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.

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!!!).

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.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Special Days

Yesterday a mad manic finish to the term.
Dawn Chorus "Just My Imagination" - 9 staff singers - filmed!
Set up in the Hall.
Year 9 achievement assembly (3 items).
Practise for Year 10 and end-of-term assembly.
Year 10 assembly (2 items).
Lunch!
End-of-term assembly (Dancing Queen as finale - gorgeous!).
Pump off at hospital.
Back to Cock and Bull Ellerslie for term wrap-up drinks.
Home.
Out to Molten with Lois for her 47th birthday.

Sleep-in.

Out shopping for Sophie's special plan (birthday meal for Lois - surprise).
After lunch crash out again.
4pm off to Cornwall Park for a walk, followed by a coffee at Fraser's (my mision to keep L out of the house while Sophie and Grandma prepare the meal.
6.30pm dinner, with exquisite menus prepared by Soph, and backing music mixed by Alexander.

A lovely evening!

The kids did us proud - we all had such a lovely time and it was a genuine surprise for Lois.

Now a little light viewing of Mr Gormsby, clocks forward and lights out!

That pre-nauseous feeling - I hope it will go soon (it usually does).

Gerald.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

Well, perhaps not quite wasted...
A very sleepless one last night, as the Chemo Day sleeps have become.
Almost a pure inability to sleep - not anxious thoughts in particular, simply a wide-awakeness.
Last night I read, solved Sudoku problems, snacked on toast with jam, and eventually found the land-of-no-dreams at 2.30am...
Yes, I have been through "the valley..." as per Psalm 23.
It won't be the first or the last time on my particular journey - I know that.
There is One who travels with me, and indeed only One who can hold me close in the "watches of the night".

I see a lot of what I do in my days could almost be categorised under "Distraction Therapy"...
The meals I eat, the music I listen to, the events/outings/interactions...
Life could be one long distraction...postponing, hiding, ignoring the inevitable...Death.
Part of the Magic/Miracle/Secret is finding the joy/meaning/power of the present moment.
I guess this was brought home earlier this week when we discovered that for any travel I may plan to do from now on, I will not be able to organise travel insurance for myself.
This makes any long-term plans for travel much riskier, as of course no one knows if or when my cancer will creep back...

It has just gone 4am on Friday morning, 25th September.

I have deliberately risen early to write the satirical song for the end of school term known as the Dawn Chorus...After this blog I will finish my school magazine reports...Then maybe back to bed?

Or a breakfast of tea, toast and cherry jam...mmmmm....

Happy Birthday, Lois!

Hopefully off to Molten (lovely restaurant in Mt Eden) tonight...booked for 7pm.

May each day have meaning, joy and peace for all of us...

Thanks to all who are journeying with me in prayer and love and hope and faith.

Love,

Gerald.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

chemo no. 11 tomorrow!

I feel like an old hand now.
I feel tired.
I feel nervous about life after chemo.
Funny how we can get used to the strangest things!
Cancer markers down to 150.
Come on, you little b.....s, get lost, eh?
School has been good - some lovely times with students and staff (and a particularly hairy incident yesterday!).
The tree is doing well - it has plenty of character - looking quite shaggy at present.
Went to The Pohutukawa Tree tonight with my friend and colleague, Kerry.
A terrific experience - a pity theatre is so expensive to go to - I get such a lot out of it.
Review follows soon...
Tomorrow Sophie's speech competition - go, girl!
G.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Reflection number....180?

The blog is an interesting phenomenon.
Here I am sharing my inner thoughts, views and reflections with...whoever!
So to some extent I have an audience, and to some extent, because the blog has "followers", I know who those followers are.
But mostly it's whistling in the dark.
I am trying to "harmonise" my doings, sayings, musings.
I am trying to BE more peaceful than I have been, whilst recognising that these changes occur incrementally, by and large.
When I "go" I would love the experience to be a peaceful, harmonious and loving one for all concerned.
Does that sound a little "Eastern" or "Zen"?
Shalom (peace in its fullness) is a Hebrew term don't forget.
I love the passage in one of the gospels where, after the crucifixion/resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples and literally breathes Peace into them.

