International birthdays & crosswalks

I had a nice birthday dolphin and whale watching on the Dolphin Explorer.

Crosswalks on Queen Street...here's how it works: a throng of people amass at each of four corners. all the traffic lights turn red. The pedestrian lights buzz and turn green. And, streams of people go in every direction, including diagonally, colliding in the middle and disintegrating into little pieces, meeting again on the other side. Even walking down the street, they don't pick a side. Must be a result of there being lots of immigrants from both left- and right-favoring countries, making auckland kiwis among the most ambidextrous (i.e. versatile) pedestrians I've ever experienced.

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Photos:

Viaduct Harbour, Auckland

Paris

Zen and the spin cycle

The washer/dryer-in-one has been gurgling and spinning and swishing for at least one hour now. I just realized if this thing destroys my clothes it'll diminsh my wardrobe by at least half. Hmmm.

I took my first astanga yoga class today. At the end, the teacher came to me and said, "You've done this before." Hehe. Fooled her! I can already feel the day-after soreness creeping in, except it's not the day after. But, I'm definitely going back. Three more beginner classes and I can move to Mysore yoga, which is basically a way to develop your own practice with some pose adjustments from the instructor. Breathing is the hardest part. You have to close your throat almost complete making it a kind of stopper, so your breathe squeezes through noisily and begins and ends right there.

Just Zen

Went for yoga at the Yoga Academy on Federal, behind the Aotea Center. It's a peaceful studio with wood floors, lots of windows, and a meditation room. Very different from the rumbling floors and flourescent lights back at Westlake Fitness. They had all kinds of props: straps, bolsters, wood blocks, blankets, sandbags, and each other. I've never used props before. It's not my style, but I gave it a go. The sandbags were heavy and cool...nice to put over your eyes in savasana.

After yoga, I walked to Viaduct Harbour, home base for the America's Cup teams during the race earlier this year. Now, of course, they've all gone, except for Team New Zealand. But there were a couple of amazing super yachts tied there, like the Kokomo. Really beautiful.

I finally bought an umbrella, carried it around all day but then left it at home for the walk to the grocery store. That's when it rained. Figures.

Correction on the dehydration PSA. It's actually an ad for Pump bottled water.

Finessing chopsticks

I have to learn how to use chopsticks! Korean and japanese restaurants abound, and they're not big on forks or spoons. I'm told they'd give me one if I asked. But, in my effort to do as the Romans (or Kiwis, in this case), I haven't asked.

So, I've been in Auckland just over a week. It's officially rained every day I've been in Auckland. I'll have to break down and buy an umbrella, though I've not used one in years. They keep telling me it's unusual for this time of year. An eventful first week at work, though...I've lost one story because of an ornery PR guy, I've discovered a major discrepancy that minimizes another story, and I'm rewriting a third, short one. Several other shorts ones and one feature are in the works.

Auckland firsts

I'm having my first dinner in my new little, cozy studio in Auckland city center...fettucine from a packet and baked beans from a can, all I could scrounge up from the little superette. I ate better on the Emirates flight. One of the effects of living right in downtown---there are no grocery stores nearby but at least a bus ride or 20-minute walk away. But I live only a couple of minutes walk from work and right off the main street of Auckland, Queen Street, which goes from K Road (the redlight-turned-artists' district, except for a small seedy part) to the harbor. It's lined with shops, restaurants, food courts, internet cafes and gaming centers and office buildings.

OK, timeout.

I'm watching a documentary on Princess Diana and the night of her death, in English and on NZ tv. Since it happened in France, they have many French-speaking sources, for whom they have provided english subtitles. Now, they just showed Newsweek's European bureau chief, Chris Dickey, stammering away in French with subtitles below. Except, I just saw and heard him speak in Paris just two-three weeks ago, and he speaks perfect English--- in an American accent. (Correct me if I am wrong, globalites.) So, I have no idea why he is interviewing in French for English-language, NZ television. Speaking of which, it's interesting what they have here for what seem like public service announcements: one is about taking care on stairs to prevent a broken leg and another is about preventing dehydration. Hmmm....not exactly "this is your brain on drugs."