Spring has Sprung!

The first day of September here in Aotearoa marks the first day of Spring. Our little city at the bottom of the world decided to turn on a great day to celebrate. I took the Pooch out for the first time in ages and as you can see he was very happy with the state of things. Should SN win the lottery, I am definitely going to score myself one of the houses here. This is by far my favouritist beach in the country.



Here the Pooch checks out some sand castles built by some kids. He is considering whether to lift his leg on the castles or not. I told him not to waste his time. I don't know why some people bother, especially kids. If you are not going to do a good job, then just leave it to the experts...

Happy Winter to my Northern Hemisphere friends. Summer awaits us down here!

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Almost the Last

Running out of Rarotonga photos. Another one of the island, but at the height of the day. With weather like we have here, I am really missing the island right now!

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Arachnid It Ain't

Don't get scared now. A closeup photo of a little friend from Rarotonga. When I say little, I mean little when compared with a human. He was about the size of my hand, which is rather on the big side for someone of his species. Anyone know what it is?

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P*L*O*P Continued

Continuing in my urge of support for our favourite planet Pluto, I offer you this banner to place on your website to show your support. Please feel free to add it to your blog and strike a blow for freedom and liberty!

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P*L*O*P

Ever since I have known about the planets I have known there are nine. Nine I tell you! Now some science geeks have dared to bring dishonour to the world by dissing Pluto and leaving him off future planet lists. Nine is a good number. It rolls off the tongue. Eight is a bad number, it sticks in the throat like a spiky cat hair. I hereby announce officially the formation of PLOP (Protection League Of Pluto). Oricon is Vice President of Intragalatic and Planetary Affairs, but there are still plum jobs to be had if you get in quick. Please sign up for the good of our children and their children's children and so on and so on... Act now, Mercury may be next!

San Nakji for President!

Cook Islands Church

Now, as you should all know, I am an athiest. One without religion. I don't begrudge people the right to believe, in fact I would fight for that right, but it ain't for me. Saying that, I love a good church, mosque, temple, you name it. You can tell a lot about a society through their houses of worship.

The church above is one of the many covering Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. It was built with giant blocks of coral, which you can see quite clearly on the right hand side of the church. (as always clicking on the image will make it bigger) Due to the sea air in Rarotonga, it is a constant battle to paint and repaint buildings and as a result this church has suffered. I understand it is about 100 years old or so. The other interesting thing is the graves. As Rarotonga is a coral atoll, the ground it too hard to dig. As a result people are buried above ground, or in shallow pits dug out of the thin top soil. You can clearly see this on the right hand side again.

So endeth your Rarotonga lesson. I only have more sea pictures remaining which I may or may not post.

San Nakji for President!

The State of Manchester Poety

If moths had eyes, would they be happier?
How do they know they're not dead?
Cavemen hunting for food but
Not before they style the hair on their head.
What would last longer in dinosaur times?
A blind man didn't stand a chance.
Not with all those rocks about.
I'd rather be a blind moth.

Karl Pilkington

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Up high in coconut tree

I have realised that pretty much all the photos I took in Rarotonga were of the sea. I have one of a church made from coral, but the rest are sea. I took 440 photos in the Cook Islands, but due to privacy laws in San Nakji's World, very few are able to be published.

I think a coconut tree really symbolises all that is good about tropical islands. It is the scene you see in your mind's eye when you dream of warmer climes I think. One thing about coconuts though, they can kill you when they fall! A few years ago I was in Rarotonga during a hurricane. I had to drive from one side of the island to the other and it was a harrowing time trying to see in the darkness and trying to avoid flying coconut fronds and coconuts. Fortunately I wasn't killed, but the soft top on my rented sports car leaked and the passenger side of the car was flooded....

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Sukkafish

Time for an update from the journal of SN to you...

What's with older guys and funny facial hair? Handlebar mustaches, enormous beards. What's up with that?

In Rarotonga one night I headed out with the family to a bar/restaurant overlooking Avarua harbour. As we sat enjoying good food and a great view, a guy, with not a hair on his head, walked in. Nothing wrong with a bald guy. How ever there is something wrong with a bald guy with a mullet... This guy had a shiny dome but hair cascading down from the back and side of his head. Can't people balding just do it gracefully? To make things worse, his friend walked in and had the exact same haircut! It was like I had fallen through a hole in the space time continuim and had entered bald mullet world. It was a truly horrifying experience!

Everyday I make myself a sandwich for lunch. Well, one day I don't that day is KEBAB DAY! But I digress... Two things came to my mind this morning as the sandwich progressed. The first was regarding sprouts. We have a container holding something called a 'spicy sprout mix'. Not sure what that is, but it fulfills my daily green requirement and therefore Mrs SN gets off my case. I have been removing sprouts from this container for what seems like weeks but it still seems to be full. I wonder whether we have, by some freak of chance, bought a magical container which will give us a never ending supply of sprouts forever? Do I even want sprouts forever? Could I make money from this device? Hmmmm...

The second thing I was thinking was that a sandwith is a great analogy for life. I couldn't really give you anything more than that statement. It is still an analogy in the making....

Finally I was thinking about the film Death Becomes Her. Has anyone seen it? I know it has that awful Goldie Hawn in it, but that is compensated by the appearance of Bruce Willis. However he doesn't shoot anyone which is quite annoying.

But that's beside the point! What I was thinking was the final scene when Bruce has died and the priest is giving a speech about what he accomplished. The priest says that he will live forever through that which he has left behind. Do you think this is true? Most people in this world don't want to snuff it, but unfortunately this is inevitable. Can we therefore continue on after our demise through things that we have accomplished? I used to think that I would need to continue my DNA to have eternal life, but now I am not so sure... What say you?

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Morning Weirdness

"I was at an airport bookstore. A shop assistant near me plucked David Hasselhoff's 'Christmas Songs' from the shelf and said to his me, "I've heard this C.D. actually makes some people actually vomit. Listen to this." He played it aloud. It was about a guy who eats ten freeze-dried turkey dinners, and dies when his stomach literally explodes. Moments after blasting this gruesome tale, the businessman collapsed and went into convulsions.

I knelt down and cradled his head. A saleswoman called paramedics, and 15 minutes later he was fine. "That never happened to me before," he said. "I don't have epilepsy. It must have been a reaction to what I read." The moral of the story, is: Words will have potent effects on you in the coming days. You should therefore surround yourself not with Hassehoff-type curses but with good news and uplifting stories from music legands, such as The Grates, who dispense articulate blessings." From thegrates.com

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Islands in the Sun, that is what we are

Bored of Rarotonga yet? A dusk view of a Motu (island) in Muri lagoon. I really wanted to swim out to the island and check it out, but just didn't get time. It looked quite wild and rocky. Nothing like the other islands in the lagoon, which were sandy and luxurious...

San Nakji for President!

Belated Birthday Greetings

I talked to Sara, Friar, and she wanted to pass on this message to you. She was so busy with touring that she lost track of time. I am pretty sure it won't happen again!

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Fire, Come Walk With Me

Cook Island dancers are awesome. Unlike San Nakji, they have rhythm making everthing look so easy. I took this photo of a fire dancer on the beach pictured in previous posts. He just swung that fire with the greatest of ease. I just watched with the greatest of ease.

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Standard Beach

You standard beach photo... The difference here is that I was there!!! Coming back to an Aotearoa winter, well, I wish I were back there now! Brrrrrrr!

