Had some lovely surprises today.
We visited our friends Richard and Helen over in Devonport today.
Lois and I have know Richard for at least 30 years.
Their dining room has just had its tiles polished...
So they took our family out to lunch at Mecca, round the corner!
Wonderful!
Thanks guys!
Told you about the butter chicken thing.
Nipped out to get some tonight.
As well as the usual order, they gave us a bottle of Lindauer champagne!
Loyalty has its rewards, "my young apprentice".
Unexpected, unlooked for, generosity.
The joys of Christmas!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
A Hot Tuesday
Open all the sliding doors.
No difference in temperature or air pressure.
Work outside.
Is it sweat or is it rain?
The rain eventually streams down.
Sky a grey blanket overall, all day.
Jump in the pool.
Refreshing, energising.
Take in a movie.
Air conditioning cools me down.
No difference in temperature or air pressure.
Work outside.
Is it sweat or is it rain?
The rain eventually streams down.
Sky a grey blanket overall, all day.
Jump in the pool.
Refreshing, energising.
Take in a movie.
Air conditioning cools me down.
"Julie and Julia" (movie review)
...dir. by Nora Ephron, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.
By now Meryl Streep is a veteran, a wonder, a delight.
I remember seeing her in the movie about Azariah Chamberlain and the dingo.
In this one she is Julia Child, and performs her role with zest and conviction.
The relationship between Julia and Paul is wonderfully portrayed - warm and loving.
Amy Adams also performs delightfully, and one finds oneself comparing the French Flashbacks to the Queens Contemporaneity (which do you prefer - old Paris or now New York?).
Amy's character is Julie, a woman who decides to cook all of Julia's recipes within a year (what's your favourite recipe - Lobster thermidore, boeuf bourgignonne, boned duck?).
The movie is chock full of delightful scenes, shot through with Ephron's dry, savvy wit (favourite scene?).
With a deft hand and a crackling script, gently simmered, Ephron brings an unlikely tale to the screen, and serves it up with gusto and relish.
The onion scene, the lobster scene, the boeuf bourgignonne disaster scene - many, many inventive episodes.
Time for a second helping!
By now Meryl Streep is a veteran, a wonder, a delight.
I remember seeing her in the movie about Azariah Chamberlain and the dingo.
In this one she is Julia Child, and performs her role with zest and conviction.
The relationship between Julia and Paul is wonderfully portrayed - warm and loving.
Amy Adams also performs delightfully, and one finds oneself comparing the French Flashbacks to the Queens Contemporaneity (which do you prefer - old Paris or now New York?).
Amy's character is Julie, a woman who decides to cook all of Julia's recipes within a year (what's your favourite recipe - Lobster thermidore, boeuf bourgignonne, boned duck?).
The movie is chock full of delightful scenes, shot through with Ephron's dry, savvy wit (favourite scene?).
With a deft hand and a crackling script, gently simmered, Ephron brings an unlikely tale to the screen, and serves it up with gusto and relish.
The onion scene, the lobster scene, the boeuf bourgignonne disaster scene - many, many inventive episodes.
Time for a second helping!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Life in the Summer
Saving the trees.
Working up a sweat.
Afternoon coffee in a softly shaded Mt Eden courtyard.
A pre-lunch swim.
Walks around the block (and up the steep driveway).
Lapping up the new Atwood.
Trying to spot the deadly white tailed spider.
Warbling through the old songs.
Communing with Bach.
Celebrating my niece Rebecca's 10th birthday...
Singing with tuis.
Working up a sweat.
Afternoon coffee in a softly shaded Mt Eden courtyard.
A pre-lunch swim.
Walks around the block (and up the steep driveway).
Lapping up the new Atwood.
Trying to spot the deadly white tailed spider.
Warbling through the old songs.
Communing with Bach.
Celebrating my niece Rebecca's 10th birthday...
Singing with tuis.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Domingo's Discoveries
Domingo = Sunday.
1. a set of songs from 12 years ago (more of which later).
2. unpleasant physical sensations, giving cause for worry.
3. 4 commands in 2Tim2: be strong, entrust, endure and reflect.
4. return of Samson the cat.
5. it's hot!
6. Margaret Atwood doesn't just write sci fi!
7. I am a BBQ genius!
8. Our driveway is VERY steep.
9. Kavanagh QC's wife has pancreatic cancer (TV series).
10. Bach can be played in any tempo and still make sense.
Gnight!
1. a set of songs from 12 years ago (more of which later).
2. unpleasant physical sensations, giving cause for worry.
3. 4 commands in 2Tim2: be strong, entrust, endure and reflect.
4. return of Samson the cat.
5. it's hot!
6. Margaret Atwood doesn't just write sci fi!
7. I am a BBQ genius!
8. Our driveway is VERY steep.
9. Kavanagh QC's wife has pancreatic cancer (TV series).
10. Bach can be played in any tempo and still make sense.
Gnight!
"Oryx and Crake" (book review)
...by Margaret Atwood.
So, once I'd read The Year of the Flood, imagine my joyful surprise when I found this treasure lurking in the library.
The narrative is much more conventional in structure than TYotF, and focuses on the character of Jimmy, who, post-meltdown, has become "Snowman".
The story of how the meltdown occurred is narrated in more detail here than in TYotF, and the element of surprise/realisation is weaker once one has read the companion novel.
I found the journey through Jimmy's nightmare world an "enjoyable" and gripping one, all the same.
Having read both books, I had a sense of having been given a stereo, or even 3D, account of the world of Oryx and Crake (by the way, Oryx and Crake are the 2 other central characters in the story).
There is the usual wit, incisiveness, and morality, shot through with detached irony so as not to become cloying (as it would in "lesser hands").
The basic question being asked through both books I suppose is whether mankind should play God, and if what happens when we do?
(Reminds me of a lesson plan/report I read once in the UK: "With 7R today we played Chopin - Chopin won".)
I found myself wanting a bit more detail on the character of Oryx.
And in spite of the dire situation humanity finds itself in within the pages of this book, there are many instances of LoL humour.
I wonder what Atwood will write next?
My next reading will be Lady Oracle - slightly different in scenario and tone, I think.
9/10.
So, once I'd read The Year of the Flood, imagine my joyful surprise when I found this treasure lurking in the library.
The narrative is much more conventional in structure than TYotF, and focuses on the character of Jimmy, who, post-meltdown, has become "Snowman".
The story of how the meltdown occurred is narrated in more detail here than in TYotF, and the element of surprise/realisation is weaker once one has read the companion novel.
I found the journey through Jimmy's nightmare world an "enjoyable" and gripping one, all the same.
Having read both books, I had a sense of having been given a stereo, or even 3D, account of the world of Oryx and Crake (by the way, Oryx and Crake are the 2 other central characters in the story).
There is the usual wit, incisiveness, and morality, shot through with detached irony so as not to become cloying (as it would in "lesser hands").
The basic question being asked through both books I suppose is whether mankind should play God, and if what happens when we do?
(Reminds me of a lesson plan/report I read once in the UK: "With 7R today we played Chopin - Chopin won".)
I found myself wanting a bit more detail on the character of Oryx.
And in spite of the dire situation humanity finds itself in within the pages of this book, there are many instances of LoL humour.
I wonder what Atwood will write next?
My next reading will be Lady Oracle - slightly different in scenario and tone, I think.
9/10.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
"The Year of the Flood" (book review)
...by Margaret Atwood.
I have developed quite a brutal approach to reading over the last year, based on the philosophy that life is too short to waste time worthily reading a book that has not ignited my spark (my approach to relationships is quite different, mainly because people aren't books!).
So when I heard that this book was released, I thought I would check it out in the bookshop and see if it grabbed me by the end of Page 1...
It did!
Page 1 of TYoTF was the first Margaret Atwood I have ever read, and I was enthralled by her evocation of place and character, her imagination and her deft use of colourful and pungent language...that was all in the first page!
I ordered the book thru my local library and finally Peter Beyer finished reading it and the library let me know...
As mentioned on a previous posting, TYotF is an equel to Oryx and Crake, Atwood's previous novel.
The story is told by Ren, a sexy trapeze artist at Scales'n'Tails, and another woman whose name currently escapes me - Ren tells the story in first person singular, and the other woman is in 3rd person.
The "flood" is not a physical flood, but a metaphor for a deluge of civilisation-destroying manmade events that turn the world upside down.
We are re-introduced to the Oryx and Crake principals, creating many "a-ha" instances (except for me it's the other way round 'cos I read TYotF first).
The literary landscape of TYotF is much brighter than that of the Handmaid's Tale, and the tone is much more humorous - there is a real sense of playfulness with the language.
Readable? Absolutely.
The amazing thing is that God's Gardeners (an apocalyptic, environmentally friendly religious sect) and their philosophies actually make quite a bit of sense.
On the darker side, the "future" that Atwood depicts is, in many cases, already all-too-present.
I wish she had written the script for Avatar - THAT would have been interesting!
Read the book, and be constantly amazed at the imagination, wit and skill used to create such a gripping story.
10/10.
I have developed quite a brutal approach to reading over the last year, based on the philosophy that life is too short to waste time worthily reading a book that has not ignited my spark (my approach to relationships is quite different, mainly because people aren't books!).
So when I heard that this book was released, I thought I would check it out in the bookshop and see if it grabbed me by the end of Page 1...
It did!
Page 1 of TYoTF was the first Margaret Atwood I have ever read, and I was enthralled by her evocation of place and character, her imagination and her deft use of colourful and pungent language...that was all in the first page!
I ordered the book thru my local library and finally Peter Beyer finished reading it and the library let me know...
As mentioned on a previous posting, TYotF is an equel to Oryx and Crake, Atwood's previous novel.
The story is told by Ren, a sexy trapeze artist at Scales'n'Tails, and another woman whose name currently escapes me - Ren tells the story in first person singular, and the other woman is in 3rd person.
The "flood" is not a physical flood, but a metaphor for a deluge of civilisation-destroying manmade events that turn the world upside down.
We are re-introduced to the Oryx and Crake principals, creating many "a-ha" instances (except for me it's the other way round 'cos I read TYotF first).
The literary landscape of TYotF is much brighter than that of the Handmaid's Tale, and the tone is much more humorous - there is a real sense of playfulness with the language.
Readable? Absolutely.
The amazing thing is that God's Gardeners (an apocalyptic, environmentally friendly religious sect) and their philosophies actually make quite a bit of sense.
On the darker side, the "future" that Atwood depicts is, in many cases, already all-too-present.
I wish she had written the script for Avatar - THAT would have been interesting!
Read the book, and be constantly amazed at the imagination, wit and skill used to create such a gripping story.
10/10.
"Avatar" (movie review)
...directed by James Cameron.
You have to see this movie.
And you have to see it in3D at Imax.
Not necessarily because it is a stunning movie, but because it is a stunning technical achievement.
The opening sequences caused gasps of awe and wonder from the packed audience who attended at 8.30pm last Tuesday, and at the end of the movie the audience applauded (I know this seems very silly on one level, but it felt like the right thing to do!).
The movie is one of those cutting-edge, breakthrough phenomena.
As to the movie itself....
One never really escapes from the overwhelming power of the visuals...
James Cameron tells a good yarn, and there are strong performances within fairly defined roles by Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver (still building relationships with aliens!) and the "blue girl" with the interesting (lack of) costume.
The plot is formulaic, however - Pocahontas set in outer space.
Once you've been introduced to the characters, you know which way the story's going to go...
I got the feeling that Cameron, having spent the equivalent of NZ's GDP several times over to make the movie (and having contributed in fact to the GDP by his use of Weta Inc. for so many things in the FX department), had to have a plot that Americans, in general, would "buy into".
Here's the hero, the love interest (albeit blue and gigantic), the jealous rival, the monsters, the mystic rituals (very much like the sloth dances in Ice Age II, I'm afraid), the baddie, the environmental theme (if only the Americans would take climate change seriously and put their money where their mouths are - no offence to my American friends!!) and, of course, the EXPLOSIONS!!
The music, by James Horner (Titanic), is also by-the-numbers (could have used a John Williams or Howard Shore score and saved money) heroic music, baddie music, love music, ethereal mystery music and the now-obligatory Vedic/Gregorian chanting to denote New Age spirituality - the end song, "I See You" (the catchphrase used by Pandoreans to acknowledge other living creatures who have died or with whom they are about to mate - also Sauron's catchphrase in Lord of the Rings) is appallingly mawkish, and should be left off the DVD release of the movie.
Impressive: visual effects, cinematography and Ms Weaver.
Unimpressive: plot, characters and soundtrack.
I would go and see it again, but probably with my ears plugged into some Beethoven or Dvorak.
6/10.
You have to see this movie.
And you have to see it in3D at Imax.
Not necessarily because it is a stunning movie, but because it is a stunning technical achievement.
The opening sequences caused gasps of awe and wonder from the packed audience who attended at 8.30pm last Tuesday, and at the end of the movie the audience applauded (I know this seems very silly on one level, but it felt like the right thing to do!).
The movie is one of those cutting-edge, breakthrough phenomena.
As to the movie itself....
One never really escapes from the overwhelming power of the visuals...
James Cameron tells a good yarn, and there are strong performances within fairly defined roles by Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver (still building relationships with aliens!) and the "blue girl" with the interesting (lack of) costume.
The plot is formulaic, however - Pocahontas set in outer space.
Once you've been introduced to the characters, you know which way the story's going to go...
I got the feeling that Cameron, having spent the equivalent of NZ's GDP several times over to make the movie (and having contributed in fact to the GDP by his use of Weta Inc. for so many things in the FX department), had to have a plot that Americans, in general, would "buy into".
Here's the hero, the love interest (albeit blue and gigantic), the jealous rival, the monsters, the mystic rituals (very much like the sloth dances in Ice Age II, I'm afraid), the baddie, the environmental theme (if only the Americans would take climate change seriously and put their money where their mouths are - no offence to my American friends!!) and, of course, the EXPLOSIONS!!
The music, by James Horner (Titanic), is also by-the-numbers (could have used a John Williams or Howard Shore score and saved money) heroic music, baddie music, love music, ethereal mystery music and the now-obligatory Vedic/Gregorian chanting to denote New Age spirituality - the end song, "I See You" (the catchphrase used by Pandoreans to acknowledge other living creatures who have died or with whom they are about to mate - also Sauron's catchphrase in Lord of the Rings) is appallingly mawkish, and should be left off the DVD release of the movie.
Impressive: visual effects, cinematography and Ms Weaver.
Unimpressive: plot, characters and soundtrack.
I would go and see it again, but probably with my ears plugged into some Beethoven or Dvorak.
6/10.
"The Handmaid's Tale" (review)
...by Margaret Atwood.
This felt like a feminine version of 1984 (Orwell).
The future....not characterised by any major technological advances - in fact, it feels like technology, and certainly reading/literacy/literature have been deliberately done away with by the New Order.
We experience the future society through the eyes and indeed body of Offred (because she's a handmaid, we never learn her real name - her Man is Fred, hence Offred being her name/designation).
Women have been given several distinct roles in the new society - Wives, Handmaids, Marthas, Aunties or Unwomen.
Due to general chemical/genetic/nuclear deterioration, only wives or handmaids are in positions to give birth - in fact, this is the sole function of a handmaid.
As Orwell does in 1984, Atwood creates a claustrophobic atmosphere of tension and paranoia, given emphasis by Offred's flashbacks to the Time Before.
Offred finds herself not knowing who to trust, till in the end she makes some decisions with a kind of resigned courage or carelessness, leading to a dramatic conclusion.
Typically of Atwood (as I'm discovering through an intensive read through of other novels), relationships are explored fully - the power play between the Handmaid and the Wife who "owns" her makes for a fascinating study.
The structure of the novel is unique - the flashbacks merge smoothly with the "present day" narrative, and both build to a climax; in particular, the passage in which the nature of the "revolution" is related sends a chill of recognition and fear down the reader's spine.
There is also the transcript of a lecture given about the authenticity and identity of the tale itself, set yet several decades beyond the tale - terrific!
Sound complicated?
It isn't - the style is sharp, light, beautiful and captivating.
Once hooked, you won't escape.
This felt like a feminine version of 1984 (Orwell).
The future....not characterised by any major technological advances - in fact, it feels like technology, and certainly reading/literacy/literature have been deliberately done away with by the New Order.
We experience the future society through the eyes and indeed body of Offred (because she's a handmaid, we never learn her real name - her Man is Fred, hence Offred being her name/designation).
Women have been given several distinct roles in the new society - Wives, Handmaids, Marthas, Aunties or Unwomen.
Due to general chemical/genetic/nuclear deterioration, only wives or handmaids are in positions to give birth - in fact, this is the sole function of a handmaid.
As Orwell does in 1984, Atwood creates a claustrophobic atmosphere of tension and paranoia, given emphasis by Offred's flashbacks to the Time Before.
Offred finds herself not knowing who to trust, till in the end she makes some decisions with a kind of resigned courage or carelessness, leading to a dramatic conclusion.
Typically of Atwood (as I'm discovering through an intensive read through of other novels), relationships are explored fully - the power play between the Handmaid and the Wife who "owns" her makes for a fascinating study.
The structure of the novel is unique - the flashbacks merge smoothly with the "present day" narrative, and both build to a climax; in particular, the passage in which the nature of the "revolution" is related sends a chill of recognition and fear down the reader's spine.
There is also the transcript of a lecture given about the authenticity and identity of the tale itself, set yet several decades beyond the tale - terrific!
Sound complicated?
It isn't - the style is sharp, light, beautiful and captivating.
Once hooked, you won't escape.
Love, Colonialism, Suicide...
...all to be found in the score of Madame Butterfly, which is surely one of the truly sublime achievements in Opera/Music Theatre.
Never mind "Miss Saigon" with its helicopter and Vietnamese fungirl choruses...
MB is the real thing.
Maybe I have been poisoned with an MB drug, but every time I hear it, it makes me feel all kinds of things...love, sadness, disgust, gentleness, horror...
Puccini was a genius, and this opera proves it (as do Tosca and La Boheme! - by the way, if anyone is still holding on to my copy of Tosca, with Maria Calllas in the title role, PLEASE can you get it back to me???).
I like Andrew Lloyd Webber (especially Superstar), but you have to admit that "Memory" from Cats is a blatant ripoff of Un Bel Di Vedremo (One Fine Day).
So, what better way to spend one's overheated Boxing Day then listening to MB in its entirety, punctuated by dips in the pool and a blog here and there, accompanied by a fresh strawberry or 2?
The children are both away at present (A to cousin's, S to friend's), the wife is "resting"....and YT is exercising his brain, contemplating the gamut of human emotions presented in this cherished musical masterpiece.
More reviews coming up (this wasn't a review so much as a rave!)...
Never mind "Miss Saigon" with its helicopter and Vietnamese fungirl choruses...
MB is the real thing.
Maybe I have been poisoned with an MB drug, but every time I hear it, it makes me feel all kinds of things...love, sadness, disgust, gentleness, horror...
Puccini was a genius, and this opera proves it (as do Tosca and La Boheme! - by the way, if anyone is still holding on to my copy of Tosca, with Maria Calllas in the title role, PLEASE can you get it back to me???).
I like Andrew Lloyd Webber (especially Superstar), but you have to admit that "Memory" from Cats is a blatant ripoff of Un Bel Di Vedremo (One Fine Day).
So, what better way to spend one's overheated Boxing Day then listening to MB in its entirety, punctuated by dips in the pool and a blog here and there, accompanied by a fresh strawberry or 2?
The children are both away at present (A to cousin's, S to friend's), the wife is "resting"....and YT is exercising his brain, contemplating the gamut of human emotions presented in this cherished musical masterpiece.
More reviews coming up (this wasn't a review so much as a rave!)...
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas is Coming...
Christmas and New Year, so close to each other.
Jesus, God's gift to us all...
A gift that costs everything, but which is offered freely.
A gift that grows and grows, and doesn't break.
The Gift of Peace on earth, and Good Will to all.
If only...
One King to rule us all...
One Healer...
One Warrior...
One God...
A baby in a smelly, dirty cattle trough, mixed in with the hay and animal smells.
Born to socially suspect parents, out the back of the pub.
Who would ever have thought it?
Wherever, whoever, whatever you are this Christmas, may the Peace, Joy and Love of God be with you, inside and beside you, this Christmas and into the rest of your life!
A New Year is coming soon!
Love,
Gerald.
Jesus, God's gift to us all...
A gift that costs everything, but which is offered freely.
A gift that grows and grows, and doesn't break.
The Gift of Peace on earth, and Good Will to all.
If only...
One King to rule us all...
One Healer...
One Warrior...
One God...
A baby in a smelly, dirty cattle trough, mixed in with the hay and animal smells.
Born to socially suspect parents, out the back of the pub.
Who would ever have thought it?
Wherever, whoever, whatever you are this Christmas, may the Peace, Joy and Love of God be with you, inside and beside you, this Christmas and into the rest of your life!
A New Year is coming soon!
Love,
Gerald.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
AVATAR AWAITS
Shortly we will be heading off.
IMAX, 3D...what more could you want?
Today has been a day of sustained industry in the forest that surrounds our earthly dwelling.
Surprised myself by getting up at 6am!
Samson has been a bit of an outsider lately.
When we returned from Whitianga he had a cut on his head.
Being Samson, he runs away if we walk towards him with an air of...purpose...
So I hope he will heal naturally or eventually come in and succumb to our ministry.
DJ Alex has accommodated my tastes more on the stereo today.
So I was able to blast out "Australia" by the Manic Street Preachers.
Great song!
Tomorrow...fishing!
IMAX, 3D...what more could you want?
Today has been a day of sustained industry in the forest that surrounds our earthly dwelling.
Surprised myself by getting up at 6am!
Samson has been a bit of an outsider lately.
When we returned from Whitianga he had a cut on his head.
Being Samson, he runs away if we walk towards him with an air of...purpose...
So I hope he will heal naturally or eventually come in and succumb to our ministry.
DJ Alex has accommodated my tastes more on the stereo today.
So I was able to blast out "Australia" by the Manic Street Preachers.
Great song!
Tomorrow...fishing!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Walrus Gumboot...
Thanks to John Lennon for the above.
Um...the red trousers didn't fit!
Yikes!
I have gained weight since the last weeks of chemo.
About 10kg...I am determined to lose this...it is no fun feeling gluggier than I have to!
Perhaps it was the hot chocolates and lattes at work?
Did some serious damage to the surrounding flora on our section today, tho.
We are surrounded by vegetation - some of it fantastic - native, floral, noble.
And some real mongrel stuff too - tradescantia, ivy, "wild" jasmine, woolly nightshade.
We even have stuff growing in our top guttering (now I can't see myself getting up THERE with a hernia and 10 extra kg!!).
Tomorrow...AVATAR!
Um...the red trousers didn't fit!
Yikes!
I have gained weight since the last weeks of chemo.
About 10kg...I am determined to lose this...it is no fun feeling gluggier than I have to!
Perhaps it was the hot chocolates and lattes at work?
Did some serious damage to the surrounding flora on our section today, tho.
We are surrounded by vegetation - some of it fantastic - native, floral, noble.
And some real mongrel stuff too - tradescantia, ivy, "wild" jasmine, woolly nightshade.
We even have stuff growing in our top guttering (now I can't see myself getting up THERE with a hernia and 10 extra kg!!).
Tomorrow...AVATAR!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Lazy Sunday Afternoon
The work was done this morning.
Our final Advent-ure: a sketch exploring Love within the Christmas story.
Challenge: to keep things simple yet meaningful, and create a bit of a new spin.
Tempted to throw in a punchline: "God IS a hard act to follow".
For the overseas blogpeople, this would have been an allusion to a HUGELY controversial picture which appeared outside St Matthew's-in-the-city.
Joseph and Mary appear in bed together, and the caption reads "Poor Joseph - God's a hard act to follow".
My responses (emotional/internal) have ranged from thinking "how crass, inane and insensitive" to "what an amazing way to draw the focus of everyone to the implications of the Virgin Birth".
I'm sure if you haven't seen it yet you will be able to google and goggle at it, and see what you think.
As the hose sprays its way into the pool to top it up not for the last time this Summer, and DJ Alex's music sprays its way from the family stereo into my laidback consciousness, I sup on Lois's latest batch of muffins (carrot cake) and the last of the vacation apricots, subconsciously preparing myself for the Family Christmas "Event" this evening - "Not A Silent Night".
Tonight will be a night for red trousers....
And I am aware that I need to catch up with my book reviews - Margaret Atwood keeps dragging me away without fail into her dystopias.
I'm currently into reading Oryx and Crake, which is an equel (neither sequel nor prequel) to The Year of the Flood, and which I also cannot put down - marvellous!
Catch you later!
G.
Our final Advent-ure: a sketch exploring Love within the Christmas story.
Challenge: to keep things simple yet meaningful, and create a bit of a new spin.
Tempted to throw in a punchline: "God IS a hard act to follow".
For the overseas blogpeople, this would have been an allusion to a HUGELY controversial picture which appeared outside St Matthew's-in-the-city.
Joseph and Mary appear in bed together, and the caption reads "Poor Joseph - God's a hard act to follow".
My responses (emotional/internal) have ranged from thinking "how crass, inane and insensitive" to "what an amazing way to draw the focus of everyone to the implications of the Virgin Birth".
I'm sure if you haven't seen it yet you will be able to google and goggle at it, and see what you think.
As the hose sprays its way into the pool to top it up not for the last time this Summer, and DJ Alex's music sprays its way from the family stereo into my laidback consciousness, I sup on Lois's latest batch of muffins (carrot cake) and the last of the vacation apricots, subconsciously preparing myself for the Family Christmas "Event" this evening - "Not A Silent Night".
Tonight will be a night for red trousers....
And I am aware that I need to catch up with my book reviews - Margaret Atwood keeps dragging me away without fail into her dystopias.
I'm currently into reading Oryx and Crake, which is an equel (neither sequel nor prequel) to The Year of the Flood, and which I also cannot put down - marvellous!
Catch you later!
G.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Return From Whitianga
No days without sunshine.
Sun blazing, sky blue.
Days of lazy awakenings.
Leisured strolls, peaceful rests.
Children playing in harmony.
Streets devoid of traffic.
Elusive second hand bookshops.
Nina's Cafe. thumbs up!
Alexander talking till late.
Cathedral Cove without stress.
Sun blazing, sky blue.
Days of lazy awakenings.
Leisured strolls, peaceful rests.
Children playing in harmony.
Streets devoid of traffic.
Elusive second hand bookshops.
Nina's Cafe. thumbs up!
Alexander talking till late.
Cathedral Cove without stress.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Going Away!
Tomorrow we head down to Whitianga, a very pleasant beach on the Coromandel Peninsula.
The children and I, and Alexander's friend Thomas, will form the advance party.
Lois has a medical appointment in the morning and will follow later.
Our friend Andrew will sit the house and look after Samson.
I don't know if I will have access to the internet over that time.
Today I visited my GP to check out a few spots - a reassuring time.
Also heard that my mo-in-law, Lorna, is free from hozzy visits for half a year - yay!
All 4 of us are now on holiday, so we'll have plenty of time to get on each other's nerves!
Aah, the luxury of being annoying!
So, speak to you later everyone!
Gerald.
The children and I, and Alexander's friend Thomas, will form the advance party.
Lois has a medical appointment in the morning and will follow later.
Our friend Andrew will sit the house and look after Samson.
I don't know if I will have access to the internet over that time.
Today I visited my GP to check out a few spots - a reassuring time.
Also heard that my mo-in-law, Lorna, is free from hozzy visits for half a year - yay!
All 4 of us are now on holiday, so we'll have plenty of time to get on each other's nerves!
Aah, the luxury of being annoying!
So, speak to you later everyone!
Gerald.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid (book review)
...Bill Bryson's latest.
Apologies for the late review of this.
A delightful and highly charged autobiography of his childhood and emerging adolescence in Des Moines, Iowa.
In calling up his childhood, Bryson somehow manages to call up many similar events/scenarios in the reader's childhood.
Long summer holidays, adventures with chemistry sets, early encounters with the opposite sex, grandiloquent movie theatres, unfenced lawns, black and white TV (and heroes equally monochrome in character), mythical and venomous beasts and funguses.
The sense of exploration is stunning - the sense of humour as powerful as ever.
BB harks back to the Age of Innocence (the 50s) with detail, wit and the power to make the reader laugh out loud (thereby waking up any nearby individuals who have chosen to go to sleep at a more sensible hour).
As with all other BB books I have read (and they are now beginning to create a bit of a trail) I have been sorely tempted to breach copyright in the interests of entertaining the visitors to this blog.
But that might let you off "doing the work" and reading the whole thing for yourself.
Doing the work?
If reading a BB book ever got to seem like work, I would have to take myself off to a Workaholics Anonymous group therapy course...thankfully, I don't see that happening in the near future.
Apologies for the late review of this.
A delightful and highly charged autobiography of his childhood and emerging adolescence in Des Moines, Iowa.
In calling up his childhood, Bryson somehow manages to call up many similar events/scenarios in the reader's childhood.
Long summer holidays, adventures with chemistry sets, early encounters with the opposite sex, grandiloquent movie theatres, unfenced lawns, black and white TV (and heroes equally monochrome in character), mythical and venomous beasts and funguses.
The sense of exploration is stunning - the sense of humour as powerful as ever.
BB harks back to the Age of Innocence (the 50s) with detail, wit and the power to make the reader laugh out loud (thereby waking up any nearby individuals who have chosen to go to sleep at a more sensible hour).
As with all other BB books I have read (and they are now beginning to create a bit of a trail) I have been sorely tempted to breach copyright in the interests of entertaining the visitors to this blog.
But that might let you off "doing the work" and reading the whole thing for yourself.
Doing the work?
If reading a BB book ever got to seem like work, I would have to take myself off to a Workaholics Anonymous group therapy course...thankfully, I don't see that happening in the near future.
The Wheel is Turning and You Can't Slow Down
Collage of Sophie
(by Sophie, Feb 2009. Before this blog was born)
I am leading a titillating life.
I am watching the Big Dipper ladle his milky goodness into the hole in the ozone.
I had a perky little toy cat once, Jumpy Haddock. He retreated to my top shelf to gather dust when I was about seven.
I had a certain interest for cookie dough ice cream, but that faded when I was introduced to Saucy As.
I thought that material things could quench my soul's thirst.
And now at 11 years, 11 months ...
I have seen many a rainbow pass without a pot of gold,
I have heard the cicada's incessant aria rendering me sleepless,
I have smelt the excuses for dinner burnt to a crisp in the oven that was turned to grill by accident.
I know that the wheel is the most useful invention yet.
I know that things pass and die, but I don't think anything ever really ceases to exist.
I don't know why the Earth is round, although it is what we have been told since we arrived in it.
I despise people that need scientific proof for something to be tangible.
I hate how there is only one answer to each maths question, and how flowers lose their beauty with every silken petal that droops.
I love the fresh, sweet vibes of musical creativity.
I used to love flying in aeroplanes, but have grown to detest the turbulence and the foul smells of the processed foods.
I've lost my room under cluttered mounds of obliterated, discarded items.
I'm looking for this year to be one of undying prosperity and harmony.
And my heart is wandering, stumbling, relentlessly searching for the last safe place.
(published with permission, more or less ...)
For Sophie, in response
(by Sophie's Mum, Dec 2009)
My heart wanders, too, and is glad of your company. There is no place without challenge.
But the safe place is inside of me, and I carry it with me everywhere.
I'm looking forward to next year, to more complexity, learning, experiencing and unjumbling.
I've lost my innocence under tangles of living and learning. It was a starting point, fragile and temporary.
I still love flying on aeroplanes, getting off and being in some other, more vulnerable place.
I love the scent of hearts, minds and souls on fire, burning for the sake of the new.
And, too, the completion of real life puzzles, chaos settling into painful, mathematical beauty.
Loss is gain. Boundaries inspire creativity. Hurt forces direction.
And the earth is any shape at all - it depends on the viewing-point.
From where, to where, why, and for whom?
The world is charged, God's grandeur flames out, flashes of brilliance, full of danger and exhilaration.
Sustenance, carefree moments,
Happy disturbed sleep,
Treasure made valuable by its rarity.
And now, at 47 years, 3 months
I know that all souls and bodies thirst
Turning and turning and turning and comforted and comforting.
(with love )
I am leading a titillating life.
I am watching the Big Dipper ladle his milky goodness into the hole in the ozone.
I had a perky little toy cat once, Jumpy Haddock. He retreated to my top shelf to gather dust when I was about seven.
I had a certain interest for cookie dough ice cream, but that faded when I was introduced to Saucy As.
I thought that material things could quench my soul's thirst.
And now at 11 years, 11 months ...
I have seen many a rainbow pass without a pot of gold,
I have heard the cicada's incessant aria rendering me sleepless,
I have smelt the excuses for dinner burnt to a crisp in the oven that was turned to grill by accident.
I know that the wheel is the most useful invention yet.
I know that things pass and die, but I don't think anything ever really ceases to exist.
I don't know why the Earth is round, although it is what we have been told since we arrived in it.
I despise people that need scientific proof for something to be tangible.
I hate how there is only one answer to each maths question, and how flowers lose their beauty with every silken petal that droops.
I love the fresh, sweet vibes of musical creativity.
I used to love flying in aeroplanes, but have grown to detest the turbulence and the foul smells of the processed foods.
I've lost my room under cluttered mounds of obliterated, discarded items.
I'm looking for this year to be one of undying prosperity and harmony.
And my heart is wandering, stumbling, relentlessly searching for the last safe place.
(published with permission, more or less ...)
For Sophie, in response
(by Sophie's Mum, Dec 2009)
My heart wanders, too, and is glad of your company. There is no place without challenge.
But the safe place is inside of me, and I carry it with me everywhere.
I'm looking forward to next year, to more complexity, learning, experiencing and unjumbling.
I've lost my innocence under tangles of living and learning. It was a starting point, fragile and temporary.
I still love flying on aeroplanes, getting off and being in some other, more vulnerable place.
I love the scent of hearts, minds and souls on fire, burning for the sake of the new.
And, too, the completion of real life puzzles, chaos settling into painful, mathematical beauty.
Loss is gain. Boundaries inspire creativity. Hurt forces direction.
And the earth is any shape at all - it depends on the viewing-point.
From where, to where, why, and for whom?
The world is charged, God's grandeur flames out, flashes of brilliance, full of danger and exhilaration.
Sustenance, carefree moments,
Happy disturbed sleep,
Treasure made valuable by its rarity.
And now, at 47 years, 3 months
I know that all souls and bodies thirst
Turning and turning and turning and comforted and comforting.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sinead as a Starter
CD: Gospel Oak (an EP).
Song: This is to Mother You.
One of the most beautiful and comforting pop songs ever.
One of my counsellors lent me this at a very difficult time in my life.
Playing it reminds me both of the crisis and of the comfort to be gained from songs, from God, and indeed from Sinead.
She is a thoughtful, deep, emotional and centred person.
I love both her "out there" rampages and her quiet, reflective soothings.
Her latest offering, "Theology" is well worth a listen.
Today has been a lovely warm day with a house full of young people - 14 yr old boys and 12 yr old girls.
Amazing how much time can be spent in and around a swimming pool!
G'night!
Song: This is to Mother You.
One of the most beautiful and comforting pop songs ever.
One of my counsellors lent me this at a very difficult time in my life.
Playing it reminds me both of the crisis and of the comfort to be gained from songs, from God, and indeed from Sinead.
She is a thoughtful, deep, emotional and centred person.
I love both her "out there" rampages and her quiet, reflective soothings.
Her latest offering, "Theology" is well worth a listen.
Today has been a lovely warm day with a house full of young people - 14 yr old boys and 12 yr old girls.
Amazing how much time can be spent in and around a swimming pool!
G'night!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Butter Chicken Night
It has been our habit for a long time now to eat butter chicken "of a weekend".
Lois and I usually eat it on a Saturday - the children eat earlier, something different.
We usually have a martini around 7pm - with Bombay Sapphire gin or vodka.
We then sit down to watch a dvd, with martini and little snacks.
Our current "staple" is "Ally McBeale" - an earlier version of "Boston Legal".
Towards the end of the episode I take up the phone and ring Santoor Restaurant.
Usually either Suresh Nama or his wife Githa answers.
By now they know me well enough to ask how I'm doing, and they know exactly what I will order.
Butter Chicken, medium hot, with a garlic naan - pick up in 10 - 15 minutes.
When I get back, Lois has the broccoli cooked just right, and away we go!
Lois and I usually eat it on a Saturday - the children eat earlier, something different.
We usually have a martini around 7pm - with Bombay Sapphire gin or vodka.
We then sit down to watch a dvd, with martini and little snacks.
Our current "staple" is "Ally McBeale" - an earlier version of "Boston Legal".
Towards the end of the episode I take up the phone and ring Santoor Restaurant.
Usually either Suresh Nama or his wife Githa answers.
By now they know me well enough to ask how I'm doing, and they know exactly what I will order.
Butter Chicken, medium hot, with a garlic naan - pick up in 10 - 15 minutes.
When I get back, Lois has the broccoli cooked just right, and away we go!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Siesta Time
Summer is definitely upon us.
It is early afternoon, and the heat is baking.
The animals inside and out are quiet and still...ennervated.
Yesterday L and I walked at this time - today we will wait.
My day's routine is ahaking down to this...
Morning = "work", i.e. gardening, cleaning, logistics, errands.
Afternoon = Creation and recreation (many small and big dreams at work here).
Evening = socialising.
I am definitely enjoying the lack of external pressures that the Holidays bring.
The birds, blackbirds and mynahs at present, have begun a recital.
It is early afternoon, and the heat is baking.
The animals inside and out are quiet and still...ennervated.
Yesterday L and I walked at this time - today we will wait.
My day's routine is ahaking down to this...
Morning = "work", i.e. gardening, cleaning, logistics, errands.
Afternoon = Creation and recreation (many small and big dreams at work here).
Evening = socialising.
I am definitely enjoying the lack of external pressures that the Holidays bring.
The birds, blackbirds and mynahs at present, have begun a recital.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
A Night On the Town
Tonight Lois and I went out to Tabou, a "bar and bistro" in Kingsland.
We celebrated the fact that I'm still here!
Earlier today Lois had a towbar fitted...to her car, of course.
A bit later than that Sophie spoke on behalf of the graduating Year 8s at her school - she likened the years of Intermediate School to being "a pit stop in the speedway of life" and took valedictory speeches to a whole new level (I thought, and of course I'm not biased!).
I had my first splash in the swimming pool today - the weather was sunny and warm and Lois had taken me for walkies just prior to that.
I guess one thing I will miss in these long holidays is the contact with the staff, especially my close colleagues Kerry and Theo.
Kerry is still in Ak, so we will get together, though he is on a Fellowship Year next year - an exciting year for him, but I will miss him at school...
And Theo is heading to Europe in a few days with Els - so I won't see him for about 6 weeks.
Another colleague of mine, Eileen, is flying to the UK to teach indefinitely.
And I'm still here and apart from feeling/being a little too flabby, feel pretty darn good!
We celebrated the fact that I'm still here!
Earlier today Lois had a towbar fitted...to her car, of course.
A bit later than that Sophie spoke on behalf of the graduating Year 8s at her school - she likened the years of Intermediate School to being "a pit stop in the speedway of life" and took valedictory speeches to a whole new level (I thought, and of course I'm not biased!).
I had my first splash in the swimming pool today - the weather was sunny and warm and Lois had taken me for walkies just prior to that.
I guess one thing I will miss in these long holidays is the contact with the staff, especially my close colleagues Kerry and Theo.
Kerry is still in Ak, so we will get together, though he is on a Fellowship Year next year - an exciting year for him, but I will miss him at school...
And Theo is heading to Europe in a few days with Els - so I won't see him for about 6 weeks.
Another colleague of mine, Eileen, is flying to the UK to teach indefinitely.
