I talk too much my mouth hurts

Why is it that one becomes slacker as the weather gets colder? Perhaps it's only me. During the warm season I've been so good, going for regular runs outside, tramping, eating healthily with my 5+ a day and 8 glasses of water, too.

The colder it gets the less I want to move, and so I find myself staying indoors more. Except at my place there is no Internet, so it's reading time or chatting time or movie watching time. No TV or radio, either, though. Valuable time the old fashion way, if you like.

We thought it was cold back in April when B, K and I went to an outdoor movie session in downtown Auckland...

It's so cold in the office. Jackets are staying on, scarves are still wrapped, at least one of our colleagues are typing with her gloves on, I bought a pair of warm fluffy bed socks to keep my toes from freezing off.

Sun, rain, lightning, wind, sun, rain... Make up your mind, weather!

Brrr....

I lied today. I told a person that I only owned five pairs of shoes. Recounting, I actually own 8.
And really need another pair.
One that is not mobile foot baths, because all I own right now are either open toed or filter in water so very well. Not out.
Drats this weather..

My parents are going to Sydney next weekend to celebrate (early) their 25th wedding anniversary.

Dad, Mum, here are a few suggestions for you:

- Getting into/out of town:
It's really easy to take the trains. Don't worry.

- Circular Quay:
From here you can go to the Opera House and the Royal Botanical Gardens on one side, and the Harbour Bridge and the Rocks on the other. You can also take a ferry to the Taronga Park Zoo here.
All good places to go and see.

At the Zoo, you get to see the animals really up close. This is a wallaby, not a roo.

- Try some Kangaroo meat:
I keep telling you, Kangaroo meat is really nice. Though I am not a very meat loving person, I am all for trying new foods, and one of the reasons I went to Australia the first time was to try their unique dishes. Unfortunately I was not able to try the crocodiles at the time, but I fell in love with the Kangaroo steak with cranberry sauce on the side, on our second night in Darling Harbour.

It may have been a long day touring around in the humid drizzling Summer weather...

- Bondi beach:
Dad might not like the crowd. Mum might not want to take a dip in the waters. But it is Sydney, and it is Bondi. Take the bus.

- Government House:
For some historical architecture admiration, take this free guided tour in the Royal Botanical Gardens, open 7 days 10.30am-3pm

- Free wi-fi:
This is particularly important to my mother, who cannot live without being connected; she is even worse than me! Just pop into any of the nearby McDos or Starbucks, which will be your easiest bet.

Whatever you guys end up doing, I hope you have heaps of fun!!

Trying to attend more public lectures and events nowadays, to keep myself busy. Just a few notes from a science lecture I went to a few weeks ago.

- New Caledonian birds use tools in a way that is more sophisticated than our nearest cousins, the chimpanzees. Using leaves, they make spikes down the sides to pick out their food sources out of trees. Ingenious! The young seem to learn by trial and error, rather than being taught by their parents. Maybe they haven't got to that next step yet. In another few million years...

- Hippocampus look like seahorses. Revision from my science days


Humorous clip of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie on the subject of language :)

from here

I've been sick with the flu since last week. Fault of heating system at work blasting air conditioning to the max. Too bad that last week was also the week when my parents came up from Christchurch, for a bit of family reunion and also to attend my graduation ceremony on Friday the 10th.

Didn't help that the weather was as gloomy as you could get, raining every day. I got a lovely bouquet of flowers but still cannot smell its apparently strong perfume circling my room, because I am too busy blowing my nose raw all the time.

Hopefully I will be able to get rid of this unwanted friend soon, with the bright orange concoction above.

Flu, flu, fly away, I do not want you at all!

Behind Ortolana is another hidden cave of delicate sweet treasures, called Milse.
If you still haven't been, it's imperative that you do. Take your partner. Invite your little sister. Treat your mum - what did you get her for Mother's day?

D: Pink elephant struggling to flee, though failing miserably. More like a dragon than an elephant.

Where has the sun gone?
To New York, apparently, according to Y. To Rome, too, R tells me. Well, certainly away from Aotearoa/NZ, where it has been in constant wetness since last week. Eek. I am so grateful for my rain jacket but think I may also need rain boots to keep my feet dry.
When it used to be warmer, C and I had visited Ortolana for an early lunch. Ortolana is hidden in the Britomart courtyard, so had been out of my radar, but not any more. It is a small trendy place serving European style cuisine, mostly Italian. The sodas were so refreshingly lovely. I want the sun back!

A friendly place, especially tourist friendly, Remedy café sits between the STA travel centre and an Irish pub, across from the CIVIC centre on Queen St. It is not a huge place, with a few tables amd box seats outside, a few more inside, in an assortment of a mix-match style.

One wall is stacked with well loved, well travelled books; put to rest finally from being on the road, swapped for another one to while away on rainy days. The shelf on the other side hordes a stack of board games, graphic novels and comics, neighbouring a vintage arcade game machine.

I love the tidy mess of this place.
Traded a new book with a worn classic work - Catch-22 - along with my lunch: the special kumara sourdough with emmental toast of the day and a mocha to take away.

Apparently this weekend is going to be the coldest one so far. Keep warm, folks, if you are currently Down Under like me.

Remedy Cafe
1 Wellesley Street West
Auckland Central

I've gone back to eating salad but trying to incorporate more seafood into my diet. It's been mainly tuna and salmon this week. Yum.

Almost Niçoise salad has spinach leaves, tomatoes, tuna, capsicum. No olives, though.

Wednesdays are normally - since not that long - art gallery days for me. I love going there to see and feel and learn. It is a quiet yet inviting place, plus their cafe/restaurant is awesome. The Auckland art gallery has some really choice events coming up in the next few weeks, I am quite excited!