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Kia Orana from Rarotonga

San Nakji is back! I really had too little time in one of my favourite islands. Only four nights, but was it a welcome relief from the Aotearoa Winter? Yes it was! There is a real different feel from the Caribbean in the Pacific Islands. More laid back, less money and hastle, basically just a wonderful place to get away from it all. I heard nothing of the Middle East, nutters with bombs on planes or bad weather. What could be better?
This photo was taken at the beach I spent most time at. I only wish I had an underwater camera because some of the fish I saw... wow! More photos to come of San Nakji's holiday. Excited?

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Orlando Says...

Hope you had a wonderful day my friend. All the best for the coming year.

All the soppy stuff...

SN

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Dear Blogging Friends

San Nakji is in Rarotonga this week. (Loooooong awaited holiday!) No blogging until next Tuesday. Stay well and stay safe until then!

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Honesty is such a Lonely Word

Time to get Honest. I see that KS and Ori have both posted giving away all their secrets. It is time you heard from me I think!

My name is San Nakji. In my world our family name comes first. For many of you, I would therefore be Nakji San. However please call me, San Nakji or SN if you are lazy on the keyboard. I come from a small planet orbiting the star Mu Cephei. If you were to attempt to pronounce the name of my home it would drive you mad and cause your brain to explode. Best not to I think! As Mu Cephei is a dying star, I was sent by my parents to bring light and goodness to this miserable planet. So far I am succeeding in my mission. I am currently 3245 earth years old. This is equivalent to 3245 years on my own planet.

Due to unexplainable science type stuff I have the ability to fly and have xray vision. I can also kill a yak from 500 metres away with mind bullets. Perhaps my most powerful power however is my ability to turn blue cheese into brie. I mean, who likes blue cheese? Really? I use my powers only for good except when I am committing crime.

I currently reside in Te Raki Pae Whenua, Aotearoa, which you may know as North Harbour New Zealand. Contrary to popular belief, Aotearoa is not the ends of the earth, but in fact the beginning. I bide my time here organising a secret society of super aliens who will one day take down this world once and for all. To make ends meet I rob old ladies and steal candy from babies. You would not believe the money to be made in used candy!

So there you go. Any questions?

San Nakji for President!

A Bird of Some Kind

Yup, this is a bird of some kind. He didn't tell me his name....

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I am Siam

Thoughts from my journal...

What's with spam? No not the ever so yummy when deep fried meaty treat, but that awful email crap we all get in our inboxes every damn day. Apparently there are only a small number of people out there sending millions of these things. One of these guys was living here. I hope they shoot him. Anyway, the idea of spam is to get people to buy your stuff right? Who the hell out there is buying their stuff? It ain't me. It ain't anyone I know. I sure hope it is none of my faithful readers! So if it's no one... Then why are we still getting spammed? This is a great weight on my mind... :o(

On Tuesday night the bus was quite crowded. Normally I look quite menacing and manage to keep my seat to myself. However this guy in a suit decided to invade my seat space and sit next to me. One of the reasons that I don't like people sitting next to me is the smell. Why do I always get the smokers who have just smoked 5 packs before getting on the bus or the guys who have just drunk a yard glass of beer? Well this guy didn't smell like them. He didn't even smell like one of those people who go to the gym after work but would prefer to use the showers in their own homes. No. This guy smelt of lemons. The minute he sat down next to me, my nostrils were invaded with the pungent aroma of freshly cut lemons. Who smells like lemons? I worry that I have a brain tumour. Isn't smelling lemons the first sign?

San Nakji for President!

The Arctic Monkeys

It's been so long since I went out to see a live band. However this was once experience I couldn't miss. The Arctic Monkeys are a band from Sheffield, a depressed city in northern England which is probably most famous for the movie The Full Monty. These guys are remarkable for a number of things. The first is that their success comes from MySpace.com.(apparently the 2nd most popular site on the net. Yahoo.com is no.1) People heard their songs online and told their friends who told their friends and before long they went from playing in front of a crowd of 50 to sold out crowds of as many as could fit into the small venues they were playing. When they signed a record details with the small London company Domino and released their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, it sold 360 000 copies in one week in the UK alone. This made the album the fastest selling debut album in UK history. Quite a feat and this says a lot about our modern society where the internet is king and king maker. This attracted me to the Monkeys, but what kept me there was the rocking music and the amazing lyrics. Now, they are not for everyone, but oh how I love them!

