Great Mysteries

I'm baffled by the autumn leaves on our balcony. How did they get there when we live on the eighth floor, far above the tree tops?

Whatever the answer, they're not as pretty as these specimens at MOTAT at the weekend.

Old and New

The evenings are arriving earlier now but the University looks particularly good in the twilight. The clock tower was built in the mid-1920s to house the art and commerce departments after the University won a campaign to remain in the city centre.


It's now surrounded by '60's and '70's classics like the General Library on Alfred Street and overshadowed by the Vero Tower, the tallest office block in the city.

Kiwiana

We headed down to MOTAT this afternoon for some respite from contract law - the Museum of Transport and Technology in Western Springs. As you might expect, there were plenty of steam engines and Lancashire boilers plus trams and trains and buses.


There was a good selection of vintage vehicles too including this ambulance from Waipa Sawmill - ready for any lost limbs.


There was also an exhibition entitled "Signposts to Godzone" - a display of classic Kiwiana from pavlova, the Buzzy Bee to the quarter acre section. New Zealand is remarkable in the number of kiwi icons everywhere but here it's a sign of national pride rather than the National Front. Everywhere you look there's the curve of a tree fern, a cheeky tiki or kiwi (bird or fruit), the blue of the pukeko or the red of a pohutakawa. There are golden beaches, blue skies and snow-capped volcanoes on buses, billboards and brochures.

Here are a few classic Kiwi brands from our cupboards - vegemite (actually Australian but the locals don't seem to mind), Edmonds flour ("sure to rise"), Lion Breweries' Steinlager (favourite of Willem Defoe) and Mainland butter (from local giant, Fonterra)... It couldn't be easier to buy local here!

Korean Kimchi

After an aperitif at our favourite stand bar, we headed further up Queen Street to find some dinner. We were spoilt for choice with more than a dozen Japanese and Korean restaurants and one lonely Brazilian cafe. We opted for Buttumak and I knew we'd got the right place as soon as I heard the delightful song of the little plastic bird in the little plastic cage above the door.


The wontons were off the menu - meat only according to the maitre d' who grimaced apologetically when I asked for the vegetarian version and made an upturned fist with his right hand. Not sure what that meant but we skipped the starter, plumping for BBQ squid (me) and pork (him).

The main event arrived with all the trimmings - kimchi (cabbage and chilli), stewed potatoes, pickled sprouts and garlic greens, miso soup (soy and seaweed broth), steamed rice. Most satisfactory.

Happy St George's Day

On my walk home from work today, I was pleased to find a troupe of morris dancers, on a street just off the main drag, celebrating St George's Day. The handkerchiefs and plus-fours, bells and braces, brought happy memories of attempting to bash my sister's finger with a big wooden stick at Guides on a Tuesday night.

The only thing wrong with the picture was that the performance was going on outside an Irish pub - as muddled as the Proclaimers being played at a St Patrick's Day party.

Ready for Winter

Definitely cold now. I need a coat and I'm contemplating giving up on bare legs until spring. Luckily James is much better prepared, thanks to his new skill - crochet.

Here he is in action:


And a close-up...


Then check out the finished product:

My Sea View

After nearly a week running around in Wellington, it's good to get back to my own office and enjoy my sea view once more.

Here's a glimpse through my office window: