macho macho WOman

I want some muscles.

And retro hair.

My body probably fits into the category often referred to as the noodle – little or no shape.  And while I’m not one to complain about weight gain,  I do complain about my ability to gain very little muscle.  This comes from my ability to do very little work with my muscles.  Lazy muscles.  Apparently we’ve all got over 600 muscles in our bodies…but whether or not they’re being used efficiently is a whole other story.

Enter the gym.  Hell – I work at one.  But I’ve been stuck in my cardio-focused ways of working out ever since I laid eyes on the treadmill.  Despite my hate of running, I liked the zoning out that went with the pounding of my feet on the treadmill belt.  Of course it’s easier to work on the exercises you can do fairly effortlessly, than challenge yourself with slightly harder, new ones…in my case, weights.

Enter my fascination with toned arms.  I think I stared way too long at a colleagues sweaty, bulging arms last night after he finished his evening work out, but it’s hard to look away from something you can never imagine yourself having.  Yes, thankfully I will never look like the Hulk, but adding some more muscle to my spindly limbs would be rather nice.  And not only do I like the look of muscles, but I also like the fact that muscles give you more strength.  I wouldn’t mind being able to pound the earth with my rock hard fists.

Something about my workouts had to change.  I had to abandon the treadmill.  Goodbye for now faithful friend, I’m moving on.

Enter my new fitness programme.  Enter lunges and squats.  Enter the first push up set of my life.  Enter nausea.  Enter pain.  Toughen up I hear you say.  But the agony I experienced bending down to perch on the toilet was enough for me to push aside my new programme for another week.

Enter week 2.  Procrastination and fear have held me back from launching another attack on my muscles.  The mornings have also just been too cold to get out of bed.  But I think this afternoon will be time for the second session.

Scratch that, this afternoon WILL be time for the second session.  Hello hulk arms.

United we stand

I want Easter and Anzac day to fall on different weekends.

Not because I need another day off (I’m a student remember), but because I feel that Anzac day has been a little overshadowed this year by the mounds of chocolate eggs that line our shelves.

I’ve been trying to divvy up my time accordingly this past long weekend to make sure I spend an equal amount of time thinking about these two important events on our calendars.  So I go and buy my ridiculously priced Easter eggs, learn more about the story of Easter and go to Sunday mass.  And then I give some thought to Anzac day.

The Auckland Museum didn’t disappoint with its Anzac Day activities and memorial services.  One of these included projecting a 25 minute edited film on the northern facade of the museum.  It showcased women in the war and was compiled by acclaimed filmmaker Gaylene Preston.  See http://www.gaylenepreston.com/films_war.html for info about her moving documentary, War stories our Mothers never told us.  Beautiful love stories from WW2.

Overlooking the city, the museum was an impressive sight.  Glowing red, the museum entrance was projected with swaying poppies, as the film looped on screens eitherside.  We rolled up with a blanket, cushions, popcorn and a hefty supply of early Easter goodies.    Most of the people around us however were content sitting on concrete blocks.  As we left, one Father and his brood nabbed our spot, huddled together and continued watching the changing images on screen.  It felt nice seeing the young ones learning about life in a different time.

A slightly more contemporary version of the poppy was on show at the Titirangi markets on Sunday.  One vendor was selling poppies made out of scallop shells for the garden.  Genius – pretty poppies all year round, rain or shine.

The next poppies we saw were at the Piha RSA, where we spent much of the night cheering on the Breakers in the basketball.  The ladies of the community weren’t fazed by double overtime and were huddled in a corner of the RSA preparing wreathes of poppies for the following days Anzac march.  And at 7pm, the lights went out, the basketball was switched off and the entire crowd in the bar put their pints down.  The Ode of Rememberance was recited by an older gentleman on a microphone with the crowd repeating the lines “We will remember them”.

Anzac Day is a big event out at Piha.  A march from the RSA to Lion Rock generally includes the entire community, complete with the sound of a few bagpipes.  Once at Lion Rock, wreaths are laid and a list of the fallen are read out.