Oh yeah, the concert! It was awesome. Being old and decrepit now, I sat on the mezzanine floor sipping beer and rocking out. The sound was right on the money and the band played all the songs we were hanging out for. One of the weird things about the concert was I didn't meet one person there with a NZ accent. Everyone seemed to be from England!

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The Grates

The Grates were the supporting band for my concert experience on Friday night. My concert experience you ask? Please see above. They were pretty good, although their sound technician wasn't the best, meaning our experience could have been better. The lead singer, Patience, just couldn't stay still which was really funny and in the shot above she was swinging a ribbon around her head which she proceeded to wrap around the security guy in front of her in a seductive serial killer type fashion.

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Otter

In the continuing series of SN's trip to the zoo, here is an otter. She was eating her lunch at the time and just wouldn't stay still. They are very active creatures!

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Cleaning Bird

I have no idea what this bird is, but she was so intent on cleaning herself that she didn't even notice me standing there...

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Post 600

I can't believe it, I have now posted 600 times! Not much to say on this occasion, the same applies for whenever my last anniversary post was. My blog has really changed from the original to what it is now. Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. I hope you enjoy visiting!

A couple of thoughts to finish with,

1 - Bacon is yummy. I am sorry to my veg friends, but I could never give up meat while bacon is an option!

2 - They are making Dark Crystal 2! Yay! Yay! Yay!

3 - In 14 days I will be in Rarotonga soaking up the rays, lying on the beach, diving in the lagoon!

4 - There are too many bottles on my desk. They are out of control!

Here are some things which involve 600.

King Beop of Baekje died in 600 AD
Perisans began to use windmills for irrigation in 600 AD
I-600 is the form you need to fill out to classify an orphan as a relative in the US
News Radio 600 is the San Diego home of Rush Limbaugh :-(
The A340-600 is the longest Airbus airliner in operation
The Omnibook 600 is cute but quirky
The 600-cell is a finite regular four-dimensional polytope
Coca Cola 600 tickets are now on sale for 2007's race in North Carolina

San Nakji for President!

Tamarin

For future reference, San Nakji's favourite monkey is the Tamarin. Just so you know ok?

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Red Panda

Another zoo pic. I have talked about the Red Panda before. They are pretty cool! Much better than their boring-black-and-white-do-nothing more famous relative!

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Zoo

San Nakji went to the zoo today. San Nakji took his new camera.... Standby for animal photos!

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Reports of San Nakji's Death Have Been Greatly Exagerated

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Thanks Ashley!

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Superman

First, a warning. There are spoilers ahead. If you haven't seen this movie and you want to, then please don't read anymore, no matter how much you need my writing to continue living. I promise I will post more for my adoring fans.

So anyway, on with the spoilers...

On Sunday night San Nakji made the move from his house to the movie theatre to watch Superman Returns with Mrs SN and Those Of Little Significance (TOLS). San Nakji likes a bit of a Superhero movie or two, especially Spiderman 1 and 2, Batman Begins, Hellboy and so on. Exclude me however from the Daredevil, Electra and Punisher fan clubs please. I feel I am digressing, but stick with me, it's going to be a hell of a ride!

One of the greatest heroes of superhero movie fans has to be Christopher Reeve. He played Superman just the way we imagined him. As an actor he was typecasted forever, but the fans were happy and you have to give us what we want! I was devastated by his death and so when I heard that the new Superman movie would continue on from these movies, I thought I should check it out.

