Gentle Blog Followers,
It has been a while since my last blog. Largely that is
because these postings have reflected my enthusiasm over visiting new and
exciting places, and sharing those with others with similar interests and
curiosity. Being based in New Zealand for a while now, nearby Places of
Interest have been covered at least broadly before. Our explorations lately
have been of the more subtle nature, re-visiting places but going to more off-the-beaten-path
attractions. You know what I mean: “We’ve been to ________(San Francisco, New
York, Milwaukee) many times but never seen the ________(Asian Art Museum, Tenement Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright designed Greek Church)”, for example. It is
tourism at the more refined next level.
Also, I am here to work, which is interesting in its own right,
but not particularly appropriate for casual blogging. I try not to be too boring. This entry will have a
slightly different structure and tone, so bear with me. I’ll begin with some reflections
on mortality and politics, then go to the travelogue section, and end with
ramblings on sports and culture. It is like a travel blog sandwich with tasty
parts between two slices of deep thoughts (easy enough to skip
if not your “cup of tea”).
Mortality
In pharmacology there is a concept of an LD (lethal dose) 50,
the amount of a drug that will kill 50% of the people who take it. The Over/Under
in gambling is a number designed to have a 50/50 split on bets for the final
score, i.e.: over or under 50 points in a football game. I wonder what the
Over/Under LD 50 is for my life. That would be the age when 50% of all of the
people I have known or known of have passed away. That would include close and
dear friends and family, vague acquaintances, character actors (“oh yeah, that guy”), and major
cultural/social/political figures.
Mortality is something I encounter daily in my work and
something everyone in my generation now faces. To obsess about it in your 20’s
or 30’s, WoodyAllen-esque, is macabre and pathological. To ponder it at 65 is
inevitable. This year has been globally brutal: Prince, Mohammad Ali, David
Bowie, George Martin, Glenn Frey, Alan Rickman, etc, etc. They all added some
meaning and/or joy to my life. As Hippocrates said, “Life is short, art is long”.
Prince performed in Auckland earlier this year. I found out too late, otherwise
would have tried to go. I better see Stevie Wonder next time I have a chance.
I am not morose and I feel fine, but hear the clock faintly
ticking. I feel I am in some Science Fiction movie where the people in my
cosmos are gradually fading out and the world is getting smaller and smaller.
Politics
I’ll be brief. Everyone around the globe is befuddled and
terrified about Trump. I know it dominates the conversation in the US, but if
you travel, it will only be a matter of minutes before you as an American are
asked to explain the phenomenon. Any suggestions? I knew when Obama was elected
it did not mean we were in a post-racial society, but this is ridiculous. I am
reminded of the favorite bathroom stall graffiti I saw at age 16: “20 billion flies can’t be wrong- Eat Shit!”
Democracy in action.
A Closer Look Around the South Island
Timaru
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| Timaru as the lovely place I know, not as you may have read |
New Zealand is a small country and on slow news days stories from the hinterland go nationwide. Timaru has been featured frequently in headlines in 2016. For instance, Timaru has been searching for a new slogan, and an informal poll favored Timaz Hard! This stirred debate, as no one over 30 had any idea what it meant. The Council rejected it for now, but if you follow this link here, someone has compiled a list of alternatives that would make David Letterman proud.
Other recent less-than-flattering items include:
- Timaru has worst air pollution in Australasia – WHO
- Council baffled as bad smell (AKA: pong) returns to Timaru
- Police say four people and a chilly bin appear to be the culprits in a weird eel-throwing incident in Timaru on Sunday night.
- Locals battle fluoridation of water
- And last but not least, Human bones found on a beach near Timaru identified
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| The eagle has landed! |
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| Arty Billboards with Sheep in front a a newly-contoured hillock |
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| Rocky field with farm implement |
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| The Enigmatic Pig Fence |
Queenstown/Lake Wakatipu/Glenorchy
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| Lake Wakatipu on the road to Glenorchy |
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| Anzac Monument |
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| Glenorchy Wetlands boardwalk |
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| The Black Swans of Glenorchy |
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| Local art: Another Haast Eagle sculpture |
On any visit to Queenstown you will see the TSS Earnslaw lakeside, a 100 year old Twin Screw Steamer that invites visitors to cross the lake to Walter Peak Station for a meal at one of the original sheep ranches in the area. We made sure to schedule a mid-day voyage. The water was calm, the BBQ lunch very good, and the old ship a working museum.