And I'm still here and apart from feeling/being a little too flabby, feel pretty darn good!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Assembly Fatigue
I copied this title from Sophie's blog - it sums both of us up!
My assemblies - does church count as an assembly? - have involved a singing assembly yesterday, 2 year assemblies (an hour each) today, a singing assembly, a pantomime assembly, and tomorrow...carol service, junior prizegiving, staff farewells, drinks by the school pool, drinks at the Cock and Bull (I will of course be moderate if not abstemious regarding my intake)...
And Thursday I get to see Sophie's graduation assembly!
Highlights for me since last blog have included...
Psalms Concert on Sunday (great having a smaller crew - piano viola, and 3 vocals including Jo McG and Patricia M, plus guest group The Dreamers)...
Pantomime today for Years 9 and 10 (amazing how many teachers managed to find their own wigs!!)...
Sketch in church on Sun (Fawlty Towers characters preparing a table for The Lord).
Alexander getting 2nd in Science.
Sophie getting Proxime Accessit ("runner up" to Dux) at her school, and excellence award for her class.
Lois's exam results (more details later).
Etc, etc.
Samson did his bit, or tried to - he brought a live mouse into the house (I didn't realise that they actually do squeak like a plastic toy).
These are indeed busy times for YT, and mostly fun, but I need my rest!
Goodnight, dear readers!
Gerald.
My assemblies - does church count as an assembly? - have involved a singing assembly yesterday, 2 year assemblies (an hour each) today, a singing assembly, a pantomime assembly, and tomorrow...carol service, junior prizegiving, staff farewells, drinks by the school pool, drinks at the Cock and Bull (I will of course be moderate if not abstemious regarding my intake)...
And Thursday I get to see Sophie's graduation assembly!
Highlights for me since last blog have included...
Psalms Concert on Sunday (great having a smaller crew - piano viola, and 3 vocals including Jo McG and Patricia M, plus guest group The Dreamers)...
Pantomime today for Years 9 and 10 (amazing how many teachers managed to find their own wigs!!)...
Sketch in church on Sun (Fawlty Towers characters preparing a table for The Lord).
Alexander getting 2nd in Science.
Sophie getting Proxime Accessit ("runner up" to Dux) at her school, and excellence award for her class.
Lois's exam results (more details later).
Etc, etc.
Samson did his bit, or tried to - he brought a live mouse into the house (I didn't realise that they actually do squeak like a plastic toy).
These are indeed busy times for YT, and mostly fun, but I need my rest!
Goodnight, dear readers!
Gerald.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Holidays? Really?
I like being busy in the sense of having projects to look forward to.
I don't like that manic sense of events running me.
The busy end-of-termoil is well upon us.
If I am reporting "fit for work" then some things are expected of me.
And some things are things I have chosen.
I WAS going to itemise these things, but decided not to.
Let's just say it's a busy time.
Many things to look forward to.
I am looking forward to the Psalms concert.
I have invited 2 vocalists to join in - Jo and Patricia.
Both have lovely voices, in quite different ways, so it will be nice to listen to them.
We are doing Psalm 38 as a Blues.
Psalm 39 is extremely intense - it will be a challenge.
And the day after this we go into the Panto season at school!
I don't like that manic sense of events running me.
The busy end-of-termoil is well upon us.
If I am reporting "fit for work" then some things are expected of me.
And some things are things I have chosen.
I WAS going to itemise these things, but decided not to.
Let's just say it's a busy time.
Many things to look forward to.
I am looking forward to the Psalms concert.
I have invited 2 vocalists to join in - Jo and Patricia.
Both have lovely voices, in quite different ways, so it will be nice to listen to them.
We are doing Psalm 38 as a Blues.
Psalm 39 is extremely intense - it will be a challenge.
And the day after this we go into the Panto season at school!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Starting point "Peter Grimes"
Back from walk around the block.
Peter Grimes, by Benjamin Britten, on stereo.
Samson the cat miaows up at me - his voice is high-pitched and plaintive.
A hot humid day today.
Not ideal weather for teaching 9J in the afternoon.
Trying to guide them in notating pitch.
Difficult when most have no exercise books, and none have manuscript paper (both items are on the stationery list).
Still, a sense of achievement from identifying accurately a sequence of 2 pitches - A and G.
It is possible for kids, even "slow" ones, to notate music and therefore turn out compositions.
I remember some Professional Development I attended recently, where someone outlined some teaching strategies, and thinking, "Where is the MAGIC in that lesson?"
No magic, no memorable lesson.
Peter Grimes, by Benjamin Britten, on stereo.
Samson the cat miaows up at me - his voice is high-pitched and plaintive.
A hot humid day today.
Not ideal weather for teaching 9J in the afternoon.
Trying to guide them in notating pitch.
Difficult when most have no exercise books, and none have manuscript paper (both items are on the stationery list).
Still, a sense of achievement from identifying accurately a sequence of 2 pitches - A and G.
It is possible for kids, even "slow" ones, to notate music and therefore turn out compositions.
I remember some Professional Development I attended recently, where someone outlined some teaching strategies, and thinking, "Where is the MAGIC in that lesson?"
No magic, no memorable lesson.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Today's Blessings part 1
Permission to attend Alexander's prizegiving.
A free lift to and from work, with good company.
The news confirmed that Lee is staying.
Roping in 1 or 2 guest vocalists for Sunday evening (Psalms).
Lee and Kirsty agreeing to cover my classes this Fri.
Sione doing good prep for his Uni audition tomorrow.
Hooking up a meeting to talk with and about a colleague's retirement.
Listening to Springsteen's "Thunder Road" at home, cranked up.
News that we are going to Whitianga as a family before Xmas.
Learning the moves to "Jai Ho" for the staff pantomime.
And more besides...
G.
A free lift to and from work, with good company.
The news confirmed that Lee is staying.
Roping in 1 or 2 guest vocalists for Sunday evening (Psalms).
Lee and Kirsty agreeing to cover my classes this Fri.
Sione doing good prep for his Uni audition tomorrow.
Hooking up a meeting to talk with and about a colleague's retirement.
Listening to Springsteen's "Thunder Road" at home, cranked up.
News that we are going to Whitianga as a family before Xmas.
Learning the moves to "Jai Ho" for the staff pantomime.
And more besides...
G.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Advent Begins...
Our church is a little bit unique.
Possibly one of only a few Baptist churches who are starting to observe bits of the church calendar.
Are we becoming Anglicans?....or Catholics???...
As you know I don't put myself into a particular denomination...I just happen to be at this church at this time...
But it is fun to follow the Calendar.
So today we learnt about waiting expectantly.
And I did the first bit of drama in church I've done for a while.
Enjoyed it immensely.
I had 2 partners-in-crime - Michael B, and Sophie.
Sophie was waiting to join Silver Ferns, Mike was waiting for global warming to hit Ak because it's a bit cold, and I was waiting for Labtest Blood Results...
Adventures in Advent continues next Sunday (Psalms Concert in evening at 7pm).
G.
Possibly one of only a few Baptist churches who are starting to observe bits of the church calendar.
Are we becoming Anglicans?....or Catholics???...
As you know I don't put myself into a particular denomination...I just happen to be at this church at this time...
But it is fun to follow the Calendar.
So today we learnt about waiting expectantly.
And I did the first bit of drama in church I've done for a while.
Enjoyed it immensely.
I had 2 partners-in-crime - Michael B, and Sophie.
Sophie was waiting to join Silver Ferns, Mike was waiting for global warming to hit Ak because it's a bit cold, and I was waiting for Labtest Blood Results...
Adventures in Advent continues next Sunday (Psalms Concert in evening at 7pm).
G.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Trip to Pakiri
Today I went to Pakiri beach with my sister Plonie.
The weather was overcast to begin with.
We left Birkenhead at 8.30
Met Carla and Paul in Wellsford for a coffee.
Puhoi traffic tunnels very disappointing.
At Pakiri we walked to the rocks at the southern end, then back again.
Water too cold for a swim.
The ocean, the constant noise of the waves breaking, the fresh, briny smell, the seabirds hanging motionless above the waves, then plummeting suddenly to feast upon fresh fish.
This is the beach where, following my body's cremation, I wish my ashes to be scattered (in the Ocean, that is, not the sand).
Wine with Hofmanns, then home for butter chicken.
The weather was overcast to begin with.
We left Birkenhead at 8.30
Met Carla and Paul in Wellsford for a coffee.
Puhoi traffic tunnels very disappointing.
At Pakiri we walked to the rocks at the southern end, then back again.
Water too cold for a swim.
The ocean, the constant noise of the waves breaking, the fresh, briny smell, the seabirds hanging motionless above the waves, then plummeting suddenly to feast upon fresh fish.
This is the beach where, following my body's cremation, I wish my ashes to be scattered (in the Ocean, that is, not the sand).
Wine with Hofmanns, then home for butter chicken.
Friday, November 27, 2009
More Passionate Thoughts...
One life only.
Every day could be the last!
Any day can be the first!
What would you do in your last hour?
Or if you had 25 hours in a day?
Did you waste yourself in any particular day today?
Did you energise others?
How did you make a difference?
What MUST you do before you leave us?
How has your life been a blessing to others today, so far, since you were born?
What do you really mean?
Visit Sophie's blog - she has written 2 amazing sonnets!
Every day could be the last!
Any day can be the first!
What would you do in your last hour?
Or if you had 25 hours in a day?
Did you waste yourself in any particular day today?
Did you energise others?
How did you make a difference?
What MUST you do before you leave us?
How has your life been a blessing to others today, so far, since you were born?
What do you really mean?
Visit Sophie's blog - she has written 2 amazing sonnets!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Life Goes On...
Funny how things seem to be normalising pretty much in my life at the moment.
I didn't even have to lie down when I got back from school today!
Things seem to be much more manageable.
Yes, there is still a little niggling sense of "How long?"
But I am being very active at present.
Watched a movie about Beethoven yesterday afternoon - Immortal Beloved.
Don't know if I could genuinely say it's a great film.
I guess our received view of Beethoven is that he was a very passionate man.
How passionate can one person be?
I guess if one was passionate ALL THE TIME one would become exhausted very quickly...
G.
I didn't even have to lie down when I got back from school today!
Things seem to be much more manageable.
Yes, there is still a little niggling sense of "How long?"
But I am being very active at present.
Watched a movie about Beethoven yesterday afternoon - Immortal Beloved.
Don't know if I could genuinely say it's a great film.
I guess our received view of Beethoven is that he was a very passionate man.
How passionate can one person be?
I guess if one was passionate ALL THE TIME one would become exhausted very quickly...
G.
Monday, November 23, 2009
"Where Have You Been, My Blue-eyed Son?"
One of my favourite Dylan songs ("Hard Rain's Gonna Fall") - also a fitting title for one whose absence from the blogsite has been noted.
So, Thursday night was a trip to the movies - 2012 (to be reviewed at some future opportune moment).
Friday - Planning meeting for Otahuhu Community event, following Paid Union Meeting, following Teacher Only Day, in the evening a family trip to Bosco Verde, with yours truly feeling sick as a parrot - a bad cough, snuffles, a headache and a hot feverish sensation in my head.
Saturday - Worship Team meeting from 9.30am to 3pm, a long walk, leaf-blowing, evening watching "Kavanagh, Q.C." (according to the cover this features Ewan McGregor, but I can't spot him!)
Still feeling sick.
Sunday - play bass at church (good sermon from Fred about personal spiritual discipline - also a slot in which Fred began to bake a cake with a bunch of children - great stuff!).
Sunday family do (Baxters), still feeling sick and a bit tired...
Then Kavanagh at night again, then starting the pantomime for school.
Monday up and down Rangitoto with 73-75 year 10s (GREAT weather, and a wonderful feeling for YT to be able to undertake such physically demanding activity).
BBQ! With Andrew helping out as YT needed a bit of confidence (the last time I used this BBQ was just before the discovery of my cancer, so there's a bit of Significance around it - it was my birthday present last year)...
Home group, where we continued with our plans to take over the world (with Faith, Hope and Love).
Then Back to the Blog.
Please pray for Holly's sister, Fiona, who is in chemo for her ovarian cancer (in Queensland) and is only 45 years old...she has 2 children, one who is about 20 and one who is about 15 (I think).
So...see you again tomorrow, okay (finished the Panto script this arvo, so now all set to do reports!)?
Gerald.
So, Thursday night was a trip to the movies - 2012 (to be reviewed at some future opportune moment).
Friday - Planning meeting for Otahuhu Community event, following Paid Union Meeting, following Teacher Only Day, in the evening a family trip to Bosco Verde, with yours truly feeling sick as a parrot - a bad cough, snuffles, a headache and a hot feverish sensation in my head.
Saturday - Worship Team meeting from 9.30am to 3pm, a long walk, leaf-blowing, evening watching "Kavanagh, Q.C." (according to the cover this features Ewan McGregor, but I can't spot him!)
Still feeling sick.
Sunday - play bass at church (good sermon from Fred about personal spiritual discipline - also a slot in which Fred began to bake a cake with a bunch of children - great stuff!).
Sunday family do (Baxters), still feeling sick and a bit tired...
Then Kavanagh at night again, then starting the pantomime for school.
Monday up and down Rangitoto with 73-75 year 10s (GREAT weather, and a wonderful feeling for YT to be able to undertake such physically demanding activity).
BBQ! With Andrew helping out as YT needed a bit of confidence (the last time I used this BBQ was just before the discovery of my cancer, so there's a bit of Significance around it - it was my birthday present last year)...
Home group, where we continued with our plans to take over the world (with Faith, Hope and Love).
Then Back to the Blog.
Please pray for Holly's sister, Fiona, who is in chemo for her ovarian cancer (in Queensland) and is only 45 years old...she has 2 children, one who is about 20 and one who is about 15 (I think).
So...see you again tomorrow, okay (finished the Panto script this arvo, so now all set to do reports!)?
Gerald.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Today's News
This time of year at school is quite weird.
Seniors gone, the main contact we have is with Years 9 and 10.
I met 2 new classes today - 9J and Theo's Yr 10 Practical group.
Only 4 students from 9J - their class had gone to Waiwera Hot Pools.
I met the Yr 10 group with my balance of formality and humour - establishing one's preferred routines at this time of year is an interesting challenge!
I took part in an interview about the PPTA Branch and Branch Chair - it's all confidential of course, so that's all I'll say.
It made me realise however that I've been in the Union (and involved) for 26 years.
Time for another chocolate cake then?
Home for a snooze then on to the concert.
Bach solo violin music followed by Moana and the Tribe's "Whaa" ("Four") in the car.
G'night!
Seniors gone, the main contact we have is with Years 9 and 10.
I met 2 new classes today - 9J and Theo's Yr 10 Practical group.
Only 4 students from 9J - their class had gone to Waiwera Hot Pools.
I met the Yr 10 group with my balance of formality and humour - establishing one's preferred routines at this time of year is an interesting challenge!
I took part in an interview about the PPTA Branch and Branch Chair - it's all confidential of course, so that's all I'll say.
It made me realise however that I've been in the Union (and involved) for 26 years.
Time for another chocolate cake then?
Home for a snooze then on to the concert.
Bach solo violin music followed by Moana and the Tribe's "Whaa" ("Four") in the car.
G'night!
PJ Pati - a Musical Feast
This evening I attended PJ's end of course recital.
PJ has been our recording technician at OC for a number of years now - he was a secondary student at Aorere College and still sings in Terence Maskell's acclaimed Graduate Choir.
Tonight's recital was something special indeed.
PJ performed "Sound an Alarm" from Judas Maccabeus by Handel,
3 different settings of Shakespeare's "Sigh No More, Ladies" (Fisher, Keel and Bush),
3 songs by Faure (A Day's Poems),
Ah, la Paterno Mano, from Macbeth, by Verdi,
4 songs by Richard Strauss,
and Lensky's Aria from Eugene Onegin, by Tchaikovsky (this last was the aria with which PJ won the National Aria Competition in Rotorua about a week ago).
Right from the start this young man had his audience captivated - by means of power, beauty, expression, clarity and presence.
As might be predicted (especially with a student final recital), PJ covered a wide variety of genres, moods and style periods.
The heroic Handel, romantic British geezers, fluffy, wispy French sentiments, tragic and gut-wrenching Verdi, varied and high-powered Strauss and achingly, beautifully tragic Tchaikovsky...
PJ's versatility and communication skillsreached a climax as he moved from the sensitively hilarious reading of Strauss's "Ach weh mir, unglueckhaftem Mann" to the hopeless farewell uttered by Lensky to his beloved Olga as he prepares to die in a duel.
From the high to the low, PJ moved with conviction, and took us all along for the ride.
Every nuance of every word and phrase was captured by his voice (count 'em, FIVE different languages), and he knows how to "let it rip" when he wants to as well (the sheer strength of his voice was at times physically as well as emotionally overwhelming).
Afterwards I went up to say farewell.
I couldn't think of enough right words, so I (and he) settled for a hug instead - one of those big, powerful ones.
And then he thanked me for coming, and I thanked him for his concert.
This bloke will go as far as his dreams take him, and I'm sure the journey will be mutually enjoyable for both the performer and audience!
Fa'afetai Lava, PJ!
G.
PJ has been our recording technician at OC for a number of years now - he was a secondary student at Aorere College and still sings in Terence Maskell's acclaimed Graduate Choir.
Tonight's recital was something special indeed.
PJ performed "Sound an Alarm" from Judas Maccabeus by Handel,
3 different settings of Shakespeare's "Sigh No More, Ladies" (Fisher, Keel and Bush),
3 songs by Faure (A Day's Poems),
Ah, la Paterno Mano, from Macbeth, by Verdi,
4 songs by Richard Strauss,
and Lensky's Aria from Eugene Onegin, by Tchaikovsky (this last was the aria with which PJ won the National Aria Competition in Rotorua about a week ago).
Right from the start this young man had his audience captivated - by means of power, beauty, expression, clarity and presence.
As might be predicted (especially with a student final recital), PJ covered a wide variety of genres, moods and style periods.
The heroic Handel, romantic British geezers, fluffy, wispy French sentiments, tragic and gut-wrenching Verdi, varied and high-powered Strauss and achingly, beautifully tragic Tchaikovsky...
PJ's versatility and communication skillsreached a climax as he moved from the sensitively hilarious reading of Strauss's "Ach weh mir, unglueckhaftem Mann" to the hopeless farewell uttered by Lensky to his beloved Olga as he prepares to die in a duel.
From the high to the low, PJ moved with conviction, and took us all along for the ride.
Every nuance of every word and phrase was captured by his voice (count 'em, FIVE different languages), and he knows how to "let it rip" when he wants to as well (the sheer strength of his voice was at times physically as well as emotionally overwhelming).
Afterwards I went up to say farewell.
I couldn't think of enough right words, so I (and he) settled for a hug instead - one of those big, powerful ones.
And then he thanked me for coming, and I thanked him for his concert.
This bloke will go as far as his dreams take him, and I'm sure the journey will be mutually enjoyable for both the performer and audience!
Fa'afetai Lava, PJ!
G.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
"Awesome" ad Nawseome
A gripe.
The more you repeat a word, the less it means.
The word "awesome" is such a word.
Awesome originally meant something/someone inspiring awe (= fear/terror/spell-bindedness).
Now we use it very casually, to mean "good", "nice", "cool".
Sometimes teachers or other encouragement professionals use it to push their charges just a little bit further in their endeavours.
For me, a sad thing is that it gets (ab)used in Church these days.
Far too often!
So we end up singing (brainlessly?),
"He's so awesome,
He's so awesome,
He's so awesome in this place".
Firstly, if He is "so awesome", aren't we doing Him a disrespect by repeating this mawkish lyric to the point of mindlessness?
Secondly, "so awesome"...
I mean, words fail me!
By the way, this is the song that also features the line "I've found where I belong I'm a living stone" - Dr Livingstone, I presume??
Why not "rolling stone"?
By the way, I think I once had David Tua in my English class in O.C. back in 1990..."O for Awesome" (he's a great guy, though, and gave me an awesome blue mohawk about 3 years ago!).
Enuff!
With apologies to the songwriter who wrote the above lyrics (we are all only human after all),
Gerald.
The more you repeat a word, the less it means.
The word "awesome" is such a word.
Awesome originally meant something/someone inspiring awe (= fear/terror/spell-bindedness).
Now we use it very casually, to mean "good", "nice", "cool".
Sometimes teachers or other encouragement professionals use it to push their charges just a little bit further in their endeavours.
For me, a sad thing is that it gets (ab)used in Church these days.
Far too often!
So we end up singing (brainlessly?),
"He's so awesome,
He's so awesome,
He's so awesome in this place".
Firstly, if He is "so awesome", aren't we doing Him a disrespect by repeating this mawkish lyric to the point of mindlessness?
Secondly, "so awesome"...
I mean, words fail me!
By the way, this is the song that also features the line "I've found where I belong I'm a living stone" - Dr Livingstone, I presume??
Why not "rolling stone"?
By the way, I think I once had David Tua in my English class in O.C. back in 1990..."O for Awesome" (he's a great guy, though, and gave me an awesome blue mohawk about 3 years ago!).
Enuff!
With apologies to the songwriter who wrote the above lyrics (we are all only human after all),
Gerald.
Super 12 Hello Goodbye
An event that I started last year.
An opportunity to greet new members and farewell old ones.
Tonight was "a bit" rough - seniors on exam leave.
Some beautiful performances.
Tevita's piece "Tears From the Sky".
Bridgit's poi.
Toni's uke solo.
Kakala and Esoto rapping and beatboxing.
The Dreamers!
Suli and Terina's duo - Ave Maria.
Starzya's a cappella "To Sir With Love".
The band "mix-up".
Sa'o's song.
Moira's performance.
Christine and Terina's originals.
A great, spirited, messy and fun evening!
Thanks, everybody!
G.
An opportunity to greet new members and farewell old ones.
Tonight was "a bit" rough - seniors on exam leave.
Some beautiful performances.
Tevita's piece "Tears From the Sky".
Bridgit's poi.
Toni's uke solo.
Kakala and Esoto rapping and beatboxing.
The Dreamers!
Suli and Terina's duo - Ave Maria.
Starzya's a cappella "To Sir With Love".
The band "mix-up".
Sa'o's song.
Moira's performance.
Christine and Terina's originals.
A great, spirited, messy and fun evening!
Thanks, everybody!
G.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A Fun Weekend
Began Thursday evening with the Year 13 Graduation (apart from a road rage incident on the way home).
Continued with receiving the first Special Cake from Heather, celebrating 25 years of continuous service (minus six weeks after bowel op) (by the way, had a delicious carrot cake baked by L that afternoon)...
Fri am morning tea with Eileen and the Tech Crew and various "hangers-on" (Maria, Theo, Rosemary), at which the teaching cake was cut...
Fri pm senior prizegiving - once again the Head Boy is a bloke with a high Music profile (who this year has produced some excellent rap pieces), James Tomasi.
Fri ppm "meeting" with Lee at Burger King, where we made our plans for taking over the world (or at least developing music at OC).
Fri pppm party with GOOD FRIENDS who have known me long and supported us especially well over the last 8 months (including a reprise of the blonde wig and heels costume to the music of Hot Chocolate - you had to be there...) PLUS another gorgeous cake from Heather (photo appears on this site), this time for the 3 events (cancer battle, teaching and marriage).
Saturday - anniversary meal, cooked by Andrew, ably assisted by Sophie (who of course went all the way to look the part and set the scene and complete the dream) and Alexander ("they can't eat all that"..."McDonald's would be cheaper")...thanks, guys!
And NZ thru to the World Cup Finals of REAL Football...
Also visit from Carla and Paul, bearing gifts - Bill Bailey's "Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra", including "Cockney influences on Classical Music", tributes to Chris de Burgh, Bryan Adams, Prog Rock, and a "Belgian Jazz" lol version of the Dr Who theme (Docteur Qui)...you HAVE to see this!
Sunday - church (viola time), recital by Steven (his final - lovely Debussy and Rachmaninov in particular), worship leaders' meeting (we NEED sound tecchies!) and viewing "Brothers and Sisters" (tv drama with Mary Tyler Moore) and "The Staircase" (a rivetting doco about a death - was it a murder or an accident???).
Which brings us back to you and me here on the blogsite.
Time for a sleep soon!
Catch you later (tomorrow?),
Gerald.
Continued with receiving the first Special Cake from Heather, celebrating 25 years of continuous service (minus six weeks after bowel op) (by the way, had a delicious carrot cake baked by L that afternoon)...
Fri am morning tea with Eileen and the Tech Crew and various "hangers-on" (Maria, Theo, Rosemary), at which the teaching cake was cut...
Fri pm senior prizegiving - once again the Head Boy is a bloke with a high Music profile (who this year has produced some excellent rap pieces), James Tomasi.
Fri ppm "meeting" with Lee at Burger King, where we made our plans for taking over the world (or at least developing music at OC).
Fri pppm party with GOOD FRIENDS who have known me long and supported us especially well over the last 8 months (including a reprise of the blonde wig and heels costume to the music of Hot Chocolate - you had to be there...) PLUS another gorgeous cake from Heather (photo appears on this site), this time for the 3 events (cancer battle, teaching and marriage).
Saturday - anniversary meal, cooked by Andrew, ably assisted by Sophie (who of course went all the way to look the part and set the scene and complete the dream) and Alexander ("they can't eat all that"..."McDonald's would be cheaper")...thanks, guys!
And NZ thru to the World Cup Finals of REAL Football...
Also visit from Carla and Paul, bearing gifts - Bill Bailey's "Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra", including "Cockney influences on Classical Music", tributes to Chris de Burgh, Bryan Adams, Prog Rock, and a "Belgian Jazz" lol version of the Dr Who theme (Docteur Qui)...you HAVE to see this!
Sunday - church (viola time), recital by Steven (his final - lovely Debussy and Rachmaninov in particular), worship leaders' meeting (we NEED sound tecchies!) and viewing "Brothers and Sisters" (tv drama with Mary Tyler Moore) and "The Staircase" (a rivetting doco about a death - was it a murder or an accident???).
Which brings us back to you and me here on the blogsite.
Time for a sleep soon!
Catch you later (tomorrow?),
Gerald.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
More Good News!
At Green Lane hospital we waited next to a lady who described to 2 other ladies how her varicose vein had a way for popping up extra hard when she crossed her legs and then she could play with it.
Then a large man and his small son came and sat where they had sat, with him instructing his son not to tell anyone (the seats were reserved for oncology and haematology patients).
"What's Oncology?" asked the lad.
"Dunno" came the erudite reply.
Eventually we saw the doctor - not Dr Thompson, but a registrar type lady (still not sure what these different types do).
The scan shows that the tumour marker (the main liver tumour) has reduced further, from 19mm last scan to 14mm, which is half the size from what it was in about April...
The other tumours all appear to be stable at this stage.
So I only need to go back to a hospital for a checkup etc. in 3 months' time.
Here comes Summer!
Of course, if symptoms raise their heads it will be an earlier return.
Lois baked me a carrot cake.
And just before blogtime, Heather (Lois's sister) brought my 25th teaching anniversary cake over.
It's gorgeous!
Music icing round the outside, a healthy dollop of chocolate butter icing covering the rectangle, and key teaching words decorating the top ("sir, "passion", "paperwork", etc.)
It is the most thoughtful cake I have ever contemplated eating!
Thank you, Heather (and Lois for the yummy carrot cake too)!
So, in a nutshell, cancer not obliterated yet, but cowering in a corner for now, and I'll take that while I can.
Tearful farewells with our Year 13s today, and an amazing rap performance from the boy who at Yr 13 Graduation becaming Head Boy for 2010.
Aah. Music Teaching - a box of tissues should be standard issue (also an amazing performance from Barbara M, who sang a spinechilling song by Pink called "Dear Mr President" - a heartbreaking indictment of GW Bush.
From blogtime to bedtime, to dream of more assemblies, music and cake.
G.
Then a large man and his small son came and sat where they had sat, with him instructing his son not to tell anyone (the seats were reserved for oncology and haematology patients).
"What's Oncology?" asked the lad.
"Dunno" came the erudite reply.
Eventually we saw the doctor - not Dr Thompson, but a registrar type lady (still not sure what these different types do).
The scan shows that the tumour marker (the main liver tumour) has reduced further, from 19mm last scan to 14mm, which is half the size from what it was in about April...
The other tumours all appear to be stable at this stage.
So I only need to go back to a hospital for a checkup etc. in 3 months' time.
Here comes Summer!
Of course, if symptoms raise their heads it will be an earlier return.
Lois baked me a carrot cake.
And just before blogtime, Heather (Lois's sister) brought my 25th teaching anniversary cake over.
It's gorgeous!
Music icing round the outside, a healthy dollop of chocolate butter icing covering the rectangle, and key teaching words decorating the top ("sir, "passion", "paperwork", etc.)
It is the most thoughtful cake I have ever contemplated eating!
Thank you, Heather (and Lois for the yummy carrot cake too)!
So, in a nutshell, cancer not obliterated yet, but cowering in a corner for now, and I'll take that while I can.
Tearful farewells with our Year 13s today, and an amazing rap performance from the boy who at Yr 13 Graduation becaming Head Boy for 2010.
Aah. Music Teaching - a box of tissues should be standard issue (also an amazing performance from Barbara M, who sang a spinechilling song by Pink called "Dear Mr President" - a heartbreaking indictment of GW Bush.
From blogtime to bedtime, to dream of more assemblies, music and cake.
G.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Good News and Better News
Good news: I rang the hospital today.
They had received my blood test results from Labtests!
(Answered prayer number 1).
Better news: my cancer marker count is down to a staggering 54.
(Remember it was 4000 at start of Chemo...)
What percentage is that, you maths experts??
(Answered prayer no.2)
I mean, we call it "answered prayer" so often when it's something WE want.
If the 2 above events hadn't occurred, would my prayers still have been answered?
The next significant event is the consultation with the oncologist tomorrow at 3.30pm.
We will discuss the results of the CT scan.
So, to all those praying on my behalf, THANK YOU and DON'T STOP!!
I want to kick the little b....s well into touch (is that the right way round?) and be able to testify to the fact!
Today when I heard the good news I shared it with as many interested colleagues as I could find.
(It feels good to run down a school corridor even when you're a "senior" member of staff!!)
And now I share it with "the world".
Please, please, please also pray for:
Kath in Oz.
Bobby and Noel's sister, Sharmila in Hyderabad.
Sally's husband.
Carol-Ann's friend.
Barry.
JohnO.
Simon.
Margaret's daughter.
Colin.
...and anybody else who is battling with cancer, and their families.
A bit of a list, and you can probably add your own friends/contacts to it.
Pray for strength, hope, and light.
And I will give you further news, either "good" or "bad", tomorrow.
Love,
Gerald.
They had received my blood test results from Labtests!
(Answered prayer number 1).
Better news: my cancer marker count is down to a staggering 54.
(Remember it was 4000 at start of Chemo...)
What percentage is that, you maths experts??
(Answered prayer no.2)
I mean, we call it "answered prayer" so often when it's something WE want.
If the 2 above events hadn't occurred, would my prayers still have been answered?
The next significant event is the consultation with the oncologist tomorrow at 3.30pm.
We will discuss the results of the CT scan.
So, to all those praying on my behalf, THANK YOU and DON'T STOP!!
I want to kick the little b....s well into touch (is that the right way round?) and be able to testify to the fact!
Today when I heard the good news I shared it with as many interested colleagues as I could find.
(It feels good to run down a school corridor even when you're a "senior" member of staff!!)
And now I share it with "the world".
Please, please, please also pray for:
Kath in Oz.
Bobby and Noel's sister, Sharmila in Hyderabad.
Sally's husband.
Carol-Ann's friend.
Barry.
JohnO.
Simon.
Margaret's daughter.
Colin.
...and anybody else who is battling with cancer, and their families.
A bit of a list, and you can probably add your own friends/contacts to it.
Pray for strength, hope, and light.
And I will give you further news, either "good" or "bad", tomorrow.
Love,
Gerald.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Here's Hoping
So I went into the local Labtests testing "office" at 7am.
And approached them sotto voce.
Telling them my last blood test had disappeared.
Please would they do their best not to lose this one?
They responded with appropriate mortification.
And gave me 2 phone numbers to ring tomorrow.
Then it was off to Ak Hospital to have my portacath flushed.
I got another phone number to call tomorrow morning - I should have enough numbers now!
Tomorrow Alexander and Lois have the day off - lucky so-and-sos.
Sophie and I meanwhile struggle on gamely, trying to make sense of this game we call education.
And on Friday I celebrate the following milestones:
27 years' marriage.
25 years at the "chalkface".
8 months battling cancer.
Bring on the chocolate mud cake!
And approached them sotto voce.
Telling them my last blood test had disappeared.
Please would they do their best not to lose this one?
They responded with appropriate mortification.
And gave me 2 phone numbers to ring tomorrow.
Then it was off to Ak Hospital to have my portacath flushed.
I got another phone number to call tomorrow morning - I should have enough numbers now!
Tomorrow Alexander and Lois have the day off - lucky so-and-sos.
Sophie and I meanwhile struggle on gamely, trying to make sense of this game we call education.
And on Friday I celebrate the following milestones:
27 years' marriage.
25 years at the "chalkface".
8 months battling cancer.
Bring on the chocolate mud cake!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Son's Day
Fred shared the story of his calling to our chuch today.
Moving and challenging.
Lois and I did some interview prep for tomorrow.
Exciting and a little scary.
I began rehearsing specifically for the Psalms Concert today.
Interesting, wide.
I wrote my first mini-analysis of a Bowie song (on this blog).
Satisfying, fascinating (for me!).
Came across more people with cancer today (more and more practically every day).
Endless, urgent.
Love,
G.
Moving and challenging.
Lois and I did some interview prep for tomorrow.
Exciting and a little scary.
I began rehearsing specifically for the Psalms Concert today.
Interesting, wide.
I wrote my first mini-analysis of a Bowie song (on this blog).
Satisfying, fascinating (for me!).
Came across more people with cancer today (more and more practically every day).
Endless, urgent.
Love,
G.
Blogpsalm 2
Burn my impurities away, Lord.
Burn all that is ugly, dark and dishonest.
Burn away my selfishness,
Burn and blaze against the Fear.
Let Your light blaze in me,
Shine and never dim,
Send the shadows far from me,
And I too will shine in darkness.
In You I have nothing to fear.
Not Death, not Sickness, not Hatred.
Leave me here to blaze a little longer,
Or take me to shine eternally.
Light,
Warmth,
The Fire of Love,
All are Yours!
Burn all that is ugly, dark and dishonest.
Burn away my selfishness,
Burn and blaze against the Fear.
Let Your light blaze in me,
Shine and never dim,
Send the shadows far from me,
And I too will shine in darkness.
In You I have nothing to fear.
Not Death, not Sickness, not Hatred.
Leave me here to blaze a little longer,
Or take me to shine eternally.
Light,
Warmth,
The Fire of Love,
All are Yours!
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust - chapter 1 (Five Years)
The album was released in 1972, at the height of "glam rock".
Produced by Bowie, "his" guitarist Mick Ronson, and the then-ubiquitous Ken Scott.
Full name "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars", Bowie's first cohesive concept album - theme = superstardom in a dystopian society with only 5 years to go until the final meltdown.
Five Years majestically sets the tone of the concept, and the album.
The stripped-down rhythmic motif on bass drum, snare and closed hi-hat continues throughout the entirety of the song, with very few fills and little extravagance or indeed variation - on the video for this, the drummer, when filmed, appears to be almost comatose, and little wonder...
The song establishes Bowie as a masterful story-teller, in the vein of 60s Dylan.
He begins by telling us about a news report in which the reporter lets the world know that the Earth is really dying.
After this bad news, Bowie shares with us the visual and aural catalogue of events he sees and hears as he, presumably, walks down the street.
The song builds musically and lyrically, after a reflective pause at the end of the first verse ("I never thought I'd need so many people"...)
Strings enter, first subdued and sustained, but on later verses building through volume, pitch and rhythmic activity.
The chord progression (I, vi, II and IV) continues throughout (an example of Bowie being ahead of his time in terms of musical composition within the pop genre, unless you count the last part of the Beatles' She's So Heavy or Hey Jude), providing a similar unity to the drumkit pattern.
The chorus comes as the climax to the song, first sung, then shouted, as Bowie gets more and more involved in his apocalyptic message - electronic gurglings (once again, a reference to She's So Heavy) are layered on, and once the shouting stops all instruments fade out, save for the sparse drumkit, serving as a kind of heartbeat for the narrator (i.e. Bowie).
Significant features then are the use of rhythmic ostinato, the buildup throughout the song and the way in which the music underscores the lyrics.
Bowie often plays down his musical contributions to his own songs, but don't be fooled - this is Bowie at the top of his "game" and very much in control of his material.
Coming soon on "Bowie Reviewed" - "Soul Love".
G.
Produced by Bowie, "his" guitarist Mick Ronson, and the then-ubiquitous Ken Scott.
Full name "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars", Bowie's first cohesive concept album - theme = superstardom in a dystopian society with only 5 years to go until the final meltdown.
Five Years majestically sets the tone of the concept, and the album.
The stripped-down rhythmic motif on bass drum, snare and closed hi-hat continues throughout the entirety of the song, with very few fills and little extravagance or indeed variation - on the video for this, the drummer, when filmed, appears to be almost comatose, and little wonder...
The song establishes Bowie as a masterful story-teller, in the vein of 60s Dylan.
He begins by telling us about a news report in which the reporter lets the world know that the Earth is really dying.
After this bad news, Bowie shares with us the visual and aural catalogue of events he sees and hears as he, presumably, walks down the street.
The song builds musically and lyrically, after a reflective pause at the end of the first verse ("I never thought I'd need so many people"...)
Strings enter, first subdued and sustained, but on later verses building through volume, pitch and rhythmic activity.
The chord progression (I, vi, II and IV) continues throughout (an example of Bowie being ahead of his time in terms of musical composition within the pop genre, unless you count the last part of the Beatles' She's So Heavy or Hey Jude), providing a similar unity to the drumkit pattern.
The chorus comes as the climax to the song, first sung, then shouted, as Bowie gets more and more involved in his apocalyptic message - electronic gurglings (once again, a reference to She's So Heavy) are layered on, and once the shouting stops all instruments fade out, save for the sparse drumkit, serving as a kind of heartbeat for the narrator (i.e. Bowie).
Significant features then are the use of rhythmic ostinato, the buildup throughout the song and the way in which the music underscores the lyrics.
Bowie often plays down his musical contributions to his own songs, but don't be fooled - this is Bowie at the top of his "game" and very much in control of his material.
Coming soon on "Bowie Reviewed" - "Soul Love".
G.
The Other Side of the Sky (Book Review)
...by Arthur C. Clarke (what does the "C." stand for?)
A collection of short sci-fi stories by "the great master", etc. etc.
Features The Nine Billion Names of God, and The Star, amongst many others.
Clarke is dead now.
He was one of the early generation of sci-fi writers (NOT quite as early as H.G. Wells or Rice Burroughs, but the same post-war gen. of Asimov, Heinlein, etc.).
His stories are more about the development of technology, encounters with aliens, concepts of space/time travel than they are about character development.
You won't find the inner psychological angst eloquently portrayed as in Ballard.
You won't find fantastic landscapes with panoramic and brutal vistas, as in Frank Herbert.
And you won't find the humour of Heinlein (though there is a mildly dark humour running through most of these stories).
So, why read this book?
Read the book and be amazed by Clarke's prescience - his stories are of the type that you finish reading and think "hmm, a lot of this has actually come to pass".
Amazing prescience.
Seminal.
G.
A collection of short sci-fi stories by "the great master", etc. etc.
Features The Nine Billion Names of God, and The Star, amongst many others.
Clarke is dead now.
He was one of the early generation of sci-fi writers (NOT quite as early as H.G. Wells or Rice Burroughs, but the same post-war gen. of Asimov, Heinlein, etc.).
