along the railway track to the supermarket to buy some refreshments

little puffs, tschu, tschu
old and young ride from and too
entertaining ducks

A peek through a window

A warm Sunday afternoon

A green blanket dotted with daisies
Flowers wave to the tunes of a chime

the air carries the sound of laughter
from behind the wall of my home
whispering secrets of a simple tale
of youthful delight

A fresh wind brushes my cheek
in our secluded garden
where invisible dreams linger
of peace invading the earth
with the calmness of
of a warm Sunday afternoon

quote of the week

2011-12-01T23:09:00.001+13:00

Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational New Words Contest

2011-11-24T20:06:00.005+13:00

Our chicken keeps on escaping from the chicken coup and she is never more than a meter away from the cat. That's about the distance the cat will allow. "Can I have any peace?" she asks

2011 is about one of the busiest years in my life and one with the most upheavals. I try to keep my blog running though because I know times will change and I will get time again for writing poetry and articles which I love so much. What we need in times like these is lots of laughs and here is one which worked for me:

Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational New Words Contest
Here is the Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are the winners:
1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2. Ignoranus : A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high
8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.
9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
11. Karmageddon : It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido : All talk and no action.
14. Dope-ler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.) : Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you’re eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.
And the winners are:

1. Coffee, n. the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted, adj. appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.
3. Abdicate , v. to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade , v. to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly, adj. impotent.
6. Negligent , adj. absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.
7. Lymph , v. to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle, n. olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence+, n. emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash , n. a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle, n. a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude, n. the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon, n. a Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster, n. a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism, n. the belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent, n. an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men

French chanson singers

2011-11-13T20:21:00.010+13:00

Sometimes I get attracted to people, male or female. Often the reason for it is that I deeply respect them and I am in awe with the way they do their job or the way they treat people. I call out "Oh I just love him or her" It is a love on a deeper level, a recognition of their soul"
It is a close but at the same time a distant love.

This kind of love is very different from the love I felt as when I was young. First of all the word soul wasn't in my dictionary. I fell for all what was pretty if they had a dark side or not, no questions asked.
No wonder things didn't work out for a while. I lost it for men with dark curly hair .
When they however also sing in French than it can't get any better. The French language is so romantic

A poster of Julien Clerq hang on my room when I was a teenager and lateron I discovered Partick Bruel.
I bumped into the video of patrick Bruel, underneath and yep I can't get around it, he is still cute and I love the song.

Oh what a beautiful language ; My other favourite French singers are Patricia Kaas and Charles Aznavour.
Au revoir mes amis, marja

A poem by Bill Manhire

2011-11-11T19:13:00.006+13:00

The Voyage

All night the water laps
the hedges. I hold you in the middle
of the air
Don't sleep
all night. It is pitch
black, but since
there is a vista, let
your throat be the
the lantern.
Since there is a window, let us
open it.
Let us dress
for a voyage. Let me
go out, with
your voice, to call for you.

Bill Manhire, NZ poet

Update CBD Christchurch

2011-11-10T20:06:00.008+13:00

We don't come very often in the central city anymore except for Hagley park which is as stunning as ever. The reason is of course that there isn't much city anymore and as you can see and hear from the video underneath still a lot of buildings need to be demolished so it takes a while before they start rebuilding although some renovation has started.
Cashel street and Ballentynes has been opened for the public and the empty spaces are filled with container shops. You can see pictures from it on the blog Eliza's dream The containers look cool and I think it is a great idea as it puts colour to the damaged city

A greeting from a happy punter in Hagley Park

The people of Christchurch can get free bus rides through their city which will be like the one underneath. On the bus ride on you tube you get an update about the buildings by the demolishing manager

Another visit to Manderley

2011-11-05T19:43:00.006+13:00

Today I visited Manderley home and garden festival for the second year. I didn't intend to post about it as I did last year. There were however so many colour full people, a horse and a sheep for example that I had to get the camera out of my bag.

NZ the country of about 40.1 million sheep. Nothing special here you say but what about a blue one.

The festival is on part of the 750 acre land of the Manderley farm. On the farmland are 100 beef cattle kept and 1400 sheep. It is situated on a stunning spot, surrounded with hills and opposite Lake Forsyth and it has a gorgeous little river running through the property.

Cheerful flowers pop out of the suitcase, specially for you broo Happy birthday

A lady appears out of a piece of oemaru limestone. Oemaru stone is popular with carvers in NZ as is quite a soft stone.

I loved these gorgeous carved chess pieces

A lady and her hat(s). Hats are popular and especially worn during the races

Rocking pink is not only popular with teenagers as you see. This horse rocks in more than one way. He is also the host of two gorgeous chicken who like to have a ride on his back.

quote of the week

2011-11-01T21:27:00.002+13:00

How to be beautiful:

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Never throw out anybody. Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years."

Audrey Hepburn.

The paradox of our age

2011-10-30T20:33:00.001+13:00

Spring joy in our garden

The Paradox of our Age

by the Dalai Lama

"We have bigger houses, but smaller familes

more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees, but less sense

more knowledge, but less judgement.

More experts, but more problems;

more medicines, but less healthiness.

We've been all the way to the moon and back

but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour.

We built more computers to hold more information than ever

but have less communication.

We have become long on quantity

but short on quality.

These are times of fast foods

but slow digestion;

tall men, but short character;

steep profits but shallow relationships.

It is a time when there is much in the window

but nothing in the room."

French Fest Akaroa

2011-10-29T18:12:00.003+13:00

Me, my friend and hubby went for the day to Akaroa a village in the banks peninsula, 75 km from Chch, to the French fest. Le jour est tres beau: sunshine, good food, good company, a parade, a market and a walk. What else do you want? No don't answer that.

With the boat Comte de Paris 63 French emigrants arrived in Akaroa in 1840. They thought to make the island in a French colony but the English had already taken over, so they didn't go further than Akaroa. The settlement of Akaroa is still very French today and we had a taste of France with French music and the market people said
ca vas. Ca vas tres bien merci we answered.

Lots of market stalls with yummy food and drinks

We watched a little French parade, with the band leading and the French descendants following

On the hot day it is nice to catch a breeze on the water side

oh lala of course there is wine and french berets

It's worth to walk up the hill in the heat to see this view.

This beautiful family is dressed up for the day

Another amazing view

A new hothouse

2011-10-27T20:24:00.001+13:00

Hubby not only fixed the cover of the patio which was broken because of the snow last winter but he also build a hothouse. He loves making things. He still had a window en got the French doors very cheap from friends at work. Hubby already put the strawberries in, some lettuce, capsicum, cucumber and of course tomatoes.If we ever get another earthquake we will survive.

We should actually dig a water well as well lol. The kiwi plant is also still growing around the pole and the hothouse is build around it. It didn't have any fruit yet so maybe this summer. We love kiwi's. I will show you our harvest when it is ready.