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| Porthole view of Queenstown |
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| A view down into the coal-powered engine |
Dunedin Environs/Otago Peninsula
We have been many times south to Dunedin,New Zealand's 5th largest city and home to its first university. On the last two visits, I have made time to explore and "tick some more boxes". On Greek Easter, I drove by one of the two Orthodox Churches, both St. Michael the Archangel, one Coptic and the other Antiochian. Neither were busy. I guess I should have come at Saturday midnight. |
| St. Michael's, the Antiochian one. |
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| On the walk to Lovers Leap |
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| Sunbathing sea lion at Sandfly Bay |
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| The Tunnel |
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| No beach, high tide |
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| The local Highlanders score a try!! |
- Cadbury Chocolate Factory, and
- Speight's Brewery
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| The open pub at the end was the best part |
Next door to that is the Toitū-Otago Settlers Museum, housing historical artifacts from all the peoples of the region, like this traditional Maori kite, or manu tukutuku.
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| Manu Tukutuku |
Oamaru Steampunk NZ 2016
Just one hour south and 150 years in the past is our neighbor Oamaru with the neoclassical white sandstone buildings intact, a perfect place to pretend you are Jules Verne and a natural environment for Steampunk NZ. |
| St. Patrick's Basilica Exterior |
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| and interior |
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| The event sold out, so I had to look through the door. |
Sports and Culture
Warriors
Watching the NBA Playoffs from NZ has been interesting. The New Zealand press always refers to “Steven Adams’ Oklahoma City Thunder”, as if Durant and Westbrook are his wingmen. As much as US sports fans have seen replays of Draymond’s kick to Steve’s “kiwis” was played on a seemingly endless loop here. That immediately made Golden State the enemy of this nation. Steven played tremendously well and was engaging throughout. I would love to have him on my team. He is about to become the highest paid Kiwi athlete of all time.
I have no defense for the kick, although for those to say
that Mr. Green should have been suspended I will point out it was better for
the Thunder that he didn’t. Draymond’s terrible play after the kick in Game 3
and all of Game 4 was a large reason the GSWs were blown out, and why many (me
included) felt they had little chance to come back from 3-1 down. But come back
they did, and as a fan, I could not be more proud. To those who say the Thunder
was the better team and the Warriors only won because of lucky 3-point shots, I
say rubbish! They one because they did what they had to do in the last quarters
of three consecutive games and OKC did not. 73 wins is not luck or a fluke.
Many people seem reluctant to give the Warriors the credit
they deserve, but other teams “misunderestimate” them (a Bush2ism) at their peril. The Finals are still in play, and if
Cleveland wins I will feel happy for the long-suffering fans, but I am hoping
for another championship banner.
GOT (Game of Thrones)
I am a dedicated Pub Quiz player and both pride myself and am a bit ashamed to stay abreast of popular culture. Our quartet, Team Leon, has built a bit of a reputation around town and at the Sail and Anchor Pub, but no one of a certain age should feel good about being familiar of the work of Fifth Harmony, or their latest hit Work From Home ft. Ty Dolla $ign. The sacrifices I make for art!
In this spirit, I feel obliged to have a passing knowledge with GOT. It is all over the Internets and is reviewed weekly on line and on TV. I am about through Season 1 of 6, and I have a few observations. I am not sure why it seems to be so popular. Yes, it has high production values, fine actors, and regularly features beautiful naked people, largely of the XX variety.
But:
- The story is incomprehensible without reading a detailed synopsis (or the books, I suppose).
- They English accents sound refined, but add to the confusion without subtitles.
- The frequent violence is remarkably graphic, enough so that when real people see other real people get dismembered or decapitated it is usually enough to emotionally scar them for life.
- Almost no one is worth rooting for or caring about.
- Not to mention sexism, classism, dwarf bigotry, etc.
A Final Shoutout...
to Buz Graham, a friend since 1973. Buz has started a blog of his trip to southern India and Laos, in part inspired by me, as I was inspired by my niece Laura Fayne. Nice work Buz!Here is a link to the first entry if you would like to check it out:
Mamba Out (mike drop sound)
