those short haircuts!

Hi there

"I want my hair cut short," I said to the stylist.  Summer was approaching and my long-ish locks needed cutting.  I was going to swim a lot and long hair was not conducive to daily sea-swimming and quick-drying.

But like millions of people before me, and no doubt millions of others after me, I ended up with ultra-short hair.   I was devastated.

The next time I went to the hair stylist, I said, "I want my hair cut short.  But not too short."

"I understand," said the stylist.

I got ultra-short again.

And I remembered that years ago a work colleague got her hair cut so short, a buzz cut if you will, that she immediately ran out of the stylists and across the road to a department store to buy a wig.  She arrved back at work from her lunch-break, in tears and trembling.  "I only asked for my hair to be cut shorter," she wailed. "I didn't want to be bald!"

Ever the optomist, a few months ago I was determined to try again -

This time I said to the stylist, "I just want a trim."

But I got an ultra-short haircut.

Sigh.

More Melbourne

Hi there
I walked my feet off around Melbourne;  the malls encourage it.  I discovered Chadstone Mall which is a little out of Melbourne CBD but there is a free return shuttle bus that leaves many times a day from the side of Federation Square (just behind the Hop On Hop Off bus stop, look for a sign standing on the curb).  The driver points out sights along the way and he even drove us along the F1 track, lined by tiers of seats and road markings etc.  The race would be on after my Melbourne visit.  Chadstone Mall has over 550 shops from top end Tiffanys, Gucci, Prada etc to Target, KMart, and $2-type stores.  Tons of eating, fresh fruit .... and walking, walking, walking.

I went on an afternoon tour to Botanical Gardens, St Kilda's famous and yummy cake shops and beach, and Brighton Beach -

  above:  Brighton Beach, with beach huts reminiscent of those in England and put up by early British settlers to Australia.  These huts are classed as heritage.

above:  I guess I'm in the heritage class as well.

above.  I went on a punt in the lake at the Botanical Gardens.  I forgot to take my own picture, but here's the couple in front of me.  We were given parasols to use.

below Botanical Gardens,photo  taken from punt

This dark day in New Zealand history

Oh, no, no, no ...

Like our Prime Minister, I am in agony over the Mosque attacks today.  The worshippers attending these mosques are, indeed, "us", as Jacinda has said.

I am sad, and angry, and ashamed, and sorry-sorry-sorry that my country, their country,  has let these people down-

They were attacked because a shooter has said it is to show that no country in the world is safe.  That's the reason why the Australian shooter planned all this?

My love,  my heart,  goes out to the community

I'm back from Melbourne ...and Harry Potter!

Hi there

Thurs pm NZ time

I got back from Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday.  As per usual (well, as per last year anyway) I arrived back from overseas with a ferocious head cold.  I've been sleeping, almost coma-like, for the last few days, in between all the coughing and sneezing.

I was totally well for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child".  It was a two parter that I saw over two nights.  It can be viewed twice in one day but I figured that would be a bit too much.

Like any true Harry Potter fan I'd read the script of the show a few years ago and, honestly, hadn't thought much of it (not many fans did think much of it), but I figured that with all the special effects involved, the play would no doubt rise above the mundane script

I was so right!  The special effects were magnificent.  Split second timing involved with every one of them. There'd been a complete do-over of the Princess Theatre, from new seats and new carpet (with the Hogwarts crest on it) to what must have been dozens of secret alcoves, chutes, trapdoors, ceiling apparatus, workable scenery, moving staircases, etc.     The polyjuice character change, to me, was the most spectacular special effect.  But I was so scared of the dementors that I hid my face in my hands (what a baby...).

I loved all the cloak swirling and the accompanying music.  The actors gave their all.  It must be so
athletic and exhausting for them.  NZ actor George Henare was great in his one role where I recognised him instantly.  It wasnt till I got home and read the programme that I discovered he had a second pivotal role as well.  Good actng, George, you sure fooled me.

The programme tells us not to spill the beans, to keep the secrets so I guess I have to do that, but anyone who's read the script (most of the audience?) would know the main surprise anyway.

above:  as we entered the theatre we saw an almost empty stage except for a clock shining down on some suitcases.  We would shortly be seeing, acted out live, the final scene in the final Harry Potter movie:  A grown-up Harry Potter and Ginny are farewelling their two children on the Hogwarts Express as they leave for school.  Hermione and Ron are also seeing off their daughter.  The story moves on from there.

Lake Hawea

Hi there

Way back in the mists of time, well, 1974, I went on a bus tour around the South Island.  I remember standing on the shore of Lake Hawea and saying to myself "This is the most beautiful view in the whole of New Zealand."  And for years, I always tell people to go to Lake Hawea.  However, I began to doubt myself.  Was Hawea as wonderful as I remembered it?  It's a fifteen minute drive from Lake Wanaka, so I went there last month.  And do you know what?  It was just as beautiful as I remembered.  Untouched.  Unspoilt  No houses.  I stood by the shore and took it all in:  just pure pristine-ness, and I don't think that's even a word.

Mind you, I almost missed finding the lake.  I thought the Hawea main road would snake around the water's edge.  It didn't.  I had to ask a  local guy:  a - "Where's the village?"  There isn't one;   b - "Where's the lake?"  Down the side roads, look for the signs.

My photos don't do Hawea justice.

below:  I had lunch at the Lake Hawea Hotel (just as you enter Hawea).  Great fish and chips.