G.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

"ABBACADABRA" (an account)

We began with Arrival, played by the recently formed string group (2 violas playong the theme - yeah!).
We continued with Fernando, from the woodwind group (with guest violas - those violas were all over the show, man!)
We had 2 duets from Mina and Tui - Chiquitita and I Know Him So Well (the latter not strictly ABBA, but clearly Andersson/Ulvaeus).
An energetic, fun romp from Mrs Hope and Ms Walker on "Honey, Honey" (which clearly had an impact on our year 9 students, who are working on a version with congas).
Mrs Styra brought the house down with her version of "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (A Man After Midnight)", with a member of the audience getting up and boogying up towards her towards the end (wonder who...)
Jazz Band chirped through "The Winner Takes it All".
Super Twelve added class with "I Have a Dream " and "Lay All Your Love on Me".
SMT - I Do I Do etc. ....all FIVE smt! Great!
Staff choir, knowing me, knowing you (with kazoos).
Finale - Thank You For the Music (YT with wig and kimono), followed by Dancing Queen (everyone up and dancing).
The evening was great fun - if you weren't there, you missed a GOOD ONE!!

"The Drought" (book review)

This is early JG Ballard, from the same era as The Drowned World and The Terminal Beach.
True to style, we are presented with a dystopian vision of the future (in fact, a huge drought is happening in North Eastern Africa at present - Ballard's nightmare scenarios are all too real).
Arthur Ransom leaves the town of Hamilton for the beach, spends 10 years surviving on painstakingly trapped and filtered sea water and returns to the town when he comes across wild lions (must be water somewhere).
The strength of this writing is its density of prose - even the chapter titles have a poetic tinge to them - if your eyes should skip one word, you're lost...this book is not to be read with half a brain (hence, not a good experience for chemo day!).
Ballard is a dispassionate writer, in the sense that you get a detailed account of the characters' actions, and where they are, but you need to join the dots, and even add in your own dots, to get an idea of their feelings.
As such, the book is diametrically opposed in style to the one I am currently reading (Teacher Man by Frank McCourt).
It's not a style I would spend my whole life reading, but it is an essential one to experience and admire.
I finished the book without having experienced any great sympathy for the central characters (they didn't ask or demand my sympathy), but I did have an uneasy, scared feeling in my guts which, having today heard the stunning news about the African drought (humans competing with elephants for scant food and water supplies), SHOULD be there.
Want an easy read?
Stay away!

"Coco Avant Chanel" (movie review)

At last! A chickflick, I hear you sigh in amazement...
But is it a chick flick or a chic flic?
Either way, the movie is a subtle, sensitive study of Coco Chanel's early years and relationships.
It's yer typical, er, French film...understated, cool, visually delightful, tinged with wistfulness...
Audrey Tatou is the young Coco...wonderful simply to look at, let alone to appreciate as an actress.
The movie begins with Coco's orphanage years, continues through her dance hall entertainer/seamstress years, her rural accoutrement years (how's that for French, eh?) and up to her fashion godess emergence.
There are scenes showing her cutting up clothes and creating daring new pieces influenced by her surroundings.
The primary theme appears to be a study of how women were treated and how Coco rebelled against the rampant or even subtle misogyny of the time.
A bit like La Vie En Rose in feel, though less bleak.
Some lovely supporting performances.
Great costumes!

G.

Friday, September 18, 2009

So Much Things To Say...

Apologies for not blogging yesterday - main reasons are busyness and needing beauty sleep!
Wednesday was ABBACADABRA - our ABBA celebration.
It was great fun, and a varied programme, and a slick one (relatively speaking).
I will possibly give an account of the evening in more detail later.

Last night I wended my way west to catch my great-niece, Esther, as one of the lead roles in her school show - The Mikado (she was Nanky-Poo - she's at a catholic girls' school - it's complicated!).
Of course she did well!
And so did the rest of the cast - everyone had a great time!

Today was the tree-planting ceremony at my school.
William, Head of Maori, gave me his korowai (ceremonial cloak, usually woven with many feathers) to wear - in fact, there were quite a few sections in Maori, which was great (as you may know, Maori is actually, officially, my first teaching subject! - it's...complicated!).

Set list for the songs that were presented were:
Rimu Rimu, a beautiful, short waiata tangi (song of lament) that I came across when I was studying Maori music - this was sung by all of us, tho mainly by William and me.
"On Eagles' Wings" - a "church song", sung by The Dreamers (Chris, Losa and Sulieti) with their typical flair, precision and expression...
"Here Comes the Sun" (Beatles - George Harrison specifically) sung by the Super Twelve, with congas and guitar accompaniment.
"Ehara i te mea", a very well known Maori song (very Euro tune), started by the PPTA field officers).
"Bathe in the River" sung by my ex-student Sa'o, who sang it with the A.P.O. earlier this year, but this time had yours truly on guitar backing her up (forgot some chords)...
"Honore. Korooria" (Honour and Glory - a church song), sung by Starzya, after a very moving speech.
"In My Life" - Beatles - Theo and me on guitars and YT on vox (Theo played the harpsichord solo on guitar - amazing!) (this is the song that accompanies the end credits of the last episode of series 4 of Boston Legal).
"Ua Fa'afetai" (a Samoan song of thanksgiving), sung by the students and YT as YT shovelled soil into the hole round the tree...
I think that was it!
Thanks to ALL the people who were there, and particularly to Jonathan J, who dreamed the dream first.
The sky was blue, the sun was shining, the birds were singing...what a wonderful gift of a day!

G.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Hanging in there

Some disturbing and distressing thoughts last night.
Also some pain and discomfort which is something I had B.C. (before cancer), but seems to have sprung back with a vengeance.
Not a happy bunny tonight!
Looking forward to tomorrow.
Tired and wanting to sleep.
Some fun rehearsals, and some disappointing behaviour/attitude from students I expected better from.
One has to keep going.
One cannot crumble, or even grumble...
Small acts of compassion take on new significance.
Arthur Farr has done a lovely version of Fernando for woodwind group.

Goodnight!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

ABBA is coming...

Not the billion dollar reunion deal which they turned down...
Not Mama Mia the stage show...
Not Mark Valliant playing their hits on the pipe organ at the Hollywood Cinema.
But something altogether rarer and stranger than the above events.
Otahuhu College presenting a celebration of the group and their songs.
All their hits set to be represented in some way.
I won't give away too many details.
If you'd like to come, it's at Otahuhu College at 7pm on Wednesday evening.
Doors open at 6.30pm.
Adults $5, students $2, families $10.

Time for a beauty sleep!

G.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Weekend Begins...

A sleepless night.
Make my solitary way to school.
Carrot cake delivered to Eileen in Tech for later consumption with morning coffee.
Catch up with Lee about the classes I missed.
Feeling low and tired - need that coffee.
Assess Year 10 performances - some lovely performances, and some bizarre moments.
Non-contact period 2 - write cello part for Dancing Queen,photocopy songs and deliver.
Morning coffee -old student breezes in,I catch a Year 9 in Theo's music class playing the Fijian national anthem and talk to a lady who wants to hire the Super Twelve in October.
Year 12s, year 13s,...then over and out, tocatch a movie at the Lido with Lois - "Coco Avant Chanel" - to be reviewed later.
Butter Chicken, Boston Legal, old Star Trek, martini, Leo nard Cohen, Blog, Cat cuddles, bed...
a few more hours' sleep tonight?
A lie in tomorrow??

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

"Inglourious Basterds" (movie review).

The spelling "mistakes" in the title are Tarantino's, not mine.
This was the first Quentin Tarantino movie I have seen, so apologies if I restate things that are obvious to people familiar with his style.
Once again, this is not "chickflick" stuff, so for a romantic movie experience, choose something different.

So, what kind of movie is it???
Well, it's basically a movie which deconstructs the Second World War, in particular the Nazi occupation of France, "mashes up" all appropriate genres with gleeful but knowing abandon (if that isn't a contradiction in terms!) and has you on the edge of your seat for its entire duration.
Amongst the mashup lie the eviscerated remains of war movie, propaganda, Paris-cine, comedy, western (soundtrack by Ennio Morricone!), gangster (there's even a section which bears an initial resemblance to a scene from Public Enemies, reviewed earlier), Monty Python (all we needed was Graham Chapman in his military uniform), Indiana Jones, Jean de Florette.....