One thing I heard was that the new Superman looked a lot like our Mr Reeve. I can assure you he doesn't. This comes from someone who pretty much thinks clouds he sees in the sky are devils predicting doom (well, not THINKS, more like KNOWS). Yup, I think everything looks like something, but I don't think whathisface the new Superman looks anything like Christopher. They both have the flying thing going for them, but that's about it. The new Lois Lane just doesn't compare to the old one. The old one was way more 'New York', if you know what I mean and this Bosworth woman is just annoying.

The movie itself is pretty enjoyable. The director tried to keep the 'camp' sort of feel of the original movies and I think he did pretty well. Kevin Spacey is a good Lex Luthor although he isn't really scary enough for my liking except when he is yelling at Lois Lane. I have to tell you she needs a good yelling at too!

The thing that really annoys me about this movie is the rediculous plot against the world. Lex Luthor has stolen the crystals from Superman's Fortress of Solitude and when you put them in water they expand into land... Yup, you heard me right. Just like one of those towel things that is really tiny and then turns into a big towel in water, know the one? Lex dumps one of the coast of Metropolis and plans to live on the land produced. One of the major troubles here is the land is really crap. It's just rock. There aren't any trees or water or anything, just a bunch of rocks. It's just rediculous I tell you! Now if I were a bad guy I would go with the tried and true laser on the moon or nuclear missile aimed at the white house trick. Growing land? What the hell?

The movie is loooooooong. 2 1/2 hours. You know who's fault this is? That Cameron guy who directed Titanic (I want to say Kirk..., but that ain't right!) and Aotearoa's very own Peter Jackson. They showed the world that really long movies can work. Well Hollywood, sometimes they just don't! Ever go to one of those films where you kept checking your watch? This was one of them!

Ready for the big spoiler? Superman has a son.... (Excuse me while I vomit...)

Anyone bored of Kryptonite? So so bored!

I give this film 5 tentacles out of 8. It was pretty fun, but too long and the bad guy was just being stupid!

San Nakji for President!

Should It Be An Issue?

U.S. television talk show queen Oprah Winfrey on Monday moved to quash rumors about her relationship with her best friend, saying she is not gay.

In the August issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, the TV star says some people misunderstand her close friendship of 30 years with Gayle King, an editor on the magazine often seen with Winfrey in public.

"I understand why people think we're gay," Winfrey tells the magazine. "There isn't a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women. So I get why people have to label it -- how can you be this close without it being sexual?"

In the article, Winfrey and King, who is divorced with two children, discuss their 30-year friendship and "four-times-a-day phone calls."

The friends say they would have no problem telling the public if they were in a sexual relationship.

"The truth is, if we were gay, we would tell you, because there's nothing wrong with being gay," says King.

King says the rumors used to bother her as "it's hard enough to get a date on Saturday night" but said she doesn't care anymore. Winfrey, 52, who has never been married, agrees.

"I've told nearly everything there is to tell. All my stuff is out there. People think I'd be so ashamed of being gay that I wouldn't admit it? Oh, please."

So there's still a chance for me Oprah?

San Nakji for President!

Beautiful Alphabet

I think this is one of the most beautiful alphabets in the world. Anyone know what it is? A prize if you can guess!

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Mud, Glorious Mud

Don't know if I posted this one before? It's always worth revisiting as I love boiling mud. It sounds great and is fun to watch. Don't believe me? Better than watching Rollerball on the big screen I tell you! Just try it!

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Oh Boy! Sake!

Empty? Now you tell me!!!

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Happy Bastille Day

Bonjour to all my French readers. Je m'appelle San Nakji, enchantè.

Today, 14th July is Bastille Day. The day the Bastille was stormed and the Republic was formed. Let's celebrate this breakdown in civil order by eating escargot, frog's legs, horse steaks and lots of New Zealand wine. (well French wine just isn't what it used to be!) Enjoy the day France, the weather is nice here, which is a good sign for you!

San Nakji for President!

Like Pigs to the Slaughter

These photos crack me up! Ha ha ha ha ha!

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Sea and Tree

Playing around with my new camera and its' super view function... The sea isn't blue enough!

(come back at Christmas when the tree will be red with flowers)

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Full Moon Again

Again with the full moon? It seems like only last month that we had one of these!

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Tapei

When I visited Taipei many years ago, I don't remember it looking this good. Oh, to take photos like this!

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I Won!

I came first in the company World Cup picking contest. I received a bottle of NZ wine and this lovely trophy you see here. Wow! Could my day get any better? Surely not!

San Nakji for President!

Taking a Walk in Athens

Another photo from my time in Greece. Everyone should have pompoms on their shoes!

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The World Cup is Over

This morning saw the World Cup of Football (soccer for some of you) come to an end. Italy defeated France in a dramatic penalty shootout. I had picked Italy to win and won some money and prizes, so I was happy, but I am sad for Cergie. The worst thing was seeing one of the greated players of all time, Zindane, being sent from the field for a brain explosion inspired head butt. I wonder if we will ever know what happened? I think there may have been some racial abuse involved, but that is speculation.
I know many of my readers know very little about the World Cup. What sets it apart from other world events is that it is truly a World event. The match this morning was probably watched by 2 billion people, 33% of the World's population! Nothing else on this earth will unite people like this tournament. That is why I truly love it.
Now it is over, I will be able to catch up on my sleep and get back to my favourite sport, Rugby League, which is watched by virtually no one in the world... But that's not the point is it?

Congratulations Italy. You made me a rich man today ;o)

San Nakji for President!

Now THIS is real news!

This passes for news in Aotearoa New Zealand....

"An escapee who had spent almost a month on the run, eating the finest food and frolicking in clear public sight on the beach of one of New Zealand's swankiest suburbs has been recaptured by desperate authorities.

Jin, a short-clawed Asiatic otter which escaped from Auckland Zoo on June 13, was found in a trap on an island in the Hauraki Gulf -- part of the harbour that forms the eastern sea entrance to New Zealand's largest city.

The otter was sighted by a sailor on Sunday and extra food was laid out for her around traps on islands in the Gulf. Zoo staff said she had been caught overnight.

"She is in pretty good shape. But obviously she will be a little worse for the wear for being out there," zoo spokeswoman Jane Healy told the New Zealand Press Association.

Jin was being taken back to the zoo for checks by a veterinarian, Healy said.

While on the run, Jin had captured the public's attention with almost daily media coverage on her continued evasion despite the best attentions of the zoo and New Zealand's Department of Conservation.

Jin and two other otters escaped from a new compound in the zoo last month. The other otters were caught but Jin was believed to have swum down a creek and into the harbour.

She crossed the harbour and made her way to the beachfront at Devonport, which is considered one of New Zealand's more well-heeled suburbs."

Not interested in rape or murder. World affairs? Who needs that? We have an otter to plaster all over our front pages!

San Nakji for President!

Freaky Sky

I took this photo of the sky outside my office the other day. It's pretty damn freaky don't you think?

San Nakji for President!

Weekly Animal Pic - Tamarin

I love Tamarins. Aren't they funky?

San Nakji for President!

Bus Rides

Depending on when I am working, I sometimes take the bus to work or back home again. I am a fan of the bus when I am on it, but not a fan of waiting for it.... There are a couple of things I like about buses, one being that I can read my book and zone out with my lovely iPod without having to worry about driving. The other thing that's really enjoyable is watching some of the wacky people who live way to close to me for my liking....

The most interesting guy is obviously a special person. He likes to chat to himself as he rides and always wears orange overalls... Now there is a victim of fashion! One day I got on the bus and found all the seats, bar the one next to him, were taken. So I gathered my courage and sat down next to him. I had my headphones on and so hoped to block out his mindless rantings. Unfortunately for me, he decided he would play virtual tennis (yup...) and began swinging his virtual raquet back and forwards. I moved as far away as possible from him, but that only seemed to help him make bigger sweeps with his raquet. I had to get off the bus much sooner than I had planned....

There is a guy who rides the early bus that I take and he always sits at the front of the bus and tells the driver about everything that is going on in his life. I had never been able to make out what he was saying until this morning, when for some reason the acoustics were just right. He was boring the driver with news of his daughter (he doesn't see her often as he is divorced and she ain't living with him. Big surprise). This guy is one of those people who hypnotises you with his head. It is all bald and shiny and has a big lump right on the top of it. It is horrifying and yet beguiling all at the same time... I was tempted to take a photo, but I am sure it would creep my dear readers out too much!

One fun (it is a relative term!) thing to do on a bus is to sit at the back and watch where people choose to sit. First people go for the empty seat and you end up with a bus of half filled seats. Then it gets really interesting as you try to guess where new passengers will sit. Petit women seem to be the partner of choice when sitting, with large scary looking males way down on the list. It is a good way to pass the time if you are riding with a friend. Money could even change hands!

San Nakji for President!

Rainbow

Can you see the rainbow from my office window? Time to find me some gold!

San Nakji for President!

Cloud

I had this big bit of writing to do about independence and how good it is.... But now all I want to do is post a picture of a cloud....



San Nakji for President!

July 4th

Hey Yanks, as NZ is a day ahead of you guys, it's already July 4th here! That means nothing to us, but to you it's a big holiday isn't it? I have to say I like Thanks Giving better as you eat yummy food. Do you eat yummy food on July 4th? My soul source for American culture, TV, seems to say no. Anyway, enjoy your day. Enjoy your fireworks and remember it's only 4 months until you eat turkey and sweet potato pie. Yay!

San Nakji for President!

Blurry

What do you get when you take a photo with your phone at 6am on a moving bus from the Auckland Harbour Bridge?



Now you know!

San Nakji for President!

The Mint Can Climb!

Latest word in the saga of Mint. I have now discovered that mints can climb stairs. It does take upwards of a month but they can do it. Our resident Mint has moved up a stair and has moved nearer to the window. I speculate that Mint is keen on the view which as you can see is of the most amazing cables a stairwell has ever allowed us to see. Where will Mint go next? Stay tuned!

San Nakji for President!

Flats

Today's helpful hint for Americans.

What you call apartments, we here in the British English world call flats.

This helpful hint was brought to you by Frenetic Cola proud sponsor of the 2007 World Cup of Ikebana.

San Nakji for President!

Nicholas is a Good Boy

Bit of a soap box trip for a minute, please indulge me.

I think one of the worst acts in this world is to force children to kill. This is happening all over Africa and it is destroying communities and nations. The worst offenders as far as I am concerned are the Lords Resistance Army who are a bunch of nutters. Children in this so called 'Army of God' have been forced to commit unspeakable acts while the international community just sits by and ignores what is going on.

I was pleasantly surprised to read this morning that Nicholas Cage is helping these kids with quite a bit of money. Normally I can't stand the guy with his one facial expression and his weird obsession with Elvis, but I may go out and buy a Nicholas Cage box set as a thank you from me to him...

(By the way, I am really sorry for the photo... Someone told me it was cage looking his best!)

"Nicolas Cage has donated $2 million to help former child soldiers worldwide.The donation by the Oscar-winning actor will help provide shelters and medical and psychological rehabilitation services, said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA. Cox accepted the donation Wednesday at a United Nations Conference in New York. Amnesty International will administer the funds.

''I understand that this pledge is not a solution for the problem,'' Cage, 42, said when he announced the contribution by video.

''It's my hopeful wish that today's discussions on this tragic subject at the United Nations conference may bring us closer to eradicating the nightmare of child soldiers.''

Cage said he has worked with Amnesty International for more than two years.The United Nations estimates there are at least 300,000 child soldiers participating in armed conflicts in the world today."

San Nakji for President!