His stories are more about the development of technology, encounters with aliens, concepts of space/time travel than they are about character development.
You won't find the inner psychological angst eloquently portrayed as in Ballard.
You won't find fantastic landscapes with panoramic and brutal vistas, as in Frank Herbert.
And you won't find the humour of Heinlein (though there is a mildly dark humour running through most of these stories).
So, why read this book?
Read the book and be amazed by Clarke's prescience - his stories are of the type that you finish reading and think "hmm, a lot of this has actually come to pass".
Amazing prescience.
Seminal.
G.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Sitterdag.
Another beautiful day.
Very tempting to take these for granted, but recent weather has taught us otherwise.
Lovely to be able to spend all morning in the garden!
One thing I do with my teaching is play little games with spellings etc. on the whiteboard.
Yesterday, being Friday, was Jukebox Friday.
This is where the students and I play 2 or 3 songs/pieces and write about them.
Yesterday with my beloved Year 12s we listened to, amongst other things, Tchaikovsky (Symphony no. 6, 2nd movement, which has a 5/4 time signature).
So, as they gave their answers/comments I changed the spelling of their names (they get points for contributing positively, and lose points for "negative" contributions, e.g. talking while the music is on), where possible, so Toni became Tchoni, Kitea became Kitchea and Junior became Tchunior...get the picture???
Of course, sometimes the spelling thing becomes a little "unstuck" - I have had sessions with Year 9s calling out raucously as I deliberately misspell things like Hamony, Melodeye, Rithhim, etc. in order to get their points!
And on Friday I managed to spell INFLUENCE as INFLENCEU....uh, unintentionally.
This was in my Year 13 class, they teased me about it, so I had no choice but to retaliate and take out the RED (punishing) boardmarker and make an example of Issac and Herpert....
The teacher must ALWAYS remain in controll...lolll.....
G.
Very tempting to take these for granted, but recent weather has taught us otherwise.
Lovely to be able to spend all morning in the garden!
One thing I do with my teaching is play little games with spellings etc. on the whiteboard.
Yesterday, being Friday, was Jukebox Friday.
This is where the students and I play 2 or 3 songs/pieces and write about them.
Yesterday with my beloved Year 12s we listened to, amongst other things, Tchaikovsky (Symphony no. 6, 2nd movement, which has a 5/4 time signature).
So, as they gave their answers/comments I changed the spelling of their names (they get points for contributing positively, and lose points for "negative" contributions, e.g. talking while the music is on), where possible, so Toni became Tchoni, Kitea became Kitchea and Junior became Tchunior...get the picture???
Of course, sometimes the spelling thing becomes a little "unstuck" - I have had sessions with Year 9s calling out raucously as I deliberately misspell things like Hamony, Melodeye, Rithhim, etc. in order to get their points!
And on Friday I managed to spell INFLUENCE as INFLENCEU....uh, unintentionally.
This was in my Year 13 class, they teased me about it, so I had no choice but to retaliate and take out the RED (punishing) boardmarker and make an example of Issac and Herpert....
The teacher must ALWAYS remain in controll...lolll.....
G.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Terseday
An interesting day.
Yesterday Lee was out, Kirsty was in (sick).
Today Lee was in, Kirsty out.
Theo and I providing a bit of continuity...
Meeting of new and old Super 12s at lunch.
Thinking "a new journey is about to begin"...
Going to a new parents' dinner at St Cuths.
Partly thinking "wow, great opportunities for Soph here".
Partly thinking "if only our school could have the same vibe of expectations/striving for excellence"...
It's not about the money.
It's not about the resources as such...
It's about developing kids' potential, teachers' potential (not hamstringing us with, at least, dull administrivia and, at worst, toxic compliance dogma) and building a learning community.
To paraphrase a popular saying, "school isn't the building, it's the people".
The moment you move your school into a situation where people are not valued is the moment when the descending spiral begins.
Please remember that, Mr Key, Mrs Tolley and various principals (not ours) and executive officers who don't get out of your offices......
Yours (hopefully) provocatively,
Gerald.
Yesterday Lee was out, Kirsty was in (sick).
Today Lee was in, Kirsty out.
Theo and I providing a bit of continuity...
Meeting of new and old Super 12s at lunch.
Thinking "a new journey is about to begin"...
Going to a new parents' dinner at St Cuths.
Partly thinking "wow, great opportunities for Soph here".
Partly thinking "if only our school could have the same vibe of expectations/striving for excellence"...
It's not about the money.
It's not about the resources as such...
It's about developing kids' potential, teachers' potential (not hamstringing us with, at least, dull administrivia and, at worst, toxic compliance dogma) and building a learning community.
To paraphrase a popular saying, "school isn't the building, it's the people".
The moment you move your school into a situation where people are not valued is the moment when the descending spiral begins.
Please remember that, Mr Key, Mrs Tolley and various principals (not ours) and executive officers who don't get out of your offices......
Yours (hopefully) provocatively,
Gerald.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Woundsday
Just playing again.
Not actually feeling too wounded - actually not at all.
Best bit of the day was receiving very positive feedback on the Showcase (last night).
The Showcase was great fun.
I enjoyed watching the range of performers and performances.
Year 9s to Year 13s.
Kids starting off with hopes and expectations.
Kids finishing secondary and moving on to tertiary - the next phase!
Kids grown up coming back to check on the old school and see what's changed (nothing, really, if you don't look tooo hard...)
Enjoyed performing Eagles songs, and seeing the stunned/surprised look on peoples' faces when they received an award!
Thanks to all who contributed!
G.
Not actually feeling too wounded - actually not at all.
Best bit of the day was receiving very positive feedback on the Showcase (last night).
The Showcase was great fun.
I enjoyed watching the range of performers and performances.
Year 9s to Year 13s.
Kids starting off with hopes and expectations.
Kids finishing secondary and moving on to tertiary - the next phase!
Kids grown up coming back to check on the old school and see what's changed (nothing, really, if you don't look tooo hard...)
Enjoyed performing Eagles songs, and seeing the stunned/surprised look on peoples' faces when they received an award!
Thanks to all who contributed!
G.
Cancer! I Hate You! (poem...ish - not for the squeamish!)
You invaded my body!
You worked your way in from the inside!
And not just me, but also some of my friends and family - you never stop!
And you get your kicks by first of all causing fear....
(When will you visit us??)
Then pain...
(What was that agonising kick in the stomach?)
And you keep on growing greedily...one person not enough, one organ insufficient for your appetite.
And when you finally reveal yourself and are named you scare us shitless (in some cases literally)!
But I have news for you, my unwanted visitor (always the last to leave)!
You ain't gettin' all of me!
Your days of laughter, mocking and apparent victory are numbered!
While I/we (your numberless other victims) have life, breath, hope, faith, we will fight against you!
You may wreck a tea party or two with your foul manners, dark shadow and rude conversation...
You may crumble our bodies into dust as you cannabilise our cells and chew on our tissue and flesh and bones...
But you will not get all of us!
You may delude our mind, and invite sister Morphine into your hallucinogenic kabbal...
But you're really pathetic.
Because our bodies and minds are not the limit of our beings.
Try as hard as you want, make us writhe, twist, squirm, dance with Death...
But even after you have crucified us with your nails of pain
And buried us in your tomb of silence
We Will Rise!
Our Souls will not be crushed,
And our spirits will rise,
Will return Home (or perhaps come Home for the first time )
And the Door will be shut against you,
And the Rejoicing will be great.
We will be snatched from your jaws,
Either in this life or after it.
And our hope is in God,
And you have no power over God.
Any way you look at it,
You lose!
You worked your way in from the inside!
And not just me, but also some of my friends and family - you never stop!
And you get your kicks by first of all causing fear....
(When will you visit us??)
Then pain...
(What was that agonising kick in the stomach?)
And you keep on growing greedily...one person not enough, one organ insufficient for your appetite.
And when you finally reveal yourself and are named you scare us shitless (in some cases literally)!
But I have news for you, my unwanted visitor (always the last to leave)!
You ain't gettin' all of me!
Your days of laughter, mocking and apparent victory are numbered!
While I/we (your numberless other victims) have life, breath, hope, faith, we will fight against you!
You may wreck a tea party or two with your foul manners, dark shadow and rude conversation...
You may crumble our bodies into dust as you cannabilise our cells and chew on our tissue and flesh and bones...
But you will not get all of us!
You may delude our mind, and invite sister Morphine into your hallucinogenic kabbal...
But you're really pathetic.
Because our bodies and minds are not the limit of our beings.
Try as hard as you want, make us writhe, twist, squirm, dance with Death...
But even after you have crucified us with your nails of pain
And buried us in your tomb of silence
We Will Rise!
Our Souls will not be crushed,
And our spirits will rise,
Will return Home (or perhaps come Home for the first time )
And the Door will be shut against you,
And the Rejoicing will be great.
We will be snatched from your jaws,
Either in this life or after it.
And our hope is in God,
And you have no power over God.
Any way you look at it,
You lose!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Moondag
Just something I enjoy doing...
Playing around with names.
The situation at school is its usual frantic self.
Rehearsals, personal crises, impossible deadlines...
Getting things finalised for the Ultimate Showcase.
I have now got my new Super Twelve ready for 2010.
Many possibilities, many challenges...
Lois has a job interview coming up next Monday, for a job she would really like to get.
Meanwhile I have been practising Eagles and Green Day songs for tomorrow.
The school band will do Take it Easy and Hotel California.
The staff band will do "Wake Me Up When September Ends"...
From 70s country rock to 00s punk - it all happens at O.C.!
Playing around with names.
The situation at school is its usual frantic self.
Rehearsals, personal crises, impossible deadlines...
Getting things finalised for the Ultimate Showcase.
I have now got my new Super Twelve ready for 2010.
Many possibilities, many challenges...
Lois has a job interview coming up next Monday, for a job she would really like to get.
Meanwhile I have been practising Eagles and Green Day songs for tomorrow.
The school band will do Take it Easy and Hotel California.
The staff band will do "Wake Me Up When September Ends"...
From 70s country rock to 00s punk - it all happens at O.C.!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
What's the Haps?
A beautiful day.
Out in the garden - plenty of work to do!
Fixed the vacuum cleaner!
Me - fix something technical??
I told you miracles can happen.
Lois recuperating from law exam no.1 and prepping for no.2 (Alexander with his maths also).
Sophie - dressmart today (savemart yesterday to get pirate outfit - Lois's caption is right!).
To see the a cappella group from O.C. known as The Dreamers, either follow Andrew's instructions in the post Just Like Job, or go to google and search for Otahuhu College The Dreamers.
Worth watching - tho this is only about half of what they presented.
I have been booked in to do another Psalms Concert at 7pm on Sunday 6th December - remember, you heard (read) it here first!
Gerald.
Out in the garden - plenty of work to do!
Fixed the vacuum cleaner!
Me - fix something technical??
I told you miracles can happen.
Lois recuperating from law exam no.1 and prepping for no.2 (Alexander with his maths also).
Sophie - dressmart today (savemart yesterday to get pirate outfit - Lois's caption is right!).
To see the a cappella group from O.C. known as The Dreamers, either follow Andrew's instructions in the post Just Like Job, or go to google and search for Otahuhu College The Dreamers.
Worth watching - tho this is only about half of what they presented.
I have been booked in to do another Psalms Concert at 7pm on Sunday 6th December - remember, you heard (read) it here first!
Gerald.
Psunday Psalm
The sun shines,
Shines forever,
Warmth, light, power...
Colour!
Green, green and brown and shade and flowers...
Black, brown and ultramarine birds
Swimming through the air,
Singing, chuckling, celebrating -
A raucous, arcane and virile music...
Symphony of birds!
The earth, the sky, the sun, my heart,
Full of the Glory of God.
Shines forever,
Warmth, light, power...
Colour!
Green, green and brown and shade and flowers...
Black, brown and ultramarine birds
Swimming through the air,
Singing, chuckling, celebrating -
A raucous, arcane and virile music...
Symphony of birds!
The earth, the sky, the sun, my heart,
Full of the Glory of God.
Note From A Big Country (book review)
Yet another Bill Bryson book.
Far from ho-hum, though.
This one is a series of short articles originally written for the British Mail on Sunday's Night and Day magazine.
Bryson returned to the U.S.A. with his British family in the late 90s, and the articles are 90% comparative studies of life in the U.S.A. and the U.K.
They are, of course, largely hilarious observations, in the quizzical style we have come to know and love.
Which makes his article, "On Losing a Son" especially poignant - it begins by describing an idyllic twilight ball game with his young son, then takes us to the time where the Bryson family farewell the older son as he begins life at university.
Bryson writes:
"For the past week I have found myself spending a lot of time wandering aimlessly through the house looking at the oddest things - a basketball, his running trophies, an old holiday snapshot - and thinking about all the carelessly discarded yesterdays they represent. The hard and unexpected part is the realisation not just that my son is not here, but that the boy he was is gone for ever."
You needn't worry...the humour quickly bounces back.
I particularly enjoyed the article about getting a haircut...
As usual, immaculately written and packing a punch on every page.
Each article is only 4 or 5 pages maximum, so you can easily pick up and put down this book (a great bedtime read)...except that once you've picked it up, you won't want to put it down!
You have been warned (now bring on the Thunderbolt Kid)!
Far from ho-hum, though.
This one is a series of short articles originally written for the British Mail on Sunday's Night and Day magazine.
Bryson returned to the U.S.A. with his British family in the late 90s, and the articles are 90% comparative studies of life in the U.S.A. and the U.K.
They are, of course, largely hilarious observations, in the quizzical style we have come to know and love.
Which makes his article, "On Losing a Son" especially poignant - it begins by describing an idyllic twilight ball game with his young son, then takes us to the time where the Bryson family farewell the older son as he begins life at university.
Bryson writes:
"For the past week I have found myself spending a lot of time wandering aimlessly through the house looking at the oddest things - a basketball, his running trophies, an old holiday snapshot - and thinking about all the carelessly discarded yesterdays they represent. The hard and unexpected part is the realisation not just that my son is not here, but that the boy he was is gone for ever."
You needn't worry...the humour quickly bounces back.
I particularly enjoyed the article about getting a haircut...
As usual, immaculately written and packing a punch on every page.
Each article is only 4 or 5 pages maximum, so you can easily pick up and put down this book (a great bedtime read)...except that once you've picked it up, you won't want to put it down!
You have been warned (now bring on the Thunderbolt Kid)!
Jubilation (concert review)
Malcolm McA told us there was going to be an a cappella gospel choir performing.
Jubilation is its name, and it is currently touring the North Island.
On Friday they performed at Mangere East Metro Theatre at 8pm.
Unfortunately, very few Polynesians in the audience, which was pretty full.
Unfortunate because this is exactly the kind of thing most South Aucklanders would lap up!
So, marketing/publicity/etc. need to be addressed, because it seems such a waste!
Still, for those of us who were there, a terrific night was had.
The concert began and ended (sort of) with solos from Rick Bryant, a seasoned veteran of the Ak music scene (remember the Jive Bombers??No?? Where WERE you in '82??).
One of the very pleasant surprises for me was the wide variety of stuff that constitutes an a cappella gospel repertoire.
As well as the more trad numbers (including a raucous and dynamic rendering of "Samson and Delilah") we were treated to no less than 2 originals from the choir - "Learn to Forgive" by Rick Bryant and "First to Come Home" by Jean McAllister (Malcolm's sister).
Learn to Forgive is a deep, moving and true song - the kind Van Morrison would love to get his hands on (maybe the choir could send him a copy of their cd?).
"First to Come Home" is a rare thing - harmonically sophisticated and spiritually spot-on...sung and led by Jean...this is a song which grows on you as you repeat your listenings, so get the CD and explore it fully!
And...Tom Waits! "Come on Up to the House" (solo by Jackie Clarke, who is apparently quite well-known - a hugely spirited performer).
To sum it all up, this was more than a concert...seeing the way the group moved physically with their performance was refreshing - like the late, great Uncle Bob (Marley), they appear casual but are musically very tight beneath that appearance.
The moves flowed naturally from their singing, unlike the stilted mannerisms one sometimes finds with barbershop groups.
This made the separation between audience and performers (they were on a stage) frustrating...you wanted to get involved beyond mere foot stomping and hand clapping.
If you have not yet experienced Jubilation, get along to their next gig (I wanted to go again on Saturday night, but was prevented by personal concerns)...
At least get hold of the CD (go to jubilation.co.nz).
And if you attend a church with a bit of money (Destiny, maybe??)...you could get them in to lead a service!
Love,
G.
Jubilation is its name, and it is currently touring the North Island.
On Friday they performed at Mangere East Metro Theatre at 8pm.
Unfortunately, very few Polynesians in the audience, which was pretty full.
Unfortunate because this is exactly the kind of thing most South Aucklanders would lap up!
So, marketing/publicity/etc. need to be addressed, because it seems such a waste!
Still, for those of us who were there, a terrific night was had.
The concert began and ended (sort of) with solos from Rick Bryant, a seasoned veteran of the Ak music scene (remember the Jive Bombers??No?? Where WERE you in '82??).
One of the very pleasant surprises for me was the wide variety of stuff that constitutes an a cappella gospel repertoire.
As well as the more trad numbers (including a raucous and dynamic rendering of "Samson and Delilah") we were treated to no less than 2 originals from the choir - "Learn to Forgive" by Rick Bryant and "First to Come Home" by Jean McAllister (Malcolm's sister).
Learn to Forgive is a deep, moving and true song - the kind Van Morrison would love to get his hands on (maybe the choir could send him a copy of their cd?).
"First to Come Home" is a rare thing - harmonically sophisticated and spiritually spot-on...sung and led by Jean...this is a song which grows on you as you repeat your listenings, so get the CD and explore it fully!
And...Tom Waits! "Come on Up to the House" (solo by Jackie Clarke, who is apparently quite well-known - a hugely spirited performer).
To sum it all up, this was more than a concert...seeing the way the group moved physically with their performance was refreshing - like the late, great Uncle Bob (Marley), they appear casual but are musically very tight beneath that appearance.
The moves flowed naturally from their singing, unlike the stilted mannerisms one sometimes finds with barbershop groups.
This made the separation between audience and performers (they were on a stage) frustrating...you wanted to get involved beyond mere foot stomping and hand clapping.
If you have not yet experienced Jubilation, get along to their next gig (I wanted to go again on Saturday night, but was prevented by personal concerns)...
At least get hold of the CD (go to jubilation.co.nz).
And if you attend a church with a bit of money (Destiny, maybe??)...you could get them in to lead a service!
Love,
G.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
12 Angry Men
This isn't really a review, so I've not headed it as such.
Lois and I have watched this movie last night and tonight.
It's fascinating, in that it shows us the interactions of a jury attempting to deliberate on a charge of murder.
At the start they are 11 for guilty and 1 for not guilty.
As the play progresses, the bloke who was at first for "not guilty" (played with consummate skill by Jack Lemmon) manages to swing the jury round from "guilty".
Just before the end there is a dramatic/tense moment from George C. Scott, who holds the balance in his hands.
A dramatic movie, probably a play in a previous incarnation.
A fascinating study of character types and influence.
No women in the jury!
After this we watched the penultimate episode of "Gormsby" the 2nd series - very LOL stuff (but take of your PC-tinted lenses before you watch!).
Lois and I have watched this movie last night and tonight.
It's fascinating, in that it shows us the interactions of a jury attempting to deliberate on a charge of murder.
At the start they are 11 for guilty and 1 for not guilty.
As the play progresses, the bloke who was at first for "not guilty" (played with consummate skill by Jack Lemmon) manages to swing the jury round from "guilty".
Just before the end there is a dramatic/tense moment from George C. Scott, who holds the balance in his hands.
A dramatic movie, probably a play in a previous incarnation.
A fascinating study of character types and influence.
No women in the jury!
After this we watched the penultimate episode of "Gormsby" the 2nd series - very LOL stuff (but take of your PC-tinted lenses before you watch!).
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Just Like Job
In case you hadn't noticed, I am feeling a bit Job-like at the moment.
We have had quite a bit of teaching and preaching about this guy lately.