Anzac day evokes a lot of emotion in us kiwis.  Emotional days often call for food.  After a weekend of reflection, I think there’s no better time than now, to make a giant batch of Anzac biscuits.  And therein lies another problem, the combining of Easter weekend and Anzac day has not only effected my thoughts, but also my waistline.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/15770/chewy+anzac+biscuits – best ever recipe if you use maple syrup and add some sultanas.

supermarche chic

I want a clothing store attached to our local supermarket.

Countdown Richmond Road does provide me with a hefty amount of food bargains now and then, but the ability to pick up an affordable outfit would just make the food shop that much more enjoyable.

We are missing out New Zealand.  I was introduced to this ingenious idea when living in Toronto.  After hawling myself to the supermarket one day, picking the wiggly wheel trolley and beginning up the escalator, I noticed bright lights, clothes and a big orange sign reading ‘Joe Fresh’.

And that’s where my love affair with the store began.  Who knew it would add a decent 40 minutes onto our already slow food shop?  It’s pretty hard to say no to an outfit on the sale rack for under $10 though, and my deal-hunting boyfriend agreed.

But fast forward to Auckland and no more Joe Fresh.  I thought I was over the whole phenomenon until I realised the brand had a site where loyal followers could post their favourite outfits.

http://joefresh.tumblr.com/

And then there was the Fall 2011 Runway Collection.  How did they manage to get every colour I love at the moment?

So I’ve emailed Countdown and told them what they’re missing out on.  It’s only a matter of a time…

Trontastic

I want to visit Hamilton again.

No jokes.

I got a surprise this weekend from the North Island city affectionately named the ‘Tron’.  And I’ll be brutally honest, maybe it’s because I went in with such low expectations for the place.  The Tron has had to put up with a whole load of criticism over the past few years, and not just from me.  Hamilton is usually just another place that needs to be passed through in order to get to where you’re going.  The only memories I had from these sorts of excursions, were that the main road through the city was lined with industrial looking buildings, a Burger King and a few too many roundabouts.  How misguided I was to think that was the limit to what the Tron had to offer me.

After a relatively short drive out of the busy roads of Auckland, through Huntly and Ngaruawahia, we entered into Hamilton. We hung a right midway through the visual pollution of industrial buildings and passed over the Waikato river to get into beautiful Riverside, close to where our accommodating friends lived.  With an improv sing along to Riverside Mother ****** and a fist pump or two, we arrived at our destination in high spirits.

What followed was the perfect Saturday.  A barbecue on the deck in some hot sunny weather (who knew?!), spontaneous sun shade making out of tarps and rope by a couple of  local proactive Hamiltonians, cold beers and a visit the local Savemart.  Let this be known – the Tron has a few great bargains to be had.  The street below our accommodation also hosted a flea-market on Sunday morning which is where I managed to pick up this ingenius salad spinner.

I’ll be honest again, the real reason we headed for the Tron was not for the markets or the gorgeous riverside area but really for the annual Balloons over Waikato festival.  The hot air balloon nightglow showcase was followed by an impressive fireworks display.  Again the Tron outdid itself.

In the early hours of Sunday morning our lovely guests took us out for more balloon watching but after some low fog settled in, our stomachs decided breakfast was in order and we headed to a local cafe with a retro-vibe.  Then a stroll by the river in the morning sun, serenaded by a little old lady playing some tunes on a recorder ahead of us.

City of the future indeed.

Food babies all around

I want to visit a buffet once a week.

I’ve only decided this again recently, mind you.  The day I was first introduced to Valentines (many years ago) I think my 10 year old self must have just stood in awe at the abundance of food that surrounded me.  The cherry on top was that like most other parents, Mum would be able to smuggle me out a handbag full of free jellybeans stuck in a papery napkin.

But the thing that re-ignited my love for the buffet came from a birthday dinner out with my Mum on Monday night with a visit to a fairly new restaurant called ‘Eight’ at the Langham hotel.