Highlights?
Brad Pitt as an inglourious basterd...
The lead women...
Adolf Hitler's fate...
The soundtrack (there's even a substantial sequence underscored by David Bowie's "Putting Out the Fire (with gasoline)", which, whilst referring in style to Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge, seemed uncannily appropriate...)
The pace!
Not all breakneck action - plenty of time spent on drawing characters, then sudden (and often violently surprising or surprisingly violent) action - gratuitous? Subject for debate.
The humour - in spite of the historically terrible contexts, everyone involved seems to be relishing their roles.
The Italian accent scene....

...But where was Mike Myers?...

G.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

A Day Off!

Thanks to my bosses!

Because I had 2 appointments in at Ak hospital, I thought it probably best to take the whole day away today.
So after my cancer counselling session I drove over to St Heliers and met Lois (she is on study break), and we walked to and from Mission Bay.
The weather was FANTASTIC.
Lois suggested using this day in lieu of any crappy ones that might occur later in Summer...a good idea.
Then back to hozzy for prolonged tests (not by much - they are experimenting on me to see if a particular enzyme contained in anti-malaria pills affects the liver in cancer patients - it's complicated).

Thanks to Lee!

My sidekick at school, who kindly offered to take Super Twelve today.
So I have well and truly had the day off, and another one to follow tomorrow, if you can call a chemo infusion a day off!
A day in the sun?

Back to school Thu, then leave early (bedankt, Theo, Kirsty and Lee!) and a day off on Friday.

More gorgeous weather?

Thank you, God!


p.s. received written CT report today.

report notes "significant reduction" of tumours from last CT (June) - from 27mm to 19mm in liver.

Cancer markers down to 203 as of last Tuesday.

Decrease continues, albeit at a slightly slower rate.

Still no major side effects.

Thank You, God...

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Golden Weather

The first of...
Beautiful Winter/Spring day.
Didn't actually spend much time outside.
Developing my swimming pool cleaning apprentice.
Tomorrow father's day.
Some nice chats with both kids today.
My friend, Richard S, popped in on the way home from Eugene Onegin opera rehearsal.
L and I went out walking tonight - crisp, clear sky with full moon and stars.
A lovely meal with salmon and mash, followed by gorgeous carrot cake.
A peaceful day.

G.

Friday, September 4, 2009

A poem by Mikhail Lermontov...

A lonely white sail flutters
In the pale blue mist of the sea...
What seeks he in that faraway land?

Beneath him run currents clearer than turquoise
Above him flow golden rays of sun
But he, ever rebellious, seeks a storm
As if in storms there is peace.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Where Does it All Go?

Time.
Elusive, controlling, both intangible and all too finite...
It is now Thursday.
Apologies for not writing sooner - I have been a bit busy, AND my computer has been playing up (maybe an over-reaction to all those Boston Legal episodes!).
Lorna is still in Hospital, and seems to be recovering okay.
Lois has had a stinking cold, and is recovering.
Alexander has had mock maths exams, and is recovering.
Sophie will be doing both Trash2Fashion rehearsal AND performance at Mangere Baptist on Sunday, and will hopefully recover...
I recorded viola parts for my recordings of Psalms 11 - 20 yesterday, and rehearsed with Super Twelve (Lay All Your Love On Me), and School Band (Waterloo, Take A Chance on Me, Thank You For the Music and Dancing Queen) for the ABBA celebration!
I am still recovering!
The show is on Wednesday September 16th, at 7pm in the School Hall.
Tickets are $2 students, $5 adults and $10 family, no matter what size!
Same old prices (well, we are in a recession)!
We have 20 items, with some...er..."interesting" versions, both funny and inspired, but I won't give too much away.
I hope you can all make it! (Those of you who love ABBA, anyway).
There will be a prize for the best dressed Dancing Queen as well!
Don't feel that you need to book, though that is always helpful for us when planning seating.
There will be string groups, woodwind groups, choirs, bands, jazz, funk, rock, calypso...and room on the dance floor....
Also a MIRROR BALL!!!!
Yeah!
As I write I am listening to a CD of Russian bell music...very similar to Gamelan, actually!
Love,
G.