For those of you who aren't "in the know", a brief explanation.
Job is a guy in the bible who is extremely wealthy, successful, famous, healthy, happy, righteous, etc.
In one or two fell swoops, the Devil, given a "free reign" by God, wipes out virtually all of these happiness ingredients in Job's life, except for his wife (and as a recent preacher pointed out, anyone who has a wife who comes out with the line "curse God and die" has cause to wonder about "matrimonial bliss"!!).
Job has 3 friends who arrive on the scene, and spend a week on their knees in silence, praying.
It is only when they open their mouths with "helpful advice" that the stress begins.
A 40-chapter discussion takes place, finishing with God speaking to Job, and pointing out that God's ways are not our ways and that "it ain't why, it just is" (a quote from Van Morrison)....
I have many good friends who have been holding and hugging me over the last week or so, without the "good advice" - thank you.
I am also conscious of those who feel helpless to help or support and wish that there was even just one thing they could do for me.
Only pray.
And hug.
Love.
When I am gone, you will remember these hugs and this love probably more than anything else.
And I want you to remember my love more than anything else.
On which note, apologies to anyone out there in blogland who may feel I have been less than loving with you! (...just because Labtests have treated me shoddily doesn't mean I have to hate the people!)
There is a brilliant song out there on You Tube by Jubilation Choir, written by Rick Bryant, called "Learn to Forgive" (I think), and Sophie and I are going to ee them this Fri.
Malcolm McA, teacher from school, has a sister who sings the solo in this song...it is beautiful!
The concert is at 8pm at Mangere East Metro Theatre (Massey Rd?) - $25 adults, $15 students, $5 groups 10 or more.
And don't forget The Ultimate Showcase and Music Awards at my school next Tuesday at 7pm!!
If you are in Auckland that night, and free, come along and enjoy some superb and passionate music making.
Which brings me to tonight's concert - the A Cappella Finals at O.C.
Hillary Samuela came 3rd - she is in my tutor group - the rest of her group didn't turn up, which was disappointing, but she sang so well by herself, I was so proud of her!
Next up were "Blessed", a trio of Year 10 girls, 2 from my Music class and one from Kirsty's - a lot of potential and already starting to gain substantial confidence as performers (2nd place).
Last were The Dreamers - a trio of girls I have already raved about on these pages (see my report on the Last Chemo) - Christine Fetuiai, Sulieti Finau and Losa Iakopo.
What harmonies, warmth, "tightness", confidence and expression.
These girls make me so proud! And happy and moved and hopeful and strong.
You will eventually find a clip of their performances on You Tube I think - Andy will let me know
when the clip is up.
I also want to thank Theo, Barry and Malcolm for having the guts to get up and sing "Working on the Railroad" with me as light relief!
Christine Fe's uncle passed away this morning.
And that takes me back to the start of this blog - this young woman has lost so many family recently, and this uncle took a special interest in her musical gifts.
What could I say to her?
Hugs, hugs, hugs - let the sorrow out.
Please pray for her.
......and I told her to come into school tomorrow.
Heartless?
Not in my experience - she will gain strength from following the routines, and she will have the support of friends and family at school.
Till tomorrow (hopefully the blogsite will load a bit faster!!).
Love,
G.
We have had quite a bit of teaching and preaching about this guy lately.
For those of you who aren't "in the know", a brief explanation.
Job is a guy in the bible who is extremely wealthy, successful, famous, healthy, happy, righteous, etc.
In one or two fell swoops, the Devil, given a "free reign" by God, wipes out virtually all of these happiness ingredients in Job's life, except for his wife (and as a recent preacher pointed out, anyone who has a wife who comes out with the line "curse God and die" has cause to wonder about "matrimonial bliss"!!).
Job has 3 friends who arrive on the scene, and spend a week on their knees in silence, praying.
It is only when they open their mouths with "helpful advice" that the stress begins.
A 40-chapter discussion takes place, finishing with God speaking to Job, and pointing out that God's ways are not our ways and that "it ain't why, it just is" (a quote from Van Morrison)....
I have many good friends who have been holding and hugging me over the last week or so, without the "good advice" - thank you.
I am also conscious of those who feel helpless to help or support and wish that there was even just one thing they could do for me.
Only pray.
And hug.
Love.
When I am gone, you will remember these hugs and this love probably more than anything else.
And I want you to remember my love more than anything else.
On which note, apologies to anyone out there in blogland who may feel I have been less than loving with you! (...just because Labtests have treated me shoddily doesn't mean I have to hate the people!)
There is a brilliant song out there on You Tube by Jubilation Choir, written by Rick Bryant, called "Learn to Forgive" (I think), and Sophie and I are going to ee them this Fri.
Malcolm McA, teacher from school, has a sister who sings the solo in this song...it is beautiful!
The concert is at 8pm at Mangere East Metro Theatre (Massey Rd?) - $25 adults, $15 students, $5 groups 10 or more.
And don't forget The Ultimate Showcase and Music Awards at my school next Tuesday at 7pm!!
If you are in Auckland that night, and free, come along and enjoy some superb and passionate music making.
Which brings me to tonight's concert - the A Cappella Finals at O.C.
Hillary Samuela came 3rd - she is in my tutor group - the rest of her group didn't turn up, which was disappointing, but she sang so well by herself, I was so proud of her!
Next up were "Blessed", a trio of Year 10 girls, 2 from my Music class and one from Kirsty's - a lot of potential and already starting to gain substantial confidence as performers (2nd place).
Last were The Dreamers - a trio of girls I have already raved about on these pages (see my report on the Last Chemo) - Christine Fetuiai, Sulieti Finau and Losa Iakopo.
What harmonies, warmth, "tightness", confidence and expression.
These girls make me so proud! And happy and moved and hopeful and strong.
You will eventually find a clip of their performances on You Tube I think - Andy will let me know
when the clip is up.
I also want to thank Theo, Barry and Malcolm for having the guts to get up and sing "Working on the Railroad" with me as light relief!
Christine Fe's uncle passed away this morning.
And that takes me back to the start of this blog - this young woman has lost so many family recently, and this uncle took a special interest in her musical gifts.
What could I say to her?
Hugs, hugs, hugs - let the sorrow out.
Please pray for her.
......and I told her to come into school tomorrow.
Heartless?
Not in my experience - she will gain strength from following the routines, and she will have the support of friends and family at school.
Till tomorrow (hopefully the blogsite will load a bit faster!!).
Love,
G.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Tethered, and yet Untethered
Tethered, and yet untethered.
Free, and yet bound.
Courageous, but fearful.
Alive whilst dying...
Strong and yet so weak.
Hopeful, but losing hope.
Successful, yet failing.
Walking and stumbling.
Flying and falling.
Lost and found.....
Free, and yet bound.
Courageous, but fearful.
Alive whilst dying...
Strong and yet so weak.
Hopeful, but losing hope.
Successful, yet failing.
Walking and stumbling.
Flying and falling.
Lost and found.....
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Healing, part II
A funny game, this healing thing.
Pray for healing - it may or may not happen.
If it happens, give thanks and praise...
If not, well, God has bigger plans.
The thorn in the side - it's up to God - He can take it away, or leave it in us.
Does God like to hear the cries of pain and anguish and suffering that come from His injured, bruised, damaged and dying children?
Does He expect us to understand, and accept our pain stoically?
Are we expected to be big and grown up about "all this"?
We all go through pain, we all die - it's not fair, just, balanced or rational...
And we are designed also not to give up, take it lying down, and cease our struggles.
The cycle continues - Hope, Pain, Suffering, Prayer, Death, Faith...
And somewhere in a mysterious and huge cloud, lie the answers to the questions...
Pray for healing - it may or may not happen.
If it happens, give thanks and praise...
If not, well, God has bigger plans.
The thorn in the side - it's up to God - He can take it away, or leave it in us.
Does God like to hear the cries of pain and anguish and suffering that come from His injured, bruised, damaged and dying children?
Does He expect us to understand, and accept our pain stoically?
Are we expected to be big and grown up about "all this"?
We all go through pain, we all die - it's not fair, just, balanced or rational...
And we are designed also not to give up, take it lying down, and cease our struggles.
The cycle continues - Hope, Pain, Suffering, Prayer, Death, Faith...
And somewhere in a mysterious and huge cloud, lie the answers to the questions...
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Things Heat Up Again
As you can tell, I haven't been able to report the last couple of evenings.
On Thursday night I attended the Service Awards at school.
The guest speaker was Clint Samesia who, strangely enough, I had met when he was a student and I an English teacher back in Term 1 1990.
He said he remembered my eyes!
He spoke very well about service - turning up on time, listening and the Samoan concept of "Tautua" (similar to Maori "Tautoko"?) - supporting those who are your representatives.
It was a lovely evening - I thoroughly relished giving certificates to "my kids" - those who have committed themselves to Music groups through the years.
And last night was also very special.
Maria D., a colleague at school, invited me to her place for a Music Evening.
She and her husband are Iranian, and they had invited 2 friends, Hamid and Elizabeth (sp?), who play santoor (a hammered dulcimer, not unlike a zither or cimbalom) and hand drums respectively.
I played some viola, then we had 2 songs from Hamid, Elizabeth and Maria, who sings with a rich, strong voice, then I played and sang some rock'n'roll.
The food was EXCELLENT also, and my colleague Rosemary T and her husband Richard were also there.
Great company!
Persian rugs everywhere (Maria and family/friends are Persian as opposed to Arabic) - gorgeous!
The week ahead is also looking busy - if anyone is free on Wed, we are having our a cappella finals at school starting at 7pm - should be a special, fun (and short) time!
Meanwhile trying to adjust to the hernia and not hold my bitterness about Labtests and NZQA too tightly...
Such a beautiful day today (3 - 4 hours in the garden)!
Relishing this fantastic Youssou N'Dour album, "Nothing is in Vain"...brimming with energy, beauty and good things.
Love,
Gerald.
On Thursday night I attended the Service Awards at school.
The guest speaker was Clint Samesia who, strangely enough, I had met when he was a student and I an English teacher back in Term 1 1990.
He said he remembered my eyes!
He spoke very well about service - turning up on time, listening and the Samoan concept of "Tautua" (similar to Maori "Tautoko"?) - supporting those who are your representatives.
It was a lovely evening - I thoroughly relished giving certificates to "my kids" - those who have committed themselves to Music groups through the years.
And last night was also very special.
Maria D., a colleague at school, invited me to her place for a Music Evening.
She and her husband are Iranian, and they had invited 2 friends, Hamid and Elizabeth (sp?), who play santoor (a hammered dulcimer, not unlike a zither or cimbalom) and hand drums respectively.
I played some viola, then we had 2 songs from Hamid, Elizabeth and Maria, who sings with a rich, strong voice, then I played and sang some rock'n'roll.
The food was EXCELLENT also, and my colleague Rosemary T and her husband Richard were also there.
Great company!
Persian rugs everywhere (Maria and family/friends are Persian as opposed to Arabic) - gorgeous!
The week ahead is also looking busy - if anyone is free on Wed, we are having our a cappella finals at school starting at 7pm - should be a special, fun (and short) time!
Meanwhile trying to adjust to the hernia and not hold my bitterness about Labtests and NZQA too tightly...
Such a beautiful day today (3 - 4 hours in the garden)!
Relishing this fantastic Youssou N'Dour album, "Nothing is in Vain"...brimming with energy, beauty and good things.
Love,
Gerald.
"The Tent" (book review)
By Margaret Atwood.
This is a collection of "short stories" (more like prose pieces, though sometimes like poems), some previously published, some new to our eyes!
Like the Bill Bryson book I am concurrently reading, the snippets are quite short indeed, usually no more than 3 or 4 (small) pages each.
The titles are spicy and enticing...
"Our Cat Enters Heaven", "Salome Was a Dancer", "Three Novels I Won't Write Soon", to name but 3...
and those are just the titles!
This is the first time I've read a book by Margaret Atwood.
It certainly won't be the last!
How can I describe her writing?
Clear, sharp, incisive, humorous, scary, and original!
I kept telling Sophie she had to read this, but I have to admit some of the writings are a bit...adult?...
In some ways like Bryson, but definitely more poetic and concentrated (and darker...)
I strongly recommend this book to anyone wanting to take a risk or two in their reading (let alone writing).
Bring on "The Year of the Flood"!
G.
This is a collection of "short stories" (more like prose pieces, though sometimes like poems), some previously published, some new to our eyes!
Like the Bill Bryson book I am concurrently reading, the snippets are quite short indeed, usually no more than 3 or 4 (small) pages each.
The titles are spicy and enticing...
"Our Cat Enters Heaven", "Salome Was a Dancer", "Three Novels I Won't Write Soon", to name but 3...
and those are just the titles!
This is the first time I've read a book by Margaret Atwood.
It certainly won't be the last!
How can I describe her writing?
Clear, sharp, incisive, humorous, scary, and original!
I kept telling Sophie she had to read this, but I have to admit some of the writings are a bit...adult?...
In some ways like Bryson, but definitely more poetic and concentrated (and darker...)
I strongly recommend this book to anyone wanting to take a risk or two in their reading (let alone writing).
Bring on "The Year of the Flood"!
G.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
"Designed To Die"?
Did that grab your attention?
The title comes from a conversation I had with my "Cancer Counsellor" yesterday.
Her name is Rebecca L, and she works at the Cancer Society.
I get free counselling here - brilliant.
I was sharing with her, amongst other things, my dread of pain if and when I get to the last stages of my life - I have witnessed, at first hand, what appeared to be uncomfortable, painful deaths, and also talked to a man whose wife's cancer had spread into her brain and left her unable to control her thoughts, etc.
Rebecca first talked about the individual's power to control the pain relief in the final stages.
Then about the body's ability to close itself down/"die" without too much discomfort/pain.
She observed that with most deaths it is those who are left behind who experience the grief - usually the dying person is not too stressed about it.
Then she said "we are designed to die".
This was not said in a callous way at all - in fact, I found it immensely comforting.
I mean, think about it - Death and Taxes - we will all go thru these 2 traumas in our own way and time.
Afterwards, though, I remembered that, yes, the body is designed to die, BUT we, as spiritual beings also, are designed to live forever!
Let there be no doubt about this also (just had that "Death is not the End" song playing again).
Thanks, Rebecca!
2 bum notes from the hospital...
1. Labtests failed to do my cancer marker test and get it to the hospital - what on earth is going to happen about this crisis in blood testing in Auckland? Whoever it was on the ADHB who decided to trash Diagnostic Med Lab and go for cheap, inexperienced labour has a LOT to answer for - it's on a par with NCEA...but more potentially fatal and distressing in the short term.
2. I have developed an incisional hernia, i.e. a hernia (rupture) caused by the surgery. Because these things are very tricky and complex to operate on, Dr Thompson was quite emphatic that I needn't have surgery unless and until it becomes more of a problem - watch this space (and not my tummy).
Upsides from yesterday included Christine Fa'amausili joining the Blog Crew - welcome, Christine! - and a lovely dinner visit from "old Uni friend" (AND co-lodger from London days), Read Gainsford.
Read is performing a concert on Fri eve at the Raye Freedman Centre (Epsom Girls' Grammar) - a wonderful selection of piano pieces including Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor and Shostakovich's Dolly Pieces (?).
And so passes the first Post-Chemo blog (assuming the last cycle ended yesterday) - needless to say, I am trying not to over-react to every little twinge of pain that comes my way.
If I come across as a little paranoid, well, it's all their fault...
Love,
G.
The title comes from a conversation I had with my "Cancer Counsellor" yesterday.
Her name is Rebecca L, and she works at the Cancer Society.
I get free counselling here - brilliant.
I was sharing with her, amongst other things, my dread of pain if and when I get to the last stages of my life - I have witnessed, at first hand, what appeared to be uncomfortable, painful deaths, and also talked to a man whose wife's cancer had spread into her brain and left her unable to control her thoughts, etc.
Rebecca first talked about the individual's power to control the pain relief in the final stages.
Then about the body's ability to close itself down/"die" without too much discomfort/pain.
She observed that with most deaths it is those who are left behind who experience the grief - usually the dying person is not too stressed about it.
Then she said "we are designed to die".
This was not said in a callous way at all - in fact, I found it immensely comforting.
I mean, think about it - Death and Taxes - we will all go thru these 2 traumas in our own way and time.
Afterwards, though, I remembered that, yes, the body is designed to die, BUT we, as spiritual beings also, are designed to live forever!
Let there be no doubt about this also (just had that "Death is not the End" song playing again).
Thanks, Rebecca!
2 bum notes from the hospital...
1. Labtests failed to do my cancer marker test and get it to the hospital - what on earth is going to happen about this crisis in blood testing in Auckland? Whoever it was on the ADHB who decided to trash Diagnostic Med Lab and go for cheap, inexperienced labour has a LOT to answer for - it's on a par with NCEA...but more potentially fatal and distressing in the short term.
2. I have developed an incisional hernia, i.e. a hernia (rupture) caused by the surgery. Because these things are very tricky and complex to operate on, Dr Thompson was quite emphatic that I needn't have surgery unless and until it becomes more of a problem - watch this space (and not my tummy).
Upsides from yesterday included Christine Fa'amausili joining the Blog Crew - welcome, Christine! - and a lovely dinner visit from "old Uni friend" (AND co-lodger from London days), Read Gainsford.
Read is performing a concert on Fri eve at the Raye Freedman Centre (Epsom Girls' Grammar) - a wonderful selection of piano pieces including Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor and Shostakovich's Dolly Pieces (?).
And so passes the first Post-Chemo blog (assuming the last cycle ended yesterday) - needless to say, I am trying not to over-react to every little twinge of pain that comes my way.
If I come across as a little paranoid, well, it's all their fault...
Love,
G.
Monday, October 19, 2009
A Supernatural Experience
Here's something I don't share very often, but I thought the time is nigh to share it here and now.
I became a Christian in 1982, after searching for God since about 1972 (various religions, philosophies, beliefs, churches, etc.).
I committed my life to following Christ after a pastor at Valley Rd Church talked about the need to weigh up the cost before committing to following Christ.
I weighed up the cost, decided, and became a Christian.
Either that night or perhaps the night after, as I lay in my bed, I smelt a strong, overwhelming and luscious fragrance in the room...
No rational explanation for it at all, and I take that memory of that fragrance with me as some kind of proof of the presence of God with me...
As the man healed by Jesus said, when questioned by the Jewish priests, "All I know is that I was blind, but now I see!"
All I know is that that fragrance was there...and the next morning it faded away.
No one else could smell it.
And I didn't keep flowers, and I had not spent the night with Lois (and anyway that was not her perfume).
A bit of a touchstone for my faith, I think...a memory that will never die.
I became a Christian in 1982, after searching for God since about 1972 (various religions, philosophies, beliefs, churches, etc.).
I committed my life to following Christ after a pastor at Valley Rd Church talked about the need to weigh up the cost before committing to following Christ.
I weighed up the cost, decided, and became a Christian.
Either that night or perhaps the night after, as I lay in my bed, I smelt a strong, overwhelming and luscious fragrance in the room...
No rational explanation for it at all, and I take that memory of that fragrance with me as some kind of proof of the presence of God with me...
As the man healed by Jesus said, when questioned by the Jewish priests, "All I know is that I was blind, but now I see!"
All I know is that that fragrance was there...and the next morning it faded away.
No one else could smell it.
And I didn't keep flowers, and I had not spent the night with Lois (and anyway that was not her perfume).
A bit of a touchstone for my faith, I think...a memory that will never die.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sunny/Windy/Wet/Dry
Make up your mind, elements!
A "full church" day today, with both Sophie and me playing in the worship team.
We had about 10 musicians up there on stage today - 4 in the wind section.
There was one song where Graeme ceased on keyboard and the wind and I kept going, providing a more than adequate harmonic cushion for the congregation - good fun!
Andrew's friends from Hawkes Bay - Peggy, Harry and Johannes - came for lunch.
Harry particularly keen on early synthesiser music and, like me, keen on PG-era Genesis.
At last I had an excuse for playing Messiaen to a total stranger (the ondes- martenot in the Turangalila Symphony)!
Have been listening a lot to my recent purchases - PG - "Blue Ball", Youssou N'Dour "Nothing is in Vain", Nick Cave "Murder Ballads" and Billy Joel "Piano Man" (the studio album, NOT the compilation).
The Nick Cave album is astounding (though his version of Stagger Lee is an absolute foulmouthed rant, and best not played to children, aunties or nuns)...
Virtually all the songs are Cave originals, done in styles that evoke the earlier genres of murder ballads (e.g. Johnny Cash, Loovin Brothers, Irish folk songs, Appalachian Mountain songs)...
I shied away from getting this record for many years, thinking it would be just a tad TOO dark and depressing - I should have remembered just how great Cave and his band, The Bad Seeds, are at arranging their music - the album is dark, but SUBLIMELY so.
And then, to cap it all off, Cave launches into a version of Bob Dylan's "Death is Not the End" (originally from Dylan's allegedly "abysmal" 25th studio album from 1988, "Down in the Groove").
After all the darkness, a little ray of golden sunshine lights our way.
Well, this post started as a journal entry and ended as a semi-review of Nick Cave...more profiles spring to mind, but if you'd rather not read profiles of my favourite music, let me know!
I once had a dream of doing a very in-depth analysis of early Bowie albums as a PhD (amongst other possible PhD projects), but needless to say those sort of plans are on hold at the moment...let's see what eventuates.
Profiles could be a sort of consolation prize (and certainly more accessible than an academic squeeze on Ziggy/Aladdin/Diamond Dog).
Till tomorrow (this PG album has, amongst others, my beloved Sinead O'C and also Tim Finn).
A "full church" day today, with both Sophie and me playing in the worship team.
We had about 10 musicians up there on stage today - 4 in the wind section.
There was one song where Graeme ceased on keyboard and the wind and I kept going, providing a more than adequate harmonic cushion for the congregation - good fun!
Andrew's friends from Hawkes Bay - Peggy, Harry and Johannes - came for lunch.
Harry particularly keen on early synthesiser music and, like me, keen on PG-era Genesis.
At last I had an excuse for playing Messiaen to a total stranger (the ondes- martenot in the Turangalila Symphony)!
Have been listening a lot to my recent purchases - PG - "Blue Ball", Youssou N'Dour "Nothing is in Vain", Nick Cave "Murder Ballads" and Billy Joel "Piano Man" (the studio album, NOT the compilation).
The Nick Cave album is astounding (though his version of Stagger Lee is an absolute foulmouthed rant, and best not played to children, aunties or nuns)...
Virtually all the songs are Cave originals, done in styles that evoke the earlier genres of murder ballads (e.g. Johnny Cash, Loovin Brothers, Irish folk songs, Appalachian Mountain songs)...
I shied away from getting this record for many years, thinking it would be just a tad TOO dark and depressing - I should have remembered just how great Cave and his band, The Bad Seeds, are at arranging their music - the album is dark, but SUBLIMELY so.
And then, to cap it all off, Cave launches into a version of Bob Dylan's "Death is Not the End" (originally from Dylan's allegedly "abysmal" 25th studio album from 1988, "Down in the Groove").
After all the darkness, a little ray of golden sunshine lights our way.
Well, this post started as a journal entry and ended as a semi-review of Nick Cave...more profiles spring to mind, but if you'd rather not read profiles of my favourite music, let me know!
I once had a dream of doing a very in-depth analysis of early Bowie albums as a PhD (amongst other possible PhD projects), but needless to say those sort of plans are on hold at the moment...let's see what eventuates.
Profiles could be a sort of consolation prize (and certainly more accessible than an academic squeeze on Ziggy/Aladdin/Diamond Dog).
Till tomorrow (this PG album has, amongst others, my beloved Sinead O'C and also Tim Finn).
Friday, October 16, 2009
Big Busy Day
6am up with the larks (or tuis).
7.10am take Sophie to school (after late night at worship group practice).
7.45am Theo and Kerry pick me up for school.
8.35am start of school.
Teach, teach, teach....
10.50am my favourite favourite time with freshly made milky coffee, home baking and chat!
1.30pm memorial service for tsunami victims.
3.11pm home again, home again.
5.20pm Leslie and Beckie Callaghan bring dinner - total (and pleasant) surprise!
5.50pm into town with Sophie.
Borders, Real Groovy and Haydn's Creation at the Town Hall (to be reviewed later).
Back home to blog, bed and Bill Bryson.
Nighty night!
7.10am take Sophie to school (after late night at worship group practice).
7.45am Theo and Kerry pick me up for school.
8.35am start of school.
Teach, teach, teach....
10.50am my favourite favourite time with freshly made milky coffee, home baking and chat!
1.30pm memorial service for tsunami victims.
3.11pm home again, home again.
5.20pm Leslie and Beckie Callaghan bring dinner - total (and pleasant) surprise!
5.50pm into town with Sophie.
Borders, Real Groovy and Haydn's Creation at the Town Hall (to be reviewed later).
Back home to blog, bed and Bill Bryson.
Nighty night!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Here Comes the Knife...(profile of Genesis)
The Knife...the last song on Genesis's first "proper" album, Trespass.
If you visit YouTube you will find a lot of clips of early Genesis.
When both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins had hair!
My earliest memories of Genesis were my sister Joke talking about them with her friend, Anne Reid.
They were very theatrical, with Peter Gabriel prancing around wearing make-up and masks and gowns, and singing songs of mystical physical transformations and apocalypse and horrid deaths - everything to appeal to a 14 year old boy!
I remember I needed to spend some nights over at our neighbours' around this time (I think we had Marjan's family visiting from London).
Their adult son had a big stereo, with great headphones, and an LP of Genesis's "Nursery Cryme" - amongst other things this had some great narratives, including Harold the Barrel, featuring PG in absolute theatrical form, voicing all the characters in the sad tale of Harold.
Genesis were, obviously to me, an early influence on our very own Split Enz - progressive song structures, keyboard-dominated, "epic" songs, bizarre theatrics and eerie humour.
After purchasing a copy of Nursery Cryme, I won a copy of "Trick of the Tail" in a radio competition.
This was the first post-PG album, and, weirdly and almost inexplicably, it was at THIS time that the band began a rather quick progress towards megastardom!
PG went on to do "Solsbury Hill" and found Real World records and discover many wonderful musicians in all corners of the globe - and never look back.
If you visit YouTube you will find a lot of clips of early Genesis.
When both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins had hair!
My earliest memories of Genesis were my sister Joke talking about them with her friend, Anne Reid.
They were very theatrical, with Peter Gabriel prancing around wearing make-up and masks and gowns, and singing songs of mystical physical transformations and apocalypse and horrid deaths - everything to appeal to a 14 year old boy!
I remember I needed to spend some nights over at our neighbours' around this time (I think we had Marjan's family visiting from London).
Their adult son had a big stereo, with great headphones, and an LP of Genesis's "Nursery Cryme" - amongst other things this had some great narratives, including Harold the Barrel, featuring PG in absolute theatrical form, voicing all the characters in the sad tale of Harold.
Genesis were, obviously to me, an early influence on our very own Split Enz - progressive song structures, keyboard-dominated, "epic" songs, bizarre theatrics and eerie humour.
After purchasing a copy of Nursery Cryme, I won a copy of "Trick of the Tail" in a radio competition.
This was the first post-PG album, and, weirdly and almost inexplicably, it was at THIS time that the band began a rather quick progress towards megastardom!
PG went on to do "Solsbury Hill" and found Real World records and discover many wonderful musicians in all corners of the globe - and never look back.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Retro Sounds
I am thinning down our CD collection, which tends to wax and wane.
I am finding myself drawn to the sounds of the 70s, definitely MY formative musical years.
As I blog, I am listening to Jethro Tull's "Passion Play" from around 1972.
This followed "Thick As a Brick" and is similarly a throughcomposed magnum opus in proggy/folky style.
I was first turned on to Tull by my sister Plonie, who had a copy of TAaB.
She also had a stereo with huge speakers with blue padding on the box. Impressive!
(In her collection she had Paul Simon, S and G, Leonard Cohen, Art Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, The Beatles...MANY things that became MINE in terms of taste).
I used to love going for a sleepover at her flat/house and trawling through her LPs (in fact I did this with all my sisters - Carla had loads of S and G, Marjan had loads of Wagner and Verdi, Joke had loads of classical stuff, and one of her Hamilton friends had Bowie's Ziggy Stardust - once I heard "5 Years" I was away!)...
My "eternal" faves, which I have no intention of thinning down, are Van Morrison, Bob Marley, Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam, Paul Simon, Sinead O'Connor, but I also have some very "well represented" artists there...hmm...I sense a series of profiles about to appear (will I lose my "audience"/"readership" though?).
Aaah, well, time to help the Hare find his spectacles!
Get it?
Love,
G.
I am finding myself drawn to the sounds of the 70s, definitely MY formative musical years.
As I blog, I am listening to Jethro Tull's "Passion Play" from around 1972.
This followed "Thick As a Brick" and is similarly a throughcomposed magnum opus in proggy/folky style.
I was first turned on to Tull by my sister Plonie, who had a copy of TAaB.
She also had a stereo with huge speakers with blue padding on the box. Impressive!
(In her collection she had Paul Simon, S and G, Leonard Cohen, Art Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, The Beatles...MANY things that became MINE in terms of taste).
I used to love going for a sleepover at her flat/house and trawling through her LPs (in fact I did this with all my sisters - Carla had loads of S and G, Marjan had loads of Wagner and Verdi, Joke had loads of classical stuff, and one of her Hamilton friends had Bowie's Ziggy Stardust - once I heard "5 Years" I was away!)...
My "eternal" faves, which I have no intention of thinning down, are Van Morrison, Bob Marley, Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam, Paul Simon, Sinead O'Connor, but I also have some very "well represented" artists there...hmm...I sense a series of profiles about to appear (will I lose my "audience"/"readership" though?).
Aaah, well, time to help the Hare find his spectacles!
Get it?
Love,
G.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Daily Priorities
With a terminal illness, daily priorities change (doh!).
Paperwork takes a huge back seat and in the front seat come face to face interactions.
Moaning about one's lot is replaced by finding the joy of a situation.
Issues which seemed important to hold on to can be let go.
NCEA becomes...well, always has been....well, I'll say no more.
The quality (and quantity!) of toilet paper "is not strained"...
A student's "achievement"/"success" becomes less important than their growth as a human being.
You relinquish control of the health you thought you had.
God becomes even bigger and more mysterious.
Eternal life is THE thing and life on earth becomes, by comparison, very small and short.
Yet NOT insignificant.
The kindness of a student sharing her home-baked afghans takes on huge meaning.
And the cat spontaneously jumping up on your lap, curling up, purring away and giving you "that look" of contentment, trust, acceptance - the little things become big, and the big things become little...
Paperwork takes a huge back seat and in the front seat come face to face interactions.
Moaning about one's lot is replaced by finding the joy of a situation.
Issues which seemed important to hold on to can be let go.
NCEA becomes...well, always has been....well, I'll say no more.
The quality (and quantity!) of toilet paper "is not strained"...
A student's "achievement"/"success" becomes less important than their growth as a human being.
You relinquish control of the health you thought you had.
God becomes even bigger and more mysterious.
Eternal life is THE thing and life on earth becomes, by comparison, very small and short.
Yet NOT insignificant.
The kindness of a student sharing her home-baked afghans takes on huge meaning.
And the cat spontaneously jumping up on your lap, curling up, purring away and giving you "that look" of contentment, trust, acceptance - the little things become big, and the big things become little...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The Hug
Today was a very emotional day for me at church.
First of all, Fred invited me to share with the church as to where things are at for me....
I told them I was off chemo and have entered a phase of waiting, watching, hoping and praying.
Maria L came up and prayed for Samoa etc. - tears.
Then Dianne B. opened "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross"...more tears.
Then guest speaker Meredith spoke about "Grief"...more tears.
Andrew was with me...he gave me a reassuring pat on the back...
Then Fred announced for people going through Grief to come up the front for prayer...
I asked Andrew to grab me a coffee, as I might be gone "for some time" and made my way up the front...
An elder (sort of "old person" within the church with proven spiritual maturity), Brian A., came and sat down next to me and simply hugged me for a long, long time.
...As I sat and cried and wept and wept...for myself, for my family, for the loss of ...life?....stuff???...sunny days?...
I have just realised now that that hug from Brian was an "echo" of a hug my Dad gave me when we went over to Kawau Island and I got seasick and there was nothing Dad could do about it except comfort me with his physical, big, warm, reassuring presence - his arm around me.
As you know, I am an emotional guy...that's both a strength and a weakness, I s'pose, but it is the way I am...I don't bottle stuff up successfully and my face is pretty easy to read...
Brian, thank you for your presence, your prayers, but most of all your Hug.
I will never forget it!
By the way, if anyone else out there would like a hug, I still have planty to share!
Just ask!
Love,
Gerald.
First of all, Fred invited me to share with the church as to where things are at for me....
I told them I was off chemo and have entered a phase of waiting, watching, hoping and praying.
Maria L came up and prayed for Samoa etc. - tears.
Then Dianne B. opened "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross"...more tears.
Then guest speaker Meredith spoke about "Grief"...more tears.
Andrew was with me...he gave me a reassuring pat on the back...
Then Fred announced for people going through Grief to come up the front for prayer...
I asked Andrew to grab me a coffee, as I might be gone "for some time" and made my way up the front...
An elder (sort of "old person" within the church with proven spiritual maturity), Brian A., came and sat down next to me and simply hugged me for a long, long time.
...As I sat and cried and wept and wept...for myself, for my family, for the loss of ...life?....stuff???...sunny days?...
I have just realised now that that hug from Brian was an "echo" of a hug my Dad gave me when we went over to Kawau Island and I got seasick and there was nothing Dad could do about it except comfort me with his physical, big, warm, reassuring presence - his arm around me.
As you know, I am an emotional guy...that's both a strength and a weakness, I s'pose, but it is the way I am...I don't bottle stuff up successfully and my face is pretty easy to read...
Brian, thank you for your presence, your prayers, but most of all your Hug.
I will never forget it!
By the way, if anyone else out there would like a hug, I still have planty to share!
Just ask!
Love,
Gerald.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Super Twelve and Beyond
Today was a big day for the Super Twelve.
At 1.30pm we set up at Dingwalls special school in Papatoetoe.
We treated the boys who are resident there to a short concert of our items for the Golf gig.
Then set up at the Grange golf club in Papatoetoe (round the corner).
4pm back home to "crash".
8.15pm back at The Grange.
Pasifika bracket, sausage rolls, then back up for Beatles, Bob (Marley), Benny and Bjorn (ABBA).
The crowd of 180 celebratory golfers loved us and gave us extra cash for a couple more songs!
The group enjoyed themselves.
We still need to work on the turning up on time, though!
At 1.30pm we set up at Dingwalls special school in Papatoetoe.
We treated the boys who are resident there to a short concert of our items for the Golf gig.
Then set up at the Grange golf club in Papatoetoe (round the corner).
4pm back home to "crash".
8.15pm back at The Grange.
Pasifika bracket, sausage rolls, then back up for Beatles, Bob (Marley), Benny and Bjorn (ABBA).
The crowd of 180 celebratory golfers loved us and gave us extra cash for a couple more songs!
The group enjoyed themselves.
We still need to work on the turning up on time, though!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Blog 200 - Chemo 12.
I am still here!
Disconnected for the last time today (for a while at least, I hope).
Feeling elated, wanting to run around the domain, but actually felt a bit tired.
Practice with Super Twelve (not many there - different story for later).
A wet day - kids at Rainbow's End with Andrew.
Nurses sad to say goodbye - felt likewise, but actually pleased to be free from chemo for a while.
How to monitor health now - especially thinking about return of the cancer...
in this world you will have sorrows, but take heart, Jesus has overcome the "world"/death/finity.
after Hozzy down to Real Groovy - Big Day Out tickets and trade-ins...purchased 2 Sparks albums, including Kimono My House (surreal, quirky and highly imaginative), a live Jan Garbarek and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's last recordings (produced by Rick Rubin, of Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond rehabilitation fame).
If you have not ever heard Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's singing, I thoroughly recommend you listen to at least one song - intense, ecstatic and virtuoso.
G.
Disconnected for the last time today (for a while at least, I hope).
Feeling elated, wanting to run around the domain, but actually felt a bit tired.
Practice with Super Twelve (not many there - different story for later).
A wet day - kids at Rainbow's End with Andrew.
Nurses sad to say goodbye - felt likewise, but actually pleased to be free from chemo for a while.
How to monitor health now - especially thinking about return of the cancer...
in this world you will have sorrows, but take heart, Jesus has overcome the "world"/death/finity.
after Hozzy down to Real Groovy - Big Day Out tickets and trade-ins...purchased 2 Sparks albums, including Kimono My House (surreal, quirky and highly imaginative), a live Jan Garbarek and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's last recordings (produced by Rick Rubin, of Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond rehabilitation fame).
If you have not ever heard Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's singing, I thoroughly recommend you listen to at least one song - intense, ecstatic and virtuoso.
G.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
"UP (3D)" (movie review)
Pixar movies appear to be virtually instant classics.
In the first 10 minutes you knew this one was going to be no exception.
A beautiful, colourful, hilarious, deep, uplifting (ugh!) and moving movie.
A great show for the whole family - adults would not be embarrassed to venture forth alone together into the cinema for this film.
It has a French quality to it, which is something very rare in a Disney movie.
The Frenchness of understatement - letting the visuals, music, expressions and silences do the talking.
Good guy widower Carl voiced by Ed Asner (grumpy old codger from Mary Tyler Moore and Lou Grant TV series).
Fallen hero turned bad guy voiced by Christopher Plummer.
And many other wonderful characters, who I will not reveal!
3D understated and very effective.
I urge you to see it before it leaves the big screen - and if you need to borrow a child to see it with, borrow me (or mine)!
In the first 10 minutes you knew this one was going to be no exception.
A beautiful, colourful, hilarious, deep, uplifting (ugh!) and moving movie.
A great show for the whole family - adults would not be embarrassed to venture forth alone together into the cinema for this film.
It has a French quality to it, which is something very rare in a Disney movie.
The Frenchness of understatement - letting the visuals, music, expressions and silences do the talking.
Good guy widower Carl voiced by Ed Asner (grumpy old codger from Mary Tyler Moore and Lou Grant TV series).
Fallen hero turned bad guy voiced by Christopher Plummer.
And many other wonderful characters, who I will not reveal!
3D understated and very effective.
I urge you to see it before it leaves the big screen - and if you need to borrow a child to see it with, borrow me (or mine)!
A sunny day almost
Sleep in till 8am.
Pump still connected!
Alexander and friend Hamish playing war games peacefully...
2 coffees and a scrumptious piece of carrot cake at Ironique, shared with Geoff Wood, a lovely man who runs a music/educational supplie business.
The best carrot cake in the Village, if not the city...
French Bread! Tomatoes!
Star Trek Enterprise - the crew were attacked by a mysterious web-like creature - communication a problem (sounds like the internet?).
Sausages! Chips! Salad (including Tomatoes!).
Off to Anne of Green Gables, directed by my neighbour Jan Saussey, and with a score by an ex-student of mine, Andrew Naea (who did, as I thought he would, a terrific job!).
Home again, greeted by hungry Samson threatening to tear down the temple...
Pump still connected!
Alexander and friend Hamish playing war games peacefully...
2 coffees and a scrumptious piece of carrot cake at Ironique, shared with Geoff Wood, a lovely man who runs a music/educational supplie business.
The best carrot cake in the Village, if not the city...
French Bread! Tomatoes!
Star Trek Enterprise - the crew were attacked by a mysterious web-like creature - communication a problem (sounds like the internet?).
Sausages! Chips! Salad (including Tomatoes!).
Off to Anne of Green Gables, directed by my neighbour Jan Saussey, and with a score by an ex-student of mine, Andrew Naea (who did, as I thought he would, a terrific job!).
Home again, greeted by hungry Samson threatening to tear down the temple...
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The times, they are a-changing (again)
Enz of an era.