The experience at Eight has been described as a journey, with 8 interactive kitchen stations, each from a different part of the world.  The Route 66 kitchen is filled with every type of meat you could think of, the Spice Route offers a range of curries and Indian cuisine and the Great Ocean Road has a selection of seafood.  Freshly made sushi/sashimi is also on offer along with a Chinese section and a salad bar that beats Valentines hands down.

So we arrived at the Langham hotel for a few bevvies before the event that was dinner.  We were then shown to our table and taken on a tour of the kitchen area/buffet area.  I hesitate in even typing the word ‘buffet’ because to me it screams the same old roast meats, some suss salads and an old soft serve machine.  Valentines served me well until I dined/gorged myself/then whined about my sore stomach at Eight.

We grabbed our plates, and headed for food with a strategy in mind.  We weren’t wasting our time on salads and curry was low on the priority list for fear of filling up too fast.  After devouring many servings of beef wellington, oysters, sashimi, crab, naan and dumplings, our table headed to the dessert bar. Words cannot describe my joy.

So now to the price…of course we didn’t pay for our meal so that may have been another reason why we enjoyed it so much.  After looking on Eight’s website I saw that dinner charges are $70 per person while lunch goes for about $37 per person.  Pricey but good value if you come from a long line of determined buffet eaters like I do.

Wow.  Wow. Wow.  No more Valentines for us.

Neighbourhood crush

I want Dominion Road.

Don’t get me wrong, I love little old Westmere.  We’ve got nice parks, good playgrounds, a sprinkling of great cafes/bars/delis/butchers/clothing shops, markets and even an RSA.  There’s a blend of families, creative types, the odd NZ celeb, and all-round oddballs that make Westmere an interesting place to inhabit.

But then there came ‘the other neighbourhood’.  Or really just a huge stretch of road that I enjoy spending my time with.  It’s one of the oldest main roads in this fine city of Auckland; Dominion Road even has a song named after it.

Dominion Road isn’t the perfect street.  It’s frequently busy and there’s a little bit of a seediness that oozes from parts of it, but there’s a whole range of goodness on offer.

FOOD GOOD

Dominion Road hasn’t escaped the chain train so you can eat your heart out at one of the many fast food restaurants: Wendys, Burger Fuel, KFC.  If you’re feeling slightly more daring, take my suggestion and go chinese.  New Flavour is my favourite with a huge plate of steamed dumplings (pork & chive) for $8.  BYO anything to drink from what I can gather.  Even better, you can get a $10 massage next door while you wait for a table to open up.  Family have also given me good reviews of Love a Duck and Golden Steamboat is next on my list to try.  And Zap2 Thai another eatery which has been raved about.  And…Banzai Japanese is another cheapie with lovely service and atmosphere.  And… there’s a Filipino supermarket closeby Wendys.  I can’t stop thinking about food.

SECONDHAND SHOPPING MECCA

I’m never disappointed by the mass of cheap stores on offer.  Not only does Dominion Road have an impressive Salvation Army store and a Red Cross store but there are a range of stores that specialise in bits and pieces/nick nacks/odds and ends.  Geoffs Emporium is a favourite.  Items to date include a floral cooking apron, tan belt and numerous fancy dress costumes.

ACTIVITES

The Capitol Cinema on Dominion Road is not your average cinema, only showing 2-3 films at a time. For an indecisive person like myself, it is the perfect night out.  A double scoop of Movenpick will set you back a measly $4 and the Capitol has jumped on the $10 Tuesday bandwagon – Hurrah! Alcoholic beverages also available.  Potters Park the odd event on and would be a nice place to eat your chinese takeways or get your game on (pretty sure there’s basketball courts there).  Mt Eden War Memorial Hall is just across the road and has hosted the retro fair (massive array of all things brown and orange) and a range of other events.

http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/whatson/events/auckland

http://www.ikes.co.nz/

http://www.capitolcinema.co.nz/

Living in the trees

I want a treehouse.

And not for my future kids.  For me.

Flicking through an old issue of Mindfood the other day, I stopped my page-flipping when I spotted these treehouses.  A-MAZING.  There’s something different about living slightly above ground level and getting a view that is uniquely yours.

I’ve got a bit of a connection with these whimsical looking structures from having a pretty awesome kids version growing up at Piha.  Mine came complete with windows that opened, a swing attached, and a pulley system for essentials like food and barbies.  I also remember going nuts for a certain kids cartoon called Ewoks, who ran about on swing bridges, from treehouse to treehouse.  Maybe another reason I’m pining for one of these things…

 

Water love

I want to be a synchronised swimmer.

I’ve always been a water baby.  I love the stuff.  Whether I’m smashing myself against some west coast waves, swimming a few lazy laps of breaststroke in the pool or drinking it, nothing feels quite so natural.  When Nanna and Poppa pulled a book from the cupboard called The Water Babies, I instantly fell in love with the story and have since been fascinated by life under the sea.

Swimming lessons followed, until I found a water ‘sport’ that fascinated me even further.  Totally absorbed by the graceful water ballerinas or synchronised swimmers on tele, I endeavoured to find out more.   Somehow I think what turned me off the idea some time later was the thought of having to wear a hideous, unnatural looking nose-plug.  So I forgot synchronised swimming and carried on life enjoying water in other ways such as through my super soaker 3000.

And then last week, something sparked my childhood memories.  A Tuesday twilight swim/splash about at the Parnell Baths seemed relatively uneventful, bar a water polo training session happening at one end of the adult pool.  Which is why when an expanding group of girls and women hovering around the kids pool caught my attention and held it when they proceeded to ambush the kids pool and invade the safety of my personal space.

Getting out, my boyfriend and I skipped off to the spa to watch what we later found out was the Wet Hot B*itches, an all-girl, syncro-wading, water ballet troupe – 1930s style.  Given they were only in the pool for a practice session, we missed out on the greatness that is vintage bathing caps, but they did come well equipped with props such as water noodles and a token male that was attempting to dance and guide the troupe through their routine from the side of the pool.

The troupe are performing a 1930s/1940s inspired water ballet as part of the Auckland Fringe Festival from Wednesday 23rd February – Sunday 27th February 2011 at 9:00pm.  Tickets available from www.iticketexpress.co.nz

I want a ready-made rock pool.

And this ready-made rock pool will attach itself nicely to my quaint little batch that I intend to own in the future, but for the time being is just another student want.

Of course Bondi Icebergs Rockpool would charge a fee for use wouldn't they

After spending a few glorious days on some Sydney beaches, I noticed those Australians had thought of something us kiwis had not.  Purpose-built rock pools by the sea.

I’m used to poking around a few teeny tiny rock pools on the hunt for sea snails, sea anemones and the odd crab but not since my younger days have I thought about swimming in one big enough for me.

The rockpools scattered along the Sydney beaches I visited gave me the best of both worlds.  Being one with nature and enjoying the salty taste of a real sea water swim with the calmness and safety of a backyard pool.

 

The Christmas Story

I want a brood of adorable child actors.

Tonight I was shown a video about the story of Christmas.  From my knowledge, it was made in association with St Pauls Church on Symonds Street and was shown at their recent Christmas caroling night to an audience of thousands.

The ‘Christmassy sing-along’ had a twist in itself, being lit up entirely by glowsticks instead of the traditional candlestick method.  If I remember correctly, St Pauls also used to house many a dance party/rave for underage party goers, where myself and others became familiar with the quintessential ravers tool – the glowstick.  For the sake of the huge audience, I’m hoping all whistles were left at home…

I was keen to try out this modern day caroling experience but after missing out because of prior arrangements, I settled for watching a video that was played to the crowd on the night.

Brilliant!

http://www.stpauls.org.nz/Introducing/Welcome.aspx