Stepping off the known road, again. No more chemo for now.
Wishes, prayers, possibilities, darkest fears and deeply held, faintest hopes coalesce.
Good things - low-grade reaction to chemo along with strong anti-cancer effect - can easily be ignored and set aside as just not good enough.
Uncertainty prevails, no medics can predict - slow, fast, or jagged regrowth?
It's never going to be good enough, leaving the party early. Nor should it be.
The days are like gemstones - the forgettable ones highlighting the marvellous times by their contrast.
Even the forgettable ones, and particularly the terrible ones, can be learning, yearning times.
Pain is a normal part of life. I won't let a piece of it stop me from ... striving, laughing, experiencing, sharing ... living.
A very wise person talked to me about giving this situation and experience the time and space it needs.
In space, no one can hear you scream ... just kidding, folks. Really.
L
Stepping off the known road, again. No more chemo for now.
Wishes, prayers, possibilities, darkest fears and deeply held, faintest hopes coalesce.
Good things - low-grade reaction to chemo along with strong anti-cancer effect - can easily be ignored and set aside as just not good enough.
Uncertainty prevails, no medics can predict - slow, fast, or jagged regrowth?
It's never going to be good enough, leaving the party early. Nor should it be.
The days are like gemstones - the forgettable ones highlighting the marvellous times by their contrast.
Even the forgettable ones, and particularly the terrible ones, can be learning, yearning times.
Pain is a normal part of life. I won't let a piece of it stop me from ... striving, laughing, experiencing, sharing ... living.
A very wise person talked to me about giving this situation and experience the time and space it needs.
In space, no one can hear you scream ... just kidding, folks. Really.
L
7th October
Don't know why I'm calling this 7th October.
Because it is?
Some things just are.
The first course of chemo is over.
If a "miracle" happens, it will be the last time I submit myself to cytotoxic chemicals in a collective effort to battle cancer!
If no miracle, I get to dress up again when the time is right...
In "Aida" (Verdi's version, not the Tim Rice and Elton John cartoon), the star couple burst into the most beautiful duet as the tomb is being sealed (they get buried alive).
"O Terra Addio" (goodbye, world).
What a way to go!
I will probably be posting a bit more regularly in the future (did you notice I scaled it down for a while??), sometimes with a random miscellany of thoughts and feelings such as this evening, and sometimes with a little more focus.
Today my "girls", The Dreamers, an a cappella vocal trio from my Year 12 class at school, came and serenaded the patients and staff at the oncology ward - they were a huge hit!
Christine Fetuiai, Sulieti Finau and Losa Iakopo...
2 of these girls having lost swathes of family in the Samoan Tsunami...
We went to UP in 3D afterwards...rest assured, I will review this in detail, giving it the blogspace it deserves...suffice to say it is a beautiful film!
Andrew Clasby has been a wonderful chemo buddy for the last 5 months.
Words are not nearly enough to express my thanks to this caring person - humour, care, support...presence...
Thanks, Andrew!
Maria Carbines - the packages delivered without fail from Chemo 2 - thank you for your thoughtfulness and energy!
Last but not least, my family...Sophie, Alexander and Lois, who have kept me "anchored"/"earthed"/ "grounded" (never thought I would see it as a blessing/privilege to be taken for granted/wrestled with/mocked by the younger generation/sat on a sofa eating butter chicken)...
And to those who have sent kind thoughts, love, money(!!), and prayers/spiritual energy...
Thank you!
Arohanui,
Gerald.
ps Samson came, jumped up, nestled and is purring away since I began this blog.
And that's why cats are!
Because it is?
Some things just are.
The first course of chemo is over.
If a "miracle" happens, it will be the last time I submit myself to cytotoxic chemicals in a collective effort to battle cancer!
If no miracle, I get to dress up again when the time is right...
In "Aida" (Verdi's version, not the Tim Rice and Elton John cartoon), the star couple burst into the most beautiful duet as the tomb is being sealed (they get buried alive).
"O Terra Addio" (goodbye, world).
What a way to go!
I will probably be posting a bit more regularly in the future (did you notice I scaled it down for a while??), sometimes with a random miscellany of thoughts and feelings such as this evening, and sometimes with a little more focus.
Today my "girls", The Dreamers, an a cappella vocal trio from my Year 12 class at school, came and serenaded the patients and staff at the oncology ward - they were a huge hit!
Christine Fetuiai, Sulieti Finau and Losa Iakopo...
2 of these girls having lost swathes of family in the Samoan Tsunami...
We went to UP in 3D afterwards...rest assured, I will review this in detail, giving it the blogspace it deserves...suffice to say it is a beautiful film!
Andrew Clasby has been a wonderful chemo buddy for the last 5 months.
Words are not nearly enough to express my thanks to this caring person - humour, care, support...presence...
Thanks, Andrew!
Maria Carbines - the packages delivered without fail from Chemo 2 - thank you for your thoughtfulness and energy!
Last but not least, my family...Sophie, Alexander and Lois, who have kept me "anchored"/"earthed"/ "grounded" (never thought I would see it as a blessing/privilege to be taken for granted/wrestled with/mocked by the younger generation/sat on a sofa eating butter chicken)...
And to those who have sent kind thoughts, love, money(!!), and prayers/spiritual energy...
Thank you!
Arohanui,
Gerald.
ps Samson came, jumped up, nestled and is purring away since I began this blog.
And that's why cats are!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The Last Battle...
So this week is Chemo no.12.
The last battle between Folfiri and the tumours...for the time being.
As discussed previously, my hopes are that this will be all I need.
Sometimes I feel I am spookily close to that goal.
A man called Meredith came and preached at our church today.
He has suffered chronic and terrible spinal and leg pain for 22 years.
He referred a lot to 2 Corinthians 12, which is the passage about the thorn in Paul's side.
One of the things Meredith said was that God gives us one day at a time.
We have a choice to live it in Hurt or in Hope.
Sometimes it doesn't feel like we CAN choose Hurt or Hope.
But when it does seem we can, Hope is definitely the way that is lit up.
G.
The last battle between Folfiri and the tumours...for the time being.
As discussed previously, my hopes are that this will be all I need.
Sometimes I feel I am spookily close to that goal.
A man called Meredith came and preached at our church today.
He has suffered chronic and terrible spinal and leg pain for 22 years.
He referred a lot to 2 Corinthians 12, which is the passage about the thorn in Paul's side.
One of the things Meredith said was that God gives us one day at a time.
We have a choice to live it in Hurt or in Hope.
Sometimes it doesn't feel like we CAN choose Hurt or Hope.
But when it does seem we can, Hope is definitely the way that is lit up.
G.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
"Teacher Man" (book review)
...by Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis.
McCourt recounts his years as a teacher in NYC secondary schools, mostly "vocational high schools" (technical/trades based) but finishing with Stuyvesant High, an upmarket secondary for students destined for Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. (that's MIT in the USA, NOT Manukau, Junior!)...
Having come from the pages of a densely written and very grim sci-fi novel by Ballard (see review of "The Drought"), I was struck by the total contrast of tone, style and message found in Teacher Man.
The book is a memoir - a string of (in places hugely) entertaining episodes from the classrooms of New York.
I have a literary colleague at O.C. (yes, Junior, that's Otahuhu College, not Orange County) who hated this book - in further discussion it appeared that perhaps one of the reasons could be too close an identification with McCourt's adventures...
For me, the identification was similarly close - but I loved it for that!
Particularly the struggle, in the early years of his vocation, to make sense of the whole thing and feel in any way purposeful.
Also the incidents/conversations recounted, often with a wistful, gentle and humorous touch.
The lesson on recipes that becomes a performing arts extravaganza!
The sandwich dropped on the floor in conflict which the teacher picks up and...eats!
The collective animal which is a class full of 35 adolescents!
Picking on a "smart guy" student only to find later that he is ion the midst of unbelievable personal turmoil.
And the ONE student who suddenly, unexpectedly makes one's travails worthwhile!
If you're a teacher out there, read this book - you may be inspired, and at least vindicated.
Highly recommended.
G.
If you aren't a teacher, read this book - it won't make you want to change your profession, but it will give you an entertaining and enjoyable read at the expense of McCourt's experiences.
McCourt recounts his years as a teacher in NYC secondary schools, mostly "vocational high schools" (technical/trades based) but finishing with Stuyvesant High, an upmarket secondary for students destined for Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. (that's MIT in the USA, NOT Manukau, Junior!)...
Having come from the pages of a densely written and very grim sci-fi novel by Ballard (see review of "The Drought"), I was struck by the total contrast of tone, style and message found in Teacher Man.
The book is a memoir - a string of (in places hugely) entertaining episodes from the classrooms of New York.
I have a literary colleague at O.C. (yes, Junior, that's Otahuhu College, not Orange County) who hated this book - in further discussion it appeared that perhaps one of the reasons could be too close an identification with McCourt's adventures...
For me, the identification was similarly close - but I loved it for that!
Particularly the struggle, in the early years of his vocation, to make sense of the whole thing and feel in any way purposeful.
Also the incidents/conversations recounted, often with a wistful, gentle and humorous touch.
The lesson on recipes that becomes a performing arts extravaganza!
The sandwich dropped on the floor in conflict which the teacher picks up and...eats!
The collective animal which is a class full of 35 adolescents!
Picking on a "smart guy" student only to find later that he is ion the midst of unbelievable personal turmoil.
And the ONE student who suddenly, unexpectedly makes one's travails worthwhile!
If you're a teacher out there, read this book - you may be inspired, and at least vindicated.
Highly recommended.
G.
If you aren't a teacher, read this book - it won't make you want to change your profession, but it will give you an entertaining and enjoyable read at the expense of McCourt's experiences.
"G.I. Joe - Rise of Cobra" (movie review)
I went to this movie with Alexander. His choice!
The movie is based on action-toy characters - a bit like Transformers.
Americans...they can make a movie out of anything!
The movie was action-packed, fx-packed, explosion-packed...
There were some quieter moments - maybe a few more than Terminator Salvation.
Overall, though, we moved from spectacle to spectacle...
secret hideaways under the pyramids, the Arctic Ice Cap...and the Eiffel Tower crumbling before our very eyes!
Some nifty martial arts scenes and some good ol' tough-boy humour.
A cross between Terminator and Fantastic 4?
Definitely one for "the boys".
And probably of "a certain age" as well.
A bit mindless, but enjoyable-ish.
The movie is based on action-toy characters - a bit like Transformers.
Americans...they can make a movie out of anything!
The movie was action-packed, fx-packed, explosion-packed...
There were some quieter moments - maybe a few more than Terminator Salvation.
Overall, though, we moved from spectacle to spectacle...
secret hideaways under the pyramids, the Arctic Ice Cap...and the Eiffel Tower crumbling before our very eyes!
Some nifty martial arts scenes and some good ol' tough-boy humour.
A cross between Terminator and Fantastic 4?
Definitely one for "the boys".
And probably of "a certain age" as well.
A bit mindless, but enjoyable-ish.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Tsunami
7, 4 and 3 years old...
Swept away.
The mother unconscious cannot mourn...
Only father and grandfather.
Where is God?
Where was He?
Was He watching?
Oh, yes...
A God of Love....
Well, how does this work out now?
In ways too unfathomable for me to understand.
My footsteps on the sand of these islands washed away...
Salt tears...a wave of salt tears...
Too unfathomable for me.....
I can understand, a bit, some of the pain.
I can understand pain.
These smiling faces will smile again.
But not now, not yet.
White Sunday coming soon...
But many will be dressed in black.
Swept away.
The mother unconscious cannot mourn...
Only father and grandfather.
Where is God?
Where was He?
Was He watching?
Oh, yes...
A God of Love....
Well, how does this work out now?
In ways too unfathomable for me to understand.
My footsteps on the sand of these islands washed away...
Salt tears...a wave of salt tears...
Too unfathomable for me.....
I can understand, a bit, some of the pain.
I can understand pain.
These smiling faces will smile again.
But not now, not yet.
White Sunday coming soon...
But many will be dressed in black.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Buses!
Today I re-entered the balmy world that is the Auckland Public transport system...
Sophie and I travelled by bus to Epsom - about 20 minutes.
From there we walked up King George Avenue ("That's where mum and I lived when we were first married", pointing to no. 40 King George Ave).
Thru the "apron" section of Cornwall Park, bordered by Campbell Crescent (lovely Victorian/Edwardian fountain in this bit), and on up to St Cuthbert's College.
Sophie is doing a 3 day IT intro course (the girls are all required to have and use Apple Macs) and I left her at reception, making my solitary way back to the bus stop, at no.60 King George Ave.
I got to the stop around 9am, thinking I would have to wait about quarter of an hour...
I had no reading book and no Sudoku puzzle, so had to content myself with thoughts about nature, rain, God, life, death, etc.
I began to enjoy the blessed state of internal peace and harmony that is reached when one "focusses down"...
Finally looked at my watch...
9.20am.
Still no bus.
Hmm...
9.30 rolled by...slowly...with no sign of the 298 bus.
By 10am 2 297 buses had been stopped by me, both drivers assuring me that this was the correct stop and the bus would be along eventually.....
By 10.10am still no 298 so I decided, very self-justifiably, that the time had come to walk home, and when I got home, boy were Metrolink, Maxx, Rodney Hide and any advocates for the "Super City" gonna get it....
Reached home at 11.30am.
Rang the bus timetable place to verify how many buses I SHOULD have seen between 9 and 10am (after all, as the Klingons in Star Trek say, "Revenge is a dish best served cold" - I should get my facts right).
The answer from the guy at the other end of the phone was "none".
"None?? Really??"
"Yep - the last bus past there is at 8.45 and then there's nothing till 10.15am".
The wind out of my vengeful sails.
Just as well I checked before writing the slew of letters I had planned to write...
Still, my appetite for MORE public transport faded somewhat today.
Let's have more motorways!!! Tomorrow!!
Good luck, Sophie! (She made it back home on the bus by herself, so did better than me in that enterprise!)
All else today was something of an anti-climax - thank goodness.
A trip out to buy some odd clothes (wait till next chemophoto), a spot of gardening (rush out when it stops raining), watching the Indian movie Dor (beautiful soundtrack music, qawwali style), heading out to Uni to see a debate about Guantanamo inmates (Lois even managed to find a legit carpark close by before the debate started!)...
Then back home to wind up with an episode of ... Boston Legal (series 5, episode 4).
A pervading sense of running out of time...
Well, we all are...I guess it's just brought home to me a bit more...wanting to write write write and perform perform perform and listen and draw and eat and read and make love and see firends and family and walk and sleep and laugh and see my children grow and wait for buses (not!) and how much time do I/we have ?????
Nobody knows.
It's bedtime now, though...
Love,
G.
Sophie and I travelled by bus to Epsom - about 20 minutes.
From there we walked up King George Avenue ("That's where mum and I lived when we were first married", pointing to no. 40 King George Ave).
Thru the "apron" section of Cornwall Park, bordered by Campbell Crescent (lovely Victorian/Edwardian fountain in this bit), and on up to St Cuthbert's College.
Sophie is doing a 3 day IT intro course (the girls are all required to have and use Apple Macs) and I left her at reception, making my solitary way back to the bus stop, at no.60 King George Ave.
I got to the stop around 9am, thinking I would have to wait about quarter of an hour...
I had no reading book and no Sudoku puzzle, so had to content myself with thoughts about nature, rain, God, life, death, etc.
I began to enjoy the blessed state of internal peace and harmony that is reached when one "focusses down"...
Finally looked at my watch...
9.20am.
Still no bus.
Hmm...
9.30 rolled by...slowly...with no sign of the 298 bus.
By 10am 2 297 buses had been stopped by me, both drivers assuring me that this was the correct stop and the bus would be along eventually.....
By 10.10am still no 298 so I decided, very self-justifiably, that the time had come to walk home, and when I got home, boy were Metrolink, Maxx, Rodney Hide and any advocates for the "Super City" gonna get it....
Reached home at 11.30am.
Rang the bus timetable place to verify how many buses I SHOULD have seen between 9 and 10am (after all, as the Klingons in Star Trek say, "Revenge is a dish best served cold" - I should get my facts right).
The answer from the guy at the other end of the phone was "none".
"None?? Really??"
"Yep - the last bus past there is at 8.45 and then there's nothing till 10.15am".
The wind out of my vengeful sails.
Just as well I checked before writing the slew of letters I had planned to write...
Still, my appetite for MORE public transport faded somewhat today.
Let's have more motorways!!! Tomorrow!!
Good luck, Sophie! (She made it back home on the bus by herself, so did better than me in that enterprise!)
All else today was something of an anti-climax - thank goodness.
A trip out to buy some odd clothes (wait till next chemophoto), a spot of gardening (rush out when it stops raining), watching the Indian movie Dor (beautiful soundtrack music, qawwali style), heading out to Uni to see a debate about Guantanamo inmates (Lois even managed to find a legit carpark close by before the debate started!)...
Then back home to wind up with an episode of ... Boston Legal (series 5, episode 4).
A pervading sense of running out of time...
Well, we all are...I guess it's just brought home to me a bit more...wanting to write write write and perform perform perform and listen and draw and eat and read and make love and see firends and family and walk and sleep and laugh and see my children grow and wait for buses (not!) and how much time do I/we have ?????
Nobody knows.
It's bedtime now, though...
Love,
G.
Monday, September 28, 2009
I'm a Lumberjack and I'm Okay
...sleep all night and I work all day!
Try to, anyway...
Yes - a day for judiciously pruning overgrown pieces of vegetation.
Very satisfying work, when one can see the vistas that open up.
We had a heap of rain in Auckland this morning, tho...
I took Alexander to Starship today.
His left wrist has healed fully.
His right elbow is looking good too and the "metal ware" will be coming out before the end of the year - I did mention we didn't want it interfering with his exams!
At Home Group we talked about how the sins/errors/mistakes of one person can affect a whole community - biblical reference Achan's deception at Jericho, contextual references all too many to mention!
"Forgiveness is gold" - Eric Bibb (and it's true - I promise!!!).
Try to, anyway...
Yes - a day for judiciously pruning overgrown pieces of vegetation.
Very satisfying work, when one can see the vistas that open up.
We had a heap of rain in Auckland this morning, tho...
I took Alexander to Starship today.
His left wrist has healed fully.
His right elbow is looking good too and the "metal ware" will be coming out before the end of the year - I did mention we didn't want it interfering with his exams!
At Home Group we talked about how the sins/errors/mistakes of one person can affect a whole community - biblical reference Achan's deception at Jericho, contextual references all too many to mention!
"Forgiveness is gold" - Eric Bibb (and it's true - I promise!!!).
Sunday, September 27, 2009
"Moon" (movie review)
By David Bowie's son, Duncan Jones.
And that's the last reference to the elder statesman of British pop/rock.
The movie is low key and low budget.
It lasts 90 minutes and takes place entirely on the moon about 50 years from now.
Astronaut Sam Bell (lunar miner) sits alone in his moonbase waiting for his solitary 3 year contract to end and to be reunited with his wife...
Then something happens which turns his world/moon/life upside down.
Influences: 2001, Solaris, Silent Running, Castaway, A.I., Wallace and Gromit...
It is a tense, psychological drama featuring a virtuoso performance from Sam Rockwell as Sam.
Not for those wanting to see heaps of action/aliens/romance...
Kevin Spacey makes an "appearance" as Gerty the computer/robot.
Understated, intelligent story telling.
And that's the last reference to the elder statesman of British pop/rock.
The movie is low key and low budget.
It lasts 90 minutes and takes place entirely on the moon about 50 years from now.
Astronaut Sam Bell (lunar miner) sits alone in his moonbase waiting for his solitary 3 year contract to end and to be reunited with his wife...
Then something happens which turns his world/moon/life upside down.
Influences: 2001, Solaris, Silent Running, Castaway, A.I., Wallace and Gromit...
It is a tense, psychological drama featuring a virtuoso performance from Sam Rockwell as Sam.
Not for those wanting to see heaps of action/aliens/romance...
Kevin Spacey makes an "appearance" as Gerty the computer/robot.
Understated, intelligent story telling.
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